A review by egkaetzel
Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

Goddess of the River reminds me why it is to the benefit of the reader and the speculative fiction genre to publish stories that are rooted in a diverse array of traditions, yet rooted in themes that resonate with everyone. This book  takes a character from a larger Hindu work - the goddess Ganga- and explores not only her story as god made human made god again, but the repercussions of our actions (whether divine or mortal). It’s an exploration of justice, honor, motherhood, and free will, but never looses its way in becoming too dense or making the reader feel bad. It does what all good folktales and myths do- it sweeps you up in the story and leaves you with something that will stick with you in the end. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook for the ARC.