The Legend of Meneka takes you on a journey of magic, love, betrayal, & self-discovery. I was unfamiliar with this mythology and enjoyed learning about new deities in this well=crafted tale. I was instantly drawn into the rich descriptions & world building. Meneka is an apsara, a celestial being on a mission for Indra to destroy the sage Kaushika. Her devotion to Indra is tested as she explores her prana & what she's capable of doing without her celestial magic. Her connection with Kaushika leads her on a journey of self-discovery. It's easy to get swept up in the fantasy & romance.
Coupled with the stories of the Hindu tradition this is a must read for anyone who is fascinated by mythologies from around the world.

3.5⭐

LOVED:
- The mythology as a whole. The dichotomy of the immortals vs the immortals and how they coexist was interesting
- Meneka was a really well fleshed out character and I thought her journey of self-discovery was interesting and enjoyable to follow
- The prose was gorgeous. Honestly, the prose greatly outweighed the execution of the story, in my opinion. I’ll talk about it about in a later section, but this book took quite a while to really take off and then it felt like a whirlwind. If not for the beauty of the prose, I don’t think this book would have been able to sustain that
- Kaushika was also a pretty interesting character. I am, probably unsurprisingly, not super away of the real life mythology of his character, but I found his character development to be pretty fascinating.
- This book is queer without feeling forced (though there could be some arguments of this book having a bit of queer baiting, I think that's a matter of personal opinion)

LOATHED:
- There’s a lot of characters in Kaushika’s camp to keep track of and I don’t think they were unique or discernible enough from each other. Honestly, I wanted a bit more personality from nearly everyone in this book with the exception of the love triangle.
- The depiction of seduction felt really flat at some points. I was really fascinated by Meneka’s ability to unearth another person’s inner lust and that in itself was really intriguing, but the actual seduction aspect was really…confusing, honestly. It wasn’t really explored beyond the inner lust and I wanted to understand the actual process of Meneka’s seduction as a power
- Why is she all of a sudden “in love” with him? Is this a fault of the original mythology or is it just a fault of the romantasy genre? This felt like it was just more prolonged lust than anything, especially “love”. What about him informed her “falling in love with him”? And recognizing that she *was* in love with him? I just don’t understand
- The progression of the story is really clunky. I mentioned this a smidge earlier, but with how lovely the prose is, it’s a bit disappointing that the story is just lacking really solid momentum. The middle act drags quite a bit and the beginning doesn’t really get you into the story effectively enough to be fully immerse, in my opinion. Again, the prose is beautiful enough to keep you going, but I wish that the story progression matched that level

LONGED FOR:
- I really wished for more with the depictions of her dance power in this story. It’s so important to Meneka’s being, but the descriptions don’t follow the beauty of the rest of the prose. It feels like the author was really holding back in describing the act of the dance itself. And that’s a bummer to me. It’s such a wonderful concept and so deeply rooted in Hindu culture (like the majority of the rest of the book, obviously)
- More exploration/exposition into the relationship between the immortals and the mortals, if not just the relationships among immortals. It’s so interesting to me and maybe it’s more ingrained in the actual mythos of the story, but I think more of the politicking of those two factions could have been really interesting
- More description or exploration into why and how Kaushika falls for Meneka beyond just the obvious “she hot”

Will I read the next one? : Possibly. Like I’ve mentioned ad nauseum, the prose is just so good. I think it depends on the stoyr, but if it’s another mythology retelling then I will probably check it out

*Thank you to Harper Voyager, NetGalley, & the author for providing this ARC!

I am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

This was an eventful read. Having never explored Hindu mythology before, I was completely engaged from the beginning.

The chemistry between Meneka, an apsara (a celestial dancer and seducer), and Kaushika, a mortal sage on a mission to create a new heaven, was enthralling. Their relationship evolves from enemies to lovers and back to enemies due to the circumstances surrounding their union. While the pace was a bit slow, it allowed for necessary character and world-building. As Meneka seduces Kaushika, she begins to fall for him and questions everything she has been taught and her purpose.

I appreciate the author's foresight in including a glossary at the beginning of the book. For those unfamiliar with Hindu mythology, this was a lifesaver.

Kritika H. Rao is an author I haven't read before, and I am pleased to add her to my reading list.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Kritika H. Rao for the ARC of this book.

This book has everything. Dancers as spies. Seduction as a weapon. A great protagonist and a conflict that kept me engrossed until the end. Love it.

across the mortal and immortal realms, celestial dancers, known as apsaras, are revered for their beauty and magic. as one of these apsaras, meneka knows there’s more to it than that. lord indra, king of heaven, uses her and other apsaras to seduce his enemies for his own gain. meneka hates what she does, so she strikes a deal: she will seduce a mortal sage, whose growing power threatens lord indra, and she will be allowed to forego future missions. it seems easy enough, but as meneka gets to know the sage, kaushika, she starts to feel like killing him won’t be as easy as she thought.

as a huge fan of the “i was sent to kill you but instead i’m falling for you” trope, this book seemed like something i’d really enjoy. sure enough, the angst levels were perfect for this adult romantasy. i also love reading about mythology, so i was excited that this book was rooted in hindu mythology. i don’t read a lot of books based on this type of mythology, so i wasn’t familiar with the apsaras that are the main point of this book, but i really enjoyed reading about them in this novel.

i would recommend this to adult romantasy readers, especially if you enjoy mythology! i’m looking forward to book two.

The Legend of Meneka by Kritika H. Rao is a compelling retelling of a Hindu mythological story. While it diverges from the original tale in several ways, the author skillfully captures its essence. Readers looking for mythological retellings beyond the usual Greek stories should definitely explore this novel.

The lore of Meneka and Kaushika (later known as Vishwamitra) is widely known. Meneka, a celestial Apsara, is renowned for her role as a seductress. Kaushika, a sage with the mind of a warrior, seeks justice and aims to challenge the Gods for their powers. Exhausted by her role, Meneka desires freedom. Indra, leader of the Gods, offers her one final mission, seduce Kaushika, and promises she will be free from further assignments. But as Meneka returns to Earth, she finds herself transformed by the very task she hoped would end her servitude.

The author's inventive spin on this tale captures its complexities with a refreshing twist that breathes new life into familiar lore. The core essence of the story remains intact, which I deeply appreciated. It is spicy, erotic and filled with angst. However, the narrative could benefit from tighter editing; repetitive sentences, phrases, and musings occasionally disrupt the flow. Despite this minor critique, I’m excited to see where the author takes the story in the sequel.

Thank you to Harper Voyager for providing this book.

This was definitely not for me. I was not familiar with the story of Meneka prior to this, though I have some knowledge of Hindu mythology, so maybe if I had been, I would have enjoyed it more. But taking it as a standalone romance set in a fantasy setting, I did not enjoy it.

The positive: the elements drawn from folklore, like the apsaras and sages, were interesting, and I generally liked Meneka as a character. I liked the queernormative world, and the way magic is described at points

The negative: I did not really *buy* the romance. It felt hard to find the scenes of Meneka and Kaushika together to be romantic, knowing how much each of them were lying to one another. It felt like the turning point of her interest in him as more than a target was realizing that he was attracted to her (a famously beautiful immortal) without her using her power of magical seduction to enslave his mind, which did not feel romantic to me. To me, the two lacked chemistry and the smut scenes felt more uncomfortable, toeing the line of consent with the lack of knowledge, than romantic. It could be that I just never liked Kaushika, finding him cold, arrogant, power-hungry in his inability to listen to other sages or take advice when it doesn't involve him doing something he wanted to do all along. His non-apology at the end made me feel like I did throughout the book--he causes harm and then says, "IF I did something wrong, I will atone" but I don't think he had real growth. The pacing was also very slow, with a lot of repetition, only to have most of the action occur in the last 20% of the novel, and I don't really understand the ending.

This was an incredibly good read! The story was beautifully written and the characters were flushed out really well! Definitely worth the read!

4.5 Stars (considering the average rating, I'm rounding up)
One Liner: Full stars for the Shiva chapter

Meneka is one of the apsaras of Indra’s court and a powerful weapon. Her power is the art of seduction – to use dance and illusion to defeat Indra’s enemies and prevent heaven from losing its magic. However, Meneka no longer wants to do this. She wants to stay in Amaravathi, Indra’s kingdom, and use her talents there.
However, Indra offers her a deal – seduce Kaushika and prove her devotion to Amaravthi. Meneka agrees knowing the new mission is near impossible. Kaushika may have become a sage but he was a well-feared Kshatriya with warrior instincts. By channeling the same intensity, he becomes a sage with tremendous magic and seems to be intent on waging a war against Indra.
Will Meneka be successful in her mission or will she get more than what she bargained for and at what cost?
The story comes in Meneka’s first-person POV in the present tense.

My Thoughts:
Though I’m wary of retellings exploring Hindu Puranic and Ithihasic stories, I did want to try this after someone recommended the author’s previous books. The lower rating scared and worried me. NGL, I postponed this to read closer to the pub date as I didn’t want a repeat of Kaikeyi.
Thank my stars, this is nothing like Patel’s Kaikeyi (this is a compliment). All those comparing this book to that nonsense in a perfumed package have absolutely missed all the nuances that make this a Hindu book, a contrast from Kaikeyi which is nothing more than a distorted and colonized take on something sacred to my culture. I know a lot of people compare the two. Heck, even the official promotion does it. But for me, both books are poles apart.
Presenting this book using popular tropes has done it a disservice. I know, readers need a checklist these days; the tags are important; the comparisons are important; even more than the book itself. But, a book is much more than its tropes.
Enemies to lovers, romantasy, cozy fantasy, spicy, et al… well, the tags are right but only if you know the core context. Otherwise, these won’t make sense.
Legend of Meneka is not just lust, seduction, or spice. It is an exploration of sringara and Kama at physical, emotional, spiritual, and cosmic levels. It is the celebration of the union of divine masculine and divine feminine without which this universe wouldn’t exist. When it talks of Shiva and Shakti in terms of lingam and yoni, it transcends the mortal desire for flesh and sexual gratification. It is the pulsing life that ensures the universe thrums with neverending energy to prevent self-destruction. Without the union of Shiva and Shakti, there is no life, no prana, no jeeva; no prakriti. Love is too small a word to encompass the relationship of Shiva and Shakti. They are two halves of a whole, the Ardhanareeshwara, the perfect balance of divine masculine and divine feminine.
Though the author uses the word lust in the story, she switches to the actual term in her note –Kama. Lust doesn’t define Kama as it is only a part of it. Kama is one of the Purusharthas (Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha) and a part of our lives. We have only reduced their true meanings with our incorrect translations to English. Lust might be a sin but Kama is necessary and has to be balanced with Dharma and Artha to travel the path of Moksha. It is not limited to physical and material aspects; it never has been.
When something so intricate and integral to Hinduism is removed from its framework, the result is a diluted and surface-level narrative that limits the story to the physical realm. Those unfamiliar with the core details miss out on the nuance; it doesn’t exist for them. It’s much like how yoga became a billion-dollar industry of stretching exercises with fancy and exotic names. It has no soul. The same with this book. When the Hindu framework is removed/ ignored/ avoided, this is a weak YA story of a whiny heroine and a grumpy hero.
Before I dive into the details, let me share a short version of the original. From what I know, there isn’t much detail since this isn’t an individual story but is mentioned in different places as a part of the backstory.

Summary of the Original
So, Meneka is one of the three celestial apsaras – Rambha, Urvashi, and Meneka. They live in Indra’s kingdom (heaven with a capital city named Amaravathi) and dance in his court to entertain others and themselves. They are also spies and seducers whenever necessary.
Kaushika aka Vishwamitra is a king who became a rishi to become the best rishi in the world. He wanted to become Brahmarishi (think of it as a topmost title) and be called this by Vashishta. Kaushika as a king once visited Vashishta’s ashram, and something happened. His ego was hurt. This makes him determined to be the greatest rishi (never mind that the concept of being a rishi is to denounce such traits). He attains a higher state through penance but loses it when he helps a king called Trishanku by creating an exclusive heaven for him (pride again). He starts fresh again and wants to show Indra and others what he is capable of.
Indra isn’t going to sit idle, right? He sends Meneka to disrupt Kaushika’s penance. If Kaushika had really given up worldly pleasures, he wouldn’t be swayed and might become worthy of the title he seeks. If not, well…
Meneka goes to seduce Kaushika and the result is their baby girl Shakuntala. Meneka leaves the newborn baby outside Rishi Kanva’s ashram and returns to heaven. Kaushika starts his tapasya once again, finally proves his worth, and becomes Vishwamitra the Brahmarishi.
Here, the cookie-cutter version makes it seem like Kaushika and Meneka had a one-nighter or a fling. However, it was likely to be an affair that lasted a solid few months or maybe years that ended with Meneka’s pregnancy or Shakuntala’s birth.
The second half dealing with Indra sending Meneka to Kaushika is provided as a backstory in Shakuntala’s story in the Mahabharata (Adi Parva). The first half is narrated in the Ramayana.
The author took different versions of this story and used creative liberties to spin a tale of magic, love, lust, seduction, and power strongly rooted in Hinduism.
While her MMC retained the core traits of Kaushika, she gave her own spin to Meneka (which is where I believe things went a bit south).

Characters
Kaushika is a Kshatriya turned Brahmin. The blend of both has given an advantage and a disadvantage. I don’t use the terms in the ‘caste’ sense. Not even varna or jati. I talk of them as gunas (personality traits). A Kshatriya is a warrior born and trained to protect, rule, and govern, and spends most of his years as a grihasta (a married man). A Brahmin is leaner born and trained to study, acquire knowledge, gain wisdom, and attain a balance of mind that prevents partiality, pride, anger, and grief. It’s a life-long tapasya to constantly improve oneself; not for accolades but for the peace felt when one separates themselves from the rest of the world.
Those who know Vishwamitra (even the movies/ TV version is enough) can easily see Kaushika. The aloof grumpy hero with a temper is not an archetype. It is him. It is who he is, and has always been. The author retained his essence perfectly. I had zero issues seeing him as I read the book.
She did the same for Indra – who can be a villain, hero, or both. He is a complex deva with an abundance of grey shades. Rambha is much like how I expect an apsara to be.
I think the issue lies with Meneka’s characterization. Since we don’t get much information about her, the author created someone vulnerable and naïve possibly to showcase her growth. A great idea. However, the execution does make her sound whiny at times. While I can see her conflict, I don’t think it makes much sense when you ignore the Hindu framework. She pales as a new adult who whines and cries and cannot decide what to do. But within the framework, she presents the conflict of dharma. I think using the word loyalty in place of devotion for Indra might have helped. After all, he is my god even if he is not my God.

Themes
The book deals with many themes like loyalty, love, friendships, devotion, dharma, etc. The core of it is finding oneself. I wouldn’t have minded if Meneka found herself earlier than she did. I prefer strong FMCs, so there have been instances when I wanted to shake sense into her. Still, when it happened, it was beautiful. Diversity is another theme that blends with everything else. The devas would hardly bother with the gender rules humans like to define! They accept everything as natural. Beautiful!
The book has spice but only around 2.5. That may not be enough for those who want a spice romantasy. It works for me as I can see the elements of sringara rasa, which is integral to my culture. It is one of the nava rasas (nine flavors, to put it loosely). It blends romance, love, lust, desire, seduction, sensuality, and erotica but is a lot more than these. English really doesn’t do justice to the word. There’s no exact translation. For an apsara, sringara is in every fiber of her being. She is it. In the book, their interactions are a heady blend of everything with a good dose of vulnerability. Maybe more spice might have helped but it is not necessary. What we get here is a slow dance where every move is full of eroticism that stems from genuine feelings.

World-building and Magic System
The world-building is also Hindu. It is colorful, vibrant, rich, and full of life. Be it Amaravathi or Kaushika’s ashram, opulence or earthy, everything is inherent to my culture. Even though the choice of kurta-pajama as costumes took a while to get used to, the saris, jewelry, topknots, dhoti, etc., are familiar and comforting. I love the use of scents to describe the characters. I could feel and smell them. Star anise for Rambha – what a choice! Potent and spicy, exciting and mysterious, and a touch of sweetness with a bite that can draw blood; most importantly, it should be used in small quantities or it will overpower the dish.
Magic is inherent to our essence. It is the prana that keeps us hoping and living. In the book, magic comes from prana (the source of life). It is represented by the elements (fire, wind, water, and earth), the pancha bhootas that sustain life.
While it may seem silly for ‘love’ to be the key, it is apt. It is the truth. For an apsara, it is the most vital differentiating factor. It couldn’t have been anything else. Nothing would make sense other than love. It is this love that resulted in the birth of Shakuntala.
I could easily visualize every scene in the book, be it the setting, the intimacy, the dance, or the magic. It helps that I know what a Kalpavriksha is or what Sri Yantra looks like. Not being familiar with these elements will make a difference to your reading experience.

Shiva and Ending
I’m not a crier when I read books. I read too many words a day for them to touch my heart. So, when a book makes me teary-eyed, I give it grace marks. But this made me cry; not for the characters. I was a little annoyed by Meneka but then. The tears had everything to do with Shiva in that one chapter. The tears are a response to the beauty of love for Shiva. The author must be a Shiv bhakt. You cannot fake bhakti like this (at least I think it cannot be). Words carry intentions that seem through at a point. All I feel here is love and devotion that comes from deep trust; not something we are expected to display but something that’s a part of our soul. I can only hope I’m right. If book two proves me otherwise, it’ll be a lesson I have to learn.
The ending is open since the whole thing will conclude in the sequel. Meneka has decent growth, so I hope it sustains and increases in the next book instead of crashing to zero and starting again. The stakes are high, and I prefer we have a heroine capable of more transparency and self-reflection. Don’t turn her into a new adult again. Let her continue to bloom. And… give us a beautiful chapter with Shakti.

To summarize, The Legend of Meneka is an unapologetically Hindu story filled with symbolism from the culture. It doesn’t pander to the western readers and not many will understand the nuances. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
There’s a glossary at the beginning (a great idea) and the final version will have a map as well. Don’t miss the author’s note. It might help understand the book a little more (if you couldn’t).
Thank you, NetGalley, and Harper Voyager, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Inspired by the famous Hindu mythology romance story between a celestial dancer named Meneka and her task to seduce a human sage named Kaushika only to find herself torn between her devotion to her god and her heart. Asparas are celestial dancers known for their beauty, allure, and magic. They are all trained as weapons and warriors and forced to seduce and destroy marks for her Lord Indra, the king of heaven. Meneka is tired of what she does and the state she leaves her marks in, all she wants is to be freed and to stop being forced to do the bidding of Lord Indra for his political gain. When Meneka asks for her freedom to be with another woman she loves Indra is furious and nearly punishes her but she negotiates instead: if she can seduce the mortal sage who is growing in power that threatens Indra he'll give her her freedom. The only thing Meneka knows about mortal sage is that his name is Kaushika and that he has defeated two of her sisters and turned them into stone and cursed them... and that he is bent on a mission to destroy Indra. Meneka joins Kaushika's hermitage but finds her drawn in by him and rather than seducing him she finds herself being seduced as well. Meneka has never fallen for a mark but with a war looming and Meneka's loyalties being pulled in either directions... where will her heart go and how can she stop the war? This one was definitely an interesting read as I was not familiar with this mythology/story before hand and learning about it was really fun. The story itself was unique for sure and I do think that it's a fun read for fantasy romance/mythology romance lovers. The romance was a sort of slow burn/insta-lust with some spice and then a sort of "enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers again" kind of vibe. Its the first book in the duology and I am curious how the second book ends. The kind of funny aspect of this book was how heavy handed on the "love is the answer to everything" thing it had going on, I mean yeah sure, but also ??? Overall, I do think that fantasy romance readers will have fun with this and should add it to their tbr.

Release Date: January 21, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Harper Voyager for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A coming of age story, an epic love story, a war against the gods, a questioning of identity and of choice and ones place in the world.

This was so well written, the characters have a lot of depth and plenty of flaws and so much inner turmoil. The characters aren’t always lovable but they are believable and real.

A story about a woman who was destined by birth to serve the god Indra in the form of seduction and dance, who would give anything to be free of this job she never chose for herself. In desperation she chooses and impossible mission: seduce the powerful sage that could rival the gods power himself, and bring the sage to his knees in exchange she will be free of the missions Indra sends his apsaras on to seduce troublesome humans.
Meneka uses her wit and cunning to do her missions without seducing her marks in the traditional sense. She fully intends to do the same with this powerful sage, except she discovers she might be falling for him. As she lives and works at his hermitage and learning to be a sage with other disciples, she gets to know kaushika, the sage who is her mark for this mission, and learns he is so much more than just a vengeful heathen.
While she falls for kaushika she struggles with her own sense of self and her existence. Feeling she fails at being an apsara like she was born to be, but not knowing how to be anything other than herself. She feels guilt and shame and anger for being pushed into this life without any true choice in it of her own. She vows to not take the choice away from her marks either, at least when it comes to sexually seducing them. As she struggles with herself and her mission, the war building between kaushika and Indra builds until finally coming to culmination. But there’s so much more going on behind the scenes just waiting to be revealed.

My only downgrade for this book is the ending. I felt like there needed to be more. I understand the ending that was given but it wasn’t a satisfying true ending, feeling like a whole second book could be added easily. It felt like the first book in a series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for the eARC.

The Legend of Meneka by Kritika H. Rao is a captivating retelling of the Hindu mythological figure Meneka, an apsara renowned for her beauty, allure, and role as a celestial dancer, famously sent by Indra to seduce the sage Vishwamitra and disrupt his growing spiritual power.


This is my first time reading a book based on South Asian mythology and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The Legend of Meneka tells the story of Meneka, an apsara, a celestial being who serves as dancers with the power to seduce and bring out the lust in others. She is tasked with the mission of bringing down the sage Kaushika, a sage who threatens the lord of Heaven Indra with the power he is gathering in the mortal realm. Throughout the story, Meneka struggles with her role as a weapon in seduction while craving her own freedom


Her time in Kaushika's hermitage allowed her to grow as she gained new perspectives and bonds with the people around her. Although her relationship with Kaushika begins with distrust and caution, Meneka finds herself drawn to his empathy and passion. As she falls for him, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, challenging her loyalty to Indra and longing to carve out her own destiny. For the first time, she begins to have her own way of thinking, free from the beliefs of what Indra pushes upon her and the other asparas whom he sends out on missions. She sees the wrong to both Indra's and Kaushika's ways, no longer blindly following Indra's commands.

Although I believe that their love began with lust, it turned into something much deeper as they learned more about one another and it did turn into real love. The romance is written in a more slow-burn way, but the sexual tension between them was well-written and i found myself kicking my feet at times as their relationship only grew and developed.

I am usually not a huge fan of romances centered around lust and seduction but at the same time, after reading the author's note and doing my own research, I understood that it is an important part of the religion and culture of Hinduism. I’m grateful this book introduced me to these ideas in such a compelling way. I am excited for the sequel (which I initially had no idea about) and I can't wait to see what is in store for Meneka and Kaushika

Another book about how the power of love can save us?? 😒 I loved the writing at first, but the plot became very bogged down with Meneka’s inner turmoil in a way that was unproductive.

This book unfortunately did not hit the mark for me. Meneka's had such inner turmoil throughout 90% of this book, and then all of a sudden, she just KNOWS things. It was incredibly exhausting to hear her constantly doubt herself and tell herself she needs to think about things and then she just.. doesn't. She tells everyone that they need love in order to truly be complete on this journey but then doesn't act this way for herself. Also the romance was incredibly weak and fell flat. Yes the main characters were attracted to each other, but that was it. Unfortunately I will not be reading the second book.

As a genre, I enjoy fantasy based on mythology, and this novel fits that definition quite well, being based on Hindu mythology, as well as being well-researched and accurate in its usage of such mythology. I quite enjoyed the beginning of the novel, but the overarching theme appears to be of a woman - or in this case an apsara, defined in this novel as an immortal being created for the purpose of seducing and destroying anyone who opposed Indra, a male Hindu god of war, rain, and thunder - who changes her entire focus and purpose, that of a devoted follower of Indra, to whom she had devoted her entire life, for being for the benefit of the man she loves, even over the woman she loves and for whom she offered to destroy Indra's foe. That may fit Hindu mythology, but as a theme in a modern novel, I found it to be rather disturbing in its focus on subsuming a woman's personal goals for the man she loves.

Other readers' opinions of Meneka's motivation may vary, and they may have a more positive interpretation of the impetus of her actions, but to me, the story of Meneka and Kaushika reads very like the Greek myth of Pyramus and Thisbe, the inspiration for Romeo and Juliet. Their union is forbidden by Indra, the god Meneka was created to serve, but they are willing to risk war with the gods to earn the right to choose - even if that right leaves them separated forever. Recommended for readers ages 16 to adult to explicit descriptions of sexual interludes and adult themes.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Legend of Meneka is a Hindu romantasy. As an apsara, Meneka is a celestial dancer, trained as a weapon in Lord Indra’s political battle. She is tasked with marks to thread illusions and essentially get them under her thrall. With each one, she becomes more disillusioned and longs for freedom to just be herself and dance for her own pleasure. Unfortunately there is a powerful sage that is threatening heaven itself, and Meneka takes in the task of seducing the sage in exchange for her freedom from future marks.
This begins a journey of Meneka in the mortal realm learning mortal magic and what Lord Indra is capable of through mortal eyes. Whole neither side is right or wrong, Meneka knows war isn’t the answer. As she gets to know the sage, Kaushika, she is wondering if she is actually doing the seducing or if it’s him. This is a pretty slow paced/slow burn book, and it does end in a bit of a cliff hanger. However, I loved the slow burn. It IS spicy but it a very flowery romantic way. The love Kaushika and Meneka grow to have is beautifully done. The character growth that Meneka also goes through is amazing. She’s dealing with the fact that as an apsara, they’re known as lustful beings who create illusions, so is she actually capable of love? Ugh, I can’t wait for the next installment. Special thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for my ARC in exchange for my honest review

Meneka is a celestial dancer, an apsara, tasked by the lord of heaven Indra to seduce and disorient humans who have insulted him. Enthralled to the apsaras, such humans become a ghost of their former selves. When a human sage named Kaushika insults Lord Indra, Meneka is sent to the sage’s hermitage to put him in his place. But instead, Meneka becomes a disciple in the hermitage, cloaking herself in the vestige of humanity. As Meneka attempts to seduce the seemingly immune Kaushika, she realizes she’s falling for him.

Here it is, folks: a romantasy that I finally loved. The prose was lush and beautiful. Meneka’s inner conflict is clear and we see her struggle with it (I didn’t find her whiny like some other reviewers said). I have no familiarity with this particular Hindu legend, but the author did a lovely job using context clues and explaining (without info dumping too much) when necessary. This is very difficult to do well, and I feel like it’s where so many retellings suffer. I’ve learned from other reviewers there’s a glossary in the book, but I didn’t need it.

Perhaps some of the character motivations didn’t seem entirely convincing, but I think this is often where mythological retellings falter, assigning understandable causes to inscrutable actions. My other complaint is that this is the first book in a duology but it really feels like it could have been one volume. Nevertheless, I’m eager to see where the second volume goes.

Thank you, Harper Voyager and NetGalley, for my eARC of The Legend of Meneka by Kritika H. Rao. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

I'm a sucker for a mythological retelling, and this one lived up to expectations.

In this enemies to lovers (eek!) tale, we're following Meneka, an apsara whose mission is to seduce and enchant Kaushika, a mortal sage whose power is growing and becoming more dangerous to Lord Indra.

I really enjoyed this one! The characters were intriguing and the details and descriptions were excellent and made the book that much better. I loved that Meneka was a strong female lead and that we got to watch her discover herself and what she wanted, instead of what she was forced to do.

I liked the twist at the end and I can't wait for book 2!
Thanks, HarperVoyager!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperVoyager for the ARC!!

Oh man, I enjoyed this one. As a famous non-fan of romantasy, I was surprised at how much I liked this. I knew I would enjoy it, but I didn’t realise just how much I would! I requested the ARC because the premise intrigued me, and I’m always looking for non-Euro-centric mythology inspired books, and this book fit the bill. This book was about an apsara, a Hindu creature of lust and seduction. Her name is Meneka, and this book, while certainly a spicy romantasy, was also a story of self-love, female empowerment, and self-discovery. Meneka was raised and trained to be one thing, but ends up receiving the kind of love that finally pushes her to see if she could be more. The reflections and the inner struggles, as well as the complicated types of love and what they can do to a person, was very deep and thoughtful. This was more nuanced and reflective than I was expecting, which was such a pleasant surprise. The romance scenes were steamy, the betrayals were heart-wrenching, the self-doubt and anguish and feelings of loss were so poignant. This book was what it promised to be, and so much more. I can’t wait for the sequel.

The Legend of Meneka by Kritika H. Rao 4⭐️

⚡️ Enemies to Lovers
⚡️ Slow Burn
⚡️ Hindu Mythology
⚡️ Found Family
⚡️ Self-Discovery

Meneka is an aspara who wants nothing more than to worship her lord and no longer seduce those who would oppose him. She’s sent to seduce one last mark to earn her freedom but multiple of her sisters have failed before her.

Wow this book was so interesting!! I loved that it was different from your typical Romantasy. I really enjoyed watching Meneka discover who she was and come to terms with it. Watching her and Kaushika interact and grow their relationship was really special. The twist at the end was also unexpected for me and I can’t wait to see what happens in book 2. I also love that we got to see Meneka forge relationships with others in the hermitage. It showed her true character and values.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kritika H. Rao for the advanced copy! This is my honest review.

The Legend of Meneka is out 1/21!!