Vaishnavi Patel

Exploring themes of motherhood, sexuality, free will, and religion, Kaikeyi is an absolutely devastating read. I LOVE its depiction of feminine forms of power: Kaikeyi, like many strong female protagonists, loves swords and horses, but she's also a pacifist. In fact, her desire for peace is one of her primary motivations. While she is certainly a capable warrior, her main sources of strength lie in her abilities to form emotional bonds, manipulate others, and play the game of politics. These skills are oftentimes overlooked in high-octane fantasy books, because court intrigue without the constant threat of physical violence doesn't always make for the most exciting plots, but Kaikeyi is paced extremely well, and the stakes always feel high.… (more)

This is a changed-up version of tales from the Hindu epic, The Ramayana. Kaikeyi is the only daughter of the ruler of Kekeya and is married off to King Dashartha of Kosala as his third wife. Having lived through the exile of her mother due to her father's paranoia, she is a feminist and a believer in giving the women of the kingdom autonomy, which is bitterly opposed by the holy men of the country. She gives birth to a male heir, Bharata, as her two sister-wives also bring forth boys. The amazing love of all three mothers for all four boys (a pair of twins included) is one of the strong points of the tale. There's also a mysterious rakasha, Ravan, and Kaikeyi's closest brother Yudhajit, who play different roles here than in the source document, as does her servant woman Manthara, a villain in the Ramayana. This is a suspenseful listen, and the modern deviations take nothing away from the strength of the storytelling.… (more)