Kaikeyi

Moving, sensitive, thoughtful, and pretty badass. Although it starts off with a YA feel, it’s not: this is (mostly but not always) emotionally complex. Tough moral questions and decisions. Strong themes of personal responsibility, betrayal, forgiveness. And feminist AF.

Impossible not to be reminded of The Book of Longings: mythologically-inspired fanfic from a female POV. That’s a really tough genre. The constraints are absolutely rigid, so the author has to be careful to work within the gaps. I know nothing of Hindu mythology, so it was reassuring to read the Author’s Note at the beginning in which she describes her familiarity with the canon and the care she took to remain within it. She also has a remarkable postscript in the Goodreads reviews. Read both. I think they show her to be a person of admirable intelligence and ethics. (Despite those, I see some religiofanatic GR reviewers have gotten their “feelings hurt.” I see that as an added bonus.)

The (not a spoiler) Binding Threads gimmick was intriguing. Patel used it a little more than I cared for, and often uncomfortably, but overall effectively. Any power lends itself to abuse, and I see that as part of the author’s point. I really, really loved the relationship dynamics, the first-person narrator’s imperfections, her recognitions of kindness in others. There is a good deal of evil in this book (*cough* “pious sages” *cough) but much more decency and nobility.