The Short: The Legend of Meneka is a romantic fantasy that reimagine the tale of the celestial dancer tasked with seducing a human sage, but when she finds herself falling for him instead, she will be forced to choose between loyalty to her celestial home, and being true to herself.

The Long: This is a really beautifully written book - the way it's written and the setting are stunning. I love that it's a retelling of Hindu mythology, and the dive into the lives os Asparas and the inner-turmoil Meneka faces as she grows tired of her role and longs to stay home near Indra and her mentor, Rambha. It was so interesting watching Meneka - an immortal-- come across as very young at heart and somewhat new to the world. I struggled a bit with her story - she was somehow both inexperienced and one of the best Asparas.. while struggling significantly with her faith and emotions. It'll be really interesting to see where this duology ends up.

Amazing! Gimme 14 of them right NEOOWWW!! I LOVED this entire story and I’m not someone who reads a whole ton of fantasy, especially not ones based on actual existing religions. It was so captivating to read about this FMC having an inner conflict as she tries to decide between being obedient and doing what she’s always known to be true or staying true to herself. The romance was sizzling hot too! I love a man who yearns 😭 and along with the friendships, the climax, the discoveries and the surprises sprinkled in, I seriously need a second book.

The Legend of Meneka had so much potential, but it didn’t quite work for me. The mythology and worldbuilding were beautifully done, and I loved seeing Hindu mythology woven into a romantasy setting. The queernormative world was also a great touch.

Unfortunately, the pacing was slow, and Meneka’s internal struggles felt repetitive. The romance lacked chemistry, making the emotional moments fall flat. I also wasn’t a fan of how the story relied on the "power of love" as a solution. The ending felt rushed, and I wish the book had been longer to wrap things up more smoothly.

I wanted to love this, but it ended up being a miss for me. Not sure if I’ll continue the series.

This book was a little different from the books I have been reading lately, which helped to grab my attention. I found very sensual and interesting the way Meneka operated to go on her missions. I was hooked for the first 35% ish but then I think the book completely lost me. The pace was too slow, the vocabulary hard to follow and the magic system too messy. There were a lot of things that I feel needed more explanation. How can a mortal have the powers of a god? Meneka's powers are very confusing. I am failing to find the rules and limitations of the powers.

Thank you Net Galley, Avon and Harper Voyager for a galley of this book in exchange of my honest review.

Between the lush mythos that is easy to understand and the compelling plight of the protagonist, it is a wonder to me that The Legend of Meneka is not a more widely known title.

Despite today's readers' compulsion to read romantasy, I want to push stories like this one into the light. By using Hindu mythology and presenting it so, Rao creates a new and worthy entry to readers.

Also, love me a good duology. This narrative won't overstay it's welcome- and we desperately need that in a time where so many of these series go on and on and on.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Legend of Meneka by Kritka H. Rao!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager publishers for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The world building is pretty straightforward in regard to the magic system and surroundings, however I caution those who are not familiar with Hinduism and its mythology, as they may feel a tad lost with unfamiliar terms thrown in with little to no explanation. Luckily, I have read other fantasy books with similar mythological themes which helped me navigate through this one with only a few quick searches. Nothing takes me out of a story faster than having to look up unknown words and I believe I am not alone in this.

I enjoyed the story, and found myself smiling at every interaction between Meneka and Kaushika, the MCs. Their chemistry sizzled from the moment they met. Kaushika is brooding and strict, giving him a larger-than-life presence on the page. Meneka on the other hand had an altogether fragile feel to her. She was full of doubts and often made questionable decisions throughout the book. It was hard to reconcile the idea of Meneka as a celestial being bursting with power and sensuality, while Kaushika is depicted as a mere mortal. I do think it would have been interesting to see a more confident side of Meneka, but I appreciated the dynamic the author crafted. It made her relatable and enriched her character arc as she discovers her own strength.

The surrounding cast of characters were unfortunately flat and mostly forgettable. I honestly cannot think of a single side characters name, and I only finished this book yesterday.

While the book has a slower pace, I was still engrossed with the story. Mainly in how Meneka would achieve her goals, would she seduce the MMC or succumb to Kaushika's own allure? At the start, Meneka is set to destroy Kaushika, while he keeps a wary distance from Meneka, suspicious of her. Throughout the story, there are small moments of connection that allow these characters to open up to one another and share their past, and their hopes. Meneka, though burdened by her own secrets, is deeply affected by the parallels she discovers between her own life and Kaushika’s experiences with the gods. These shared moments create an intimacy between them that transcends mere physical attraction. And of course, as with any good romantasy, there are a few spicy scenes woven in, though not overly graphic. To me, the message here is that real intimacy is meant to be the understanding of the character's innermost desires and worldviews.

While I enjoyed the majority of this book, I wasn't invested and I'm not altogether sure if I would pick up the next book.

I think this was a generally okay book. I liked the flow of everything, from the story telling to the romance. I enjoyed how it wasn't insta-love and it showed how there was a development. I also liked the author's note explaining how she plans to diverge from the original myth to "give them a second chance."

The amount of culture and stories that were present was great, and the characterizations were great as well I loved how there was a lot of inner turmoil and emotional focus when it came to the characters, as these are sages and spend a lot of time doing self-reflection, I feel like this was evident and great. The only problem I had with this book was I didn't feel gripped by the story telling. I wasn't left at the edge of my seat leaving this novel to flow in a very calm and almost boring tone. It was intriguing enough that I would like to read the second book whenever it comes out.

It's so refreshing to read a romantasy novel inspired by a different culture, and I really enjoyed learning more about Hindu mythology. However, I struggled to connect with the characters and the story. Since it's told from Meneka's POV, her constant doubt and repetitive inner conflict made the narrative feel frustrating at times. While there was slow burn, the romance didn’t feel engaging enough for me and I couldn't really enjoy it.

The Legend of Meneka is a beautiful romantasy filled
in Hindu mythology. It follows Meneka, an apsara, whose duty is to seduce mortals at the command of her king Indra; those who pose political challenges for Indra and threatened devotion in him in the mortal realm.

Meneka pleads Indra for freedom from the role of seducing mortals, wanting to live peacefully in her own realm. In exchange for her freedom, she agrees to seduce Kaushika, a mortal sage who threatens the Lord's power and has bested other aspuras. Meneka faces Kaushika and his followers, trying to hide her identity as a celesial being, and win the trust of the sage.

After the first half of the story is complete, the pull between Meneka and Kaushika is undeniable. Meneka learns the ways of the mortals and the price they pay for the gods' anger. This is an inspiring tale not of love, but finding yourself and embracing challenges and differences.

The first half of the book was a bit slow at times and religious terminology is very frequent and heavy, and can be confusing for those who aren't familiar. There is a
glossary, which is very helpful if you can read it side by side. At times, I felt like Rao described what was happening as if Meneka, a celesial being, also did not understand, which translated to slightly lazy world building (half way, this is no longer and issue and the writing starts flowing beautifully). That said, | did enjoy learning about Hindu mythology and fell in love with Meneka and Kaushika.

Thank you so much to Avon, Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this ARC!

This just wasn't for me. I am a fan of Rao's sci-fi books but this just was so deep-rooted in sexuality that for me as an ace person, I just didn't vibe well with it. It kept feeling like my identity is erased entirely based on the mythology of the characters and it was overwhelming. Moreso, than I thought it would be because Rao is a talented writer but this story just overall didn't hit the mark for me personally.

The Legend of Meneka is the perfect mix of romance, fantasy and Hindu mythology ✨.

The Legend of Meneka is a romantasy retelling of Meneka, an aspara (a celestial dancer), who is sent to Earth by Indra, the King of Heaven, on a quest to distract a mortal sage whose growing powers are threatening Indra’s supremacy in the realm.

The Legend of Meneka has a foundational love story, spice and immersive imagery throughout. It’s so refreshing to see the fluidity of sexuality that lies within Hindu mythology represented in this story as well. I look forward to reading more from Kritika in the second book of this duology and recommend it to anyone who is in their #romantasyera 🧚🏽.

Thank you to @kritikahrao @coloredpagesbt @avonbooks and @harpervoyagerus for providing me with an ARC of #thelegendofmeneka ✨.

This was a highly anticipated read of mine for 2025 and I’m glad that Kritika continues her streak of writing fantasy novels that keep me hooked throughout.

Firstly, I was very glad to see this book when it was announced because most desi authors writing retellings focus on either the Ramayana or the Mahabharata, so it was very nice to see a new fantasy which wasn’t about either Ram or Krishna or Arjuna. I ofcourse expected the writing to be good, and it definitely was gorgeous throughout, creating highly imaginative scenes in my head and leaving me to gape in wonder. But what really stuck with me was how deeply steeped in Hindu religion/philosophy this book is. From delving into various forms of forging the ascetic path, to the dilemma of being devoted to morally grey gods, to the very beautiful discussion about Bhakti towards Shiva being incomplete without Shakti - it’s all a wonderful exploration of various aspects of Hinduism and the author did such a great job integrating all these elements in the story.

The characters are also very dynamic and leap off the pages, making them pretty unforgettable. The author captures Kaushika’s personality quite well from what we know of him from our Puranas and I could almost visualize him as one of the many actors who’ve played him in tv series or movies. Meneka on the other hand is a much more mysterious figure in mythology, so the author gives her own spin on the character - which I really liked for the most part, especially all the self realizations that she has and the bonds she forges with mortals outside her apsara duties; but some of her decisions were pretty naive and I wanted to give her a bit of a shake. The other side characters are also well written, especially the friends she makes in the ashram and Indra as the good/bad/morally grey Lord of Heaven is aptly portrayed. Lord Shiva makes a very brief appearance but I have to say, that was a very lovely little chapter and I wanted more of Him.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this book though it was a bit slow paced, especially in the first half, which made me not binge it initially. But the thrilling second half definitely made up for it. And tbh, I’m glad I didn’t bother with the many many negative and some downright hateful reviews of this book. Maybe promoting this as a romantasy wasn’t the right choice coz that seemed to have generated some other set of expectations which apparently this book didn’t live up to, but it mostly lived up to mine and it only cements Kritika as a must read author for me.

Unlike anything I've ever read but I ended up feeling a little lost at the end... This one appealed to me because it's based on myths I'm not familiar with. It has great character development and excellent world-building. However, I felt that the end chapters weren't particularly clear with some details, and I was honestly ready for it to be over with... It could be because it was based on something I wasn't familiar with that I felt lost, or it could be that it was a longer novel and I was just ready to be on to something else by the time I finished it.
All that being said, it was still and enjoyable read. And I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a copy prior to it being released.
I am honestly sad that I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd been hoping to.

I really liked this and I think I should teach myself a lesson on not reading other people's reviews before posting my own. While I'm not shocked this turned out more divisive than not with people, I was surprised at people not picking up on many of themes and elements that I greatly enjoyed (but I guess that makes sense on why they didn't enjoy it).

Meneka could be reduced down to a love story but I actually really enjoyed it as a character driven story of someone getting away from a basically cult like religious upbringing. Meneka as a central hero felt like a success where many other author's fail, in expressing someone raised with certain beliefs having trouble functioning outside of their beliefs while still being likeable and sympathetic.

While I liked the central romance well enough who I really enjoyed was Meneka and her finding out who she is outside of the strict society she was put into. I liked the world itself of myths and legends. The world building was well done (I can't speak for what is established myth vs not as I do not know a lot about this mythology world).

I did think for 90 percent of this that it was a standalone and am a little disappointed its a series (I just miss standalones). But I thought the pacing was good and kept the tension well and I will be checking out the rest of the series to see where the world and Meneka goes.

Overall, I really enjoyed this in a way that most Romantasy is a miss for me. The romance never overtook the plot and Meneka wasn't forced to be an idiot for the romance to work. She could be but it was in a believable way.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review!

3.75 ⭐️

The Legend of Meneka is the story of an apsara, a celestial dancer, who has been tasked with seducing a human sage. But when Meneka starts to fall for him she is forced to choose between being true to herself and her loyalties to her lord and sisters.

I love mythologies and stories inspired by them so when I saw this was based on Hindu mythology I was really excited to read it. The first 30% was a little rough to get through but I think that’s because I don’t know much about Hindu mythology and culture. I’m so glad I continued reading though because once I finally got a grasp of all the characters and terms it was really good.

I enjoyed both Meneka and Kaushika’s characters and can’t wait to see where their story goes next!

Thank you Netgalley for the arc :)

Kritika M. Rao brings us the epic tale of Meneka, an apsara of Lord Indra’s court in this romantic fantasy. I’m so beyond ecstatic to be reading about the stories and deities I grew up learning about in new and reimagined ways.

The writing style in The Legend of Meneka is both immersive and atmospheric. I love the way the magic system is portrayed through mudras, and how each character has their unique strengths. That being said, I think this is one of those books where I like every character except the main character because there are just some decisions of Meneka’s that I can’t get behind 😅

I am appreciative of the Queer normative universe that’s been built reflective of the original Hindu belief systems.

Overall I’d recommend The Legend of Meneka to anyone looking for non-Eurocentric romantic fantasy, fans of queer normative universes, and those who appreciate unique and culturally relevant magic systems

Thank you net gallery for an advanced copy of this book. This is a legend of a goddess of desire falling for her mark, but it is so much more. This is the story of a young woman finding her power and standing for what she believes in. I would definitely recommend.

Thanks to HarperVoyager for an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

DNF'd at 9%! I could already tell I wasn't the target audience for this book. The writing style was mostly fine, but I wasn't here for the author giving exposition through dialogue. Also, I didn't get to feel what the MC felt, I was told her feelings instead. I didn't want to keep reading this book to see if Rao would stop giving exposition like that, so I decided to put the book down. Unfortunately, this was a miss.

This was... fine? The premise was really interesting, and I was excited for it. However, I felt the execution was lacking. Meneka's initial love for her fellow apsara felt flat and lifeless, and her relationship with Kaushika felt predictable. I thought the fantasy/mythology elements would help me overcome my general disinterest in romance, but it was too romance-y for my liking. I think others would really like it though.