Beautiful book with amazing, compelling characters. I was sucked in immediately. The story is incredible and the narration was perfect! I need to get to book 2 immediately!!!

Big thanks to Netgalley and Randi Garner for the audioARC in exchange for a review.

The narrator was good and did a decent job of giving each voice a distinct personality.

The story was a little drawn out and I felt that a lot was filler. I think part of it was trying to world build, but came off as long winded.

Overall in giving 3.5, rounded to 4.

Holy smokes, what an emotional ringer. I had to sit with this one for awhile before I could put my thoughts and feelings in order. Because it was DARK. Check your trigger warnings people!

Let’s me start by saying that Abigail Reno and Benjamin Crow were SO GOOD with the dual POV narration! I especially loved the raw emotion in Abigail’s performance as Naia. I’ll definitely look for more of her work.

The magic system in The Goddess Of is so different from anything I’ve read before! There are high, middle and low gods and goddesses. Each is born with a title as a low or middle god(dess), and can rise to the stature of high god(dess) of a given thing by defeating the reigning god(dess) in battle.

And then there’s Naia, our MMC, who was born with no title or discernible power. And her mother despises her for it. Her father, however, dotes on her. Her siblings are equally cruel to her - except for her baby brother Finnian. Naia’s mother and sibling subject her to centuries of torture before she is able to escape via a deal with the high goddess of death and curses.

You see, Naia, was conceived for the sole purpose of breaking a curse placed on her mother - high goddess of the sea - cursed never to leave the sea for her part in a deadly battle centuries ago. She is promised in marriage to Alaris, a middle sun god, who’s mother was cursed to live in a volcano for her part in the same battle. Naia and Alaris’ union is supposed to break their curses.

After escaping to land, Naia seeks out her brother, Finnian who had been banished to the surface centuries before. She meets Ronin, a mortal witch, who agrees to help her but is harboring secrets of his own. The longer Naia stays with Ronin, the deeper she falls for him, the deeper she becomes embroiled in the violent power struggles between witches of deities, and the more she learns the truth about her family’s curses and her own fate.

I found the pacing of the plot of The Goddess Of to be pretty good. There’s a point about 80% of the way in that borders on being boring. But, Randi tries to use these chapters to create more emotional stakes while also growing Naia and Ronin as characters. And it also served as a false sense of security before the final roller coaster. And it kinda works? Kinda…

Like I said in the beginning, this book is DARK. The things poor Naia went through! The gory details of the battles! The deaths! If you’re not used to it, like me, you’ll probably need to take breaks. But I think it was worth it in the end.

I’m definitely looking forward to the sequel. I’ll just need to emotionally prepare myself first!

What a gorgeous read, I went into this completely blind because I was just so taken in by the cover of the book. It has some loss but also love in it so balanced great. I’m such a fan of mythology that I couldn’t give this a 5 star review because it was done beautifully.

I loved this book! It was an incredibly refreshing romantasy and the story didn't feel like it was checking off a list of gimmicks and tropes like a lot of recent romantasy books have had. I'm not a huge fan of "surprise baby" so it's not something I truly believe added to the story, despite it being used as a plot device. Others who appreciate "surprise baby" might completely disagree with that statement. Overall, I loved the characters, the narrator, and the story. Don't miss this one if you want to step out and move away from heavily commercialized romantasy books that seem to have taken the publishing world by storm (and not in a good way).

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for letting me review this book.

This is a beautiful story about love and loss. The mythology vibes are definitely present. It took a moment to get into this story, but then it had me in a chokehold.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a dark romantasy read with gods and mortals.

Includes:
Gods
Heartbreak
Cruelty
Love
Curses

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

The Goddess Of by Randi Garner
Audiobook
Picked this one up for the cover and stayed for the story, and I’m so glad I did! This was such a fun surprise. Naia, the daughter of the gods, is seriously underestimated and mistreated by her overbearing divine family, and that instantly had me rooting for her. I loved the opening in the fantasy realm; it had that dreamy, sweeping worldbuilding I love. When the setting shifted to modern day, I’ll admit I was hesitant (urban fantasy usually isn’t my thing), but it worked.

And Ronin? Yes, please. The slow burn between him and Naia kept me fully engaged.

Would I recommend it?
YUP! It may not have shattered the fantasy genre, but it’s an enjoyable, entertaining read with a compelling FMC and a world (well, two!) that I’m eager to return to.

I’ll definitely be continuing with the series.

Thank you, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley, for allowing

I'll be honest, I went into this book completely blind. I'm a graphic designer, so oops, I judge books by their covers. I was enthralled by the imagery and instantly had to add it to my TBR. I am so glad I did.
Naia is an 800 goddess but she is seen as a disgrace because she has no title or power. Her mother is cruel, and in efforts to escape an arranged marriage, Naia makes a deal with the God of Death and Curses. While trying to hide from her mother, Naia finds herself in the company of a mortal who hates the Gods.
For some reason he is still drawn to her and the need to protect her.
This book has a dual timeline so you get to see events from Naia's past and what is happening currently. Talk about family trauma, I don't blame her for wanting to escape. There was an interesting blend of the world of the Gods and a modern urban setting. Naia's discovery of sweets and coffee had me grinning.
"It's not sweet enough for you." You and me both girl, the sweeter the better.
The last few chapters had me emotional...l'm not crying, you are....My coworkers must think l'm insane, because surely my work emails don't bring tears to my eyes. With that being said I must keep reading this series becuase I need to know what happens next... thank goodness I got approved for that ALC too!
The overall content can get pretty heavy, please check trigger warnings before reading. Truly a great story.
I was given the honor of receiving an Advanced Listeners Copy of this book through NetGalley & Dreamscape Media. Thank you to Randi Garner for allowing me to listen to this. All opinions are my own.

I can’t believe this book hasn’t been heralded from the rooftops! The Goddess Of was exactly the type of novel I would expect about ruthless Gods and Goddesses and I was entranced from the beginning. Naias compassion and vulnerability humanized her in the most beautiful way. I could not have envisioned a better protagonist for this story. The relationships that she forged and her never-ending hope for a better future for herself were nothing short of inspiring. Randi Garner has a breathtaking writing style that envelops the reader right into the world as she weaves it. The way that she utilized the dual timeline perfectly emphasized the numerous injustices in Naias life, leaving me heartbroken and enraged in equal measure. I truly appreciated how unique the storyline was and I never would have guessed the full measure of the plot. Everything about this story was beautiful and I wouldn’t change a single thing about it.

The audio for The Goddess Of was absolutely beautiful. Abigail Reno was the perfect fit for Naia and beautifully captured the full breadth of her emotions. Her performance only heightened my appreciation for Naias character and the lengths that she went to for those important to her.

I devoured this audio book. The narrators both did an excellent job and the writing is phenomenal. It’s been so long since a book made me as emotional as this one did. I can not wait for the next.

Naia isn’t your typical goddess—no title, no powers, and no respect from her immortal, cutthroat family. She’s spent centuries being overlooked, mistreated, and underestimated… until she finally seizes her chance to escape on her wedding day. Enter Ronin: a mysterious, broody mortal with secrets of his own and a protective streak a mile wide. (Seriously, he gives major “I’ll burn the world for her” energy.)

From the very start, Naia had me hooked. She’s soft but resilient, sweet—literally, she has a thing for sugar—and deeply relatable in her yearning for freedom and identity. Watching her grow into her strength was so satisfying. And Ronin? The emotional depth behind his gruff exterior made him the perfect balance to her light.

The world itself is a fascinating blend of mythology and modernity. While it draws inspiration from Greek myth, the author builds something entirely new—gods with unique titles and curses, immortal politics, and a deeply emotional undercurrent that grounds the fantasy. It’s urban magic meets epic destiny, with a rich atmosphere and characters that genuinely feel alive.

The story covers a lot of ground—sometimes a little quickly—but the twists, the curse, and the emotional stakes kept me fully invested. There’s fated love, found family, painful sacrifices, and a heroine you can’t help but root for. Plus, the audio version brought even more life to the characters, thanks to a fantastic narrator.

If you’re into underdog goddesses, brooding men with soft hearts, and a layered fantasy world full of emotion and myth, this one’s for you. I’m already counting down the days for the next book.

Thank to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio book of "The Goddess of" by Randi Garner.
I enjoyed this book very much. The narrator was great. She was able to capture the FMC's emotions perfectly though hearing male character dialogues from female narrator was a bit weird for me. Besides this, I really enjoyed the storyline, characters, dynamic of the book.

This is your sign to pick up the Goddess of. The story follows Naia, the daughter of two powerful deities. Trapped under her mother’s cruel control, the sea goddess selfishly promises Naia in an arranged marriage. Desperate to escape her Fate, Naia pleads to High God of Death and Curses for help.
This book wrecked me and put me back together. I enjoyed the blend of realism and magic interwoven in our world. The romance and magic in this book was very well done. This book brought out every emotion in me.

I was lucky to receive an advanced listener copy of the goddess of thru dreamscape Media and netgalley.

I highly recommend listening for an enhanced and immersive experience.

Key points:
The tone in narration:
Abigail Reno did an outstanding job pulling the reader into the story. The natural emotion caught in her voice transported me into the pages of the story. She had me shameless, crying in after-school carline and squealing in excitement while cutting carrots and washing rice. (Iykyk)
The goddess is part of an Interconnected series, The Fragile Divine. I can't wait to continue the story in the second book, Even In Death!

Thank you, Dreamscape Media and Netgalley.
#TheGoddessOf #NetGalley.

The goddess of & Even in Death are Available now.
7h

I really enjoyed this from the start. It held my interest and the narrator was fantastic and so easy to listen to.

Unfortunately, somewhere in the middle, my feelings began to shift. The urban fantasy elements felt a little odd. The different POVs and time jumps were extremely hard to keep up with for me on audio. I also felt like the characters emotions were all over the place, but we never knew how they got there. For example, at one point she mentions her and Ronin being in a good place after some stressful news, and then the next thing we know he’s not speaking to her. Parts of this book genuinely made me feel like I was missing chapters or major pieces of information.

While I liked the characters individually, I didn’t feel a pull to their relationship or romance over time, and this caused me to lose interest in the plot as it went on. While I think I am the minority on this and the premise is extremely interesting, this book just didn’t work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ALC in exchange for my honest review

Alright… going to need to read Even in Death immediately because this book had me hooked from start to finish. If you’re a romantasy lover, I think you’ll enjoy this one. It took me a little bit to become invested in this story. I stopped and started it a few times but once I got into it, I couldn’t wait to go back! Huge thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC for The Goddess Of!

Naia has no title and no powers even though she is the daughter of the High Sea Goddess. Forced into an arranged marriage she called upon the High God of Death and Curses to help her out, but it comes at a price. Will she be able to keep from falling in love with a mortal? Can her brother help her break the curse she asked for? Will she ever be more than just the means to end of her own mother’s curse?

I loved this audiobook. Listening to Naia and Ronin’s story play out was very entertaining. There is spice to this book, but it is so incredibly well done. I am extremely excited to dive into the next book!

I love folklore/fairy tale and mythology and this was such a unique combination of the genres. I loved the overlapping of earth and the god realms. It was a wonderful and refreshing take.

I loved this one! Even though this is not what you would consider a cozy fantasy, the writing style made this feel that a very cozy/comfort read. I don't know how else to explain it. Yes there were serious issues at play but it was truly a joy to listen to the audiobook.

I loved all the characters, including so many of the side characters. The relationship development between the MCs flowed naturally and progressed in such a satisfying and rewarding way.

The narrators were fantastic. They did a wonderful job of bringing the world and characters to life in a way that was so easy to listen to.

I'm really excited for what's next to come in this world!

Thank you Dreamscape Media & Netgalley for the ALC.

Naia is the oldest daughter of the High Sea Goddess and has no powers or title. She is seen as a disgrace by her entire family over centuries, except by her father. She endures so much over time and longs to be free, so when an opportunity with the High God of Death and Curses presents itself, she makes the deal so she doesn’t have to wed. He won’t tell her of the curse she’ll receive later for the bargain, and Naia begins a hopeful journey forward. But when that ugly curse reveals itself, it will challenge everything she has come to know and love. Can she break it, or will it break her?

I went into this one expecting more of a historical mythology mix, but I was pleasantly surprised that it was urban magic and mythology. The fresh take on humanizing the gods’ characters really had me invested and actually caring about what happened to some of them. This story had fated lovers, found family, cursed destinies, and an underdog heroine- all tropes I love! The characters had depth, the storyline was well-written and paced, and I got a full experience listening to the audio while reading the book. The narrators did a fabulous job with all characters to make them believable and easy to relate to. Overall, I’m giving this one 4.5 ⭐️ rounded up! I’m excited to see where the next book takes us! I received an ALC of The Goddess from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media and all reviews and opinions here are my own.

My thoughts:

Wow! Just wow!

I loved how different, beautiful, and brutal this book was.

Naia is born without powers into a violent, toxic, powerful family. The only people who care for her can do nothing to save her from her mother’s and siblings’ wraths. It is gory, violent, and brutal. But she forges on. And even though she feels helpless, she doesn’t stop choosing to pursue freedom.

Ronin! Oh my sweet, strong, morally gray mortal Ronin. He is also brutal, but in such a way that he strives to protect the good in the world and the vulnerable around him.

I loved the wide cast of side characters, and the questionable integrity of most of them. I want to know so much more about Theon!

And there is a scene near the end of the book that made me cry. Randi Garner has written a beautiful romantasy with island and Japanese influences that broke my heart and sewed it back together again. I cannot wait to read what she writes next.