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linhsreadinghour's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
I can’t believe this book was on my shelf for over a year. I wish I read this sooner. I was halfway through it and had already recommended it to people. This was utterly amazing. I am in awe of everything - the writing, the characters arc, the magic system, the whole feminist retelling of Kaikeyi, the portrayal of women, motherhood, sisterhood, and the sprinkle of Hindu tales, set in vibrant ancient India?! I highlighted so many feminist quotes. If you like feminist Greek retelling, don’t sleep on this. INCREDIBLE. I felt incredibly bittersweet reading this but the ending made me feel so much better. The last 100 pages of this book was gripping, it’s currently 1am. I was so hooked, it was plot twist after plot twist, I felt like I couldn’t catch a break with Kaikeyi. I was so invested and connected to Kaikeyi as we followed her life. PLEASE JUST READ THIS.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, War, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
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.wlreed312's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: War
Minor: Death of parent and Domestic abuse
marioncromb's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
fast-paced
- 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
An enjoyable read and an accessible introduction to Hindu mythology/the Ramayana epic - the worldbuilding is in some sense the same mental adjustment/ treated as in any fantasy novel, you don't need to know any background beforehand, though it does add extra depth/foreshadowing to know the basic plot points of the Ramayana.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, Violence, Sexism, Abandonment, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Rape, Grief, Pregnancy, Infertility, and Fire/Fire injury
tinysierra's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Kaikeyi is a beautiful story. It took me a moment to really get into the book, but once I did, I felt Kaikeyi’s frustration, joy, heartache. Vaishnavi Patel did a beautiful job crafting the story through Kaikeyi’s eyes. She was such a great main character.
Kaikeyi is aroace, which was incredibly well done. The words “aromantic” and “asexual” are not used on page, but the text is clear.
Aromantic quote:
“They thought me shy when it came to such matters, for I would sit back quietly, but in fact I had nothing to add. No such feelings for Dasharath, or any person, had ever surfaced in me. I was comfortable with my husband, loved him as a dear friend, but the pull of romance meant nothing to me. I could be happy for those in love, but I could not understand.” pg 198
Asexual quote:
”For when I thought about the acts Manthara described, or when I studied the illustrations in some of the more well-hidden recesses of the library, I felt only indifference. I had heard serving girls talk in whispers and giggles about men they found charming, or how it felt to steal a covert kiss with their betrothed. I thought of Dasharath and searched for the same desire within myself, but nothing ever emerged.” pg 98
I loved the sense of sisterhood between the wives. I loved that the children were cared for equally by all of them. It was so achingly beautiful.
I personally liked that although there was pregnancy, it wasn’t talked about deeply.
Kaikeyi is aroace, which was incredibly well done. The words “aromantic” and “asexual” are not used on page, but the text is clear.
Aromantic quote:
Asexual quote:
I loved the sense of sisterhood between the wives. I loved that the children were cared for equally by all of them. It was so achingly beautiful.
I personally liked that although there was pregnancy, it wasn’t talked about deeply.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Murder, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and War
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Infertility, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts
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
trilli_pop's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
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
mariebrunelm's review
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