This was an interesting new to me fantasy author. I liked the cultural aspects and the world building. I didn't always vibe completely with the character's decisions so that's why it's not a perfect book for me at least. I think I would read more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Legend of Meneka follows our main character Meneka, a celestial who has the ability of creating illusions (and mainly uses this ability to seduce people), after she is tasked with seducing a man who threatens the power of Indra, the god she works for, in exchange for her to no longer be sent on missions. During this mission, though, she learns more about herself and falls in love with the man she isn't supposed to.

I soft DNF'd this book at 44%. This book is pretty slow paced, and not really action packed, which in this case I found to be a plus because it really allowed time to expand on the world and to really get to know the characters. I also really liked the internal battle that Meneka had when she was interacting with the disciples and with Kaushika, because it really added depth to her character.

The main aspect that made me soft DNF this book was the romance. I really did not like the romance in this book, as it felt very much built on nothing. Because of the fact that this book was marketed as a fantasy with a very strong romance, I was expecting the romance to be well developed, and it was underdeveloped at best. It is a slow burn in a way, like they aren't really that physical with each other. I also think that Kaushika, the love interest, was not giving any personality. Sure, he challenged the main character's views on the god she worshipped, but I think that was all he did. There really was not much else attached to his personality besides being a grump, which is starting to become a trope that isn't executed well.

I could see myself coming back to this because of the fact that it is inspired by Hinduism, which is the religion I practice, and the world building and magic system. But I honestly don't know when that will be.

In this fascinating new fantasy novel and the start of a new duology, readers follow Meneka, an apsara (celestial dancer) and weapon of the gods in the court of Indra, king of the heavens, on her last mission. Sent to stop the mortal sage Kaushika from threatening Indra’s throne, Meneka must stop him by seducing him in a mortal guise, but Kaushika is more than a match for Meneka, who starts questioning her life in Indra’s court and risks war between the gods and mortals for the sake of control over her future. Based in Hindu mythology and brought to life in incredible detail, this mystical and fantastic new novel is a brilliant start to this new duology because the characters and worlds are so detailed and well-written. Meneka is a uniquely complicated protagonist, and her changing perspective and mindset really pull readers into the story and her moral struggles. As far as the larger conflict goes, readers will really enjoy the collapsing of the macro and micro struggles between the gods and mortals and in Meneka’s mind, and the world-building, both of the settings and the mythology shaping this narrative, really shines in this incredible new book that fantasy fans will absolutely love.

I loved how lush the writing was and how the relationships between the characters developed, though I did think the middle dragged a bit with the predictability. Definitely looking forward to the sequel!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I chose to DNF this book because it wasn't grabbing my attention. I felt no connection to the characters, their relationships didn't feel compelling or real, and the MC kept repeating things in her internal narrative. The writing was pretty, but the story didn't feel like it was there.

Thank you to NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

I am a huge fan of mythological books, simple, period, end of. I think Rao did a gorgeous job of describing her world, the lore, the magic and how she tackled the unique intricacies of her creation. However, maybe it is just me, but I didn't connect with it as much as I'd hoped. It felt like something was missing, and I still cannot place what. I think this is a book I am going to reread, and hope that it improves on the second read!

Fans of the current enthusiasm over romantasy novels will be thrilled to find this rich and expansive epic set in the world of Hindu mythology. Rao draws on narratives from the Rig-Veda and the Mahabharata to create an unforgettable character in Meneka, one of the legendary apsaras or divine dancers who served the Hindu gods. These fairy-like beings, part nymph, part muse, and part trickster, act as go-betweens who manipulate humans according to the gods’ needs.

Meneka is known to literary scholars as the mother of Shakuntala, the heroine of the famous fifth-century Sanskrit drama. In Rao’s re-imagining, she is an impossibly alluring creator of illusions who seduces those humans whose activities challenge the authority of the gods. Meneka serves Indra, the King of Heaven, and her newest assignment is to seduce and ruin a powerful human warrior-sage, Kaushika, whose ambition is to create his own alternate heaven and push Indra out of power.

Readers don’t need a detailed knowledge of Hindu mythology to enjoy this narrative, as Rao explains the pantheon deftly, and focuses mainly on the emotional upheaval Meneka experiences as she learns the ways of human magic or prana in order to infiltrate Kaushika’s sage-training camp. Inevitably, she falls in love with the man she is sent to seduce, and much of Rao’s narrative focuses on detailed descriptions of magical clothing, food, and landscapes. Readers should know that this is an example of a very slow burn romance; some might become frustrated with the amount of time spent on Meneka’s repeated attempts to argue herself out of her increasing attraction to Kaushika as they become erotic partners and reluctant allies against Heaven itself. This is the first of a duology, so readers who find its slow pace frustrating can look forward to a more action-packed sequel.

Rating 4/5 🌟
I did like The Legend of Meneka but it may have not been the story for me. It’s a magical story about Meneka, a dancer from the heavens, who is sent to trick a powerful man but ends up falling for him. I liked how it mixed love, myth, and tough choices, and it made me think about what it means to follow your heart. The writing was beautiful, though it did get a little repetitive at times. Still, if you like fantasy and stories based on myths, I think you’d enjoy it.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5!

I love stories based in mythology, especially non-Western mythology, and Rao’s world was wonderful and lush. At times, I felt she info dumped a little bit and sometimes the book felt a bit bloated for it, but not so much that it tripped me up or hindered my reading. The imagery is definitely one of this book’s strengths and while the first half of the book felt very slow compared to the second half, I think it made sense as Meneka has to learn to navigate her new situation.

The story is compelling and I think this is well suited for people who usually enjoy romantasy, but my one complaint is that it felt a little long, and also I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it being a duology. This isn’t a knock against Rao’s writing skills as much as it is my preference—I just don’t think I’m cut out for romantasy that isn’t a standalone. Still, I enjoyed this overall and think it’s a lovely entry to the genre.

One of the best romantasies I've read recently! The world building and characters were so gripping to read and the romance was peak swoon 🥲 I absolutely loved the narration by Meneka and the slow and steady character development / self-discovery she had. I totally, totally recommend this book if you read romantasies!

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I love to learn about different legends through fiction. This author had a way with words that I haven't read the like in quite some time. I loved the cover, that's what drew me in. And the story did not disappoint!

3.75 ⭐️

Well I’m glad this is going to be a duology, because I wasn’t sure I’d be satisfied with that ending. I enjoyed reading this SE Asian mythology retelling and just couldn’t put it down when I finally got into the story.

If you love mythological retellings (think Circe) from a woman's perspective, this is for you!

Rao reimagines the ancient Hindu legend of Meneka. Meneka is an apsara (celestial dancer), a divine being who serves the god Indra. To gain her freedom, Meneka is tasked with one final mission: to seduce and ruin the sage, Kaushika. Meneka joins Kaushika's community under the guise of wanting to be trained by him. The more time Meneka spends with him, the more she battles her feelings for him.

This was beautifully written, and I was hooked from the start. Meneka is fierce, loyal, and kind. I don't know if it's the writing or I made it up in my head, but this world Rao creates was so vivid it played like a movie. The right amount of tension, the right amount of spice. There's only a couple of spicy scenes and it worked perfectly for the plot. This is the first book of a duology. I cannot wait for the second book!

This was a very interesting fantasy story based on Hindu mythology. It helped me to both read and listen to the audiobook for this one. I used the audiobook for the first few chapters to get the pronunciation down and then picked up my kindle to finish the rest. That really helped me, as someone who is unfamiliar with Hindu mythology. Reading on the kindle was also helpful, because I could uce the lookup feature for words I did not know. But, for those without the audiobook, the glossary of terms at the front of the book is also really helpful!

I think this book is perfect for fans of Sue Lynn Tan (Daughter of the Moon Goddess) and Vaishnavi Patel (Kaikeyi). It is really beautifully written and was very easy to read and imagine. I appreciated that this was a queer-normative world. The magic system was one of the weaker elements. The rules and limits are not clear, so it feels a little loosey-goosey. The two main characters were great, but I thought that the side characters could have been better developed. I like to see a good balance of interactions between our FMC and the side characters and interactions between the FMC and MMC.

I thought that this was a standalone so I was surprised at the end. This will be a duology, I believe, so I am looking forward to book 2. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing an eARC of this book!

I really enjoyed this book! It felt immersive and invoked a lot of imagery and I often found myself getting lost in the mythology that the author was building. It was sometimes hard to get through and if you weren't familiar with Hindi mythology like I was, there was a lot of glossary reviewing. However, the unique magic system was fun and while the pacing could be slow at times I usually found myself submerged in the world that was being built here. Overall I liked the angst between the two characters and the journeys the FMC had to take in order to discover herself.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this review copy.
Meneka is an immortal, an Aspara. Meneka uses her power as an Aspara for the will of the god, Endara. Her magic is in the gift of seduction and illusions. Tired of using her magic and gifts in such a negative manner for political gains and aspirations of her god, she wants a different life. She wants a life filled with love and freedom with the woman she loves. But Endara is notvso eager to let a talent like hers go. Meneka makes a deal: she agrees to go to the mortal realm and find the human, Kaushaka, who appears to be waging a campaign against the gods, encouraging and empowering mortals to stop praising the gods. She is tasked with using her powers of seduction and illusions to infiltrate his mind, find out what he desires and use it to destroy him. But not everything is as it seems.

This was my first Hindu inspired romantasy and I found it quite intriguing. I greatly appreciate the glossary provided in the beginning of the novel because there are alot of unfamiliar terms in the beginning of the novel. The glossary was much helpful. I like that Meneka’s mission led her on a journey of self-discovery. Watching her discover the true depth and extent of her power was inspiring.

The Legend of Meneka was inspired by Hindu mythology, and I was really excited by the premise of Meneka, a divine being who uses her dances to seduce the enemies of Indra, the god she serves. But when she is sent to seduce the wise Kaushika, the leader of a group of students in his hermitage, Meneka starts to question herself and her mission.

Though this is an ancient Hindu myth, I really appreciated the fresh retelling by Rao, and how she framed this story as much about the importance of believing in yourself as believing in the divine. Meneka seduces, using her dances, but feels a sense of guilt about leaving those who fall in love with her pining away for her. When she becomes a student at his hermitage, Meneka learns to channel the magic which comes from within herself. Rao's writing of Meneka's discovery of her own power, of the beauty of the dance and love that she represents, is just incredibly beautiful prose. The relationship between Meneka and Kaushika also sparkles, with the two being open to learning from each other and inspiring each other.

I do wish the book had spent a bit more time on Meneka's relationship with the other students of the hermitage. I loved her interaction with other students like Anirudh and Kalyani, their humour, their quiet support and how they challenge her. I would love to have seen more of those.

I am definitely excited for the next book in the series and would recommend to fans of Sue Lynn Tan or Chloe Peñaranda.

The Legend of Meneka has a fascinating premise rooted in Hindu mythology, which is exactly my kind of thing. Folklore fiction? Sign me up. And to the author’s credit, they do a solid job blending history and fantasy.

But oh boy, the pacing. One minute, the story is crawling at a snail’s pace and the next, it’s sprinting like it’s late for an exam. The characters are not really developed so I couldn’t connect with them. Even the romance is underdeveloped. Blink and you’ll miss it—one moment they meet, and the next, they’re ready to elope. Where was the build-up? The tension? The longing glances?

I didn’t hate it, but it wasn’t memorable for me. It definitely has a young adult feel—teenage me would’ve devoured this. If you love mythological fiction, you will have a good time.

I was blown away by The Legend of Meneka. I am Indian-American and not Hindu, so I have some familiarity with some Hindu mythology, but I had no exposure to the apsaras and what they represent. My only exposure to romantasy genre was the Fourth Wing series, and coincidentally I just finished Onyx Storm before picking up The Legend of Meneka. I cannot wait for the second book! This book is perfect for anybody who is looking to expand their romantasy reading especially to Indian authors.

Meneka is a powerful, young apsara but unsure of herself in the celestial (god) world. The king of the gods, Indra, sends Meneka to seduce and destroy Kaushika, who Indra deems a threat to himself and all the deities.

I love how much growth Meneka has in this book. She is sent out her mission but ones she starts learning about Kaushika and befriends his followers, she starts questioning her own longheld beliefs about Indra and her purpose in life. We could all learn from Meneka! I was also surprised about how much Kaushika, the MMC, grew and learned from Meneka, too.

I also thought the ending had a lot of twists that I did not see coming, perhaps because I am unfamiliar with the source material. It was a refreshing read!