So this was a really fun book that took a while for it to really catch me, but I also think that's because reading "these days" requires more work and energy and so it just takes longer for the joy of distraction and the pull of the narrative to catch.
Anyway, I'm so glad I found this, I love the premise of the Mahabharata In! Space! And also I wish I knew the story better so I could see more of what Mandanna is doing rather than merely being wowed by the way things play out.
Because it's a retelling of a myth, there are aspects of "fatedness" and character choices that feel right in a way that might have felt forced absent the power of the narrative shaping them. Or perhaps even still felt forced, but the weight of fate both inside the narrative (aka prophecy) and outside (aka the myth has to happen) made me willing to accept the way the story goes. And also the story itself sweeps the reader along.