Kaikeyi

I want to preface this review by saying that I do not know the original story of Kaikeyi, so I do not know how it holds up to that. My thoughts here are purely based on this story alone.

As most people that have been following me for a while know, I absolutely love mythological retelling. This one was no exception. Most of the retelling I have read have been Greek, so it was so refreshing to read this one from a different culture.

This book follows Kaikeyi, a misunderstood woman who just wants to make a place for herself and other women in the world. This book follows her life, from young childhood to far into her adulthood.

I found all of the characters to just be so well rounded and all of the interpersonal relationships to really grow Kaikeyi's story. We got a really unique view on these relationships because Kaikeyi has the ability to go into the Binding Plane, which only she can see, and where she can view the different bonds she has with people and how strong they are. She can also manipulate these bonds to get people to bend her way. She learns from a young age that this can be manipulated too strongly and she can completely sever bonds accidentally. This story follows her as she tries to toe the line of convincing and manipulating.

I thought this book did such an incredible job of exploring feminism, family, and motherhood. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that loves mythology.