Vaishnavi Patel's KAIKEYI is a retelling of Ramayana (an Epic Indian poem) viewed from the perspective of Kaikeyi, an evil queen. The book took me a long time to read, primarily because I wanted to absorb the narrative, not just read it. I have not read Ramayana, but I am curious to do so now to see how the portrayal of Kaikeyi in this retelling differs from the original. Overall, I enjoyed reading this story as a work of fiction and not necessarily as a retelling of the original epic poem. I might recommend to others who enjoy mythological retellings like Circe (Madeline Miller) or The Witch's Heart (Genevieve Gornichec).

Thank you NetGalley and Redhook Books for an ARC.

I really enjoyed this story! Although I’m not familiar with the mythology behind it, I couldn’t put it down. I really liked Kaikeyi as a character and felt very invested in the story

There have been many retellings of Greek and Roman mythological stories. It is not very common however to find retellings of mythology from other cultures. I jumped on the opportunity to read this one for that very reason. Because I was unfamiliar with the traditional telling of the Hindu tale Ramayana, I had no preconceived notions as to how the characters should be portrayed.
What I got was a deeply satisfying story of a strong willed woman seeking to make her mark on the world. Kaikeyi did not seek power and prestige for herself, but rather acceptance that even though she was a woman she was capable of more than being just a mother and wife. Kaikeyi wanted to change the mentality of society that ALL women were capable of more than what was accepted. Although seemingly forsaken by the gods, Kaikeyi had the magical ability to influence a person's will if she had a strong enough bond with them. She learned early that fostering relationships with others would permit her the opportunity to gain allies.
Patel excelled at bringing this story to the masses. She didn't attempt to bog down the story with too many details. I listened to the audio and found that the story was very easy to follow. I hope that Patel will continue to bring more of the Hindu culture to the general public as this was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.

Kaikeyi is a magnificent book. I loved everything about it- the characters, the setting. I really want to learn more about the Ramayana now. It will probably be in my top ten this year.

It is not weak to avoid war...It is the strongest thing you could do, to avoid unnecessary bloodshed."

A big thank you to NetGalley and the author for the digital ARC of Kaikeyi! This book made me cry at least three separate times. Vaishnavi Patel writes beautifully, and it was easy to get sucked into the story of Kaikeyi. I loved how the story weaves a fantastic magical component into the plot without it taking over the storyline. Instead, it just adds uniqueness to the plot, bringing an added richness to the characters.

Kaikeyi is a wonderful main character, and I love how she develops over the course of the book. She's forced to make choices that broke my heart over and over. Vaishnavi really captures the essence of motherhood in a vibrant way. All the characters have interesting arcs, and their choices (and mistakes) echo across the story. It was nice how everything seemed to come full circle, I felt like nothing really was left off or unanswered by the end.

The plot was not particularly fast-paced, but I don't mind that in a book. I enjoy it when a story is well developed, and not rushing from one incident to another. I feel like it allows me to become more invested in the characters this way.

On one hand, I'm sad that this book is a stand-alone, but on the other hand, it was wrapped up so cleanly, that nothing was left unresolved. I'm delighted that I had the opportunity to read this book, and it's definitely a book that I will be reading again. I would recommend Kaikeyi to anyone who loves mythology/historical fiction with a dash of fantasy.

“I was born on the full moon under an auspicious constellation, the holiest of positions — much good it did me.”

When I read this in the synopsis, I immediately knew I was gonna love Kaikeyi. I've always had a soft spot for the Ramayana since we studied it in high school Asian literature class. This focus on one of the many influential characters in the epic was an amazing, insular look into the women from the tales.

I loved this book! I have never been a fan of the mythologies, could not get into Circe as many times as I tried, but this one had me from the start.

This book was incredible. The writing was exquisite, and I felt so much for the characters. Definitely a favorite of 2022.

I adore the beautiful style of Vaishnavi Patel's writing in Kaikeyi and I was so excited to read this work. That said, I kept putting this book down for various reasons and not having that "I gotta get back to it" itch that I would normally get from a book I was loving. I found every excuse to not pick it up. Maybe I would do better with it physically as opposed to digitally? Perhaps the narrative was a bit too stretched out to make it as compelling as I wanted it to be. Maybe it wasn't the right time to explore this particular retelling.

Absolutely stunning. What a journey!

I only had a vague knowledge of the stories and the mythology that inspired this book, and I am so grateful to have a deeper view.

Indian mythology: ✔️
Stunning book cover: ✔️
Strong, feminist MC: ✔️
POV of an infamous villain: ✔️
Asexual/Aromantic rep: ✔️
Compelling plot: ✔️
Unforseen friendships: ✔️
Magic: ✔️

This book is freaking whole package of extraordinary-ness! For those who don't know, Kaikeyi is the infamous villain of Indian epic, Ramayan, who exiles Lord Ram(avatar of Lord Vishnu) to forest for 14 years.

But in this book, we see that Kaikeyi is not how she has been portrayed through ages. Here, she is a headstrong women, with spectacular talent in men-oriented skills like archery and charioteering. She heads a constitution of own to hear plight of common people, and thus is loved and respected by women of province. But with the circumstances not in her favor, she becomes the villain of the tale and rest is history.

The book literally left me thinking about how it's all about perspective. There might be a slight chance that the hero might be a villain and a villain might be a hero. Nothing is black and white. Especially people! I also loved the unlikely friendship between Kaikeyi and Raavan, as well as the dynamics of King Dashrath and Kaikeyi!

Thank you so much @orbitbooks_uk for sending an ARC! I truly enjoyed the book!

This book took me way to long to finish but in my defense, I’m not really sure I vibed with it in the beginning. I thought the writing was great but something about the story wasn’t really grabbing at me 30% of the way in. Eventually, I stuck it out and I realized that I just needed to continue on reading. I thought this was a very interesting story, with very rich characters, especially Kaikeyi.

I think at times the story lulled occasionally but I don’t think it was horrible at all. I think I wished for more from it, specifically the fantasy elements of it. I think it delivered a good retelling of this story, giving it some nuance but again, there were some times it would drag but then other times I felt myself truly engrossed in the story, especially when I finally reached the 50% mark. I think I would definitely recommend this to someone for sure!

I know this book is really beloved and in some ways I can understand why. Going forward, I hope the author can continue to maintain the momentum in their writing for future stories.

I LOVE this book! Love the India setting, Mythology/gods, low fantasy, and the ancient royal family theme (it reminded me of The Lost Queen which is my favorite book this year so far). I love that Keikeyi gracefully steps into any role that is demanded of her and does all she can to have the life she wants no matter how bleak her situation. No idea why it’s getting a lgbt label on Goodreads.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

I should first start this review by stating that I was not familar with Ramayana or its importance to the Hindu culture before beginning this book. There are several excellent reviews that go more into depth on why KAIKEYI should be read thoughtfully and with respect towards Hinduism and I highly recommend reading them, and doing your own research.

Because my experience and knowledge of the original epic is limited to what little research I've done, I cannot, with good concious, make any comparisons of this book and the inspiration behind it, Ramayana. This review will be made from the viewpoint of a Western audience with little working knowledge of Ramayana,

KAIKEYI, when examined as a stand alone book, is solid. I loved the development of relationships between the main character, Kaikeyi, and those around her-- her twin brother and family, her husband and fellow wives, her sons, her people. The author did a wonderful job of commenting on the tenuous relationships we all share with one another, while introducing a magical realism element that brings those connections into the visual field. I loved the blatent feminism, which (even if we know it may not be period accurate) felt plausible when put into practice. I also enjoyed the asexual representation, it didn't take away from the story, but added another layer to Kaikeyi.

The book is seperated into four parts, with most of the action taking place in the last part. The pacing felt odd to me as the reader, so much more emphasis placed on Kaikeyi's childhood and early years than on the part inspired directly by events in the source material.

Overally, Kaikeyi is perfect for people who enjoy retellings of classical stories. It should not be taken as an alternative, as the author herself states, but enjoyed by people who like asking "What if?".

Very beautiful story that peaked my interest from the first page only.
The characters were well written and I loved to see how Kaikeyi grew as a strong woman.
The cover is just beautiful as well.
If you loved Circe by Madeline Miller, this book is for you..

“If the gods had already ordained my evil deeds, then I had nothing to lose by defying them now. So, I would defy them.

KAIKEYI is a retelling of the titular woman’s story from Hindu mythology. In the original tale, Kaikey is infamous for exiling Rama, an incarnation of the god Vishnu. Patel’s novel imagines Kaikeyi’s side of this story. I loved the concept of this book and the execution is incredible. It’s an enthralling tale of a woman, forsaken by the gods, who takes her fate into her own hands and finds a power all her own. The storytelling is so clever, deftly weaving the well-known aspects of Kaikeyi’s life with a rich backstory and luminous inner world of her own, creating a story true to the mythology that’s infinitely sympathetic to the woman cast as the villain. One of my favorite elements was the “binding plane” that Patel adds, a magical power Kaikeyi discovers that allows her to sense and manipulate the ties she has with others. This blends so well with the emphasis on relationships in the book; Kaikeyi is devoted to her family, her companions, and the women she seeks to empower. It’s also a beautiful portrayal of an asexual woman living in a world lacking ways for her to exist outside of a traditional family unit. An original and triumphant debut. Thanks to Redhook Books and Hachette Audio for the review copies!

Content warnings: sexism/patriarchy, war/violence, death, loss of a parent, domestic abuse, suicidal thoughts, grief

3.5 stars rounded up.
I went in not knowing anything of the Ramayana so I will not comment on the handling of the characters or how it deviates from the original story.
First, I really enjoyed the book, and I will definitely be reading more things from Vaishnavi Patel. I find fiction that announces itself as feminist ends up as a mish mash of buzz words. This book succeeds were these others fail, the issues of women's fundamental rights come up organically and the resolutions are realistic. Given her position and life experience Kaikeyi's wins feel earned and have weight. Being a proud woman Kaieyi disregards any dissidents of her policies and one expects her to pay for it, but in the end the resolution of that hole plot point lacks the punch it deserved.
e pacing was good on the first part, but it gets kind of awkward towards the end, especially the way Ravana's descent into madness is handled, to me it felt like it needed ether some more clues of how unhinged he is to become.
I don't have kids but even to my clueless self the portray of parenthood and sisterhood that the book paints seemed a little too perfect. Relationships are complicated especially familial ones; so, the easy way Kaikeyi coexist with her kids, or with the other wives felt unrealistic and took me out of the story.
I would have loved a bit mor detail into the setting, I already enjoyed the descriptions of the palaces, the art, the food and the clothing. Someone familiar with Indian customs would fill in the blanks of the descriptions but to me it just did not flesh out the setting.
I liked the concept of the binding plane. The idea of cultivating a relationship with other people before you can use magic is an ingenious way to portray soft power, the kind always seen as weak because women often use it.

Thanks to Net Galley for providing me an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I grew up on the Ramayana—Rama's mythic journey, with Kaikeyi crowned the villain, the catalyst. An alternative narrative from her side? It's a powerful, heart-wrenching gem spinning a feminist, deliciously-mortal twist on one of our most famous stories of the gods. I can't articulate fully the blend of nostalgia and excitement (sacrilegiously so, maybe) I feel finding a flavor of the Indian/Hindu mythology of my childhood in my regular fiction cycle, but it was beautiful.

"Before this story was Rama's, it was mine."

A wonderful fantasy that while different from what I usually read, I found I couldn’t put it down! The characters and plot were perfect!

1.5 stars

Before reading this retelling I've never heard of the Indian epic The Ramayana. The first quarter left me intrigued as to how Kaikeyi's up bringing would make a significant impact on "a world where gods and men dictate the shape of things to come". She ends up burning bridges with everyone that seemed to care for her at one point which makes me disbelieve her affection for her family and every woman she comes across (all of which have no significant character flaws). If she was able to maintain her relationship with her twin brother or her maid, then maybe I could see where her compassion comes from. But this is the same woman that wanted her husband to promise that her son would succeed the throne. I don't see where this sudden bout of altruism comes from.

This was so long. By the end I switched to the audiobook at 2.5 x speed.