If you have discovered the world of Jaraan and want to know where to start (or what order to read both novels), here are three possible reading orders for The River’s Daughter and The River Goddess: A Prequel.
Quick note before I explain the different reading orders… Both books are set in the world of Jaraan, but they are very different kinds of stories.
The River’s Daughter is a mythic tale of forbidden love, resistance, ancestral memory, and the magic that stirs beneath the surface. It follows Sahira Raazaan, a young woman in the town of Jaraan, in the days leading up to her arranged marriage. It’s a feminist reimagining of the Punjabi legend of Mirza Sahiba.
The River Goddess: A Prequel is a short, standalone myth of gods and mortals, set generations before Sahira’s story. It tells the origin story of the River Bakki’s power, introduces the gods of Jaraan, and is the same story whispered about in hushed voices throughout The River’s Daughter.
Now, the three reading orders.
If you prefer to read stories in chronological order, start with The River Goddess so you get the story of the gods before the story of the mortals.
Reading Naga’s story first means you’ll go into The River’s Daughter already knowing the true legend behind the stories that are told in Jaraan. You’ll also notice how different groups of people tell the story of the river goddess differently, and might have some insights into why the story is told differently based on who’s telling it. If you prefer mythology-first storytelling, you might prefer to go this route.
This is probably the default order I’d recommend for most readers. Start with Sahira’s story in The River’s Daughter, and then read The River Goddess afterward. That way you’ll know the story, but it’ll color the world in further to get to hear Naga’s origin story afterwards. You might also notice that the way the Naga legend was discussed in The River’s Daughter shows how history changes/highlights/focuses on certain things in retellings. And reading the prequel after the main novel might also be fun because it’ll give you the “real” version of the story that was told in The River’s Daughter, and you’ll see why different groups might have told (or remembered, or been passed down) the story differently…
There is a ~secret third option~ that’s sort of the best of both options 1 and 2, and would give a really unique reading experience:
This option lets you experience The River Goddess as a story-within-a-story, contextualized in Sahira’s story. This is also fun because you’ll have both stories fresh in your mind, and when you see/hear Naga’s story being told in The River’s Daughter, you’ll be able to see the difference in how the different kinds of people of Jaraan remember it (vs. what the truth is).
If you want a special and super immersive way to experience the world of Jaraan, pick this option.
Regardless of which option you choose, consider listening to the playlists while you read. Specific songs go with each chapter, so if you’re into a fully immersive experience you can listen to them as you read.
The River’s Daughter playlist
The River Goddess playlist
And of course, if you haven’t already read the bonus scene for The River’s Daughter, sign up for my newsletter to get a secret scene from Syfir’s perspective. (And if you want to “tandem read” that, the bonus scene goes right between chapters 2 and 3 of The River’s Daughter—so read through chapter 2, then pause and read the bonus scene, and the continue the novel!)
Both books are available everywhere books are sold.
Read The River’s Daughter (large print edition here)
Read The River Goddess
Limited Edition Collector Box
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