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elementarymydear 's review for:
The Goddess of Nothing At All
by Cat Rector
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Norse mythology has always interested me, but the vast majority of my knowledge comes from either Wagner or from the MCU so when I came across this book I was really excited to read it.
The story follows Sigyn, daughter of Odin and wife of Loki, and centres her in the great drama of Asgard. We witness the legends of Loki and Ragnarok through her eyes, where she is caught between her father and her husband.
đź“šRead this and more reviews on my blog!đź“š
Particularly in Loki’s story, there are some slightly weirder elements (Loki giving birth to an eight-legged horse, for example) and Cat Rector doesn’t shy away from them, including some very gruesome parts of the story. I was impressed at how seamlessly she wove them into the narrative, without feeling too jarring to our modern sensibilities and preconceptions of mythology.
I absolutely loved how as well as embracing Loki’s gender fluidity, she made it a central part of his relationship with the gods of Asgard. He is mocked and rejected for not conforming to their standards of masculinity. Sigyn is the only one who sees and accepts him – and sometimes her – for who they are. Sigyn’s own queerness is part of the reason why she has been so neglected by her own family, and there was a fantastic tenderness to they way they created a queer relationship in a marriage that was perceived as straight.
Unfortunately, in some regards the book didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I didn’t feel particularly drawn into the world – there were a few too many modern-isms and inconsistencies and the story didn’t really grab my attention until the final third of the novel. The double-edged sword of very short chapters meant that I was more likely to read the next chapter because it was short, but it was very hard to get stuck into the story, and it wasn’t until the very end that I felt much emotional connection to the characters.
Overall, this was a book with lots of interesting themes and storylines, but ultimately didn’t grab my attention.
I received a free copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.
The story follows Sigyn, daughter of Odin and wife of Loki, and centres her in the great drama of Asgard. We witness the legends of Loki and Ragnarok through her eyes, where she is caught between her father and her husband.
đź“šRead this and more reviews on my blog!đź“š
Particularly in Loki’s story, there are some slightly weirder elements (Loki giving birth to an eight-legged horse, for example) and Cat Rector doesn’t shy away from them, including some very gruesome parts of the story. I was impressed at how seamlessly she wove them into the narrative, without feeling too jarring to our modern sensibilities and preconceptions of mythology.
I absolutely loved how as well as embracing Loki’s gender fluidity, she made it a central part of his relationship with the gods of Asgard. He is mocked and rejected for not conforming to their standards of masculinity. Sigyn is the only one who sees and accepts him – and sometimes her – for who they are. Sigyn’s own queerness is part of the reason why she has been so neglected by her own family, and there was a fantastic tenderness to they way they created a queer relationship in a marriage that was perceived as straight.
Unfortunately, in some regards the book didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I didn’t feel particularly drawn into the world – there were a few too many modern-isms and inconsistencies and the story didn’t really grab my attention until the final third of the novel. The double-edged sword of very short chapters meant that I was more likely to read the next chapter because it was short, but it was very hard to get stuck into the story, and it wasn’t until the very end that I felt much emotional connection to the characters.
Overall, this was a book with lots of interesting themes and storylines, but ultimately didn’t grab my attention.
I received a free copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.