This book was exactly as beautiful and unique as I thought it would be. I practically flew threw it and the voice is so engaging.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC!


I was completely swept away by this story. I always enjoy any fantasy story based on Hindu Mythology, but this one knocked it out of the park by taking a story that was very unknown to me and exploring it with such lush descriptions and details. The Legend of Meneka is a story that twirls with emotions and tension. I really loved it!

Romantasy and mythology lovers, we are thriving right now, aren’t we? Taking a turn this time into Hindu mythology is author Kritika H. Rao’s The Legend of Meneka, which tells the story of Meneka, an aspara — a celestial dancer with the power to inspire lust in others — charged with bringing down Kaushika, a sage who is amassing enough power to make the heavens, and Lord Indara, whom Meneka answers to, very nervous.

While The Legend of Meneka is a fantasy romance, I would say, what so beautifully sets it apart is the approach Rao takes to the story. Romantasy has a familiar progression that it takes through the story, and I get the sense that this is the first book in a series, and therefore might still follow that progression. But what I really loved about the book — romance aside, because me loving the tortured, angsty romance between a woman and the man she was sent to destroy is a given — is the way Rao approaches the budding conflict.

Because so much of what drives Meneka and Kaushika individually is their faith and the way they practice it, their approach to it is also what drives the conflict, and eventually its resolution. The novel is very philosophical, and therefore moving in its approach, not relying on some sort of large scale physical conflict for it to reach this point of reflection, but instead having the reflection be the character’s starting point, and the common ground on which they try to meet one another. Pair this with lush, gorgeous imagery and an intricate mythology surrounding the whole story, and The Legend of Meneka is well worth the read and I cannot wait to see what this author does next.

The Legend of Meneka hits shelves on January 21. Special thank you to Harper Voyager for the advance copy for review purposes.

Well... This was a disappointment.

The first chapter started out great. I was excited for an adult read, with more mature topics and possibly mature characters.

But other than the two or three sex scenes, this basically read like an older YA novel. Meneka also felt like a YA protagonist who desperately wanted to be morally grey, but ended up just being really meh. While I liked the Hindu mythology (a lot of it was very new to me, but others who are familiar with these stories might think otherwise), the story was a typical romance.

I thought there'd be more tension since the summary made it sound like a forbidden romance, but sadly, I was wrong. (Like I said, I know nothing about the actual story. So that's on me.)

Everything played out to a T. Meneka falls in love with Kaushika. Meneka denies her feelings. Kaushika falls in love with her. He doesn't really deny his feelings. They get together. Something bad happens and they have to be apart. There's a final battle. Then prep for the sequel.

Maybe POV chapters from Kaushika could've shaken things up a bit? I don't know. I was really bored most of the time and I didn't find any of the characters compelling enough to root for.

At least the cover's pretty.

Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this arc.

A very solid debut in the romantasy vein that truly cultivates a world of asparas, God, mortals, and figuring out how far a sense of duty versus morality comes to play. I enjoyed the lore of Hindu gods and of Meneka as a whole, I did find often times that her self reflection was repetitive but I am excited to see where the story comes to a head in part 2!

Meneka has finally finished another successful mission for Lord Indra, and for her boon, she’s determined to ask for her freedom.

However, when she returns, there is much concern about a prince called Kaushika who has become a sage and is wreaking havoc on their world. Despite this, Meneka is still determined to ask for her freedom, but when she asks, she is denied unless she could possibly seduce this mortal Kaushika. Desperate, Meneka agrees and says she’ll seduce Kaushika for her freedom.

But when she meets Kaushika, Meneka begins to question everything she believes and has been taught and now has to decide what’s more important, her world or her heart.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I didn’t dislike it, but I also wasn’t a huge fan.

What I enjoyed was the lush scenery in this book. The description is very beautiful and makes you want to be there and experience it. I also enjoyed the sort of found family that builds in this book, and I really enjoyed a lot of the side characters. I also did like the main characters until about 70% into the book and I feel like everything became so dramatic and no longer as enjoyable.

When I first read the synopsis, I was into it! It sounded exactly like something I would love. However, the mythology in this book seemed to take over most of the story, which is fine, but it felt a bit of an info dump and I admit, I was lost most of the time and had to skim read parts because I was…bored? I wanted more about the characters and their story. Which I got glimpses of here and there, but then they were drowned by the mythology again and again.

Meneka was also an intriguing character and her story about growth and learning about herself I was enjoying until I didn’t. There was unnecessary drama that occurred and I don’t really understand what happened at the end. Meneka was also complaining about her uncertainty and indecision for the entire book that it did get unbearable, even though I still sort of liked her, and then she basically changed as a person and for me the change was a bit sudden and not my favorite.

The romance wasn’t my favorite either. It was basically just these two people who found each other hot and attractive and…fell in love? It was a sort of slow burn, or I think it was supposed to be, but it really wasn’t. It was insta-lust that turned into “love”. And I kind of just didn’t care what happened to their relationship because it wasn’t very believable for me.

It was definitely about Meneka and her finding herself, I just wish it flowed better than it did. It wasn’t a very exciting book, and it bit long for what I was expecting and apparently it’s not done and I’m not sure why. The ending still confuses me. I think this could have been a standalone. I’m not sure I’ll read the next book, but we’ll see.

This just wasn’t really for me, but I’m sure others would really enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This one had a slow start but it definitely picks up! What’s not to love about a good romantic fantasy?! I thoroughly enjoyed this story, the mc and her character growth throughout the book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for the eARC of The Legend of Meneka by Kritika H. Rao. All opinions are my own.

Okay I am officially a GONER for feminist retellings of stories, especially those based in Hinduism. Growing up in a Hindu household, I always struggled with many stories and the portrayal of women and younger me would have THRIVED if I had this book available to me since I was questioning everything and had no answers.

For context, many of the stories I know outside of the more common ones were stories I was told through a classical Indian dance form, Bharatanatyam. This commonality between myself and Meneka (among others, because she is such a dynamic character in this book) led to so much enjoyment while reading this book, but also in learning about myself (a core facet of Meneka's arc).

While it took me about 20% of the book to really grasp the story, once I hit that mark I found myself unwilling to put this book down. I appreciated the depth of the relationships between the characters and that each relationship was distinctly different. I also enjoyed that the book unfolded for the reader the same way it did for the FMC and MMC. We were along for the ride for every twist, illusion, and frustration that the characters experienced.

My only frustration with this book is that ending!! I knew it was too good to be true and can't wait for the next part of Meneka's story. While some reviews felt like it was a forced twist, I found that the remaining plot threads lend well to a sequel and I cannot wait to see Meneka's power and sense of self only grow in the next book.

Although it took me almost a quarter of the book for me to really get into it, once I did, I was swept away! I do love a good romantasy, and this included a mythology I'm not as familiar with (which I love - more diverse romantasy/mythology books, please!!!). Meneka and Kaushika's relationship had a good development and the tension was simmering.

The Legend of Meneka is an examination of the subject of Love. Unfortnately, it only emphasizes romantic love, especially lust. While I understand that this is a romantasy book about seduction, there was so much potential to have a complex discussion about love in all its forms. Instead, we're given a story about Meneka, whose decisions are motivated by her love (lust) for other characters.

Further, because this story is told in first-person, we're constantly in Meneka's head. There is a lot of rumination going on, and sadly, her thoughts did not endear me to her at all. The writing is lyrical and beautiful, and it evokes a sensuality that befits the story. Yet, it struggles with the pacing, characterization, and action. This is most likely because there's quite a bit of repetition when it comes to her thought process, particularly when it affects the plot. Meneka tells us what is happening, but she should be showing us what she's experiencing.

The world-building in this world is well done, and while there was a lot of Hindu mythology explained, it was what I found most interesting. The beautiful descriptions make the story come alive. Yet, it is not enough to hold up the rest of the book. Despite the surprises in the last act, I do not think I will be continuing the series.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Legend of Meneka by Kritika H. Rao is a first person-POV retelling of the Hindu legend of Menaka, an apsara, and Vishvamitra. Meneka was created to seduce those her lord, Indra, deems dangerous. When a sage named Kaushika proves a threat to Indra’s reign, Meneka is sent to seduce him in return for her freedom once her mission is complete. But she soon finds herself falling for her mark and questioning if she is being manipulated by the other celestial beings.

I was not familiar with the story of Menaka and had never heard of Vishvamitra before reading this. I have some knowledge of the more popular Hindu figures, but most here were fairly new to mean. Kritika H. Rao does provide a glossary at the beginning of the book to explain the terms used throughout the novel and they are helpful if this is a reader’s first time encountering them as many of the terms are not explained in the text. Rao takes the path of immersing the reader in the world by letting them learn unfamiliar terms via the glossary or from context rather than an aside unless Meneka herself needs an explanation.

Meneka and Kaushika’s romantic arc is one full of push-and-pull, as Meneka stays at his ashram and gets to know him and the other people there, as well as their beliefs, but he initially keeps his distance. Initially, Meneka tries to see what he lusts after and cannot find anything, surprising her. It isn’t until later that she finally sees Kaushika is attracted to her as well, but that he has a good handle on controlling himself. By that point, she is attracted to him as well despite her mission and her relationship back in the heavens with another apsara, Rambha.

As noted in the author’s note, there is a layer of eroticism that never goes away even if there are only a handful of sexual scenes on the page. The original story of Menaka involves her seducing a man and this aspect is never brushed aside or minimized. Meneka has had other lovers and so have many of the other characters, including Rambha, and members of the ashram where Meneka stays. I really appreciated this because Rao makes it clear that sex is not dirty or shameful and that female sexuality is powerful. In a time where it feels like more and more people want to hide that sex even exists, we need works that are not erotica that celebrate the freedom to choose our partners no matter the gender.

I would recommend this to fans of romantic fantasy and Hindu mythology tellings and readers looking for a fantasy that celebrates human sexuality

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars rounded up

For about the first 30% of this book, it felt as though the story was trying to find its stride. Meneka was a very shaky MC at the start too.

But once I passed that 30% mark, I really started to enjoy this book. I started to understand the characters and their complexities more and the story really grabbed my attention.

I really liked Meneka’s arc as she starts to learn about herself and what she wants. I liked the friendships Meneka made and the platonic love between the friends. I had a great time learning the folklore and mythology in this book.

That being said, I’m not totally sure on how happened at the end of this book and it does not feel like a complete arc. For example, Meneka is back in the exact same spot as she was at the beginning of the book, which is frustrating as it feels like any progress we made was just wiped out.

And speaking of feeling incomplete, I have no idea what Meneka and Kaushika’s relationship is. They didn’t fully trust each other, but they’re in love, but they betrayed each other, but it’s fine? And now Meneka will be lying to him again back in the same spot as at the beginning of the book? Not to mention I don’t really trust Kaushika after some of the decisions he made. Just a very messy relationship overall, not sure how I feel about it.

To conclude, there are some parts of this book that were very enjoyable and some parts I didn’t really care for. But if you enjoy a complex MC with wonderful character growth, read this book for Meneka!

As someone unfamiliar with the legend that this book is based on, I was pleased to find it following a new-to-me plot structure and cast of characters. I particularly appreciated that value was placed on different, gentler traits than I so often find in contemporary romances. Being dark and damaged wasn't necessarily desirable, which was refreshing.

On a related note, dancing actually does save the world, alongside the power of love, but in a literal, not-too-sappy sense than usual. On a somewhat related note, the book does not shy away from sensuality but Rao takes the time to examine the relationship between lust, love, and devotion.

The only real complaint that I can come up with is that the male lead, Kaushika, does not seem to have a great deal of personality. Fortunately, Meneka has lots, which doesn't really make up for Kaushika's shortcomings, but helps a bit. I'll be interested in seeing where Rao takes this in the sequel.

Maneka is an apsara pledged to Indra, helping him to ensure that the mortal rulers of the world don’t stray in their devotion to him through their magical dancing and seduction. After one mission she is wracked with guilt and asks to be released from going on missions to serve him in heaven. Taking it as a sleight, he tells her the only way she can win her freedom is by ensnaring a mortal sage who is responsible for swaying large numbers of his followers. Meneka sets out to destroy the sage, she must grapple with what is right.

I loved getting this unique perspective on East Asian mythology. The magic system was like nothing I’d ever read before. Meneka and Kaushika’s arc was a little predictable but overall still very enjoyable. The supporting characters were also pretty well fleshed out.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. DNF. I will not be finishing this. I am not feeling connected to the plot or characters. I’m also feeling confused about the world. I’m only rating and reviewing so it doesn’t hurt my feedback ratio.

I really enjoyed this book, and I'm not the biggest fan of romantasy! It's based in Hindu mythology, giving a story to Meneka, an apsara, who the author felt needed more than a footnote written about her in a revered sage's story. Comparing books to other books lets me down 9 times out of 10, but in this case, the comparisons in the book blurb to Daughter of the Moon Goddess & Circe are very fitting.

We follow Meneka as she is sent by Lord Indra, ruler of heaven, to seduce and stop a powerful sage, Kaushika, as his powers and his influence threaten Indra. The writing is beautiful. This is a retelling that empowers Meneka, and I was surprised to find out that much is written about the sage represented as Kaushika in this book, but Meneka's story has never been fleshed out. I really appreciated the author's note at the end, and I found myself looking up more information on Hindu mythology in between chapters because of how immersed I was and wanting to know more!

I will definitely be picking up the second book of this duology when it comes out!

Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Voyager, for an early copy in exchange for this honest review.

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for this advanced copy! You can pick up The Legend of Meneka on January 21, 2025.

What an absolutely breathtaking story! I was immediately captivated by this world, its lore, and the characters and beings who inhabited it. We learn so much about the struggle between mortals and immortals, gods and the humans who threaten them. I loved Meneka's growth throughout the story as she challenges the beliefs she was raised with. When confronted with a new perspective and way of life, it can be difficult to break down the walls and prejudices we grow up with, but Meneka threw herself fully into understanding the mortal world and its players.

While her journey may have started with deception, her compassion and empathy soon emerge to help her bond with the humans around her. She even becomes vulnerable with Kaushika, the powerful, magic-ridden human she's been tasked to destroy. Their relationship starts with distrust and suspicion but ends with a truly gorgeous (and steamy) romance. It helps that Kaushika feels like a well-rounded character as well, with flaws aplenty and growth that shows how love can change you.

All in all, Kritika H. Rao wove a beautiful tale of love, devotion, betrayal, and forgiveness. You will not want to miss this one!

I feel bad because I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in Rao’s first series but I was struggling to connect with this one and I think it was the writing style.

i love a good romantasy, and as an indian myself i was looking forward to a good retelling. The prose was fantastic, but I found Meneka herself a little bit flat and Kaushika had no chemistry with her at all. 3.5 stars, rounded up. tysm for ht earc.

I'm a lover of any and all books that are based on or inspired by mythology/folklore/fairytales and The Legend of Meneka is no exception! Kritika Rao did a fabulous job with this masterpiece from the world-building to character development and her lyrical way of writing really drew me into the world of Meneka. The way Meneka grows from being an obedient servant to her Lord and eventually wanting more, her freedom, to do as she pleases is very well written and in-depth.

While I loved Meneka and Kaushika as main characters there is a lot to be said about the side characters, the friendship that Meneka found in the hermitage while pursuing Kaushika was one of the reasons I loved this book so much. Meneka thought she had no one and that they would dismiss her once they found out what she was and why she was there but they looked past that and accepted her as she is. Not enough books shine a light on friendship and to accept people as they are and I think Rao did a fantastic job integrating that into The Legend of Meneka.

Overall, I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes mythology, romantasy, or empowered FMC. The only thing I didn't like was that parts seemed info-dumpy, but it didn't confuse me enough to not enjoy the book.