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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
Thank you to Harper Voyager and Avon Books for both an eARC and a physical ARC of this book.
Amazing! Gimme 14 of them right NEOOWWW!! I LOVED this entire story and I’m not someone who reads a whole ton of fantasy, especially not ones based on actual existing religions. It was so captivating to read about this FMC having an inner conflict as she tries to decide between being obedient and doing what she’s always known to be true or staying true to herself. The romance was sizzling hot too! I love a man who yearns 😭 and along with the friendships, the climax, the discoveries and the surprises sprinkled in, I seriously need a second book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-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
An impressive myth retelling updated with conventions of modern romantasy. The magic system was very complex but I think that reflected the intricacies of Hindi Mysticism that I admittedly was not all that familiar with before reading. In spite of this, Rao made the story incredibly approachable. The familiar touch-points of a deep secret/enemies-to-lovers narrative and a noble rebel wanting to make war with God made this a great read.
Thank you, Harper Voyager and NetGalley, for my eARC of The Legend of Meneka by Kritika H. Rao. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
I'm a sucker for a mythological retelling, and this one lived up to expectations.
In this enemies to lovers (eek!) tale, we're following Meneka, an apsara whose mission is to seduce and enchant Kaushika, a mortal sage whose power is growing and becoming more dangerous to Lord Indra.
I really enjoyed this one! The characters were intriguing and the details and descriptions were excellent and made the book that much better. I loved that Meneka was a strong female lead and that we got to watch her discover herself and what she wanted, instead of what she was forced to do.
I liked the twist at the end and I can't wait for book 2!
Thanks, HarperVoyager!
I'm a sucker for a mythological retelling, and this one lived up to expectations.
In this enemies to lovers (eek!) tale, we're following Meneka, an apsara whose mission is to seduce and enchant Kaushika, a mortal sage whose power is growing and becoming more dangerous to Lord Indra.
I really enjoyed this one! The characters were intriguing and the details and descriptions were excellent and made the book that much better. I loved that Meneka was a strong female lead and that we got to watch her discover herself and what she wanted, instead of what she was forced to do.
I liked the twist at the end and I can't wait for book 2!
Thanks, HarperVoyager!
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thanks to HarperVoyager for an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
DNF'd at 9%! I could already tell I wasn't the target audience for this book. The writing style was mostly fine, but I wasn't here for the author giving exposition through dialogue. Also, I didn't get to feel what the MC felt, I was told her feelings instead. I didn't want to keep reading this book to see if Rao would stop giving exposition like that, so I decided to put the book down. Unfortunately, this was a miss.
DNF'd at 9%! I could already tell I wasn't the target audience for this book. The writing style was mostly fine, but I wasn't here for the author giving exposition through dialogue. Also, I didn't get to feel what the MC felt, I was told her feelings instead. I didn't want to keep reading this book to see if Rao would stop giving exposition like that, so I decided to put the book down. Unfortunately, this was a miss.
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I am not going to give this a star rating since I did not finish the book. I only got to page 116 and up until that point the book is SLUGGISH with a capital S. I could not get into the book, perhaps it was all the telling and not showing. Everything was explained out and I understand that aspect since not everyone knows the legends that these characters are based off of. But someone should have really deep dove into editing. I would lose track of what I was reading and have to go back and read it twice and STILL not understand what is going on. Page 116 lost me entirely, I don't care to read about current events in a fantasy book.
Daevabad Series and Kaikeyi are what I would recommend if you felt this book failed you too.
Daevabad Series and Kaikeyi are what I would recommend if you felt this book failed you too.
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes