A review by jenna_smuszkiewicz
Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced
  • 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

I have never heard of the Ramayana, the myth this story originally comes from, or of Kaikeyi herself. I really enjoyed this story. I appreciated how much Patel seemed to add to this story in her voice. I liked the addition of magic, the happy times of
Kaikeyi raising her family
, and the flaws and growth of the characters. 

The ending did bring down my rating. I couldn't get over the things Kaikeyi didn't
didn't do in terms of acting with Rama. I wish the author had said earlier she couldn't manipulate their bonds with Rama (but she could with Lakshmana somehow?) or we had seen a conversation between Rama and Lakshmana. It just made the ending frustrating for me. I'm glad it ended on a happier note though.


So, if you are looking for a mythic retelling of a Hindu myth, this one is good. The ending wasn't as strong for me, though it did recover a bit by the finale.
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