Lush, descriptive writing and fascinating characters. I especially enjoyed the Hindu mythology. I'd recommend it to fans of Sue Lynn Tan.

I really enjoy Kritika Rao’s book. I love own voices storytelling. I particularly liked Meneka as it is a feminist retelling of a popular Indian story where the woman was previously marginalized. Im a big fan of feminist retellings and the author really does it justice here.

World building is lush as always. We are thrown into Amiritiva the celestial city and the forests and meadows the events take place. I like the magic system and that humans can work to develop their magic seperate from the gods/devas and other celestials. I enjoyed the foray into Indian mythology and the back stories of some of the gods.

This book is all about character development though and all the characters get it in spades. I always love books that don’t make the secondary characters 2 dimensional. Meneka and Kaushitika get full arcs and we see their highs and lows. I love that they are both flawed and made to see each other in their entirety and then given a choice.

The story line was really interesting. I’m generally not a big fan of characters withholding information or poor communication themes but I think it was handled well here and it made sense given the plot. I didn’t like the ending, however I can see how it opens up for the 2nd book 😉.

Overall I’d give this a 4.4/5

I continue to be so excited that non-Western authors, stories, and settings are increasingly getting published in fantasy, and in the trendy feminist mythological retelling subgenre in particular.

I don’t know much about Hindu mythology, and this is the second fantasy I’ve read in the last year that centers an often overlooked female immortal: the first was the goddess Ganga in Vaishnavi Patel’s Goddess of the River, and this is about the apsara Meneka.

Apsaras are celestial dancers devoted to the god Indra, who tasks them with seducing powerful mortal sages who threaten his power. Meneka is an apsara mentioned in the Mahabharata for successfully seducing (and falling in love with) one of the greatest Hindu sages, Vishvamitra / Kaushika.

I highly recommend the audiobook version; the narrator was excellent and perfect for this story.

“The Legend of Meneka” by Kritika H. Rao is Hindu mythology, blended with elements of romantasy. While I appreciated the author’s strong character development, I found the pacing to be uneven at times, which impacted the flow of the story. I struggled with fully grasping the mythological elements, as I’m not very familiar with Hindu mythology. That said, fans of mythology retellings—especially those seeking something beyond Greek mythology—are likely to enjoy this unique tale.
For the audiobook, the narrator truly enhanced the experience. Her accent brought Meneka’s character to life and added an extra layer of immersion to the story. I highly recommend the audiobook, especially for readers who may not be well-versed in Hindu mythology, as it makes the narrative more accessible and engaging.
Thank you to NetGallery and HarperAudio for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited about this story, but it fell flat for me. The mythology was confusing at first, but once I started to read a little more, it all seemed to come together. There were moments of vivid descriptions that I loved. It was the characters, mainly Meneka, I couldn't connect with. I have no doubt there is an audience for this, but it isn't me.

As a side note, the narration was fine. Sharmila Devar did a wonderful job of reading the story. It truly was the story that didn't work for me.