KaikeyiKaikeyi
What it's about
In the Indian epic the Ramayana, Kaikeyi is the queen who has the hero Rama exiled. Here, she tells her own side of the story: growing up as the only daughter among seven brothers, learning a magic that lets her shape the ties between people, and fighting to give women a voice in her husband's kingdom.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. It's a feminist retelling of a great myth.
You'll love it if you liked
Clytemnestra
Medea
She Who Became the SunGood to know
It changes events from the original epic.
By the numbers
- Readers66 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller32 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On our reserve shelf: it's well reviewed, but isn't currently a prize winner, a lifetime bestseller or a book everyone's talking about, so we don't rank it. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
Epic, Moving
If you like this, read next
Cloud Cuckoo Land
Babel
Angel Down
The Devils
A Master of Djinn
The Song of AchillesExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Kaikeyi worth reading?
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. Its Must-Read Score is 68.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Kaikeyi about?
In the Indian epic the Ramayana, Kaikeyi is the queen who has the hero Rama exiled. Here, she tells her own side of the story: growing up as the only daughter among seven brothers, learning a magic that lets her shape the ties between people, and fighting to give women a voice in her husband's kingdom.
How long does it take to read Kaikeyi?
About 12 hours (460 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Kaikeyi?
If you liked it, try Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati, Medea by Euripides or She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan.