Kaikeyi
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Soneela Nankani
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By:
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Vaishnavi Patel
About this listen
“With a graceful, measured elegance” (The New York Times), this lyrical novel reimagines the life of the infamous queen from the ancient epic the Ramayana, giving voice to an extraordinary woman determined to leave her mark in a world where gods and men dictate the shape of things to come.
I was born on the full moon under an auspicious constellation, the holiest of positions—much good it did me.
So begins Kaikeyi’s story. The only daughter of the kingdom of Kekaya, she is raised on legends 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. 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. And when she calls upon the gods for help, they never seem to hear.
Desperate for some measure of independence, she turns to the texts she once read with her mother and discovers a magic that is hers alone. 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.
But as the evil from her childhood tales threatens the cosmic order, the path she has forged clashes with the destiny the gods have chosen for her family. Kaikeyi must decide if resistance is worth the destruction it will wreak—and what legacy she intends to leave behind.
PRAISE FOR KAIKEYI
"A powerful, feminist retelling of the epic...Patel resets the balance of power, creating an unforgettable heroine who understands that it isn’t necessarily kings or gods who change history." –The Washington Post
"Easily earns its place on shelves alongside Madeline Miller’s Circe." –Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Utterly captivating from start to finish." ―Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Witch’s Heart
"Brave, compassionate and powerful." ―Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne
"A lyrical and evocative retelling, full of power and grace." ―Ava Reid, author of The Wolf and the Woodsman
"Compulsively readable and infinitely compassionate." ―Roshani Chokshi, author of The Gilded Wolves
"A thought-provoking, nuanced new look at one of humanity’s most foundational stories." —Shannon Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A BOOK OF THE MONTH CLUB PICK • "MYTHIC RETELLING AT ITS BEST." (R. F. Kuang, author of Babel)
©2022 Vaishnavi Patel (P)2022 RedhookListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"A powerful examination of a woman maligned by myth and men. Patel’s imagination takes a hammer to the image of a stonehearted villainess and reveals the woman within, whose choices sparked immortal legends. Compulsively readable and infinitely compassionate, this is the story I’ve been yearning for all my life." (Roshani Chokshi, New York Times best-selling author of the Aru Shah and Gilded Wolves series)
"Patel’s mesmerizing debut shines a brilliant light on the vilified queen from the Ramayana…. Readers familiar with the source text will be wowed by Patel’s reimagining, while those new to the story will be won over by its powerful, multilayered heroine and epic scope. This easily earns its place on shelves alongside Madeline Miller’s Circe." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
“The novel is compelling and rich, drawing on the source material while furnishing its characters with new complexity and motivations. Fans of Madeline Miller's Circe will fall hard for this story about a woman determined to do what’s right for her kingdom and its women, walking the fine line between rebellion and convention.” (Booklist, starred review)
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Prince Garin is a brave, proud, adventure-seeking prince. Elani is his most trusted servant, and she would do anything for him - even die for him. Their quest to find the mystical Treasure of Isian is immediately interrupted, and they find themselves confronted by angry giants, soul-stealing elves, bewitched dragons, a vengeful water-witch, battling foes, and a mysterious kingdom. Elani must face her greatest fears to save her prince and her kingdom.
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Enjoyable.
- By Natalie @ ABookLoversLife on 12-29-17
By: Serena Clarke
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Empress
- Godspeaker, Book 1
- By: Karen Miller
- Narrated by: Josephine Bailey
- Length: 20 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In a family torn apart by poverty and violence, Hekat is no more than an unwanted mouth to feed, worth only a few coins from a passing slave trader. But Hekat was not born to be a slave. For her, a different path has been chosen. It is a path that will take her from stinking back alleys to the house of her God, from blood-drenched battlefields to the glittering palaces of Mijak. This is the story of Hekat, slave to no man.
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depressing and left me feeling empty
- By Bonnie on 09-16-09
By: Karen Miller
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Keepers of the Sword
- By: Guy Morgan Galli
- Narrated by: Jason Tatom
- Length: 15 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Since the days of Isaiah, two families have been charged with safeguarding the brass plates containing the history of God's works among his people - one to preserve them and the other to protect them at all costs. But these are dark times. Having spent the last decade apprenticing in the closely guarded secrets of steel making, Zoram anxiously returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem to fulfill his destiny and take his place as the new Keeper of the Sword.
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not Biblically accurate
- By Julie on 05-27-19
By: Guy Morgan Galli
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Quatrain
- Twelve Houses, Book 0.5
- By: Sharon Shinn
- Narrated by: Eva Wilhelm
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Sharon Shinn's Twelve Houses books have fascinated fans and critics alike with their irresistible blend of fantasy, romance, and adventure. Now in Quatrain, she weaves compelling stories in four of the worlds that fans love in "Flight", "Blood", "Gold", and "Flame".
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Lovely set of novellas, description needs updated
- By Lindsay C. on 09-25-20
By: Sharon Shinn
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Naamah's Kiss
- By: Jacqueline Carey
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 26 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Once there were great magicians born to the Maghuin Dhonn, the folk of the Brown Bear, the oldest tribe in Alba. But generations ago, the greatest of them all broke a sacred oath sworn in the name of all his people. Now, only small gifts remain to them. Through her lineage, Moirin possesses such gifts---the ability to summon the twilight and conceal herself, and the skill to coax plants to grow.
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The Kushiel series in order
- By Glen Gaines on 10-27-09
By: Jacqueline Carey
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The Tiger's Daughter
- By: K Arsenault Rivera
- Narrated by: Caroline McLaughlin
- Length: 14 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Hokkaran Empire has conquered every land within their bold reach - but failed to notice a lurking darkness festering within the people. Now their border walls begin to crumble, and villages fall to demons swarming out of the forests. Away on the silver steppes, the remaining tribes of nomadic Qorin retreat and protect their own, having bartered a treaty with the empire, exchanging inheritance through the dynasties. It is up to two young warriors, raised together across borders since their prophesied birth, to save the world from the encroaching demons.
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Writing format that didn't work for this book
- By kara-karina on 02-24-18
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Cephrael's Hand
- A Pattern of Shadow and Light, Book 1
- By: Melissa McPhail
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 32 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In Alorin...300 years after the genocidal Adept Wars, the realm is dying, and the blessed Adept race dies with it. One man holds the secret to reverting this decline: Bjorn van Gelderan, a dangerous and enigmatic man whose shocking betrayal three centuries past earned him a traitor's brand. It is the Adept Vestal Raine D'Lacourte's mission to learn what Bjorn knows in the hope of salvaging his race. But first he'll have to find him....
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This is a great book!!!
- By Dason on 07-30-16
By: Melissa McPhail
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Cleopatra's Moon
- By: Vicky A. Shecter
- Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
- Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Princess of Egypt.... Cleopatra Selene is the only daughter of the brilliant Queen Cleopatra of Egypt and General Marcus Antonius of Rome. She’s grown up with jewels on her arms, servants at her feet, and all the pleasures of a palace at her command, and she wants only to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a great and powerful queen. Prisoner of Rome.... Then the Roman ruler Octavianus, who has always wanted Egypt’s wealth, launches a war that destroys all Selene has ever known.
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Great Book
- By Linda on 08-07-11
By: Vicky A. Shecter
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Dragon's Heart
- The Dragon Fey Saga, Book 1
- By: Michelle Rabe
- Narrated by: Karen-Eileen Gordon
- Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Serena Harlowe always knew her place. A foundling placed with the tutor of Illedrian royalty, she grew to be a talented fighter. After rising to the rank of lieutenant in the royal army, she proves her worth and thwarts the attempted assassination of the man she loves. The selfless act will change her life forever and start a chain of events that will unlock her hidden past.
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Different and fun
- By erobbins33 on 08-26-16
By: Michelle Rabe
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Ascension
- The Trysmoon Saga, Book 1
- By: Brian K. Fuller
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Gen was a bard's apprentice, his nimble hands meant for the lute and his voice for a song. Then the half-mad and completely bored Shadan Khairn invaded Gen's village to winter there and start a war. He shoved a sword in Gen's hands and tormented his body, shaping a bard into a warrior to be killed for sport. As the days of torture pile up like the snow, Gen searches for death. But the day is at hand when the shattered shards of the world will knit together again, and the world's slain god will be reborn.
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Fantastic Epic Fantasy
- By Andrew Stone on 05-14-15
By: Brian K. Fuller
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Come Back to Me
- A Novel
- By: Josie Litton
- Narrated by: Josephine Bailey
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
After centuries of conflict, a peace treaty has finally been drawn between the warring Saxons and Norse—largely due to the wisdom and bravery of the legendary Viking leader Wolf Hakonson and the noble warrior Lord Hawk. Hawk and Wolf each married women from warring clans to unite the Saxons and Norse. But for all its blessings, the promise of peace will remain fragile—unless it can be sealed forever by a third and final marriage between these two proud clans.
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bodice ripper; thin on authentic history
- By Elizabeth on 12-21-04
By: Josie Litton
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The Boleyn King
- Boleyn Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Laura Andersen
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Just seventeen years old, Henry IX, known as William, is a king bound by the restraints of the regency yet anxious to prove himself. With the French threatening battle and the Catholics sowing the seeds of rebellion at home, William trusts only three people: his older sister Elizabeth; his best friend and loyal counselor, Dominic; and Minuette, a young orphan raised as a royal ward by William’s mother, Anne Boleyn.
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Great idea, bad story
- By S. D. Ristick on 09-22-14
By: Laura Andersen
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Buddha
- A Story of Enlightenment
- By: Deepak Chopra
- Narrated by: Deepak Chopra
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Best-selling author Deepak Chopra brings the Buddha back to life in this gripping account of the young prince who abandoned his inheritance to discover his true calling. This iconic journey changed the world forever, and the truths revealed continue to influence every corner of the globe today.
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Excellent +++++
- By Daniel on 04-17-09
By: Deepak Chopra
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The Dark Mirror
- Bridei Trilogy #1
- By: Juliet Marillier
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 24 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
One bitter Midwinter's Eve, everything changes when Bridei finds a child on their doorstep - a child abandoned by the Fair Folk. It is the height of ill fortune to have truck with the Fair Folk, and all in the area counsel the babe's death. But Bridei sees an old and precious magic at work and, heedless of the danger, fights to save the child. Broichan is wary but relents, for Bridei must grow to be his own man and make his own decisions.
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disappointing
- By Binia on 11-18-08
By: Juliet Marillier
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Onyx & Ivory
- By: Mindee Arnett
- Narrated by: Khristine Hvam
- Length: 14 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king of Rime. Cast out of the nobility, Kate now works for the royal courier service. Only the most skilled ride for the Relay and only the fastest survive, for when night falls, the drakes - deadly flightless dragons - come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: She is a wilder, born with forbidden magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals.
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Fantastic.
- By Alex Tollefson on 06-04-18
By: Mindee Arnett
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An amazing case study on gender and religion
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What an adventure!
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Razia Mirza grows up amid the wild grape vines and backyard sunflowers of Corona, Queens, with her best friend, Saima, by her side. When a family rift drives the girls apart, Razia’s heart is broken. She finds solace in Taslima, a new girl in her close-knit Pakistani-American community. They embark on a series of small rebellions: listening to scandalous music, wearing miniskirts, and cutting school to explore the city.
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Lovely story
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Story
Jessamyn Teoh is closeted, broke, and moving back to Malaysia, a country she left when she was a toddler. So when Jess starts hearing voices, she chalks it up to stress. But there's only one voice in her head, and it claims to be the ghost of her estranged grandmother, Ah Ma. In life Ah Ma was a spirit medium, the avatar of a mysterious deity called the Black Water Sister. Now she's determined to settle a score against a gang boss who has offended the god - and she's decided Jess is going to help her do it.
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5 Stars across the board!
- By Rori Song on 05-30-21
By: Zen Cho
What listeners say about Kaikeyi
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-13-22
So moving
I never take time to write a review but this book was so so beautiful. The story telling was simple yet so moving. The story itself was filled with so much joy, heartbreak, and wonder. I recommend this book 100 times over!
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1 person found this helpful
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- The_Agnost
- 05-01-23
Very good book, but…
This a very good book. I enjoyed the story; it had an almost Gaiman-esque development of a classic heel character of the Ramayana into a babyface.
What I did not enjoy was the narrator - she sound that she was on the verge of bawling her eyes out. Either that emotion or a gruff masculine voice when voicing a male character. There was no in-between.
Rama was portrayed as a misogynistic power-hungry male a$$h*l€ - a rude awakening for his followers; how can a near divine man be this way?
Vaishnavi Patel bring to light a flawed woman and her equally flawed human sons. Good job!!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Rashmi Goel
- 07-19-23
a new backstory for an ancient tale
I enjoyed the story and the author's invention of a backstory to explain many things in the classic take. I found the performance of Kaikeyi's voice to be too dramatic too often, almost melodrama. that became tiresome for a character so strong
overall very compelling audiobook though. I was always excited to learn what came next.
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- Aayushi Chechi
- 10-31-24
perspective changing
reminds you of how different perspectives can change the color of a story. audio book voice is robotic though
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- alyssa rosario
- 05-14-22
Beautiful
Transported into a beautiful retelling of Ancient Stories with a unique perspective. Perfect narrator! This story had so many levels to it, it is just amazing!
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3 people found this helpful
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- Ketal C Patel
- 09-04-22
Absolutely fantastically!
Love this version of the great story I grew up with. The feminine voice was refreshing. Did not want this story to end.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Christy Ann Clark
- 10-03-22
David and Absalom
I love the story, and the ability to enter a different culture and time. There were simply too many times when I could see the main character and her son, one of them anyway, mirroring the relationship of David and Absalom. A kingdom/queen-dom crumbles, because we don’t want to see people as they are. I know I know they often like to say love is blind. Perhaps it is, I I do wish for a better ending for main character. I look forward to more stories and perhaps a series the author might develop, or similar stories. Great debut novel!
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- Amazon Customer
- 01-06-23
so incredibly beautiful
my heart ached the whole time but in the best way. This book will stay with me, and I'm glad for it.
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- Ifayemisi
- 04-30-23
Perspective is Reality
I have heard this story as a child in the Caribbean but the change of perspective made me appreciate balance. This work is timely in our current public discourse where persons with privilege must consider and be sensitive to how their privilege impacts others. What was previously seen as 'normal' and 'natural' is challenged beautifully. It also underscores that if you are doing the right thing for a reward you will always struggle to do the right thing.
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- Sanj Chandra
- 06-01-23
Love.
For anyone that struggles with the black and white nature of Valmiki’s Ramayan, this retelling is for you. Kaikeyi is reimagined beautifully here, and the story seems to deal with many complicated aspects of Dharma and fate without being too heavy handed about it. Kaikeyi comes off as strong, intelligent and capable, instead of the usual one dimensional portrayal of her as simply evil that is so popular. Great read!
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