I have read so many phenomenal fantasies this year, including several truly outstanding debuts (The Stardust Thief! Daughter of the Moon Goddess!), that I feel so freaking lucky. Kaikeyi was another five-star fantasy, for so many reasons, but principally because the world building was immaculate. I actually read the author’s note at the start AFTER finishing the book, because I was going into the read very unfamiliar with the mythology surrounding Rama and Kaikeyi and enjoy being unprepared (worth noting that this is the ONLY area of my life where a lack of preparation is enjoyable for me). To read Patel’s notes on her study of the Ramayana (and its many tellings and interpretations) and to learn how much of this story is her creation was an incredible treat after finishing the book. Her magic system is so original and I LOVED that she brought this to the retelling of the classic tale.

And honestly, Patel builds such a compelling vision of Kaikeyi that I entirely forgot she is not traditionally the main character of this story. From the grief of losing her mother to exile as a child, to her discovery of magic and her years-long strengthening of her abilities, to her eventual marriage and ultimately to the fated and tragic unraveling of her life and deepest loves, Kaikeyi is so deeply human. In a world ruled by Gods and gods and goddesses, where the stories of humans are pulled tragically between the whims of more powerful beings, her defiance of fate and divinity and her insistence on her own agency is revolutionary.

And it has to be said - the prose is so moving. The depth of emotion, the vivid imagery woven throughout, the layered complexity of The Binding Plane, it just all works together so seamlessly. This story of freewill vs. fate and humans vs. Gods is absolutely worth the read.