Reviews - Kaikeyi: A Novel

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5.57k reviews for:

Kaikeyi: A Novel

Vaishnavi Patel

4.23 AVERAGE

cloudybubble's review against another edition

4.0

disappointed in the one-dimensional female characters who fell short in nuance and complexity, but I had too good of a time reading this to give it 3 ⭐️ so here’s 4 instead

pointlesspanda's review against another edition

2.0

adventurous emotional mysterious sad tense 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: Yes

The writing was fine. I picked up this book because the premise was compelling - a misunderstood anti hero starring in the retelling of one of Hinduisms greatest epics. However as we got halfway through the book, I felt that the research behind the book felt a little lazy. There was just a handful of inaccuracies which I felt greatly shaped the story and it makes me wonder why even draw from mythology in the first place. Idk it was fine I guess

robdawgreads's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous emotional relaxing 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: No

kyrie's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 24%

Slow pacing, setting not for me, writing style was simplistic and obvious, lots of telling not showing. I can't do 500 pages of this.

herbgroom's review against another edition

5.0

this book made me say things that my mother wasn’t super fond of. like “ravan is kinda sexy” and “laxman is kind of a baby boy.”

windowplant's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

I really enjoyed this book. It started a bit slow, but then was engrossing and I binged it. The characters were well-developed, believable, relatable. The tensions were rich. There was a lot to reflect on and consider contemporary parallels.

sean_l's review against another edition

3.0

Oof I really tried with this one, but I only made it about 60% of the way through. I love the world and setting, but it's a huge, slow, plodding book confined essentially to a few royal courts (so far). It just became a slog. Maybe I'll return to it at some point, I was really looking forward to it when it came out, but it doesn't quite present a compelling wider cosmology or a driving plot. :(