Kaikeyi is based on one of the two Hindu epics, the Ramayana. I have seen this book marketed as a retelling of the Ramayana and as someone who is familiar with that text and the role that Kaikeyi actually played in that epic, I was even more excited to dive into it. I never thought much about what happened to Kaikeyi or why she did what she did. Now I would know!

Kaikeyi is the story of a woman who wants to make a difference in her husband’s kingdom and women’s lives when in her own homeland, she was a nobody in spite of being a princess. She is an amazing horse-rider and a fearless warrior, an aspirational mother who understands that as a woman she has a role to play that is also set in stone by society but that does not mean that she will not challenge it and forge her own path.

I remember Kaikeyi being a jealous third queen who wanted more influence and was manipulated by her maid. This is where this book, Kaikeyi, comes in - allowing people like me who are familiar with this epic and never questioned why she really sent Ram on exile, to imagine her and get to know her side of the story. The focus is so much on Ram in the childhood tales that I was curious about who Kaikeyi was a person.

Vaishnavi Patel writes a beautiful version of this queen, imagining her as a young girl of twelve years of age whose mother has left her and her brothers with their father. The journey of how she grows to be an amazing person who is sharp and aware of the pain that girls go through in a patriarchal society is depicted. Kaikeyi has discovered magic but at the same time, she is forsaken by gods. She is not perfect and has learned ways to manipulate people but she is also not all-bad that the Ramayana summary videos make her to be.

The author succeeded in redefining what little I knew of Kaikeyi and making her into an unforgettable character that would fight gods to keep her morals and mortal world at peace. Her portrayal is refreshing and immersive. It is very easy to make her a role model. The court of Ayodhya is described vividly and it sounds like a peaceful kingdom that Kaikeyi built with her sister wives (That sounds so weird.). She has some magic and the part of her being god-touched was new to me. I liked the power that Kaikeyi had and how she grew to understand and use it better. How it caused her so much more pain for her decisions but she had to undertake those actions anyway to stand by her morals.

Kaikeyi and Ayodhya have been the highlights of this book. I love this portrayal of Kaikeyi as a powerful queen who was misunderstood and yet always tried to do what was in the best interest of her family and kingdom. The men in her life sometimes claimed promises made to her as their own and caused meaningless war to defend their pride. There were many times when I felt angry towards the men and the way they treated the women in this book. I loved that she had the support of Dashrath’s other wives and that the three of them held the kingdom together in times of chaos.

Kaikeyi is not just another mythology fantasy to me. It stands by itself, as a unique work inspired by the earlier history that led to the Ramayana, portraying one of the many takes on the events. It made me feel at home. Little things like the use of regional dialects of that time in the writing (this is most obvious with the use of the word ‘radyni’ which means ‘queen’. In Hindi, we use ‘rani’.) added a lot to the book for me. Kaikeyi is complete with powerful women, court intrigue, magic, war with humans, fights with supernatural beings, familial and political tensions of the time when the world was composed of princely states. This will be a cherished addition to the Hindu mythology and retelling section in my home library.

Many thanks to The Nerd Daily and Orbit for providing me a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. A longer review will be posted to The Nerd Daily in the coming days. A book discussion with a fellow avid reader will be available on my blog, Armed with A Book around publication time.

This book was honestly perfect! The way Vaishnavi wrote the story of Kaikeyi to include this commentary on misogyny in Hinduism and ancient India was breathtaking because she skillfully dodged stereotypical portrayals of tropes like the hateful sister wives and evil stepmother.

I also love that depiction of Kaikeyi's power and the way it respects Hinduism's emphasis on free will and the karmic bonds that connect people to each other.

Honestly, one of the best books I've read this year and more than deserving of a 5-star review.

Easily one of my favorite books I've read this year, Kaikeyi is an absolutely gorgeous mythology retelling, perfect for anyone who likes ancient myth, fantasy, and/or badass women. (I kind of couldn't believe I got approved for this on Netgalley, actually - it was one of my most-anticipated books of the year!)

This book tells the story of its titular character - the villainous queen from the Ramayana, who is responsible for Rama's banishment from the kingdom he is set to inherit - over the course of her life, from her young childhood up til the events of the Ramayana. And it tells her story so, so well: Kaikeyi is fully realized, complex and compelling.

I'd be hard pressed to find anything I *didn't* like about this book, except maybe that I would have loved if it were longer. The characters were brilliant and fascinating, the writing was stunning, the story engaging. An absolute delight. I will be buying a copy and recommending it to every single person that I know.

My enormous thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

As much as I’ve enjoyed most all novels released in the recent surgence of mythological retellings, Patel’s story shines through and lands among my absolute favourite. This book was utterly unputdownable and all I could think about in the days I spent reading it (and a few beyond).

Kaikeyi tells the story of the titular character’s determination to thrive in a world where men are divinely favoured while women are cursed to live disadvantaged and unremarkable lives. Her story beginning as a young princess of the small kingdom, Kaikeyi leverages her cunning, prowess, and strength of mind to advance in rank and authority. After being married off to the ruler of an ally kingdom, she forms successive strategic alliances, her influence spreading through all of Bharat as she makes great strides in peacemaking, economic prosperity and women’s rights. A beloved Radnyi and most trusted counsel to the Raja, Kaikeyi’s legacy as a wise and benevolent leader seems all but certain. But when her achievements are tested by the gods themselves, Kaikeyi must make decisions that could risk her standing, the love of those closest to her, and all that she has worked for to improve the conditions of her kingdom.

Patel’s transporting story is beautifully told and made extremely accessible to the reader with little to no familiarity with the original text. Kaikeyi herself was such an interesting and well-rounded character and I loved to experience her progression through the course of a lifetime and the author’s foreshadowing of perils that lay ahead. I also enjoyed the development of her relationships with those around her, especially with Yudhajit and Kausalya, both deeply complex characters who impact Kaikeyi’s journey in very different ways.

Kaikeyi is the best book I’ve read this year and has set a very high standard for 2022. I can’t wait for more from this author and only hope that the success of this book will help more Hindu mythological storytelling flourish in the mainstream. Until then, please read this book!!

Thanks to Redhook Books and NetGalley for this spectacular read!

Ever since I first picked up Circe, I’ve been thirsting for a retelling of an Indian heroine that does justice to all her complexities and flaws. What a treat this book was!

This book was FANTASTIC. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. I absolutely loved all of the character development and growth. You could really feel how all of the characters relate to each other and feel toward each other. These characters and their relationships will definitely stick with me for a long while after reading, as my heart broke with each character’s heartbreak.

The commentary on deep-rooted misogyny and the lengths one must go to try to fight that was better than I imagined. To see Kaikeyi fight for women’s rights the whole time no matter what else was going on in her world truly showed her character.

Also the book was just fun and filled with many different kinds of magic, and always kept you feeling the mythology it is based on and looking at it in a new light.

My only warning is that some words (either titles or terms of endearment usually) are used very early on in the book that may not be in everyone’s vocabulary and are not explained in the book, or not explained until halfway through the book. If you do not know a term I’d suggest looking it up early because it will help ease some confusion.

Absolutely stunning story that kept me on my toes the whole way through, recommend this to anyone that loves a good mythology retelling. The characters were compelling and complex and the writing itself was beautifully poetic. Not a book to be missed!

*Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!*

I loved the beginning of this book. It was on of my most anticipated releases of the year and I'm still so grateful I was given a chance to read and review early. The beginning, as per the summary, is reminiscent of Madeline Miller's Circe, is a slow, but beautiful, portrait of Kaikeyi's life with her brothers and her father and her absence of a mother. The introduction of the Blinding Plane was original and well done and I loved how Kaikeyi fumbled through and learned to use it to her advantage throughout that first part. Similarly, I loved her relationship with Yudhajit.

It took me a long time to read this one. The middle slowed even further down, but there were still parts that I really enjoyed. I loved the exploration of motherhood and her connection to Dasharatha and his other wives. Kaikeyi is beautifully asexual and aromantic and it's displayed on page through Patel's gorgeous style and the first-person view we have of Kaikeyi. Therefore, her relationship with Dasharatha was completely platonic and I adore the attention and inclusion to a love we don't often see in novels.

The end is where it lowered a bit for me. I still think this is a strong debut, but the pacing, especially toward the end, didn't fit. So much happened within the last part that I never felt we got to sit on those events and some felt overly summarized. Similarly, the book focused in on Kaikey's relationship with Rama, leaving her "beloved" son Bharata to the sidelines. Upon further thought, I felt like I didn't know any of the characters as much as I wanted to. Dasharatha, Yudhajit, Rama, and obviously Kaikeyi were the most developed, but even toward the end they flipped on their heads, much like Kaikeyi did. I know we had to get to the part where she's villified, but the turn didn't feel organic.

Overall, this is a gorgeous book, despite my misgivings, and I'll definitely be grabbing a copy when it releases in April.

If Circe and The Book of Longings (two of my favorite books) had a love child and raised them on Hindi mythology…this is what you’d get:

Ancient magic and wrathful gods

Unapologetic feminism and women pushing the boundaries on what men say or think we can do

An epic saga of the life of someone important to history and lore that is often overlooked

*KAIKEYI*

This 5⭐️ book is perfect for anyone who appreciates a generational saga, anyone who is interested in learning more about Hindu mythology, and anyone who enjoys seeing women break though the glass barriers of their generation.

Phenomenal book, no notes. Desperately needed and perfectly crafted. Vaishnavi Patel is a genius and I am so, so excited for this book’s release. The entire world needs to read Kaikeyi’s story.

Everyone should read this book. It infuses everything I love about the fantasy genre (flawed characters, creative magic systems, thoughtful conversations, and the perfect amount of hope) into a single radiant novel. Patel is a master of pacing, effortlessly balancing action with simple but beautiful moments that can be so rare in epic fantasy.

“The gods will have nothing to do with it.”

This book follows (single POV, first person) the character Kaikyei from the age of 12 until she is about 40. She is an asexual yuvradnyi (princess) who is motherless and trying to find her place in a patriarchal world. Kaikyei is lonely, and her magic (the ability to form bonds with others to then manipulate them) both brings her closer to others and sets her apart. She is cursed by the gods and doomed to ruin those around her.

Despite this, she is always motivated by love, not anger. She earns the respect of those around her. She chooses to make sacrifices to protect those she loves. She fights for a world that has never fought for her and, by doing so, carves out a space to tell her own story.

And by a debut author no less. Vaishnavi Patel, I can’t wait to see what you do next.

Thank you to NetGalley for graciously providing me with an arc.

🚨READ THIS BOOK🚨

Not to overhype it or anything, but I already know this is THE ABSOLUTE BEST FANTASY BOOK that I’ll read this year. No joke.

First of all, that cover is STUNNING. And then that plot?? A vilified queen, shunned by the gods, tells her story in her own words? After her mother leaves the kingdom, Kaikeyi reads as many stories as she can, until one day, she stumbles upon an ancient meditative scroll. In her time of need, she unlocks the magic holding the Binding Plane, a place only she can see that shows the strength of the connections between herself and others. But despite this one gift, fortune does not smile down upon Kaikeyi, so she must forge a path for herself in a world in which her agency is stolen by the whims of men. From princess to queen to traitor, Kaikeyi confesses the lengths to which one woman will go in order to gain her freedom.

Listen, if you're a fan of Circe, The Witch's Heart, or even Evelyn Hugo, you'll probably love Kaikeyi. Narratives in which women are given the opportunity to candidly tell their side of the story just do it for me. Throw in some unique magic, sibling dynamics, Indian-inspired folklore, royal court intrigue, feminism, and make it a standalone? My soul is yours.

If you're intimidated by fantasy, the magical elements were really accessible and easy to both understand and visualize. I feel like this story will easily appeal to wizened fantasy readers as well as newbies.

Basically, you all NEED TO READ THIS ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE. The hype is real. I'm freakin obsessed and can't stop thinking about how glorious this story was.

Thank you to REDHOOK and NETGALLEY for the advanced copy

If you are into feminist retellings of myths 🙋🏻‍♀️, do yourself a favor and put KAIKEYI by Vaishnavi Patel on your TBR right now.

Patel takes the stepmother queen villain of the Indian epic, the Ramayana, and imagines Kaikeyi as the protagonist. She paints a lush, magical world that is controlled by the gods, by men, and by demons - but Kaikeyi seeks to insert herself and other women into the narrative. And why shouldn’t she? She’s sharp, wise, an able fighter, and good-hearted.

Aided by her ability to visualize her connections to others as colored strings in the "Binding Place” and thus influence them, Kaikeyi rises to prominence in her husband’s court. She uses her power to lift other women up and to try to promote peace among the kingdoms, but things keep going horribly wrong. The gods are angered by this woman who dares upset the natural order of things…and nothing will stop them from exacting revenge.

Though it’s a slow build, I was enthralled by the world spun in this novel, and read the last 25% in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down. Patel renders the relationships among the characters with such heart, and Kaikeyi’s strength, bravery, self-doubt, and vulnerability make her a captivating protagonist. Even though this is an ancient myth, Patel’s retelling has so many lessons for our time. Themes of patriarchy, fate, family relationships, and feminism permeate this eminently readable tale.

Fans of Madeline Miller’s CIRCE will love this one (and you should read this even if you haven’t read CIRCE!). I’m so thankful for authors like Patel who, with books like KAIKEYI, show me just how much I’ve absorbed the patriarchal culture around me and demonstrate that it doesn’t have to be that way.

A new take on a classic myth, Patel is able to transport readers back in time with vivid, enticing prose. We see a nuanced portrayal of beloved and not so beloved characters. This is a book for readers who want to see more done with myths, who question, who need the details, and Patel provides it all. Looking forward to more of the author's works.

Kaikeyi is an epic retelling of the beginning of the Ramayana told through the point of view of Kaikeyi, one of the original “evil step-mother” archetypes. This is another addition to a series of books reimagining mythology through a feminist lens and is one I absolutely adored.

There are a lot of original concepts to be found in the book like “the binding plane,” where Kaikeyi is able to see and influence the bonds and threads tying her to the people around her. We follow her from girlhood in Kekeya with many brothers to her betrothal to King Dasharatha and finding a place in his court alongside the other wives, to her motherhood and eventual unraveling of all she has built.

Vaishnavi Patel’s prose is lovely, descriptive, and can really set a scene. The characters have an interesting nuance to them. Seeds of the end are sprinkled through the novel and as a reader you can already see the flaws that will likely work against Kaikeyi as the novel proceeds. A lot happens in this book with political maneuvering and familial betrayals still grounded in love despite some darker emotions like greed and envy. And the ending holds more hints of hope than I would’ve thought.

I think my only issue is the approach of “villain” retellings where a character is absolved of most flawed decisions and other characters originally heroes are shifted to be more corrupt. I would’ve liked to see Kaikeyi portrayed with a bit more morally-gray nuances… there are also some dynamics that feel dropped throughout this book until they become plot-relevant.

Regardless, I loved this book, would strongly recommend to most readers who have an interest in mythology, and am keeping this author on my radar!

Redeeming a villain is tricky, and redeeming the archetypal wicked stepmother can be harder to achieve, as anyone who has read the tale of Snow White from the perspective of the queen will know. It's a balancing act that requires being able to incorporate a fresh and original interpretation whilst at the same time keeping to and respecting the core of the original story, which is always metaphorical.

And you have to do that whilst also resisting the temptation of demeaning the opposite side. And "Kaikeyi" doesn't.

Like many retellings from the "villainous" point of view, this book has fallen into the trope of doing a reverse job and portraying the others characters that are heroic in the original legend as the less-than-perfect ones, and portraying the characters that are villainous as the good ones. In this case, Queen Kaikeyi from the Ramayan, who uses the boons given to her by her kingly husband to make her own son king and have her stepson the heir exiled. Not exactly all that rare a scenario, even in real history, in the harems of rulers where there's multiple wives. How many wives of the Sultans schemed to have the sons of the other wives disgraced or even killed just so their own sons would inherit, for example? It's not like Kaikeyi's is so especially outlandish a case of mischaracterisation that it merits making her the poor misunderstood little queen who battles the patriarchy and misogyny and toxic masculinity at every turn, in such a preachy infodumpy fashion that it wears the reader down eventually.

I would have dearly loved it to see the story focus on Kaikeyi's character growth instead of trying too hard to prove the above point by having periodic rants inserted in, and to show us more of the world, because the beginning of the book is quite good, her relationship with her twin brother is heartwarming, as is her dynamic with her maid Marantha, and she is relatable in some ways. I applaud the author trying to make her layered and explain her character flaws fairly, but she should've stayed on that course and extended that treatment to the others, too, because eventually, he who is the hero of the Ramayan, Prince Rama, ends up being not exactly heroic but the schemer whose exile is justified, and the evil villain that is Ravana in the original epic is here a sympathetic character. So, essentially, it becomes a heroes made to be bad and villains made to be good swapping of places, which is a rather unimaginatively lazy way of "redeeming" a character, because it's no better than moving pieces across the chessboard towards the opposite side, when the ideal way is to have us learn and understand why they are like they are. With skill, Kaikeyi could've been made a likable villain or a layered anti-hero, which would've been more fascinating to read about, in my opinion.

1.5 Stars

One Liner: A colonized retelling written for the Western and west-aligned audiences.

Let me first share how the rating reached 1.5 stars.
• The first 30% - 4 stars despite the slow narration and the feeling of reading about Medieval European kingdoms rather than an Indian setting.
• The book up to 55% - 3.5ish stars as things got repetitive and the colonial influence was beginning to become prominent. (Also, the story deviated too much from the original.)
• The book up to 70% - 2.7 stars because Sita’s introduction read like something from a regency novel, and Sita’s characterization was horrible.
• By the end of the last page – 2 stars still because I’m not new to this kind of portrayal of Rama promoted by a certain ‘intellectual’ crowd.
• The next morning - 1.5 star as the patterns become clear. The retelling is much more than just another perspective. It fits like a perfect puzzle piece in the global anti-Hindu narrative to normalize Hinduphobia, given the target audience.

What I Liked:
The concept of the Binding Plane was fantastic. I loved reading about the threads, how Kaikeyi learned to use them, and the way her powers grew over the years.
I enjoyed her interactions with Yudhajit, her twin brother, and Manthara, the maidservant who takes care of Kaikeyi.
Kaikeyi’s asexuality was subtly handled. It isn’t the major focus of the book but weaves in and out of the narrative to establish her relationship with Dasharath and his wives.

What Didn't Work for Me:
I’ve never hated her or been told that she is the evil stepmother. Kaikeyi, to me, was the only one capable to set things in motion. When I picked this book, my expectations were that the book would explore the grey areas, look at the intricacies in the epic; not create a black and white scenario by reversing the roles of Rama and Ravana. I would have appreciated even the role reversal if it was an original idea. It is a brave thing to do, after all. Alas, the concept is neither original nor fresh. It’s a part of a larger narrative being introduced to the world at large for a while now.
While I appreciated the concept of feminism, I didn’t like how the epic was interpreted and represented from a colonial lens. To see that the book with so much potential turned into a colonial retelling was painful.
Sita is neither a millennial nor Gen Z. She is an incarnation of Maa Lakshmi herself (not some God-touched little chit). Reducing her to some anxiety-ridden, confused, helpless wife of a power-hungry prince (Rama) is the worst characterization. As such, I’m annoyed with how the TV shows and movies make her cry buckets in Lanka.
Lakshman is the younger brother of Rama, and Sita is his older brother’s wife. He will never ever address her by her given name, even when talking about her to another person. She will never be just ‘Sita’ to Lakshman. In our households, siblings don’t refer to their older brothers’ wives by their names. It has to be accompanied by terms like Bhabhi or Vadina (etc.).
The duration for exile was 14 years. Fourteen. Not ten. It can’t be a typo if it is repeated more than once.

Thank you, NetGalley and Redhook Books, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

3.5 stars
Before I begin this review I just want to say I have not read the Ramayana and I have never encountered this character or story before. I'm glad I found it because it was a really interesting and compelling story but I also don't want to disrespect anyone's personal beliefs.

Kaikeyi tells the first-person POV of the titular character from her early childhood through her entire adulthood. Kaikeyi seems to narrate the story from the future in some parts making allusions to her perceived villainous reputation. The book begins with Kaikeyi's birth and then her early young adulthood as the only princess of her father's kingdom of Kekaya. Her father banishes her mother and Kaikeyi is forced to take her place in terms of hosting and palace affairs. During this time Kaiyeki also discovers her own powers and influence over people. Eventually, Kaiyeki marries and becomes the third wife of a king of a neighboring kingdom. To me, this is really where the book starts to get interesting. Though I loved the scenes of Kaikeyi and her twin brother crown prince Yudhajit's training were interesting and set the stage for later action - I liked the relationship between Kaikeyi and the other wives. It also makes the later issues more tragic. There are some fantastic mythological elements and descriptions of Gods and Kaikeyi's own power is not insignificant. Kaikeyi also cares deeply about women's issues and wants fairness for men and women which also causes problems later on. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more from Vaishnavi Patel.

I was provided a free copy of this book through NetGalley

Kaikeyi is an unconventional yet mesmerizing retelling of the disgraced character Queen Kaikeyi from the Indian epic Ramayana. Kaikeyi infamously exiled her stepson, crown prince Rama, to the forest for 14 years and demanded her son Bharata be named heir. Ms. Patel has taken a character declared selfish and greedy and woven a beautiful story of self-empowerment, motherly love, and sacrifice.

In a world dominated by patriarchy, Kaikeyi shows extraordinary courage to take charge of her own destiny despite the limited choices she is given. As they say, history is written by the winners, or, in this case, those with power. But this remarkable story told from Kaikeyi’s perspective shifts the narrative, questioning what it means to be good or evil. Do our actions define us or our intentions? Both Kaikeyi and Rama were complex, multi-dimensional characters, and each interaction between them was written with meticulous detail. The themes of women’s empowerment and sisterhood were powerful, avoiding the unnecessary and often overdone tropes of female jealousy and hatred. Ms. Patel’s debut is expertly written with excellent character development and a plot that deliberately unfolds itself throughout Kaikeyi’s journey.

Overall, this was a poignant and heartbreaking story of a woman trying to secure her place in a world ruled by dogmatic men and gods while desperately holding on to the fraying threads of her family. This book is perfect for those who enjoyed the works of Madeline Miller or love retellings.

An amazing imagining of a character from the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. Kaikeyi gives a rich and complex background to its title character, casting the spotlight on a barely developed character in the mythological text. I do wish I was more familiar with the epic, but Kaikeyi has spurred me on to take on the task. I loved reading about Indian folklore, creatures and characters, and really am excited to read more. Don't feel put off by lack of knowledge,
I truly enjoyed reading this book. I think those with better knowledge will get extra enjoyment. Definitely recommend to fans of retellings, mythology of any kind, folklore, and just general good fiction. Kaikeyi explores a world we can imagine as the past, and the social restrictions the characters lived in and fought against. Think of it as an ancient coming of age turned epic, with many timeless lessons throughout. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this e-copy.