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bitter_critter's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This was my first experience reading an Indian fiction and I can confidently say it did not disappoint. I genuinely loved that a twelve year-old child's inner thoughts sounded like that of a twelve year-old. Same for a young adult and mature adult. It really shows the natural growth of people, maintaining a sense of emotional realism and smooth, age-based transitions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death and War
Minor: Violence
margaret_k30's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Sexism, and Murder
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Emotional abuse and Domestic abuse
glowhoya's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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? It's complicated
5.0
wish i could eat this book. impossible to put down, lush, full of wonderfully complex characters. palace intrigue + gods + magic, everything you could ever want. powerful story about connections between people and the weight of our decisions.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Grief, Sexism, Misogyny, and War
Minor: Death of parent and Death
elderwoodreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
A truly special fantasy epic. I am not familiar with the source mythology so I can't comment on the faithfulness of the retelling but I absolutely adored this as it's own story. I love the exploration of motherhood and womanhood in this story and what it means to do things for the greater good even if you cannot do everything.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Violence, Death of parent, Abandonment, Grief, and War
Minor: Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, and Blood
hanz's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Murder, and War
Moderate: Medical content
alsira98's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, War, and Death
errie's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War, and Sexism
Moderate: Infertility, Abandonment, and Religious bigotry
mariebrunelm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
Before the story of Rama as told in the Ramayana, there was Kaikeyi, a princess abandoned by the gods who finds her own power and uses it to protect her family.
This novel imagines a multi-facetted portrait of a character often reduced to the evil stepmother trope. What were her motivations ? What was her story before Rama ? Vaishnavi Patel writes an epic fantasy set in South Asia with a lot of heart and a fabulous main character. Kaikeyi is complex and it's a joy to see her evolve throughout the book, discovering how she can see and perhaps influence people’s relationships with her, or when she decides not to use her power. Kaikeyi is also queer, with strong aromantic and asexual vibes. Though of course the words are not used, it is great to read about such a woman and how she navigates her family relationships.
This is an epic at character level, in which we witness political events both from the outside, and from the inside, being privy to the game of influences that is afoot in the palace. It is also about religion, and how sometimes we can respect divinities but also question the interpretation of their words done by men who see their own profit.
There is a tragic atmosphere in Kaikeyi, because as with myth retellings you have an idea of where the story is going. But it is fascinating all the same to see the path the author has put her characters on, which reveals a side of their personalities that doesn’t make it into most versions of the myth.
This novel imagines a multi-facetted portrait of a character often reduced to the evil stepmother trope. What were her motivations ? What was her story before Rama ? Vaishnavi Patel writes an epic fantasy set in South Asia with a lot of heart and a fabulous main character. Kaikeyi is complex and it's a joy to see her evolve throughout the book, discovering how she can see and perhaps influence people’s relationships with her, or when she decides not to use her power. Kaikeyi is also queer, with strong aromantic and asexual vibes. Though of course the words are not used, it is great to read about such a woman and how she navigates her family relationships.
This is an epic at character level, in which we witness political events both from the outside, and from the inside, being privy to the game of influences that is afoot in the palace. It is also about religion, and how sometimes we can respect divinities but also question the interpretation of their words done by men who see their own profit.
There is a tragic atmosphere in Kaikeyi, because as with myth retellings you have an idea of where the story is going. But it is fascinating all the same to see the path the author has put her characters on, which reveals a side of their personalities that doesn’t make it into most versions of the myth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Religious bigotry
Minor: Death of parent and War
julierambaeck's review against another edition
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!
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Death of parent, Death, Sexism, Murder, and Grief
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Pregnancy, and Child death
matcha_pages's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
4.0
I enjoyed seeing Kaikeyi as a woman who chooses power over freedom. She defies convention when it comes to the gods because they've never helped her. She's also hypocritical, stubborn, and manipulative. She's great as the anti-hero. But all the other characters felt so one dimensional, which was disappointing because we know they're also conflicted.
The book also felt longer than it actually was and I was hoping for more action to help break up the long sequences of domestic drama.
The book also felt longer than it actually was and I was hoping for more action to help break up the long sequences of domestic drama.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, and Death
Moderate: Violence and War