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ginalucia's review
- 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
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, and War
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy
mekowaletti's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Misogyny, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
worththecandle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death, Infertility, Blood, Grief, and Abandonment
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Minor: Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
wardenred's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
What good was learning if I did not take action?
Whew. It feels like this book took me an absolute forever. There were parts that I breezed through, but then there were also the parts where every page was a chore, even though I can’t tell I disliked anything in particular. I just… struggled to get to the point and to figure out what to focus on, I guess? I think it had everything to do with the pacing and the abundance of all those fluffy, slice-of-life scenes that did rather little to push the plot forward. I feel like this book could very easily be condensed to ~350 pages, and it still wouldn’t be fast-paced in the slightest. There was just so much meandering, and I even liked some of those parts! All the beautiful descriptions, and family moments, and Kaikeyi’s relationship with her husband and her sister wives, and the slow moving politics—big chunks of those were nice to read and certainly well-written. But the actual plot kept getting lost behind it all.
I suspect that maybe if I had more than a cursory familiarity with the original story (I know the basics, that’s that, and the last time I brushed even on those was back in college) and if I shared the author’s view on most of the characters, I would have been far more satisfied with all that meandering. It probably wouldn’t feel unlike reading a well-written fanfic about your favorite characters, the kind where vibes mean more than plot, and a whole chapter of walking through the gardens trying to learn how to communicate is precisely what you’re after because you just want to hang out with the fictional people you love and you’re all for them getting some peace. But like I’ve said, my familiarity with Ramayana is so-so, and even based on that, I didn’t really agree with the author’s approach to this retelling. Yes, Kaikeyi had her moments of moral grayness, in particular the way she readily influenced others’ opinions and feelings through her magic, but ultimately, it was this simple swap: the good guys are now bad, and the bad guys are now good. Not quite what I look for in antagonist-based retellings.
The prose is definitely great, the characterization is in-depth, and this book even scratched some of the itch left by Madeline Miller’s Circe, at least early on. But I do wish it was a tighter, more focused narrative with less repetition.
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, and Abandonment
Moderate: War
Minor: Pregnancy
amberinpieces's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
aksmith92's review
- 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
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.
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Mental illness, Medical content, Kidnapping, and Murder
Minor: Body horror and Toxic relationship
sophiesmallhands's review
- 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
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infertility, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Minor: Child death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Abandonment, and Classism
rnbhargava'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
4.25
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, War, and Classism
The question of free will/manipulation is central to the abilities used by the title character and an few other individuals. The title character is asexual so depending on how you see it, the few sex scenes in the plot could be understood in a few ways. There is definite misogyny throughout the book, even from males that are mostly supportive of progressing rights for women. There’s a specific point in showing it that way. Going against the patriarchy and redefining society happens in time.marioncromb's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Initially i was worried about reading one of these 'feminist retellings' - there have been many that arent particularly any good, written more because its a bit of a trend.But i had none of those frustrations with this, it was very readable, and felt it had something substantially extra, but also honoring the orginial myth, to offer.
The mechanics of Kaikeyi's magic in the Binding Plane is well done, it adds an additional 'visual' element to her bonds and manipulations. My favourite bits were where she's using those skills politically, juggling lots of people's needs to gain power and help people. She was also flawed enough in a realistic way that it wasnt annoyingly mary sue or being frustratingly dense just to avoid plotholes.
Always nice to see an aroace MC, and also the strong friendships she had with the other wives as well as her husband. I also liked the way the fantasy elements were introduced slowly - at the beginning you can even get the impression that maybe the 'gods' are just religious mortals over-interpreting random occurences or gaslighting people.
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War
Minor: Infertility, Rape, Grief, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
scrubsandbooks'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
4.0
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Infertility and Pregnancy