I have been addicted to these fantasy novels that have inspiration from things other than the main stream (and overdone) concepts. I'm tired of beauty and the beast retellings, Greek gods, etc.. So as soon as I saw this, I knew I had to read it - and when I got the approval email I squealed a little bit. I read this in a day, the writing style was great. That being said, I wasn't a huge fan of Meneka in this story. I had to keep reminding myself that she's young (in her early twenties), but still - the book itself was great and I enjoyed it a lot.

I would pitch this book as Goddess of the River but romantasy

It doesn't have the same feel as the average romantasy, because it goes so much deeper. It's a retelling of a Hindu myth, and as such uses a lot of religious themes and I really liked how the author used both Hindu philisophy and this specific myth to explore deeper meanings of both love and seduction.

I don't think I've really seen this mentioned, but Meneka is bisexual and initially has feelings for another apsara, though her main romance is of course with Kaushika. The world also felt queernorm to me.

This book hooked me from the first page, which for me rarely happens. The author posted on Insta how in this book the first line didn't really change from the first draft, and I think it's a great first line.

The book opened with Meneka finishing her seduction of Queen Tara, a Queen who had plans for war and would forsake the god Indra. Meneka's task is to seduce her which will turn her away from these plans, and leave her a mess. Meneka hates it. And I love how this opening shows Meneka's character so clearly, because she truly feels awful about having to do this.

She returns to the heavens to report back to Indra, the ruling god, and she wants nothing more than to stay in that realm so she never has to seduce anyone else again. She asks Indra this, and Indra gets quite angry. But he offers her a deal: if she can seduce Kaushika, a mortal sage gaining too much power, then she'll never have to go on another mission. The catch: three other apsaras, each far more experienced than Meneka, have tried and they haven't returned.

Meneka enters Kaushika's commune, where he teaches other people with a talent for magic how to wield their power, along with the path of Shiva. Meneka and Kaushika have quite opposing ideals at first. Meneka might not like her missions, but she does love Indra and wants to serve him, while Kaushika hates Indra and thinks the god has failed humanity. But despite these differences, they find common ground and a romance develops.

The romance between Kaushika and Meneka develops slowly, but it feels very sensual. Seduction is a major theme, and while Meneka has to seduce Kaushika, Kaushika seduces people too, including Meneka, and not all seduction is of romantic/sexual notion. Kaushika pulling people into his quest against Indra is also characterized as a form of seduction.
The pair love each other even when they keep different ideas, as Meneka never agrees with Kaushika about his plans to wage war against Indra even if she gets where he's coming from.

I loved the writing style of this book. It's easy to read, but pretty, and delves very deep into emotion, of the character. To me, it felt very similar to Goddess of the River.

There are sex scenes in this book, but I'd say those are not solely there to be spicy, but also to explore the role of sexuality, sensuality and seduction in love, and place this in the context of the philosphy Meneka and Kaushika follow, and it introduces different ideas from Hinduism. Kaushika believes he must abstain from sex to achieve enlightenment and be able to wield magic (asceticism), whereas Meneka believes Shiva's wife Shakti is very important and that power also comes from Shiva and Shakti's love for each other. I do not know much about hinduism, but I think both these ideas are different traditions within hinduism.

I would recommend this book to fans of Vaishnavi Patel in particular, and to people who enjoy romantasy but would enjoy more depth and philosophy regarding love

I would describe this book as "lukewarm." While this was certainly readable, this definitely tends toward lower Adult or very upper YA. I actually had to check a few times while reading to see whether this was pitched as YA or Adult--and after reading, I've come to the conclusion that it doesn't quite hold up to the current standard of what I see in an Adult fantasy. I think this book would have hit better for me if some of the characters were aged down and scenes slightly changed (intimate scenes, etc) to suit a YA audience better because those things aside, that was what this book felt like. Adding sexual content and higher character ages is all well and good to satisfy the criteria of Adult fantasy, but when the themes, emotion, and frankly, plotline feel not out of place in a YA book, I don't feel it's ready for publication. While the prose was all right most of the time, Meneka's personality felt extraordinarily one-dimensional (and my god, did she whine constantly), the romance lacking depth and emotional intimacy, and the storyline/conflict simply serviceable. I did, however, think the worldbuilding was interesting, drawing upon a culture I'm not that familiar with, so I did like that. Ultimately, a disappointment.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

I overall enjoyed the book and getting to dive into a story based on a cultural tradition I am unfamiliar with.

That being said it was a bit too YA for me (and this is hard to gauge until I dive into a book honestly). Our heroine felt a bit too juvenile and whiny/angsty for me to enjoy the plot.

The Legend of Meneka is not just a book with a beautiful cover. It’s a sweeping epic retelling (with some artistic license) of the Hindu religious story of Meneka who is an apsara for the king of the gods, Indra. Apsaras are seductive dancers who lure men and women to their ruin at the behest of Indra. (Almost like Greek Sirens but minus the boats.) So, if Indra is not happy with you due to a grave disobedience, the apsara is sent and your life plans go awry as this beautiful woman dances and casts illusions in front of you.

Meneka is having an identity crisis, however, and is struggling with being devoted to her Lord and duties but feeling guilt about the lives she is ruining. We read a few times how she never sleeps with her marks but they are all ruined just the same. She wants out and desires a life in heaven hanging out with her handler, Rambha who is like a master apsara that Indra loves the most. To get her freedom from this work she ends up agreeing to seduce Kaushika who is a powerful sage that is threatening Indra by teaching many against worshipping him. The problem is, that this sage is tough to defeat as he is very powerful. It also doesn’t help that he’s handsome. So begins Meneka’s adventure which leads to some magic, miracles, and mayhem.

I am an Indian American woman who was not raised in the Hindu religion and I had to do a deep dive of research in the middle as I was enthralled by the lore and characters the author details. You don’t need to do this but I felt it helped this detail-oriented reader visualize things a bit better. I loved how the story, while told from the POV of Meneka was still written with a cadence and language that reminds you of religious text. It had a beauty to it that was truly like the celestial beauty of Meneka. (Also, I love it when a book uses the word petrichor.) I was caught up and carried along which is always my goal when reading.

This book had no clear hero or villain as Meneka struggled to figure it out herself. It has a lot of names and locations and magical systems that can be confusing but any good fantasy reader will do just fine. It looks to be a series and I am excited as there was a bit of a cliffhanger. Don’t fret, as the story has a resolution but it will be great to see how some big things are resolved in the next book.

I definitely recommend this for those who want to hear a new grand story written by a BIPOC author.

I was provided this book as an ARC from NetGalley and I loved every minute of it.

As a south asian, I was super excited to pick this one up, especially with the blurb and mentions about Apsaras. It sounded dreamy, clever, and everything I would want in an Indian mythology inspired book. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me, mainly the main character Meneka. She wasn't an interesting character to follow, and she just seemed very whiny and complain-ey throughout the book, which got on my nerves pretty quick. I wish there was some depth to her personality, some greyness to her thoughts and some complexity to her character, but for this installment we didn't receive much in terms of character development. Overall, this was a good attempt, but I wish we were given a bit more to work with.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. Everything in this review is my own opinion and has in no way been influenced by the writer, publisher, or Netgalley.

⭐⭐ It wasn't my cup of tea but it may be yours
🌶️ Intimate scenes but mild language - just a step past closed door

The Legend of Meneka offers a beautifully immersive dive into Hindu mythology, reimagining a tale of romance, war, and self-discovery. The author crafts a vivid world where celestial beings and mortals interact, exploring themes of duty, freedom, and love.

One of the book's greatest strengths is its rich imagery. The celestial realms and earthly landscapes are painted with vibrant detail, and Meneka’s internal struggles add an intriguing layer to the narrative. I particularly enjoyed seeing her grow as a character, torn between the expectations of her role as an apsara and her desire for personal freedom. Her journey of self-discovery is empowering, and I learned a lot about Hindu legend through her story.

However, while the story itself is compelling, I found the pacing to be a challenge. The plot moved quite slowly, and many of Meneka’s thoughts and emotions were explored at length, which at times took away from the forward momentum of the story.

That said, it’s clear this is a deeply heartfelt project for the author, who brings a lot of care and passion to the mythology and characters. While The Legend of Meneka didn’t fully resonate with me, fans of slow-burn romantic fantasy and intricate mythological retellings may find a lot to enjoy here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this ARC!

I wanted to love this book. All the spice warning and romantasy side frightened me a bit, but since it the story feature a heavy hindu inspired world (its a retelling of a hindu myth after all), I wanted to give it a try. Well, the hindu mythology is the one thing that help me push through the story.

Don't get me wrong, there are good things in there, just not enough for me to compensate the things that didn't work for me.
First, the first person present tense. Look I know it can work, but it rarely does for me. Adding that in this case, we have a lot of inner thought and monolgue, present tense really didn't cut it, least of all in first person.

Then, we have our heroine, Meneka. An apsara, having trouble with her nature and the mission given to her by Indra and her love for another apsara. My issue with her is that beside her apsara nature, she hasn't a lot going on. Which might make sense, if you consider that she has to come to peace with herself, discover who she is. But with all the long monologues, her reactions often enough on the melodramatic side, more a YA heroine (the ones I don't enjoy that is) than an adult one, how could just not care for her.
As for the LI, he isn't much better. He is beautiful. Arrogant. Supposedly a sage, but he is so locked in his ideas that I have trouble seeing him as one.
In fact, most of the characters lacked a sense of depth and variety for me, even in the deities.

Despite all the issues, I still finished the book, albeit jumping a bit forward when endless inner monologues happened. The story is easy to read, quick despite the pacing issues and the sense of not much stakes going on.
I think I might read the second book, just to see how it will go.

I found myself in a classic reading conundrum where I wanted to devour this book so I knew what happened while also wishing it would never end. The Legend of Meneka was a refreshing read and embodies everything I want from the Romantasy genre. Rao’s ability to create a lush and seductive story is evident in her mythically inspired world-building, captivating magic system, and profound characters. Meneka’s journey through self-worth and identity is one that is very accessible and relatable to many readers. The allegory and symbolism between Meneka and Kaushika’s story and Shiva and Shakti’s story is my favorite part of this book and is something I look forward to seeing more of in the sequel to the Legend of Meneka. I am so lucky to have to been given the opportunity to read this e-arc and I encourage everyone to put The Legend of Meneka on their TBR!

This was a beautifully done novel and the cover was everything that I was looking for. I thought the cover was beautifully done and enjoyed how strong the characters worked with the world. It uses the magic elements and was glad it was so well done. I loved the use of Hindu mythology and was glad I got to read this. Kritika H. Rao writes this perfectly and was glad I got to read this.

Meneka was destined to be an apsara, Lord Indra's deadliest weapon, from the day she was born in the immortal realms. While she takes pride in her dancing, Meneka loathes the condition she leaves her marks in after her seduction is successful and longs for freedom with every mission she completes. In an attempt to stop her missions in the mortal realm, Meneka strikes a bargain with Indra: she will seduce Kaushika, a powerful but mortal sage who has been threatening Indra's power. Soon she is granted admittance to Kaushika's hermitage and pretends to be sage-in-training, allowing her to the opportunity to seduce Kaushika, but her resolve begins to waver as she finds herself enthralled by the sage, forcing her to choose what to save: her home and her Lord or Kaushika.

This went from 0 to 100 back to 0 real quick. I was extremely bored for the first like 50-60% of the book having to just read through the receptiveness of Meneka's inner turmoil. While her arrogance bothered me sometimes, she isn't an unlikeable character; if anything, I felt sympathy for her due to her precarious position as an apsara who just wanted her freedom. However, I just wasn't convinced by the romance between her and Kaushika, and it felt extremely rushed. The story had higher stakes around the 70-80% mark but quickly died down within a few pages and I started to lose interest again. The Hindu mythology was really interesting and was mainly the reason for my continued reading. There were times where I was a bit confused by the timeline of things and the ages of certain characters, but maybe it was just because I wasn't reading carefully enough.

Overall, it was an interesting plot and easy to read. The mythology was abundant throughout and made for an intriguing world building. The magic system was unique and related to the mythology, which I really enjoyed. I also loved that it was diverse and queer. The book ended on a pretty intense cliffhanger, and I'll be picking up the next book once it's out as I'm curious how the story will end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the arc! Well… this was a disappointment. I didn’t know what I was expecting from this book going into it, but I at least wanted a compelling character and a decent plot. I found neither of these here.

My biggest problem with The Legend of Meneka is Meneka herself. I would call her a Mary Sue, but at least Mary Sues are less melodramatic and pathetic. I was sick of hearing her whine and whine ad nauseam for at least half of the book. Girl, I get that you’re miserable, and I get that you’re confused, but simply… you don’t need to shove that down my throat 100 times. Tbf, shoving that bs down my throat is still more erotic than the lacking romance, but more on that later. Anyways, there is nothing unique, identifiable, idiosyncratic, and/or compelling about Meneka besides her Aspara status. Also, the concept of beauty as a weapon, in a fantasy book? Shocking, revolutionary. Seriously though, I’d be fine with this trope if it contained more nuance, but unfortunately this portrayal of the trope is as shallow as a man who brags about being 6’5 on his tinder profile.

Obviously, This isn’t a character-driven story, but the plot was beyond lacking as well. Things were told instead of shown (Meneka’s power progression), the pacing was off, and I was bored to death. Mostly, the meat of this book was made up of Meneka’s complaining, and later the weak romance. Speaking of the romance? Pass. I’m bone dry and decidedly not kicking my feet. There was not enough tension between the two mcs, let alone any relationship development. Of course, any tension that was there seemed forced. Let’s also not forget about the chemistry in general, which was nonexistent. I have more chemistry with the pharmacists at my local CVS drive through. And all of a sudden, the mcs were bonking and sucking and fucking. Then, suddenly the word love is floated around??? What? I guess who needs the power of friendship when you have the power of fuck. Anyways, I’m bored. I’m yawning. I’m honkshooing.

The only thing I liked about this book was the mythology-based world building. Unfortunately even that was incomprehensible at times, and often dropped on you in large info dumps. It at times felt like reading a textbook, and despite the fact that it’s September, I really don’t feel like going back to school. This is more personal though, and I’m sure those with some knowledge on Hindu mythology would’ve enjoyed this more.

In conclusion, she swings and she misses. It’s a shame, because the idea of exploring religious practice through sex sounded so delicious to me. I need more of that in fantasy so bad actually. Anyways, this book was a miss on all major fronts, which upsets me so much. God the synopsis sounded so good, but alas. -2 Shiva stars.

Frequently, spicy romantasy books have a way of having plot and character development sit backseat to spicy scenes, but when the main character is a seductress by profession her character, and to some extent, her story naturally lend themselves to the spicy content flowing without inhibiting the story of this book. That said, this story is more than a romantasy, it is a story based on Hindu myths and legends. The characters are well-developed and Meneka, the main character is especially engaging. The plot surrounding her assignment is compelling and kept me interested through the end of the book. The writing style was easy to read and I am excited for the next book of this series.
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Avon and Harper Voyager) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

This book drew me in very quickly and had a very vivid and captivating world that was unique and new to me. Once I started, I was immediately sucked in and this book was hard to put down. I really enjoyed the development of Meneka and Kaushika’s relationship and the fact that she challenged him in many ways and he let her show him a new perspective.

I do think the end started to drag a bit, but otherwise this was a very worthwhile read. I’m definitely on board for the next one!