I don’t know what to say other than I absolutely loved this.

The characters were very well fleshed out, and each brought something different to the story.
I especially enjoyed the way that the wives interacted with each other. I was so nervous that they would turn on Kaikeyi and one kind of did, but it made sense. Also, the relationship between Kaikeyi and her husband was strong, and it was so clear that they loved and respected each other, which made the end all that more heartbreaking.

I loved that Kaikeyi wanted to help women who were not able to help themselves and that she didn’t look down on them, which can sometimes be a thing in ‘feminist’ retellings. (And that she found a way to do it too!)

I enjoyed the magic system and the storytelling.

The end was a bit abrupt, though. I wanted more!

I instantly pre-ordered it.

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is one of the bests books I've read this year so far and it will be likely favorited.
The retelling of this complex history from Kaikeyi's point of view was marvelously done.
I loved how the difficulties of Kaikeyi's life and her frustrations as a child formed who she would become in the future, how that she saw her gift as a way to stand out and the consequences of the abuse to this newly discovered power.
Her relationships with other people, from her family to her friends and servants are all well represented and I just loved reading about her bond with Yudhajit since childhood and how it evolves as they grow up.
The plot is so involving and funny to read, tho sometimes it brings up some reflexions that are presented through story, like the difficulties of Kaikeyi to be SEEN by other people while being a woman. I just loved everything so much.

5/5 stars

A feminist exploration of one of the Ramayana's villains? YES PLEASE! If you have been enjoying novels that are reimagining famous stories from world mythology this needs to be on your list of must reads for 2022. In the tradition of Madeline Miller's Circe and Jennifer Saint's Ariadne comes Vaishnavi Patel's excellent Kaikeyi. Following one of the antagonists of the Hindu epic the Ramayana, we learn the story behind the third wife of Raja Dasharatha, and step mother to the legendary prince Rama. Kaikeyi is a character you can't help but love. We spend time with her from her childhood wrestling and raising her brothers and see her rise as one of the most powerful women in the kingdom of Kosala. She is a rich and intriguing character that is impossible not to root for despite the hints of her eventual fate. Patel's writing is accessible and engaging, she humanizes her characters and develops relationships that feel authentic and will break your heart. Patel's debut makes a strong impression and is by far one of the best I've read so far this year. Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook for provided me with an e-ARC of this amazing book.

Kaikeyi is a story of a woman, born into a world where the gods - or at least, men who claim to know gods - forbid women of choices. Due to some special circumstance of her birth, Kaikeyi is simultaneously blessed and cursed with the ability to see through sexism in her society, and her entire life is a struggle against men and gods to relieve not only herself but all women of this shackle.

The magic system is very interesting. I originally expect the magic to be Kaikeyi's secret weapon, something that makes her powerful and invincible, but it is more of a visual manifestation of an ability that every human already possesses in themselves - something they can achieve as easily through conversation, as Kaikeyi discovers again and again many times in the book. In a world where women have no voice, the magic only provides an alternative path, but not an easier path, to her goal. I really appreciate that, because it means Kaikeyi is special because of how she wields the magic, not just because she has magic.

As someone who's moderately familiar with Ramayana, I was pleasantly surprised by the fresh perspective on many characters, especially Rama and Ravana. Kaikeyi herself is not always a likable protagonist for me, but she is very compelling, and her story is as enjoyable to read as Rama's. And among the rest, my favorite character is definitely Lakshmana because of his intellect and calmness. (I've always liked Lakshmana from the original mythology, though, so I may be biased).

I understand that the necessity to follow the overarching plot of the original mythology, which is almost completely irrational, so I appreciate the author's attempt at explaining many of the characters' actions. Although I occasionally feel like the magic (or the gods) become an easy excuse for many characters to act out-of-character and create unnecessary conflicts, those moments are few and far between. Overall, I love how this book makes me view the entire Ramayana story in a different light, which I prefer over my old one.

A wholly unique, suspenseful, well-paced, smart, and interesting (I could go on... and on... and on here) book that will appeal to... struggling to think of who it would NOT appeal to! Everyone just... read it.

Every story needs a villain. We've seen that time and time again. In the Indian tale of Ramayana, that became Queen Kaikeyi, but, as we know, there is always more than one side to every story. This isn't simply a retelling. In many ways, it's a reimagining of the epic, and I was here for all of it.

Vaishnavi Patel, THANK YOU. The world building was on point. The magic and depiction of the gods was interesting and well thought out. The pace was perfect. I could not stop turning the pages in this character driven novel. The characters were well developed and multi-dimensional. I felt things.... things beyond excitement to see how this all plays out. For the most part, we end in the same way as the epic tale, but the road to get there is lush and captivating and heart-wrenching and full of love and frustration and, at times, anger.

I have an analogy... it's not perfect but indulge me. The movie Maleficent showed the untold perspective of Sleeping Beauty's villain, offering an empathetic look at the classic fairy tale. It brough a sense of humanity and understanding to a character that was intended to be unlikable in the original and flipped the narrative, presenting insight into all the characters that was previously unseen. This book gives me those vibes and more.

Kaikeyi is the princess of the kingdom of Kekeya, where she watches her mother banished and must try to flourish as an independent woman in a patriarchal society. With a mysterious magic and forsaken by the gods, at every turn she must fight for power and for the good of her family, women, and her lands.

I loved this book so much. I really felt for Kaikeyi, even in the situations where I didnt necessarily agree with her. I do feel like I got more out of it because I know the backstory, but there was so much good storytelling here. I just didn't want to put it down. There is so much gods, demons, magic, fighting, and politics. The story really does focus on Kaikeyi, so the other characters are not as deeply fleshed out as her.

This story gives voice to a woman cast as a villian in the Hindu epic of Ramanyana. The author takes the infamous story of Kaikeyi and the driving forces of the Ramanyana and turns it on its head completely, really emphasizing that stories are told by the people in power; the winners of history.

The writing is simple but just drew me in. And excellent debut! Definitely keep an eye out for this one. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to @RedHookBooks, @vaishnawrites, and @netgalley for the advanced e-arc.

Kaikeyi follows the story of Queen Kaikeyi, a mother, warrior, and wife who was the villain of the story. As we know, there is always two sides to every coin.

I can already tell this book will be one of my top reads of 2022. Growing up, I always heard the story of Kaikeyi and how what she did was one of the worst sins known to man.

Something compelling to the story was the flip of why Kaikeyi decided to use her boons the way she did compared to what I grew up hearing in the Ramayana. The storytelling was engrossing from the beginning until the end. Though it may seem like all the small things unmentioned do not matter, we see it all add up in the end.

I felt Kaikeyi was a neglected figures in Hinduism. Seeing a different take on her was refreshing, though there were some instances that can be questionable. In all honesty I see her faults, but also see why she did it. I do see the flaws pointed out in the book where Rama, a god, was depicted as not caring for women and referring to them in vulgar names. This can bring harmful attention to Hinduism by portraying a god as a sexist figure and thinking he is actually like that. That was one of my main problems with the book as I ponder over it once more. The depiction of the Lord giving up on Kaikeyi was also a sad thing for me as Hindu to see, though I am not sure if this is a projection or something else.

I think Patel did a great job at staying true to the original and also adding in elements as to why Kaikeyi was the way she was. At times, I felt myself get very sad at the outcome, even though I already knew it was going to happen. I'd love to see more of what Patel can come up with regarding Hindu epics, since there is so much to our rich history,

If you have not already, pre-order the book! It is a tale you will never forget, as sacrifice comes in many shapes and forms from either side. Thank you to Vaishnavi Patel, Netgalley, and Redhook for providing me with an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Plot: 5 ★
Characters: 5 ★
Writing Style: 5 ★
Cover: 4.5 ★
Enjoyment: 5 ★
Overall:5 ★

This is, hands down, going to be one of my top three books of 2022. If I didn't have other obligations, I would have devoured this book in two days; couldn't put it down, it was the only thing I wanted to do. I feel more than confident it will be on other lists and win at least something. It's flowery and beautiful, transporting you into the world easily. The main character is someone you want to stick with for the ride because she's so well developed and interesting and amazing (honestly, most of the characters are fleshed out and wonderful to read about). I don't know how you feel chemistry on a page, but damn, did I fall in love with the chemistry between Kaikeyi and her twin, and Kaikeyi and her husband.

I went into this book mostly blind, knowing little to nothing about the story or mythology. After skimming a summary of the source, I am enthralled by and support the choices the author made. I will be buying this book.

Similar to Madeline Miller's Song of Achillies, you need zero knowledge of Hindu mythology to fall in love with Kaikeyi's story! But I will admit, once the second chapter sucked me in, I looked into Kaikeyi's story and found it fascinating how Vaishnavi Patel twisted a well-known villain into a story of a young woman who is complex, intelligent, and strong - mentally and physically! The boon or "divine blessing" Kaikeyi is granted while attempting to bring her banished mother back to her, is so unique in explaining how strong her bonds are with those around her. This power is written as though the author wanted to introduce a new character and she succeeded! Kaikeyi's journey, growth, personal relationships, and the magic system are written so well, it's simply incredible, Even the parallels between her as a pre-teen self to her as a wife, *chef's kiss.

Thank you NetGalley and Redhook for the arc, I already preordered a physical copy!

In the tradition of Madeline Miller and Pat Barker, Patel attempts to breathe life into Kaikeyi from the Indian epic, Ramayana. The original tale casts Kaikeyi as jealous and villainous as she uses a boon granted from her husband to send his eldest son, Rama, into exile and allow her son, Bharata, to ascend the throne. This tale reimagines Kaikeyi as a formidable and influential woman, who despite being forsaken by the gods, forges a path forward that elevates the status of women.

The story starts in the kingdom of Kekaya when Kaikeyi's mother is banished from court. Mostly ignored by her father, Kaikeyi trains as a warrior with her twin brother and discovers magical powers that allow her to influence her bond with other people. Eventually, she is forced to leave her homeland and marry Dasharatha. Isolated in a foreign land, Kaikeyi eventually wields a position of power in the king's court, where she works towards the betterment of women's lives. However, the nature misogynistic nature of her sons towards women threatens to derail her life's work.

Even though I obsessively costume these re-imaginings, I found it is sometimes hard for authors to find a balance between the original tale and adding a fresh perspective to the story. Patel successfully reimagines Kaikeyi in a new light and peels back the layers to show Kaikeyi's passions and struggles, which lead to her actions. The author also demonstrates how easy it can be to mischaracterize the queen as villainous when the story has only been seen from Rama's perspective. This story presents a real woman fighting against the oppressive nature of the patriarchy and heartbreakingly discovers the same qualities in her sons.

This is a worthy contender for the genre as Patel did not have an easy task. Ramayana is unforgiving in its portrayal of Kaikeyi, but Patel finds a way to humanize and make the reader empathize with her position in the story and her relationship with Rama. I'm excited for others to discover this book and see what Patel produces next.

Thank you to Net Galley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!!

I am so absolutely in love with this feminist retelling of the Ramayana from the perspective of Kaikeyi. I grew up with this epic whether hearing it through my parents, picture books, or shows, and this retelling completely sucked me in. I am obsessed with Patel’s writing style: the pacing, the imagery, the emotion.

I loved reading through Kaikeyi’s perspective and about her incredibly strong personality. Reading about her growing up, her relationships, her power, etc. was just amazing. Having known this story my entire life, I was physically shaking when the boys grew up even though I knew what was going to happen next, and I was in no way disappointed. I am so obsessed!

I recieved an arc of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Kaikeyi was in short an excellent book. Every aspect of it had me wishing for more and I was enraptured into the story telling Vaishnavi strung. Not only is the book very interesting to read it shows important lessons throughout and the most important being how women are represented badly in history, stories, and myths.

The book Kaikeyi took the epic the Ramayan which featured Kaikeyi as a wicked selfish women who's mind was poisoned and turned her into a strong women who's actions were only perceived as bad because she was a woman. Stories like these are very important and Vaishnavi did a wonderful job of showing hers.

The writing was immaculate I never got bored reading and I never had trouble understanding what was going on. The spacing and the way time moved were perfect and set the story up for success.

Kaikeyi is an extraordinary book that I recommend to anyone who enjoys retellings or just books in general.

All aspects of the book were a 5/5 stars for me.

On a trip to one of India's most fantastical epics, we get to see Kaikeyi's character in a brand new light. Many people have called her treacherous things that never merited those of her actions if one were to truly delve into the shoes that her character filled in the story of Rama.

Being from SEA, I'm sadden to say that I came into this book without any prior knowledge of what's in store. Most of the things that I knew about Hindu culture came from the very little information that I've managed to learn in school over the years, which barely amounted to anything, if I'm to be completely honest. But now, through the eyes of Vaishnavi Patel's Kaikeyi, I believe that I've gotten a pretty good idea about what's to come.

After reading the book, I immediately read about Kaikeyi and who she was in the Ramayana, which ultimately made this novel much more interesting to me because usually, in stories emerging from such era's, women were vilified simply because they were women. It was so eye-opening to see how the story came about in this novel, through the eyes of the so called "villain," herself. We got to see a whole new perspective from the moment she was born on a full moon, under an auspicious constellation, until the day she decided to pry herself from the pages of the story that bled her dry until naught was left.

Although, I did have one problem with this book, particularly with its third act. It felt as if the events of the last few pages were rushed. Personally, I wouldn't have minded if the story was stretched out maybe another chapter or two because the way things concluded may have been admirable, but it did feel somewhat lacking at the same time. The ending felt both overwhelming and underwhelming to me.

But despite my frustrations, I do believe that Kaikeyi is a novel to behold. It successfully provokes its readers to step into the shoes of this bold and fierce woman that has been brought down by the toughest of fate's, to see what it is to be a woman in such a time where we were viewed as less that even the god's seemed as if they were against us.

Hello mythology fans, do I have THE book for you! 

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel is going to blow your minds. 

Firstly, who knows about Hindu mythology? I’d love to hear your thoughts about this retelling, as I went into the story with zero previous knowledge of the story. I knew nothing about the original story nor its origins. In fact, I’ll admit, I didn’t know anything about Hindu epics in general, and especially not Ramayan from which this story comes. 

Kaikeyi is the third wife of Raja Dasharatha, a warrior and advisor. As previously mentioned, I don’t know the original story, but it seems like she is portrayed as a jealous, shrewd woman, who wants to put her son on the throne instead of her stepson. After having her mind poisoned by her hunchback nursemaid Manthara, she uses 2 boons granted by her husband to banish her stepson (I’ll be doing another post soon about villains always being portrayed as disabled). 

The Kaikeyi we meet is a complete badass. An intelligent warrior who has been forsaken by the gods, all she wants is the betterment of all subjects of her kingdom, including women and poor people. We see from her point of view why she felt she had to banish her stepson (who she viewed as a son), for the good of the kingdom. Rather than Kaikeyi being the villain, we see a complicated situation that she is trying to handle to the best of her abilities, in a society that doesn’t really want to listen to what women have to say.

Kaikeyi refuses to accept her position in society, as dictated by men, and suffers the consequences. I think that’s a situation many women can relate to.

This book is going to be the best book I read this year, simply because it weaves together the lush world of Indian mythology, lyrical writing, flawed human nature, hunger for power, and decisions being irrational, social change, and traditional patriarchal society's challenges of the social change.

Story of faith, love, hatred, and loss. story of deep solitude and strong will. the reasoning behind the character's actions is presented so masterfully, so you understand and see the world for what it is for each of the characters.

This book is my absolute favorite just because it gives you a very brief, but deep enough understanding of mythology and pantheon and at the same time gives you a glance of human's place in the particular pantheon. it perfectly captures the beauty of Asian mythology and the vast world of Gods.


The writing style, pace, language are just transferring you to the world of Kaikeyi!
Cannot wait to read more of the author's work, because it truly transfers you to the world of gods and their will and tools they use to keep the balance.

This was a great read. I love the trend of retellings with an emphasis on feminism. I loved seeing all of Kaikeyi's relationships and how they changed throughout her life. This book had a subtle magic system that helped drive the plot forward and felt very natural in the story. As someone who is interested in Hindu mythology but only has a very rudimentary knowledge of it this was still very enjoyable. I would say you should know the very basics of the Ramayana but I don't think its 100% necessary. I can't wait to get a copy of this on my shelves.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! I am not well versed in any kind of mythology so I don't know any of the context behind this story, but this did not hinder my enjoyment at all. It is a slow-paced fantasy, but I felt so connected to everyone and their relationships with each other that I did not want to stop reading nevertheless. I was completely sucked into the world and I am sad I am unable to continue you on with these characters. I am beyond excited to recommend this one!

*Spoiler free*

I wasn't quite sure about this book at first, because it sounded like the kind of vast, epic fantasy, spanning many years, that I'm not the biggest fan of. But, I had a friend read and adore it, and a woman creating independence for herself while the destiny of the gods hangs over her, pulled me to read it.

I am very, very glad that I read this book, because it is truly incredible.

It's a story that spans over many years, and even over many kingdoms. The way it is pulled through time is incredible. It feels fluid and smooth. It manages to feel so widely spread, and yet something that is contained as well. It is told over Kaikeyi's lifetime, and it follows her through her journeys, which are immense and many. It's a book that stays very close to it's main character, and it excels because of that.

Kaikeyi is an incredible woman. Fierce, determined, smart. She has a fire burning inside of her, though there is such a deep love she holds for those that are close to her. The relationships she cultivates are at the heart of this book. The friends she makes, how she builds a family, how she treks through motherhood, and how she weaves her way through these relationships. It's filled with love, but there are also trails across them all. She wants to protect her family, the people she loves, she wants to protect her children. But she also wants to make change in the rigid structure that her society is built upon. She wants what is best for her kingdom. She wants to help the women who feel like they are stuck under rules that were not built with their best interest in mind. And this is something that can hurt. The depiction of motherhood, and love, and family, was heart wrenching in how good it was, and how painful it can be.

The strength of these relationships also made me love most of the characters a lot more than I thought I was going to. Kaikeyi cares for them so strongly, so I couldn't help but fall completely in love with them.

The intricate politics is another thing that really made this book shine. Kaikeyi had to navigate a world where she was not welcome in the role she wanted for herself. She is extremely cunning, and it was thrilling to see her maneuver her way through the world.

The magic, the gods, and everything about the worldbuilding took my breath away. It is hard to describe how well done it is, because it was that good. It only serves to heighten everything that this book is, and how it aides and hurts Kaikeyi in what she does, it's just brilliant.

The only thing I didn't completely love was the ending. It felt kind of abrupt. I think was the point, but I was expecting something more fleshed out, because the rest of the book seemed to be so smoothly spread. Though, that is just my personal opinion!

Overall, I completely adored this book. It is so well written, and such an incredible book of destiny and gods and motherhood and family. It's so good.

It’s hard to put into words exactly how much I loved this book. It is not very often that I am left without words. But Vaishnavi Patel did just that. I was so engrossed into the story from the very beginning. I had a feeling at some point in this book I would cry…and I definitely did. Kaikeyi is the only princess, the only daughter, of her big family. She is the twin to the and first born. Growing up she was close to her twin, and one day they find out that there Mother has left them. Now Kaikeyi needs to step up and take on the roll that her mother has left her to. Not to much later she finds out she has a gift that no other has. This makes her job a bit easier as she also is left with the scrolls and stories her mother taught her of the gods. But the gods never seem to hear here prayers. This book follows along the life of Kaikeyi the third wife of the great raja Dasharatha. It was so engrossing that I did not want to put it down, but unfortuently I had to for work. If not I would have read this in one sitting and I definitely plan on purchasing a phsyical copy once release. Highly recommend this as a purchase and an immediate read. I can not wait to read more from this author.

Kaikeyi might be one of the best books of 2022. It had everything you could want in a feminist fantasy retelling.
The novel follows Kaikeyi from a young age into adulthood and shows her influences, struggles, relationships, and growth. Her character has so many layers and my heart broke for her many times. The author did a wonderful job helping me fall in love with Kaikeyi throughout this book.
Because of the gorgeous writing that was descriptive without being too dense, I fell completely into this story. I felt Kaikeyi's emotions along with her and was on the edge of my seat during tense moments.
I absolutely loved this book and would have kept reading it for hundreds of pages more. I believe that anyone who loves mythology retellings will adore this book.
A huge thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I can't wait until it's released in April!