In this lush reimagining of Hindu mythology, Kritika H. Rao brings to life the story of Meneka, a celestial dancer trained not just in seduction but in war and deception. Serving the will of Lord Indra, she ensnares powerful mortals for his political gain—until one mission changes everything.

🔥 A deadly deal – To gain her freedom, Meneka must seduce a rising sage, Kaushika, whose power threatens the gods themselves.
💫 An unexpected love – Drawn to his passion and strength, she begins to question her loyalty to heaven.
⚔️ A battle of fate – As war looms, she must decide: stay true to her celestial duty or embrace the love that could change her destiny forever.

Perfect for fans of:
✔️ Mythology-infused fantasy like Kaikeyi & Circe
✔️ Romantic tension & powerful heroines
✔️ Stories of self-discovery & defying fate

With enchanting prose, political intrigue, and epic romance, The Legend of Meneka is the first in the Divine Dancers duology—a mesmerising journey into the heart of legend and love.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

I'm not sure how to feel about this one. It was very much okay, with pretty but easily readable prose and a fast-paced storyline. But I kept wanting more, as none of it was really drawing me in. I especially didn't connect with the romance, because I couldn't feel their connection or why they'd feel so strongly about each other. Since this is a romantasy, that did make the book harder to enjoy. I didn't dislike this in any way, but I guess I have to conclude that it wasn't really for me.

Thank you to Harper Fiction and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book for review.

I'm currently awake at 2.30am bawling my eyes out after finishing this absolutely incredible and truly captivating tale.
The Legend of Meneka is a retelling I won't forget in a hurry. The characters felt so real and I shared their emotions throughout this tale. Kritika has such a beautiful way with words and her story telling is magical.
I loved Meneka from our first meeting, the way she was constantly battling her inner turmoil on the path to discovering who she is meant to be. Kaushika being the antithesis to Meneka's beliefs when she first embarks on her mission made me distrust him too. However, I absolutely loved their character development together. The way we peeled back layers and learned more as Meneka and Kaushika got to know each other was exquisitely written.

I grew up with tales of Lord Shiva, Goddess Shakti and Lord Indra. For me, it was really cool to see the stories my parents told me in childhood brought to life in a new way now.

I loved this book! It made me feel so many emotions but more than that, it unlocked nostalgia and helped me reconnect not only with my culture but also, my younger self. This was a truly wonderful readand I cannot recommend it highly enough!

It's so refreshing to read a romantasy novel inspired by a different culture, and I really enjoyed learning more about Hindu mythology. However, I struggled to connect with the characters and the story. Since it's told from Meneka's POV, her constant doubt and repetitive inner conflict made the narrative feel frustrating at times. While there was slow burn, the romance didn’t feel engaging enough for me and I couldn't really enjoy it.

"You are whoever you wish to be, Meneka."

I was not familiar with the original legend before reading this book, so I'm not sure if it's present there or not.. but I was immensely impressed by Meneka's character growth. from someone who was dependent on others for validation, yet struggling with her devotion to the same people, she just became her own person, embracing her identity. she was both someone I could relate to, but also an unlikeable narrator at times. and I really liked this duality of her. after her bestie almost died, my girl's main priority was to present herself as supper for the broody sage in the next room. and you know what? hell yeah.

what I struggled with a bit was the worldbuilding and getting used to the historical context in the beginning, so this made me "work for it" a bit harder, especially in the beginning. nonetheless, I will be reading the next book as well.

4/5

I loved the Hindu mythology inspired worldbuilding and the way the book was written. Overall I enjoyed the story, and I have to say that It was really quick to read. I wasn’t expecting it but I found myself reading almost all nonstop before I realized which is always a good sign. I also loved the slow burned romance, I loved how it was done and built up.


Thank you to netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

💌 First of all, I would like to thank @NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ebook in exchange for a honest review.

📖 The Legend of Meneka is the first instalment in a Hindu mythology inspired book in which we follow Meneka, a celestial dancer whose task is to seduce a human sage.

✉ I requested this ebook on NetGalley because I was looking for a nice Asian mythology inspired book, and the cover was really pretty! I read this book for @moonflower.reads's mythology challenge for 2025.

💃🏻 Amazed. I am truly amazed after reading this book, and let me tell you why.
First, what the book is about: an adult romantasy steeped in Hindu mythology, and I was here for that. And I was not disappointed.
Second, the worldbuilding: I liked the concept a lot, but since I know almost nothing about Hindu mythology, I cannot tell you if it is accurate or not. It can get a bit confusing at first because a lot of information is given, but I liked the fact that there was a glossary at the beginning of the book to get back to in case of doubt or incomprehension. Also, I love a good queernormative world.
Third, the plot: everything is in the blurb (which I did not read, as usual, so I felt like I had foreseen something when in fact, all was included in the blurb). I did feel surprised from time to time by Meneka's choices, but that's all I can say without spoiling the book. The pacing seemed fast to me.
Fourth, the characters and their relationship: Meneka appeared kind of ruthless at the beginning of the book, and I was not a fan of this, but after meeting Kaushika, the MMC, she seems calmer and wiser. Kaushika was one of those morally grey characters, but I liked him a lot. I was really rooting for Meneka and Kaushika's relationship, but it felt a bit lacking because it is based on lust and not really on true feelings. But I enjoyed their dynamic, and as they spent time together, all of their ideas about their beliefs and teachings were seen from another angle, and I truly liked that aspect.

If you want a Hindu mythology inspired romantasy with feminism and proof that women should not be erased from stories, read this one! I will definitely read book 2 when it comes out!

3.75⭐️. There was a lot I liked about this book - the descriptive writing, the mythology and the initial build up of the relationship between Meneka and Kaushika.

In the author’s note, she sums up Meneka’s journey in the perfect way (which, of course she does, because she’s the author!):

“What she’d struggle with is understanding the contradictory nature of her own identity and the path that Kaushika was on. If seduction was coercive, could any feelings rang emerge from it ever be true?”

It’s hard to put my finger on why it didn’t feel like a strong 4⭐️ or higher but there were two things in particular that I didn’t love. Firstly, although the initial tension was built up well, once Kaushika started to tryst Meneka, they then moved very quickly into love, when I felt like they still didn’t really know each other. The second thing was the ending. Although, in theory, it should’ve been quite dramatic, it felt very anticlimactic and also a little rushed, which brought me out of the story a little. Definitely a stronger start compared to the finish. That being said, I’ll be picking up the second book in this duology when it comes out, as I’d like to see how their story ends.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book.

Thank you HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | HarperVoyager and NetGalley for the ARC!

It is so refreshing to read romantic fantasy books that don't centre around Western culture. Read more diverse books, folks!

There's so much romance and culture that is explored in this book by Kritika H. Rao. Honestly! I couldn't put the book down.

The world-building, the characters and their chemistry, and the writing style is phenomenal. I would definitely recommend this book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Legend of Meneka by Kritika H. Rao is a sensual and coming of age retelling of the infamous ballad of Hindu mythology --- Menaka and Vishwamitra.

I had assumed this book was loose retelling with hints of Hindu mythology but no, it was a full blown romantic fantasy with rich and cultural appropriation.

The way the author had began the sorry had me grappling with the pages. From Meneka returning after seducing a devotee who started worship of Lord Indra, her dialogues and inner thoughts are mature, for she is smart to the twisted world that was carved to look beautiful, that she yearned for the truth and came to a beautiful self-realization of everything that was true.

Meneka is an immortal who is young in the heart and she grows from everything she experiences and expands her knowledge with everything she had to do for survival. She holds doubts like no other but yearns to find answers to them.

While most readers don't see it as a romantasy, it doesn't feel like the average romantasy books floating around. As Hindu myself, I could see how much deeper the topic of the book is than a retelling. It's not just a story, it's an epic retelling with a gifted voice. A lot of religious themes were explored and explained and I enjoyed how the author had deep dived into this myth of Menaka and Vishwamitra and gave them a true story where here, Meneka has a voice of her own. The way the author explored the theme and meanings of love and seduction is beautiful and does justice to the story.

Kaushika and Meneka's romance is not born of seduction but a slow and sensual development. While seduction is a major theme, the way the seduction is performed is not entirely a sexual notion. Their love is stronger than the bounds holding them together even while their ideals make them against each other.

While there are sex scenes in the book, it isn't to add spice or be spicy but rather explore the themes of sexuality and sensuality. To show the seduction of love in a philosophical context. There is introduction of ideals of Hinduism that play a major role in this part.

The writing style of the book is what also got me hooked to the story. While it is not super lyrical, it is easy to understand and delves deep into the emotions of the character and sense of spirituality. To me, I felt comfort while reading this book because it brought back so many memories of stories and myths told by my family when I was a child.

The world-building of this book was rich and heavily influenced by Hindu mythology. Many of the names and places were familiar from the original myth.

The book was an overall emotional read for me and I could not put it down at all. I was just so moved by everything. I fell in love with Meneka and Kaushika and can't wait to read the next installment!

First of all, a huge thank you to the publishers for the arc.

I’m a big fan of Kritika’s work and The Legend of Meneka was definitely one of my most anticipated books of 2025. I’m a bit embarrassed to say that I wasn’t familiar with Meneka’s story and the myth that inspired this retelling, but I will absolutely be looking for a version to read!

This is one book I was glad I took my time reading. The Legend of Meneka is beautifully written and honestly, it was so nice to lose myself in the world. I’ve always been a fan of Kritika’s world building and this was no exception - I genuinely love the worlds she creates and I loved how different this was to The Surviving Sky. I also loved how the philosophy was woven into the story; it created some interesting dynamics between the characters, especially Kaushika and Meneka.

Speaking of Meneka and Kaushika…I enjoyed seeing how their relationship changed and developed, especially during the quieter moments. I loved the moments where they got to know each other and challenged each other’s beliefs. It wasn’t what I was expecting (that’s my fault and my lack of familiarity with the original story), but I liked the fact that push each other to be their best selves.

If you’re a fan of retellings and romantasy, then give this one a go.

First of all, I just want to say how happy I am that in the past couple of years there have been so many stories inspired by Hinduism and Hindu myths that have been discovered and published - from retellings/reimaginings such as Kaikeyi and Goddess of the River to fantasy such as The Surviving Sky by Kritika - the same author who wrote this book I'm reviewing now. When I saw that she has a new book coming out and that it's a romantasy! - although I'm not the biggest fan of the subgenre but I was instantly interested to read it.

The Legend of Meneka is based on a Hindu myth that I wasn't familiar with - about Meneka, an apsara that was commanded by Deva Indra - the king of heaven - to seduce Sage Kaushika in order to stop him from threatening Deva Indra's realm. But instead, Meneka found herself falling for her mark and questioning everything she was taught and known about her world.

I really enjoyed reading this one - I thought the plot was well developed and executed, and the writing just flows. The romance was great too even though I would've preferred a slower development, but the way the author wrote the push and pull of the characters and the tension between them was well done. I thought Kritika wrote the characters with a lot of heart and thoughtfulness which was why it was easy for me to be able to root for them. Even without the romance, I thought the storyline of Meneka was really good by itself especially the way that she had to encounter conditions and realities that made her question her own beliefs and struggle through her mission.

Also can I give this book an appreciation for giving us a glossary??? I didn't really need it and it made me happy that I was able to recognize a lot of the phrases and characters in the book but I knew that the glossary would really help other readers not familiar with Hinduism.

This was a beautiful, beautiful story and I loved it so much. The Legend of Meneka is a breathtaking romantasy steeped in Hindu mythology and follows Meneka, a celestial dancer (apsara) whose duty is to seduce mortal "marks" at the command of her king Indra. The marks are always those who have posed political challenges for Indra and threatened devotion in him in the mortal realm, which weakens his power.

I really really loved this- it was everything I wanted from a dance-inspired mythology/romantasy. The first 30% was slightly slow and then I really got into it. Will definitely be recommending to my friends!

THE LEGEND OF MENEKA is a steamy romantasy that retells a Hindu myth of a celestial dancer sent to seduce a dangerous sage but falls in love with him.

This is a romantasy that explores the power and complications of love, through the lens of an apsara - a divine creature of lust who is used as a weapon to bring people low. It was a really interesting discussion of what constitutes love and where love sits within faith. The book looks at power within a relationship, using that to differentiate this relationship with Meneka's previous missions. I particularly liked the section where Meneka was challenging perceptions of wisdom coming from abstinence and ascetism.

As with THE SURVIVING SKY, THE LEGEND OF MENEKA uses the tale to explore aspects of Hinduism, particularly its philosophy. As someone who only studied Hinduism at school as a minor part of my Religious Study GCSE, I found the exploration here easier to follow and appreciate because it's wrapped up in the myths (which we were briefly taught) rather than being more abstracted.

I liked how the relationship between the two comes from the mind first. Meneka is aware of her power and her physical attraction but that is not what draws them together. It is the way they both challenge each other, forcing the other to think again about their beliefs.

This is the first book in a duology but has a happily ever for now, though with an acknowledgement that the pair have goals of their own that are going to challenge their togetherness. There is a big confrontation at the end, and I liked how the dance magic was used in the midst of the battle, how the victory does not come from who can punch harder.

Beautifully, lyrically written, The Legend of Meneka is a mythology retelling full of romance. Although I loved the writing, I did find it a bit of a struggle to get through because I wasn't feeling the characters. Not my favourite book, but it was mostly ok!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Thank you netgalley for the e-arc!

Review: This is my first Hindu mythology retelling, and the way Kritika Rao describes everything is poetic, almost as if even without the spicy scenes it's giving sensual and erotic. Everytime I smell of star anise and camphor I might remember this book. This is very heavy in philosophy and religion which prompted me to reflect on my own beliefs, or lack thereof. What the main characters' tension basically is between asceticism and pleasure-seeking, and as a fan of having discussions between types of disciplines I find it enjoying to read.

The intimate scenes were handled with subtlety, written in demure language. With so much internal monologue and the ongoing tension between the mortal and immortal realms, I often found myself forgetting that this was, at its core, a romantasy. The depth of the characters’ emotional and philosophical struggles gave the story an added complexity.

The ending felt anticlimactic, though I just found out this is going to be a series. I was unexpectedly moved, from both relief and a sense of dread. The resolution left me uncertain about everyone's futures, as forgiveness remained elusive and the path forward seemed unclear.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me and I ended up DNFing about halfway through.
I'm sad because I was really looking forward to this, especially since it is steeped in Hindu mythology.
I did enjoy the world a lot and as someone who is familiar with Hindu mythology, I really loved how the author took a lot of elements from it and weaved them into a fantasy novel.

In my opinion, you can tell that writing this book meant a lot to the author, and that is something I always love to see.
There were also some elements that I did enjoy, but my biggest issue was the writing style.

It's not bad by any means, but it just felt a bit detached from the story. The writing style felt like that of a mythology retelling (which I tend to not enjoy), but for a romantasy book, and I think that's what didn't work for me.

The main character also annoyed me quite a bit, though she got better as the story progressed.

The plot at the core of the book is something that's been done in romantasy many times, which is also part of the reason why I decided not to finish. I don't think you need to reinvent the wheel everytime and you can definitely take a well-loved plot line and make it exciting, but for me personally, this book didn't make it exciting enough to want to keep going and I think if the world wasn't as lush as it was, I would have DNFed sooner.

I'm sure other people will enjoy this book a lot more, especially since there is a lot I thought was done well, but it just wasn't for me.

I have no strong feelings about this book, one way or another. It's a great blend of mythology and fantasy, and the Hindu myth was new to me, so that was certainly interesting.

I found first 30% slightly confusing, the author seemed to rely on the glossary a little too much, and I thought all the unfamiliar terms could have been better explained within the story.

The book is mostly Meneka's thoughts, as it is a first person POV. The constant turmoil and conflict she went through were described in detail, I could really feel the emotions she was grappling with.

But honestly, being in Meneka's head this much became exhausting fairly quickly, it was all just a little too repetitive for my liking.

For a book that focuses so heavily on sex and desire, there was certainly a slow burn, which was a nice contrast to the lust. I do wish the language used during intimate scenes wasn't so flowery and mild though, it could have been described just a little more explicitly to work well within this story.

In terms of enjoyment, I just couldn't get lost in the story or believe the romance, it wasn't quite engaging enough for me.

I really enjoyed the magic system and world building. The atmosphere felt dreamy and light.

I had to Google quite a bit to understand the mythology related to the characters, but this made a nice change from my usual reading.

I struggled though with the relationship and chemistry between Meneka and Kaushika.