I loved this book and the fact that it started quickly and the action never ended. I always adore kick ass female leads and it's a plus that there was LGBTQ representation. I appreciate how mythology was woven into the this story in unexpected ways. I thought the world and elements were so well thought out and written to really grasp the world in the story. I do wish that it was slightly less predictable.

This book contained everything I love! Gods from all corners of mythology & folklore, a kick ass female lead and some top notch action scenes. Cairn Delacriox is just like everybody else, except her mother is the reincarnation of the Inuit Sea God Sedna. In Cairn's world the God's live amongst us, reincarnated every century or so to a new body with no knowledge of their previous lives, some choose to keep their existence a secret, preferring the quiet life, whereas others use their powers and for fame and well... worship. When Cairns mother unexpectedly re-enacts her original death Cairn's world is broken apart. She doesn't understand why her mother would commit suicide, nor can she explain the glassy look that came over her eyes before she threw herself into the ocean. One night she discovers something that will upend her world all over again, her mother had a secret life, one that taints Cairn's view of her. But Cairn knows one thing, her mother didn't commit suicide, she was murdered, and Cairn will stop at nothing to find out who and why, even if that means her as a mortal going up against Gods.

In a world filled with Gods come to life Cairn's viewpoint was such a vital one to read the book from. She knows all about the mythology of Gods from her mothers stories, but she is ultimately mortal, this isn't Percy Jackson guys... Cairn has no amount of her mothers otherworldly powers. Seeing her traverse the world of God's was brilliant, in some ways the world of God's is somewhat commonplace to her, but she also respects their power and is aware that as a mortal, she is somewhat outgunned. She is snarky, sarcastic, resilient and stubborn as hell. Nothing will get in the way of her catching the person behind her mothers death, even her own mortality. The other characters were all well developed, we get introduced to a whole host of Gods from a whole host of mythologies, all of whom have their part to play in Cairn getting the answers she seeks.

This world was so brilliantly rendered. Gods live among us and we get to meet a whole host of them, from lots of different cultures around the world. You know me a mythology, so it will be no surprise when I say I LOVED the part of the books where we got to delve into the backstory of a certain God. We see the ones who like to live in the shadows, some for nefarious reasons and others because they simply don't want the pressure that comes with being a reincarnated deity, and the there are the ones who live for the spotlight. The ones who use their power for their advantage, becoming actresses, Senators and other positions where they are likely to become worshipped. I found this idea wholly refreshing, yes we have plenty of books out there featuring Gods from different mythologies, but none (that I know of) where they are reincarnated with no knowledge of their previous lives.

This was like a fantasy style murder mystery filled with twists and turns. The author keeps you guessing throughout most of the book, and I enjoyed coming to the realisations at the same time as Cairn, it definitely helped me bond with her as a character and I certainly felt her 'WTF' moments. Trust me when I say I had no idea where this story was going until the author hit me with the information needed to put it all together, she gives us little bits of information throughout the story, enough to keep us intrigued and throwing wild guesses out there, but nothing could have prepared me for the climactic ending.

There was a brilliant f/f romance throughout this book. Delphine, Cairn's best friend and love interest was another intriguing character. One of the few people to know Cairn's mothers true identity, she was there the day Adna threw herself into the sea and we see her's and Cairn's relationships going through the trials and tribulations that come with loss and grief. The romance was a small part of the overall plot, but I enjoyed reading their interactions together.

I was surprised how much I loved this book. The author left us with an opening for another book, but also tied the main plot neatly in a bow so it could be left as a standalone. To be honest I would just like to return to the world, whether through Cairn's eyes or someone else's.

What if the gods of mythologies all over the world did exist? And what if they were among you now, constantly reincarnating, carrying on grudges, building families, changing the world?! In This Eternity of Masks and Shadows, we find a mourning Cairn Delacroix, still reeling after the death of her mother (the recent reincarnation of the Inuit goddess Sedna). Cairn is a demigod on a mission; to find her mother's killer and stop them from murdering again. She needs some "godly" help to uncover her mother's mysterious past and find the killer before it's too late. As Cairn discovers more about her mother's secret double life, she is drawn deeper into a conspiracy that threatens more than she ever realized. Somehow, Cairn has to save the day, get the girl, and feed her pet lynx!
I'm a bit on the fence with this one. On one hand, the main character is a POC, lgbtq+ demigod!!! And so many of the other characters are people of color as well, which is such a joy to read! On the other hand, I felt the pacing was jumpy, the dialogue corny, and there needed to be a bit more world-building to flesh out the narrative. I had a hard time relating to Cairn, who seemed a bit too childish to be solving murders (the actual detective, who is a GOD, played hapless sidekick). I was intrigued by the premise and its various myths and gods; I just wanted to dig deeper!
This book straddled the line between teen/young adult and adult urban fantasy for me. Cairn struck me as an angsty teen (understandable, she is 18) transplanted into a far more mature setting than she should be reasonably expected to handle. I struggled with plausibility often, which made it difficult to really immerse myself in the world Knight has envisioned. A quick warning to readers that there's quite a bit of blood and gore, which I hadn't really been expecting as I read through. Overall, it's an interesting premise with great representation, I just felt like something was missing.

This story hooked me from the start. As the world of gods and mortals came alive, I absolutely couldn’t put it down. There’s a great mix of detective work, suspense, fantasy, and mythology. Knight unravels the backstory and its secrets at just the right moments. It was suspenseful and enticing in so many ways.

While full of action, there’s also character moments in which Cairn comes to grip with her new reality. She tries to find normalcy despite the supernatural elements invading her life. Knight even slips in a few clues during these more vulnerable moments. Cairn is an intelligent woman who struggles but learns. If she makes a mistake, she owns it. She’s also proud of who she is: a gay woman who, by the way, knows how to craft a killer (no pun intended) date for the woman she loves. Bravo!

There were lots of surprising. LOTS. I loved discovering the different gods and their powers and enjoyed the developing relationships as well as how each character fit together in intriguing ways. Knight pulls in gods from all different cultures, which wove in many new and largely unfamiliar myths.

I was so impressed by this story and hope to read more of these characters in the future. A great murder mystery/superhero/adventure story. I LOVE mythology, and Knight does a great job bringing it to life. Recommended!

I found the book to be a very interesting read; there were a lot of twists and turns and the world the book was set in was interesting especially the inclusion of the different types of gods.

A lot happens in the book; there are a lot of deaths, investigations and change of settings and lots of reveals. Throughout the book there are also flashback chapters to an event that happened which involved a group of gods which builds tension into the book. The main character did find out information easily such as the events in the flashback and I did find it weird that the reader was not aware of what happened even though the main character was, as the flashback chapters are scattered throughout the book, whilst the main character reads about it and knows it all. Although I liked the writing style, I did find that when the main character found out the reveals her reaction was very exaggerated and almost comical.

I did not like the main character, Cairn, at first just because her character was a bit lifeless and as the book went along I did like her but I still felt like she was missing a spark and because of this, the book did feel a little flat.

The book is very fast paced and almost feels like a tv show/movie and I did like the pace however I would have liked more detail on certain people/relationships such as the team of gods which feature in the flashback and the romance in the novel. Cairn and Delaphine get together at the start of the novel and I wanted more interactions between them because the reader does not get to see the falling in love part of the relationship as the characters already like each other from the start.

4/5

This book was good. Not great, but good.

I liked the premise. A lot. Gods that reincarnate into seeming-mortals, and not only that, but Gods from various cultures, not just the well-known Greco-roman pantheon? A f/f romance (not advertised, but discovered as a nice surprise in the first few chapters)? A murder mystery to unravel? SIGN. ME. UP.

However, the delivery fell a little short for me.

Cairn has her badass moments, but she also seems a bit aimless at times, and some of her reactions seem out of place and make her just a little less likable.

The pacing was really off -- I had to rally myself through the first half (two thirds, really) of the book and at several points I debated just putting it down because things were just so slow. It improved, and the last 100 or so pages were a breeze to get through and engaging, but that doesn't really make up for the latter portion of the book.

The prose was easy to follow and for the most part flowed well, but there were quite a bit of things that were told that could've been shown, and that would've made the book stronger.

Overall, this was enjoyable. I didn't dislike it. I also do think, though, that with a little bit more TLC, it could've been outstanding.

DNFED at 45%

This book had so much potential and all the elements to make it an interesting read. From Greek gods who reincarnate with no memory of their previous lives to a mystery at the center of the story. However, it failed to deliver.

First of all, the protagonist is kind of unlikeable. I couldn't get myself to connect with her at all. Granted that we don't see her under normal circumstances, but there's only so much I can take even after taking those under consideration. She also has a habit of making some badly timed inappropriate jokes which just got on my nerves. There's a thin line between rude and funny and she falls in the former category most of the time. The way she treats the people who are supposedly close to her and (especially her best friend) is pretty much questionable. I liked her friend more than I liked her and her friend didn't get a lot of page time.

I feel like the time jumps made it harder to understand what was going on. First of all, there was a lot of info dumping, rather than a smooth transition into the story which was a bummer. Secondly, random characters would pop in and out. Thirdly, I don't understand why gods would willingly lead lives like humans especially after they're aware of their powers? A lot of things about the why's did not make sense to me.

I think I could've made it through the book if the protagonist was somewhat likeable but it wasn't the case here. I was somewhat here for the f/f relationship but our protagonist doesn't seem deserving of her friend and I lost interest in sticking around to find out if she redeems herself. I've seen some positive opinions about this book and if you're really into Greek mythology, then I think it would be worth giving a shot.

This Eternity of Masks and Shadows is set in a universe where gods walk the earth in human form with supernatural powers of varying strength. The story follows a young woman named Cairn Delacroix, as she searches for truth surrounding her mother’s apparent suicide. As Cairn digs deeper, she starts to uncover a murderous plot eighteen years in the making involving gods both well-known and obscure.

It took me a bit to get into the story, but after I hit the 100-page mark, I could not put it down! I absolutely fell in love with all of the characters (especially Vulcan and Nanook). I found it impossible to hate any of the characters (with the exception of one certain antagonist) and the romance in it was so beautiful and cute! I truly adored Cairn as the main character. She is strong, absolutely hilarious, and takes sh*t from absolutely no one. She also owns up to her mistakes and worked constantly to make herself and the world around her a better place. My one wish is that some more attention was given to some other minor characters such as Vulcan or Nook, or even have Cairn’s father more present.

Throughout the story it becomes quite clear that the author put some serious attention to detail for all mythology and I loved that they included gods that were lesser known. Though this book was fiction, I felt like I wound up learning a lot about mythology. The way their powers were used in the modern world was so clever and in the case of certain gods, quite terrifying. The book’s universe really gave me some X-men vibes where the public opinions of these gods is constantly changing as they navigate a world where humans don’t put them up on a pedestal that they were once used to.

In the end, I am so mad at myself for almost putting this book down! It was a fun, action-packed read bursting with witty dialogue and characters you just can’t hate. I really do hope that the author continues with Cairn’s story!

I love the present-day spin on the old mythology we all know. But this book took me forever to get through. I will say there's always some sort of action happening. But the lead character has way too easy a time moving through the obstacles and defeating the villains.

In a world where Gods reincarnate as humans, Cairn is an 18-year-old whose life used to be normal and her worries that of a simple teen. Then she lost her mother in what looked like suicide. Her life fell apart and she spiraled into a dark place, hell-bent on self-destructing. Until she unearthed secrets her mother had been keeping. As she dug deeper, she found out there was a lot more to her mother’s death than she realized.

At first, the book was very slow and it took me a while to get into the story. But as I kept reading, it got better. The story shifts from past to present, revealing the plot twists little by little, and with maximum impact. Truth be told, I didn’t like Cairn’s attitude. But I enjoyed the plot-line so much, I couldn’t stop reading.

Karsten Knight crafted an extraordinary plot-line with a backstory that left you stunned. I found myself intrigued, with a voracious curiosity as to what secret would be revealed next. The villain was wicked and super cool when first met. But I was kind of disappointed with the later character development.

Despite not liking the main character, I enjoyed the different side-characters and all the Gods with the detailed backstories. The action scenes were well done with vivid descriptions. I enjoyed this book a whole lot more than expected and I’m still wowed over by the story. Plus, let’s not forget that gorgeous cover!

3.5/5

Okay okay <I>okayyyy</I>
I very much enjoyed this. I did.
Super creative idea. How could any fantasy nerd resist the idea that reincarnated gods and goddesses throughout all mythology and lore walk among us? Like, yes. Sign me up.

Also, I hope we can all agree that Columbia is a Karen...

Refreshing formatting—I’m sure some people don’t like time-jumping in their reads, but I love that shit. Especially when used as a plot device in a mystery, as in this work.

Lots of other big ups to note:

☑️ NBPOC representation
☑️ bi/queer representation
☑️ multicultural myth and lore representation
☑️ quippy dialogue
☑️ solid twist
☑️ non-annoying YA female protagonist— let’s face it, there are many in the YA Fic genre that are unbearable and unrelatable


Big negative for me was pacing which hit several slow periods where I struggled to fully immerse, but once it hit its strides, I was really happy to be reading it, flipping through very quickly.

Another, but very picky negative mark: There were quite a few messy misses in the editing. Quite a few places where words were repeated, out of place, or just flat out autocorrected to the wrong word entirely.

**I did receive an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, but after it had already been published, so it’s a bummer for the author that the handful of typographical errors were missed.**

All in all, I really truly liked this story a lot, and would read other works from Knight!

Unique, enchanting, and mystical read. I dived into this book not knowing what to expect and when I finished it, I was blown away! If you love fantasy with a bit of mystery vibes in it, you should definitely read this book.

A fun urban fantasy / murder mystery mash up. It was a quick and easy read and I enjoyed the incorporation of lesser known mythologies.

A quick word of advice for any budding urban fantasy authors out there... don't ever feel the need to hold back on the polar bear. If you have a cool, awesome, curmudgeoney polar bear in your cast - bring them to the foreground, no need to restrain or sideline them to the background or second chair. No reader EVER has said "you know what, there was too much polar bear." But I guarantee you, there have been many who said "I wish there was more angry, grumpy rampaging polar bear!!" A pawsome high five for Nanook!

Recommended for: good commuting or beach read, fans of GoneGodWorld, Unclean Spirits and Gods Behaving Badly

Thank you to Netgalley and Karsten Knight for the ARC.

Mystical, thrilling and keeps you on your toes. If you are into mystical reads then this would be a great one to pick up! Set in my hometown of Boston I was thrilled to review this one.

thanks netgalley & publisher for giving me an eARC of this book!

I can't believe how long it took me to finish this. I won't blame the book itself, considering the issue was me (and yeah the pandemic, I guess, it's been hard), and it was enjoyable enough.

The idea of multiple gods reincarnating and living among normal people is really really cool and at first I was really excited to read. Then I got a bit bored, and a bit lost, and then I stopped reading for a long time, and then I finished the final half in a couple of hours.

For most of the book I didn't like Cairn, not really until she decided to do things by herself so I guess around the middle? I really liked Nook tho and I wish we had seen more of him and developing his dad/daughter relationship with Cairn, instead of just straight up jumping to "you remind me of my daughter so I care for you" without any tenderness between them.

The change of times, between Cairn's present day investigation and Sedna's experience in the past, felt kinda pointless sometimes. Like, if Cairn was investigating what caused her mother's death, I think it would've been much more interesting to go through her learnings instead of the sudden pov/time/space shift between chapters. By the final 20% this change of point of view got even worse; while the book is supposed to be about Cairn and the murder mystery, suddenly we get other gods' povs and then also her girlfriend???

Also, on the topic of her girlfriend: I didn't really feel the romance and I'm so sad about that!!! I love romance but considering all the rest of the plot and the action and the gods having Cairn angsty over a romantic relationship and then having a carefree date in the middle of a situation with a serial killer was really??? Ugh.

The main villain of the whole thing also felt a lot like... a generic Marvel villain, I guess. Her reasoning and her goals felt really weak, and by the end it was like I was watching another Avengers movie: tired and full of regrets.

Despite all that!!! Really. It's worth 3 stars because. It was enjoyable. Even with all the mess I complained about, the narrative flows well and I enjoyed figuring things out together with Cairn, and I wouldn't be against reading more of this world (and the gods!!! so many cool gods), and of Nook + Cairn working together.

trigger warnings: suicide, some gore, violence, death, loss of parent/child

I had been looking for a while for a new mythological story and this here quenched my need greatly. It is a mythological, supernatural, action-packed, mystery filled novel.

The story centres on eighteen-year old Cairn Delacroix, who is out to avenge the death of her mother ultimately leading her to Boston's underworld of supernatural crime and political aspiration. All the while many secrets start to unravel.

I really enjoyed the way the characters and the stories all linked, how the gods lives are all intertwined, both friends and foes.

I really wish there was more of Emile in the story, Cairn's dad but I figured he wasn't so it could make way to build a strong character connection between Cairn and Nook, who make a really good team. Which I also love btw.

Power corrupts the best of us and in a city where Mortals and Gods co-exist, there's bound to be secrets and chaos. These Gods are from various mythologies, reincarnated into different mortal forms repeatedly. One such God is Sedna, the Goddess of the Sea and the Underworld. But when she takes her own life in what feels like a dream-like state, her daughter Cairn stumbles upon her mother's other secret identity, a vigilante who eliminated corrupt Gods.

Cairn's exploration and unearthing of the secrets is fascinating and thrilling. She is a naive child, but has a rage brewing within her heart and that is her driving force. Even after she loses so much, she stands strong in the face of every adversity and fights back stronger than before. But the story comes with it's own set of problems.

There's a story in there somewhere, that hasn't been explored to it fullest potential. I was fascinated by the concept of different Gods as Vigilantes or mastermind criminals and the underlying conspiracy but the author gave very little time to character development in a desperate attempt to turn this into a layered murder mystery. There are very few fantasy elements, mostly stories we have heard again and again. I felt detached throughout the book, as if a movie I am not invested in. The dialogues are sloppy at multiple places, Cairn is reckless and way too smart for an average girl with very little time to hone her talents.

This book is a for readers who want a thrilling and fun ride, without investing much.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Karsten Knight's previous trilogy and so I was eager to read this new book of his with gods that walk among mortals in the world. They may be gods but they can die very easily and that is what has happened to Cairn's mother and others in this story. And it all dates back to a choice made 19 years ago. But not is all as it seems and that is what makes this story so good. I did not expect the twist at all! This is a fun murder mystery.

There is never a dull moment in this book and I enjoyed the whole ride. It is cool to meet some of the other gods and learn a bit about who they are, from Ra, to Ari, and Nook and Sedna. I do like this version of why there are people with powers, rather than just being superheroes. Also how they get reincarnated every hundred years and how they may be completely different each time, from living a quiet life to being a despot or a politician, or an actress.

And though this is a good standalone, I would not mind more books with the different gods living in the world. I think there could be many cool stories there!

Oh boy, where do we begin with this book? I thought if I could let my mind sit on it for a month I could come up with a better review for this book, but that is not the case. This book suffered from flat characters that might have had a moment or two of being human, but most of the time it felt like they were going through the motions.
I wanted something to happen that would break the characters out of this mold they seem to have gotten themselves into.
Cairn gets what she wants within the first three pages which had me being so disappointed (forget that it's an f/f relationship that was not even mentioned in the blurb) I hate when characters kiss within the first chapter because I find it hard rooting for them to be together unless it winds up being a vivid dream (it was not) and the character realizes that the kiss never happened. I struggled to root for the characters except for the chapters where the gods and goddesses were teenagers and on the island. I wanted more of that throughout the book because Sedna had to deal with her moral compass and her actions have set in motion the events of the present. Those chapters had characterization, some world-building, and plot. It is also the only saving grace from this book getting the lowest rating I could.
I feel like the dad could have been left out of the story and it would not affect the story (that is how often the father is in there). This book had so much potential, but it kind of fell flat until near the end when the characters became characters. There's also a lot of plot holes in this book. For my full review, check out my blog at http://bookgirlreviewsbooks.blogspot.com.
2 out of 5 stars

#netgalley #thiseternityofmasksandshadows

I had a hard time getting into this book, I almost didn't want to keep reading. I thought the pacing was a bit fast throughout. I usually like this genre, but this book left me wanting. I was having a hard time keeping characters straight and generally connecting with them. I would say that this book was okay, not great.