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"Patel's mesmerizing debut shines a brilliant light on the vilified queen from [the Indian epic] theRamayana....This easily earns its place on shelves alongside Madeline Miller's Circe." -Publishers Weekly (starred review) "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 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.