(Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for my ARC!) This is an interesting take on historical fiction – it’s told from the point-of-view of an alternate history of India, one in which India was never liberated from British rule. It’s also told as ten different “moments” of life that mirror the Dashavatara, which is a really interesting way of framing the story. Kalki is the daughter of a rebel, who has lived for years never knowing what happened to her father. When something happens near her, though, she can no longer avoid the call to join the rebellion like her father. She builds a small network of spies, who all work for the government but also are revolutionaries. Her network grows, but so do the stakes, getting higher and higher until she needs to make some big, life-altering decisions as she decides what priorities are most important to her.

3.5
This is a difficult book for me to rate because, while I appreciated the book's message and it gave me a lot to think about, I had a hard time finishing it due to the heavy subject matter. Of course, it is upsetting to read because it is meant to be upsetting. The plot took some twists that were better than others, but I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't talk much about that.

Vaishnavi Patel explores the evils of the British colonial rule of India as well as the pitfalls of violent rebellion. This is a speculative work where British rule lasted longer in Bombay (renamed Kingston in this novel). We follow Kaika, who will stop at nothing to support the independence movement with dire consequences both for herself and others.

After reading this, I am inspired to research British imperialism more critically and engage with more anti-colonialist works. Vaishnavi Patel is an incisive writer who doesn't hold back the punches. I'm excited to see what she writes next!

Set in 1960's, where India has not gained independence from Britishers, Ten Incarnations of Rebellion dives into the atrocities of the colonisers and the determination of the citizens to be free. The story is impactful as well as the characters are.

The story stretches over a span of 10 years, and in these years we see how the protagonist, Kalki and her group of rebellions form, grow and win over. It tackles social, political, religious and philosophical norms which makes you question your own thoughts. The author has done a great job voicing them out in quite constructive manner.

Another point that I loved about this book was potraying the protagonist vulnerable and fallible. She made some irredeemable choices(that made you want to throw the book across the room) and facing grave consequences, which I've seen in very few books.

This book is for people who love:
⚔️ Female fighters
🙌🏽 Powerful friendships
🌚 Morally grey characters
💀 Death of favourite character(s)
📉 Sombre and plot full of twists

A poignant tale of fight for freedom, love and loss weaved by @vaishnawrites , Ten Incarnations of Rebellion truly stirred dozens of emotions within me.

P.S: Absolutely stunning book cover! At first, I didn't understand the significance but after reading the book, I was truly amazed by the logo! Kudos to the graphic designer!!🙌🏽🙌🏽

Ten Incarnations of Rebellion is a bold, sweeping story that pulses with revolutionary spirit. Set in an alternate 1960s India still under British rule, the novel explores what it means to resist oppression through both grand acts and small but deeply personal choices.

What struck me most was how Patel structures the book around the Dashavatara, the ten incarnations of Vishnu. Each section highlights a different form of rebellion, but the story never slips into being just allegory or archetype. Kalki, Yashu, and Fauzia are fully realized people with hopes, flaws, and deep connections, and their humanity grounds the epic stakes.

While Patel’s earlier work (Kaikeyi) reimagined myth from a female perspective, this book feels entirely different. Here there is no retelling, it's more a re-envisioning of history. Yet the threads of myth still weave through the story, giving it weight without overshadowing its central focus: the fight for freedom.

I was left thinking not only about India in this imagined timeline, but also about our own world today. The book asks what rebellion looks like when the odds are stacked against you, and whether survival and heroism can coexist. It’s a powerful, timely read.

You might like this if you’re into:

* Alternate histories
* Myth woven into modern or historical narratives
* Books that inspire reflection on justice and freedom in our own world

Thank you to Random House Ballantine for the ARC of Ten Incarnations of Rebellion, which is available now.

I read Kaikeyi a few years ago, and I was excited to read more from Patel; I went into this story mostly blind. What I didn't expect was an immersive and vivid reimagining of British colonialism in India. Ten Incarnations is a moving story of love, loss, resistance, and so much more. And its no mistake that the tale Patel weaves is so horrific AND realistic— as she writes in the afterward, virtually all of these plot points are taken directly from history books from India and from around the world in other British colonies. I loved how Patel tied in the MC's experience with Hindu folklore.
Ten Incarnations of Rebellion strongly reminded me of my favorite book last year, The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali, and I think so many readers will love this book. I appreciate the time and diligence it took Patel to research and write this book- and yet, I am still anxious to read more of her work.

Vaishnavi Patel enters a new genre with this alternate history that explores a longer lasting colonization of India and the rebellion that grows. The author's style and characters continue to be so incredibly strong. It immerses you into the world and I enjoyed the chapters being these vignettes of Kalki's growing rebellion. This is a book that makes you think and want to learn more.

This book is a historical fiction set in an imaginary version of the 1960s where India is still ruled by the British. It’s not fantasy, but the made-up world makes it feel creative and different.

The story follows a girl named Kalki Divekar over ten years. Each chapter shows a new year in her life as she grows up and faces tough challenges under colonial rule. Kalki stands out because she takes action when bad things happen, and with her friends, she works to fight the empire and win freedom.

The book is well-organized, and the author did a great job creating the world by changing real history into something new. It focuses on strong female characters leading the rebellion, which is different from most stories that focus on men.

Some parts of the story move too fast or feel underdeveloped, and it might be hard for some readers to connect with Kalki. But overall, the book shares an important message about politics and human rights that still matters today.

It could’ve just been that I wasn’t really in the mood for an historical fiction book, but it just missed the mark for me.

A young woman grows up without her father, in an India in which independence did not happen and the British Empire has been clinging to power over all its remaining colonies. She's a good girl, and has a brilliant future ahead of her, for a native anyway. She's one of the good ones, but her father's absence leads her down a path towards resistance and rebellion. This was a well-rendered alternate history, definitely plausible, and using existing moments in history to construct a different path to independence in India. I've read enough Indian history and literature to recognize a lot of the elements that went into this one, but I suspect that readers less familiar with the history of our India will still enjoy this novel.

I really, really wanted to love this because it's such a refreshing and new kind of book. I did like it but historical fiction isn't my kind of thing. Still, I am so glad to get a different voice in this space.

3.75 stars. Ten Incarnations of Rebellion tackles important themes: anti-colonialism, freedom, independence, responsibility to ourselves and others. It shows the difficulty in choosing between the devil you know and the one you don’t. The characters are experiencing traumatizing events, and we see them working in survival mode. In crisis, the instinct is often to protect the self vs others. The themes, while important, are presented with a relatively heavy hand. The transitions among scenes could have been cleaner, and the dialogue could have been more realistic. However, I could see this book resonating with young and new adult readers who find inspiration in characters who try to change a world that doesn’t satisfy them.

Ten Incarnations of Rebellion is an alternative timeline novel based on a split in the timeline around 1910; instead of leaving India, the British stayed, subjugating the Indian people, who, several generations later (the exact time is unclear) rise up in rebellion and attempt to force the British out. It follows a young woman named Kalki Divekar through the end of her education and her awakening knowledge that the British need to be forced out of India, and that she needs to be involved in the effort. The ten chapters reach represent an avatar of Vishnu, which is an interesting idea, and each chapter starts with something Kalki learned, something representative of each avatar.

This is a well-researched novel, complete with sources at the end; the details clearly flow from actual events, and the story is something that could have happened had the British stayed in India. Kalki is a realistic and engaging character, who experiences events told with incredible realism. This novel is recommended to anyone who is interested in history of the era, alternative timelines, or both. Due to mature themes, it is recommended for adult readers.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I thought this was a decent novel.

It delivers on providing an alternate timeline of Indian independence from a feminist perspective but it lacked emotion and depth. At times the decisions made by the characters were naive and I thought the ending almost wrapped up too quickly.

“When I didn’t believe there was any hope at all, you made me believe in your vision. You gave me a place to put my trust, and now look at our city.”

An alternative history that explores a world where India did not win its battle for independence from Britain, this story is told through the eyes of a young woman in a version of Bombay that was renamed Kingston. She navigates growing up as the daughter of a freedom fighter who was forced to flee or risk death, trying to find her own place in the fight against colonial oppression.

While the bulk of the story revolves around her relationship to the rebellion, there are so many other aspects of the book that add layered depth to the story. The author investigates ideas on caste and religion, forbidden love, the subjugation of women and their autonomy, familial obligation, and how the overlooked can be the best weapons of chaos.

Nuanced ideas involving colonialism and rebellion were explored as well. Everything from authoritarian rule to propaganda strategies to pondering how anyone could see the subjugation and oppression of others and think it was a good thing for everyone involved. Through the main character, the book makes the reader reflect on the ethics of fighting back… how far is too far when fighting for freedom, and do the ends always justify the means when it means there will be innocent people caught in the crossfire?

This was a hard one for me to rate. The themes are important and definitely worth having on people’s shelves, but the book itself just didn’t fully work for me. It wasn’t one big issue, more like a bunch of small problems that added up to a flat reading experience.

The pacing was my biggest struggle. I kept getting bored and setting the book down, and even the moments that should have felt action-packed were skimmed over. We’re told the fight for independence is nearly won, but we never really see those big moments that make it believable. There were times when something big happened, and then they recount a myth, or it turns into storytime. I thought those were missed opportunities to expand on character development and make the reader FEEL.

That said, the FMC Kalki was fantastic. She’s smart, strong, and chooses to lead a liberation movement on her own terms, such a refreshing change in a genre where characters usually stumble into rebellion. Patel also does a great job showing India’s diversity while keeping the story grounded in a single city. India is so different from North to South and East to West, and I appreciate when this is depicted for audiences unfamiliar with South Asia and its culture.

Overall, I loved Kalki and the ideas behind the book, but the execution and pacing just didn’t keep me hooked.

the way patel reimagines classics is so incredible, her books captivate me and teach me so much i never knew about. ten incarnations is no different!
an overall very enjoyable read though it left me wanting a little more

I've loved Patel's writing ever since I had the pleasure of reading Kaikeyi. She's an auto-buy author for me, and "Ten Incarnations of Rebellion" just assured me that's absolutely the right choice.

Now, her most recent book is very different from the ones that came before. It's not fantasy, for one, and not a retelling of Indian myths. Instead, it's a bit of a retelling of actual historic events. I admittedly know very little about India's history though obviously there are some important milestones that probably everyone has at least heard about -British occupation and the end of it included. "Ten Incarnations" changes things up and imagines a British Empire that knew more effective ways of occupying and terrorising a country that doesn't rightly belong to them, and thus managed to stall any liberation efforts until decades later.
Patel's writing is, once again, beautiful as is expected. She's just a masterful storyteller and writer, and the narrative voice here fits perfectly with the tone of the story. It took me a while to really get into it, but then it finally hit me, it hit me good. I loved the way stories from Indian mythology were woven into the narrative, I love the structure of the story even if I usually don't care much about time-jumps, of which there are a few due to said structure. The pacing is slow, but I don't mind it when it fits the overall tone. And I loved the characters so much.
The themes are on point, the exploration of rebellion and the different way it works, the moral questions it poses - just chef's kiss. It is a tough story to read at times, it's devastating, thought-provoking and immensely scary because of its relevance nowadays, but it's also deeply beautiful in parts. It left me very emotional but at the same time also a little numb.

So yeah, I guess you could say I will happily proceed to read everything Patel releases.

Ten Incarnations of Rebellion
By Vaishnavi Patel

This is a quasi-historical novel which explores what India would have been like in the 1960s if it was still under the control of the British Empire. It explores the effects of colonization and racism and the repression of freedom on a fictional city called Kingston, situated on the site of the previously destroyed Mumbai.

The story is told through the eyes of Kalki Divekar, a nineteen year old girl who is not content to "go along to get along", as the saying goes. She is the daughter of a freedom fighter who disappeared from her life years before. Kalki and her friends long for change. As they experiment with various forms of rebellion, Kalki grows into a formidable young woman.

While I liked the protagonist, Kalki, there were aspects of this book I didn't like. I found the writing choppy – sometimes moving right along, other times dragging and slow. Also the use of so many Indian words for foods etc. which I was unfamiliar with was distracting.

This book would be most interesting to a reader very familiar with the real history of India during those years. Without that background, I found myself confused between history and fantasy.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

I LOVED this alternate history! In this world, India did not gain independence from Britain and those historical figures like Gandhi, who tried to help India break free have been vilified. The story takes place on the fictional island city of Kingston. Young men are drafted to fight colonial wars and them women of this isolated island try a new form of rebellion to free their nation.
I love how mythology is woven into the chapters with lessons from the myths echoing what is going on in the story. I love how the main characters struggle to carry on a rebellion that won't perpetuate the inequalities and injustices of the past. I was full-on crying near the end. 5 stars!

Thank you to Netaglley and Random House Publishing for an advance copy of this book for review.

Both a deeply emotional story of coming to terms with the sacrifices necessary for revolution and an homage to the stories that keep us going, Ten Incarnations of Rebellion blew me away. It is an honest, gut-wrenching story of the cost of commitment to liberation. Patel clearly did her research into the variety of tactics that successful freedom fighters use, and the consistent homages to other anti-colonial movements made me weepy throughout the book. The story of Kalki herself, and the attention paid to the complexity of solidarity when prejudice exists within the movement were other details that I appreciated. I think having some base level of understanding of the Independence movement in India (and the violence of British colonialism) is helpful for appreciating all of the work that went into this book, but it is not required to be moved by it. May we see liberation in our lifetimes for all occupied peoples. From the river to the sea.