thank god that’s over. when a book is so determined to have strong female characters that it refuses to give any of them a negative trait or have them ever do something wrong, we have a problem. i understand that this is supposed to be a redemption for a mythological queen who has been treated as a villain for centuries, but making her infallibly good and never at fault does NOT make an interesting or sympathetic character. when the main conflict happens (85% of the way through the book, mind you), you’re not really too worried — you know that she’ll be proven right at the end. boring!!!

I wouldn't call this a retelling of Indian mythology from a different perspective - this is a whole fiction for people who are unaware of the Ramayana and Hinduism. Firstly, the facts from the Ramayana were off, the MAIN one being Rama being exiled for 10 years! How could something like this be wrong. Along with timelines being off, Sage Vaamdev influencing Rama? From where? Mandodari dying and Sita being Ravana's daughter, and him being a noble woman-respecting character??? He rapes women! And Lanka was supposed to be an extremely prosperous country when Ravana ruled it; what was the whole 'the Gods are mad at me' rants - Lord Siva is supposed to have blessed Ravana quite a bit. Why did the Hindu Gods sound so much like Greek or Norse Gods, I could really feel the disconnect!
And since when are temples gender segregated?! Why was there so much stress on women's modesty!! Goddess Kali is supposed to have killed monsters, and this book was telling me that Hindusim wants women covering in fear? This book really got me feeling like I was reading about some other culture entirely. You do not have to trash a positive character for a retelling.
Finally - it's show, not tell. As a reader I don't need to be TOLD that a certain situation is unfair to a woman, I can tell by reading about it and the thought process. It was an annoying read and felt teen angsty.

Truly managed to be a feminist retelling, imagining a different perspective on stories we’ve heard before. I really fell for Kaikeyi, a very real feeling person with anxieties and selfishness and ambition, with so much love to give. And who changed over the course of her life! Really brilliant storytelling! When magic was first introduced I paused, unsure if it would sweep the story into mythical realms but it was such grounded, limited powers that it really worked to enhance a world where magic was commonplace. Also finally!! Women!! Being!! Friends!!! With!!! Each!! Other!! Low bar and yet one that few books manage to clear. I appreciated that Kaikeyi was driven by women and men in her life not just the oppressive power of men around her. I also really loved that the feminist work she did was a slow, grassroots, communal thing rather than her being a #girlboss and not like other girls. Also the focus on friendships and platonic relationships in this mean everything to me. Just a beautiful story all around. And quite epic! Like the Ramayana itself!