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A review by lizshayne
Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel
challenging
dark
hopeful
sad
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? No
5.0
This was one of the books that was less perfect and more transcendent in its 5 star-ness.
I do wonder how it lands if you're not familiar with Kaikeyi as the, well, evil stepmother of the Ramayana and don't necessarily see the ways in which Patel is writing the "villain's hero story". And I'm not super familiar (because US education leaves out way too many other cultures' critical texts) but I know enough to see what Patel is doing with the mythic structure and reclamation.
And the tension between Good versus Evil on the divine scale versus the human scale and order versus helpfulness and, man, there is SO much here and it's all gorgeous and I loved it because I love when people take mythic archetypes and draw out the humanity at the heart.
I do wonder how it lands if you're not familiar with Kaikeyi as the, well, evil stepmother of the Ramayana and don't necessarily see the ways in which Patel is writing the "villain's hero story". And I'm not super familiar (because US education leaves out way too many other cultures' critical texts) but I know enough to see what Patel is doing with the mythic structure and reclamation.
And the tension between Good versus Evil on the divine scale versus the human scale and order versus helpfulness and, man, there is SO much here and it's all gorgeous and I loved it because I love when people take mythic archetypes and draw out the humanity at the heart.