I was excited to read “The Legend of Meneka,” as I’m always curious to learn more about ancient stories, and I wasn’t familiar with the apsara legend. However, this one fell short at every turn. Meneka is a seductress, using dance and magic to entrance; this is a plot point in so many stories, but this book gives no additional nuance, and really doesn’t examine the trope at all. Meneka herself is a fairly flat character and her motivations don’t make any sense to me. She is sent to seduce the unseduceable: Kaushika, a sage. She embeds herself in his compound, trying to gain his favor, and in theory, a romance starts to brew in which it’s supposed to be unclear who is seducing who. However, there’s just no chemistry at all. Kaushika himself holds no allure, he’s just an asshole who happens to be there. The plot was very thin and predictable, I just didn’t enjoy anything in this book. Certainly a disappointment.

The Legend of Meneka is a Hindu mythological retelling, with a touch of romantasy. This book was more fiction than reality, but it was a fun read nonetheless. I liked seeing Meneka's inner thoughts, and her struggle between faith and loyalty and love was interesting to read. I'm not sure this is truly a retelling, more like a re-imagining, but I still enjoyed this book.

I kind of struggled with this one but ended up enjoying it okay

I know a bit about hindu mythology but am in no way an expert on the subject. I didn’t have issue following the lore, there are no info dumps and the world building was my favorite part. The plot feels a little disjointed at parts, but the story goes smoothly once into it.

Meneka however.. was not very likable and a little bit on the insufferable side. She’s complex and wonderfully bi but I really couldn’t connect with her. She goes through much character development but even by the end, I was still not very okay with her.

I have always been interested in literally anything and everything to do with Gods and Goddesses of every culture, so when I saw this I knew I had to give it a try!

It was easy to follow and understand, however it did take me a long time to finish it. It felt like there was a lot going on but also nothing at the same time, and I found myself skimming paragraphs. When it did pick up though I couldn’t put it down. I liked the complex characters and how it is always good to have someone to challenge a leader instead of being blindly loyal no matter what. I will say that I wasn’t expecting the ending and I will be looking forward to reading the next book!

I had a little trouble at the beginning of this book simply because Meneka was so blindly devout. I hope people don't go into this novel and let that character flaw turn them away from reading on. She goes through such an amazing transformation of self-discovery throughout the story, and it was brilliant to read and made me so happy that I pushed through those initial reactions.
Something that the author does extremely well is dangle the carrot of romance in front of the reader. I was giggling and kicking my feet for every minor flirtation between Meneka and Kaushika. The slow burn is absolutely sumptuous, and was only heightened by the ways the two characters constantly challenge each other and their beliefs.
The cast of supporting characters is varied and wonderful, and the relationships they build add so much heart to the story.
While this felt more focused on Meneka learning about herself, it's clear the story has only just begun.
The end left me craving so much more. Waiting for the next book is going to be extremely difficult.


Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for the ARC.

I wanted to like this more than I did. As someone who's familiar with Hindu lore, I loved the world building and the different characters depicted from our history. But if I had not known this history already, I wouldn't have been able to enjoy it as much. I loved the set up and the descriptions but the romance was too stilted. I couldn't feel any chemistry between the lead pair and that was disappointing. I might still end up reading book 2 but it will require more nuances into Meneka who felt very 1D here

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

Overall, I couldn't connect with this book for several reasons.
1. Meneka, the FMC, was insufferable.
2. The story felt all over the place - there wasn't a clear storyline or wrap-up.
3. There was a lack of story and character progression - details were stated instead of described so it felt disjointed

I give this two stars and hope the next book performs better with world-building and story progression.

The Vibes:

—apsaras

—testing that celibacy

—falling in love with the mark

Heat Index: 6.5/10

The Basics:

When the revered sage Kaushika begins threatening the power of Indra, the celestial king sends Meneka to seduce him into breaking his asceticism and losing his strength. Meneka has her own agenda, and is determined to bring Kaushika down—but as she learns from and gets to know him, her charge may break her.

The Review:

Quick disclaimer—I'm not Indian or otherwise Hindu, and I can't attest to how this book relates to the legend beyond what I've read and (lightly) researched. With that in mind, I'm assessing this as a book independent of its inspiration.

Based on the legend of the Hindu sage Vishvamitra and apsara Menaka, The Legend of Meneka is a fantasy romance (happy ending included) that spends a lot of time actually considering the big questions. What even is asceticism, and is it worth it? Is that really how we become closer to our gods (and our goals)? Does self-denial make you a better (stronger) person?

And like... What about love and carnality in all this?

But, you know. It's also fun.

The book takes place entirely from Meneka's perspective. And I liked her—she's a classic "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way" kind of tragic vamp, a being who exists to seduce and destroy (albeit more emotionally than physically). Off the bat, we know she struggles with her being, her purpose. But it's less because she really morally doesn't believe in what she's doing, and more because she's infatuated with fellow apsara.

Yes everyone, Meneka is super bi, and it's super on the page (she's actually introduced seducing a queen), and I loved how it was handled. Queerness is casually portrayed through multiple characters, and Meneka, though she doesn't get physical with her marks anymore, alludes to other experiences with women. And.... then she falls in love with Kaushika. Imagine that! Bisexuality is just a thing.

There's this really lush world described, a poetic kind of magic. A lot of this is a thinky book, and to a point I kind of debate whether it's a fantasy romance or (as the back copy admittedly states) a true romantic fantasy. Kaushika and Meneka's love story is front and center, it's the crux of the book. But it definitely felt more like Meneka's journey than his. Which doesn't mean it's NOT a romance. This may also just be me going "Why can't we have a dual POV?"

And that is the one thing I thought this book was missing. I wanted to be in Kaushika's head. For a lot of the book, he's a fairly distant figure, and even when he starts to melt for Meneka that remains somewhat true. I get why, and it doesn't really take away from the book, but it does make his relationship to Meneka feel somewhat secondary.

That said....

The Sex:

What's really hot about this novel, aside from the general sensuality of everything described, is the Temptation. Kaushika is genuinely a stone wall against Meneka's seduction (... at first), which creates several funny scenes where she's like, literally banging her head against a wall in frustration. Initially, it's frustration over being unable to execute her mission.

It becomes frustration of a different kind.

The scenes here are explicitly, but described in a way that sort of folds into the general poetic vibe of the novel. Again, really sensual versus scorching. And it's also super satisfying to see Meneka, supposedly a creature of desire, finally experienced pleasure for HERSELF about HER. Kaushika's a giver!

This is, appropriately, an absorbing and meditative fantasy novel with a strong romantic throughline. I still haven't decided whether or not it's a Romance (happy ending aside) but it's definitely worth reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5⭐

Thank you NetGalley and Avon 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!

Thank you to Kritika H. Rao, NetGalley, and HarperVoyager for the e-book ARC!

I enjoyed reading this title, mostly for the way it was written. The prose was absolutely astonishing and beautiful, even if I found the story lacking in intensity and interesting characters. As much as this isn’t a book I felt invested in, I will be revisiting this author in the future, for sure, due to the writing style that was just so immaculate. Even if the plot isn’t necessarily for you, give it a go just to experience it.

This was an amazing book. The pacing and characters were well developed which allowed for me to read and not get bored from it. The Legend of Meneka is such a wonderful read and I loved learning about this character, world, and so much more. Rao has a new fan with me and I can't wait to read more

This was interesting, I loved the Hindu mythology-inspired world and the worldbuilding. The fmc is a celestial dancer and seducer warrior who works on behalf of the lord of the realm. When we meet the fmc, she questions her loyalty to the lord after her last mission. She is sent to seduce a mortal sage who is gaining a lot of power and is threatening her lord and finds herself attracted to and falling in love with him. The mmc was good, but I wish there had been more into his thoughts and pov. The mmc practices magic and is a dimpled brooder which I always like. There was a lot of yearning, seduction, and wanting and I liked the cross between mythology and fantasy. Thank you Avon for this arc!

Read for:
- Enemies to lovers
- Hindu mythology
- Seductress fmc
- Romantasy
- Warrior fmc
- Sage mmc

I was excited to read this but man, this story was dull. Romance where??? The beginning also threw me off with the religious undertones. That's just a hard subject for me, personally. I enjoyed the mythology woven throughout, but it was hard to keep my interest. The pacing got pretty slow in the middle, and I ended up feeling quite bored. I think there are some who would really enjoy this, but it wasn't a favorite of mine. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

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.

Meneka desires freedom from the role of seducing mortals, wanting to live peacefully in her own realm. So in exchange, she agrees to seduce Kaushika, a mortal sage that Meneka finds out has amassed immense power.

From the moment Meneka meets Kaushika, I was absolutely captivated by their story. Kritika Rao transcends the bounds of typical romantasy tropes and instead concocts a sweeping, star-crossed lovers story - and it is definitely enemies to lovers to enemies... and then lovers? Meneka is everything that Kaushika loathes, and she herself has been taught that Kaushika is immoral. But despite their weariness to each other and no matter how much hatred is ingrained in them, their pull is undeniable. Kaushika's sense of self revolved around self-discipline and denial of love/pleasure, but Meneka chips away at his walls bit by bit. I adored Meneka. She is love personified - she loves her realm and her king but also cannot help but love the mortals and their land. She loves so fiercely and so deeply -- I wanted nothing but the best for her.

The pacing in the early-middle of the book was a bit slow at times as Meneka struggles to grasp a new magic, and the religious terminology is very frequent and hefty, and can be confusing for those who aren't familiar. There is a glossary, although I still had to do some extra research. That said, I enjoyed learning about Hindu mythology and I felt so immersed into this world.

Kritika Rao's writing is stunningly lush, and a big strength in this book is its imagery. I've found myself really enjoying mythology retelling as of late and this book delivered in every way. I fell in love with Meneka and Kaushika and can't wait to read more from this author. Thank you so much to Avon, Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this ARC! 📚

this was interesting! a mix between feminist retellings like circe and romantasy— i’m not sure this fully worked for me, though. i think it’s the circe/kaikeyi/etc part of the formula— i’m just not the biggest fan of those kinds of books; even the malinalli arc wasn’t super riveting for me, and i felt that again here, despite enjoying the romance and romantasy elements. still, i think this is a good option in the genre for anyone looking for more south asian fantasy.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Voyager for the ARC. This was such a beautiful read, from the characters, to the setting, to the magic, and the themes, and of course the prose. I love the journey that both Meneka and Kaushika go on throughout the book. I also love the complexity behind seduction as it is explored through the story, not just the obvious sexual variety, but the way so many characters throughout the book seduce each other in terms of belief and journey. Also the actual seduction and subterfuge and manipulation was done so well. I also love how tense and complicated Meneka's inner journey and outer conflict was. The arguments and fights between Meneka and Kaushika were so well written, I love how their relationship progressed through the book. It was also really cute and romantic at times. I love the way Hindu mythology and philosophy was intertwined with the themes of seduction and identity and devotion. The world building is rich, the mythological inspiration beautiful, familiar, but also fresh and unique, which I think is a strength present throughout all of Kritika H Rao's books. The emotional parts were also really well written, I cried so much during the last third of the book, I was just so moved by everything. This book seduced me. I cannot wait for the next book!

The prose is strong, the story is equal parts fresh and familiar, and the story is told well. Really good, overall!

(I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

What a fun romantasy! I liked the mythological background a lot, and the romance was great. Towards the end, I felt like the battle scenes and their descriptions were a little complicated, but I didn't have a problem with the writing style otherwise. Meneka was a really interesting main character to follow, and I liked her character development.

Indian mythical Background: Kaushika has been one of my favorite of the seven Brahmarishis. One who was born as a prince and warrior, he was quelled by Vashishta, another Brahmarishi, who used his staff to absorb even the greatest weapon (Brahmastra) hurled at him by Kaushika, When Kaushika attempts the ascetic penance required to become a sage, he encounters Trisanku, and since Indra refuses Trisanku entry into heaven creates another heaven and loses his ascetic powers. He begins his penances all over to be thwarted by Meneka and spends 12 years with her, she falls in love with him and bears him a child - Sakuntala, before resuming his original task of becoming a Maharishi and the second time, Indra sends Rambha who gets cursed. Finally after many more years of dedicated penance, he finally becomes one of the saptarishis as Vishwamitra or 'Friend of the Universe'

I am a fan of Vaishnavi Patel's novels and was expecting a similar connected yet moving rendition of the tale. Kritika has surprised me, and in such a wonderful way! She's delved into the role of the Apsara and etched each of the divinities as flighty, devious and balanced within nature. The exploration of love as a theme in devotion was superbly executed and the duality of rage and love with shades of acceptance, loyalty and trust have been mellifluously depicted.

The story begins with Meneka returning from a mission to seduce a devotee who strayed from the worship of Indra. Her inner dialogues and doubts that assail her, when she performs , form the crux of the story. She fancies herself in love with Rambha, the head apsara, and to earn her freedom, has to seduce kaushika to whom 3 apsaras have already been lost. Meneka gets recruited as a yogi and must contend with the mortals and their beliefs and her own self doubt.

You end up falling in love with Meneka, the immortal who is young at heart, and grows with her experience and survives her doubts. Her path to asceticism and acceptance of her emotions and status, the way she recovers from her fumbling and thrives in her newfound knowledge make this a beautiful and exulting read. Add in some spicy moments with sparks flying between the lead pair and my oh my - what a page turner she is!!!

A million thank yous to Kritika, Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this wonderful opportunity to revisit a well loved epic's retelling at the hands of a masterful storyteller!

An utterly lush and absolutely enthralling Indian mythological fantasy, this is a must-read book that captured my attention completely! With nuanced characters, a fascinatnig magic system, and an intricate plotline, this title is highly recommended to any and everyone! Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyage for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!