4 stars- this book will leave me thinking for a while.

The story is set in a dystopian timeline where India had not gained their independence from British rule. This story exposes us to the successes and the flaws with rebellions, while also touching on varying social statuses such as religion, sexuality, and castes.

The women in this story are well developed and will leave you feeling EVERYTHING. You will cheer for them, you will hate them, you will question them, but in the end you will keep reading because the story is so well written. Absolutely worth a read, even if it isn't your typical genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC of the book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for inviting me to read this advance reader's copy of the book. I found this book to be very well written and quite interesting. The idea of an alternate timeline where India was still a British colony and the great Indian revolutionaries had been killed trying to win independence was definitely a different take. I thought the book was not only well written and immersive, but you can also tell that this is a subject that is not only important to the author but something that should be talked about more. The characters were intriguing and I loved that the women of Kingston were the primary revolutionaries who were striving for change differently than the male characters were fighting in other parts of India. The addition of the stories/myths at the end of each chapter just added more to the overall story.

This alternate history of India’s fight against British colonialism grabbed me from page one. Ten Incarnations of Rebellion is structured as ten chapters—ten years, 10 phases of development—each reflecting a stage in Kalki’s revolutionary journey, and mirroring the ten incarnations of Vishnu. It’s an ambitious, layered story that weaves mythology, resistance, and identity into something both inspiring and original.

Patel’s use of Hindu myth, alongside vivid cultural details (the wedding circles scene woven into her memories of her father's arrest in particular was stunning), grounds the story with heart and texture. I especially appreciated the way she explores what it means to hold onto your values while navigating the impossible choices that come with revolution.

That said, the prose occasionally felt heavy, bloated with exposition, and I found myself wishing for more depth in the relationships—particularly the sapphic romance between Fauzia and Kalki, which had so much potential but didn’t quite get the space it needed to fully land. This did not hamper my enjoyment of the book, and I was particularly impressed with the storyline and Patel's clearly impeccable scholarship on oppressive colonial rule.

This is a bold, thoughtful, and timely novel. It asks important questions about power, memory, and liberation—and refuses easy answers. Recommended for fans of mythology, history, politics, and spec fiction.

4.5 stars

5/5 Stars | No Notes. Pick this up IMMEDIATELY (when it releases)

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advance copy of this absolute masterpiece!

What I liked: Every so often, a book slips a hand into your chest cavity, rearranges your heartstrings like a harp, and plays a haunting tune you didn’t know you’d been waiting your whole life to hear. This is that book. A breathtaking, multigenerational tapestry of trauma, resistance, and the way our choices can haunt us. Each incarnation—each step of rebellion—was rendered with so much care, complexity, and conviction. Nothing was wasted. Every character felt like a fully breathing person, with decisions that made sense even when they hurt. The prose? Lush. The themes? Devastatingly poignant. The pacing? Steady and engaging. This is how you do books. This is how you write rebellion. This is how you show humanity in all its flawed, furious, resilient glory.

What I disliked: Me @ myself: “Let’s find something to critique for balance.”
Also me: “Shut up and cry about this book like a normal person.”
No notes. 😭✨

Book: Ten Incarnations of Rebellion
Author: Vaishnavi Patel
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Ballantine Books, for providing me with an ARC. This is the second book by this author that I have read. I love Vaishnavi’s writing style and how quickly she manages to pull me in. She truly does have a lot of talent when it comes to storytelling.

This was followed Kalki Divekar, who has always known Kingston as her home, which is a city born from the ashes of Bombay and shaped by British rule. Her childhood is marked by silence and loss, the older generation broken by the Empire’s ruthless hunt for dissenters. Young men are sent to fight in distant wars, never to return. Around her, neighbours are quicker to turn on each other than to face the real enemy. When violence strikes her own family, Kalki chooses resistance. Alongside her friends, she takes work within the heart of the British system, hiding their true intentions behind careful smiles. Together, they build an underground independence movement, fully aware that one misstep could mean death. In a city full of spies and shifting loyalties, Kalki must ask herself what matters more: survival or sacrifice.

This is speculative fiction, and it asks the question What if India had not gained independence from the British in 1947. Now, you do not need to have a ton of background knowledge to follow this book, but you do need to know that this is not a true historical account. I did enjoy this. I have not read too much about the Indian independence movement, and this was a refreshing read. If I am correct (and by all means, correct me), Indian independence is not discussed in most circles. This book will bring to life the impacts of imperialism and colonialism had and have had on cultures and those who lived through them. At least where I live, we have always been told of the glories of the British Empire. This book tells a very different story. We see how much destruction it had on the Indian people and how they were not treated a people, but as animals and animals who had to be ruled because they could not do it on their own. Families ' livelihoods are turned upside down because of it.

Kalki sees all of this day to day. She is faced with the harshness of British rule in more than one way. Her father is involved in the rebellion, and she has not seen or heard from him in years. Her family deals with power outages, a lack of food, and is always under the eye of the British. They are seen as less than human. She decides to become involved in overthrowing the British, even though it is dangerous. She believes that she needs to help her people before it is too late. She has to keep it a secret, though, because if she is discovered, she will most certainly be killed. Even though she does work with her friends, there is still the chance that someone will turn them in to save themselves. What stands out is that she is a symbol of a rebellion, but she is not thrust into it against her will, but one who takes it on independently. She wants this and is willing to fight for it.

The world-building and writing will pull you in right away. I started out my review by saying that the author has a lot of talent. The way she writes and builds her worlds is truly an immersive experience. It takes you in and makes it very difficult to get out of. You are there with Kalki, taking the British. You feel all of her pain and heartache along with her. This is something that I don’t see happening a lot of times in books. Now, I did find the pacing a bit uneven, which is why I knocked this book down to a four-star.

Overall, I did enjoy this one a lot. If you are looking for a solid book with a different take, then I encourage you to give this one a go. I don’t think you will be sorry.

This book comes out on June 3, 2025.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/gjnmaj1jHi0

2.25 stars. Ten Incarnations of Rebellion was definitely not what I expected. Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the chance to read this via gifted eARC. All thoughts are my own and honest.

Honestly, I don’t really have much to say about this one. The chapters were too long and the plot was so boring. I did like the main character Kalki. The references to Hindu and Indian folklore were interesting, but I didn’t feel they added anything to the story. It felt like they were there just to be there.

That being said, I do still think there’s an audience for this book. It definitely isn’t me though.

📜Quick Summary: In Ten Incarnations of Rebellion, we follow Kalki who is living in India, but in a world where they’re still under British rule. She grew up with a rebel as a father, and she’s at a pivotal moment in her life where she needs to decide if she will follow in his footsteps or not. As each chapter passes, we see one year of growth in Kalki. As we span over a decade of her life, we see into this alternate reality of the war and retributions of gaining their peace from British rule.

❣️Initial Feels: This doesn’t feel like my usual cup of tea, but I’m going to give it a go!

👀Trigger Warnings: racism, assault

📖Read if you want: historical fiction fantasy combo, a fight for independence

🙋🏼‍♀️Moving Character: In most type of war or rebellion books, we may expect a male lead character. However, Kalhki is a strong and intelligent female lead, which is refreshing to see.

💡Final Sentiments: You can tell a lot of research and time was spent on this novel. It’s detailed, it has depth, and an incredible world building. I can say honestly I do not have the best historical background on this time for India, however reading this has made me intrigued. The characters have a lot of depth and this novel will absolutely be up someone’s alley. Although it wasn’t a book I ran back to, I did have great moments with it. Some of the pacing felt off, especially with only ten long chapters, and there could have been some more emotional push for some of the characters at times.

🌟Overall Rating: 4 stars

🔉Special thanks to Vaishnavi Patel, Random House Publishing-Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for this arc of Ten Incarnations of Rebellion.

📘Grab yourself a copy on June 3, 2025!

Several stories of young people in India and how they chose to fight for India’s independence from Britain.

I learned a lot about Indian and British colonial history--even though it was alternate history, the author did say in her note at the end that everything was based in real-life events, and since I knew almost nothing before, I still gained a lot of new insights. I also thought it was well-written with characters that had a lot of depth and nuance. That being said, the pacing was really slow and it had an odd structure that made the story itself hard to get absorbed in. I just never really got swept away in the narrative, but I still found it a valuable read.

I love alternative history novels and this one definitely lived up to my expectations. This one is a take on if the Indian revolution was not successful, so the British Empire is still in control. Kalki is a powerful FMC as she begins a women's movement that works to destabilize their oppressors. A beautifully told story.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC
Vaishnavi Patel's books have been on my tbr so I was really excited for this read! I enjoyed the story, how it mirrors the Dashavatara: the ten avatars of Vishnu, and what India would look like under British rule. However, the read felt clunky. It felt too long and too short at the same time. I felt like the chapters were too long which made it difficult to follow and the stories felt rushed to where it didn't feel believable. I'm looking forward to picking up her other books, but I don't think this was for me!

I quite liked this book! And funnily enough, because RF Kuang blurbed this title, I was reading Babel in the same week. I had a theme of alternate history. This was also giving me Bone Season vives, especially with the cover. I think a lot of people will love this book and know it will be a staple on my gift giving list this year.

A captivating read. Written in an alternate history where the Indian revolution was unsuccessful and they were still under British rule, it centers around a woman decades later that works to reprise that Movement in what is known as Mumbai. Together Kalki and fellow women start their own local movement and sabotage the workings of the British stationed there. Despite the struggle to look beyond her immense drive to see a free independent India, she also manages to find love along the way. And experience her fair share of heartbreak. Beautifully written!

Thank you to Ballantine for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review! I had seen this compared to Babel a lot and because I was merely so-so on Babel, I was so willing to give this a shot with no expectations. The book follows an alternate universe where India didn't gain independence from Britain, so essentially a possible future. I love the alternative take on history, and the author's voice was poised and engaging, but it lacks emotion needed to carry a fiction book and move it forward. I love the premise, but it was lacking narrative, ultimately, which is something that Babel struggles with, too. I'm not sure if it's the fault of the genre and what constitutes this reimagining of history is that it reads monotonous, but I think there was just a degree of unnatural forced writing with this one that lacks connection to the characters.

✷ 2025/05/11
historical fiction | fantasy

i was so excited for this book and arc because i've wanted to read vaishnavi patel's kaikeyi since forever 🙈

⤷ thoughts:

ten incarnations of rebellion is an alternate history reimagining of india still under control of the british, the story following kalki, a young woman over the course of 10 yrs (split into 10 chapters!)

books about rebellion are everywhere these days. even before i read the first page i was reminded a lot of rf kuang's babel, which is my fault because i never go one day without judging a book by its blurbs, but i think thematically and somewhat plotwise they have similar structure - only that i enjoyed babel a littleeeeee more 😓🤞 in theory i liked a LOT of these concepts and the research and time put into this is so obviously well-done that i feel bad saying that i didn't enjoy it. i never really got into it and i think it's not because of bad writing (its not bad!!!), but kalki lacks the relatability and/or the interest that makes you invested in a book.

anyways ya. thank you for reading this review that i wrote instead of studying! and thank you to netgalley for the arc of course!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Ten Incarnations of Rebellion by Vaishnavi Patel is a first person-POV historical set in an alternative Mumbai in the 1960s. Kalki’s father is a member of the resistance against Britain’s rule and has instilled in her a deep desire to fall in his footsteps even after he disappears. As she and her best friend, Fauzia, work for the Indian Liberation Movement, Kalki is more willing to do whatever it takes, even if it results in death and destruction.

The worldbuilding is based on what might have happened if Britain had used strategies in Indian that they used in other colonies to suppress rebellion. As acknowledged by Vaishnavi Patel, it is also based on the reality that while India’s movement for independence was largely nonviolent, that didn’t mean everyone agreed and that violence never happened. Bombay has been burned and rebuilt in Kingston and the lines across geography, caste, and faith have remained. If you have a strong background knowledge in India’s socio-political climate and the actions of colonizations against those they are colonizing, it should feel quite solid and realistic, including the outlawing of Queerness and the drafting of Indian men, leaving Kingston to the women.

Fauzia and Kalki have a complicated love story that really shows the clashing of different ideologies within a movement. Fauzia knows much sooner that she is Sapphic, falling for Kalki and confessing only for Kalki to reject her. Instead of pulling away, the two remain friends and Kalki slowly starts to develop romantic feelings. The two have very different ideas of what the ILM should be doing as Fauzia doesn’t believe that the ends justify the means if they involve violence in any way while Kalki is more willing to kill the British to free India. Both hold firmly to their convictions, but Kalki slowly starts to understand where Fauzia is coming from and asks herself if she’s putting India on the right path.

There is a lot of frank discussion around violence in this book and how normalized it is. As a young woman, Kalki witnesses a sexual assault in progress and it is very specifically mentioned how common it is for British men to hurt Indian women. There’s a bombing gone wrong with horrific consequences and we see what those consequences are. At no point is the book arguing against rebellion and resistance, the plot is very much in favor of these things, but it’s also in favor of remembering that the most vulnerable members of society can get caught in the crossfire and just because you have an option doesn’t necessarily mean you should take it. It also sheds light on complexity in ways that are realistic because not only do good characters do despicable things, but despicable characters do good things, including things that assist in the resistance instead of opposing it.

Content warning for depictions of violence, homophobia, racism, and assault.

I would recommend this to fans of books centering resistance and rebellion and readers looking for a book that clearly states the world we live in is full of complicated people

I absolutely love Patel’s writing. It is all consuming and draws the reader right into the story.

This one dragged just a little in the beginning, but I was quickly pulled into this world. I love these characters so much and the story itself was compelling, heartbreaking, and hopeful.

I will read anything Patel writes.

I like alternate history books: they are imaginative and thought-provoking. "Ten Incarnations of Rebellion" is both of those things, raising issues about colonialism and its effects on native cultures.

It's the 1960s, and India has been under British rule for decades. The restrictions imposed on the Indians have created a climate of unrest. Resistance groups have sprung up, some militant, others non-violent. Kalki Divekar, whose father has been away fighting for freedom, has decided to form her resistance group in her hometown of Kingston. Together with her two closest friends, Kalki begins sewing the seeds of a non-violent movement, designed to harass the British rulers and their Indian collaborators. By working in the British governing hierarchy, they initially sought to disrupt plans. However, as the movement grew, the goals changed, and their once non-violent activities now incorporate sabotage that imperils all their lives.

The interweaving of historical fact and speculation makes this an engrossing read. It is well-researched and doesn't shy away from the injustice done to the Indian people while under British rule. It deals with the morality of the oppressors as well as the power of resistance. The characters are well-drawn, and their situations are believable. 4/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Ballantine Books, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is June 3, 2025.

This is the second book of Ms. Patel’s that I have had the pleasure of enjoying and it was definitely a wonderful read.

The plot follows Kalki, a young woman born into a version of India where the country had not yet one its independence from the British. Overtime she forms a group of women who find ways to fight in the rebellion for independence. This story is filled with diverse characters that are full of life, dreams, and complicated emotions, which makes them completely relatable despite the plot being set in a time and place that is more specific. Ms. Patel also does not shy away from creating characters who could be easy to dislike for their beliefs or decisions, simply because the story would not be nearly as rich without them.

The layers that Ms. Patel weaves together to create all the unique aspects of life in Kingston and the surrounding area create a world that is bursting with culture and life. Whether this means the more disheartening elements of caste, poverty, and abuse of power or more joyful components of a wedding ceremonies or traditional family activities, the world in which Kalki and her friends and family live in is one that is easy for the reader to immerse themselves in and believe that every bit is real.

The most unique facet of the way this book is written is Ms. Patel’s inclusion of cultural lore. The stories themselves are fascinating and allow the reader to learn something new about this culture alongside enjoying the plot of the book. However, it is the way that the stories are integrated into that plot that is the most genius part. Sometimes a story is used during one character comforting another, sometimes it correlates with a memory of Kalki’s past, or even to relate to a lesson learned within the plot. It provides a seamless transition that does not feel out of context or jarring.

One thing that I might recommend is for the reader to start with the author’s note, in addition to the preface, at the end before enjoying the story itself. It does a great job at setting the scene as an alternate history to the real way things played out in India. It also does a wonderful job at reminding the reader of how colonialism is applicable in the broader world.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy this book.

I have been an ardent fan of Vaishnavi Patels work, with Kaikeyi being a firm favorite. Her lyrical writing melded beautifully with the epic mythology thenes she picked. This read, was a sharp left turn for me, from an expectations perspective.

Vaishnavi combined the ignominy of subjugation and the angst of familial bonds, both found and inherited, in a time of change. Her tone captures the rawness of emotions and the undercurrent of fear, hopelessness and the need for fulfillment among youth whose ambitions have been repressed. The tale is a beautiful panorama of the Indian freedom movement, where the existing heroes were dealt with by the British. Vaishnavi weaves threads of patriotism, acceptance, forgiveness and freedom as tangible as the angst of the lead, Kalki, her growth and the confluence of societal and political impetus that drive her.
I thoroughly relished the tale and the interspersed references to the dasavatar or the ten reincarnation that Vishnu took to preserve goodness on earth. While looking at morality and death surrounding a leaders choices and the consequences actions of rebellion bring, Vaishnavi spins a bold and flawed etching that hits closer to home truths and the prevailing tensions. This book is a must read for anyone who enjoyed Poppy War and An ember in the Ashes. While magical systems may be missing, the writing and tone deals a mellifluous and lyrical ebb to this tale of the freedom struggle.
The tale follows Kalki Divekar, daughter of a ILM rebel, and fervent believer of freedom, in her quest for aiding the freedom movement despite being relegated to lowly roles due to her nationality and her gender. The research undertaken to bring out this nuanced tonality to the menu meter out to folks is beautifully executed. Assisting Kalki, akin to three musketeers, are the compassionate Fauzia and the downtrodden Yashu. Their paths to individual glory and their collective planning form the basis of this gripping tale!

Many thank yous to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC!