Ten Incarnations of Rebellion by Vaishnavi Patel we follow Kalki in an alternate India that is still under British rule. The story tells of Kalki and her friends who form a secret independence group as they try to destroy the empire from the inside out.

With themes of rebellion and strength, Kalki and her friends are well developed characters. We also see where the singular fight for survival and rebellion can come at the expense of relationships.

Thank you so much to the author, Random House, and Netgalley for a copy of the digital ARC!

In today's politically charged climate, books that dare to speak about the atrocities of the world are crucial to have on bookshelves. The genre doesn't matter, and what's important is having those words highlight a message that would purposefully be suppressed by a government entity. Ten Incarnations of Rebellion is a gut-wrenching, slow but action-packed, narrative that reimagines a pivotal period in India's history that asks this question: "What if the colonists won?"

Set during the 1960s, the story follows Kalki, a young Indian woman living in a country where the British fully took over India. In ten years of her adult life, Kalki experiences challenges, grief, and brief moments of joy as the leader of the Indian Liberation Movement faction in Kingston (fictionalized Mumbai), a rebel group that seeks to overthrow the British's tyranny.

Taking a break from my usual fantasy reads with this novel was a welcome relief. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about a female protagonist who embodied feminine rage while still having her moments of vulnerability. The various relationships she had with friends, family, and rebel allies humanized her to a point where I kept hoping that she wouldn't meet a tragic fate by the end of the story. And the plot's slow-burn pacing is a perfect representation of what real-life rebellions are like -- there are successes and failures, but there is also hope for things to get better.

There were times when I wished that the book was a lot longer than it was. I think that the page count could've easily been doubled to further drive the emotional impacts that a few scenes sorely needed. Nonetheless, I still highly recommend reading this book if you want to try diving into alternative history as a subgenre of historical fiction books and still want the tiniest bit of a romance (in this case, a sapphic one), to root for.

“Ten Incarnations of Rebellion is a love letter to those who fought and an exhortation to keep fighting.” 🇮🇳💌

a special thank you to Net Galley, Random House & Ballantine for allowing me access to an Advanced Reader’s Copy of Ten Incarnations of Rebellion by Vaishnavi Patel!! it’s an absolute privilege to receive an ARC & i’m so honored to be able to share a honest review in exchange.

🔍 publication date: june 3rd, 2025
review: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (06/07/25)

if i could, i would give this 6 stars. despite being so close to reality, it read like a dystopian novel about oppressive & authoritative government (truly terrifying to admit.)

i absolutely loved how indian history & mythology are woven throughout the book, it helped to pick up the plot during slower parts! each of the stories are simple to grasp, the segues were clear but didn’t make it less well-woven.

there is more focus on hinduism as the FMC was raised as such but references are taught as stories rather than fact. thus, preventing it from being presented as the “true” perspective, in addition to the other religions beliefs represented. i also enjoyed the lgbtq+ representation as a fellow queer indian girl. the strong women friendships & relationships were another highlight of the book.

kalki is great narrator with her
dauntlessness, passion and devotion to independence. even her flaws served as more points of discussion & nuance, it’s just so beautifully written through and through.

the book also balances out different positions on the Indian Independence Movement, especially for people labelled as lower caste, often lost perspective in history. it also incorporates international history like south africa gaining freedom & the vietnam war.

the book’s discussion of various approaches to revolutionizing & change is ever important now!!! (especially thinking about to a certain apartheid...) i can’t wait to dive into the “further reading” section!

This was an interesting take on an alternative history of India, if they were still under British colonial rule, and follows Kalki and her friends as they plan a rebellion against the oppressive empire by trying to take it down from the inside in order to obtain freedom.

I liked Kalki in this story and felt like she was portrayed as a strong, smart, female lead. The plot was clever with important themes and world building very descriptive. It did seem to be lull at times, and I feel like some of the plot could have been expounded on better, but overall, it was a good read.

Ambitious, intense, and full of fire. Patel’s exploration of identity and resistance across timelines and lives was daring and original. Some threads were complex to track, but the overall impact was powerful. A layered, literary triumph.

Ten Incarnations of Rebellion was an INCREDIBLE read!! I also read along with the audio, which was very well done. I loved the incorporation of Hindu gods with the storyline. It was a hopeful story of fighting against imperialism. The characters were fleshed out

Thank you to Net Galley and Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. The description of this novel intrigued me as it was based on the idea that the British didn't leave India and Bombay, at one time a center for Indian independence, still is ruled by the British and a city named Kingston is built on the ruins of Bombay. That's where we find Kalki, a young woman trying to figure out what she will do with her life - school, marriage. She has lost her father, a rebel against the British, and young men, including her friends and family, are drafted to fight wars that they don't agree with and probably will never return from. That's when Kalki decides she'll start a rebellion to overthrow the British, a dangerous proposition. But, Kalki is determined and single focused yet it's then when Kalki learns what friendship truly means along with the cost, and the true meaning of freedom. I enjoyed the idea of this speculative story along with structuring Kalki's story with the Dashavatara and the ten avatars of Vishnu. I had to do a bit of research regarding what really happened in Bombay/India at that time and the Dashavatara to help my understanding but it was another aspect I enjoyed in this novel.

I think this wasn't for me- I tried to pick it up multiple times but could not finish it. So at last I decided to dnf

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for letting me read an e-ARC of Ten Incarnations of Rebellion by Vaishnavi Patel! I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars; it is my absolute favorite Vaishnavi Patel book to date!

If you haven’t read any of Patel’s work, I strongly suggest starting with this one. It is a wonderful entry into the gorgeously illustrated world of Hindu mythology. While Patel’s previous 2 books have focused on fantasy-based mythological retellings, this book dumps the reader into an India under British occupation in the 1960s. Readers follow Kalki, our main character, over the years of her life as she grows into a revolutionary figure in this alternative history of Kingston (Mumbai, in present-day India). The only fantasy elements embedded in this story’s structure are the ways in which Kalki’s journey as a burgeoning leader acts as a mirror of the Dashavatara (the ten avatars of Vishnu).

What I loved most about this book: the characters. Kalki’s arc is, obviously, extremely fleshed out as the main character, but she is certainly not a likeable or loveable MC. She is fiercely driven by her father’s work toward liberating Kingston from British occupation and often acts out of selfishness to ensure that the rebellion succeeds at any cost. She learns to bear the consequences of her actions, but she also grows over time as her understanding of leadership and what it means to be free is challenged each year. Our side characters are just as vivid and realistic! People like Fauzia, Yashu, and Kalki’s father (just to name a few) have such a strong presence throughout the book that they are seared into my brain long after finishing the book. They all go through their own transformations that take place behind the scenes and often clash with each iteration of Kalki, but they are all so perfectly human. Don’t get me started on the tragic, slow-burn romance embedded in Kalki’s story. I went into this book not knowing there would be queer representation and left absolutely astonished and devastated by the outcome. I will never get over Patel’s ability to shape a character out of words.

This book is a gorgeous and timely read. You don’t have to live in British-occupied India to reflect on the many themes of colonization, suppression, and resistance as a reader. If you’ve enjoyed Patel’s works before, don’t expect the fantasy-driven storyline as in her two previous books, but expect a richly-colored and delicately-woven tapestry of this alternative history in India. I think fans of R. F. Kuang’s Babel will find this to be an appealing, though much shorter, read. If you’re looking for female rage, a story of rebellion against colonization, and characters who won’t apologize for being so wholly themselves - this is a great choice.

4.5 stars

“Ten Incarnations of Rebellion” is the latest book from one of my favorite writers, Vaishnavi Patel. While her prior two novels have been more straightforward retellings of mythological figures, this book operates differently: it incorporates the ten avatars of Vishnu and superimposes them on the story of a young woman as she grows into a revolutionary leader. It follows Kalki over ten years in a progression that mirrors the Dashavatara, making the mythological aspect of the story somewhat more subtle but no less effective. It takes place in an alternative historical version of Kingston that has yet to be liberated from the British in the 1960s, and Kalki wishes to follow in the footsteps of her father, a revolutionary leader who has been missing for years. Kalki and her friends work to build their own rebellion from the ground up while helping as many citizens of Kingston as they can.

Patel’s writing is beautiful, even through the voice of such an inflammatory and decisive character as Kalki and the violent world in which she lives. All of the supporting characters are richly imagined and contrast their views and what they can offer to the revolution with Kalki. There is a strong theme of friendship and found family that shines through the story. I highly recommend this book!

<u><b>Ten Incarnations of Rebellion</b></u>
Vaishnavi Patel
Publication Date: June 3, 2025

ARC courtesy of Ballantine Books and NetGalley.

Having flown under my radar, I heard the buzz about this novel quite late, and despite requesting it post-publication, I was quite surprised to have received the digital galley for this review. That was fortuitous, as it has turned out to be, so far, one of my most enjoyable reads of the summer.

<i>Ten Incarnations of Rebellion</i> is speculative historical fiction, set in a 1960’s dystopian India which has remained under British colonial rule, somewhat reminiscent of Philip Dick’s <i>The Man in the High Castle</i>. It involves our protagonist, Kalki Divekar, and her band of conspirators in the Indian Liberation Movement in the city of Kingston (Mumbai). It chronicles the beginnings of the ILM, the growth of activism to resistance, and to rebellion. It is a story of freedom, and what sacrifices we are willing to make to attain it. It is a tale of the horrors of Western Colonialism, which, sadly, is a shared horror for majority of the inhabitants of this planet, and still is for parts of what is now known as the Global South, where the fight still continues.

3.5 Rounding Up! If you are expecting a fantasy steeped in mythology like the author has given us before, this will not be what you’re looking for.

However, if you’re interested in an alternate history that looks at what it could look like if India were still under British imperialist rule in the mid 1900s this could be for you. We follow Kalki and her friends as they form a chapter of the Indian Liberation Movement. The work to support their people and take down the British.

I really enjoyed the structure where every chapter is another year and another lesson Kalki and the movement learns. Patel’s writing is as always fantastic.

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Ten Incarnations of Rebellion was a surprise for me! I really enjoyed the author’s writing, and the commentary on colonialism and the cost of rebellion. It was super topical given the current state of our country. Perfect for Babel lovers.

Kalki is living in Kingston, a city occupied by the British and built where Bombay once stood. With a few women of her community, Kalki finds herself leading the rebellion against the British. She has already lost so much to this fight and she will have to decide what is worth the risk for the freedom of her home.

I loved the relationships between the women and the need for women to work together when men are being drafted for a war they don't return from or persecuted for rebel activities. This book is a deep dive into British occupation and the impact on the people occupied. While this is set in a fictional timeline, the struggles were very real. I enjoyed learning more about the power of women and friendship during rebellion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC of Ten Incarnations of Rebellion.

Netgalley ARC

3.5 stars, rounded up for GR

I loved Patel's Kaikeyi and I liked Goddess of the River, so I went into this one with expectations that it would be a great read for me. In the end, unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to what I hoped it would.

The idea of an imagined India in which the independence fight was lost was compelling. My grandfather was a freedom fighter and went to jail for his resistance so this was a point of connection that made me more invested. I liked our main characters too and the way their stories unraveled.

Yet, there was something about this book that didn't quite hold my attention. Little jarring moments took away from the experience for me. A good example is the way our main character, Kalki, is written to be Marathi but makes a comment about Ganapati being an "otherwise boring god." I'm Marathi, and Ganapati is a hugely revered god in that region - his festival is one of our biggest holidays of the year. So this felt weird, and largely unnecessary as it added nothing to the story.

Patel's first two books involved mythology retellings, so I assume that is why we got the reincarnations of Vishnu here, but it added nothing here. The story would have been just as good, if not better, without it. Even with awareness of what those reincarnations are, it was hard to connect them with what was happening in the story. If you don't have that awareness, I suspect they mean nothing at all. It felt retro-fit to stay on brand instead of being a central feature that links the story elements together.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

What an incredible historical fiction novel! I’ve loved all of Vaishnavi Patel’s works but <i>Ten Incarnations of Rebellion</i> is perhaps my favorite. I felt so moved and emotional reading about the Kalki, Fauzia, and the ILM’s efforts as they fought for and sacrificed so much for India’s independence. Mayuri Bhandari did an excellent job of bringing these characters to life and telling the stories of Vishnu’s avatars in Hinduism. There are so many people who fought for liberation from British rule throughout history who have been forgotten about over the years and I loved how this book highlighted the individual contributions people made, no matter how big or small. This book was especially moving knowing how much my grandparents, their parents, and their parents and ancestors beyond that lived and endured Britain’s colonial rule.

I highly recommend everyone read this book to gain an understanding of how British oppression (the true enemy in all aspects of colonization!) divided South Asians living in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. Even if the individual characters are fictional and the context of this novel is set in an alternate historical timeline, the theories and narrative themes of India’s rebellion and independence movement are the same. So many of the themes of revolution and resistance tactics discussed in this novel are applicable to current events and the injustices that people are experiencing today. May all people living under occupation across the world live to see liberation from their oppressors in their lifetime. ❤️

I have loved Vaishnavi's previous books so I was really excited to start this one! Ten Incarnations of Rebellion is an alternate-history fiction about 1960s India that was not liberated from the British. As someone born in a country that was once colonized by the same people, this concept is something I could heavily relate to and am interested in reading.

One thing I love about Vaishnavi's works is how well-researched her books are (and she makes that known!), so while yes this is not exactly accurate as it is based on an alternate history, I learned a lot about the struggles and sacrifices the people of India had to face during this time and their determination of liberating from the British. I also heavily recognized the similarities between their struggles and my people's struggles back then too. I think this book could be a great starter for someone who wants to know more about this topic, not as reference but something to empathize with before doing their own research.

Although I did really enjoy this, I do have some qualms about this book. The first one being the flow of the writing. I know Vaishnavi's other books also had similar writing style - main character narrator, a lot of telling - but I find this one a bit more hard or flat to read than the other two (which I adored! I'm not a fan of a lot of telling but I found both Goddess of The River and Kaikeyi's writing to be really great). I also think the time jumps could be a lot seamless, and since there's a lot of them here, it's really hard to stay connected to the characters. Also some chapters end really abruptly which I didn't really like.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this Advanced Reader Copy!

This was just kinda okay.
I have a huge interest in Indian History and Indian Mythology, and when I saw that the author of some of my favorite retellings like Kaikeyi and Goddess of the River was writing another book based on the Avatars of Vishnu....I was sold.

However, after reading this, I am a little disappointed in the execution. This read more like a YA dystopian novel than what I was expecting. There were many moments that I wished the pace was a bit tighter and the infusion of the mythology was a bit less predictable. The LGBT+ inclusion was an interesting choice, and I don't really know if it added anything to the story.

I'm also still unsure of the premise of pushing the Indian independence 20 years later? I read the author's note about writing a more militarized British Raj, but if this was set during the actual independence movement, I feel like it could have been even better? I had a hard time really connecting with any of the characters, and they felt a little bit like token characters (Muslim, Dalit, Uncle, Rapey British Villain)

A definite pro for this story was the inclusion of the religious strife between Hindus and Muslims as well as the plight of the low castes within India, this was probably the first time I've seen that in a novel like this. I felt this inclusion was really important as the story of Indian independence contains a lot more than just freedom from colonialism. Thumbs Up for that!

Kalki Divekar is the strong protagonist in this detailed alternative retelling of India under British rule in the 1960s. Each chapter highlights what Kalki has learned and how she has subsequently grown to lead amongst both personal and political turmoil. The subterfuge involved in the resistance made the last 30% of the book incredibly compelling as it took some time for me to truly become invested in each of the characters.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Another beautifully written novel by Vaishnavi Patel, who I am convinced doesn't know any way to write prose other than lovely. This was an interesting premise--ten chapters, ten moments, ten avatars, nearly ten years, jumping through an alternate history with emotional layers. Narratively, this was definitely very ambitious and for the most part, I would call it a success. I think it could have been longer, actually, and explored the relationship between Kalki and the other characters with more depth. What we got was very emotional and complex, tackling very challenging issues of queerness, identity, oppression, caste, and religion. The pacing was really slow but interesting, following the evolution of ideas and characters throughout such a long time period.

However, I did struggle with some of historical context. Some of that was that this is an alternate history, and deals with events that didn't happen. But my own lack of knowledge of the details of what DID happen hindered my understanding of some of the twists from reality, I'm afraid. I wish I were better educated on the real history to enjoy the ripples of how it was handled here.