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savvyrosereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A feminist retelling inspired by the Ramayana, Kaikeyi tells the story of Radnyi (Queen) Kaikeyi of Kosala and her journey through magic, motherhood, and the destruction (and salvation) of her family and kingdom.
“It was a child, freer than her mother had been.”
I adored this book! I love a feminist retelling, but it’s no secret that many of them have a tendency to be slow and a bit boring in sections. Not so here—Kaikeyi is action-packed and engaging from the very beginning, and Kaikeyi herself is a delight of a character who I was rooting for the whole way through. So much happens in this book that it isn’t easy to summarize (or even review), but I laughed, cried, and was thoroughly enthralled by the story and all the side characters (especially Kaushalya and Lakshmana, my faves).
I will also add that even though I went into this with pretty minimal knowledge of the Ramayana/any source myths, I never felt confused about the world or the events taking place. In fact, while I’m sure those who grew up with these myths will also enjoy the book, I think I was even more enchanted because everything was new to me—so if you’re intimidated by this book for those reasons, don’t be!
Bottom line: if you enjoy mythology and retellings, you absolutely have to read this one.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: feminist retellings; Hindu epics; fantasy meets mythology.
CW: War/violence/injury/death; death of parent; abandonment; discussions of infertility; discussions of child death.
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Abandonment, Classism, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, War, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence
Minor: Infertility and Infidelity
mani's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Abandonment, War, Violence, Grief, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Sexism, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
charlereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Grief, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Death, Gaslighting, Murder, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Infertility, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, War, and Bullying
caseythereader's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
- It's not only a beautifully told page-turner, but an indictment of the patriarchy and the story of a woman lifting up marginalized people and holding her head high when punished for it.
- Plus, Kaikeyi is explicitly asexual and aromantic, and it was a joy to watch her grow close to her husband while never feeling a need to try to change herself.
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Blood, Murder, Violence, War, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Misogyny
Moderate: Infertility and Sexual content
maya_reads_books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Blood, Death, War, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent
caidyn's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, War, Death, and Grief
readandfindout's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Themes: 4.5 stars
Characters: 3.5 stars
Plot: 3 stars
Worldbuilding: 3.5 stars
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, Death, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: War, Violence, and Abandonment
Minor: Domestic abuse
totallyshelfaware's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Death, War, and Grief
grichmond's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, Misogyny, Sexism, and War
Moderate: Abandonment and Religious bigotry
Minor: Domestic abuse and Injury/Injury detail
laurareads87's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
As an epic spanning quite a few decades which seamlessly incorporates political maneuvering, complex familiar & interpersonal relationships, and an interesting form of magic unlike anything I’ve ever read before, I enjoyed Kaikeyi. The first-person POV of Kaikeyi felt well established, changing as Kaikeyi aged and grew but remaining cohesive; her relationships with other characters were also well written. I felt like the author’s representation of Kaikeyi as asexual was nuanced and respectful (though, here, I encourage folks to read reviews by ace readers). I do feel like the feminist angle could’ve been much more subtle and nuanced than it was, and that many of the characters could’ve been more morally complex (rather than straightforwardly ‘all good’ or ‘all bad’) than they were. A solid debut novel — I look forward to seeing what Patel writes next.
Content warnings: violence, murder, injury, death, grief, war, sexism, brief mentions of domestic abuse
Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook for providing an ARC in exchange for this review.
Graphic: Grief, War, Sexism, Violence, Murder, and Death
Minor: Domestic abuse