#goddess of the river

[aroaessidhe]

2024 reads / storygraph

Goddess of the River

reimagining of the ancient Hindu epic the Mahabharata

centres the river goddess Ganga, who cares for the godlings who live along her banks and ignores humanity, until she’s cursed into the body of a mortal, to birth the godlings as children

when she returns to her god form, she’s forced to leave her last son behind as a prince, and her love for him intertwines her in mortal affairs, as he becomes involved in what will eventually become a tragic war

parenthood, duty, politics

[haaaaaaaaaaaave-you-met-ted]

Goddess of the River Cover Art by Veronica O'Neill

[inkcurlsandknives]

So thrilled to create this #BookLook to celebrate Vaishnavi Patel's cover reveal for GODDESS OF THE RIVER coming May 2024 from orbitbooks cover designed by @von_brooklyn 🌊🪷🌊

A powerful reimagining of the story of Ganga, goddess of the river, and her doomed mortal son

I cannot wait to read more from Vaishnavi. I loved Kaikeyi and her writings on motherhood fascinate me

US Preorder

[rhetoricandlogic]

Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel

Review byNoah Fram

In Goddess of the River, Kaikeyi author Vaishnavi Patel reimagines the Mahabharata with an intriguing moral ambiguity.

The Mahabharata is among the most complex epic poems ever written. One of the most foundational and influential pieces of literature in history, this masterpiece of ancient India has been translated, analyzed, deconstructed and reconstructed countless times. In the afterword to Vaishnavi Patel’s reimagining of the poem, Goddess of the River, the author states she has not attempted to complicate an already complicated narrative. Instead, Patel simplifies it by centering on one key relationship within the Mahabharata: that between the river goddess Ganga and her mortal son, Devavrata, who will become Bhishma, one of the poem’s iconic heroes. In doing so, Patel distills the mythic fall of the Kaurava family into a deeply personal and painfully human tragedy, one where the defiantly chaotic mother and her dogmatically lawful son are doomed to always struggle against their own natures.

Goddess of the River is beautifully crafted. Patel moves between Bhishma’s childhood and the end of his life with limpid fluidity, never losing her cohesive narrative structure. No shift in time is without purpose, no dramatic irony is unintentional. Aside from Ganga and Bhishma, virtually every other character is static, each emblematic of their own particular mythological trope. This narrow focus is not a detriment; rather, it only highlights Ganga and Bhishma’s complex relationship and how they come to resemble each other despite their seemingly opposite natures.

Goddess of the River has an intriguing moral ambiguity that readers familiar with the Mahabharata will recognize. None of Patel’s characters are truly good or evil. They all have clear goals, with some being motivated by principle and others by selfishness or caprice. Goddess of the River is a messy story about messy people and even messier gods, all just trying to make the best choices they can to make those they care for proud of them. Thus, Patel makes despite Ganga and Bhishma eminently relatable despite their larger-than-life natures: While neither can fix everything that’s broken within their world, they can at least do some things right along the way.

[glassamphibians]

BOOK HAS FAMILY TREE 253647484 HEALED 364647588473635242 BLESSED

[bookshelvesandtealeaves]

✨ BOOK REVIEW ✨

Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

[instagram]

I think this book partially suffered from my incredibly high hopes. Kaikeyi is one of my favourite reads this year so I expected perhaps too much from this book.

I loved part one. Ganga’s curse and her time as a mortal was fascinating to me and I would have enjoyed that as the whole story, fleshed out more. I would have loved to have spent more time with certain characters in that time, learning how their kingdom worked, how different relationships worked, etc.

I found the middle a slog, I won’t lie. I loved Ganga but I didn’t care for Bhishma at all. I think the politics could have hooked me in if there was more focus on that, but it was more Bishma’s thoughts and feelings as opposed to actual plot which was disappointing for me.

The last part was good, though. The conclusion with the war and Ganga and Bishma’s reunion was lovely to read.

This read like a lot of Greek mythology retellings. The vibes were the same. I generally like a lot of those books and I likely would have enjoyed this more if I’d been expecting that and not something more like Kaikeyi.

Overall not a bad read, but I definitely wanted more from it.

[quillandqueer]

Interesting New Releases ✨

Goddess Of The River: reimagining of the story of Ganga, goddess of the river, and her doomed mortal son In Tongues: a young gay man upends the lives of a powerful art-world couple Keepers Of The Stones & Stars: a witty, YA epic fantasy about a cheeky quintet of teens chosen by magical gems to save the world

The Lamplighter: A historical feminist horror in a small whaling village Land Of No Regrets: A story of four students who find hope and kinship amidst the challenges of growing up at a harrowing Madrasa in rural Ontario Lost Ark Dreaming: A Snowpiercer style class divide dystopia, set in West Africa

Together in a Broken World: Two boys fall in love in a deadly world, but it’s the secrets they keep that might kill them Trust & Safety: a couple becomes entangled with a queer couple living the dream life

[pagesandpothos]

Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel

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 on NetGalley 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 spans generations building to a war that greatly impacts (and is impacted by) 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. I highly recommend it to anyone who loved her previous novel and also to anyone who enjoys complex and grand novels that make you think and feel.

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tropes/Tags: retellings

Content Warnings: The author has included an in-depth content warning at the start of the novel that gives greater details, but the main warnings include: infanticide, casteism, and ableism.

If you liked this I think you will like Goddess of the River: Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel or Circe by Madeline Miller

Links: Storygraph | GoodReads| VaishnaviPatel.com

Goddess of the River will be released on May 21, 2024, and is available for pre-order!

This book was made available to me in advance thanks to NetGalley! I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for this review. The above are my honest feelings on the provided book.

[bloodmaarked]

➸ reading list

just added:

dracula, bram stoker

water moon, samantha sotto yambao

goddess of the river, vaishnavi patel

infinity alchemist, kacen callender

the black girl's guide to financial freedom, paris woods

the poppy war, r.f. kuang

almond, sohn won-pyung

the seven moons of maali almeida, shehan karunatilaka

a bookshop in algiers, kaouther adimi

bitter orange tree, jokha alharthi

[judgingbooksbycovers]

Goddess of the River

By Vaishnavi Patel.

[pipperoni32-blog]

Goddess of the River

by Vaishnavi Patel / 4 stars

If there's one thing fantasy books have taught me, it's that when a god comes down to the earth, they normally change it dramatically. That's what I expected of Ganga, though her being trapped by Shiva was unexpected. Even more unexpected was the fact that a mortal managed to curse her, and trap her once again in human form.

One of those books that I had on my TBR list, and then when I got to it, it was a clean slate, where I had no idea what I was reading, only that I knew past me had wanted to read it. So I was expecting more fantasy, more whimsy, instead of a retake on the classic Mahabharata epic (which is now also on my TBR list) with some creative license.

Knowing nothing about the original text, I was left curious to know more. Also, this is one of those books that asks questions of humanity, that linger with you long after the final page. What is more important, to stand by your vows and your duty, or to try to do the right thing in every situation? Can there be honor in that, if you don't have a firm code you live by? What does true justice look like?

A provocative, thought stirring story, this is something I would love to see in more high schools, or read in settings that can easily lead to discussion. Because I have so much I want to talk about after reading this book!

[bpdbeehive]

I made a list of every single Greek god ever

Keep in mind some of these may be different from what you know because they have multiple different stories

Eros- god of love, passion, and fertility

Tartarus- god of darkest part in the underworld

Thalassa- goddess of the sea

Phanes- god of creation, new life, procreation, fertility, and light

Caligine- goddess of creation

Gaia- goddess of earth

Erebus- god of darkness and shadows

Nyx- goddess of night and darkness

Pontus- god of the seas

Hydros- god of water

Uranas- god of the heavens and sky

Achlys- goddess of the death-mist, misery, sadness, and deadly poisons

Aether- god of light and the upper sky

Ananke- goddess of inevitability, compulsion, and necessity

Chaos- god of the void

Cronus- god of time, fate, justice, and harvest

Caelus- god of the sky

Coeus- god of the North, intelligence, and resolve

Hemera- goddess of daylight

Hypnos- god of sleep

Nemesis- goddess of vengeance, retribution, and rightful fate

Thalassa- goddess of sea

Rhea- goddess of motherhood, fertility, childbirth, comfort, and good living

Oceanus- god of freshwater

Tethys- goddess of fresh water and nursing mothers

Hyperion- god of heavenly light and watchfulness

Theia- goddess of sight and vision

Lapetus- god of mortal life

Crius- god of constellations, stars, and the south

Phoebe- goddess of intellect, prophecy, and the moon

Themis- goddess of justice, law, order, and divine will

Iris- goddess of rainbows

Mnemosyne- goddess of memory

Zues- god of sky, weather, thunder, lightning, and law and order

Demeter- goddess of the harvest, agriculture, and fertility of the earth

Poseidon- god of sea, storms, earthquakes, and horses

Hades- god of the underworld and the dead

Hera- goddess of women, marriage, family, and childbirth

Apollo- god of sun and light, poetry, healing and disease, justice, archery, music and dance, prophecy and truth

Artemis- goddess of hunting, wild animals, and the wilderness

Aphrodite- goddess of beauty and passion

Ares- god of war and courage

Hephaestus- fire, volcanoes, blacksmithing, metalworking, craftsmanship, sculpture, forges, and metallurgy

Hermes- God of wealth, trade, thieves, and travelers

Athena- goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare

Dionysus- god of wine, festivity, and theater

Hestia- goddess of domestic life, home, and hearth

Hecate- goddess of magic and necromancy

Aeolus- god of the wind

Asclepius- god of medicine and healing

Eris- god of discord, jealousy, and strife

Pan- god of the wild, shepherds, flocks, rustic music, fertility, spring, and theatrical criticism

Eileithyia- goddess of childbirth, birth pains, and midwifery

Enyos- goddess of war, violence, and bloodshed

Evrynomi- water meadows, fertility, and pasturelands

Psyche- goddess of the soul

Hedone- goddess of pleasure, enjoyment, and delight

Dolos- god of trickery, cunning deception, craftiness, guile, and treachery

Senectus- god of old age

Oizys- goddess of misery, grief, anxiety, and depression

Moros- god of doom

Momus- god of satire and mockery

Tmolus- god of Mount Tmolus

Nereus- god of the sea

Phorcys- god of the sea and the hidden dangers that lurk beneath the waves

Ceto- goddess of sea monsters and other marine life

Eurybia- goddess of power over, and mastery of, the sea

Eurus- god of the east or southeast wind, fall, and storms

Aergia- goddess of laziness, idleness, sloth, and indolence

Eos- goddess of dawn

Astraea- goddess of justice, innocence, purity, precision

Boreas- god of the north wind, winter, storms, ice, snow, and cold

Chione- goddess of snow

Orithyia- goddess of cold mountain winds

Zephyrus- god of West wind

Notos- god of South wind

Euros- god of East wind

Hesperos- god of the evening and the evening star

Morpheus- god of dreams and nightmares

Pasithea- goddess of relaxation and rest

Icelus- god of nightmares

Phantasus- god of dreams that feature inanimate objects

Aigaion- god of violent sea storms

Achelous- god of fresh water

Alpheus- god of the Peloponnese

Clymene- goddess of fame and renown

Eurynome- goddess of water meadows, fertility, and pasturelands

Idyia- goddess of knowledge

Metis- goddess of wisdom and cunning strategies

Styx- goddess of oaths and the River Styx

Helios- god of the sun

Selene- goddess of the moon

Atlas- god of strength, endurance, astronomy, and navigation

Prometheus- god of fire, forethought, and crafty counsel

Astraeus- god of astrology and stars

Pallas- god of witchcraft

Zelus- god of dedication, emulation, eager rivalry, envy, jealousy, and zeal

Nike- goddess of victory

Via- goddess of force and power

Perses- god of destruction

Asteria- goddess of falling stars, nocturnal divination, and the connection between the heavens and the earth

Leto- goddess of motherhood, childbirth, modesty, and fertility

Eirene- goddess of peace

Dike- goddess of fair judgment and law

Persephone- goddess of grain and agriculture

Alatheia- goddess of truth

Asopos- god of the river Asopos

Ate- goddess of blind folly and ruin

Britomartis- goddess of hunting and fishing

Elieithyia- goddess of childbirth

Eirene- goddess of peace

Ersa- goddess of the dew

Eunomia- goddess of good governance

Harmonia- goddess of harmony

Hebe- goddess of youth

Hephaistos- god of smiths

Eunomia- goddess of law, governance, and good order

Kairos- god of opportunity

Aglaia- goddess of beauty, splendor, glory, magnificence, adornment, good health, and the glow of good health

Lakhesis- goddess of life and fate

Phasis- god of the river Phasis

Despoine- goddess of certain Arkadian Mysteries

Macaria- goddess of a "blessed" death

Melinoe- goddess of ghosts, nightmares, and propitiation

Zagreus- god of rebirth

Ploutos- god of wealth, riches, and abundance

Albion- god of the sea

Tilphousia- goddess of vengeance and justice

Phobos- god of fear, panic, flight, and rout

Pothos- god of sexual longing, desire, and yearning

Anteros- god of reciprocal love

Himeros- god of sexual desire and unrequited love

Hermaphroditus- god of effeminacy, androgeny, and hermaphroditism

Rhodos- goddess and personification of the island of Rhodes

Priapus- god of fertility

Erichthonius- goddess of earth

Tyche- goddess of fortune, luck, prosperity, chance, and fate

Horkos- god of oaths and the curse that befalls those who break them

Epione- goddess of soothing pain

Hygieia- goddess of hygiene and cleanliness

Panacea- goddess of universal remedy

Aceso- goddess of healing and wounds

Iaso- goddess of recuperation from sickness

Machaon- god of surgeons

Pandia- goddess of the full moon, dew, and youth

Telesphoros- god of recuperation

Enyalius- god of soldiers and warriors

Phosphorus- god of the planet Venus when it appears as the morning star

Triton- god of the sea

Carpus- god of fruit

Bia- goddess of force, power, might, bodily strength, and compulsion

Narcissus- god of vanity

Cephissus- god of the Cephissus river

Ismenus- god of the river of the same name

Eucleia- goddess of good repute, glory, and honor

Eupheme- goddess of good omen, praise, and acclamation

Euthenia- goddess of prosperity, abundance, and plenty

Philophrosyne- goddess of friendliness, welcome, and kindness

Euphrosyne- goddess of joy, good cheer, mirth, and merriment

Hephaestus- god of artisans, blacksmiths, carpenters, craftsmen, fire, metallurgy, metalworking, sculpture and volcanoes

Delphin- god of Dolphins

Aristaeus- god of beekeeping, cheesemaking, olive growing, and hunting

Electryone- goddess of the sun and morning

Circe- goddess of magic

Silenus- god of forests, wine-making, and drunkenness

Triptolemus- god of agriculture

Lyssa- goddess of rage, fury, and rabies

Soteria- goddess of safety, salvation, deliverance, and protection from harm

Leucothea- goddess of hope

Palaemon- god of harbors and sharks

Pasiphae- goddess of witchcraft and sorcery

Perses- god of destruction and peace

Phaunos- god of the forest

Maron- god of Maroneia

Astraeus- god of stars and planets

Limos- goddess of famine, starvation, and hunger

Benthesikyme- goddess of ocean waves

Amphitrite- goddess of the sea

Kymopoleia- goddess of violent sea storms and storm waves

[mysterious-secret-garden]

Harold Nelson - Undine by the river. The Caxton Series, 1901.

[sporadicinked]

[seventh-dawn]

glory is calling your name victory's for the brave resilient souls who persist

[madcat-world]

SMITE: Yemoja, Goddess of Rivers - Kevin Sidharta