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aksmith92's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Kaikeyi is an ambitious and intelligent woman who seeks independence and power in this patriarchal society. Born as the only daughter of the Raja of Kekaya, Kaikeyi is overshadowed by her brothers and is deeply affected by her mother's banishment. As she grapples with this grief and frustration, she learns that she possesses an ancient magic known as the Binding Plane, which allows her to see and influence the bonds between people. This power becomes a tool for navigating the political and social structures around her - but sometimes with a cost.
Not even into adulthood, she marries Raja Dasharath, and she becomes a warrior and diplomat, striving to create a more just world, especially for women. She establishes the Women's Council with Dasharath's other wives to address the concerns of those who are often unheard. Kaikeyi takes on significant roles that defy the traditional expectations of her time. However, her journey is fraught with challenges as she contends with the divine destinies imposed on her and her family, particularly concerning her stepson, Rama.
Patel's portrayal of Kaikeyi is not just richly detailed, but also deeply empathetic, providing a fresh and powerful feminist perspective on an ancient story. The novel explores themes of power, destiny, and resistance, shining a spotlight on Kaikey's unwavering determination to carve out her own legacy despite the cosmic and societal forces that stand in her way.
What I loved: I knew nothing about this retelling, so most of the information was entirely new to me, and I loved it. Kaikeyi was a formidable character in the best way—she was layered, nuanced, and poignant. She was also strong and determined and showcased so much grit. And while she wanted to do what was best for the women in her community, she also cared deeply about her family. I adored her character.
In addition, the plot and the retelling itself were phenomenal. Again, I knew nothing about the Ramayana, so this whole world was new to me. Still, I thought it was brilliant for Patel to tell this story of just Kaikeyi and her upbringing, leaving the Ramayana mostly untouched (when Rama was older and finding his divine purpose). We get to see Kaikeyi's motivations and what happens to her children throughout the years.
The prose was also quite readable and beautiful. I don't know if I would call this atmospheric, but I loved Patel's writing, sentence structure, and storytelling. I was utterly immersed in this novel and couldn't put it down.
Lastly, I honestly loved the tiny dose of fantasy in this novel—the Binding Plane and the integration of gods/goddesses were important touches. Not only was this needed because it relates to the mythical story of the Ramayana, but it added a layer to Kaikeyi and helped paint her story. With that said, be prepared to understand little about the magical system—it just exists.
I don't really have anything bad to say about this book—but be prepared to be frustrated, especially if you identify as a woman and understand a teensy bit about a patriarchal society. This book was no doubt embedded with sexism and misogyny, as that was the point. This book could be hard to read at times. However, that was the point and made the book even more powerful.
I am so thankful to have read this and look forward to seeing what other novels surface from Patel.
Graphic: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexism, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, War, Misogyny, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, and Medical content
Minor: Toxic relationship and Body horror
sophiesmallhands's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Violence, War, Death, Murder, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny
Moderate: Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Grief, and Infertility
Minor: Classism, Abandonment, Child death, Sexual violence, Infidelity, and Miscarriage
rnbhargava's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Death, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Bullying, Classism, Grief, Racism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexism, Violence, and War
The question of free will/manipulation is central to the abilities used by the title character and an few other individuals. The title character is asexual so depending on how you see it, the few sex scenes in the plot could be understood in a few ways. There is definite misogyny throughout the book, even from males that are mostly supportive of progressing rights for women. There’s a specific point in showing it that way. Going against the patriarchy and redefining society happens in time.marioncromb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Initially i was worried about reading one of these 'feminist retellings' - there have been many that arent particularly any good, written more because its a bit of a trend.But i had none of those frustrations with this, it was very readable, and felt it had something substantially extra, but also honoring the orginial myth, to offer.
The mechanics of Kaikeyi's magic in the Binding Plane is well done, it adds an additional 'visual' element to her bonds and manipulations. My favourite bits were where she's using those skills politically, juggling lots of people's needs to gain power and help people. She was also flawed enough in a realistic way that it wasnt annoyingly mary sue or being frustratingly dense just to avoid plotholes.
Always nice to see an aroace MC, and also the strong friendships she had with the other wives as well as her husband. I also liked the way the fantasy elements were introduced slowly - at the beginning you can even get the impression that maybe the 'gods' are just religious mortals over-interpreting random occurences or gaslighting people.
Moderate: War, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, Violence, Sexism, Abandonment, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Rape, Grief, Pregnancy, Infertility, and Fire/Fire injury
scrubsandbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Classism, Misogyny, War, Death, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Pregnancy and Infertility
tinysierra's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Kaikeyi is aroace, which was incredibly well done. The words “aromantic” and “asexual” are not used on page, but the text is clear.
Aromantic quote:
Asexual quote:
I loved the sense of sisterhood between the wives. I loved that the children were cared for equally by all of them. It was so achingly beautiful.
I personally liked that although there was pregnancy, it wasn’t talked about deeply.
Graphic: Classism, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Murder, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and War
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Infertility, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts
elderwoodreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Death, Sexism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Violence, Death of parent, Abandonment, Grief, and War
Minor: Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, and Blood
julierambaeck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: War, Death of parent, Death, Sexism, Murder, and Grief
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Pregnancy, and Child death
amaranth_wytch's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, Sexism, War, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Pregnancy and Child abuse
not_asha01's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, Violence, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, War, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore