stephanie_mcel's review against another edition
Not in the right mindset to read the book, will come back to it later on in the year.
joann3's review against another edition
adventurous
3.0
I honestly didn’t like this book very much. I did like the showing of some of the actual myths, that was cool. But to me it read like a fanfiction with Sigyn as a self-inserted character that they just threw into Norse mythology. About 80% of the time I was skimming through everything because I just didn’t care and wanted to get the book over with.
katejoanna's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A must read for any Neil Gaiman, Rick Riordon, Madeline miller, Stone blind, Mythos and general Norse/Greek mythology fans.
Very similar to ‘The Song of Achilles’ but in my opinion way better and deserving of equal hype and popularity!
I absolutely love that the Author has given Sigyn her own story, her own voice, and finally a way to be remembered.
"What little we know of her, we know this; Sigyn was
unwavering, at her husband's side for eternity. Dutiful,
patient, faithful."
‘The Goddess Of Nothing At All’ was infinitely more touching, emotional and much better paced than similar reads.
Although, like ‘The Song Of Achilles’ this is written to span over a long period of time, more than a lifetime, it didn’t feel tedious at all.
I found this book gripping, emotional and engaging to read and I normally get bored of slower paced or heavily intellectual reads. I enjoyed learning about the Gods, mythological creatures and Norse Mythology/stories while enjoying a fictional read.
There are lovely quotes at each chapter header that hint and what is/isn’t accurate in the book compared to what we know as ‘truth’ in the mythology, as well as links and info in the back of the book for those readers that want to learn more.
I was sent this as a review copy but this has jumped to my favourites pile and I will definitely be buying a physical copy. It’s truly a beautiful book.
This is a beautifully written, unique spin on Norse mythology, full of pain, suffering and tragedy that gives the likes of Shakespeare a run for his money.
Crafted in a way to pack the hardest punch, painful heart wrenchingly tragic throughout.
Gloriously satisfying tale of revenge and justice through surviving long suffering, sacrifice, grief and facing impossible decisions.
This book has interesting facts and trivia, tragedy, humour, action, gore- something for every kind of reader.
The Author has very clearly done more than enough research yet has still written the book in a way that makes it clear and understandable for any reader regardless of how much they know about the subject.
The humour and banter between Loki and Sigyn is just spot on and awesome.
I like the substance behind/explanation of magical elements as well, I didn’t feel like I had to struggle to understand or keep up, all world building, magic and characters are detailed seamlessly.
Heartwarming romance growing and changing over time in realistic ways, showing an actually complicated relationship instead of “true love at first sight, happily ever after, the end”.
Structurally, the writing flows well to read but isn’t perfect, there are a lot of unnecessary commas and too long sentences. But the plot, characters, character development and way the book is formatted and the story is woven more than makes up for any minor imperfections in writing and grammar.
Written really well to build tension and suspense and in describing horrific or action packed scenes.
Showcasing pain, trauma, betrayal and fear and what it all does to a person in personal and relatable ways.
——————————————————————————
“Everything you did will be rewritten. You'll be forgotten. When people speak the name Sigyn, it will be this and this alone that they remember. - Loki's wife, the woman who stood by the enemy of the realms and bore his pain. Sigyn, Goddess of Fidelity."
‘These stories…..it felt like a wake. The reminiscing
about something that was over and would never be
again. Like the funeral pyre was burning outside and no
one was ready to admit that he was already dead.’
“A caged bird can’t help but fall in love with freedom”
Very similar to ‘The Song of Achilles’ but in my opinion way better and deserving of equal hype and popularity!
I absolutely love that the Author has given Sigyn her own story, her own voice, and finally a way to be remembered.
"What little we know of her, we know this; Sigyn was
unwavering, at her husband's side for eternity. Dutiful,
patient, faithful."
‘The Goddess Of Nothing At All’ was infinitely more touching, emotional and much better paced than similar reads.
Although, like ‘The Song Of Achilles’ this is written to span over a long period of time, more than a lifetime, it didn’t feel tedious at all.
I found this book gripping, emotional and engaging to read and I normally get bored of slower paced or heavily intellectual reads. I enjoyed learning about the Gods, mythological creatures and Norse Mythology/stories while enjoying a fictional read.
There are lovely quotes at each chapter header that hint and what is/isn’t accurate in the book compared to what we know as ‘truth’ in the mythology, as well as links and info in the back of the book for those readers that want to learn more.
I was sent this as a review copy but this has jumped to my favourites pile and I will definitely be buying a physical copy. It’s truly a beautiful book.
This is a beautifully written, unique spin on Norse mythology, full of pain, suffering and tragedy that gives the likes of Shakespeare a run for his money.
Crafted in a way to pack the hardest punch, painful heart wrenchingly tragic throughout.
Gloriously satisfying tale of revenge and justice through surviving long suffering, sacrifice, grief and facing impossible decisions.
This book has interesting facts and trivia, tragedy, humour, action, gore- something for every kind of reader.
The Author has very clearly done more than enough research yet has still written the book in a way that makes it clear and understandable for any reader regardless of how much they know about the subject.
The humour and banter between Loki and Sigyn is just spot on and awesome.
I like the substance behind/explanation of magical elements as well, I didn’t feel like I had to struggle to understand or keep up, all world building, magic and characters are detailed seamlessly.
Heartwarming romance growing and changing over time in realistic ways, showing an actually complicated relationship instead of “true love at first sight, happily ever after, the end”.
Structurally, the writing flows well to read but isn’t perfect, there are a lot of unnecessary commas and too long sentences. But the plot, characters, character development and way the book is formatted and the story is woven more than makes up for any minor imperfections in writing and grammar.
Written really well to build tension and suspense and in describing horrific or action packed scenes.
Showcasing pain, trauma, betrayal and fear and what it all does to a person in personal and relatable ways.
——————————————————————————
“Everything you did will be rewritten. You'll be forgotten. When people speak the name Sigyn, it will be this and this alone that they remember. - Loki's wife, the woman who stood by the enemy of the realms and bore his pain. Sigyn, Goddess of Fidelity."
‘These stories…..it felt like a wake. The reminiscing
about something that was over and would never be
again. Like the funeral pyre was burning outside and no
one was ready to admit that he was already dead.’
“A caged bird can’t help but fall in love with freedom”
caribougoat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Torture, Violence, Homophobia, Grief, Pregnancy, Death, Gore, War, and Bullying
fortunaion's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
glitchedshiki's review
5.0
what a ride
This is not your normal love story- it will make you laugh- make you cry- heal you then break your heart again. Many Norse legends are threaded throughout. I eagerly await the second book and conclusion to this series
This is not your normal love story- it will make you laugh- make you cry- heal you then break your heart again. Many Norse legends are threaded throughout. I eagerly await the second book and conclusion to this series
cat_rector's review
5.0
Obligatory Five Star Rating from the author because I put in 5 stars worth of effort, love, sweat, and tears.
It should be said from the start that this is a dark fantasy book that *does not* fall under the category of YA. A full list of trigger warnings are available on the website www.catrector.com/post/triggerwarningsgonna. But suffice it to say that this book tackles dark subjects in deeply nuanced ways and is not for everyone.
This book is the result of exploration. Exploration of the world, of the Norse myths, of society and culture, right and wrong, and of my own inner workings. It’s at times light and dark, but more than anything, it’s grey and grey and grey. Perhaps the thing that’s most important to me is that this book is catharsis. Not for everyone, surely, but for me and for some of the readers who helped bring this book to life. Sometimes it was cathartic in ways I didn’t expect.
My hope for this book depends on the reader. I hope some will simply enjoy it and have a delicious time with it. I hope others will see themselves and feel seen in turn. I hope that some will feel all there is to feel and come out cursing me on the other end. I’m told that art makes you feel something, so that is the greatest hope that I have.
And as always, thank you from the bottom of my heart to my critique partner Erin, to the alpha and beta readers, and to the cheerleaders who have made this book what it is today. I love you all and I’ll never forget that you helped me achieve a dream that I never believed was for someone like me.
Thank you.
It should be said from the start that this is a dark fantasy book that *does not* fall under the category of YA. A full list of trigger warnings are available on the website www.catrector.com/post/triggerwarningsgonna. But suffice it to say that this book tackles dark subjects in deeply nuanced ways and is not for everyone.
This book is the result of exploration. Exploration of the world, of the Norse myths, of society and culture, right and wrong, and of my own inner workings. It’s at times light and dark, but more than anything, it’s grey and grey and grey. Perhaps the thing that’s most important to me is that this book is catharsis. Not for everyone, surely, but for me and for some of the readers who helped bring this book to life. Sometimes it was cathartic in ways I didn’t expect.
My hope for this book depends on the reader. I hope some will simply enjoy it and have a delicious time with it. I hope others will see themselves and feel seen in turn. I hope that some will feel all there is to feel and come out cursing me on the other end. I’m told that art makes you feel something, so that is the greatest hope that I have.
And as always, thank you from the bottom of my heart to my critique partner Erin, to the alpha and beta readers, and to the cheerleaders who have made this book what it is today. I love you all and I’ll never forget that you helped me achieve a dream that I never believed was for someone like me.
Thank you.
partyonketti's review
4.0
This was a different and fun retelling of some old Norse stories that included Sigyn.
ladyfives's review
5.0
At least in Hel, I’d have a seat at the table.
i can’t remember the last book that made me cry at the end but okay
This is seriously a triumph. Immense Circe vibes in the absolute best way. I’d been yearning for a book that would again deliver that incredible sense of scale, breadth of life and experience, uncomfortably close intimacy with a character…all that pain… I think it requires such a skilled hand to take that much time and that much story and make it into something cohesive that never lets go of its power (especially when the readers are lazy like me and take a month to read it) but WOW, Cat Rector did it. I need to lie down.
My only experience with Norse myth is the Neil Gaiman retellings and circa 2011 Tom Hiddleston gifs sneaking on my tumblr dashboard no matter how many tags I blocked. The tales are incredibly bizarre and fantastically gruesome. So reading GoNaa, I went from being like, “oh neat, I recognise that name, this is the myth where they get Mjolnir!” to “oh no, I recognise that name, this is going to hurt to read, isn’t it?”
Spoiler
Ughh, the sinking in my stomach every time Vali became a wolf…The past wouldn’t matter, because I’d be sitting alongside my family, not in their shadows but in their light.
My favourite part is that I was there. I fell for Loki as Sigyn did, mourned for him, fought for him, and hated him. I understood the gods’ hate for Loki and Sigyn even when she didn’t. I felt weird, terrible relief when she was done with Loki, as well as when she fell for him again. When going through my bookmarks for quotes for this review, I found some of the earlier chapters, and was just remembering happy times. :’’’)
I think it’s one thing to make a great plot, and another to make a triumphant and painful emotional journey, and that journey requires the reader to buy in — I was there the whole way. I’m talking in circles, but really this was an experience and I’m just HERE FOR IT.
Not only was it romantic and agonizing and satisfying, it was also funny — despite the overall grim tone, it isn’t afraid to lean into the bizarreness of the myths
Spoiler
though just when you’re busy thinking the Loki-having-a-horse-son thing is funny yOU JUST WAIT—“It’s just a hammer.”
“It’s not just a hammer. It’s my hammer, and I’ve been telling everyone about it and killing everyone with it, and if the realms find out it’s gone, then not only will everyone want to pick a fight with me, I’ll look like an idiot.”
Loki cackled. “Don’t you always?”
I’ll go lie down now. I am so happy to finally have another book to fit alongside the very, very narrow genre of sweeping, heartfelt mythology retellings that aren’t dry or all about the heroes. This was about war, trauma, infectious hate, so very much blood, and Ragnarok, but it was also about family, love, and forgiveness.
One more killer quote for the road:
“There’s no need for a war.”
“No,” Skadi said, a grin splitting her face. “You wouldn’t want a war with us. Because one day, you’ll get one, and you know as well as everyone else that one of those wars will end you. So. What will you give me?”
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
dc_guevara's review
5.0
If I could give this book a 6 star rating, I would. This book got me out of a reading slump, this book helped me restore my love for Dark Fantasy, this book ruined me emotionally in so many ways that it made me realize I needed some form of catharsis and Cat Rector was (not-so) gently delivering me a method on how to do so.
I do not say this lightly. It's very hard for a book to sink itself into my bones and make a home out of me. It's even harder for a book of this length to accomplish all of that, and yet Cat Rector did it.
You ever read a book so good you're just a tad bit jealous that you didn't write it?
Okay, so what is this book about? Sigyn is the daughter of Odin, jack of all trades but master of nothing (not by choice) who seeks out guidance and help and finds it in the mischievous, daring and handsome Loki, renowned for mischief and lies. In their encounters they eventually fall in love and we watch them grow, fall apart and re-shape their love into something, perhaps not whole, but real and tangible.
Love never is as pretty as the songs make it out to be after all.
I think the thing that mostly grips me about this book and does not let me go is how immersive this is. Rector's writing style manages to capture such elegance and grace that is not easily bestowed on anyone. This truly feels like a great, big fantasy epic in all senses of the word. The world is lush and vibrant, descriptions made in such a manner that I could perfectly picture them in my head.
(And may I suggest accompanying this book with various atmospheric music compilations such as "Dark Fantasy music" and the likes? They really add to the atmosphere)
The characters are remarkable, all real and rounded in many different ways. They are kind, they are cruel, they are lively, they are frustrating, they are magical, they are painful-- Rector's evocation for characters in all of their facets gives way for a myriad of characters that feel alive and real, all believable in all of their triumphs and failures.
My favorite aspect of this novel is Sigyn herself, because as she progresses in the narrative one can really feel the change in attitude/tone in her voice. Once again, it must be pointed out that this is all Cat Rector's masterful skill at weaving in voice and perspective in a way that Sigyn feels tangible and real-- like an actual person you want to reach out towards and envelop in an embrace. She is resilient, she is kind, she is strong and she's everything I ever wanted in a dark fantasy protagonist and more.
While I do, heavily, recommend this book from Hel (eh
I do not say this lightly. It's very hard for a book to sink itself into my bones and make a home out of me. It's even harder for a book of this length to accomplish all of that, and yet Cat Rector did it.
Okay, so what is this book about? Sigyn is the daughter of Odin, jack of all trades but master of nothing (not by choice) who seeks out guidance and help and finds it in the mischievous, daring and handsome Loki, renowned for mischief and lies. In their encounters they eventually fall in love and we watch them grow, fall apart and re-shape their love into something, perhaps not whole, but real and tangible.
Love never is as pretty as the songs make it out to be after all.
I think the thing that mostly grips me about this book and does not let me go is how immersive this is. Rector's writing style manages to capture such elegance and grace that is not easily bestowed on anyone. This truly feels like a great, big fantasy epic in all senses of the word. The world is lush and vibrant, descriptions made in such a manner that I could perfectly picture them in my head.
(And may I suggest accompanying this book with various atmospheric music compilations such as "Dark Fantasy music" and the likes? They really add to the atmosphere)
The characters are remarkable, all real and rounded in many different ways. They are kind, they are cruel, they are lively, they are frustrating, they are magical, they are painful-- Rector's evocation for characters in all of their facets gives way for a myriad of characters that feel alive and real, all believable in all of their triumphs and failures.
My favorite aspect of this novel is Sigyn herself, because as she progresses in the narrative one can really feel the change in attitude/tone in her voice. Once again, it must be pointed out that this is all Cat Rector's masterful skill at weaving in voice and perspective in a way that Sigyn feels tangible and real-- like an actual person you want to reach out towards and envelop in an embrace. She is resilient, she is kind, she is strong and she's everything I ever wanted in a dark fantasy protagonist and more.
While I do, heavily, recommend this book from Hel (eh