Kaikeyi's childhood was spent surrounded by brothers to play and wrestle with, with bedtime stories of heroic and godly battles, and in awe and fear of her father who sat upon the throne. And then she grew up and realised the future she thought she would have for herself was one reserved for males and never females. Her lot was to be bartered off in marriage and bear sons who will do the conquering, fighting, and ruling instead of her.

This historical setting featured fantastical elements carefully wound inside of it. I loved the exploration of this and the reader learned how to control them at the same rate that Kaikeyi did. She used them for her own gains but quickly learned that terrible consequences were to be found for those who abused their privileges.

Kaikeyi's story remained of interest throughout, but so to was the culture and geography of the world surrounding her. Everything felt rich and textured and I loved how this author crafted a world, a story, and characters who seemed to come alive from the page.

3.5 stars rounded up

In general I enjoyed this story, but I didn’t love it, and could have easily put it down at points. Kaikeyi was a very interesting character, and I was engaged with how she grappled with and worked within a court system impacted by religion and patriarchy. The prose is descriptive and lyrical. However the pacing felt uneven to me and, considering how long it is, I don’t think it could really afford the stretches where it was slow enough to drag.

Kaikeyi’s asexuality/aromanticism wasn’t a central feature - only mentioned a couple of times - but it was really lovely to read as she forms deep relationships without it becoming a ~problem~. As this is a character-driven story, the relationships were one of the strongest elements. I particularly enjoyed Kaikeyi’s relationships with each of her children, as well as her evolving dynamic with her husband and his other wives.

The magic system was fascinating. Kaikeyi is able to access the Binding Plane, where she can see and influence the ‘strings’ connecting people. This added an interesting layer to court politics and family disputes, since Kaikeyi was able to discern the strength of connections between others, and also manipulate their impulses and inclinations. However her use of the Binding Plane eventually became repetitive since, once she mastered her ability, what she did with it was pretty much the same throughout.

This is a retelling of an epic central to Hinduism, and I do want to acknowledge that Patel’s creative license with the story to shape it around Kaikeyi instead of Ramayana doesn’t sit well with everyone (there are plenty of reviews with thorough critiques for details). I’m familiar with (one version of) Ramayana but I’m not Hindu so have no religious investment in Rama’s character, so will defer to those with more valuable opinions on that - both those who appreciate the unique angle of examination, and those who dislike how the story was handled. (I will note that Patel’s Author’s Note is informative about which versions of the tale she drew from as well as what she changed/imagined from scratch. Her approach is summed up in her own words: “This book does not strive to be an exact retelling for any version of the Ramayana—it is Kaikeyi’s story, and thus is it its own story.”)

I do not have that much to say about this book other than that I thouroughly enjoyed it. Since I am not familiar with the source material it would not be right for me to comment on its merrits as a retelling, but as a standalone work I really liked it.

It's probably best described as a fictional autobiography, meaning it involves big time jumps and only zooms in on specific important events now and then. It is a style you have to like but if you do this book might be for you.

I am impressed with how well the author managed to give us insight into Kaikeyi, how impactful her feelings were on my own, It's a story about a womans fight for influence not only for her but for all women while fighting very realistic pushbacks from the men in power. It's also about motherhood and realizing that your children are their own people and you can't controll them forever even if that would be better for everyone.

What I liked most about the book is the amazing aroace representation. Kaikeyi is an aroace character whos life is full of love, family and affection and all obstacles she faces are independent from this identity. It's just nice to see.

I absolutely can and will reccomend this book.

Before reading this I have not been familiar with the story of Kaikeyi. For the first part of the book as well as the first sewing taking place at the beginning of every part of it it this kept me a bit clueless about what was going to happened but having finished the book it was a rather pleasant experience to read upon this character and compare the adaptation to the original myth.

After getting familiar with the setting I was able to very quickly dive deep into a beautiful written detailed and striking universe. There is so much to love about this book. Be in the approach on feminism through the woman's Court are the pictures of the sister wives as a loving unity of understanding and their shared experience of motherhood or the fact that the Protagonist is convincingly depicted as an ace/aro person ( who can still feel a deep connection to people and a platonic love to her husband).
There is no plain bad character in this book all of them have their reasons and all desire to make their world better place which makes it even harder to see her throughout the whole prophecy.
This book is a work of art and definitiv worth reading.

The only daughter of a king, Kaikeyi watches as her mother is banished and her own worth is reduced to what marriage alliance she can secure. Although she was raised on stories of the might and benevolence of the gods, her prayers for help go unanswered. She turns to her mother's library and discovers a magic that is hers alone. With this power, Kaikeyi transforms herself from an overlooked princess into a warrior, diplomat and favoured queen, determined to carve a better world for herself and the women around her. But when evils from her childhood stories threaten her world, the path she has forged clashes with the destiny the gods have chosen for her family. Kaikeyi must decide if resistance is worth the destruction it will wreak - and what legacy she intends to leave behind. Oh my goodness, I absolutely and totally loved this book. Outstanding and compelling!

Kaikeyi it's a great debut and epic fantasy story that follows the life of a princess and how she was able to find her way using magic.
It's entertaining, compelling, and fast paced. Great world building and character development.
I was hooked since the beginning and loved this story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Such an interesting point of view! I love this book, I love the characters, the villain, the story, and the worldbuilding. It was amazing. Such a powerful debut! I recommend it to anyone who wants to read something new and different. I will read anything from this author from now on.

This book was utterly captivating and my favourite read of the year. I loved following Kaikeyi’s journey throughout the years, she was such an interesting and complex character and I was gripped as the plot took shape. The world building was seamless, the stories of mythology told beautifully and I could picture it all clearly. Whatever Patel writes next, I will certainly read

An unforgettable epic tale; masterfully plotted and exquisitely written. Vaishnavi Patel's "Kaikeyi" is a reimagining of the Ramayana, but from the villain's perspective. It's epic, it's emotionally devastating and it's very very feminist… The raw beauty of this book left me in utter awe. I couldn't believe that "Kaikeyi" is Patel's debut! Without any doubt, one of the best debuts I have ever come across. Just stunning!

Well hello there, one of my favourite reads of 2022! I've heard so many good things about Patel's "Kaikeyi" that I admittedly went into this arc with pretty high expectations. And damn, they were all met.

Now, I actually didn't know anything about the Ramayana before reading this, and I chose not to go on a wikipedia binge before finishing the book. I had no trouble understanding what was going on, and after learning more about the source material I appreciate this retelling even more. Retelling classic stories and centering the perspective of the women in it, especially those often deemed villainous, is very popular right now. "Kaikeyi" does this too, and spectacularly so.

The writing is simply gorgeous, very lyrical but to the point, and while the story spans decades of Kaikeyi's life, it's never boring because it's so well-crafted and evenly paced. There is a lot going on, and I felt for Kaikeyi every step of the way. She's a deeply complex character, and while not all the side characters get enough screen time to develop into equally rich people, they are all intriguing. Also, Kaikeyi's asexuality was woven into the story very organically and it was never treated as something out of the ordinary, just as part of who she is. My only minor complaint might be that Kaikeyi was portrayed as a very good and pure character who barely has any bad thought at all throughout the story and who's mostly a victim of the patriarchal society she lives in. This is probably to counteract her villainy in the source material, but I generally prefer less of a moral dichotomy - even Good women are allowed to have morally questionable thoughts here and there, and we love them just as much for it.

The fantastical aspects of the story, the Binding Plane and the gods and their magic, were fascinating. The world building as a whole is great. Honestly, I just had an amazing time with this epic story and it did make me read up on the Ramayana, which, well - I just really love books that make me want to learn more.

4,5 stars, happily rounding up to 5.

What an emotional rollercoaster!!! Vaishnavi Patel pulled each and every one of my heartstrings with this one, and now I'm here laying with my bleeding heart.

This is a new territory for me, and I'm already obsessed. Such a heart wrenching, yet hopeful tale this one is.

Its been a wonderful time following Kaikeyi on her lifelong journey of strengh and empowerment. She really was the persistent voice in times when women had very little rights.

A phenomenal & fascinating retelling!

Wow! Mythological retellings are not for me. But when I saw that it is about our own Kaikeyi from the great Indian Mythology of Ramayana and that cover(gorgeous!) I couldn’t resist requesting it!

Thanks NetGalley and Little Brown Group, UK for the ARC! I am so glad to have read this.

Growing up listening to stories Ramayana, I always believed Kaikeyi was a villain, a thorn in the beautiful life of Lord Ram. But with this brilliant reimagining, the author has managed to turn around my opinion of this wonderous woman!

Synopsis –

Kaikeyi grew up with seven brothers in the kingdom of Kekaya, listening to the tales of the Gods. But yet she never seems to please them. With her mother getting banished, she busies herself learning the art of war from her brother, while also immersing in reading ancient scrolls mastering a unique kind of magic. As the queen of Kosala, Kaikeyi, now a mother, makes it her mission to enrich the lives of women in her kingdom. But soon, destiny threatens to tear her family apart and she has to make some impossible decisions.

Review -

Kaikeyi enraptured me right from the starting line. I was absorbed into her childhood, as she was a girl unlike any other, learning sword fighting and chariot riding with her twin brother Yudhajit, while also voraciously reading and grasping magic of her own from the scrolls her mother left.

This magic is a constant factor through her whole life. As the young queen of Raja Dasarath of Kosala, it aids her to build solid relationships with everyone, also allowing her to manipulate and nudge them towards her purposes.

While we witness her fierce, steely persona as a champion charioteer saving her husband’s life, we also see her as a beautiful, gracious young woman, a beloved wife and a gentle mother to not only her own son, but all of Dasharath’s children.

I was truly amazed at how she stood by women, fought for their rights, voicing the need for their independence – as she becomes a valued member of the king’s minister cabinet and starting her own exclusive women’s council addressing the citizens.

The story meanders quite a lot from the traditional mythology, but not once did it feel out of place. I was pleasantly surprised with the introduction of Ravana and Kaikeyi’s interactions with him.

The writing is so rich and magnificent for a debut. I was dazzled by the descriptions of the kingdoms, the architecture , the culture and even fashion of those days!

Kaikeyi does the unthinkable, bringing sorrow and devastation towards the end. But the author explores the circumstances behind her decisions and satisfyingly justifies it.

Overall, this is simply a triumph of a debut that celebrates this fearless warrior queen who had to bow down only for her destiny.

Actual Rating: 2.5/5 stars

I’ve struggled quite a bit with my feelings on Kaikeyi and after weighing the good and the bad, I’ve ultimately landed smack down in the middle on a 2.5 star rating.
Kaikeyi is the next addition to the genre of ancient-myths-retold that exploded after the success of Madeline Millers Greek Mythology retellings, and retells the Ramayana from the perspective of the villainous queen. As such, I’ve divided my thoughts and this review into two parts; first looking at this book as a piece of (literary) fantasy, as it’s primarily been marketed, and second as a retelling. Both landed me on a “mixed” judgement, but for different reasons entirely.

As a fantasy novel:
If we take away the context, and look at Kaikeyi as a standalone fantasy novel, we’re left with an alright story, that simply wasn’t for me. There’s obviously a large focus on royalty and the court-intrigue-politics, which happens to be my least favourite fantasy-trope. Objectively, I think it’s a solid book that many fans of this genre will like, but subjectively it brought my enjoyment far down. Kaikeyi as a protagonist is the novels biggest selling point for me. You can tell the author put a lot of work in developing her character to be a rounded woman, beyond the vengeful “evil stepmother”-role she portrays in the Ramayana. I enjoyed the authors exploration of her struggle to find her place in a male-dominated world and discovering a way to assert authority of her own, when she often feels like a plaything for others to be manipulated. Her unique magical ability ties into this perfectly. Kaikeyi is able to access the Binding Plane; a version of reality in which she can see and manipulate the strings that connect people. It slots perfectly into our protagonists character; a woman so reliant on her social intelligence and literally “pulling strings” in order to exert her influence. I love when a magical power is an extension of a character-trait, and I’ve never seen it done quite in this way before.
Weaker points where the side-characters (many feeling flat and quite one-dimensional as opposed to Kaikeyi), and the worldbuilding that I never quite got a feeling for.

As a retelling:
Judging this book as a retelling is where my feelings truly get mixed, and even a little uncomfortable. Kaikeyi follows all the same beats we already know from classic myth retellings, with one major exception, which I will come back on near the end of this review. In addition to feeling very “same-y” to its genre-competitors, it also falls into all the same traps they’ve already tested my tolerance of. To name a few:

- The Feminist Approach
In almost every classic-retelling, we encounter an enlightened (female protagonist), who embodies all feminist ideals and morals of our modern time, regardless of the context of the original story. Placing modern feminist views on century-old characters may help to make the story more familiar and comfortable to modern audiences, but it also feels anachronistic and inauthentic at times. There are more ways fitting to have empowered female characters than to have them quote 21st-century feminist morals.
- The Western adaptation
Other than the feminist themes, many other social, moral and cultural elements of western culture are often introduced into these stories, either to make them more familiar to a Western audience, or because it’s what the author knows best. This can take away from the authentic feel of the original. I’m curious to hear from Hindu-readers how they experienced this, because for me (as a white Western European woman) I very much felt like the target audience.
- The Flipping-The-Hero
In order to justify the actions of traditionally villainous characters, authors often feel the need to vilify the hero of the original story to an extreme. Much more interesting to me would be to create a full cast of fleshed out characters, all of which are morally non-binary. Circe to me is the perfect example of how to do that right.

This final point leads me to the aspect in which Kaikeyi differs from many of the other commercially successful classical retellings where Kaikeyi differs from many of the other commercially successful classical retellings. Where Greek mythology has very few (if any) modern-day believers, this cannot be said for Hinduism. When your source material still holds high significance to currently living individuals there is always the risk of offence, especially in vilifying a significant religious figure. For this reason, I highly recommend you seek out own-voice reviews from Hindu-readers, as I personally don’t feel comfortable judging this aspect of the novel.

I can see this re-imagining being interpreted as very powerful, or very offensive, depending on your personal context. For me, completely lacking any of this context, it was a middle-of-the-road addition to its genre.

Many thanks to Orbit for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Firstly, let me say this book was amazing. The writing was impeccable, and the storytelling left me wanting more. I loved how the story started from Kaikeyi being young, up until her being a mother. At its core, this book is about familial bonds and the lengths we go to protect those we love. Along with that, it has a strong feminist stance, with Kaikeyi standing up for women, and making sure they always have an advocate. This book made me laugh, and also made me cry, that's how amazing this story was. I did prolong finishing this due to its impending sadness, and I did cry at certain parts.
Kaikeyi is an amazing main character, she strives to help people, and while she may not always be able to help them, she also owns her flaws and mistakes. I LOVED this book so much. I would highly recommend reading this!!

Growing up in India, I was raised on bedtime stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata narrated by my grandparents. I was always fascinated and read both epics, while being on the lookout for retellings of the stories.

When I saw the blurb of the book (a reimagining of the Ramayana from Kaikeyi’s POV), I knew I had to read it. In the Ramayana, Kaikeyi was the youngest of the three queens of King Dasharath. She was Bharat’s mother and played a major ‘antagonistic’ role in the early events of the Ramayana, setting off Ram, Lakshmana and Sita into their exile. A spin on the story to try and redeem her was an interesting premise.

I really enjoyed Vaishnavi Patel’s version of Kaikeyi’s story. Before I explain why, I will mention that this book may not be for everyone. If you are deeply religious and love the Ramayana, you might find the portrayal of some beloved characters to be negative or drastically different from what you have been raised with. If, however, you’re open to a different (more feminist) perspective of the story, I think you will enjoy it.

Given that Kaikeyi is only present for a short portion early in the Ramayana, I love that Vaishnavi added different elements, including a light magic system (with vivid imagery) to bring the story together. Kaikeyi, who is normally considered the ‘villain’, is portrayed as a morally grey person with an intense, determined personality. I also found it interesting that Manthara is not shown as an evil influence but instead, just as a person who cares about Kaikeyi. Also, look out for cameos and mentions of different Ramayana characters the book!

I hope you love reading Kaikeyi as much as I did and if you aren’t familiar with the tales from the epics, I hope this book pushes you read them! I can’t wait for anything Vaishnavi Patel writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group, UK for sending me the eARC.

Deep-rooted misogyny is untangled in Vaishnavi Patel's mythological historical fantasy, against a backdrop of magical bonds, old scrolls, and Hindu deities.

Vaishnavi Patel's debut novel is a feminist retelling of the Hindu epic Ramayana, in which the influential Queen Kaikeyi, the second wife of King Dasharath, exiles her stepson, Prince Rama, so that her own son can inherit the throne. In her vibrant reimagining, Vaishnavi Patel draws on ancient Indian history to explore the backstory of the vilified titular figure, starting from the day her mother was banished from the kingdom when she was twelve years old, and examines the discreet ways she exercises her power and royal influence to challenge sexism in a male dominated society and empower women in circumventing oppressive gender expectations.

Having grown up listening to her mother's stories, Kaikeyi seeks comfort in old scrolls from the library after her exile, and amongst stories of gods and monsters, she stumbles upon a magical scroll that allows her to see the relational bonds between people. These bonds appear like coloured ropes in a meditative realm, known as the Binding Plane, and can be manipulated with a tug – a literal "pulling of strings to get what you want." Kaikeyi learns not to exploit this power, and instead uses it to gauge the strengths of her relationships: when to argue, and when to let it go, who can be trusted and who should be lied to. Kaikeyi forges this power into a shield, rather than a weapon.

Raised the only daughter of a powerful king in a restrictive, patriarchal society, Kaikeyi is conscious of the subservient behaviour that is expected of her. Desperate to prove women are more than just "fragile bodies and delicate minds," she convinces her twin brother, with just a small tug, to teach her to fight. This small taste of power feeds her desire to be more than just someone's daughter, wife or mother.

With luscious prose, Patel explores complex companionships, particularly those between women, and puts her own spin on the infamous bond shared between Kaikeyi and Manthara. In this rich retelling, their friendship is warm and loving; a genuine friendship built on shared experiences, compassion, and trust; a far cry from the original's scheming, poisonous alliance. Patel nurtures her female friendships in her stunning novel with nuanced, flawed characters that develop with every chapter.

As made clear in her conscientious Author's Note, Patel did not endeavour to retell the epic Ramayana in the same way it had been told for centuries, over and over – this is a story of her own imagining, Kaikeyi's story, that has never been told before. While retellings can offend those familiar with the source material, diverging from the original text offers a new perspective of key elements and events, and allows well known characters to be shown in a new light through the lens of–in this case–the villain, and serves, not as a justification, but as an explanation for their actions. Vaishnavi Patel takes the villainous stepmother and weaves a compelling backstory threaded with gender politics, complex family dynamics, and an overarching theme of liberation, and embellishes it with a lustrous, intricate magic system.

Vaishnava Patel gracefully lists the texts that inspired Kaikeyi in her Author's Note and explains what motivated her to approach Kaikeyi's story from this angle, along with the specific details she changed for creative purposes. This note reads like a love letter to her culture and illustrates her attentiveness to the story's importance.

Although an author's writing process is equal parts inspiring and intriguing, I am cognizant of the fact BIPOC authors feel obliged to include this due to the double standards marginalized authors face while publishing retellings of myths. There is unreasonable pressure for BIPOC authors to tell a story "accurately" or "authentically'' rather than artistically – a weight that restricts their creative liberties and forces them into the role of a teacher, rather than a writer. Readers question their knowledge and demand proof of intensive research to determine whether they are "qualified" to tell the story at hand. We don't see the same with Shakespeare retellings, for example, as adaptations like She's the Man (Twelfth Night) and 10 Things I Hate About You (Taming of the Shrew) are widely adored, instead of examined for inaccuracies.

Deconstructing a myth that has been told for centuries with the villain Kaikeyi portrayed as a virtuous character may unsettle readers who already hold her with disdain, but Vaishnavi Patel doesn't need to convince you of her morality or benevolence, she just needs you to set aside your opinion and appreciate Kaikeyi for the captivating story that it is.

'Kaikeyi' is a great addition to the feminist retelling of myths genre. Both feminist adventure and exploration of Hindu mythology, 'Kaikeyi' also utilises the features of Fantasy with demons, magic and portents. Kaikeyi is the only daughter of a fairly powerful but small kingdom who is very young when she takes over her mothers duties as the 'consort'. She learns how to listen, empathise but most importantly to negotiate, which is what she does when she is promised to the leader of a neighbouring, and more powerful, kingdom. Her access to a powerful ability shows her the secretes of negotiation and she uses her powers to build strong connections in a society where women can have freedoms and independence. By exploring these aspects of feminism, Patel constructs a meaningful story about the power of women when they work collectively. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the Women's Council meetings. Small meaningful changes making hige differences in the lives of women and girls.
As an adventure story, the novel also works really well. There are battles and quests, journeys and explorations. And even though the novel is quite long it is a pacy read. Strongly recommended for a wide variety of readers. I will be suggesting it to students as an introduction to South Asian fantasy and as a really engaging introduction to sub-continent mythology.

Kaikeyi is a retelling of the famous myth of the Ramayana told by the perspective of Kaikeyi, the often villainized character of the popular myth.
I've grown up listening to this myth for all my childhood years and I absolutely adored seeing a myth which I was so familiar with represented in a story. The ease with which I could recognize the characters and correlate all the plot points was a marvellous experience.
Kaikeyi's perspective was definitely an interesting one to read however for a book solely centred around her I felt like we didn't get enough of an insight into her feelings and her thoughts. It felt as though she was simply reciting a story and I would've appreciated it so much more we had gotten a better look at her reasoning behind the actions.
There are a lot of variances between the myth I've been told and the one portrayed here (of course there are tons of different interpretations of the Ramayana and I appreciate the fact that the author chose to go with the lesser known ones) and I give props to the author for her bold creative choices with Rama- however his portrayal did throw me off in a couple of ways since he is idolized as a god in hindu mythology and I think that's one of the reasons why I had to knock a star.
Overall Kaikeyi is a masterful retelling told by the perspective of a misunderstood character and I can't wait to see what this author does next!

Thanks to Netgalley, Little brown book group, and the author for an early readers copy.
I was really looking forward to reading Kaikeyi, as it is a familiar name having had a Hindu religious influence during my childhood, I can say I was not disappointed.

This is based on historical fiction and I grew up watching or reading books that only had the Ram, Sita, and Lakshman's side of the story, which portrayed Kaikeyi as a mean person and Manthara as the wicked lady who whispered into Kaikeyis ears and despite how much Kaikeyi loved Ram and cared for him as a child, Kaikeyi ends up exiling him for ten to 14 years depending on which version you read or watched. (not a spoiler if you know the Ramayana)

Kaikeyi from this author's point of view is actually a refreshing change from the way the story is told, I really enjoyed Kaikeyi as a character, a really strong female character for her time. I also liked Dashratha's character and would have loved to read a little bit more about Kaushalya. Although I did feel a little like the hide-and-seek story could have been cut short, that was my only very minor criticism if at all any.

I do have slightly mixed feelings about Ravana's story, it is not a version I've heard before, however, seeks to explain some things, and I also have a few mixed feelings about how Ram initially treated people around him and his traditional views on a woman's role, This part of it was not ever portrayed in the stories I heard, read or watched as a child. It does seem there are several different versions of this story.

Overall, I enjoyed the writing style, and the storytelling and it's always nice to hear the other side of the story and not just one side. If you have never heard of some of the Hindi words, the author goes into explaining quite a few as you go along.

Looking forward to Vaishnavi Patels Next read :-)

Kaikeyi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you look for an interesting standalone fantasy story, heavily rooted in Indian mythology, drawing from Hindi traditions. Where the story is rich in charachter development, and the worldbuilding is lush. PICK THIS ONE UP!!

In the Indian epic The Ramayana Queen Kaikeyi is portrayed as a jealous villain who uses the boons granted to her by her husband the king to send his oldest son Rama into exile, and put her son Bharata on the throne instead. Vaishnavi took this story and reimagined it into a version where Kaikeyi is a brave and smart influential woman who, emerges powerful in a day and age where men rule in accordance with the gods and women are bound to roles defined by old traditions.

"I was born on the full moon under an auspicious constellation, the holiest of positions - much good it did me."

Kaikeyi is the only daughter to the kingdom of Kekaya, raised on tales about the might of the gods. But one day her father banishes her mother, and her worth is reduced to marrying a king to secure their kingdom. Kaikeyi is desperate for independence and the men in her life to see her self worth. In this desperation she finds magic and preserverance, that get her from princess to warrior, diplomat and queen, trying to create a better world for herself and the women in her kingdom.
While redeeming a villain is tricky, I 100% stood by Kaikeyi every step in the way, every choice she made. The love she felt for her and her sister-wive sons was intense. The way she is able to demonstrate her wit and worth with the other queens supporting every step she makes towards more power was beautiful.
How the old religious men are looking down upon her, afraid by her influence making remarks about a lady's place in society made my skin crawl.
If you can make me feel empowered, loved, scared, and frustrated in the same book over 500 pages on the edge of my seat, finishing in two sittings and not wanting to put the book down. You deserve all the stars!!