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parishmita's review against another edition
3.75
I didn't like the ending. It was exciting at first but then naah
annarella's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this mix of fantasy and mystery. It was an engrossing and entertaining read that kept me hooked.
The world building is interestesting, the characters fleshed out and the mystery is solid.
I hope to read other books featuring these characters
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
The world building is interestesting, the characters fleshed out and the mystery is solid.
I hope to read other books featuring these characters
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
mygeekblasphemy's review against another edition
5.0
Disclaimer: author is a friend. Please don't let that dissuade you, though, because holy hell, this is such a fun urban fantasy. We've got a really solid, intricate mystery, a great protagonist, a cute romance, a fresh setting (AKA, not London), an exploration of so many different pantheons, etc. I especially love the complicated relationship between Sara and her trickster mother. Also, positive lady friendships! Just please, GET THIS BOOK IN YOUR LIVES.
rigel's review against another edition
2.0
Had to DNF this one at 66%. Nothing was really happening and there was only a vague semblance of a plot. Also the author seems to have a general lack of understanding/distain towards European paganism and gods?
Anyway, just not for me.
Anyway, just not for me.
jeannedes's review against another edition
4.0
A fun read morphs into metaphor for our many gods.
I was caught by the intriguing storyline and colorful characterizations. Excellent pacing.
By the end I realized the metaphors for our god systems are rich and complex. I am re-reading for more insights into our many belief systems, the power they have in our lives, and the usual casualness we have about our beliefs.
Oh, man, there is so much here, and the story carries it so very well. Maybe a masterpiece, though with human flaws.
I was caught by the intriguing storyline and colorful characterizations. Excellent pacing.
By the end I realized the metaphors for our god systems are rich and complex. I am re-reading for more insights into our many belief systems, the power they have in our lives, and the usual casualness we have about our beliefs.
Oh, man, there is so much here, and the story carries it so very well. Maybe a masterpiece, though with human flaws.
madelinemarie8's review
4.0
I received a free copy of Goddess of the North in exchange for an honest review.
Goddess of the North by Georgina Kamiska was a fun read! It was an urban, mythological fantasy mystery set in the UK with an exciting cast of multicultural characters. Typically when you read mythological fantasies these days, you get a lot of Greek inspiration. The main pantheon in this book is Hindu which was very refreshing and unique. It felt authentic, immersive, and I learned a lot about the Hindu religion and Indian culture.
The main character Sara, a minor Hindu goddess living as a human detective in Sheffield, was a joy to read. Not only could she slightly influence time, she was compassionate and true to her values, but she struggled with some of the familiar issues us mere humans deal with as well. I enjoyed her difficult family relationships, strong friendships and the more subtle romantic aspect. The mystery plotline was intriguing, the characters interesting, but the main star of the show was definitely the cultural representation and mythology. The only thing I wish was different would be for the story to follow the side characters a little more so we could have seen some more growth and development as the novel progressed. All the side characters were fascinating but I didn’t feel like they got the screen time they deserved.
Overall I definitely recommend Goddess of the North to any and all lovers of urban and mythological fantasy, especially if you are looking for something fresh.
Goddess of the North by Georgina Kamiska was a fun read! It was an urban, mythological fantasy mystery set in the UK with an exciting cast of multicultural characters. Typically when you read mythological fantasies these days, you get a lot of Greek inspiration. The main pantheon in this book is Hindu which was very refreshing and unique. It felt authentic, immersive, and I learned a lot about the Hindu religion and Indian culture.
The main character Sara, a minor Hindu goddess living as a human detective in Sheffield, was a joy to read. Not only could she slightly influence time, she was compassionate and true to her values, but she struggled with some of the familiar issues us mere humans deal with as well. I enjoyed her difficult family relationships, strong friendships and the more subtle romantic aspect. The mystery plotline was intriguing, the characters interesting, but the main star of the show was definitely the cultural representation and mythology. The only thing I wish was different would be for the story to follow the side characters a little more so we could have seen some more growth and development as the novel progressed. All the side characters were fascinating but I didn’t feel like they got the screen time they deserved.
Overall I definitely recommend Goddess of the North to any and all lovers of urban and mythological fantasy, especially if you are looking for something fresh.
suncani's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review
While the setup sounds like a familiar urban fantasy, the execution is a little more different. Sara is a great character, using order and her methodical nature to great effect rather than strength and power making her a less typical urban fantasy protagonist, and her struggles between her human appearing life and her nature as a goddess are dealt with in-depth and with great detail.
This is unfortunately one of the drawbacks of the book, while the story is full of interesting descriptions and vivid interactions with various pantheons and gods from them, it does get a little bit bogged down in the middle section.
However, it's worth it in the end as Sara’s resolution is ultimately satisfying and ties up the various story elements well. Although it uses the framework of a murder mystery the focus is more on Sara’s self-discovery and acceptance and a late-story decision may frustrate those who are reading for the mystery element.
While the setup sounds like a familiar urban fantasy, the execution is a little more different. Sara is a great character, using order and her methodical nature to great effect rather than strength and power making her a less typical urban fantasy protagonist, and her struggles between her human appearing life and her nature as a goddess are dealt with in-depth and with great detail.
This is unfortunately one of the drawbacks of the book, while the story is full of interesting descriptions and vivid interactions with various pantheons and gods from them, it does get a little bit bogged down in the middle section.
However, it's worth it in the end as Sara’s resolution is ultimately satisfying and ties up the various story elements well. Although it uses the framework of a murder mystery the focus is more on Sara’s self-discovery and acceptance and a late-story decision may frustrate those who are reading for the mystery element.
anatomydetective's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you, NetGalley, for this digital ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and unbiased.
This book was amazing. I could call it a British version of [b:American Gods|30165203|American Gods (American Gods, #1)|Neil Gaiman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462924585l/30165203._SY75_.jpg|1970226], but I don't think that would even do it justice. The main character is the Hindu goddess Saraswati living as a human being, working as a police detective. Her day to day investigations are interrupted by a murder that has obviously (to her) been committed by other gods. Many different gods appear: Greek, Norse, British, and of course other Hindu gods.
The writing is top notch, the plot perfectly paced, and the characters are well-written and interesting. Even the side characters at the police station are well-developed. This book was five stars all the way through. Sometimes I am not sure how I will rate something until the end, but with this novel I was simply dreading the end because I loved it so much.
This book was amazing. I could call it a British version of [b:American Gods|30165203|American Gods (American Gods, #1)|Neil Gaiman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462924585l/30165203._SY75_.jpg|1970226], but I don't think that would even do it justice. The main character is the Hindu goddess Saraswati living as a human being, working as a police detective. Her day to day investigations are interrupted by a murder that has obviously (to her) been committed by other gods. Many different gods appear: Greek, Norse, British, and of course other Hindu gods.
The writing is top notch, the plot perfectly paced, and the characters are well-written and interesting. Even the side characters at the police station are well-developed. This book was five stars all the way through. Sometimes I am not sure how I will rate something until the end, but with this novel I was simply dreading the end because I loved it so much.
dividedbytime's review against another edition
3.0
✨ 3.5
Sara is a Hindu goddess of order. Daughter to a goddess of chaos, their differences could not be more drastic. Unable to forgive her mother for events that transpired more than three thousand years ago, Sara left her true goddess form to live, more or less, as a human. Without believers to provide Sara with “god-juice”, Sara has limited powers. But she does maintain the ability to rewind time for a few moments. An interesting addition to the complexities of this book.
Sara has chosen to lead her human life as a Detective Investigator based in Sheffield. With her immortal memory, and the ability to sense when gods are meddling with the mortal world, Sara has positioned herself well to keep order in a world prone to chaos.
And with that, it’s time to step into the aether and hurl yourself into Sara’s complicated world.
Goddness of the North begins with an unusual earthquake, so centralized it appears to only rattle the grounds of a particular food market. A man dies during the earthquake, and at first glance it appears he died due to falling debris. But Sara was wandering the market when these events transpired, and this was no accident. It was a murder, marked with the unmistakable sign of gods meddling with mortals. But why? Well, hold on, because Sara is about to get to the bottom of it, and it’s a wild ride.
You know that 1939 phrase from the Wizard of Oz,"Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!", well Goddness of the North is just like that, except “Valkyries and Lokis and Gods, oh my!” Casting a wide net, Georgina Kamsika includes mythology and folklore from a variety of regions.
I thought that Kamsika did a wonderful job with all of the characters, bringing each of them to life. I loved that Kamsika did not shy away from including real world problems. It added an extra layer that made the characters more relatable and real. The food descriptions in this book deserve an honorable mention here because this book made me so hungry. There is a bit of a romance that blossoms in this book, though it is minor by comparison to the mystery at hand, it was a nice touch.
Unfortunately, there were a couple things I didn't like. Goddess of the North lost one star due to Sara being able to interfere with history with little to no consequence. Yikes. Half a star was lost for editing. By no means does it impact the wonderful story that Kamsika has written, but it did impact my reading experience. Stumbling across duplicate words, periods where a comma was clearly intended, misplaced apostrophes, etc. was quite distracting and I wish the editing had been stronger.
Overall, the pacing of this was just right, and the ending was satisfying in that it brought a majority of the loose ends together. Although Goddness of the North could easily be a standalone, I see the potential for a series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Sara is a Hindu goddess of order. Daughter to a goddess of chaos, their differences could not be more drastic. Unable to forgive her mother for events that transpired more than three thousand years ago, Sara left her true goddess form to live, more or less, as a human. Without believers to provide Sara with “god-juice”, Sara has limited powers. But she does maintain the ability to rewind time for a few moments. An interesting addition to the complexities of this book.
Sara has chosen to lead her human life as a Detective Investigator based in Sheffield. With her immortal memory, and the ability to sense when gods are meddling with the mortal world, Sara has positioned herself well to keep order in a world prone to chaos.
And with that, it’s time to step into the aether and hurl yourself into Sara’s complicated world.
Goddness of the North begins with an unusual earthquake, so centralized it appears to only rattle the grounds of a particular food market. A man dies during the earthquake, and at first glance it appears he died due to falling debris. But Sara was wandering the market when these events transpired, and this was no accident. It was a murder, marked with the unmistakable sign of gods meddling with mortals. But why? Well, hold on, because Sara is about to get to the bottom of it, and it’s a wild ride.
You know that 1939 phrase from the Wizard of Oz,"Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!", well Goddness of the North is just like that, except “Valkyries and Lokis and Gods, oh my!” Casting a wide net, Georgina Kamsika includes mythology and folklore from a variety of regions.
I thought that Kamsika did a wonderful job with all of the characters, bringing each of them to life. I loved that Kamsika did not shy away from including real world problems. It added an extra layer that made the characters more relatable and real. The food descriptions in this book deserve an honorable mention here because this book made me so hungry. There is a bit of a romance that blossoms in this book, though it is minor by comparison to the mystery at hand, it was a nice touch.
Unfortunately, there were a couple things I didn't like. Goddess of the North lost one star due to Sara being able to interfere with history with little to no consequence. Yikes. Half a star was lost for editing. By no means does it impact the wonderful story that Kamsika has written, but it did impact my reading experience. Stumbling across duplicate words, periods where a comma was clearly intended, misplaced apostrophes, etc. was quite distracting and I wish the editing had been stronger.
Overall, the pacing of this was just right, and the ending was satisfying in that it brought a majority of the loose ends together. Although Goddness of the North could easily be a standalone, I see the potential for a series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.