It's only April, but I'm calling it: "Kaikeyi" is going to be my favorite book of this year.

Debut author Vaishnavi Patel has done an incredible job retelling the Hindu epic, the Ramayan, from the perspective of Kaikeyi, the third wife of King Dasharatha, the king of the Kosala kingdom. Kaikeyi is traditionally viewed as a villain, a cunning consort who forced her husband to place her own son as the next ruler and banishing his firstborn son Rama into the forest for a decade - but in Patel's careful hands, she has transformed this evil stepmother into a strong and righteous woman placed in an impossible situation.

The novel is told in the first person perspective of Kaikeyi, starting from her childhood as the daughter of King Ashvapati of Kekeya. Her earliest memories involve the disappearance of her mother under mysterious circumstances; she later discovers she was wrongfully exiled, but this experience lays the foundation for Kaikeyi's determination to claim her own path in life, even though, as a woman, there's so much stacked against her. Her discovery of her powers in the Binding Plane, a magic that allows her to see and even change the binds between people, and her persistence to become a strong warrior all work to her advantage when she is married to King Dasharatha of Kosala. Though she could have easily sat back and lived a life of leisure, she made full use of her position, and continued to push the boundaries of her role and the role of women in society, despite the pushback from the rest of the country and the very gods who ruled them.

As a woman, it felt so empowering and rewarding to watch as Kaikeyi smartly and resourcefully made use of all her skills and connections, and was able to advance not only her own interests, but improve the lives of women within her kingdom. We get to follow her across her successes and failures, and watch as she becomes a daughter, a soldier, a wife, a politician, and a mother - all while juggling an impossible number of responsibilities and priorities. Patel has crafted such a complex, strong, yet flawed protagonist who struggles to do the right thing, despite the number of obstacles and forces in her way.

"Kaikeyi" is such a beautifully written epic, and one that I'm sure many readers will love.

I went into this not knowing what to expect. This book is a reimagining. A character from the Ramayana tells her part of the story from her perspective. While I had heard of the Ramayana, I didn’t know much about it before reading this. I didn’t know anything about Kaikeyi. And that was great! I got to experience this story for the first time in her words. She drops little hints of things to come, but not knowing the story, that only made me want to read more to find out how it would all unfold.

I purposely didn’t look her up until after I was done the book, and I’m glad. Kaikeyi is a woman who wants agency over her own life. She wants the power to make her own choices, and she wants to empower other women to do the same. She quickly learns that she won’t get that in the world she lives in, so she tries to change it. She learns to fight like a warrior, and she learns politics so she can wield power and influence in the ways that are allowed to her. Kaikeyi generally has good intentions, but things don’t always turn out how she plans, and over the years she has to contend with meddling gods and sons with sometimes misguided minds of their own.

I enjoyed this book, and I’m looking forward to reading more from this debut author. It comes out on April 26, but it’s also a Book of the Month selection for April. Thank you to Redhook Books, Orbit, and NetGalley for my copy.

As a huge fan of ancient retellings, I thought this was phenomenal. I often am disappointed by Greek mythology retellings that pit women as competition, and Kaikeyi did not do this in the slightest. I loved the companionship and the support the women had for each other in a system that was very much against them. Kaikeyi was a strong character with a lot of agency, and I really appreciated hearing the story of Rama through her eyes. There was such interesting commentary on the gods and destiny and how they interacted with people they favors and those they were disinterested in. The narrative prose completely captivated me, and I found myself unwilling to put this book down.

A huge thank you to Redhook books for sending me the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I went into this book knowing nothing of the Hindu myth of the Ramayana but believe Patel did a stunning job with his retelling of the story.
Kaikeyi is a strong female protagonist and the author did a great job of telling the story from her perspective and getting us to understand and sympathize with her.
The characters, their relationships with each other, the setting and writing were all brilliant, highly recommend checking out this novel.

Wow, I really enjoyed this book! One of my friends recommended it because I loved Circe/A Song of Achilles and she was completely right. Just bought my Book of the Month version and am so excited to have this on my shelf, thank you for the early copy!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I'm such a lover of mythology retellings. I went into this with no prior knowledge of the myth. I did like the story but I didn't love it. The world building and the magic throughout the story was incredible. I love how the story focused on such a strong woman. It was really fun to see how the story developed.

This was pure magic. I loved every second of this story.one of my favourites this year.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this amazing story.

All thoughts and opinions are my own and arent influenced by anyone else.b

I received a free Advanced Reading Copy via NetGalley in exchange for a complete and honest review.

In the Indian epic, Ramayana, Queen Kaikeyi is portrayed as a jealous queen who wants her son Bharata to ascend the throne of Kosala and uses the boons granted to her by her husband King Dasharath to send Rama, the eldest of Dasharath’s sons and first in line to the throne, into exile. She is, therefore, labeled a “villain” as is her trusted maid, Manthara who is instrumental in fueling Kaikeya’s jealousy and convincing Kaikeye to make use of her boons to further her agenda.
When i tell you I have been waiting for someone to write kaikeyi's story, I'm not bluffing. this is going to be so good, and yes to an asexual mc. also, excuse me, the cover is so Indian, it makes me happy.

Sadly I DNF'd this book. Not really bc I did not want to finish it, but bc I had to out it down bc I was getting bored with it and my time with NetGalley expired.
I did not totally dislike this book but insure was not excited to read it. I kept wanting more to happen. I had about 100 pages to go before I had to DNF, so maybe there was a big climax towards the end of the book.
I know this is based on mythology but I wanted to go into it without having any expectations, so I did not look up this mythological character for reference. So it is still unclear who Kaikeyi ended up being. She seemed like a pretty awesome woman to me.
I can say what I did enjoy was Kaikeyi's character evolution as a woman and her role as an influential woman for her people, and her dedication for womens rights. She took on motherhood and you watched her grown in that role.
I did not understand why she would think she could "unteach" the son his misogynistic mentality. He clearly had very strong opinions from very young just as she had her own strong opinions. Why would her putting him in a bubble change that. I doubt it would work to change her mind about her own opinions..
I do not know why this book did not land as great as I wanted it to, but I can say I am still curious of how it ended. I hope it ended with a big bang.

A fascinating interpretation of one of Hinduism's foundational epics. I felt the author did a good job in not vilifying any of the other characters in the story, as would have been easy to do in this type of retelling. The questions and issues that were discussed in the story are things that still affect people today and I think a lot of the points will lead to potentially productive discussions within families (assuming they all read the book!)
I was pleased to see Kaikeyi portrayed as a fully-developed character, including her asexuality (an addition from this author, as far as I know, but a welcome one), and enjoyed watching her character grow over the course of the novel. My main critique is that the pacing felt inconsistent at times - some parts of the story would move the reader along swiftly and others would drag out unnecessarily. I also felt the ending seemed a little rushed with the addition of the ten-year time skip. I understand why it was included, to link this story with the main bulk of the Ramayana, but it left things feeling incomplete.

This book was so good. It was exactly what I wanted from a retelling. I haven’t read the Ramayan, but from the short summaries I’ve read, I feel that this book retells that story in a way that neither vilifies nor excuses Kaikeyi for her actions, but simply tells her side of the story. From what others have said, certain character depictions are vastly different from the Ramayan. However, having not read it, this makes sense to me as this book is from Kaikeyi’s perspective and not an objective telling.

Additionally, I just love Kaikeyi as a character. She’s fierce, and some may call her selfish, but she’s deeply devoted to those who prove they aren’t just out for their own desires. Also she’s aro/ace, and I think it’s really lovely to see a character who doesn’t need to express romantic desire/love to be seen as a complete person. She loves in other ways and that is enough.

My one issue is with the pacing. The middle of the book seemed to drag some, while the ending seemed a little rushed. That didn't bother me too much, however, and I still greatly enjoyed reading this.

All in all this was a great book. If you’re a fan of Madeline Miller’s Circe, I think you’re really gonna like this one.

*I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

I went into this completely blind, with no knowledge of the Ramayana and very little knowledge of Hinduism, but I really loved this book. It is an exact mix of many of my favorite things: religion vs intellect, destiny vs self-determination, woman vs the patriarchy, and then there's also asexuality involved? Truly incredible.

After I finished the book, I read many reviews by fellow readers, some of whom are Hindu and some of whom are not. I was interested to see several reviews that didn't like the portrayal of religion, and felt it was calling Hinduism (or religion in general) backwards and patriarchal, and even that "reclaiming" the greatest villainess in Hindu tradition is blasphemous. Again, I am not Hindu, but I am Jewish, and there has been a similar discussion in Jewish spaces about reclaiming Vashti, a villainess not quite on the same level as Kaikeyi seems to be, but despised nonetheless. I believe there is a lot to be gained in rethinking how we see these figures, and even in questioning certain traditions as they have always been. Why were they written that way? What can we gain from reimagining them?

I found so much value in the story of Kaikeyi, of a young woman forging her own path in a very difficult and male world, who manages to greatly improve the lives of those around her despite the attempts of the gods to curse her at every turn. Sometimes questioning the divine is beneficial to humanity, and what are we here for if not to help those with less power as much as we can? We cannot control the lives or actions of others, as Kaikeyi ultimately discovers in Patel's reimagining. But we can do what we can, however small, and hope we leave a better world behind.

Highly recommend this one. Thanks to Orbit for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kaikeyi is an Indian retelling of Ramayana's vilified queen, Kaikeyi. When Kaikeyi stumbles upon a powerful magic in her youth, she uses it to transform herself from an overlooked princess to the most favored queen. But what she does will clash with the destiny the gods have chosen for her family.

Kaikeyi was one of my most anticipated reads for the year, so I was so happy when this lived up to my hype.

What I liked:
- The main character. Kaikeyi was a strong female character who used her position of power to advance the status of other women in the kingdom. This novel has feminist themes throughout.
- The exploration of a different culture's stories
- Kaikeyi's relationships with her brother, her husband, the other wives

What I didn't like:
- Ran a little long
- At times the writing felt a little simple

Overall, I typically highly enjoy mythology retellings. Kaikeyi is up there with my favorites. I think the comparisons to Circe are pretty apt and this was a very well done retelling. I've already ordered my physical copy.

This is a STUNNING book. I will read any mythology retelling, especially from a female POV, and I was not disappointed with Kaikeyi. Kaikeyi is a lyrical story about a girl who discovers she has a gift which allows her to become a powerful queen with unprecedented influence. As with many stories throughout time, men and gods grow uneasy at her growing power and make their distaste of Kaikeyi known. I did find the beginning of the book a touch slow, but overall I loved this book. I enjoyed the foreshadowing at the beginning of a few chapters, which lets the reader know this story may not have a happy ending for everyone. I plan to re-read this book and will probably get the audiobook because I enjoyed the story a great deal.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've heard a lot of buzz about this novel, and I think it'll be pretty successful upon its release. Unfortunately, I found it just...okay.

To give credit where it's due, this book is very readable, with a 1st person POV and a very aware MC. This actually kind of worked against the book for me though, because it isn't very subtle. Kaikeya has very strong, very modern opinions about the world around her and kind of just tells the audience exactly what's up. I like having to figure out what's going on, and that wasn't really needed here.

I also think this villain retelling falls into the trap of recasting the villain as the hero instead of showing how they became the antagonist they are. I think this shift was to make the story more feminist, but it just felt a little simplified. That said, my familiarity with the Ramayana is minimal, so take that how you will.

"The gods will have nothing to do with it."

Outstanding stories of unrelenting women who are willing to demolish systems of injustice and sacrifice everything for what they know is right and true regardless of their destinies, fate, and the gods is exactly the genre that my soul yearns for and searches far and wide to find.

I just... Wow.
This is one of my favourite books of all time.

This is a heart-stopping, feminist tragedy at its core. This retelling of the story of Kaikeyi builds an alternative foundation, a tragic and brilliant new perspective on the story of Rama as told in the Ramayana. One that reminds its reader that the stories we are told and the villains we are taught to despise, have hidden untold stories within them that, when told, can change everything we thought we knew about them.

Kaikeyi is an unforgettable character, and an even more unforgettable story that I think will be cherished and beloved in my collection for the rest of my life.

Also, THE ACE REPRESENTATION. To have an asexual main character, who also embodies sensuality, motherhood, beauty, feminine energy, and grace is so very powerful I cannot even seek to describe the ways in which this moved me.

My heart ached so deeply for Kaikeyi, whose depth of love and affection for her family and the people of her kingdom was unbreakably entwined with her path to losing everything, and to her own ruin.

I was also captivated by her discovery of and control over the Binding Plane, which was a magical twist on what I believe truly does exist in a much more subtle way in our own reality. To visualize and fantasize the threads of connections that can be manipulated, strengthened, and broken between anyone whose paths cross was inventive, profound, and skillfully executed. I absolutely loved this aspect of the novel, and it gave every tiny interaction higher stakes and greater potential for something more.

Vaishnavi Patel, I don’t know how this mesmerizing masterpiece could possibly be a debut novel, but my heart is officially yours. I willingly offer this book all the stars I have left for the year in hopes for another novel from you in the near future.


Thank you to Netgalley and Redhook Books for the digital ARC of this gorgeous novel in exchange for an honest review 💜

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review! The synopsis of this book sounded so intriguing! It was very well done even for someone who struggles with mythology!

I LOVED THIS BOOK !!! growing up my dadi (grandmother) always told me things about the ramayan and it was so nice to read this book and get to know about kaikeyi— a character who is most of the time called a villain. I loved kaikeyi's journey in this book and I cannot wait to read more books by vaishnavi patel

(4/5) First of all, you can always count on me to pick up a mythological retelling that centers women (whether it's Circe, Legendborn, Ariadne, you name it). This read was no different! I was excited to see it on NetGalley and then to see it as a Book of the Month pick for April. This gorgeous retelling centers Kaikeyi, who was cast as the villain in the Ramayana (the Hindu epic of the life of Rama). I was glad that I looked up the original story as I read, because I found that a knowledge of it added richness and depth to the story that I wouldn't have otherwise known. Kaikeyi is a strong, independent leader, and Patel gives her a depth, strength, and narrative voice. I also enjoyed the magic system in this book and how Kaikeyi's abilities/relationships grew and changed over time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advanced copy of this to read and review.

Where do I even begin? First, I'm going to try not to gush, but this book is by far my favorite of 2022 so far, and most likely a contender for my personal book of the year. Second, I knew nothing about Indian Mythology or the Ramayana before reading this book. This was not an issue as everything you need to know to understand the story is explained to you., and the bit of mystery around me personally not knowing the tale it was based on was an extra bit of fun. However, I now have at least one book about the Ramayana on my wishlist because I'm interested to read more about these amazing characters and stories. Do not let your lack of knowledge on mythology or the Ramayana deter you from picking this up.

Ultimately, this is a story about a woman who wears many hats (mother, daughter, wife, sister, queen, activist, warrior, protector, confidant, friend) and her struggles with balancing these roles and obligations against each other. Add in gods, demons, semi-gods, semi-demons, lands at war, royal duties, and changing times and the balancing act becomes more precarious. This leads to our main character, Kaikeyi, having to make several heartbreaking, daunting choices between family, country, the gods, and fate. This is the broadest explanation I can give without giving anything away, but if you are at all familiar with the Ramayana, then this is a telling Kaikeyi's tale from her point of view.

This review is difficult for me to write because I'm finding it hard to put into words just exactly what made me fall in love with this book so quickly. It was like every page that went by was spellbinding, elegant, and pulled me right in. I loved Kaikeyi. She was strong, but flawed, and was very easy to relate to and cheer for. For the first two parts, you're delighted to see that her life is going well and she's done well for herself, only to feel a pit growing in your stomach knowing that this is absolutely not a story about a happy lady and the other show has to drop at some point. The other characters are all unique and fleshed out and had their own, distinct personalities. There are several that I imagine have more background to their stories, which is why I'm so interested in reading more of the Ramayana.

I think overall this book is relatable. Who isn't currently trying to juggle multiple roles? Who hasn't faced a tough decision and been labeled for it (for better or for worse) afterwards? Who hasn't wished that they could rise above what others have planned for them and choose their own path?

Again, I cannot recommend this book enough to others. I think there is something here for everyone: mystery, character studies, fantasy, mythology, realism, magic. I hope to see more from this author. I've already pre-ordered a hard copy of this book to keep forever.