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rnbhargava's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
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? Yes
4.25
I loved so much about this Ramayana expansion and partial retelling. The highs and lows are dramatic and I love this book for it. I also love that the title character’s mind is where we exclusively reside in for this retelling given she’s usually depicted as a wicked stepmother type in many Ramayana variations. Seeing her extended family, early days of her marriage, her bonds with her fellow wives and the community of her adopted home Ayodhya. Seeing her build bonds and falter in others. Seeing her reconnect with others across time. I liked the recontextualizinv of Ravana too. The depiction of Rama is done for a specific reason and I kind of loved that surprising shift. I’m sure it ruffled some but I think fine, it’s merely one retelling so if you dislike it, disregard it. The family bonds really define the narrative here and it’s so good to read through. The characterizations of Kaikeyi’s fellow wives could have been expanded but then I guess it would take away from being solely Kaikeyi’s point of view.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Death, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Bullying, Classism, Grief, Racism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexism, Violence, and War
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.lucystolethesky's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Sexism, Death, Child abuse, War, Misogyny, Violence, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Child death
Minor: Blood, Infertility, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
some_random_person_hi's review
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
I love when people retell stories in ways that uproot it from the bigoted views from the time it was written. It was kind of slow but even without having previous contact with the Ramayana, the impending sense of doom compelled me to read on and by the last ~80 pages I couldn't put the book down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, Death of parent, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, War, and Mental illness
Minor: Rape, Physical abuse, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Medical content, and Infidelity
micaelamariem's review
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A while ago I received Kaiyeki by Vaishnavi Patel in a book box, and I finally got around to reading it!
Vaishnavi Patel is a Chicago-based law student who enjoys writing about the intersectionality of feminism and Indian mythology. Her novel debut, Kaikeyi, explores the villain of the Ramayana myth. In the original myth, Kaikeyi is known as a jealous queen who exiles Rama so that her son may sit the throne. However, Kaikeyi is an epic that explores her coming-of-age, her faith, her purpose, and her reasons behind the exile.
I found this book to be very interesting. I know little of Hindu mythology and had never heard of the Ramayana before. Naturally, as I read, I did some googling to see what had happened in the original. What I did find were other reviews of this book saying how far from the original it swerved and how in some aspects, the portrayal of Rama can be damaging to the portrayal of the Hindu faith. So, with this in mind, I'm going to review this more like an original story instead of a retelling.
I loved the feminist themes in this book and how it showed that progression is slow. Kaikeyi at one point felt like she had made no changes for women, but throughout her life she aided smaller, subtle ones that helped shape a better society. And as a feminist and a woman, I love books with these themes.
I also thought the portrayal of Kaikeyi's asexuality was done well--only shown in a few subtle sentences and not something that defined her as much as her love for other people.
I loved seeing the work of the Binding Plane and found it very interesting, especially in my Google searches to find that such a concept does exist in the Hindu religion.
I did find some parts slow-going, though perhaps this is because it is an epic and spanned over a lifetime. I also didn't like how Ravana was introduced a few times, and then never really seen again until he went full-asura. I wish there was more of him or he was there not at all. I'm not sure it added much to the narrative anyway.
Overall, I did enjoy the book, with the caveat that I know this is fiction and does not define Hindu beliefs, as I know that was an issue brought up by many. As an original work, though, I would rate it four stars, and I'd love to explore Indian mythology further.
Vaishnavi Patel is a Chicago-based law student who enjoys writing about the intersectionality of feminism and Indian mythology. Her novel debut, Kaikeyi, explores the villain of the Ramayana myth. In the original myth, Kaikeyi is known as a jealous queen who exiles Rama so that her son may sit the throne. However, Kaikeyi is an epic that explores her coming-of-age, her faith, her purpose, and her reasons behind the exile.
I found this book to be very interesting. I know little of Hindu mythology and had never heard of the Ramayana before. Naturally, as I read, I did some googling to see what had happened in the original. What I did find were other reviews of this book saying how far from the original it swerved and how in some aspects, the portrayal of Rama can be damaging to the portrayal of the Hindu faith. So, with this in mind, I'm going to review this more like an original story instead of a retelling.
I loved the feminist themes in this book and how it showed that progression is slow. Kaikeyi at one point felt like she had made no changes for women, but throughout her life she aided smaller, subtle ones that helped shape a better society. And as a feminist and a woman, I love books with these themes.
I also thought the portrayal of Kaikeyi's asexuality was done well--only shown in a few subtle sentences and not something that defined her as much as her love for other people.
I loved seeing the work of the Binding Plane and found it very interesting, especially in my Google searches to find that such a concept does exist in the Hindu religion.
I did find some parts slow-going, though perhaps this is because it is an epic and spanned over a lifetime. I also didn't like how Ravana was introduced a few times, and then never really seen again until he went full-asura. I wish there was more of him or he was there not at all. I'm not sure it added much to the narrative anyway.
Overall, I did enjoy the book, with the caveat that I know this is fiction and does not define Hindu beliefs, as I know that was an issue brought up by many. As an original work, though, I would rate it four stars, and I'd love to explore Indian mythology further.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Abandonment, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Death, Death of parent, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infidelity, War, Physical abuse, and Violence
cassimiranda's review against another edition
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Sexism
Moderate: Grief and Misogyny
Minor: War, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and Death of parent
savvyrosereads's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
Rating: 5/5 stars
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.
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.
Content Warnings
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
kathleencoughlin's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I'm less familiar with the Ramayana than with the origins of other retellings of mythology that I've read, and I decided not to review beforehand so I could discover the story as it unfolded. Regardless, Patel was able to invoke the same sort of sinking dread of dramatic irony as the story draws closer and closer to the ending set out in the source material. What I think was particularly successful about Kaikeyi was the clear parallel between that feeling in the reader and Kaikeyi's warring feelings of hope and futility at altering the narrative that the gods had preordained for her and her children.
Women's perspectives are often left out of the stories of "great men" or are used to propel them towards their destinies. However, as stated in the author's note, the goal of this book was to "give voice not just to its titular character but to the many women who populate the world of the Ramayana and have rich and worthy lives if their own." I think the book overall, but particularly the ending, achieved this goal. The story did not end with Kaikeyi "fulfilling her purpose" in Rama's story and losing most of the life she built. Instead we return back to the market with Manthara. Since her first visit all those years ago and throughout her time as radnyi, Kaikeyi worked hard to build opportunity and dignity for women. It seems really fitting then in the closing of the narrative that we would return back to them so she/we could see her lasting impact on the women of Kosala and ultimately conclude on a fairly positive note. While Kaikeyi seemed to take loss after loss in the latter half of the book, many of the changes she pushed for did win out despite the narrative that had been spun about her and was solidified into legend.
Women's perspectives are often left out of the stories of "great men" or are used to propel them towards their destinies. However, as stated in the author's note, the goal of this book was to "give voice not just to its titular character but to the many women who populate the world of the Ramayana and have rich and worthy lives if their own." I think the book overall, but particularly the ending, achieved this goal. The story did not end with Kaikeyi "fulfilling her purpose" in Rama's story and losing most of the life she built. Instead we return back to the market with Manthara. Since her first visit all those years ago and throughout her time as radnyi, Kaikeyi worked hard to build opportunity and dignity for women. It seems really fitting then in the closing of the narrative that we would return back to them so she/we could see her lasting impact on the women of Kosala and ultimately conclude on a fairly positive note. While Kaikeyi seemed to take loss after loss in the latter half of the book, many of the changes she pushed for did win out despite the narrative that had been spun about her and was solidified into legend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexism, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Abandonment, War, and Murder
Minor: Blood, Infertility, Pregnancy, Infidelity, and Domestic abuse
jessgreads's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Title: Kaikeyi
Author: Vaishnavi Patel
Genre: Fantasy
Setting: Bharat
Month Read: April 2022
Book Type: Hardcover
Publication:2022
Publisher: Redhook
Pages: 475
*Book of the Month Selection
TRIGGER WARNING-
Violence / Death / Rape? / Arranged Marriage
"Regardless of birth position, Yudhajit, being a boy, was the heir to the Kekaya kingdom. I was but a dowry of fifty fine horses waiting to happen."
No Spoiler Summary:
In the vein of Madeline Miller’s Circe comes a bold and sweeping debut that reimagines the life of Kaikeyi, the vilified queen of the Indian epic the Ramayana.
“I was born on the full moon under an auspicious constellation, the holiest of positions—much good it did me.”
So begins Kaikeyi’s story, that of a young woman determined to create her own destiny in a world where gods and men dictate the shape of things to come. But as she transforms herself from an overlooked princess into a warrior, diplomat, and most-favored queen, Kaikeyi’s will clashes with the path that has been chosen for her family. And she must decide if her resistance is worth the destruction it will wreak.
-Goodreads Summary
Review:
It has been no secret if you know me by how excited I was that this book was coming out, and that Book of the Month was offering it in April. I am so thrilled to say that my specific hype for this novel did not let me know, and I devoured this novel in a few days (despite being my third 400+ page book of April.) I don't know much about the Ramayana, but I was absolutely engrossed in Kaikeyi's story, and the mythos and lore within the pages.
I'm a sucker for a good feminist perspective, especially in books like this where women are typically uh--- demonized? Second class characters? I love that Kaikeyi did what she had to do, no matter the cost, but never ever gave up on her power, and what she felt she deserved. She frequently is villainized for standing up for herself, and for others, and at the end of the day has to pay the consequences for this.
I loved the tales of Sisterhood woven throughout Kaikeyi. Whether it is with her brothers in her homeland, or with her sister-wives in Ayodhya, Kaikeyi loves those around her hard, and selflessly once she warms up to someone. I thought she was an incredibly gracious person, and her fight for women never ceased.
Kaikeyi is a dense book, and at times slows down, but reading it is so worth it (especially for fans of Circe!) The reading of this felt a lot like Circe (but more fun, in my opinion) and if you like Madeline Miller or Jennifer Saint you'll definitely like this. It was also a nice break from the Greeks.
10/10 recommend- you won't regret it.
"Because those who are good question themselves. Because those who are good always wonder if there was a better way, a way that could have helped more and hurt less. That feeling is why you are good."
See more reviews at: https://jessgreads.wixsite.com
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Pregnancy, Classism, Infidelity, Misogyny, Infertility, Grief, and Animal death
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, and Bullying
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