Kaikeya is a reimagining of the epic Ramayana, which I knew nothing about before reading this. It's quite a feminist tale in the same vein as Ithaca by Claire North.

This was a long slow book but in a good way as we got to know the character and I particularly enjoyed the positive attitude she had towards other women and the changes she tried to make to her society.

The only thing that I didn't enjoy was the magic system and the explanation of the Binding Plane, it just seemed a bit simplistic so I'm not sure I understood it properly.

If you know nothing of this tale, please don't do what I did and Google the Ramayana halfway through the book as I ended up spoiling the ending for myself, I'm such an idiot sometimes. If you know nothing keep it that way and enjoy the unraveling of the plot threads.

I was so excited for this book. It was one of my most anticipated reads since it was announced. So, I'm really disappointed with the entire experience of reading this. I went in expecting a story about an ambitious woman was unapologetic about her desires but instead was met with a narrative that tried it's best to make the decisions of a woman who was scorned in the original myth justifiable and for the greater good. That's really not what I wanted from a story about a character like Kaikeyi.

The writing is really good here and I am looking forward to what Patel puts out next, but this is one book you could well with skipping.

This is the retelling of the Hindu epic, Ramayana. The book is narrated by Kaikeyi who describes her story from her childhood till Rama is exiled and his wife, Sita is kidnapped by the demon king, Ravana.
I want to say so much about this book but I'm afraid I might give spoilers so will not go into much detail. The book has a touch of feminine energy that made me feel empowered, kinda sad but in the end, satisfied. Though this book should not be considered as the abridged version of the main epic, it is a beautiful story in itself. Definitely recommended to all the fans of mythological retellings. The author's writing style will definitely keep me coming back for more.

"Kaikeyi" was very much an average book for me, unfortunately. While there were certain aspects I enjoyed, a lot of it fell flat. I loved the exploration of the binding threads, but it all got very repetitive towards the end, and I found myself skim reading a lot of the pages.

Kaikeyi stands up for herself throughout the story, which was perhaps one of my favourite parts. She's a girl, and eventually a woman, who knows what she wants and will do what is necessary to take it. At the same time, there were parts where this felt like it was trying too hard to be a standout feminist retelling rather than a story in its own right. The ending also wasn't entirely satisfying to me - it felt rather abrupt, and the stylistic choice of the epilogue was definitely interesting.

Overall, not one I'd re-read, but one I'd recommend to a select few.

3.5 (rounded up) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Little Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

After reading this I am definitely keen to look into the epic it is based off. I did really like this book in many respects and the author wrote it well.

I suppose what I found difficult were the pervasive attitudes towards women-I know it’s based off a historic epic and I get why but I still didn’t enjoy that aspect.

I also found the book to end pretty abruptly, I would have loved an ending that was more satisfying.

I did however love the world building and the incorporation of the gods, and Kaikeyi was herself a likeable character.

I adore feminist retellings and enjoyed Kaikeyi quite a bit. Kaikeyi is a strong figure and we get a real sense of her character as she stands up to the patriarchal challenges in her life. Refreshing to see her perspective and shed new light on this overlooked figure. I was a bit confused as to the stylistic choice in the epilogue, but overall the novel was enjoyable and will appeal to fans of Circe and other feminist retellings.

“Kaykeyi” by Vaishnavi Patel is a beautiful retelling inspired by the Queen with the same name from the Indian epic “The Ramayana”. Similar to the original book, Kaikeyi is presented as a powerful and influential woman of her time, a world where men rule and women are bound by sage traditions to carry out the lives in the shadows of their husbands and sons.

**“I was born on the full moon under an auspicious constellation, the holiest of positions—much good it did me.”**

Unlike in the original Ramayana storyline, in Vaishnavi’s novel, the story starts with the birth of Kaikeyi and her twin brother. Narrated in the first-person narrative format, the novel follows Kaikeyi from her early years, and all the way through becoming one of King Dasharath's wives and mother of his children. Through her bravery on the battlefield, thirst for knowledge, and determination, she starts building the foundation blocks which will change how women are viewed and treated in society, much to the disapproval of the sages and those who follow her closely. As in the original story, Manthara is also present in the story, present in the key moments of Kaikeyi’s life, and constantly switching between the roles of mother, counsellor, teacher, confidante, and motivator.

Overall, it is a retelling worth all the praise and the attention! I look forward to reading and listening to more stories from Vaishnavi Patel’s creation!

Special thanks to NetGalley, Little Brown Book Group UK, Orbit, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads! #Kaikeyi #NetGalley #LifeLongLearning

[Review published on 30-April-2023]

DNF - I found the voice a bit young for me and the whole magic too simple and not explained that well. I think this would make a great read for teens but it just wasn't for me.

Very entertaining and fast paced mythological story.

I didn't know this was a feminist retelling of a Hindu poem and I don't want to know how Kaikeyi was pictured in the poem to feel the need to write a feminist retelling.

I have to state I am not familiar with the epic that this story is based on. I’ve read reviews from own voice reviewers stating they dislike what the author did, and also one’s saying they loved it. Though I’m half Indian, my family are Muslim so I don’t have much sway there!
These are just my thoughts with that in mind.

Kaikeyi is the story of a vilified Indian queen. But wow is it so much more. It’s en epic binding of coming-of-age, gender norms and gender expectations, patriarchy, women supporting women, motherhood and beings of Hinduism.

First and foremost, I was fascinated with the various gods and goddesses we meet, and the magic included within. The Binding Plane was so detailed and was such an interesting way to view the world through Kaikeyi’s eyes. It was also great to see how Kaikeyi developed her control of her magic.

Kaikeyi was an emotionally complex character and I found myself rooting for her from the beginning. It was difficult to watch her linger in the background of her brothers during her childhood, whilst she did the same things (often better than them too!) with absolutely no recognition. She is seen as a pawn by her father as a way to gain good relations with other kingdoms through marriage. This is a theme throughout and the author provides amazing commentary on feminism and how women as a collective can make small changes for the greater good. It was satisfying to see how Kaikeyi confronts the patriarchal figures in her life. She’s a strong character to witness basically, she takes no sh*t☺️☺️☺️.

There were a few inconsistencies, and the epilogue was written partly as if it was an academic essay conclusion. This was an odd choice considering we’ve just been there through the novel. We know what happened 🥲.

Nevertheless, Kaikeyi is a great book and definitely worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Free copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this with just reading some fast summary of Ramayana, but altogether quite ignorant. As such, I found very useful the author's introduction at the beginning of the book. She tells a bit about the story, explaining the different versions and what kind of story she chose to write. I found that part interesting and helpful.

For a book about a "villain character," it starts off quite peacefully. We follow Kaikeyi, going through her life and exploring her power. There is, of course, some drama here and there, but everything seems to resolve itself quite easily. Maybe too easily. For example, you get this set up for some drama happening, and then just like that, it's solved, or maybe you even learn there wasn't drama to begin with. Maybe it is a setup for the inevitable dramatic ending, but it made Kaikeyi feel almost Mary Sue-ish at times. Everything seems to be going her way.

Like the way she starts spreading feminist ideas. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but it spreads so fast and even in other countries and while men seemingly ramble against it, it doesn't seem to have any impact. I am pretty sure that from history we can deduce that it wouldn't go so smoothly. For one thing, what women start doing is supposedly against gods and as such, it would not only put men against these changes but also a big part of women.

I mean, the gods actually exist in the book and show themselves or their actions to people. So how would they feel so at ease with going against what they supposedly wish for?

Also, there was too much feminist talk. Like, we get it, you don't have to force it on us so much. It almost was going into this view of men being the useless ones and women could do better.

Now the magic and gods are what made this book very interesting. The magic had rules and consequences, even though I feel like these consequences weren't always the same.

What probably made me enjoy the book most was these heart-warming relationships. Most characters here are nice people. This, of course, goes back to the lack of drama but at the same time made for some relaxing read, so I am a bit divided on this. Especially if it was intentional as a setup for the ending.

The ending wrecked me emotionally so much I was actually having some physical signs of anxiety. The very end was ok, probably wish there was more of an epilogue a few years later because it feels a bit unresolved.

This would have been a 4* read subjectively because it really did captivate me and kept me reading, but it also did make me stop at times and roll my eyes or close the book in frustration, so 3,5* it is.

I would still like to re-read this one day and I would pick up a book from the author again.

My mid-reading impression was "OMG, an actually functional royal family" but I should've known better🙃

Kaikeyi was a sister, a wife, a warrior, a mother. But most importantly, she's a woman. She noticed the inequality between men and women since very young age, and spent her life trying to pave the way for women to be independent and empowered.

I've read another book with similar magic: controlling emotions with certain bonds, so that's not extraordinary. But the political intrigue in this book was interesting. it really looked fine at first until men's greed & superiority crossed the line. Then it was chaos.

The ending felt a bit rushed, I thought there would be a sequel but apparently it's a standalone. But that's fine, still acceptable for me. The main spotlight about feminism served well.

I liked the author's idea, explained in the foreword, to take the villain of an Indian Myth and tell the story from her point of view.
The goal was definitely achieved! In the end you not only understand Kaikeyi's motives, you sympathize with her and you know that she was the actual hero in that story! Magic is subtly laced through a vague historic setting, and feminist topics are woven trough a tale of love, intrigue, betrayal and adventure.

Great to see the mythological retelling diversify somewhat! I was not familiar with the Ramayana, but I enjoyed the book nonetheless and it made me interested in learning more about the original text.

I recently read Circe by Madeleine Miller and loved it, so i was really intrigued to read another book based on a female mythological character. I hadn’t heard of Kaikeyi before and decided not to do any deep-diving before starting this book. I’m so glad i didn’t. This book was fantastic and i felt really connected tot he character, as if Kaikeyi was a real person - it read like historical fiction. Such an interesting insight into Hindu old-lore tales. I loved this book, and it deserves all the positive feedback it gets. An amazing debut! I hope the author continues to write additional books!

I know nothing about the mythologies and religious stories of Indian culture, so I started this book with zero expectations. I cannot speak to the similarities or "truth" of how this book reads in comparison to the myths or stories.

With that disclaimer...
This book is part of the recent trend of retelling or reexamining the part of ignored or (maybe) maligned women in history and mythology. I love that trend. I love this book. It was fascinating and beautiful, with a compelling main character. Her "magic" was unusual and, to a certain extent, relatable. As humans, it's difficult to see us conjuring fire or lightning in our hands, but to influence someone? We could do that.

I would definitely read anything else that this author writes.

So this is a retelling of Kaikeyi a Hindu mythological character.

For the first 30%ish of the book I want to rate this book 4 stars, but as the story goes on the plot felt a little bit drag to me. As someone who grew up knowing a lot about Ramayana, I got a lot of confusions reading this book, like when I get to the Rama exile part I RAN to google because the book somehow got the years wrong? The only thing that I like about this book is the Biding Plane concept.

Anyway, 2.75 out of 5 stars since I enjoy the first half part of the book.

I was not familiar with Kaikeyi so I was really curious to read this story about her and I loved it. It made me looking for more info on the Internet like it was a real person who lived along time ago. The storytelling, the characters emotions and the description of the places made the story feel real.

I knew nothing about the Ramayana before I read this book, but I love retellings and stories based on myth and legend, especially those that focus on characters the original tale doesn't center on too much.

We follow Kaikeyi, the only daughter of the kingdom of Kekaya. As such, she is not taken as seriously as her brothers and is only expected to marry some king or prince of her father's choosing and nod along as all the decisions are made for her. No one expects her to become a warrior, a diplomat, and a most favored queen. Then comes a story about gods and fate that threatens to bring all Kaikeyi has worked towards crumbling down.

Overall, I liked the story and was crying by the end of it, but I did feel like the pace was a little slow for at least the first half of the book. I loved the feminist twist on this and the thoughts behind Kaikeyi's actions.

Mythology retellings is a genre that has had so many big names in recently that you're left feeling you'll know the beats of how each new book will play out. That was far from the case with Kaikeyi.

This is a retelling of the story of Rama and Sita from Kaikeyi's perspective, working to humanise the villainised woman who usually takes the back seat. We open in Kaikeyi's childhood, meeting her brothers, understanding her place in court, and discovering the fantasy element of the book. This took me off guard initially, as I'd expected a much more condensed retelling of her later years however, as you progress through the book, I started to understand why these earlier sections were so important and how they rounded out her character and the plot.

Large sections of this book feel like a gripping family drama - I'd say the fantasy element takes a backseat often to give a deeper understanding of the relationships and dynamics at play. I'm not normally one for generational plots, but I enjoyed how this skirted that, giving us the generations of Kaikeyi's family as secondary characters and showing how her relationships develop. If ever you've thought that retellings, or family centred stories aren't for you, I implore you to give this a try.

Thoughts after reading? I want more. I want more of Kaikeyi's story and the day to day nuance we read. I want more of the wider Ramayana to understand the context further and to see how this differs from other retellings. I'm here for more.