Rated 2.5/5 stars

I…had very mixed emotions on this one. Initially I was impressed with the writing - it’s lyrical in a way that reflects the sensuality that comes with Meneka as an ‘instrument of lust’. It was easy to fall into that atmosphere, but ultimately it proved to be a hindrance to the actual romance later. It’s a strange one where the descriptive tone and its attempt to be reminiscent of mythology almost removes it from the audience entirely - it’s hard to care for the characters or what they’re doing when they feel untouchable.

I wanted to love this but ultimately just felt very mild about it unfortunately. But if you’re looking for a romantasy that feels distinctly different- more focused on lust as a concept and tool to be used, than the grand whirlwind romances of today’s hype - then this might be one to check out.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, Harperfiction for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'd made the mistake of assuming this to be a loose romantasy retelling of the Hindu mythology of Sage Vishwamitra and Apsara Menaka but I was wrong. It was rich and heavy, lush fantasy series with so much of mythology sprinkled every were perfectly with cultural appropriation.

The simple writing style of the book hooked me to teh story. It was simple to understand and delves into the philosophy and emotions of the characters.

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. And to every person who lives by this beautiful religion and culture, you know how much this means to us and our future.

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.

Overall, this was an emotional read for me with a beautiful retelling of a beautiful myth from our history. I absolutely enjoyed devouring this book and slowly savoured it!

Thank you to Harper Voyager for providing an ARC through NetGalley. This was a fresh and unique reading experience for me. With little prior knowledge of Indian mythology, I went in blind, unsure of where the story would take me.

To start, I struggled with Meneka as a character, particularly in the first half of the book. She often came across as overly self-pitying, without fully owning up to the consequences of her actions. This "woe is me" attitude made it difficult to connect with her initially.

Additionally, while the story is billed as a "spicy romance," the enemies-to-lovers dynamic felt underdeveloped. The tension between Meneka and the male lead lacked the spark. Their chemistry, while present, didn’t quite deliver on the promise of intense, slow-burning passion that the genre typically excels in.

The first half of the book was slow, and I found it challenging to immerse myself in the story. It took time and perseverance to reach a point where I felt fully engaged, but it was clear that the plot was building toward something.

However, Where the author truly shines is in the world-building. The descriptions of the settings and the world around the characters were vivid and beautifully crafted, painting a lush and immersive backdrop for the story. I also appreciated how the narrative explored themes of faith. The protagonists’ spiritual journeys were thoughtfully handled, presenting challenges to their beliefs without undermining the importance of religion. Their unwavering convictions and resilience were compelling, showcasing a universal exploration of faith that could resonate with readers from any background—not just those familiar with the mythology of the Apsara.

Overall a good read, it isn't something I would rush to read again, but it is one I would recommend for those interested in reading stories from different cultures.

5⭐

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, Harperfiction 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!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the Arc. Whilst this book was well written I struggled to get into it. The mythology was interesting, refreshing, and set it apart from other Romantasies, but I found it hard connecting to the characters, particularly Meneka. It was ok and had some positives , but not for me.

Steeped in rich Hindu mythology with gods and apsaras and sages, this book sounded right up my alley but unfortunately the execution fell a bit flat. The female MC seemed a bit 2D and lacked personality. The romance between Meneka and Kaushika also felt a bit forced - like they went from actively not liking each other to basically screwing within a chapter with very little build up…

Also looootttts of inner monologue.

The mythology was really interesting and I definitely need to read more of it.

Thank you for sending me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a huge fan of fantasy inspired by different cultures and was very curious about this one. As someone who’s not familiar with Hindu culture and mythology, I was grateful for the glossary and the more I read, the more I understood.
I enjoyed the story and found the mortal and celestial magic very interesting. Meneka really was on a difficult mission and I thought her inner conflict was described well. I liked how she started questioning things and finding herself.
Even though I liked the tension between Meneka and Kaushika, I think they needed a more emotional connection. I could understand that they were attracted to each other, but missed love on a deeper level. That might be the case because many things were told rather than shown (maybe a chapter from Kaushika’s pov would’ve made the reader get to know him better).

However, I still enjoyed this book and loved how colourful the writing was. The plot twist at the end was well done and made me curious about book 2, which I’d definitely read.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the arc!

🌟🌟/5

I really, really wanted to like this. A romantasy steeped in Hindu mythology is an amazing concept, but the story did not do it justice.

The Good:
The mythology aspect of this was really well done. I loved how to author's take on apsara lore. The worldbuilding as the magic system were well done. The author brings the setting to life through her prose. I also appreciate the fact that the world is queernormative.

The Not-so-good:
As someone who's familiar with Hindu mythology, I did not face much trouble with the infodumping. However, readers unfamiliar with it might get confused while reading. Meneka's internal turmoil was overdone to the point that she came off as whiny and annoying. The writing was repititive in many parts. My biggest issue with the book is the 'romance'. Meneka and Kaushika's relationship is fueled by lust. There is no chemistry between these two, and that is why when Meneka discovers that love is magic (literal magic, mind you) in its own right, I'd have flung this book across the room if I'd had a physical copy. NOT THE FRICKIN POWER OF LOVE AGAIN. These two were neither enemies nor lovers at any point. The lack of chemistry made the smut scenes terrible.

The ending was...weird. I wish the author would've made the book longer and wrapped up the story in one book. Even the climax was unsatisfactory. I don't want to dive into spoiler territory, but the way these people handled devas-all powerful forces of nature-without any great repercussions, was just...😐.

As you can see from my review, personally, the cons heavily outweighed the pros. We don't see enough Hindu mythology inspired book so I had to get an arc for myself. Unfortunately, this was a big miss. I'm not sure if I'll be reading the sequel.