In the original text, she is a jealous wife. They’re all so supportive and they raise each of their children together. The three wives in this tale and in this book aren’t in competition with one another. This is the era in which we are making sure these women get full-fledged identities. They are so often made villainous and we are rarely given as much info as we get on the men in mythology. If you know me, you also know that I’m a big fan of retellings, especially ones that reclaim the stories of women in mythology. She was the most influential of his wives, even though she was not the first.

Kaikeyi was one of three wives of King Dasharatha. I am so glad that this book came across my radar, because I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling and revisiting this. I remember some aspects, though the details were fuzzy. At one point, we studied the Ramayana and Hindu mythology.

In high school, I chose mythology as one of my electives. What a fantastic book! Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a big mythology fan. And Kaikeyi must decide if resistance is worth the destruction it will wreak-and what legacy she intends to leave behind.Ī stunning debut from a powerful new voice, Kaikeyi reimagines the life of the infamous queen from the Indian epic the Ramayana, weaving a tale of fate, family, courage, and heartbreak-of an extraordinary woman determined to leave her mark in a world where gods and men dictate the shape of things to come. With this power, Kaikeyi transforms herself from an overlooked princess into a warrior, diplomat, and most favored queen, determined to carve a better world for herself and the women around her.īut as the evil from her childhood stories threatens the cosmic order, the path she has forged clashes with the destiny the gods have chosen for her family.

And when she calls upon the gods for help, they never seem to hear.ĭesperate for some measure of independence, she turns to the texts she once read with her mother and discovers a magic that is hers alone. Yet she watches as her father unceremoniously banishes her mother, listens as her own worth is reduced to how great a marriage alliance she can secure. The only daughter of the kingdom of Kekaya, she is raised on tales of the gods: how they churned the vast ocean to obtain the nectar of immortality, how they vanquish evil and ensure the land of Bharat prospers, and how they offer powerful boons to the devout and the wise. “I was born on the full moon under an auspicious constellation, the holiest of positions-much good it did me.”

Kaikeyi by vaishnavi patel