I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, this book was okay at best for me. It took me so long to get through and it could never keep me hooked longer than 10 pages. There were twists near the end that grabbed my attention but those were the only parts that I was actually interested in. However, I liked the characters. Kalki was so complex and I loved how she was portrayed throughout the years. I also did like reading about how long it realistically took to win independence. Frankly, this is a book that was just not for me, but if you are someone who enjoys Indian history and rebellions, I think you would enjoy this!

3.5 stars, rounded up.

I liked the concept of this book much more than I enjoyed the final product. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was a strong book - I enjoyed the main character, Kalki's growth over the course of the story and the author took pains to highlight the various oppressions that come under colonization. I appreciated the fact that the author also pointed out how India was already divided before the British came in, over religion, region, and especially caste, and how those divisions were played on to keep people fighting against one another instead of the British.

However, I did not think that conceit of linking each chapter to an avatar of Vishnu worked well. Some chapters linked together better than others (for example, Parashurama's chapter made perfect sense to me; Matsya, not so much). I think I would have preferred a more straightforward narrative following Kalki and the growth and expansion of the ILM over what felt like a forced connection to the stories of each avatar. As it was, I was distracted each chapter trying to figure out how the events of the chapter linked to that particular avatar and I think that detracted from my experience of the book as a whole.

I did appreciate the backmatter - both the author's personal connection to India's freedom struggle and the many resources that were included in the bibliography.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy.

This book grabbed my attention just by the title alone but the content within are written in a way that I found unfortunately dull. I do love the concepts and themes the story is exploring and the way Patel choose to split and start each chapter of the book but those things alone weren't able to hook or got my investment. I also found our main character and voice lacking (not necessarily in what she believes in and is fighting for but her ability to get me as a reader to care), in here Patel writing in general did not have that compelling-ness to it unlike her other books. It is by no mean a bad book, perhaps just not the one for me.

While I enjoyed the idea of this story I don't think I was the correct audience. There was just so much to cover in this story that it became a list at times and a slog to get though. I would have much rather had the main character show us and experienced those times with her then just listened to the list of actions. I did really enjoy the stong female lead, her passion and intelligence is shown and lovely. I did also enjoy the setting, an alternative and interesting take on the 1960's India. I think if I had been more informed before reading this I might have been a better reader for the contect of the stroy. That is on me.

This is an alternate history set in India. It is the 1960s and the Indian independence hasn't happened yet. A set of female friends from differing backgrounds work together to start a resistance organization which had previously been run by a previous (male) generation.

I think the author does a great job of incorporating the various cultures and their beliefs into the story. The backgrounds of the girls themselves, not being uniform, also enhances the story, as they all have different goals and experiences. The author also does a good job of showing how the narrative is altered depending upon who is in power. The ruling party can tell the story they want in order to influence outcomes. They cause the different classes to fight amongst themselves in order to distract the non-ruling classes from focusing their attentions on them.

I highly recommend this.

Ten incarnations... is an absolutely stunning book. Once again Vaishnavi Patel has does such a beautiful job of retelling Indian stories. this particular book does a wonderful job in weaving stories about colonialism and somehow still being able to point towards many conflicts in the modern world. I enjoyed that it was exceptionally well researched and spoke of India and Hinduism with real love and passion while not being afraid to shine a light on some of it's darker aspects. Vaishnavi's commitment to caste equity in her books gives me so much joy and inspires hope for an India that I hope to see eventually. Thank you for this arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine for an ARC of this wonderful book for review.

The author took inspiration from the Ten Avatars of Vishnu and wrote this story of an alternate reality as if India didn’t gain its independence back in 1947. The beginning of the story was set in the 1960s and we follow the main character and her allies for a number of years.

This non-independence for India in the 1940s made for interesting reading in a couple of ways. One, the characters who were front and center were normal young women who stepped up to fight for freedom from their oppressors. The author didn’t spare any detail on just how cruel an occupying force can be on the citizens of the country they are subjugating. Some of the scenes were brutal and heart-wrenching.

Most of the young men of the fictionalized town in the story were sent off to fight in a war that they weren’t responsible for making. They were basically the bodies needed to engage the enemy and had no choice as they were drafted.

The women of the town stepped up even more once the men were gone and waged their own war against the government occupation.
One of the things I enjoyed a lot about the story was learning more about the Ten Avatars of Vishnu. The author was very skillful in how she wove them into each of the chapters of the book. The action in the chapters were each tied to one of the incarnations and each chapter ended with a tale of a certain avatar. There were ten chapters representing the ten avatars. The tie in stories of Vishnu added so much flavor to the story. A very clever way to tell the tale. Each of them taught lessons that we can all learn from such as compassion, courage, and justice. I especially enjoyed that the main character’s name was tied so closely to one of the avatars. Again, very clever.

I admit I didn’t know much about all the avatars of Vishnu when I started reading and this book really taught me about them in a way that was easy to read and comprehend. I found myself doing research to refine what I was learning in the book. I love learning about the culture of India and find myself reading a number of fiction tales set in that region as they are interesting and enlightening.
This one gets five stars from me for the adventure, alternate history with women at the forefront and for the lessons learned about the Hindu religion.

This was ambitious in a way that covered up any missteps. I have not read anything like this before and while I think there were some holes in the plot in terms of character development I was so enthralled that I just kept going. Brilliant and beautifully paced!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Boks for an advanced copy of Ten Incarnations of Rebellion. This was my first novel by Vaishnavi Patel, and I enjoyed the idea of an alternate version of India during the 1960's. I love a novel with powerful and smart women who challenge their oppressors and finds ways to bring about independence and freedom.

This was a fascinating read. While I know very little about India’s freedom it was a unique perspective to learn about through. I loved Kalki as a character and her progression throughout all that occurred. This is a sad book however with so much loss and sacrifice. In the end you are left with some hope. The writing is beautiful and I liked the idea of the different stories being the incarnations of rebellion. Overall I enjoyed.

This is one of those books whose idea I think outstrips the execution.

The ideas are absolutely crucial for understanding the stresses and anguish of colonialism and its fallout, as it impacts the evolution of history. At heart, it looks at India's independence, and the terrible cost, the focus being on the twentieth century--a blip in India's long, fascinating history.

A strong aspect of the book is the way the author works in regional mythology, which renders emotional texture to the layers of the historical record. However, the characters tended toward the standard, and the writing, though passionate, often read as a first draft, with a lot more summation than is effective.

Still, it's very much worth adding to other books by Indian writers who write about Indian history and experience for those who read in English

I cried.

There was an element of "telling not showing" to the prose, but it worked for me because it felt like -storytelling-, like I was sitting in front of Vaishnavi Patel while she wove this epic. We're told the story of Kalki's life and how it parallels the Dashavatara, the ten incarnations of Vishnu. The main character is even named after the prophesied tenth incarnation; Kalki is meant to usher in the purest age of goodness, which in this story is Indian independence from British rule.

In this alternate history, India is still suffering under British imperialism in the 1960s. Young men have been drafted into a war against China, and with them gone and older generations worn down, the resistance is mostly led by young women. Kalki and her friends and conspirators have different backgrounds and perspectives, and although there is love and a shared dream between them, they also make mistakes. Rebellion is messy. It's tragic. And many do not live to see their dream realized. Even if independence is attempted through non-violence, blood is always spilled.

Mild spoiler: there is no sapphic happily ever after here, but another queer couple does survive.

Ten Incantations of Rebellion by Vaishnavi Patel is a reimagining historical fiction of what it would be like if India was never liberated from England.

I will admit that while I am a huge fan of Indian history & storytelling and have a deep appreciation for this novel as a whole - I did have a hard time staying focused and at times I felt like I was losing interest. There are a lot of heavy themes surrounding justice, colonialism, violence, etc and sometimes I felt like I was on the outside looking in versus being completely immersed with the characters and the story.

With that being said I think lovers of historical fiction would really enjoy this, especially those who love learning about Indian. There’s a good group of characters but I never truly felt emotionally connected to them on a deep level, but perhaps someone else will read this and feel otherwise!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for suggesting & preapproving me for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback! I would love to read more from the author.

3.5 stars

2.5 stars, rounded up. This book shoves a huge amount of content in a short span of time, and I do think that's ultimately to its detriment. The book blurb says this is ten moments from Kalki's life but the focus isn't narrowly on specific moments but rather covers ten years of her work as a freedom fighter. Because of this, there are large chunks of the book that are summarizing events rather than showing you them in detail. This is really not my preferred way to hear a story because I feel very separate from the characters and so ultimately, the book does not hit as hard as it could have for me. I will say that I really enjoyed the fact that there were so many characters here and we hear a lot of different opinions about what the revolution should look like and the path of rebellion is not laid out clearly and cleanly.

Small acts of resistance spark a wave of rebellion that incites change within a nation of people oppressed under the rule of colonizers in Vaishnavi Patel’s Ten Incarnations of Rebellion.
Within the British-built and -ruled city of Kingston that arose from upon the destroyed back of Bombay, Kalki Divekar has quietly harbored the rebellious views instilled in her by her father, who has been lost to her in former raids to quell rebels from causing trouble. In her adulthood, Kalki picks up the torch of inciting small acts of resistance by posting the lyrics to banned music, which reminded her of her father, while also offering something for the people of her city to unite over. In collaboration with her friends over several years, she works to usher in a new generation of rebellion and change through a chapter of the Indian Liberation Movement to try to repel the British by using women’s jobs within the regime to quietly and slowly undermine the British’s efforts through disruption and providing aid to those who need it. Treading carefully in relationships to determine who to ally with and trust, navigating dangerous situations to maximize survival for the future of India she envisions, and taking charge to lead rapidly evolving plans amid tumultuous and emotionally charged events, Kalki’s decisions will greatly impact the direction that the city, and the country, takes moving forward.
Set in an alternate version of India in the 1960s, a creeping struggle toward freedom and independence from oppressive, colonized control is portrayed well through the many seemingly small acts of resistance that build up and lead toward a growing rebellion that rises to the surface such that the oppressors can no longer ignore it as the effectiveness eventually makes way for the country’s renewal and rebuilding. The narrative tackles heavy topics, including harassment, assault, violence, and betrayal, without shying away from the harsh realities that accompany dealing with them, often centered around a form of loss and sacrifice. With traitors, collaborators, and an anonymous British insider among those assisting Kalki and her team, the supposedly surprising reveal of the source of intel and the traitor in their midst was presented with plenty of foreshadowing along the way that made it quite clear who those individuals were, leaving that point of suspense a bit dull in comparison with the rest of the political intrigue laced throughout the struggles endured. The story itself is sweeping, taking place over a decade and split into chapters in Kalki’s life, either through current actions and experiences or through memories or lessons remembered, which mirror the mythology associated with the ten avatars of Vishnu and is explained in enough detail and context for those who may not be overly familiar with it.
Overall, I’d give it a 4 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for sending me the ARC

Ten Incarnations of Rebellion, a historical fiction novel by Vaishnavi Patel, presents an alternate history where British colonial tactics were more successful in India.

Inspired by Patel’s previous works, which reimagined well-known Indian mythology, I was initially misled by the title and expected a book similar to her previous works. However, the book skillfully weaves together history and mythology. While it required some effort to resist the urge to seek out the historical facts about India’s struggle for independence, which we are familiar with from our childhood, Patel subtly incorporates markers, events, and symbols that hold deep significance for us.

The opening chapters are engaging, though I found myself needing some extra motivation to finish the book. Patel does a remarkable job weaving complex themes, such as classism, the injustices of imperialism, war, and the repression of sexuality, into the narrative, all within the context of pre-independence India. While the book’s concept is certainly captivating, I found myself at times grappling with its dense layers.

Though I didn’t connect with it quite as deeply as I did with Patel’s previous works, I still admire her boldness in exploring a different genre. Ultimately, I would rate it a solid 3.5 out of 5, acknowledging the ambition and complexity behind this thought-provoking novel.

A beautiful, though at times heartbreaking story. I loved seeing Kalki grow as both a person and a revolutionary through these chapters. From the smallest seeming methods of fighting back up to much bigger undertakings

Ten Incarnations of Rebellion follows the life of Kalki Divekar, a young woman growing up in an alternate version of India that is under British rule. Her father, a member of the ILM (a liberation organization), had ingrained in Kalki a sense of independence and freedom before he went missing. This novel details out key moments in her life from school days to adulthood as Kalki navigates the liberation movement and her role in rebellion.

Though I don't regularly read novels with these themes, I found myself intrigued by the story; in particular how realistic the feelings and actions Kalki took were. Some parts were difficult to read (in that the topics were sensitive) but that made the plot even more powerful and meaningful. I liked the format of the story as well: 10 chapters, 10 key moments, 10 lessons. It brought the reader into the novel more.

I also felt a few of the minor plotlines were a little bit dragged out (at least for me), mostly because I wanted to see the actions and decisions made by and for the movement. However, many of those minor plotlines also gave insight into the characters and helped the reader to understand why certain decisions were ultimately made.

The author has clearly educated herself greatly on the colonialism and anti-colonialism movements throughout modern history. This "what-if" novel is a culmination of that research and I think it should be recommended to many readers who want to understand more about the trials that a conquered nation would have gone through, with a fictional twist.

Thank you for the advanced reader copy of this book! It is very different than my normal Historical Fiction picks. I did love the fiction of India and independence from the British. I loved this book and it was very sad about the rebellion and times that the characters Kalki's were rebelling and revolting against the grain. The fight for freedom of violence and non-violence actions based upon Indian beliefs and past. The narrative text of this novel (Kalki) really worked and helped me connect and relate to her as a resistance. I would highly recommend this book to those who love Historical fiction works. This was a powerful story and helped me empathize and have compassion with those that have suffered in the independence of India.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group, Ballatine, and NetGalley for this ARC and recommendation!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is a moving story of exploitation and abuse by the British in India. Colonialism at its worst but a memorable story.