{4.5 stars}

Thanks to Viking Penguin and Penguin Books for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions below are my own.

This is the story of the Celtic gods. Danu, the queen of the gods, loves her daughter, Cailleach and bestows upon her the power over winter. But Cailleach has never lived as a mortal and does not care when her winter immersions kill off the mortals of Tara. Danu decides to teach her a lesson by sending her to live a mortal life until she learns why she must love and protect mortals. She lives multiple lives learning so much about humanity, especially about love, grief and death.

I loved the beauty of the gods and their mythology balanced with the small monotonies of regular life in the ancient Celtic world. I devoured this book. I generally do enjoy a retelling of mythology and I haven't read enough about the Celtic gods so this felt like a real breath of fresh air. The writing style reminded me of Joanna Ruth Meyer meets Jennifer Saint.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I adore the way Megan Barnard's mythological retellings add so much depth and nuance to the women she portrays. The Winter Goddess was a wonderfully reflective adaptation, with Calliach taking on new roles in every life as she adapts to both the hardships and joys of humanity. The way the story was set up reminded me very much of the maiden/mother/crone facets of womanhood, with Calliach learning to appreciate and adapt to each role in her own way.

I really enjoyed this book, more than I thought I was going to in the beginning. It did take a little bit for me to get hooked, but once I was I didn't want to put it down. Bardnard's writing is lyrical without being overly flowy.

I cannot remember the last book that destroyed me like this one. I love novels about mythology. I love a cozy fantasy with a little house and we learn what is in that little house (a cauldron, honey, and beeswax candles). I love multiple lives lived. I love nature and the seasons. I felt the love Cailleach had for her daughter and grieved for my cat again when she mourned the loss of her beloved Failinis. I cry thinking about this book and yet I love it. The grand simplicity of everyday life is captured so beautifully.

Such a magically good read that I just so enjoyed that I was sad it was over. I love the chilly magic and picturing the scenes was so much fun. :)

Haunting, lyrical, and deeply moving, The Winter Goddess is a beautifully wrought tale of redemption, myth, and the aching beauty of mortality. Reimagining Irish mythology with heart and originality, Megan Barnard delivers a story that lingers like frost on the edges of your soul.

This book touched my mind, body and soul. The writing has a poetic quality that mirrors the harsh, unforgiving winter but also the warmth and vulnerability buried beneath. It’s a story about love and loss, but also about redemption and understanding that every moment, no matter how fleeting, holds meaning. I found myself completely immersed in the bittersweet emotions that swirl through the pages. The themes of transformation and empathy resonated powerfully, reminding me that true power comes from embracing our humanity, imperfections and all. It is a perfect read for anyone who craves stories rich in atmosphere, emotion, and myth.

4.5 stars rounded up.

What an absolutely gorgeous book! Circe meets Addie Larue with gorgeous imagery. I really loved this one and watching the main character discover her humanity. Humans have so much capacity for love and pain. Sometimes it is easier to isolate your heart so you will never get hurt, but then you would miss out on joy and love. 💕

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced release copy in exchange for an honest review

Okay, so I need more fantasy books like this.

Because what do you mean romance wasn't a main plot?! I don't even know how long it's been since I could say that. I love fantasy romance, don't get me wrong, but I'm finding myself so tired of it. So to find a book that's just as focused on friendship?? Invaluable.

Not to mention that Winter Goddess achieved everything those so-called 'cozy fantasies' try to. This was so simplistic yet so heartrending. It had me sobbing in the first third, and although it did lose some of its emotional impact, I was still captivated. I thought the format was clever (separating it by deaths/lives) and helped convey Cailleach's emotional journey. If I get the chance to read Jezebel by the same author, I'll definitely be taking it. For a book I'd put off reading, this one truly did remind my why I love fantasy.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Megan Barnard has a world in which powerful gods were once human. Danu, the first goddess, has a child Cailleach who becomes The Winter Goddess (paper from Penguin Books) when she comes of age. Then humans invade her favorite glade in the forest and she retaliates with a massive storm that kills thousands. Her mother makes her human and she has to learn to survive over a number of lifetimes, always in the same hut near the same, but changing village. This tale is a reflection into mortality, and what it means to be human. It was deeply moving and had tears in my eyes at its ending. Highly recommended.

While this extended mythology kick I’ve been on has largely been focused on Greek and Roman mythology, that’s mostly been due to the fact that novels inspired by Greek and Roman mythology are plentiful and easy to find. I’ve managed to find and devour a few inspired by Norse mythology like The Witch’s Heart or Hindu mythology like The Star-Touched Queen, Megan Barnard’s recent The Winter Goddess is the first novel I’ve come across inspired by Celtic mythology. And after reading Boudicca a short time ago, I was particularly interested to learn a little more of the mythology and figures that were reference there. The Winter Goddess doesn’t simply explore the figures of Celtic mythology, however – it also examines what it is that defines humanity and where power and belief intersect.

Cailleach isn’t like the other gods and goddesses in Tara. Cailleach was born to Danu, the mother goddess while Danu and the other gods were born mortal and became gods later. Cailleach shows an affinity for snow and ice and claims her place as the goddess of winter before she ever interacts with mortals directly but she quickly becomes friends with Enya, the daughter of one of Danu’s mortal friends. When Enya later dies in childbirth (forced into marriage to a much older man by her father in spite of her stated desire never to marry or have children), Cailleach’s grief drives her away from the mortal world as she decides mankind isn’t worth investing her care and attention in. Until they trespass somewhere Cailleach considers sacred to herself. Then she brings down a long and punishing winter on the mortals – a winter so devastating that Danu and the other gods decide she must be punished until she learns her lesson. Cailleach must live as a mortal… as many times as it takes for her to learn whatever lesson it is that Danu has in mind. But the longer Cailleach lives among the mortals, the more she begins to question the role the gods play in the scheme of things.

So much of The Winter Goddess centers around the individual and community as Cailleach gradually learns how to depend on her fellow mortals to help ensure her survival as well as how mortality and immortality impact the community. Other than Danu, the reader sees very little of the other gods and goddesses of Tara and Cailleach appears to have very little interactions with them. They don’t depend on one another for survival – it’s unclear how much they even depend on the mortals and their worship for anything other than entertainment and attention. Yet there is a community there and, because her path to immortality was different from the others’, Cailleach doesn’t fully seem to belong to that community. Of course, her ultimate immortality is part of what keeps her at the outskirts of the community of mortals she finds herself near over and over again as she suffers her punishment from Danu.

While Cailleach’s growing appreciation for the mortals around her and the harsh physicality of mortality are pretty predictable within the story, the way they impact Cailleach’s relationship with Danu and the exploration of parent/child relationships in the novel prove to be thoroughly compelling. The tension between Cailleach and Danu, the power struggle and the frustration of trying to be understood while the other is blinded by their own experience is infinitely relatable. They clash over the desire to protect someone else from the truth as well as the betrayal of having the truth withheld or having a decision taken out of your hands. Loss and grief and love bind them together in that inescapable way that simply is mother and daughter.

I must admit, that I was a little hesitant going into The Winter Goddess given my mixed feelings when I’d finished reading Jezebel, but I think some of those feelings probably stemmed from going in with a degree of familiarity with the character and her story. I’m curious to see where Barnard goes next and look forward to diving in eagerly.

I enjoyed this. The goddess of winter is sent to live among mortals in order to learn some key lessons. It didn't exactly blow my mind, but it kept my attention and the pace was pretty fast.

Barnard creates a cultivating world that captures the attention of the reader through her sweeting imagery and high stakes. "The Winter Goddess" has amazing concepts and dives well into Celtic myth. This book better fits readers who love Celtic lore, rich details, and emotional roller coasters.

Hello Book Friends,

Today I’m review The Winter Goddess by Megan Barnard, who reimagines Irish mythology in this story of a goddess punished, only to discover what it means to love and to be alive.

The story is broken up into parts by seasons and the many lives of the winter goddess.  Cailleach lives her life as most gods and goddesses do with no consequence or remorse for their actions.  It isn’t until she is punished for bringing on a deadly winter that she begins to slowly over time understand what she has done, what she has lost, and how she can atone.

Barnard deftly weaves a story about humanity over the course of seven lifetimes and how, in each passing life, Cailleach comes closer to the truth of her existence and what she wants, more than being a goddess.

The Winter Goddess is out now!

An absolutely wonderful mythological romance that swept me off my feet! Thank you to NetGalley and to Penguin Books for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Winter Goddess
by Megan Barnard
Pub Date: Mar 11 2025

Cailleach, goddess of winter, was not born to be a blight on humanity, but she became one. She would say with scorn that it was their own fault: mortals were selfish, thoughtless, and destructive, bringing harm to each other and the earth without cause or qualms.

One day, Cailleach goes too far. Thousands die, lost to her brutal winter. In punishment, her mother Danu, queen of the gods, strips the goddess of her powers and sends Cailleach to earth, to live and die as the mortals she so despises, until she understands what it is to be one of them. Though determined to live in solitude, Cailleach finds that she cannot help but reach for the people she once held in such disdain. She loves and mourns in equal measure, and in opening herself to humanity, hears tales not meant for immortal ears—including a long-buried secret that will redefine what it means to be a god.

From the author of the “stunning . . . riveting” historical reenvisioning Jezebel (Library Journal), a vividly imagined and arresting story of a goddess punished—and a goddess reborn, as she discovers the importance of a life ephemeral…and what it means to truly be alive.

The Winter Goddess is a beautifully woven fantasy novel that blends myth, magic, and emotion into a compelling story. I was completely hooked—I tore through it in two days!

Perfect read for mythology lovers - a beautiful heartwarming story. Barnard created fascinating worlds and explored the characters in depth in such a warm manner that helped build that world

The Winter Goddess is a wonderful book for lovers of mythology. I found the beginning to be a bit slow, but at (I believe exactly) the 40% mark, the story really grabbed hold of me emotionally, and by the end I couldn't put it down! I love that Cailleach's journey is nonlinear, consisting of both growth and setbacks. The dynamic between Gods and mortals, and even the God's themselves, was very intriguing and made for a captivating read