Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - Kaikeyi

Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

aksmith92's review

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Setup: 'Kaikeyi' is a unique and captivating reimagining of a character from the Indian epic, the Ramayana. In her debut novel, Vaishnavi Patel defies convention by transforming the traditionally vilified queen Kaikeyi into a multidimensional protagonist. The novel delves into her life and motivations with a depth and nuance that is both refreshing and thought-provoking. We witness Kaikeyi's journey from a young girl, grappling with the challenges of a patriarchal society, to a married woman with children, navigating the complexities of her role.

Kaikeyi is an ambitious and intelligent woman who seeks independence and power in this patriarchal society. Born as the only daughter of the Raja of Kekaya, Kaikeyi is overshadowed by her brothers and is deeply affected by her mother's banishment. As she grapples with this grief and frustration, she learns that she possesses an ancient magic known as the Binding Plane, which allows her to see and influence the bonds between people. This power becomes a tool for navigating the political and social structures around her - but sometimes with a cost.

Not even into adulthood, she marries Raja Dasharath, and she becomes a warrior and diplomat, striving to create a more just world, especially for women. She establishes the Women's Council with Dasharath's other wives to address the concerns of those who are often unheard. Kaikeyi takes on significant roles that defy the traditional expectations of her time. However, her journey is fraught with challenges as she contends with the divine destinies imposed on her and her family, particularly concerning her stepson, Rama.

Patel's portrayal of Kaikeyi is not just richly detailed, but also deeply empathetic, providing a fresh and powerful feminist perspective on an ancient story. The novel explores themes of power, destiny, and resistance, shining a spotlight on Kaikey's unwavering determination to carve out her own legacy despite the cosmic and societal forces that stand in her way.

What I loved: I knew nothing about this retelling, so most of the information was entirely new to me, and I loved it. Kaikeyi was a formidable character in the best way—she was layered, nuanced, and poignant. She was also strong and determined and showcased so much grit. And while she wanted to do what was best for the women in her community, she also cared deeply about her family. I adored her character.

In addition, the plot and the retelling itself were phenomenal. Again, I knew nothing about the Ramayana, so this whole world was new to me. Still, I thought it was brilliant for Patel to tell this story of just Kaikeyi and her upbringing, leaving the Ramayana mostly untouched (when Rama was older and finding his divine purpose). We get to see Kaikeyi's motivations and what happens to her children throughout the years.

The prose was also quite readable and beautiful. I don't know if I would call this atmospheric, but I loved Patel's writing, sentence structure, and storytelling. I was utterly immersed in this novel and couldn't put it down.

Lastly, I honestly loved the tiny dose of fantasy in this novel—the Binding Plane and the integration of gods/goddesses were important touches. Not only was this needed because it relates to the mythical story of the Ramayana, but it added a layer to Kaikeyi and helped paint her story. With that said, be prepared to understand little about the magical system—it just exists.

I don't really have anything bad to say about this book—but be prepared to be frustrated, especially if you identify as a woman and understand a teensy bit about a patriarchal society. This book was no doubt embedded with sexism and misogyny. However, that was the point and made the book even more powerful.

I am so thankful to have read this and look forward to seeing what other novels surface from Patel.

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tinysierra's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Kaikeyi is a beautiful story. It took me a moment to really get into the book, but once I did, I felt Kaikeyi’s frustration, joy, heartache. Vaishnavi Patel did a beautiful job crafting the story through Kaikeyi’s eyes. She was such a great main character.

Kaikeyi is aroace, which was incredibly well done. The words “aromantic” and “asexual” are not used on page, but the text is clear.
Aromantic quote:

“They thought me shy when it came to such matters, for I would sit back quietly, but in fact I had nothing to add. No such feelings for Dasharath, or any person, had ever surfaced in me. I was comfortable with my husband, loved him as a dear friend, but the pull of romance meant nothing to me. I could be happy for those in love, but I could not understand.” pg 198

Asexual quote:

”For when I thought about the acts Manthara described, or when I studied the illustrations in some of the more well-hidden recesses of the library, I felt only indifference. I had heard serving girls talk in whispers and giggles about men they found charming, or how it felt to steal a covert kiss with their betrothed. I thought of Dasharath and searched for the same desire within myself, but nothing ever emerged.” pg 98

I loved the sense of sisterhood between the wives. I loved that the children were cared for equally by all of them. It was so achingly beautiful.

I personally liked that although there was pregnancy, it wasn’t talked about deeply.

Content Warnings

lucystolethesky's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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julierambaeck's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I LOVE WOMEN!

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writingcaia's review

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

Kaikeyi is a badly portrayed woman that tried her best to save and keep her family amidst an incredibly difficult life journey that takes her from her father’s home and country - where Kaikeyi found the unfairness of being a woman, where she was abandoned by her mother, but also where she found her power and forced her twin to teach all the arts of war - to her husband’s, the young ruler of the biggest kingdom, home and land, to be his third wife.
Scared but brave, Kaikeyi with her magic power and her cunning will soon be loved by all and have the power to change women’s lives in her new kingdom, which will have repercussion throughout. But not all will be happy about this.
And, the Gods were always against her, never replying to her prayers and sometimes even going so far as to do the opposite of what she prayed for.
Prophecies will unfold no matter Kaikeyi’s wishes and good intentions. Evil is lurking and the Gods are playing.
I loved loved loved this story.
I never knew of the Indian epic Ramayana, but it’s definitely intriguing to me now, although after this amazing tale of a minor character in it, the hated stepmother, I don’t think I can love it as much.
Absolutely brilliant take, the way the four parts of the book start, with what I assume are the “actual” tales written of Kaikeyi, and how as you read you understand how it played out, how the best of intentions and of her love get twisted by “history” is amazing.
Also, love that she’s portrayed by the author as asexual, as greysexual myself I love to see this representation.
There’s so much more I could say, the awesome writing, the incredible side characters, the scope of the story and the empowerment of women, and spoilers, but I’ll let you go ahead and read it.
Go now.

Content Warnings