I'm interested to see how the next part plays out with Kaikeyi giving the ultimatum of her son being the next heir.I liked this novel’s take on gender and how it centered on a woman striving to make a just world for herself and other women. I agree with you Maisha!! I don't blame her one bit for how she reacted and was disappointed in how her brother was treating her arranged marriage as her having 'freedom' like what. the visual of the bond shattering is how my heart felt :/ The end of chapter 7 left me feeling heartbroken because they have shared such a close bond since her mother left. I'm loving the relationship between her and her twin brother. She is only 12 at the beginning of the story and even though she was misusing her magic in the beginning she didn't use it against others in a hurtful way. Even though I don't know much about the story of Ramayana, the author's note, in the beginning, was a good introduction to the topic of the book (view spoiler) [ Kaikeyi is a bit selfish and is learning how to navigate her life with her mother gone. I was unsure about this book, but really like it so far! I'm finding that the writing flows easily. And Kaikeyi must decide if resistance is worth the destruction it will wreak - and what legacy she intends to leave behind. 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 about the might and benevolence 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 goodreads