Vaishnavi Patel

"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 tales 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 favoured queen, determined to carve a better world for herself and the women around her. But as the evil from her childhood stories threatens the cosmic order, the path she has forged clashes with the destiny the gods have chosen for her family. And Kaikeyi must decide if resistance is worth the destruction it will wreak - and what legacy she intends to leave behind. Praise for Kaikeyi: 'Mythic retelling at its best' R. F. Kuang, author of The Poppy War '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' S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass 'Fans of Madeline Miller's Circe will fall hard for this story' Booklist (starred review)

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Kaikeyi

Jasper

I WAS BORN ON the full moon under an auspicious constellation, the holiest of positions—much good it did me.

The people of Bharat have often blamed my father for my sins, as if a woman cannot own her actions.

If he bears any fault for my actions, it is through his inaction.

'But how could the gods lie when they are good?' I asked my mother, puzzled.

'The gods do what they must,' she said, but she gave me a smile and I felt clever.

I had so many bonds tying me to others, and seeing them all laid out this way caused tears to prick at my eyes. I often felt lonely, with only my mother’s quiet coolness and brothers who could not fully understand me for company. But here was proof that I was not alone.

Perhaps we were kin, they and I, yearning for something unnameable, a place where we could stretch our wings and belong.

How could I have been so foolish? I should have known better than to use this power without thought, without knowing its full extent.

It was the sages who had made it so, for an illegitimate daughter was deeply inauspicious and impure—unmarriageable, a terrible curse for a woman. But of course the gods and sages had nothing to say about illegitimate sons, who were still able to quietly inherit both money and power. Suddenly her name took on a much crueler cast.

No such feelings for Dasharath, or any person, had ever surfaced in me. I was comfortable with my husband, loved him as a dear friend, but the pull of romance meant nothing to me. I could be happy for those in love, but I could not understand.

Before this story was Rama’s, it was mine.

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