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kellkie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kbjornholt's review against another edition
DNF at 15%, or page 94.
I was so interested in this premise, and I feel like it fell flat for me. I’m not interested in the characters, I’m not interested in Sigyn’s quest to become a god of something, and every time I go to pick up this book I find myself not wanting to read it.
I was so interested in this premise, and I feel like it fell flat for me. I’m not interested in the characters, I’m not interested in Sigyn’s quest to become a god of something, and every time I go to pick up this book I find myself not wanting to read it.
emilye3's review against another edition
5.0
I read this because of the SPFBO Round 8. I am NOT a judge. This is one of the many titles that caught my interest. I already owned this title and was happy to finally push myself to read it, and it didn’t disappoint.
Review below synopsis.
Synopsis:
Perhaps you know the myths.
Furious, benevolent Gods.
A tree that binds nine realms.
A hammer stronger than any weapon.
And someday, the end of everything.
But few have heard of me.
Looking back, it’s easy to know what choices I might have made differently. At least it feels that way. I might have given up on my title. Told my father he was useless, king of Gods or no, and left Asgard. Made a life somewhere else.
Maybe I would never have let Loki cross my path. Never have fallen in love.
But there’s no going back.
We were happy once.
And the price for that happiness was the end of everything.
Everything in this review is solely based on my opinions.
I would describe this as Norse Mythology reimagined. The author does an amazing job of weaving all the more familiar stories into a cohesive timeline and threaded throughout with the overall story of Sigyn and Loki.
We follow the lives of Sigyn and Loki. Sigyn who is the daughter of Odin, begins her story with her once again trying to convince her father to give her a title. We learn that for as long as she can remember she’s never been good enough or done enough to earn a title. It’s this conflict that starts a whole chain reaction, that leads her to seeking out Loki and asking for help in receiving a title. Throughout the whole book we see these two characters go through so much together but ultimately they are always getting into trouble and having to find a way out of it.
I really felt connected to Sigyn in a way that she never feels good enough and is always looked over and pushed to the side by just about everyone. Even through all that she always pulls herself back together and works harder toward her goal. I loved that she proved people wrong even when none of them saw it that way. Sigyn felt like a real person with all her flaws and bad decisions and I really enjoyed the fact that she wasn’t perfect.
Loki is a hard one to talk about because he makes me so angry but so sad for him at the same time. It almost felt like no matter what he just couldn’t help the way he was and that was sometimes frustrating. I hated his decisions but understood them and it was a weird internal battle during his parts of mischief.
This book is filled with tons of LGBT+ rep. I thought the conversations surrounding this was done beautifully and true to how it can be today. The good and the bad.
Moving onto other characters, there were some I liked and a whole bunch I didn’t but that is based entirely on their actions in the story. I felt connected to this world and the people in it and its very rare that I find myself so engrossed in a story like that.
Cat Rector’s writing is so well done and flows smoothly. Not once did I get pulled out of the story or not understand what was going on. I am amazed at how beautiful this authors writing is.
If your at all familiar with Norse Mythology then you know that it can be brutal and unfair at times and funny and cunning during others. This book didn’t hold back on any of these, and the author didn’t hold back with her characters. I went through every kind of emotion in this book and I can’t stop thinking about it and how much I want the next book. I need to know how this author ends their stories.
If any of the things above interest you I would pick this book up immediately and make sure you have a ton of time to just sit and binge this book. It is a true work of art.
Review below synopsis.
Synopsis:
Perhaps you know the myths.
Furious, benevolent Gods.
A tree that binds nine realms.
A hammer stronger than any weapon.
And someday, the end of everything.
But few have heard of me.
Looking back, it’s easy to know what choices I might have made differently. At least it feels that way. I might have given up on my title. Told my father he was useless, king of Gods or no, and left Asgard. Made a life somewhere else.
Maybe I would never have let Loki cross my path. Never have fallen in love.
But there’s no going back.
We were happy once.
And the price for that happiness was the end of everything.
Everything in this review is solely based on my opinions.
I would describe this as Norse Mythology reimagined. The author does an amazing job of weaving all the more familiar stories into a cohesive timeline and threaded throughout with the overall story of Sigyn and Loki.
We follow the lives of Sigyn and Loki. Sigyn who is the daughter of Odin, begins her story with her once again trying to convince her father to give her a title. We learn that for as long as she can remember she’s never been good enough or done enough to earn a title. It’s this conflict that starts a whole chain reaction, that leads her to seeking out Loki and asking for help in receiving a title. Throughout the whole book we see these two characters go through so much together but ultimately they are always getting into trouble and having to find a way out of it.
I really felt connected to Sigyn in a way that she never feels good enough and is always looked over and pushed to the side by just about everyone. Even through all that she always pulls herself back together and works harder toward her goal. I loved that she proved people wrong even when none of them saw it that way. Sigyn felt like a real person with all her flaws and bad decisions and I really enjoyed the fact that she wasn’t perfect.
Loki is a hard one to talk about because he makes me so angry but so sad for him at the same time. It almost felt like no matter what he just couldn’t help the way he was and that was sometimes frustrating. I hated his decisions but understood them and it was a weird internal battle during his parts of mischief.
This book is filled with tons of LGBT+ rep. I thought the conversations surrounding this was done beautifully and true to how it can be today. The good and the bad.
Moving onto other characters, there were some I liked and a whole bunch I didn’t but that is based entirely on their actions in the story. I felt connected to this world and the people in it and its very rare that I find myself so engrossed in a story like that.
Cat Rector’s writing is so well done and flows smoothly. Not once did I get pulled out of the story or not understand what was going on. I am amazed at how beautiful this authors writing is.
If your at all familiar with Norse Mythology then you know that it can be brutal and unfair at times and funny and cunning during others. This book didn’t hold back on any of these, and the author didn’t hold back with her characters. I went through every kind of emotion in this book and I can’t stop thinking about it and how much I want the next book. I need to know how this author ends their stories.
If any of the things above interest you I would pick this book up immediately and make sure you have a ton of time to just sit and binge this book. It is a true work of art.
ginalucia's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I've been craving exactly this type of Norse Mythology retelling for such a long time, and now that I have it, I couldn't be more thrilled.
Instead of seeing the story of Ragnarok from a male god or character’s perspective. We get to see it unfold through the eyes of Sigyn. A character that Cat Rector has perfected into one that’s relatable, strong, and full of feminine rage.
If you love feminine rage in Greek Myth retellings and have been seeking that out in your Norse books - this is it guys!
The writing style is effortless, making it easy to get lost in the story. But what really stands out are the characters - they're front and center, driving the story forward, and everything else flows around them seamlessly. I had an absolute blast immersing myself in their world.
The Goddess of Nothing at all is absolutely fantastic. I loved every moment of this long and winding journey, and what's even better, there’s queer rep throughout.
If you're a fan of Norse Mythology, but want a different perspective, or you’re a fan of myth retellings that focus on women, this book is a must-read.
For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ginaluciayt
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, and Torture
jemmarie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
josefinedal's review against another edition
4.25
this was such a fastpaced book, despite the 600 pages it felt like 300. i loved so much of this, the first half is stronger for sure. i was expecting more action, but this still didnt let me down. much love!
samn95's review against another edition
5.0
I fell in love with this book within the first few pages. The writing is exquisite and flowed in a way that made it such an easy read. The story is in depth and richly detailed and the characters so realistic in their human flaws and attributes. Cat Rector has been added to my list of authors whose books I will always read!
cometchaser713's review against another edition
5.0
First off props to the author. This was a stellar read.
If you want a book with good character growth, a vibrant world, moral grey MCs, and an array of queer people this book delivers.
My biggest "problem" with this book is the exact same one I had while reading Song of Achilles (which I will say this book is on par with) I know the story behind this novel doesn't end well and still was gutted when said events played out. Seriously I spent the last 25-30% reading through tears. Minor spoiler but "Hello Not Mother" made me put the book down and just sob.
I loved the characters and their dynamics each other. There was also excellent world building and descriptions. And the magic system was easy enough to grasp without going too deep into the weeds. I also am grateful for the glossary in the back as I needed it often.
I also loved how unapologetically queer the characters are. It would have been so easy to make this a straight laced M/F romance (pun intended).
I can't wait to see what the author has in store for this world going forward but I am in for the ride.
If you want a book with good character growth, a vibrant world, moral grey MCs, and an array of queer people this book delivers.
My biggest "problem" with this book is the exact same one I had while reading Song of Achilles (which I will say this book is on par with) I know the story behind this novel doesn't end well and still was gutted when said events played out. Seriously I spent the last 25-30% reading through tears. Minor spoiler but "Hello Not Mother" made me put the book down and just sob.
I loved the characters and their dynamics each other. There was also excellent world building and descriptions. And the magic system was easy enough to grasp without going too deep into the weeds. I also am grateful for the glossary in the back as I needed it often.
I also loved how unapologetically queer the characters are. It would have been so easy to make this a straight laced M/F romance (pun intended).
I can't wait to see what the author has in store for this world going forward but I am in for the ride.
ktrecs's review against another edition
Shallow characters, terrible pacing (3 weeks later???), juvenile writing also, ginger loki is weird