Goddess of the River

• Author: Vaishnavi Patel
• Genre: Fantasy/Mythology
• Publication Date: May 21, 2024
• Publisher: Orbit

Thank you to Orbit and Angela Man for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

CONTENT WARNING: infanticide, casteism, ableism, sexism, violence, war

A powerful reimagining of the story of Ganga, goddess of the river, and her doomed mortal son, from Vaishnavi Patel, author of the instant New York Times bestseller Kaikeyi .

A mother and a son. A goddess and a prince. A curse and an oath. A river whose course will change the fate of the world.

Ganga, joyful goddess of the river, serves as caretaker to the mischievous godlings who roam her banks. But when their antics incur the wrath of a powerful sage, Ganga is cursed to become mortal, bound to her human form until she fulfills the obligations of the curse.

Though she knows nothing of mortal life, Ganga weds King Shantanu and becomes a queen, determined to regain her freedom no matter the cost. But in a cruel turn of fate, just as she is freed of her binding, she is forced to leave her infant son behind.

Her son, prince Devavrata, unwittingly carries the legacy of Ganga’s curse. And when he makes an oath that he will never claim his father’s throne, he sets in motion a chain of events that will end in a terrible and tragic war.

As the years unfold, Ganga and Devavrata are drawn together again and again, each confluence another step on a path that has been written in the stars, in this deeply moving and masterful tale of duty, destiny, and the unwavering bond between mother and son.

This book starts with a content warning, which I always appreciate seeing in any book that contains potentially triggering material. Very quickly, I learned that this is a retelling of the Mahabharata, an epic poem full of Hindu myths. However, I think I would have really benefited from having an awareness of the Mahabharata going into this, because not knowing anything about the stories felt like I had shortchanged myself. Especially now that my first exposure was told with more of a feminist spin, and through the eyes of a character who I’m figuring is not a primary character in the original (mainly because females weren’t usually the main characters). 

In this story, Ganga is the goddess of the river, and loves what she does. But after an encounter between the little godlings she’s responsible for and a sage, she’s cursed into a mortal form until she meets the obligations of the curse. I really liked her character throughout the book, especially since she shows a lot of character growth. Initially, she’s very much a goddess—removed from human life and emotions, and when she’s thrust into a mortal life, she discovers how different it is from life as a goddess. 

Her mortal experience includes marriage and motherhood, love and loss, destiny and fate. And the choices that she makes echo on down to her son, eventually leading to a war. The story involves deep explorations of decisions and their morality, as well as how the consequences can play out, even many years later.

After reading this, I’m more interested in reading the Mahabharata in it’s original form, to see the story that this was based on, even if Ganga plays a smaller role in it. I loved the way the story was brought to life, making ancient characters feel modern, realistic, and accessible, although it was a sprawling epic that got a little confusing to me as someone completely new to the story and the epic. Patel brings her signature beautiful writing and stirring emotional content to the book, but I still prefer her debut, Kaikeyi to this one. Before reading this one, it might be a good idea to at least look over a summary of the Mahabharata so that you aren’t going into this blindly, like I did, and have a better understanding of the story. This would be a good read for people who like historical fantasy, Indian mythology retellings, and emotional epics involving a lot of character growth.

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