#KAIKEYI

[aroaessidhe]

Aromantic Adult Books - High Fantasy (mostly)

ARO WEEK 2023

KAIKEYI /  historical fantasy/retelling / aroace MC

MOONSHINE /  1920s-ish fantasy / major side character who has some POV is aro bi

THE LANGUAGE OF ROSES / fantasy novella / aro MC

AN ACCIDENT OF STARS  /  upper YA/adult portal fantasy / secondary MC is a polyam married aro woman

A DAY OF FALLEN NIGHT  / high fantasy / apparently one of the MCs is aroace, haven’t read it yet!

CITY OF STRIFE/ISANDOR SERIES / high fantasy / last cast includes multiple aroaces, demiros & greyros

THE WOLF AMONG THE WILD HUNT  / fantasy novella / centres a QPR between and aroace & enby

THE ORACLE STONE / NA high fantasy / one of the three MCs is aro pan

THE BRUISING OF QILWA / fantasy novella / MC is aroace

*as a note, some of these only briefly explore aromanticism, and/or explore the ace part of the aroace character more. If you want more details on how much things are explored, see my database!

[ace-artemis-fanartist]

Kaikeyi for Asexual Awareness Week!

I really enjoyed Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel, can never have enough aroace characters in literature. My favorite thing about it though was her characterization, her kindness and empathy throughout her story was it’s own strength, and I loved that. 

[layaart]

I am not destined for something great. I am destined for something terrible.

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel!

[thebrightpreciousthings]

RECENT READS: “Kaikeyi" by Vaishnavi Patel

“You did the right thing," Manthara told me. "No matter what is said about you, Kaikeyi, remember that you did the right thing. You are not wicked." "Then why do I feel wicked?" I whispered. "Because those who are good question themselves. Because those who are good always wonder if there was a better way, a way that could have helped more and hurt less. That feeling is why you are good.”

[questionableresponses]

Bharat when Kaushalya accuses him of working with Kaikeyi:

[just0nemorepage]

Kaikeyi || Vaishnavi Patel || 478 pages Top 3 Genres: Fantasy / Mythology / Historical Fiction

Synopsis: “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 about the might and benevolence 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 worthy. Yet she watches as her father unceremoniously banishes her mother, listens as her own worth is reduced to the marriage alliance she can secure. And when she calls upon the gods for help, they never seem to hear.

Desperate for independence, she turns to the texts she once read with her mother and discovers a magic that is hers alone. With it, Kaikeyi transforms herself from an overlooked princess into a warrior, diplomat, and most favored queen.

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.

Publication Date: April 2022. / Average Rating: 4.20. / Number of Ratings: ~25,970.

[homerjacksons]

💚🤍 Happy Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week 🩶🖤

[x]

[inkcurlsandknives]

So thrilled to create this #BookLook to celebrate Vaishnavi Patel's cover reveal for GODDESS OF THE RIVER coming May 2024 from orbitbooks cover designed by @von_brooklyn 🌊🪷🌊

A powerful reimagining of the story of Ganga, goddess of the river, and her doomed mortal son

I cannot wait to read more from Vaishnavi. I loved Kaikeyi and her writings on motherhood fascinate me

US Preorder

[hinducosmos]

Kaikeyi and Manthara Artist: Nandalal Bose (1882-1966) Chromoxylograph on paper (via ASTAGURU)

[wormwoodandhoney]

books read in 2022: kaikeyi by vaishnavi patel

"No matter what is said about you, Kaikeyi, remember that you did the right thing. You are not wicked." "Then why do I feel wicked?" I whispered. "Because those who are good question themselves. Because those who are good always wonder if there was a better way, a way that could have helped more and hurt less. That feeling is why you are good."

[readtilyoudie]

But Gautama saved his true wrath for his wife, for he believed she should have known the man at the door was Indra and resisted his advances. With another of his terrible boons, he turned Ahalya to stone and left her alone in their forest home.

The scroll ended there, and I knew there was no redemption for Ahalya—the gods would help Indra but never a woman who had slept with another man. It ate at me, for how was Ahalya to have known? The fault was Indra’s from start to finish. Gautama could have chosen to understand and forgive her. But neither gods nor men had such mercy.

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

[rachel-sylvan-author]

Wholesome Women and Girlhood Friendships ❤️ “The Switch” by Beth O’Leary “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott “Anne of Green Gables” by L. M. Montgomery “Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers” by Jesse Q. Sutanto “The Bandit Queens” Parini Shroff “Kaikeyi” by Vaishnavi Patel “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen “Bookshops & Bonedust” by Travis Baldree “A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking” by T. Kingfisher “Nettle & Bone” by T. Kingfisher

[theinquisitxor]

February 2023 Reading Wrap-Up

I read eight (8) books in February, which I am happy about, since Feb. is such a short month. I enjoyed most of the books I read, with genres that include fantasy, mythology, historical fiction, and others.

1.The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black (The Folk of the Air #3) 4/5 stars. I reread this on audio, and as with the first two books, I really enjoyed my reread of this series. I think these books are so much fun, and they were perfect to listen on audio. YA fantasy, audiobook

2.The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller 5/5 stars. I can't believe it's taken me this long to finally read this book. I deeply enjoyed this book, the writing, and the story. It broke my heart, even thought I knew what was going to happen. Mythology retelling, lgbt.

3.Elementals: Stories of Ice and Fire by AS Byatt. 3/5 stars. This is another one of Byatt's short story collections, which each story having some sort of fire/ice theme. I enjoyed some stories better than others. Literary Fiction/Speculative Fiction

4.Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson. 4.5/5 stars. This is the Sorcery of Thorns novella that recently came out. This was so cute and so much fun, and was a nice to visit the characters again from Sorcery of Thorns.

5.Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel. 4/5 stars. This is a retelling of the Hindu epic, The Ramayana. I read The Ramayana for a class in college, so I was a little familiar with the story already. I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought it would, and it had a lot of stuff that I really like in books. Ace main character, Court politics, character driven story, characters trying to make the world a better place. However, it seems like Hindu community is rather split on this book. Mythology Retelling.

6.The Stolen Heir by Holly Black. 4/5 stars. This was such a good continuation of a beloved series. It played into the strengths of what made tfota so good, but also delivered fresh new settings, characters, and plots. Holly Black knows how to stick an ending, and I can’t wait for book 2! YA fantasy.

7.A Column of Fire by Ken Follett (Kingsbridge 3) 3/5 stars. Not quite as good/enjoyable as the other Kingsbridge novels, but still very entertaining. This one takes place in the late 1500s, surrounding Queen Elizabeth and the French court. Lots of politics and the major historical events of this time period. Definitely a little different in scope/approach than the first two books. Historical Fiction.

8.Life in Medieval Europe: Fact and Fiction by Daniele Cybulskie 4/5 stars. I've been listening to Daniele Cybulskie's podcast- The Medieval Podcast- for several years, and I've been meaning to pick up some of her books. I thought this was a great little book debunking common stereotypes about the middle ages. This did a good job of introducing topics clarifying common misconceptions. Non-fiction.

3 fantasy, 2 mythology retellings, 1 lit fiction, 1 historical fiction, 1 nonfiction.

March reading goals:

A Day of Fallen Night by Samatha Shannon

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

Expanse #7 by James SA Corty

The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride (if I can get the audiobook)

Velvet was the Night by Silvia Moreno Garcia

Legendborn by Tracy Deon (?)

A nonfiction

[aroace-kodama-sakuko]

Nice aroace rep in Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel!

Plus I loved the concept of the Binding Plane.

[arojenniferwalters]

Canon AroAces 276b/?: Radnyi Kaikeyi of Kosala in Vaishnavi Patel's Kaikeyi [Part 2](2022) 4/ 4

[questionableresponses]

Bharat to Kaikeyi when he finds out about what she did: