Ten Incarnations of Rebellion follows Kalki, a young woman who is living in an India that was never liberated from the British. As a young girl, her father was forced to run away in the dead of night to escape British officers rounding up rebels. She now lives with her mother as she finishes school and considers how she can best continue the fight for India's freedom. She gathers a small group of her closest friends, and the women work together to fight back against the empire and build a country that will work for all Indians.

The book is full of incredibly impactful relationships. Kalki's relationship with her father drives her desire to be a rebel, and her connections to others help her determine how she fights for freedom, but no relationship is as central to the story as that of Kalki and her best friend, Fauzia. The two met as young girls when Kalki saved Fauzia from a dangerous situation. The two love each other fiercely and are each other's closest confidantes. Their dynamic is beautiful, life-changing, and is the heart of the story.

The book has ten chapters, each focusing on a different critical moment in Kalki's life. Each moment connects with one of the ten avatars of the god Vishnu. These epics add cultural depth and uniqueness to the story.

This structure also lends an almost compulsive readability to the book. Each chapter feels like an individual interconnected short story, in a way. Before reading this, I was nervous about jumping into a heavy, historical novel. I've mostly been reading lighter, more fun books for escapism lately, and I was worried that this would be a difficult or slow read for me. Instead, the setup (and great characters and story) made this story difficult to walk away from!

Ten Incarnations of Rebellion is a powerful novel about rebellion, the price of freedom, and the brutalities of colonization. It's full of complicated characters and beautiful relationships, and it has a meaningful message. I highly recommend it!

4.5 rounded up!

TEN INCARNATIONS OF REBELLION is such a cool concept that is excited almost flawlessly. The premise: what would happen if India did not become an independent nation in 1947? Patel does an incredible job blending historical with the speculative, the characters, and even the plot. The only downside, which is an intentional choice by the author and one that I respect, is that the world in which they created is not as fleshed out and I firmly believe the story could be longer to its benefit.

This story, to me, felt like a blend of Against the Loveless World and Babel. Focusing on the acts of rebellion to overthrow the British, its critical and efficient prose narrows in on this aspect alone. It entirely relies on the FMC, Kalki, and friends desire to free their people from oppression to enable freedom and self expression. It’s a narratively masterful work. It focuses not on large scale acts, but those of smaller choices, on how everyday individuals can stand up against oppression that ultimately gives people hope and the courage to want more for themselves and their people.

However, in creating an alternative history, I do feel that the world could be expanded more. The author, though a preface, states if interested in the actual Indian Independence Movement to read the books and articles she read to research this book. To me, the reads as an intentional choice by the author to focus her narrative on the rebellion and how it affects her characters, not on the newly created world she makes. I respect that choice and see why she chose to do this. But to combine colonization, religious tensions, and class conflicts into one book, and it not be longer, I think, limits this books reach to tackle it all effectively. The author does a good job, but to expand upon this world and these aspect I think could only enhance the novel itself.

Overall, this was a great book that has the same tones of Babel and Against the Loveless World. It’s not a light read by any means, but it one that makes you think.

Thank you to Ballentine and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

3.75 ⭐️
Thank you NetGalley and Ballentine Books for the e-ARC!

This book was unexpected in this best way. When they reached out to me to do a review I wasn’t sure if it would be my typical read. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the book.
Ten Incarnations is an alternate reality historical fiction book in which India is still under British rule. The story follows Kalki as she, her friends and family, and community rebel against the British in order to gain independence. Although, this rebellion comes with loss, sacrifice, threats to safety, secrecy, and immense bravery.
Each chapter of the book depicts the story of 1 of 10 rebellions plotted.
I found this book to be very eye opening, but also unusually relevant to our current world as we face an increase in fascism worldwide.
I can tell this story meant a lot to the author, and would say it had a big impact on me as well.

Thank you Netgalley & Ballantine Books for an eARC ♥️

There’s a particular kind of ache that comes from reading a book that feels like it was written for the deepest, most unspoken parts of you. *Ten Incarnations of Rebellion* did that to me. It’s not just an alternate history or a reimagining of myth—it’s a mirror held up to our own world, reflecting back the weight of oppression, the fire of resistance, and the quiet, terrifying choices that define who we are in the face of both.
The novel’s India—still trapped under British rule, its people fractured and brutalized—is so vividly rendered that it doesn’t feel speculative at all. It feels like a warning. Kingston, a city built on the bones of Bombay, is a place where hope has been methodically crushed, where the older generation is broken and the young are fed into wars they didn’t choose. And yet, against this bleakness, Kalki Divekar and her friends dare to imagine something different. Their rebellion isn’t glamorous. It’s messy, desperate, and achingly human. They aren’t untouchable heroes; they’re scared, angry, and sometimes selfish, and that’s what makes their fight so powerful.
What haunts me most is how the book frames resistance not as a single, triumphant act, but as a series of small, brutal decisions. Kalki’s journey mirrors the Dashavatara, but this isn’t a neat, divine allegory. Instead, the mythic structure underscores how rebellion is cyclical—how each generation must find its own way to fight, to fail, and to rise again. There’s a moment where Kalki realizes that survival itself can be a form of defiance, and it shattered me. Because isn’t that the truth so many of us live with? That sometimes, just enduring is its own kind of revolution?
The prose is sharp enough to draw blood, especially in its quieter moments. A glance between friends that carries the weight of betrayal. A letter that will never be read. A name whispered like a prayer before it’s swallowed by silence. These are the fragments that make the story feel so alive, so urgent. By the end, I wasn’t just moved—I was unsettled, in the best way. This book doesn’t let you look away. It asks, over and over: *What would you sacrifice? How much would you endure? And what does freedom truly cost?*

I don’t know if I have the answers. But I do know that *Ten Incarnations of Rebellion* will stay with me for a long, long time. Maybe forever.💔

This is a beautiful novel that brings light to a piece of history that many may not have been exposed to through previous novels. Kalki grew up thinking that her father was gone, lost fighting for freedom from the British rule. When the fighting starts to take her friends and community away, she knows that she can’t sit idle. So, she works with the other women in the community to create a new branch of the resistance. Here she is able to enact change but she also learns that she is cable of things she never knew possible both good and bad. This is a very interesting book and I am excited for people to possibly learn something new about history they have never previously known about.
Thank you to Random House Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

4.25 stars for 10 incredible acts of rebellion!!

Set in an alternate history where India is still under colonial rule by the British, and one girl lights the spark that inspires ten years of action to win back her country. I was inspired and fired up, learned so much about India's history and culture, and brought to the edge of alllll the emotions while reading this! Our heroine Kalki, her roommate and best friend Fauzia, and the women of Bombay slowly and surely rise up against their oppressors in the ways that only women can. Each act of rebellion is tied to the story one avatar of Vishnu, a perfect metaphor for the work of these powerful women!

I'm truly just walking away from this inspired and emotional and having a hard time with words, but this was incredible! Thanks so much to Vaishnavi Patel and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

The struggle is never over.

An intriguing historical fiction read in which what would have happened if India had never gained their independence from the British. I can’t say I was well informed of their history so I did some research and wow, the author really did well in making an alternate reality in this book. I love how she weaves that with mythology.

The messages of this book are ones that are still true with the oppression we see happening around the world. At what point do people start rebelling and how? What is considered rebellion and is there a correct way to do it?

I loved seeing how little by little, Kalki starts laying the seeds from the inside to start the rebellion. It really shows you how any little bit of activism can set the fire to what you believe in.

While I enjoyed this book, it could have used more depth in certain places and could have used more showing us than just telling us. However, an absolute solid read. Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine Books and Vaishnavi Patel for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

3.75 stars

This is my first book by this author, and it's going to be a memorable one.

Kalki grows up in a version of India that exists in an alternate universe where there is no liberation from the British. Sound depressing? That's correct. Kalki, her family, her friends, and every part of her life are all impacted by the continued overt colonization they experience, and as the men are rapidly drained from the fabric of their society, Kalki and other women are left with a choice: submit or act. Kalki definitely chooses to act.

Readers should expect from the synopsis that this will not be an uplifting read, and to a large degree, that is true. There is constant struggle, loss, risk, fear, and gross unfairness in almost every incident and in every person's lived experience. That noted, there is also so much commentary and evidence of the resilience of the human spirit, the bonds we build with family and chosen family, and the ways individuals can collaborate almost tirelessly to fight for what is right.

Transparently, my interest in this book fully emanated from the notes about how it was structured, but while I was actually reading, I lost sight of this aspect quickly. Additionally, I struggled with the ending. I hate spoilers so I won't provide that detail here, but...not my favorite.

Overall, I enjoyed this read and am glad I was introduced to this author through it. I look forward to reading more from Patel.

Ten Incarnations of Rebellion by Vaishnavi Patel

By the author’s own admission, this book is an alternate version of the fight for independence from Britain by the Indian population of that country. This fight is female led and fought, headed up by young Kalki Divekar and her closest allies. There was much danger in this uprising, but this growing group of rebels were willing to chance loss of life for their freedom.

I found this story intriguing due to my admiration of this country, its people and its literature. Some of the best books I’ve read are penned by Indian writers. This story shows the tight reins the British held on the Indians, which led to their loss of freedom, great poverty, famine and therefore desire for independence.

Overall I give this book a solid four star rating and suggest it for readers who are interested in the end of the Raj.

Ten Incarnations of Rebellion is a bold, genre-defying novel that blends myth with resistance, reimagining a colonized 1960s India through the fierce and fearless eyes of Kalki Divekar. Each of the ten chapters, mirroring the avatars of Vishnu, paints a vivid portrait of rebellion, friendship, and sacrifice as Kalki navigates a world torn by oppression and silence. Vaishnavi Patel delivers a story that is both intimate and revolutionary, steeped in cultural depth and emotional power. Though at times the pacing falters under the weight of its ambition, the novel’s heart, Kalki’s evolution from grieving daughter to insurgent icon, shines brightly. A powerful testament to what it means to fight for change from within.

A gripping speculative novel that reimagines 1960s India as a nation still under British colonial rule. Through the lens of Kalki, a young woman raised in the city of Kingston (a reimagined Bombay)—Patel explores the personal and political costs of resistance, weaving together mythology, revolution, and identity into a compelling narrative.

The novel covers ten years in Kalki’s life, each chapter mirroring one of the Dashavatara—the ten avatars of Vishnu. This structure grounds the story in Hindu mythology, and serves as a metaphor for transformation and resistance. So an very unique take on this interesting topic.

Kalki, alongside her friends Fauzia and Yashu, infiltrate the British administration while secretly organizing a grassroots rebellion. Their journey delves into themes of imperialism, caste oppression, religious division, and queer identity, offering a multifaceted exploration of what it means to fight for freedom.

I loved the integration of mythology with alternate history, and found it inventive and intellectually rich. Clearly not a book you can read with lots of nearby distractions. The narrative doesn't shy away from complex moral questions—such as the ethics of violence in revolution and the relationship between caste, religion, and gender. Characters like Yashu, a Dalit woman, and Fauzia, a Muslim lesbian, bring depth and authenticity to the story, highlighting voices that are often marginalized in historical narratives.

However, the pacing is often a bit challenging, and sometimes leaves the character development and emotional arcs lacking. Additionally, the frequent shifts between present action and past memories can be jarring, occasionally disrupting the narrative flow.

All in all, I found it to still be a daring and imaginative work that challenges readers to reconsider history through a speculative lens, and reveals the power of collective action.

Ten Incarnations of Rebellion by Vaishnavi Patel

Thank You NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for a complimentary copy of this novel! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was invited to read and review this novel, but honestly, I had a bit of a hard time getting into it, especially the first half or so. While I enjoy a good historical fiction and this novel is categorized as a historical fiction, it didn’t pull me in as other historical fiction novels pull me in. This novel is a speculative historical fiction. Overall, the writing was very good. It is set in India in the 1960’s and explores the idea of a different account of India and it’s fight for freedom from the British. Kalki’s father led a rebellion years ago, but he disappeared in order to stay safe and work behind the scenes. Now it is up to Kalki and her group of women friends to band together and fight for India’s freedom. But there are threats and those who wish to stop them. They must be careful who to trust. This speculative novel is ten chapters long, with each chapter portraying a moment in Kalki’s life. The book is meant to signify the ten avatars of Vishnu. It explores the idea of what it means to have freedom, and what one is willing to do and sacrifice to achieve true freedom. Overall, I did enjoy the novel even though I had a hard time getting into it at the beginning. The last quarter of the novel picks up and there is a lot happening. It will be AVAILABLE June 3, 2025!

DNF at 18%. Super disappointing! I liked Patel’s Kaikeyi and Goddess of the River a lot, but this one is not working for me. I’m not sure if her style is better suited to myth retellings or if she changed her style here… I think it’s the former.

This is the story of Kalki and her friends as they navigate an alternative history of India where the British still rule in the 1960s. I read Babel by R F Kuang recently, and even though magic is not included in this story, it feels quite similar to Babel in style, scope, and pacing. And thematic content, of course. Folks who enjoyed Babel might want to give this book a try.

For me, the writing is too simplistic and the story moves too fast for emotional impact. I meet a couple characters and just a few pages later they are called off to war. That would hit me harder if I had had time to get attached to them. I do think Patel’s other works read like that at times, too, but it clicked for me in a myth retelling. In a more contemporary story like this, I’m looking for more character depth.

I will absolutely read more from Patel in the future, but I don’t think she’s an automatic win for me!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

An interesting story about gaining independence and knowing how much you are willing to give up in order to accomplish political freedom. I liked that Kalki had friends who were there to remind her what she was trying to accomplish and help her with her goals. I liked that she stood up to more radical resistances fighters who were willing to use guns and more violence to gain freedom. It was hard when Kalki found out that one of her campaigns would lead to killing innocent people and that it would be used against her organization. I liked her mom who was there when she need a place to stay or she need comfort, and I like that a person that Kalki thought was an enemy was actually a informant who was help Kalki succeed in her mission.
The hardest part of the story was wondering if Kalki and her resistances fighters were ever going to gain freedom and if the cost of that freedom was worth it, including the lost of her best friend..

I want to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an advance copy of a story about resisting an oppressor.

This book was different than my usual reads, and maybe that's why it felt like it took me a long time to get into it. I really liked the setting of an alternate reality in India still under British occupation with the central characters fighting a rebellion. The first third was definitely pretty slow which made me have a lot of trouble getting into the overall plot.

I really enjoyed this speculative fiction novel from Vaishnavi Patel. Her research and worldbuilding were extensive and intricate, which made for a strong backdrop for the story. I struggled to connect with the characters and felt that the pacing dragged at times, but the story itself was engaging and painted a picture of the issue of imperialism and how these problems echo throughout history.
I especially enjoyed the bits of Hindu mythology at the end of each chapter as they related to Kalki and her experiences. Despite the characters' lack of depth, the stories being told helped tie the (alternate) history of India to the heroes of myth and legend.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the eARC!

A slow first half of the book was saved by a wonderful last half full of romance, tragedy, action, and heart.

I was so pulled in by the world building that it was hard to remember I wasn't reading actual historical fiction. I felt a little disconnected from the characters due to the format of the book - each chapter covers pivotal moments in a year of Kalki's life, so we are thrown into events year after year. It was an interesting narrative choice but it didn't quite resonate with me.

This was an enjoyable read with a fascinating premise. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This was a book I was highly anticipating because I really enjoy the author and have loved the other two books by her that I read. I just couldn’t get into this one. I read 50 percent before Dnfing it. I had a hard time getting attached to the characters.

I do think this will be a huge hit with people who mostly read historical fiction and want something a little different! I can see this being some people’s favorite book of the year so even though it didn’t work for me, I will be recommending it often to people that I think would enjoy it. I think if I had been more familiar with this time period, I would have enjoyed an alternate reality more but I’m just not that familiar with it.

4.5 stars

What would India look like if their freedom from the British had not been won? How would the citizens have reacted and found their freedom?

I love the work of Vaishnavi Patel. Her writing is evocative and her concepts thought provoking. Ten Incarnations of Rebellion was an interesting novel that followed Kalki as she fights for Indian freedom under British colonialism. This felt different than Patel’s prior works but held the same level of emotionality. The last chapter in particular was fast paced and so fulfilling.

Highly recommend to readers of Patel’s previous works and those interested in historical fiction!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine Books for access to this work. All opinions are my own.

Ten Incarnations of Rebellion should be required reading. The way the story was infused with mythology against the background of modern systems of oppression was both inspirational and moving. Although the plot presents an alternative version of history, it paints a very real picture of the fight for independence.

It’s full of strife, acts of rebellion, and reckoning with deeply held prejudices and biases innate to us all. Like Yashu, plead to Kalki, we cannot strive to go back to what came before, but rather overthrow all systems of oppression and injustice, and create the world we wish to live in. Overall, a beautiful story of love, friendship, sacrifice, and determination.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Random House for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.