Book Review: Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

Faith

June 15

This is a novel I had sitting on my physical TBR shelf ever since it was published! I kept putting it off to the point that the pages started to yellow because it had been so long (and because my TBR shelf is close to a window, so it got plenty of unnecessary sunshine).

I'm actually a bit annoyed at myself for ignoring this novel for so long because once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. I devoured this novel over one weekend and I am in awe of every aspect of it.

So, without further delay, here is my review:

Then I walk away, toward my horse, and my son, and my kingdom. I am at peace, for I know the truth. Before this was Rama's story, it was mine.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Kaikeyi is the only daughter of the kingdom of Kekaya. She grew up reading and learning about the epic tales of gods, immortality, good and evil and holiness. Yet, despite initially believing in the gods, they would never answer her prayers. And, despite being loved and respected by her brothers, and being the eldest, she is denied her queendom because she was born a woman.

Then, when her father banishes her mother, Kaikeyi is compelled to marry for the supposed benefit of her kingdom.

Now married to a king with two other wives, Kaikeyi is desperate for independence and purpose. She slowly gained this through her mystical magic. She has turned into a warrior, diplomat and the king's favourite queen.

However, a god-witnessed oath from her past comes back to threaten the life she created in her new home, family and course of history forever. So, Kaikeyi must decide if walking her own path is worth the destruction it will cause.

This is one of the most brilliant novels I have read this year!

The plot, for those who are unaware, is a retelling of a popular mythological and religious Hindu text, told from the perspective of one of the most hated characters. Kaikeyi is often heavily villainized and despised for banishing the god-incarnate, Rama (along with his wife, Sita and brother Lakshaman). While this novel is not trying to change Hindu mythology/religion (which are often intertwined), the author tries to provide us with a deeper insight and explanation as to why Kaikeyi acted the way she did. So, while this novel is based on a lot of familiar events from Hindu religion/mythology, with a lot of research we have a plot which gives us an idea of Kaikeyi's childhood, teenage years and adulthood.

Kaikeyi is a complex character. Living in a patriarchal society, despite being royalty, she does not have a lot of say in her life. Sadly, her pursuit for some sense of freedom and equality is met with plenty of opposition, some from influential outsiders and some from her own family unit. While her husband and co-wives are generally supportive of her, she is essentially 'too-modern' for her society. All of which ends up makes her an incredibly sympathetic character.

However, Kaikeyi is a person and all people are flawed to some extent. While her battle for independence is noble, she has (arguably) misused her magic and befriended a villainous Ravana. So, while she believes her intentions are good, she is not perfect and she has made some disastrous mistakes in her life; but the question is raised of whether she deserves to be identified and villainized by only those mistakes?

There are a lot of interesting themes analysed and discussed in this novel. Of course, we have the overarching idea of misogyny and patriarchy embedded into society which Kaikeyi is trying to extinguish for herself and for other women. There are a lot of discussions about good and evil and what is right and wrong. Of course, as it is a retelling of Hindu mythology/religion, there are mentions of religion and Hinduism included as well. We also have a lot of familial bonds in this novel, parents, siblings, children, co-wives, partners etc. are present throughout. This novel is packed with so many other interesting themes, some discussed directly and others which are much more nuanced.

Overall, this is a brilliant retelling and examination of Kaikeyi from a feminist perspective and I highly recommend this novel!

So, that is it for my review! Thank you so much for reading and I hope you all have a lovely day!