“I was born on the full moon under an auspicious constellation, the holiest of positions-much good it did me.” Turn off your phone and huddle around your proverbial fire: this story is compulsively readable, infinitely complex, and-in every sense-magical. Like Kaikeyi’s enchanted threads, Vaishnavi Patel weaves an intricate tale of motherhood, fate, courage, sacrifice, and the nuances of female power. But in defying destiny, Kaikeyi puts herself in the path of angry men and vengeful gods-and the choices she makes will determine not only her legacy but the future of all women in her kingdom. Through guile and nerve, she elevates herself to the status of warrior, diplomat, and, eventually, the king’s most valued advisor and confidant. Not content to be a passive daughter or a silenced wife, Kaikeyi cultivates a secret magic, one which allows her to manipulate the capricious threads of power around her. Kaikeyi lives in a world shaped by the whims and ambitions of men, her value determined by the arrangement of stars and potential marriage alliances. Gods, prophecies, magic, monsters-these essential elements of fantasy are given striking new life in Kaikeyi, a reimagining of the vilified queen from Hindu mythology. The best retellings are ones that surprise and enthrall, yet feel so resoundingly true and timeless that you can picture yourself hearing them for the first time huddled by firelight.
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