The Goddess of Nothing At All

3.5 Rounded up.
This was read for SPFBO 8's phase one with BookNestEU's team. You can see my full review on their site:

https://booknest.eu/reviews/spfbo/2461-the-goddess-of-nothing-at-all-unwritten-runes-1-by-cat-rector-spfbo-book-review

Sigyn has done her best to earn her place among the gods. Yet despite all her accomplishments Odin refuses to grant her a title. Angry and frustrated at Odin's dismissal, Sigyn seeks out the one God who may be able to help her, the trickster God Loki. Sigyn sets out to find the exiled God, determined to bring him back to Asgard. But bringing Loki back will start Sigyn down the path of Ragnarok.

Sigyn is an incredible character to follow. She is a fierce woman who knows what she deserves and will go to great lengths to achieve it. She loves deeply and navigates the complicated waters of relationships as best she can. The depth of emotion written into her character is phenomenal. At every turn, she is challenged and faces cruelty from her fellow Gods when she begins to develop feelings toward Loki. And while she doesn’t always make the best choices, she does what she has to in order to protect her family. Sigyn also recognizes her mistakes and while she may feel regret, doesn’t turn away from the consequences of her actions.

The Goddess of Nothing At All intricately balances plot development and character development. While Sigyn and Loki grow as characters, the plot is ever changing, carrying readers through years of their lives. The pacing is so well done. Readers will be swept up in the story and their heartstrings pulled as the two experience many beginnings and ends. There is never a lull in the story, readers will constantly be turning the pages, eager to see what will happen next. And despite a large amount of time passing, readers will never feel as though they are rushed or that important details have been missed. Everything is wrapped up so well in the storytelling, that readers will be able to dive in and enjoy every minute of it.

This dark fantasy retelling is one I believe readers who enjoy Norse mythology should pick up. While I’m not well versed in the mythology, Cat Reactor did a large amount of research, and her depiction of Sigyn was fantastic. There’s a wonderful amount of LGBTQ+ representation and characters you can’t help but become invested in. I can’t wait for book two to be released!