Kaikeyi: the instant New York Times bestseller and Tiktok sensation Paperback – 27 Oct. 2022

"Kaykeyi" by Vaishali Patel truly stirred my emotions. For years, I've held onto the notion of Kaykeyi as the jealous, irrational woman who banished Ram for her own selfish ends. Yet, Patel's narrative shattered this one-dimensional view, reminding me of the adage, "there are always two sides to a story." Through her eloquent prose, Patel paints a nuanced portrait of Kaykeyi—a woman forged by abandonment, raised among seven brothers, and driven by a quest for equality. The book explores the intricacies of familial bonds and the constant effort required to sustain them within a large family. It boldly challenges the conventional portrayal of women in epics, prompting us to reconsider Kaykeyi's role as a mother, wife, sister, and queen. Could her actions have been guided by a higher purpose? Absolutely. Female characters are often pigeonholed as weak or conniving, Patel's work serves as a poignant reminder of the narratives that could be distorted by centuries of patriarchy. This book has inspired me to approach epic characters with a more open mind and will be teaching Sid to do the same. A truly captivating read. 📖

This is both another of those books in a recent spate of retellings of mythological stories from the perspective of a previously overlooked or under-served character. Those normally haven't grabbed me particularly, so I was left a little ambivalent about whether to even request a copy of Kaikeyi.The basic premise of the book is that it takes a sideways look at the story of the Ramayana, focussing not on its eponymous hero Rama but on the role played by one of the women who brought him up. We first meet our protagonist in her childhood, growing up with seven brothers and resenting what this means in terms of what she is and isn't allowed to do - her mother was exiled while she was a child and she learns the truth of this situation later, seriously affecting her relationship with her father. An arranged marriage seems to bring her more options for future happiness, even as she struggles with what it means to be married and also her new role as one of three queens within a state that regards women as seriously second class citizens.I have to admit, I don't have much knowledge of the original text this book is based on, so can't speak to how much licence has been taken with the overall story-line and the relationships portrayed there. It's a solid enough piece of writing, though it feels as though more effort has been made with the female characters compared to the male - they're more realistic, while some of the male characters are very thinly drawn in comparison. There's also a mystical element added (as I assume it's not in the original text?) around Kaikeyi's literal links with other people and how she can use them to influence and literally manipulate others, which left a bit of a sour taste.All in all, probably not a book I would have got round to if it weren't for Netgalley and not a book I can envisage reading again. A solid piece of writing with some flaws and it'll be interesting to see what this author does next.I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.

This was a great insight into the story of Rama and Sita from a whole new angle. It's about being a sister, a daughter, a wife and a mother and the entanglement between the roles. It's about feminism and an insight into feminism in mythology and history. Really enjoyed this book and would recommend.

A really enjoyable book to read. As a south Asian female who grew up hearing the stories, we certainly need more of this kind of novel.!

Book is well written but the distortion of Ramayana is too far and giving too much of feminist slant which seems forced in many places. Read it but would not recommend.

I bought this book because of the cover, I stayed because of the skilled writing and incredible story.I don’t know what else to say, this book is amazing. Run, don’t walk, to reading it.

Kaikeyi retells the story of Rama ( an avatar of the Hindu God Lord Vishnu) from the Ramayana from the first-person point of view of Kaikeyi, Rama’s stepmother. In the original story, Kaikeyi asks her husband to exile his heir and favourite son Rama to a forest for 14 years and place her son on the throne. Rama’s banishment eventually leads to a battle of good and evil- his triumphant return to Ayodhya is celebrated during the annual festival of Diwali.I received a copy of the book for a free and unbiased opinionKaikeyi By Vaishnavi Patel was one of those books that stayed with me long after I finished reading this. This was one of those books where I was mega-impressed with the boldness of the author’s vision and putting her story down on paper.There has been a surge of books written from the point of view of forgotten women in old myths and religion and as a result, the original story takes on a different hue.I was interested to see how the author could make Kaikeyi a sympathetic and likeable character and she has succeeded by making this a tale of ancient women trying to carve a life from the stifling patriarchy and religious rituals while trying to not upset the people around her. The book charts her story from her being a neglected and only daughter managing her father's Kingdom to becoming the third naïve wife of King Dasaratha to a respected minister in his court to doting mother of her sons and stepsons to a pariah who tried to do the right thing no matter the cost.The world-building is detailed and descriptive bringing to life the clothes' smells and tastes ( although I did feel sometimes this did slow the pace a little). The magical system is well described, and the author successfully introduces the various gods and goddesses of the Hindu religion as part of the plot. There is plenty of action with wars, battles and flying chariotsI did feel that the view that women were generally good and supportive, and men was not a little simplistic at times.