About the Author

Vaishnavi Patel is a law student focusing on constitutional law and civil rights. She likes to write at the intersection of Indian myth, feminism, and anti-colonialism.

Reviews

"Kaikeyi is complete with powerful women, court intrigue, magic, war with humans, fights with supernatural beings, familial and political tensions of the time when the world was composed of princely states. This will be a cherished addition to the Hindu mythology and retelling section in my home library."--Nerd Daily

"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 bestselling author of the Aru Shah and Gilded Wolves series

"A thought-provoking, nuanced new look at one of humanity's most foundational stories."--Shannon Chakraborty, national bestselling author of The City of Brass

"Mythic retelling at its best: entrancing, troubling, and complicated. Kaikeyi is marvelous."--R. F. Kuang, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel

"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)

"[A] bold reimagining....Even readers unfamiliar with the ancient Indian epic will find a lot to love in Patel's spellbinding details."--Bookpage (starred review)

"A glorious tapestry of a novel. This book is a deft and heartrending portrayal of a family torn apart and of the sacrifices we demand of each other, written with great depth of feeling and hope for brighter times. I adored it."--Lucy Holland, author of Sistersong

"A lyrical and evocative retelling, full of power and grace, which brings forward a traditionally maligned woman of myth. Kaikeyi's life is rendered with richness and nuance, yielding a story that feels both novel and classic. A spellbinding debut."--Ava Reid, author The Wolf and the Woodsman

"Patel shines an elegant, incisive lens on an ancient epic and the vilified queen tangled within it. Brave, compassionate and powerful, Kaikeyi is a novel that will live in my head and my heart for a long time to come."--Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne

"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)

"Utterly captivating from start to finish. I was immersed in Kaikeyi's world from the moment I opened Vaishnavi Patel's stunning debut, and whether or not you already know how the story ends, there is so much here to enjoy. Kaikeyi truly shines."--Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Witch's Heart