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Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, War
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Sexism, Violence, War
Moderate: Infertility, Religious bigotry, Abandonment
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Child death, Death, Infertility, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, War
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War
Moderate: Chronic illness, Infertility, Physical abuse, Medical content, Acephobia/Arophobia, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Xenophobia
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Death of parent, Abandonment, War
Minor: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Kidnapping
Moderate: Death, Infertility, Misogyny, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, War
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism
Moderate: Grief, Abandonment, War
Minor: Domestic abuse, Infertility
Graphic: Death, Infertility, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
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.
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism