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A review by tonyaf
Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
4.75
Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel is one of my favorite books. I love books that explore characters from religious texts or mythology in new ways, so I've been looking forward to Vaishnavi Patel's latest, Goddess of the River since it was announced. I was incredibly lucky to be approved to read the ARC and could not wait to start it. In short, Goddess of the River is everything I hoped it would be and I think it's going to end up on many "Best of 2024" lists - it will 100% be on mine!
Goddess of the River is a condensed retelling of The Mahabharata that primarily focuses on Ganga, the titular river deity. Ganga is the mother of a group of mischievous godlings who enrage a sage who then curses Ganga into human form. The story springs from there and and spans generations building to a war that greatly impacts Ganga's son, Devavrata. The story is complex with dozens of characters and complicated family lines to understand. Because of that, it is not an easy read, but it is well worth the effort it takes to firmly grasp all the intricate political divides and relationships.
The characters and how the story is woven together is one of the novel's many strengths. Ganga, in particular, is a wonderfully complicated character with beautiful growth throughout the book. The second main POV character, Devavrata, is often frustrating but equally complex. Even the supporting characters feel like fully realized people who have both good and bad traits. No one is 100% good or evil and everyone makes decisions that affect others in good and bad ways. The moral complexity, themes, characters, and relationships drew me in and had me fully absorbed in the story!
Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel is beautifully written and epic in scale. I came away from the book feeling a sense of awe.
Goddess of the River is a condensed retelling of The Mahabharata that primarily focuses on Ganga, the titular river deity. Ganga is the mother of a group of mischievous godlings who enrage a sage who then curses Ganga into human form. The story springs from there and and spans generations building to a war that greatly impacts Ganga's son, Devavrata. The story is complex with dozens of characters and complicated family lines to understand. Because of that, it is not an easy read, but it is well worth the effort it takes to firmly grasp all the intricate political divides and relationships.
The characters and how the story is woven together is one of the novel's many strengths. Ganga, in particular, is a wonderfully complicated character with beautiful growth throughout the book. The second main POV character, Devavrata, is often frustrating but equally complex. Even the supporting characters feel like fully realized people who have both good and bad traits. No one is 100% good or evil and everyone makes decisions that affect others in good and bad ways. The moral complexity, themes, characters, and relationships drew me in and had me fully absorbed in the story!
Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel is beautifully written and epic in scale. I came away from the book feeling a sense of awe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Child death, Classism, and Ableism