Look at that cover. It is the guilty one. It made me request the book. Don't blame me, blame the cover.

When I saw that cover and the title and the author <I>and </i>the narrator, I thought, what could go wrong? This book was a solid lesson in WHY YOU SHOULD NOT REQUEST BOOK BY INDIAN-AMERICAN AUTHORS.

The Positives:
1. Let me say it again - the cover. Seriously, the cover is so beautiful, that no self-respecting Indian reader will be able to pull their eyes away from it.
2. The topic - Kaikeyi is the ultimate stepmother of all stepmothers. Snow White's stepmother had nothing on her. With a single stroke, Kaikeyi managed to do something no one could ever even dream of.
3. That's all. What were you expecting?

The Negatives:
1. Random story - Kaikeyi's story is perhaps the most fascinating among the three wives of Dasharatha. That is why I was expecting more from the story. But all I got was a random watered-down and distorted version of her story.
a) As a princess, she isn't taught the arts of war. Why? All princes and princesses were given lessons in warcraft.
b) She suddenly achieves something called the Binding Plane from where she can control the reactions of others. If she can manipulate everyone and everything, what even is the point of the story?
c) She sends Rama to 10 years of exile. Every Indian millennial worth their salt knows that the tenure was 14 years, not 10. Did the author not do her research?
d) Raavan was a man with shades of darker grey. He certainly wasn't a good friend of Kaikeyi. Indeed, they never met in the original epic.
e) Rama meets Ahalya on a different journey. Not during his exile.
f) Sage Vaamanadev was never the princes' teacher. In the beginning, it was Sage Vashishtha and then it was Sage Vishwamitra. Where did Vaamanadev come from?
g) Kaikeyi took the promise of the two boons on the battlefield where she saved Dasharatha's life. Not before their wedding.
h) For some reason, everyone mentions a target shooting at Sita's <I>swayamvara</i>. THERE WAS NO TARGET. It was in the Mahabharata, not the Ramayana. At Sita's <I>swayamvara</i>, the only condition was to lift the massive bow and string it - not a mean feat as the bow belonged to Lord Shiva Himself.

2. Character reversal - It is possible to write stories about villains and tell their story from their POV without making the original good ones bad. In this book, unfortunately, the author has done just that. Raavan is great, Kaikeyi is great. Rama calls his mothers whores (at the age of 10, no less) and is extremely power-hungry. He abuses his wife and is misogynistic. What is going on here? Rama is considered to be a <I>Maryada Purushottam</i>. Men are given His example to live life in an ideal manner. In fact, he is so devoted to Sita that even today people see a great couple and say <I>"Ram Sita ki jodi</i>. Shatrughna is another enigma I couldn't get my head over.

3. Writing - While some might feel the writing was poetic (and it was), I didn't like it at all. Just like other English books written by Indian authors (*cough* <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3696353547?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1"> The Henna Artist </a> *cough*), it was liberally sprinkled with wrong Hindi words. What is <I>Radnyi</i> for God's sake?

4. Narration - When I saw an Indian narrator, I thought it would be someone <I>living</i> in India. Not an Indian-American mispronouncing words and reading in an American accent.

So, no. This book didn't thrill me. It didn't make me happy. It made me extremely angry. Of all the topics the author could have chosen, she chose Kaikeyi. And then she didn't do justice to the topic. It seems she just read up some stuff on the Internet and decided to go ahead with the project and then she put in the things she thought along the way. Couldn't get a single thing right.

What a waste of my time.

1.5 stars (1 star for the cover and 0.5 stars for the effort)

Thanks to Netgalley and Hatchette Audio for the audio ARC.

You know when you see someone else reading a book and they’re clearly having a great time and you’re desperate to join in? That’s me watching @simoneandherbooks read Kaikeyi. And I’m so glad I basically abandoned the rest of my TBR for this one, because it was fantastic. It takes its roots from a very old myth that I had never heard, but I love the idea of exploring the ancient story and saying well actually what if this woman wasn’t the bad guy and everyone got it wrong? So it’s not so much a retelling as it is a reworking, and it’s exactly what an epic tale should be: mesmerizing and compelling. Kaikeyi is one of my favorite characters I’ve ever encountered, and I loved getting to spend time with her along the course of her life. But honestly every sing is character was vibrant and interesting, and the fantasy aspects were just enough. This book has been compared to Circe a lot, which is fair, but I honestly liked it a good bit more. I also thought the audiobook was amazing and added so much to the story!

Audio review: Great narrator. This is a very 'told' story in many ways so keeping up the level of engagement she managed was impressive.



Main review: I am in no way an expert on Hindi mythology and literature. I'm also only vaguely familiar with the Ramashana, the poem upon which this story is based. But neither am I completely ignorant of either and requiring babying in on mythology that isn't western in origin. (So that's my perspective but you may wish to look at reviews from better informed people too.)



Overall, I really enjoyed this. Perhaps my enjoyment was aided by the fact that I am not as married to the Ramashana as I am to say Irish mythology - I wasn't going to find favourite parts of MY myths reimagined in a way I found jarring. Kaikeyi is the name of the third queen - traditionally the only one who could cause the conflict which would set Rama (the god suffering in human form to understand humanity) on his true path. Kaikeyi has suffered in shortened and translated forms of the story and been portrayed just as a villainess. This is a regrettable facet of what happens when you translate myth from one culture for the purview of another and lose the nuance. Because while Kaikeyi's actions - in true fairy tale jealous queen style - are ruinous in the original, Hindu myth is more complex. If you don't have a basic understanding of cultural mindset, you're going to miss a lot. Like Rama's path being pre-ordained and Kaikeyi being the only person who could set him upon it.



That said, I don't blame Patel for wanting to tell a redeemed version of Kaikeyi's story. I actually found the three wives loving each other like sisters a refreshing change from the jockeying for position one might expect. I loved the addition of the binding plane magic system Patel introduces. And I found the small touches of humanity and interconnectedness very engaging. As a piece of fantasy, I really enjoyed this. And I see that Patel was exploring - very effectively - women claiming a role in a system that is predominantly set up for men, and how that ultimately benefits everyone. Kaikeyi is a likeable character and the story is interesting.



However, I do see and understand those who have criticised this interpretation as lacking nuance and even that it was simplified for a 'western' audience. I feel exactly the same when someone takes a beloved Irish myth and reduces it to a story about good and evil.



In addition, this story is largely told rather than descriptive and shown. It worked for me in this instance but it might not for everyone. Overall, this was a gorgeous piece of fantasy which asks a few important questions and looks at the bonds between friends, family, lovers, allies and enemies. It does what it set out to do and I don't personally feel it was disrespectful in doing it. I recommend it to those who enjoy retellings from the much maligned anti-heroine's pov.

What a fantastic book! Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a big mythology fan. In high school, I chose mythology as one of my electives. At one point, we studied the Ramayana and Hindu mythology. I remember some aspects, though the details were fuzzy. I am so glad that this book came across my radar, because I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling and revisiting this.

Kaikeyi was one of three wives of King Dasharatha. She was the most influential of his wives, even though she was not the first.

If you know me, you also know that I’m a big fan of retellings, especially ones that reclaim the stories of women in mythology. They are so often made villainous and we are rarely given as much info as we get on the men in mythology. This is the era in which we are making sure these women get full-fledged identities.

The three wives in this tale and in this book aren’t in competition with one another. They’re all so supportive and they raise each of their children together. In the original text, she is a jealous wife. In this book, she wants to raise up other women and she is part founder of a woman’s council. She’s kind but strong. She’s brave, able to fight with her words and wit, as well as with her physical abilities, but she’s empathetic. If you’re familiar with Kaikeyi’s story, you know where it goes. This gives some backstory on how she got the reputation for being ruthless, on why she banished the King’s favored son and ultimately broke her husband’s heart and trust. We get to see the humanity in her decisions.

Our author, Vaishnavi Patel, weaves a beautiful story and I enjoyed every step of the journey, even the sorrowful parts. I was captivated from start to finish. When I read the last words, I wanted to weep at the masterful storytelling. Every small story told by Kaikeyi along the way added to the larger story overall. We get to know Kaikeyi, the other wives, and her sons intimately. We rejoice with her and mourn with her. I felt such complete satisfaction from reading this book. Finishing this novel was a mix of adrenaline and peace; it was one of those times you finish a book and although everything did not turn out “okay” for all the characters, I was so content to have read such a stunning novel.

Thank you to Orbit for the review copy. I was also gifted audio from this novel via Hachette audio. Soneela Nankani did a gorgeous narration of Kaikeyi. It was absolute perfection and heightened my enjoyment of an already flawless experience.

Kaikeyi is an incredible novel filled with my favorites, a woman led story full of mythology. The book's narrator really brought the book to life for me as I read both the printed and audiobook. The energy, the pacing, and the mental pictures it painted for me had me completely enamored with this book. The full range of emotions I went through listening to this gave me similar feelings as I listened to Circe and I can see how this book could be recommended to someone who had read Circe. It was a real treat and I highly recommend. Thank you to Hachette and NetGalley for the advance reader copy!

I’m always wary of the “for fans of” types of lead-ins. I tend to ignore them. But in this case, all the “if you loved ‘Circe’ then read ‘Kaikeyi’” promo is definitely accurate. Different styles, unique authors, and separate mythologies but the vibes are strong. It’s fantastic to find and to read.

First thing, I listened to the audio and I highly recommend it. I’ve listened to Soneela Nonkani narrate several other books, contemporary romances, with mixed results, but I think her energy and style excels in this genre/story and greatly enjoyed it.

I honestly don’t have a lot to say about the book, which tends to happen when I love one enough. It’s a brilliant and powerful new spin on a once vilified character. All the right notes of feminist ideology balanced with mythological mandates and the weight of human emotions. It’s magical and empathetic. Filled with fate and family and hope and heartbreak. I had a few quibbles that ultimately meant nothing because the overall experience was just too good. One of the year’s best books.

* I received a free audio copy from the publisher via netgalley

I love a good mythology retelling, but usually, I read Greek mythology. Kaikeyi is a retelling of a story well-known in the Hindu religion.

While I can’t attest to the accuracy of the tale, I can say that I was utterly captivated by the story of Kaikeyi’s life. I learned that she is a villain in Hindu but I found Patel’s narrative so compelling that I felt for Kaikeyi and supported all of her decisions.

If you are a fan of Ariadne, Circe, or other mythological retellings, you must pick up this book. It’s wonderful.

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel, narrated by Soneela Nankani.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio, Redhook for an audio ARC for my honest review.

This was a spellbinding story inspired by the Ramayana. I found this book to be a captivating retelling of Kaikeyi's life-story, from her perspective. It helps us to understand what she endured and how this helped her make the decisions that she did. It was mesmerizing and I loved how she portrayed her empowerment of other women. The binding magic she used was a unique way to see and improve her connection with others. Some people may take issue with the changes she made from the original, but all in all, it was an excellent tale.


The narrator was awesome!

I adored this book. It was a bit long. But I still thoroughly enjoyed the audio arc. It was hard to keep some names straight in audio versus seeing them on the page. But I managed.

Format: audiobook
Author: Vaishnavi Patel ~ Title: Kaikeyi ~ Narrator: Soneela Nankani
Content: 5 stars ~ Narration: 5 stars

This novel tells the story of Kaikeyi, the queen from Ayodhya, stepmother of Ram from the myth of Ramayana. Ramayana is an epic poem from ancient India about a prince Ram from the kingdom of Kosala. I didn’t know the complete story before I read Kaikeyi.

I like that this novel presents queen Kaikeyi in a slightly different light. It is a beautiful story of a fierce queen, warrior, and fighter for women’s rights. This novel will be an excellent read for those who like retellings and/or (Indian) mythology. It will appeal to readers who liked Circe by Madeline Miller.

Narration by Soneela Nankani was superb, and I was easily swept away by the story. Suddenly I was in another time and another place.

Thanks to Redhook (Hachette Audio) for the ALC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

Me gustaría conocer más mitos aparte de los consabidos griegos y nórdicos, así que cuando tuve la oportunidad de escuchar el audiolibro Kaikeyi de la autora Vaishnavi Patel, no la dejé escapar. Describen el libro como una aproximación a la primera parte de la historia épica Ramayana desde el punto de vista de Kaikeyi, siempre mostrada con la malvada intrigante que se oponía al ascenso al trono de Rama. Reconozco que mi desconocimiento de esta historia es total, así que he debido pasar por alto muchísimas de las referencias del libro, pero eso es algo que no me ha impedido disfrutar de un relato feminista y de sororidad.


Es importante hacer hincapié en que la figura de Kaikeyi narra en primera persona, así que veremos todos los acontecimientos a través de sus ojos y de su interpretación. No obstante, la autora carga mucho las tintas a su favor, ya que en todo momento la presenta como una joven reflexiva que busca mejorar las condiciones de las mujeres en una sociedad patriarcal como es la India del relato. Este alegato feminista es el eje central sobre el que gira el libro, intentando poner en valor la labor de la mujer en todas las esferas de la vida, incluso aquellas en las que en principio no se las dejaba participar, como la toma de decisiones del consejo o el comercio.

En cuanto a la vida de Kaikeyi asistiremos a su infancia, adolescencia y madurez, enmarcada en los privilegios que caracterizan la vida de una descendiente de reyes, pero que también se ve constreñida por las obligaciones propias del cargo y su propia condición de mujer. También creo que es importante que se trata de una persona que se autodefine como asexual (no exactamente con estas palabras, pero sí que hace referencia a la inexistencia de deseo sexual en su vida) y esta es la primera vez que me encuentro una protagonista de una historia con esta orientación.

El don de Kaikeyi para influir en las personas a su alrededor está explicado de una forma muy gráfica y sencilla, se podría decir que es un poder empático gracias al cual reafirma sus intenciones sobre otras personas. Necesita una base sobre la que trabajar, crear una red de interacciones para ampliar su capacidad de influencia y resulta poco ético, pero como ella misma descubrirá no todo es posible con esta capacidad.

La presencia de los dioses, aunque real, está muy velada y no tienen demasiada relevancia en el transcurso de la historia, salvo determinados momentos puntuales en los que sí ejercen su divinidad.

La narración de Soneela Nankani se adapta como un guante a la historia que Vaishnavi Patel nos quiere contar, locutando con gracia y desenvoltura muchos términos que son totalmente desconocidos para mí (aunque se expliquen en el texto).

En resumen, se trata de una lectura pausada y agradable, que hace especial hincapié en la sororidad entre las mujeres y que despertará tus ganas de conocer algo más sobre el mito de Ramayana, ya que este libro sólo habla sobre el principio de la historia, en la que interviene Kaikeyi, dejándonos con la intriga sobre qué pasará con Ram, Sita y los demás personajes.

The story of Kaikeyi did not disappoint me, though the audio version lacked personality. The narrator, Soneela Nankani, sounded like the robotic version of Emily Woo Zeller (The Poppy War series), and I had to speed up the process.

Doctored as a loosely based magical-realism biography, we get a prism perspective of India's most beloved and disgraced Queen in her era.

Serving as a retelling, I appreciated this tale. It showed a girl who quickly realized that she didn't have the same opportunities as her counterparts and sought to change it. She negotiated her way to the top, but she also made sure to help women along the way who felt they needed power and counsel from their Queen. Thus, Kaikeyi started a women's empowerment movement, one of the first of its kind in Ancient India.

The text is rich, like Daughters of the Moon Goddess, has a yearning search for understanding the God's power and mission like in The Poppy Wars, and it's a retelling that I will do more research on heavily, so this is grade A in my book!

epic and badass ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #read

🍂Omg! I just finished a 17h listening marathon of this book I picked on #netgalley. The narration and the story are so captivating I could just not stop listening to this riveting retelling of Kaikeyi’s epic tale!

🍂#kaikeyi is one of the most vilified characters of the Indian Epic, the #ramayana. In what I’ve read so far, the original Kaikeyi is depicted as a jealous Queen who plotted to get her son to take the role of Raja (akin to king) despite being but the Raja’s third wife and the other two also having sons which makes them more entitled to the throne than Bharata, Kaikeyi’s son. She is also known as the one who brought destruction all around her.

🍂Instead, @vaishnawrites in her #debutnovel just gave Kaikeyi a voice. I loved how true the author stayed to the main historical elements and yet she gave us a Kaikeyi who is so humane and so flawed you can’t help but want the best for her. Knowing the original story, I was not expecting a #happilyeverafter yet despite all the drama occurring in her life, Kaikeyi, in this retelling does get to see that her actions were not in vain. In a sense, when at the dawn of her story she looks at women with more freedom, she knows she has achieved something that would outlive her. The independence she wanted for her, she got. The one she wanted for women to have a say in their lives, she achieved— in a society where most thought women were beneath men.

🍂Also the book is full of reflexions about Kaikeyi’s society and how the beliefs of the powerful did affect everybody. This is also a story of love and friendship and a sense of belonging! I loved everything in it.

🍂On a side note, the author’s feed is very interesting to know more on her writing process and her sister’s funny memes that perfectly encapsulate some aspects of this book.

One of my favorite tropes to read is the redemption of vilified female characters especially from mythology and folklores. In Kaikeyi, author Vaishnavi Patel, takes up the ribbons to create a redemption arc for one of the most hated characters of the Indian epic Ramayana. I was drawn to this book by just the title itself. And when I read the blurb I was intrigued to know how the author would manage the redemption of a character that generations have loved to hate. And boy was I blown away by how well the author has portrayed a complex character like Kaikeyi!
In the Indian epic Ramayana, Queen Kaikeyi is portrayed and vilified as a jealous wife and mother who wants her own son, Bharat, to become the King instead of the older son, Ram, who is the son of the King’s first wife. However, this book reimagines Kaikeyi’s character into a powerful, intelligent, and influential woman who is forced to forge her own path in a society that relegates women’s role to the background. The author weaves a beautiful story of love, empathy, friendships, and covers aspects such as women supporting women in a patriarchal society. I especially loved how Manthara was portrayed as a guide, confidant, and a mother figure for Kaikeyi instead of the scheming servant she is known to be in the epic.
The writing is impeccable with its engaging narration, beautiful and vivid descriptions, and master storytelling. Overall, this is a brilliant novel involving complex, strong female characters. It is an absorbing retelling and perhaps the best redemption arcs I’ve read in recent times. I listened to the audiobook version provided by Netgalley and Macmillan audio and loved it so much that I picked Kaikeyi as my book of the month!
For those unfamiliar with the Indian epic Ramayana, it will be helpful to Google and understand the basics of the epic to enrich your reading experience of Kaikeyi! The book includes a glossary with pronunciation and explanation of almost everything, which will be helpful when reading.
If you love reading retellings and stories based on morally gray characters from epics and myths, then this book is a must read!
I give it a full 5 stars! This book is going up on my shelf as a keeper for life.

This is a beautiful book about a mother’s love for her children, her family and the people of her kingdom. It is exciting, empowering, frustrating and gut wrenching. This follows the story of the infamous queen KaiKeyi from the epic The Ramayana. I don’t know anything about The Ramayana, but am now curious about it. The story follows Kaikeyi from childhood and on as she becomes a queen, a warrior and a mother who doesn't conform to stereotypical gender roles of the time and even encourages more independence and freedom for women. I also loved the magical elements of the binding plane- what an interesting form of magic.

Kaikeyi is easily a five star read and I would highly recommend it!

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel
5/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐

•••Spoiler free review below•••

Kaikeyi is a retelling of the Ramayana – the story of the god, Rama, reincarnated as a prince and destined to become king of a great land. Right before he is to be crowned king, he is banished by his stepmother so that her true son (the current king's second son) may become king in Rama's absence.

This retelling follows the story of that stepmother, Kaikeyi, through her entire life and will leave you questioning whether she is really the villain the Ramayana paints her to be.

The writing of this epic is fantastic, mesmerizing, and will leave you wanting to read it in one sitting. I switched between the physical copy I have thanks to @bookofthemonth and the audiobook thanks to @HachetteAudio. If you are looking for a standalone fantasy to listen to, I highly recommend the audio version. The narrator was absolutely perfect!

Kaikeyi was released April 26th and if it's not already on your tbr, it should be!
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Special thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for sharing an arc with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hatchette Audio for providing me with an arc audiobook copy of the novel. This was my first arc audiobook ever received and I can say I am thoroughly happy with my choice. I loved this novel. At first the narration was a little hard to get into as it sounded very robotic to me but, as I kept listening, I was able to increase the speed to my normal listening of other audiobooks. The story itself is a retelling and I always love a good retelling. I looked up the original story before jumping into this one but I don’t think you need to at all if you don’t already know the story. It might be fun to discover it along the way instead of already knowing the basic plot of the story. This is a culture and story I was unfamiliar with before discovering this novel but I always love learning about new cultures and cannot recommend this enough for anyone trying to do so. Highly recommend to anyone who loves retellings. This is a story I will remember and cherish. The main character is one who is under represented as a character type in most fantasy and so that is another reason I love this one.

I’m going to preface this review by saying that I did not read the Ramayana prior to reading Kaikeyi, and I don’t think that detracts from the beautifully crafted tale that Patel weaves in the retelling of Kaikeyi.

I’ll be honest, I was a bit hesitant with this story being in the same breath as Circe, and that is one of the few books that I genuinely cannot stand. That being said, Kaikeyi was so much more.

This story follows the life of Kaikeyi, the sole princess of Kekaya whose worth is distilled down to her ability to obtain a good marriage match even if she is not to be the first wife. Desperate to reclaim her life as her own, Kaikeyi discovers a magic ability that allows her to influence those around her. With this ability comes great power and influence, but is Kaikeyi willing to pay its steep cost?

First and foremost, the audio is narrated by Soneela Nankani, and she does an INCREDIBLE job of really immersing the reader into Kaikeyi’s inner thoughts.

I am not normally a fan of such lyrical type works because I feel like the beauty of the words overshadows the worldbuilding, character depth, and plot progression. That is NOT the case here.

From start to finish, I was completely wrapped up in Kaikeyi’s story. I loved learning the forbidden magic that she hid from others as well as learning about the gods within this world. I loved that every single decision that Kaikeyi made came at a cost….good or bad and Patel never shied away from that. Kaikeyi is such a compelling character. She’s strong willed, persistent, compelling, and even messy.

I also loved that this story spanned a decent chunk of time but never felt like it was dragging on or was rushed. Furthermore, I think that Patel does an incredible job of portraying the complicated relationship dynamics between mother and child. Watching Kaikeyi navigate motherhood and the decisions that she made were fascinating the second half of the book.

Overall, this is a fantastic debut, and I can’t wait to see what Patel comes up with next.

Thank you to Hachette Audio for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

Kaikayi is a retelling if a myth of an Indian epic. The author delivers a wonderful story and a memorizing debut novel.

Audiobook: I personally thought the narration was a little slow. I wasn't a fan of how the story was told via audio. I had to relisten to a few chapters because the narration was a little dry. There was no acting done by the narration. The story was good though!

Synopsis: Kaikeyi is the only daughter of the Kekaya kingdom and the third wife of King Dasharath of Ayodhya. She is also a girl who grew up being ignored by her father and learning to care for her brothers when her mother was banished from the kingdom. Even her marriage was nothing more than an alliance between kingdoms.

However, Kaikeyi grows up to become an independent woman, a warrior, diplomat, and the most favored queen. She’s a powerful queen and a loving mother. But her one wish turns the world upside down and makes her a villain. Is that all there is to her?

Thank you netgalley, Hachette Audio , Redhook books for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

What a super interesting retelling of the story of Kaikeyi, told from a feminist stance. I really liked the exploration of Kaikeyi as a complicated character and trying to make the best of some tough circumstances. The asexual element was great too, adding another element of diversity to the storyline. Also really enjoyed the narrator on the audiobook version, good pacing.