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skyhigh_ky's review against another edition
3.0
DNF 3/4 way through
I loved the beginning with how it stood out from the original myths, but as I continued it, the story felt repetitive. The writing was great. Didn't love the pregnancy/marriage trope, just a personal preference.
I loved the beginning with how it stood out from the original myths, but as I continued it, the story felt repetitive. The writing was great. Didn't love the pregnancy/marriage trope, just a personal preference.
crunden's review against another edition
A couple of wolves were hardly going to stop me.
This hardback is absolutely gorgeous, oh my goodness! It feels nice in your hands. Is that a strange thing to say about a book? I don’t care, it’s true! This hardback has a soft cover and it’s so pretty and I was in love with the book before I even opened it. And you just know a book is going to be good when it opens with a quote from Libba Bray (a writing queen, tbh).
SPOILER WARNING
A Jotun. Tall and lean, his open palm full of wildfire. It was him. It had to be […] The Trickster’s gaze travelled to the bloodstain on my trousers and back to my eyes. “Let’s end this, shall we?” His voice was low and coy, a small smirk on his lips.
The Goddess of Nothing At All tells Sigyn and Loki’s story. BRING. IT. ON. Their first meeting is just *chef’s kiss*. Loki is such a fun character, right from the start. Watching him run circles of thievery around Sigyn had me giggling.
Their ‘family’ in Asgard really frustrated me, though. Not that they weren’t well written, they absolutely were, they were just such jerks. I say ‘family’, cos everyone from Odin to Sif were so endlessly dismissive, antagonistic and cruel to both Sigyn and Loki. I really appreciated Loki’s resistance to everyone’s scorn, but Sigyn’s longing to be needed and approved of by the others made me growl internally a few times. I understand why, like, it makes sense for her characterisation - she’s always been pushed aside and forgotten about and dismissed - and I’m glad she slowly stopped caring so much as the book went on and her confidence grew, but there were a lot of moments early on where I wanted to be like GURL WHY DO YOU CARE WHAT ODIN THINKS?? HE’S BEING SUCH AN ARSEHOLE JUST DO YOUR OWN THING!! And then Thor just flipping on a dime and turning against Loki also really bothered me cos I was hoping Thor was going to have Loki's back ;_;
I’m glad Loki couldn’t have given a toss about anyone’s derision, but I did feel so bad for him for basically all of it. JUSTICE FOR LOKI!!!
I was delighted when Sigyn finally lost her shit.
“I know that Sif said things to Loki that we’d have strung anyone else from the rafters for saying. If it weren’t for him, you wouldn’t have your hammer, or your spear, or your godsforsaken shiny boar. You talk about his morality, but the only person in this room with a clean conscience is Idunn. I know the lies of more than half of you, and each of you either smells like your secret lover or has blood under your nails.”
YAS GIRL GO
And it was really frustrating for Thor and the others to flipflop so often where it concerned Loki and Sigyn. I really struggled to like any of them because they were just so cruel and unforgiving.
The scenes with Sigyn and Loki caring for each other were lovely, though, and I’m glad the romance didn’t take forever between them to blossom. I like slow burn, but I am also an impatient shipper and start drawing heart eyes around the characters from the get-go with some couples, so my shipper heart squealed at their romance.
SUCH PRECIOUS MUFFINS \o/
It must also be said that the writing in this book is lush. Descriptive. Enthralling. It is certainly an exceptional debut novel.
Flowers blossom most thoroughly when given time, affection, and kindness. This is, I suspect, true for most things in life.
This book totally took me by surprise, I must say. I wasn’t anticipating the scope of the tale and so many of the twists, that’s for sure. I think I’m so used to first books in a series being just, like, the start of a romance, that I didn’t anticipate how much more of the story would come after Loki and Sigyn’s love story began, blossomed and became something so much more. The sheer breadth of the The Goddess of Nothing At All reminds me of earlier epic fantasy books (like, 1970s-1980s fantasy) - and I totally mean that as a compliment. This is a tale that span years, generations, parents, and their children and beyond.
Rector weaves a deeply intricate tale herein of family, love, loss, survival, endurance and so much else besides. There are *so many* unexpected wrenches thrown into the lovers’ paths to trip them up and tear that apart (I was *not* expecting Loki’s reveal to Sigyn after his long absence at one point ;_;). I amn’t as familiar with Norse mythology as I’d like, but seeing how intricately Rector incorporates all the legends, figures, descendants and locations just left me in awe. I honestly could not have guessed some of the reveals, so hats off to the author! It’s great when a novel can totally surprise you! I’m very curious to see how [b:Epilogues for Lost Gods|59818529|Epilogues for Lost Gods|Cat Rector|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1639426594l/59818529._SY75_.jpg|94214993] turns out!
Thank you so much to the author for a review copy.
☆ Blog | Twitter ☆
This hardback is absolutely gorgeous, oh my goodness! It feels nice in your hands. Is that a strange thing to say about a book? I don’t care, it’s true! This hardback has a soft cover and it’s so pretty and I was in love with the book before I even opened it. And you just know a book is going to be good when it opens with a quote from Libba Bray (a writing queen, tbh).
SPOILER WARNING
A Jotun. Tall and lean, his open palm full of wildfire. It was him. It had to be […] The Trickster’s gaze travelled to the bloodstain on my trousers and back to my eyes. “Let’s end this, shall we?” His voice was low and coy, a small smirk on his lips.
The Goddess of Nothing At All tells Sigyn and Loki’s story. BRING. IT. ON. Their first meeting is just *chef’s kiss*. Loki is such a fun character, right from the start. Watching him run circles of thievery around Sigyn had me giggling.
Their ‘family’ in Asgard really frustrated me, though. Not that they weren’t well written, they absolutely were, they were just such jerks. I say ‘family’, cos everyone from Odin to Sif were so endlessly dismissive, antagonistic and cruel to both Sigyn and Loki. I really appreciated Loki’s resistance to everyone’s scorn, but Sigyn’s longing to be needed and approved of by the others made me growl internally a few times. I understand why, like, it makes sense for her characterisation - she’s always been pushed aside and forgotten about and dismissed - and I’m glad she slowly stopped caring so much as the book went on and her confidence grew, but there were a lot of moments early on where I wanted to be like GURL WHY DO YOU CARE WHAT ODIN THINKS?? HE’S BEING SUCH AN ARSEHOLE JUST DO YOUR OWN THING!! And then Thor just flipping on a dime and turning against Loki also really bothered me cos I was hoping Thor was going to have Loki's back ;_;
I’m glad Loki couldn’t have given a toss about anyone’s derision, but I did feel so bad for him for basically all of it. JUSTICE FOR LOKI!!!
I was delighted when Sigyn finally lost her shit.
“I know that Sif said things to Loki that we’d have strung anyone else from the rafters for saying. If it weren’t for him, you wouldn’t have your hammer, or your spear, or your godsforsaken shiny boar. You talk about his morality, but the only person in this room with a clean conscience is Idunn. I know the lies of more than half of you, and each of you either smells like your secret lover or has blood under your nails.”
YAS GIRL GO
And it was really frustrating for Thor and the others to flipflop so often where it concerned Loki and Sigyn. I really struggled to like any of them because they were just so cruel and unforgiving.
The scenes with Sigyn and Loki caring for each other were lovely, though, and I’m glad the romance didn’t take forever between them to blossom. I like slow burn, but I am also an impatient shipper and start drawing heart eyes around the characters from the get-go with some couples, so my shipper heart squealed at their romance.
SUCH PRECIOUS MUFFINS \o/
It must also be said that the writing in this book is lush. Descriptive. Enthralling. It is certainly an exceptional debut novel.
Flowers blossom most thoroughly when given time, affection, and kindness. This is, I suspect, true for most things in life.
This book totally took me by surprise, I must say. I wasn’t anticipating the scope of the tale and so many of the twists, that’s for sure. I think I’m so used to first books in a series being just, like, the start of a romance, that I didn’t anticipate how much more of the story would come after Loki and Sigyn’s love story began, blossomed and became something so much more. The sheer breadth of the The Goddess of Nothing At All reminds me of earlier epic fantasy books (like, 1970s-1980s fantasy) - and I totally mean that as a compliment. This is a tale that span years, generations, parents, and their children and beyond.
Rector weaves a deeply intricate tale herein of family, love, loss, survival, endurance and so much else besides. There are *so many* unexpected wrenches thrown into the lovers’ paths to trip them up and tear that apart (I was *not* expecting Loki’s reveal to Sigyn after his long absence at one point ;_;). I amn’t as familiar with Norse mythology as I’d like, but seeing how intricately Rector incorporates all the legends, figures, descendants and locations just left me in awe. I honestly could not have guessed some of the reveals, so hats off to the author! It’s great when a novel can totally surprise you! I’m very curious to see how [b:Epilogues for Lost Gods|59818529|Epilogues for Lost Gods|Cat Rector|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1639426594l/59818529._SY75_.jpg|94214993] turns out!
Thank you so much to the author for a review copy.
☆ Blog | Twitter ☆
ladygreybooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Uhm wow. Just... wow.
This book took me on a Rollercoaster of emotions. I don't really even have words of I'm being honest.
This book will break your heart in every way you can think but it was well worth it and I'm excited for the next one.
This book took me on a Rollercoaster of emotions. I don't really even have words of I'm being honest.
This book will break your heart in every way you can think but it was well worth it and I'm excited for the next one.
moonkiss's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
harlot666's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Where do I even begin? I absolutely LOVE how the author sent me on a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish. At the end of every chapter, I just needed to read one more. I couldn’t get enough of it!! I grew to love and hate each character. I felt each betrayal as if it was my own and even cried for Sigyn’s pain. The fact that even the hero’s were not told in an innocent light. You saw their flaws at face value. I must say, I appreciate an author that adds trigger warnings in the beginning. It really says a lot about them because what is someone cup of tea might be another’s shot of poison. It really aids the reader when they’re browsing the stores and do not have time to pull out a phone to check the story’s trigger warnings online. I cannot wait to read the second story!! It gave a voice to a story that I haven’t heard before and I’m so invested!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and War
nelldiaz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I couldn't put this book down. It was very good however, I will be sending my therapist bill to the author lol. This book is very dark. I would check trigger warnings, but its so good! Can't wait to read more in this series
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Medical content, Rape, Sexual content, War, Abandonment, Death of parent, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Grief, Blood, Body horror, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Homophobia and Pregnancy
rhymeswithshmo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
researchraven71's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
A wonderfully crafted and enjoyable story. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and the characters and many times found myself on the edge of my seat with suspense. The characters were fully realized and understood their motivations even if I didn’t necessarily agree with their choices. This was my first introduction to a Norse retelling and I really enjoyed the world and the creatures within it. The only thing that did not match my expectations was how dark and sad I expected the book to be. Do not get me wrong there is incredible heartbreak and some very dark parts , however from the hype around the book being dark and sad I felt it could have gone farther for my own taste. There were many sad parts but I didn’t need to get the tissue box as I may have expected. Overall, I highly recommend this book. If you like fantasy books that make you question what family and loyalty really mean this is the book for you.
helynalc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I wish I wrote a review of this right after I finished it, but alas, I was not in the headspace. So, I really need to somehow do justice to this now. :)
First of all, I've read a lot of good books recently, but this was the first time after a long time when I honest to gods did not want to go to sleep and was impatiently waiting for the morning and every little snippet of time during the day when I could finally return to reading this book. It was sort of addicting; I just needed to know. Even though sometimes it felt like watching a trainwreck in slow-mo.
I'm not an expert on Norse mythology, and at this point most of my knowledge of Norse gods comes from Marvel movies, but I have a lot of vague memories of reading some bonkers myths in middle school and loving them. I loved the way the author collects some of those original myths and binds them, presents them in a new way. And you know, it shouldn't work. Like, some of those things are just so. weird. and tonally all over the place and like what even are they trying to tell me, that they shouldn't come together into a cohesive story. But they do. It works. Of course, the structure of the novel is a bit different from what we might be used to, but the emotional and character arcs barely feel it in a negative way...and there's a lot of weird "myth-logic" in these stories! The gods are sometimes laughable, sometimes fight like children...they are very, very human in that. Other times, I just couldn't believe how one could even try to fight against them.
But the romance works, the humor works, the betrayal, the lies, the dark stuff, they all worked for me.
I know I had a lot of incoherent thoughts about predestination, self-fulfilling prophecies, and the cycle of prejudice and hate while I was reading the book. How one can be so vulnerable and powerless against intolerance and the will of the many, and gossip, and just a truly, truly despicable authority figure. Yes, I hate Odin and I'm not afraid to say it. He was the cause of all our suffering and he should be cancelled.
But also, wasn't he also just a victim on some level? I mean, no, obviously, he's the worst and not a victim at all, but you know, Spoiler he read the prophecy, it was all there for him from the beginning. He believed in it, and by believing it, basically brought it forth himself. He pushed away Sigyn every. step. of the way, he treated Loki horribly HOORRRIIIBBLY, and he made all the wrong decisions even with a wife who frickin'...sees the future! And he paid for it, hell yeah, but we paid for it too, we who were rooting for Sigyn. It's like...all of them became victims of the stories they told themselves...or let others tell them. If judgment is written on your forehead from the start, is it surprising you will bring ruin? If everyone tells you you're a monster, what does it take to not become one?
Well, apparently it takes to be Sigyn. It felt like she was the only one trying and succeeding to break out of these molds, these toxic cages all of them put around themselves. And...she did it. It cost her almost everything, but she didn't give up. Ever. She wanted to become a goddess so bad, but by having it denied from her over and over and over again, she became something more.
See? I have so many thoughts! And I cried so much on this freakin' book, okay? It's so sad, the whole thing is so sad, but apparently I love to torture myself, because I loved it. And honestly, congrats to the author for making Loki so...aggravating, and awful, and just all around ldskjdlkjgldhg...and I still couldn't help but to feel for him, and like him.
I'm so happy I found this book and it is one of the most memorable reads of my last few years for sure.
First of all, I've read a lot of good books recently, but this was the first time after a long time when I honest to gods did not want to go to sleep and was impatiently waiting for the morning and every little snippet of time during the day when I could finally return to reading this book. It was sort of addicting; I just needed to know. Even though sometimes it felt like watching a trainwreck in slow-mo.
I'm not an expert on Norse mythology, and at this point most of my knowledge of Norse gods comes from Marvel movies, but I have a lot of vague memories of reading some bonkers myths in middle school and loving them. I loved the way the author collects some of those original myths and binds them, presents them in a new way. And you know, it shouldn't work. Like, some of those things are just so. weird. and tonally all over the place and like what even are they trying to tell me, that they shouldn't come together into a cohesive story. But they do. It works. Of course, the structure of the novel is a bit different from what we might be used to, but the emotional and character arcs barely feel it in a negative way...and there's a lot of weird "myth-logic" in these stories! The gods are sometimes laughable, sometimes fight like children...they are very, very human in that. Other times, I just couldn't believe how one could even try to fight against them.
But the romance works, the humor works, the betrayal, the lies, the dark stuff, they all worked for me.
I know I had a lot of incoherent thoughts about predestination, self-fulfilling prophecies, and the cycle of prejudice and hate while I was reading the book. How one can be so vulnerable and powerless against intolerance and the will of the many, and gossip, and just a truly, truly despicable authority figure. Yes, I hate Odin and I'm not afraid to say it. He was the cause of all our suffering and he should be cancelled.
But also, wasn't he also just a victim on some level? I mean, no, obviously, he's the worst and not a victim at all, but you know, Spoiler he read the prophecy, it was all there for him from the beginning. He believed in it, and by believing it, basically brought it forth himself. He pushed away Sigyn every. step. of the way, he treated Loki horribly HOORRRIIIBBLY, and he made all the wrong decisions even with a wife who frickin'...sees the future! And he paid for it, hell yeah, but we paid for it too, we who were rooting for Sigyn. It's like...all of them became victims of the stories they told themselves...or let others tell them. If judgment is written on your forehead from the start, is it surprising you will bring ruin? If everyone tells you you're a monster, what does it take to not become one?
Well, apparently it takes to be Sigyn. It felt like she was the only one trying and succeeding to break out of these molds, these toxic cages all of them put around themselves. And...she did it. It cost her almost everything, but she didn't give up. Ever. She wanted to become a goddess so bad, but by having it denied from her over and over and over again, she became something more.
See? I have so many thoughts! And I cried so much on this freakin' book, okay? It's so sad, the whole thing is so sad, but apparently I love to torture myself, because I loved it. And honestly, congrats to the author for making Loki so...aggravating, and awful, and just all around ldskjdlkjgldhg...and I still couldn't help but to feel for him, and like him.
I'm so happy I found this book and it is one of the most memorable reads of my last few years for sure.
summer_punk's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0