Like her previous novel, Kaikeyi, Patel takes an Indian Sanskrit epic and uses it to create this intriguing novel. In this one, Ganga, Goddess of the River, gets put under a spell and becomes human, giving birth to a son. It follows her journey as a human and how her son's actions lead to war.

Patel's writing is as gorgeous as ever, but the narrative lost me in the second half. As compelling as Ganga was, her son's struggles weren't as fleshed out as I would have liked. The beginning of the book was more engaging than the end, but Ganga's struggles to navigate a human/God dichotomy were definitely compelling and worth the read.