Kaikeyi was absolutely beautiful! Patel wrote a story that was so well written I found myself flying through the pages, unable to put the book down, pondering what would happen next. My favorite piece of this entire story was how believable the characters were.

The writing is clear and clean, and very immersive. The book hums along at a good clip, but the pacing makes sure we're given time to breathe between plot-intensifying moments. The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb. I felt absolutely transported and I'm so incredibly glad I was able to read an arc of this story.

Genre-defining, wonderfully written novel that will change how South Asian fantasy/myth will continue to be portrayed. Kaiketyi is done with the care and time one takes to the religion of Hinduism and Indian culture. Vaishnavi handles har hitting topics with a sharpened knife and clear-cut strokes of her pen. This is new staple recommendation, a favorite book, and a truly wonderful piece of art.

I’m glad that I read Vaishnavi Patel’s essay on how the Ramayana and its stories have been retold in Indian culture and politics before I read her own electrifying retelling, Kaikeyi. I had only the vaguest idea of what happens in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, only what I’ve gleaned from some quick skims of the relevant Wikipedia articles. Patel’s essay added some important subtext to this novel and why she wanted the long-maligned Kaikeyi, the woman who exiled Rama to the forest and kicked off one of the greatest epic tragedies ever written, to finally tell her side of the story.

Kaikeyi was (in Patel’s version) a very gifted but isolated girl who was forced to grow up very quickly after her father exiled her mother. At a very young age, Kaikeyi had to take on her mother’s duties of running the palace and host her father’s subjects and other high-ranking visitors when they have business in the northern Indian kingdom of Kekeya. Aside from these roles, her father ignores Kaikeyi so much that she is able to wheedle lessons in charioteering, archery, and swordsmanship out of her twin brother…at least, she is ignored until her father realizes that Kaikeyi is of marriageable age. Before she can figure a way out, Kaikeyi finds herself married to the king of Ayodhya.

It’s in Ayodhya that Kaikeyi finally comes into her own. Her kind husband, Dasharatha, is more than willing to give Kaikeyi power, especially after she saves his life in spectacularly martial fashion during a battle against an upstart warlord. In fact, Dasharatha seems to be one of the few men in Kaikeyi’s life (or in Kekeya or Ayodhya or any of India’s many kingdoms) who is willing to upset the status quo enough to give women more freedom. His advisors—especially his religious advisors—warn him that doing so will not only annoy many of the men in his kingdom; it will also anger the gods. And there they are, the central conflicts of Kaikeyi: the old ways versus the new ways, the secular versus the divine, the men versus the women.

The events that follow Kaikeyi’s marriage begin to take on the kind of epic weight that I associate with the Greek or Norse or Egyptian legends, when the gods sput their divine noses into the human’s lives. Everything that happens feels inevitable. Because we’re following events from Kaikeyi’s perspective, we understand the decisions she makes. We know why she fights so hard for women’s rights. We know why she tries to avert war at every chance. And we can’t help but feel her frustration and fear when everything around her conspires against everything she wants, especially when her court and her own children start to turn on her. This book does everything those great epics do. It draws us inescapably into a great but very human story, with larger-than-life characters whose actions are still retold today.

I highly recommend this story, whether or not you’re familiar with the Ramayana or the Mahabharata. Wikipedia and the essay I linked in the first paragraph are more than enough to catch you up. Please read this amazing book and then tell all your reader friends about it.

Kaikeyi, by Vaishnavi Patel, reimagines a queen from The Ramayana, a Hindu epic. Kaikeyi is the only daughter of the king of Kekeya; when her mother is vanished, she learns a magic that allows her to see and manipulate the connections between people, allowing her to rise in status and grow able to advocate more for herself. She is gods-touched, meaning that the gods cannot influence her fate, and she soon begins to discover what that means for her, particularly in regards to one of her sons.

I absolutely loved this book.

Kaikeyi is such a wonderful protagonist; she's strong and sure of herself and simply trying to figure out how to make a better life, both for herself and for other women. She was so human and real, and you really can't help but empathize with her. She is forced into everything that she does by fate, and is constantly trying to do her best by everybody.

All of the other characters were so well-developed and interesting as well, from Kaikeyi's siblings, to her husband, to her husband's other wives, to her sons, and all of the other side characters. Everybody in this book is well-rounded and believable and human.

The worldbuilding is done really well; I know essentially nothing about the source material or Hindu mythology in general, but I was never lost, nor did I ever feel like the book was infodumping. The world and magic feel alive and compelling, a perfect setting for the wonderfully-developed characters.

My only complaints about this book are that it felt like it dragged on a bit in the middle, and the resolution felt a bit rushed. A little bit of restructuring and it would have been absolutely perfect.

I honestly cannot say enough good things about Kaikeyi. I can't recommend it enough, whether you're looking for a feminist retelling of a story, an extraordinarily written fantasy book, or even just a compelling female protagonist. Kaikeyi (the character) is so compelling and truly one of the best narrator's I've read in a long time. Read this book if you're remotely interested; you won't regret it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A blend of Indian culture and mythology, Kaikeyi above all is a story of a strong woman, warrior, mother, and leader.

Thank you @netgalley and @redhookbooks for the arc.

#netgalley
#redhookbooks
#readmorebooks
#mybookishlife

The Ramayan is a story I've grown up knowing, as did all Hindus. I personally was never a huge fan and preferred the Mahabharat, with it's strong female characters. I always hated how Sita was treated til the end. I hated that she never stood up for herself, especially when Hinduism reveres goddesses and the female gender.
We've always been taught that Kaikeya was brainwashed by her maid, and regardless, what she did was destined to happen. This was a different and interesting perspective. I did find my mind struggling to accept certain things because they contradicted everything I'd grown to know. I really appreciated this perspective though and found it compelling. I do feel the ending was a bit abrupt and I was hoping to get more from the story, especially Sita's ending. Perhaps the author will write a book from her perspective as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and Redhook Books for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

It’s always interesting to read a classic retelling from the perspective of a maligned character in the original work. In the Ramayana, Kaikeyi is the villainous stepmother who is widely condemned for exiling Rama and placing her own biological son on the throne. This standalone fantasy chooses to explore Kaikeyi’s motivations and why she would make that choice beyond mere jealousy or scheming.

The story follows Kaikeyi’s life from the very beginning. We see the struggles of her childhood in Kekaya and during her journey to Ayodhya as a bride to King Dasharath. It portrays her acts as a warrior, her determination to use her influence to help the women of Kosala, and her rise to the position of a high advisor (‘saciva’) in Dasharath’s court. We get an intimate look at her relationships with her husband, fellow wives and their sons –and her tenuous relationships with the gods who have forsaken her.

Throughout her many trials, Kaikeyi’s bravery and determination always carry her through. She is ambitious and can be ruthless when required, but this particular version of events highlights her underlying good intentions, even when her actions result in disastrous consequences. Her fate is already written and forces beyond her control have set both herself and Rama on their paths, but it’s heartening to see her still struggle to do what she believes to be right and rejoice in her small but meaningful victories when she can.

The magic of the Binding Plane was rather neat, too. Her ability to forge connections and impart influence on others in the plane could be useful, but what I liked even more were her considerations of when her small manipulations might go too far. There's definitely some moral ambiguity in her use of her powers and she displays notable consciousness of this dilemma. She evaluates the importance of relationships she cares for too much to influence and has other moments where she prioritizes autonomy of choice. It makes a meaningful contrast between her and another character with a similar ability.

The pacing could be a bit slow and the prose a bit little dry at times. Some events occur in such a stiff matter-of-fact way that it felt a bit like reading detailed plot synopsis rather than being immersed in the story. But other scenes – most particularly in scenes focusing on Kaikeyi with her twin brother Yudhajit or her sons – were much more emotional and engaging. Her complicated relationship with her twin, her adventures with Lakshmana and even her loaded confrontations with Rama were some of my favorites because of the riveting way they were portrayed.

I do wish we got to see more of Kaushalya, Sumitra or even Sita though. For a retelling that cares deeply about the empowerment of women in a patriarchal society, it does feel like the supporting female characters don’t receive as much nuance or exploration as some of the men do.

Nevertheless, Kaikeyi was a compelling character and I enjoyed going on this journey with her. This may ultimately be Rama’s story but the importance of Kaikeyi and her role is undeniable in any version of events.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for providing the free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting telling of a character that was a on the fringes of mythology. Such books are a hit or a miss based on the voice the author gives to the character. This one does well though a bit too long.

The story of a powerful woman, a queen, who got what she wanted and was essentially burned in the end. Kaikeyi, the only daughter among seven brothers, she's the only one who was expected to do everything right and bring honor not only to her husband's household but to her father's as well.

This was an intricate story, told from the timeline of Kaikeyi's birth to about the midpoint of her life. We followed her through many journeys: from childhood schooling, learning about her powers on the other plain, training with her twin brother, and through the navigation of her marriage.

The story starts off really strong. It captures you, draws you in, and refuses to let you go. The storyline, the character arcs, and the execution of how everything flows and progresses set everything up for a beautifully well-thought-out flowing story, right? Not so much.

This is supposed to be a mythology, however, there is no grey area. Everything throughout this story is either black (evil - not Kaikeyi) or white (good - Kaikeyi). Anyone who opposes Kaikeyi is made to be villainous, even to a point where her "redemption" wasn't even necessary. Tensions and conflicts were resolved way too quickly (within 3-4 sentences of them starting), and in the end, the story just fell flat. Mildly disappointed because this was one of my most anticipated reads for the year.

It's taken me a bit of time to gather my thoughts about this book and I apologize for my tardiness posting this review.
I LOVED this book. LOVED it! I had a hard time putting it down in order to do everyday functions, like go to work and eat. I found myself immersed in ancient Bharat (India) training with Kaikeyi and her twin brother, Yuddhajit, in the kingdom of Kekaya, and feeling her frustration and fear as she realizes she is valued only as chattel in the development of marriage alliances with other kingdoms. Ignored by the gods, Keikeyi turns to ancient texts read to her by her mother before she was banished from the kingdom. Through these texts, she develops a special magic that allows her to create connections with the people around her and encourage these relationships.
Ultimately, Kaikeyi is married off to a neighboring kingdom, becoming the third wife of King Dasharatha. Through her magical powers, she becomes a warrior, diplomat, and most favored queen, determined to carve a better world for herself and the women around her.
I found this book to be an inventive and fascinating take on the the much maligned Kaikeyi, famous for her role in the banishment of Prince Ram in the Hindu epic, Ramayana.
I don't want to tell much more about the plot for fear of spoiling it. Just know this book is well worth the effort of picking it up and reading it. It's worth the hype.
I enjoyed it so much, I bought myself my own physical copy.

Kaikeyi is mythological fiction set in the time of Kaikeyi and her son Rama. This story definitely humanizes Kaikeyi and let’s the reader understand the thoughts and emotions around her decisions. I loved this book and couldn’t put it down! The writing style was great, and I thought there was good character development. The topics of family relationships, duty, friendship, and the interconnectedness of people are all beautifully covered in this story.

i have no words to describe how much i loved reading this book. this is my first 5 star of the year and it will probably be my top read as well. kaikeyi is a wonderful debut – so good that i didn’t think it was a debut.

kaikeyi was such an interesting character to follow – she’s strong, she’s determined and yet we also get to see her flaws, her wrongs. i absolutely adored watching her grow up – i was pleasantly surprised at how kaikeyi’s voice subtly changed with her growing older. the author did such a great job at making me, as a reader, sympathize with her and understand her actions. i especially loved the relationships kaikeyi had with people around her – her sons and her husband’s other two wifes, especially. the side characters were wonderfully crafted as well – each of them had their distinct personalities and they all played such an important role. the magic system is one i haven’t seen before and i loved it – it’s unique, yet simple to understand and i loved learning tidbits about it alongside kaikeyi.

overall, this is an impressive debut novel and i can definitely see this author become big – the storytelling was astonishing. there’s also ace rep which almost left me in tears. such a good book!

I love feminist re-tellings much like Maleficent! Vaishnavi Patel’s Kaikeyi reimagines the mythological villain Kaikeyi who is known for playing a key role of exiling Rama, his wife, Sita, and along with him, his brother Laxmana. While that key drama is slotted for the last half of this fantasy, Kaikeyi’s characterization is masterfully painted to explore why she makes the decisions that she does. Unlike the Rajshri classic, Hum Saath Saath Hai, in which the mother figure also plays the role of Kaikeyi who is influenced by her three rummy playing and meddling friends separating her step son Vivek from the rest of the family, Patel calls attention to Kaikeyi’s upbringing in which she grows up with 2 brothers where she seeks recognition and often her importance is overshadowed by the presence of her brothers. While Patel retains the conventions of the Hindu mythology, Ramayana, her choice to explore the genesis of Kaikeyi with a more sympathetic light in that she is often painted with a negative light. It is about time that there were more BIPOC reimagining of cultural legends and mythologies that shape our culture.

Similar to Maleficent in which it was implied that she turned evil due to her rape, Kaikeyi’s characterization and her choices are also symptoms of her upbringing in which she is constantly forced to prove herself to her family members, and later her in-laws. Patel, in the same vein, complicates Rama’s character making him more flawed. They are at-odds with each other, yet Kaikeyi continues to love him as a son, yet she still craves to want the best for her son, Bharat. Eventually, when Dashratha grants her boons, he calls her treacherous - a word by which she is known in popular culture.

All in all, this is an amazing read and if you are unfamiliar with Hindu mythology, this is a great platform to learn more about the culture and values. Patel also highlights the patriarchal culture of systems that dictated the lives of Gods and Goddesses, and that are often overlooked during the discourses of such mythologies that are tied to religious conventions.

4.5 stars.
I have complicated feelings about the "Ramayana". I first read it in comic form as a kid, then later as a novel in a copy given to me by a grandfather. I loved the epic, sweeping story of gods, dashing princes and rakshasas. Not to mention, Hanuman was my absolute favourite character in the story.

My love became tempered the older I grew, and felt the limitations placed on me by the culture, and the restrictions imposed solely because of my gender. When I reread the story later in my late teens, I was deeply angry by many of the events, particularly Rama's behaviour. I will say that Rama's stepmother, Kaikeyi, barely figured in any of the retellings I read, no doubt because beyond fulfilling the "evil and hated stepmother" role, she had no relevance to the grand story of manly man/god Rama vanquishing Ravana.

Thank goodness Vaishnavi Patel decided to revisit the epic story, and rehabilitate Kaikeyi from her hate-filled interpretations.

The young girl we meet at the opening is rocked by her mother's banishment by her father, and must figure out how to become a woman and manage the many details of her father's palace. She grows into a fierce, focused, compassionate and powerful woman. Her power comes from getting to know many people at all levels, from lowly maid to ministers. There’s also a magical component to her power: she discovers the ability to forge supernaturally strong connections with people, which she sees as glowing ribbons between her and these people when she goes into what she calls the "Binding Plane".

After her arranged marriage as third wife to a neighbouring and powerful king in Ayodhya, and a promise she extracted from him to ensure the son she has with him will become King of Ayodhya, Kaikeyi begins all over again, rebuilding connections with people in the palace in her new home. She also forges strong friendships with Dasharath's two other wives, Kaushalya and Sumitra, and the three become instrumental in finding ways to better the lives of women in the kingdom, much to the disgust and anger of men, particularly the sages and the gods, as men are taught that women are intended to be nothing more than subservient to the men in their lives, even if they are terribly abused.

Kaikeyi is such a terrific character. She has martial training (her twin brother secretly trained her), and thinks deeply about the plight of women in her kingdom and works to help them. She builds friendships with her fellow wives, and gains the deep respect of her husband. It's just too bad that the sages and gods are basically all a-holes, and work to undermine everything good thing she achieves.

Kaikeyi also makes several mistakes along the way, taking situations and people for granted, letting her pride and anger get in the way, but these traits only make her that much more believable as a person.

I also rediscovered just how much I disliked Rama and the insidious way the sages taught and upheld terrible and regressive attitudes.

Vaishnavi Patel's book is not a retread, or strict retelling, but it's an interpretation, as there have been many over the years, but I doubt many have ever questioned the idea that women in the story have value, beyond being breeders and to kidnap and abuse. "Kaikeyi" is wonderful, and though it took me a long while to read (more because the story's pervasive misogyny reminded me all too frequently of the harmful messages about women I received from family growing up). The book is so well written, and is such a welcome and fantastic interpretation of a relatively minor character in a story that captured my imagination when I was a kid.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Redhook Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Kaikeyi is the daughter of a king, who helps raise her seven younger brothers when her mother leaves their lives. The gods seem to have forsaken her and ignore all her requests, but she stumbles upon an ancient magic of her own that allows her to use "The Binding Plane" to see and influence her relationships. This talent helps her as she is wed and moves to a new kingdom, where she gains power despite being the third wife of the king. She fights for women's rights, begins her own councils, and attempts to raise her sons to be good leaders who treat women well. As we learn from the beginning, Kaikeyi is a villain - but if you're like me with no prior knowledge of the Ramayana, you'll spend the whole book trying to figure out why and how things go wrong.

I loved the Indian gods and goddesses and their power in the story. I also loved the magical element of her own power - such an interesting concept of how bonds can be nurtured, influenced, and even broken. Relationships between characters are very well written to start with, I thought Patel did a great job exploring the dynamics between Kaikeyi and Manthura, her twin, and her family in Ayodhya. The fact that she was a voice for feminism and had a strong friendship with her husband despite being asexual (which is written very well) is also a plus.

I was not familiar with Kaikeyi's story before this retelling, so I'm not sure how much it deviates from the original tale. I was also very confused with her name being so similar to her country and to her own mother's name - while I did eventually get it straight I did have to reread some sentences a few times. It was also hard to tell which decisions Rami made to purposefully go against Kaikeyi, as he seems so contrite and loving towards her despite some of his actions. Does he know and understand his own influence on people?

This story shows how complicated "villains" are, as everyone has a reason for their choices and how they are perceived may differ depending on who you ask. I loved this story and would easily read other books by Patel. I was immersed in the world completely. I would highly recommend it to those who love retellings, mythology, or even a look at good versus evil. I received this ARC from Netgalley for my opinion.

Actual Rating 4.5 stars

This book was good, I’m glad I got to read it early and can’t wait to tell others about it .
I think they are gonna enjoy it just as much
Thank you

Kaikeyi tells the story of, well, Kaikeyi (shock twist), a wife of Rama’s father Dasharath, and her role before the events of the Ramayana. In the original tale, it is she who causes Rama to be exiled from Ayodhya for fourteen years, and her own son, Bharat to sit on the throne in his place, while the story follows Rama’s exploits accompanied by his other brother and his wife, Sita . Kaikeyi, however, begins much earlier, in the childhood of Kaikeyi herself, beginning with the exile of her mother, leaving her the sole woman in a family of men.

This is meant to be a deeply moving, sad childhood, of this poor girl surrounded by her brothers, and a father who does not care for female children, so leaves her to her own devices. Because the story is told from Kaikeyi’s perspective, we get a lot of her feelings of how terrible and unfair and awful it is, that she should be ignored as she is, and how horrible her life has been made. And at the beginning, that feels very genuine – the parts about the loss of her mother and her confusion at not being told why feel very real. But as the story progresses, we see Kaikeyi flourish with little supervision, learn the arts of war with her encouraging brother, and develop magical powers that allow her to manipulate those around her to get what she wants nearly all of the time. But while this is happening, the story still focusses on how sad her life is, rather at odds with the events as we see them described. At one point, a maid who has been close to Kaikeyi refuses a request, and highlights how others in the world have things much worse than the princess, and it looks like a moment that may actually get through to her, and that she’ll see that though she has her struggles, the lot of many of those around her makes her seem extremely privil- oh, nope, she regrets it for a bit but then continues on her merry way.

And it’s difficult to read and feel like this, because some of her struggles are entirely present and sympathetic – I can hardly say that I wouldn’t object to having no say about my life and marriage either. But so much of Kaikeyi’s life sits in contrast to the serving women she spends much of her time with, especially the maid Manthara, that it’s hard not to feel a touch of exasperation at her.

It doesn’t help that we spend a long, long time with young Kaikeyi doing… not a great deal besides being sad about life and training alone or with her brother. The book suffers from a serious issue of pacing, where around 2/3 of it feels like prologue, and so by the time we get to Ayodhya and Kaikeyi’s marriage to Dasharath, we’ve been sitting with her for what feels like an age.

It is only when we reach Ayodhya, however, that most of the real happenings of the book begin. We get to see Kaikeyi deprived of her relationships and the power they bring her in her native Kekaya, and the struggle with this lack of influence, only broken when her maid Manthara shakes her out of it, practically dragging her to the market. And after a few visits there, she begins to come back to herself, kickstarting her efforts to make friends with Dasharath’s other wives, and also to see that there exist women in the world less fortunate than herself.

If this realisation had come earlier in the book, I think the entire tone of the novel would have been different for me. But because it feels like we have spent so, so long with young Kaikeyi, it’s very much a situation of too little, too late. Doubly so, because the initial realisation on her part is somewhat overshadowed by, in this part of the book, her going off to war with her husband and being great at charioteering, which wins her a role as a minister in his government.

Eventually, the thread of Kaikeyi’s championing the poor women picks up again, and she and the other wives do what seems to be genuine good for the women of Ayodhya. And this (finally) brings us to one of the central conflicts of the story – Kaikeyi and her assertion that women can exist equally to men in the world, and the faction of traditionalists in Ayodhya, alongside whom the young Rama numbers one.

But this conflict loses some of its weight because of the way we’ve got there. For all that the reader agrees with Kaikeyi (I hope), it seems often that her argument is less one of principal, and more one of self-interest – Kaikeyi enjoys having power, having influence, and the traditionalist faction threatens that. So even when Kaikeyi is in the right, I found myself struggle to be completely sympathetic to her.

That being said, the latter third of the book, with this conflict and a lot more action, is by far a much better story than much of what came before, to the extent of almost feeling like a different book. There’s a sudden explosion of turmoil, where all the various threads that have been floated around throughout the beginning of the story suddenly all become relevant and dramatic at once, and while it was enjoyable to read, it threw the stuff that came before into even worse contrast – why couldn’t it have been like this all along?

And I’ve barely even touched on the magic yet – but like the various other aspects of the story, the relevance of the magic Kaikeyi has to her life, and to the progression of the plot, waxes and wanes constantly. Sometimes it feels like a critical element that will make or break the entire story, and sometimes it feels almost an afterthought, not used in situations where it might have made sense to include it.

On the whole, there’s a simultaneous sense of too many ideas being put together in one book, so none of them get the time or development they deserve, while at the same time a very slow, ponderous start without much in the way of drive to get you through the buildup to what feels like the actual story at the end. It’s a shame, because a lot of the concept here is really appealing, and I feel like Kaikeyi as a character, and as an actor in the story of the Ramayana, has a lot to recommend her, and it’s just not really drawn out here. Despite living inside her head for the whole book, I felt kept very much at a distance to her actual thoughts, and this didn’t help my already limited sympathy for some of her struggles.

In many ways, Kaikeyi struggles with the same thing Madeleine Miller’s Circe does – taking an incredibly compelling character from myth, with a lot of scope for exploration… and then somehow managing to make her less compelling than she is in the source material. There’s a lot of promise, a lot of potential redemption of an antagonistic female figure demonised for wielding power… but then a lot of navel-gazing and self-absorption, rather than the drama the original myth might promise. Both I think are novels where in an effort to make the protagonist more sympathetic, more relatable, they’ve defanged them and lost what made them exciting in the first place.

That being said, the last third of the book was genuinely a fun read, and once I got there, it had the pace and the excitement that I really wanted to keep on going. If the whole thing had been like that… it still wouldn’t have been my favourite book of 2022, but it would have had a lot more to recommend it.

Kaikeyi is the retelling of a character often considered to be a villain in Indian mythology. In this version of the story, Kaikeyi, the title character, is instead revealed to be a concerned and loving mother who is only trying to do what is right for her children. I found this to be a very engaging and fast-paced story. When this book came out, I was very excited that there was finally an Indian mythology retelling. This book did not disappoint. I loved the way the author wrote the characters and was able to tell this extremely well known and established story from another completely opposite perspective to the original, without making it feel as though she had to make the original fit to what she wanted. Everything flowed really naturally and in a beautiful way. This book is really for everyone, but especially for those of us who love mythology retellings and have been waiting desperately for one from Indian mythology.

3.5 stars
I’m really enjoying the recent trend of mythology retellings since I never really studied it in school. this is a Hindu mythology tale following queen Kaikeyi throughout her life as drama unfolds. I really enjoyed following her character and especially when her son Rama enters the story. I did feel like it was a tad long for my preference but still a very worthy read!

This book by debutant Vaishnavi Patil seems being written by a seasoned author. I thank her and her publicist Angela for providing me with an ecopy on NetGalley as well as a hard copy.

There’s been an outpouring of books based on mythological characters from Ramayana and Mahabharata but they either fail at writing a strong plot or the writing is bad. This book turned out to be an exceptional story.

Vaishnavi has written Kaikeyi in first person. All these years, perhaps for centuries, Kaikeyi has been portrayed as a wrongdoer who banished her stepson by misusing the boon she had from her husband. The author briefly introduced her motivation to write this story at the start and what interested me was conversation between her mother and grandmother, whether Kaikeyi should be considered a villain or not.

The plot begins when twelve year old Kaikeyi’s mother queen Kekeya is banished by her father King Ashwapati. Kaikeyi has been shown as a strong character, who has her own opinions, learns the art of meditation, trains to be a warrior proves herself to be worthy wife and part of her husband’s court.the story is against the backdrop of a time when man ruled kingdoms and gods took part in the lives of humans. Despite being the princess, she proves her worth from her strong character, experience and knowledge rather than her royal position.

The writing of the author is as strong as her plot. It isn’t easy to create a fictional story around a character that has been known for centuries, and it’s even more difficult to write about the character who has been known as the villain in the epic, yet Vaishnavi has done justice to this character. Besides the writing, I should mention about the amazing front cover that has been well thought of. Balancing this story with good and bad has been handled amazingly well.