Lanka's Princess

by Kavita Kané

Surpanakha, Ravan’s infamous sister—ugly and untamed, brutal and brazen. This is how she is commonly perceived. One whose nose was sliced off by an angry Lakshman and the one who started a war but was she really just perpetrator of war? Or was she a victim? Was she Lanka’s princess? Or was she the reason for its destruction?

Surpanakha, meaning the woman as hard as nails was born as Meenakshi—the one with beautiful, fish-shaped eyes. Growing up in the shadows of her brothers, who were destined to win wars, fame and prestige, she, instead, charts up a path filled with misery and revenge.

Accused of manipulating events between Ram and Ravan, which culminated in a bloody war and annihilation of her family, Surpanakha is often the most misunderstood character in the Ramayana. Kavita Kané 's Lanka’s Princess tells the story from the vantage of this woman more hated than hateful…

Genres: Mythology, Fiction, India, Fantasy, Indian Literature, Audiobook, Historical

298 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2016

About the author

A senior journalist with a career of over two decades, which includes working for Magna publication and DNA, she quit her job as Assistant Editor of Times of India to devote herself as a full time author. A self-styled aficionado of cinema and theatre and sufficiently armed with a post-graduate degree in English Literature and Mass Communication from the University of Pune, the only skill she knows, she candidly confesses, is writing.
Karna's Wife her debut novel, (2013)was a bestseller. Her second novel - Sita's Sister (2014) also deals with another enigmatic personality - Urmila, probably the most overlooked character in the Ramayan. Menaka's Choice(2015) ,another best-seller, is about the famous apsara and her infamous liaison with Vishwamitra the man she was sent to destroy. Lanka's Princess (2016) is her fourth book based on Ravan's sister, Surpanakha, the Princess of Lanka who was also its destroyer...
Born in Mumbai, a childhood spent largely in Patna and Delhi , Kavita currently lives in Pune with her mariner husband Prakash and two daughters Kimaya and Amiya with Chic the black cocker spaniel and Cotton the white, curious cat.

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last chapters got me bawling my eyes out…. She’s so misunderstood and she’s really miserable. If a person is the most loneliest, it has to be her.

I just can’t…. 😭😭😭😭😭

Lanka’s Princess by Kavita Kané is a must read for readers who are looking for women’s fiction representing women who are misunderstood all their lives.

This book is a retelling of a part of the Ramayana epic from the perspective of Supernakha whose real name given at her time of birth is Meenakshi (most of us do not even know this!).

This female character in Ramayan has been portrayed as a woman who has no personality other than either for lusting after Lakshman, the brother of Ram/ brother-in-law of Sita; or the one whose nose was cut for her misconduct and hence be the woman who no one wants to look twice. Such is the shame given to this character throughout the years maybe in the TV show or in various other format adaptations.

I feel really grateful to have read this book and I would like to congratulate the author for giving this misunderstood female character her rightful place.

The writing is very easy to get into and the way the characters or the events are written is gripping for such a story which are the reasons why I just couldn’t put down the book.

The story tells her role in how she has become the way she is; her perspective on why she did the things she did for which everyone came to dislike her; her estranged relationship with her mother and brothers; her love life and the betrayals she endured.

I was sobbing the entire night when the book ended. My heart broke because I could see how miserable she was and how misunderstood she felt.

I appreciate the author for showing her as she was: the good, the bad and the ugly.

[Surabhi Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all heard the story of Ramayana; Ram; Laxman; Sita; Ravan. How Ravan abducted Sita while she was with her husband Ram and his younger brother Laxman wandering in forest for fourteen years of exile. How Ravan fooled Sita by his Sage look and abducted to take revenge from Ram for disgracing his sister Surpanakha by blazing her nose.

But, the question is who Surpanakha is. Is the only identity of her; she is sister of Ravana and daughter of Kaikesi and Vishravas or is there something more to know about her which the world did not know.

Surpanaka is the fourth child of Kaikesi and Vishravas and youngest among Ravan, Kumbhkarna and Vibhishan. She was named Meenakshi and fondly called Meenu but her ugly looks and dark color give her a name Surpanakha.

The book written from the side of a girl Meenakshi. Who was she? The book falls in history of religion and is a pleasant reading. It is good to know a girl whose infatuation for Ram drastically turned the events which nobody saw coming.

[Shreya Vaid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mythological fiction is a very tricky genre, you need to keep your facts straight and also bring something new to the reader. And if the book delivers not just something new but something brilliant, you are sorted for your mytho-fiction-reader-buds. Lanka's Princess by Kavita Kane is one such book that turned out to be simply brilliant with a perfect balance of right facts and something new and refreshing.

Just like Karna's Wife and Menaka's Choice, Kavita Kane has again decoded another marginalized character for us from Ramayana. Lanka's Princess, Surpanakha, meaning "the woman as hard as nails", born as Meenakshi, daughter of Kaikesi and Vishravas. The once beautiful and golden fish shaped eyes turned into a nightmare for whole Lanka. Growing up in the shadows of her brothers, who were destined to win wars, fame, and prestige, she, instead, charts up a path filled with misery and revenge.

Meenakshi was a girl who was constantly criticized for her actions and overall outlook towards the world. Born as a disappointment to Kaikesi who wanted a son who could take back Lanka for her, Meenakshi was a sore sight for her eyes. She never much received any love from her brothers Ravan and Vibhishan, it was only Kumbha who showed her support from time to time. But that was not enough for Meenakshi.

Meanwhile, Ravan was growing in power, and overtook Lanka from Kubera, his step brother, fulfilling Kaikesi's dream. Meenakshi is titled as Lanka's Princess, beautiful and magnificent in her own special way. But after coming to Lanka, the real crisis for Ravan and his family begins. Ravan is cursed that if he takes any woman against her will, he will be doomed. Fearful for her son's life, Kaikesi starts searching bride for her son, ignoring Meenakshi completely, that even she needs someone to spend her life with. This behavior sets a deep rooted seed of hatred in Meenakshi's heart. Her hatred recedes a bit when she comes in touch with Vidyujiva, Ravan's biggest enemy but soon to be allied.

Despite denial and threats from her family, Vidyujiva becomes Meenakshi life by marrying her, until one day when he is killed on the battlefield. She blames Ravan and her family for this calamity, not ready to believe that Vidyujiva was planning to overthrow Ravan. Vidyujiva's death leads her to decide that she will take revenge from Ravan by removing him from the face of this earth. She decides to leave Lanka and live with her uncle Mareecha in Dandak forest. She takes along her son Kumar with her, so that she could train him to kill Ravan. She gives up her identity as Meenakshi, and decides to be known as Surpanakha. She kills her Meenakshi to take revenge from every single person who wronged her.

But even her revenge couldn't take off when Kumar is killed by mistake by Lakshman. Mad with revenge for two people now, she charts out an ultimate revenge plan including Ravan, Ram, and Lakshman. She tries to kill Sita after being jibed at and rejected by both brothers and gets herself maimed. She runs back to Lanka to speak to Ravan, enticing him with Sita's beauty and hurting his ego that he lost Sita's hand from a mere mortal prince. Mad with rage, Ravan captures Sita, and rest we know is history.

Now, I've always known a bit about Surpanakha's role in Ramayana thanks to my grandmother's stories. But Lanka's Princess is a book that made me realize the extent of her involvement! From the very start of Lanka's Princess, Meenakshi will keep you mesmerized. From her inhibitions as a child to her vengeful attitude later on, Kavita Kane has done a magnificent job with a marginalized character of Ramayana. Both sides of Meenakshi are shown, her broken and scrutinized childhood which she managed to pass by somehow, and her transformation to Surpanakha. Kavita Kane has not stereotyped Surpanakha into either a saint or sinner, she has simply shared her story, something which we haven't really heard from our grandparents.

And not just Surpanakha, from Ravan to Ram, all the characters have been portrayed beautifully, each sharing their story. From Ravan's unlimited thirst to have more power to Kaikesi constant struggle between her four kids, each character has been written so purely that while reading you can feel their emotions. The storyline is easy and Kavita has not wasted her time dragging each and every part. Instead, she has very smartly distributed the reading time towards all important events that took place during Ramayana.

When it comes to any improvements, Lanka's Princess is a perfect book for me. From sharing and unique story to engagement factor, Lanka's Princess has everything. There is hardly anything that I could point out as a discrepancy. After my break in December, I am so gonna grab other two books by Kavita. All in all, Lanka's Princess is a story that you simply cannot miss.

[Aakanksha Jain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lanka's Princess is my first read from the author, and I'm not impressed by her writing. But I do want to read Karna's Wife and Menaka's Choice, so let's see if they prove to be worthy of my time or not. The book has grammatical errors, and the narration appears abrupt and loose. I knew all the tales presented in this book, so there was nothing new for me to explore. But if you're a neophyte and wanted to know Surpanakha's anecdote, this novel will prove to be a stable start.

Read the detailed review here - https://www.bookscharming.com/2021/01...

[Veena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lanka's Princess by Kavita Kané
'Those who love you always find you beautiful.' Shrupnakha was neither loved nor beautiful. What she was though was a determined woman. This book is a story of Meenakshi who later became Shupranakha. It is the first of its kind that I have read and thoroughly enjoyed.

Cover page
On the cover is the lady herself. She is wearing a lot of gold as befits the princess of Lanka and she is looking over a burning palace. The illustration tells a tale of a woman who was the cause of the downfall of the richest city at one time and she does not look very regretful about it.
The cover is a beautiful composition. Yellow and gold dominate cover, depicting the richness of Lanka very well. The illustration is a little off-centred though. The black patch right in the middle is a little disturbing but one gets over it quickly. The font below compliments the illustration. The red spine stands out of the shelf.
As always Rupa publication has brought out a great product. The inside is as beautiful as the outside.

Characters
Meenakshi's birth shattered all her mother's dreams. It ought to be a boy but sadly it was a girl. Dark asura girl. Her fate was decided as soon as she was born. She was to stay single and lonely. No one would marry asura girl. She would always be an eye sore to her mother who lost Lanka even before she planned her moves. A girl would not help to achieve the goal. She was just a burden.
Shurpnakha turned out to be just the opposite. She soon learned magic and the art of seduction. She was goodself-defenseense and her mind was as sharp as her older brothers'. A feminist by her own right she understood the difference between exuberance and class.
On Lanka she says, 'There was a lot of wealth but a little sign of culture; the luxury in the chamber was senseless, haphazard, and ill-fitting. The marble floor shone with brilliant polish and the sparkle of the chandelier irritated her.'
She was the woman portrayed a vamp in Ramayan. The author here has given her another life in the book.
The other characters are same as any version of Ramayan. But those closer to Shupranakha are given more importance such as Ravan, Kumbha, Vishravas etc. They are quite interesting to read about.

Content
Krishna recites the story of Shurpnakha to Trivarka, herself in older life. The story begins when a girl is born to Vishravas and Kaikesi. The father is delighted to welcome a girl into the family but mother hates her right from the beginning. Shurpnakha grows up to become a beautiful voluptuous woman but always doubting her self worth. She is constantly questioning the love her family possesses for her, her father especially. As a child, she develops a constant frown which seldom leaves her face while she lives with her family in the ashram. The boys are protective of her but she cannot help but doubt their love for her too.
Shurpnakha grows up to feel lonely and inadequate. She is often reminded what an unwanted daughter her was.
The story progresses same as Ramayan but this one is from Shurpnakha's point of view. She is often seen justifying her actions but they do not help in cleaning her image. A lustful woman as herself seeking unmindful revenge, she lands herself in trouble all the time.
There is also a confusion throughout the book. Ravan is a protective brother but he does not like his sister much, too. Kaikesi sometimes a sweet mother but often hates her daughter for no good reason. Vishravas loves his daughter but not more than his sons. No one can blame Shurpnakha for turning out the way she did.
The story gives the losers a chance at explaining themselves. It should be read for this very reason.

Language
It is a simple modern-day narration. There is a lot of lust in the book which may not have been narrated very well. The characters were described well though which keeps one's interest in the book.

Good points
The cover page is a beautiful composition. The book is a great product design. The characters are interesting to read about. The story brings forward a different angle altogether. The story is fast paced. Language is simple to read.

Bad points
There is a lot of confusion throughout the book about who hates who and who love whom and when.

Overall
It was the first book of its kind that I have read and I am definitely picking more books by the author. This one should be read just for another perspective.

Whom do I recommend this to
This book is for those who like retellings from different perspectives. Those who may be interested in Ramayan will like this one too.

[Anil Swarup · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another brilliant offering from Kavita Kane. She seems to have mastered the art of narrating story of lesser characters in Indian mythology. After masterpieces like "Karna's Wife" and "Sita's Sister", this one is about Meenakshi, more popularly known as Surpanakha, Ravan's only sister. The author credits her with causing the "great" confrontation. The narration is taut and the characters appear real. Those that know the story Ram can easily relate to what is written. And there is a lot more .......specially from Surpnakha's perspective.
A fascinating book. Worth reading.

[Roshika Deo · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read, especially since I grew up with the Ramayan and Suknekha's story. The perspective of Suknekha brought an interesting insight and I loved how she defies gender norms around sexuality. There are definitely some fierce feminist elements however I wish there was more.

[Sheetal Maurya - Godse (Halo of Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the full book review on my blog Lanka's Princess by Kavita Kané - Book review

Ramayana is the epic which has various characters who teaches us a valuable lesson. Reading these great epics through the eyes of lesser known character is always amazing to read. Kavita Kané, who is best known to highlight the lesser known women characters of Hindu mythology, has again chosen the most misunderstood women character Surpanakha as of her protagonist. Having been already read her book Karna’s Wife, Sita’s Sister and Menaka’s Choice I was super excited to read this book!

Meenakshi is the fourth born child to the learned Rishi Vishravas and asur kanya Kaikesi. Her color is dark compared to the other fair and good looking family members, her eyes are fish shaped. (See the beautiful cover page) But the thing which renamed her Surpanakha was her talons.

Growing up in the hatred behavior of her mother, she loves her father. Ravan, her elder brother who has always got the love and privilege of her mother have won Lanka thus fulfilling the aim of Kaikesi. She is now Lanka’s princess but there is no one who can understand her. She is lonely in the golden Lanka as well as in her family.

She able to gain some love in her life through Vidyujiva but fate also snatches this chance away from her. Constant hatred, suppression, and ego of Ravan finally lit the fire of vengeance in heart of Meenakshi cursing her brother to die. What happens next is destruction, the death of a whole generation!

But really Surpanakha was the perpetrator of this war or a mere victim? Was she right or wrong? Who was the main culprit? Read this gripping saga of Surpanakha, a demon princess.

[Kiruthika Nithynandan · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Lanka's princess" surpasses the previous works of kavita kane.It is very well researched and the author combines facts from various versions of the Ramayana to form an impressive and gripping tale of one of the most overlooked and intriguing characters of the classic.
The book was a very interesting read. I found myself at times sympathising with the lonely meenakshi and at times exasperated at her never ending thirst for revenge.
The characters are very well etched out but at times lack depth.For instance it is maintained throughout the book that Raavan loves his sister very much but there are no incidents to support this fact.The two incidents - Lanka 's invasion and usurping kuber' s throne and the subsequent kidnapping of Sita - which though Raavan insisted he did for the love of his sister, he did for his own selfish self.This leaves us with a nagging doubt on weather Raavan truly cared for Surpanakha or for that matter, anyone but himself.

Overall it is good gripping tale which leaves us with a strange sense of sadness and melancholy for a woman who yearns to be loved and accepted, only to lose all those she loved.

[Vaishnavi S [readikkulus] · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for mythological retellings. This is the story of Surpanakha, born as Meenakshi - Lanka’s Princess.

Kavita Kane has done a good job describing an unpopular, marginalised character from the epic. The book neither glorifies nor undermines Meenakshi and the struggles of her life. There are times you hate her vicious nature and other times, her words make you ponder - was she really that evil? She is rejected and scorned by everyone, and her boldness or brazen sexuality are condemned in order to keep her in check. The book shows all other prominent characters from Ramayan in different lights, with their strengths & weaknesses - something I really enjoyed.

However, the typos in the read were quite disturbing and definitely caused a delay in my completion of the book.

[Avanthika · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could have been better.

Meenakshi/Surpanaka.
The proprietor of Lanka Kanda.
Ramayan portrays Surpanaka as a lust driven, vengeance adoring woman. In Lanka's princess, she plays a victim of her own anger and vengeance.
There is nothing intriguing and there's no new perspective.
Unlike Sita's sister, Menaka's choice and Karna's wife, this work of Kavita Kane failed to keep me hooked.

[Shilpa Garg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping, insightful story of an intriguing secondary character from Ramayana.

[Mansi Ambalam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ngl, I did doze off at a lot of points but it did have its moments. Meenu as a character provided a fresh perspective to an otherwise monotonous tale that I have read and watched so many times all these years. The only thing constant though was Kumbha having my heart no matter who the retelling was about.

[Love Among the Bookshelves · Rating 4 out of 5]

A scheming witch, a lustful temptress, a manipulative sister and a hateful princess. Surpanakha has for years been portrayed and described as all the above. Very few retellings have managed to look into the heart of Meenakshi and managed to analyze and weigh the horror of the circumstances that had turned her into a vile and spiteful Surpanakha, literally the one with sharp talon like fingernails.

Yet again, Kavita Kané selects a forsaken mythological woman and embodies her soul within herself, without doing which, it would simply be impossible to write such a personal and passionate account.

Mistreated and accursed as an ugly girl child, longing for a father figure and immeasurable personal losses suck Meenakshi’s heart, love and pity out. Mentally she’s empty, a woman whose heart has solidified to stone, she grows a thick skin. She becomes a conniving Surpanakha from a loving Meenakshi.

Kané’s masterful portrait of Surpanakha is brilliant. She explores her graph in an excellent fashion and handles her story sensitively, with ample respect and empathy. She models Surpanakha’s relationships with Raavan, Kaikesi, Vishravas, Kumbhakarna, Vidyujiva, Mandodari and Sita in a realistic and believable manner.

Mythology lovers should totally pick this book up because never before has Surpanakha been depicted as a woman – “more hated than hateful”.

[Kavity · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book shows that proof reading and editing are out of fashion. Just type anything, include all possible grammatical errors, spelling mistakes and typos, and voila! A book is born. The utter callousness with which the book has been written makes me wonder about the veracity of the writing. Of course, it is fiction and all that, but if the language is anything to go by, looks like this book was dished out in a hurry with whatever came to the author's mind just to add one more item to her "published" collection. I wish I could complain somewhere to get my money back. But what about the time I spent reading this? Wish I had lesser OCD so I could have aborted the idea of reading this when I first started doubting it.

[Purplevathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been very hesitant to pick up books by Indian authors because 2 of them put me down so bad I could not go back . But oh so wrong I was . I think picking up this book and reading it was one of the best things that ever happened.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is up for an enticing mytholoical fiction, morally grey charactered book

I have heard stories about Ramaya from the time I dont even remember. I just alway knew Rama, seetha, Ravana from the times I dont actually remember. So reading about a story I have always know from the POV of Surphanakha was very very thrilling.
This book was like a the building of a villain and what was happening in lanka from the beginning.
Childhood of surphanakha: Her mother Kaikesi being extremely cruel to her made me hate her with such angst I cannot tell you and why ? Because she was a girl!! And ofc her favoutire son was Ravan.
Ravana's grandfather Sumali was the ruler of lanka who built and and was ruling it before being over thrown by Lord Vishnu who gave it away to Kuber the elder son of rishi Vishrava. Sumali and his wife tataki, sons maricha subahu and daughter kaikesi were sent away to naraka loka. Sumali the master mind grooms kaikesi with his ideas and kaikesi makes Vishrava fall for her and leaves his family to be with her. They have 4 children RAvana, Kumbha, Vibhishan and Meenakshi.
Meenalshi's whole life she never received any love from her family except her grandmother and even though vibhishan was her father's fav she loved her father alot too. Meenakshi was always envious and hateful of ravana because of all the partiality he got from his family and also because ravana killed her pet lamb just because it got in his way. Ravan gets lord shiva's and Brahma's blessings and gets the blessing of immortality with a loop hole that he could be killed by a human which he considers very silly and we all know how that ends. Meanwhile kuber gets insecure that ravana is trying to go to war with him and tries to kidnap meenakshi where meenakshi defends herself by clawing kuber's face until he bleeds. Ravan uses this incident as leverage to wage a war on kuber (he was influenced by sumali the whole of his life.Despite being a knowledgeable scholar this influence, his arrofanc and ego are the ones that cause his end). Kuber knowing ravan's might peacefully surrenders to him which causes a great rift in the family as vishrava finally realises the motive of kaikesi and his in-laws and leaves lanka wit kuber's mother . Meenakshi is left devastated as her father was one of very few people in the family that she loves - another incident that causes her hate towards ravan to grow- he used meenakshi's kidnapping incident as an excuse to establish his rule over lanka -for his own pleasure and neglected his father's woes and forever removing his father from their lives, to rule over it.
Marriage: The chidhood of meenakshi was surprising to me enough but the fact that she was married blew my mind and made me realise how little we know of her. Starting with Ravana's curse when he tries to force himself on godess laksmi's avatar that she will be the reason for his death, we witness the marriage of Ravana to Mandodari who is chosen by kaikesi and is a political affair strenghtening the throne of lanka. Kumbha's marriage talks begin but no one thinks about meenakshi's wedding, on the day of Ravana's wedding she meets the handsome king of Kalakeya's , Ravana's prime enemy , Vidyujiva, who is invited to the wedding as a formlity/courtesy or whatever. meenakshi falls for the king and what sets on is one of the best romances I have ever read and did not expect it from this book! They again meet at kumbha's wedding and vidyujiva rproposes to her and a day later enters her room escaping guards and gets caught in the act by Ravan, who threatens to kill him , when meenakshi interferes and threatens ravana that she will reveal the curse on ravana to mandodari. They get married very grandly and the next ten years are spent very happily and at the end of 11th year the couple is blessed with Kumar. Meanwhile, ravana gets married to anumber of other wives, and has many children, of whom meghanadh is meenakshi's favourite.
infidelity: In a war Ravana kills vidyujiva saying he cheated on meenkshi with numerous other women, and was planning on treason. This infuriates meenakshi to such an extent, she leaves lanka with kumar training him to avenge his father's death by killing ravan. The other impportant instances that happen are : Ravan being defeated in seetha swayamvar and never completely recovering, Ram and lakshman killing tataki, subahu to protect the yagna performed by rishis and them staying in exile in Dandak. Kumar while praying to brahma is founf dead in dandak. Surpanakha then tries to blame ram and lakshman somehow and make ravan wage a war on them , which will ultimately lead to his death. This back fires when , surpanakha is rejected by both men and humilated, she tries to kill sita . That is when ram orders laksman to cut her ears and nose off.
Completely dejected surpanakha runs to ravan with a new reason and reminds him of ram and lakshman's killing of tataki and how beautiful sita is . Ravan vages the war, which kils all of his sons, kumbha and finally himself.
What I really liked about the book:
1. Surpanakha's character development over the years, how her vengeful fury becomes the end of her life. You sympathize with her in many instances and definitely blame her for as many as well.
A perfectly written morally grey character.
2. The characters, the pictures it painted in my mind, the suspense, the thrill, the ultimate end were it all comes together
3.When sita talks about how our society is not used to women being so bold about their sexuality, it puts many things in perspective.
4.Surpanaksha is a women driven by anger, temper, pride and vengeance, thirst for blood and revenge, that costs lives of all her beloved people that she still loved or once loved , just like her brother Ravan but this story makes me understand more of whys and hows. May be from Kaikesi's womb was born the mightiest demon king and then his end.
5. Lakhsman's and meenkshi's relation in the book, at the end and in their next lives when lakshman leaves her on the day of their wedding and dies in the war, their fates repeating in all theor lives was very bitter sweet feeling.
what I did not like about the book:
1.This might be completely unrealted I did not understand what was fictional about the book and what was actually in the puranas.

[Pragyaa Jain · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a great read. Small book, simple reading. If you have read the Ramayana story you will be easily able to relate to the story. All characters are shown based on what we know about them but there is a back story in every incidence which has been missed by the narrator otherwise. This story tells you there was black and white sides of everyone. Each character in Ramayana. It shows you the pain Surnaparnakha has been through but does not negate the fact that she also had a negative side to it. Unloved by mother, neglected by father and having no sibling connection with her brothers the journey of Lanka's princess is worth reading about. It even talks about the story after Ram wins and all her family has died. Must give it a try.

[Purva Khandelwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am amazed by the author's choice of d protagonist. Every time she comes with a strong, fierce,intelligent n independent woman from our mythology. Surpankha z yet another character who has been portrayed beautifully n so realistically. Every emotion every act every decision of hers z subtlety justified. Immense amount of research must have gone through to make her so real.kavita kane has a supreme talent of writing the same old story with a unique n unconventional approach. Her version of the story z always interesting n intriguing. Every book of hers is a masterpiece .Looking forward to her next book!!

[Namratha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a sucker for mythology and when the best-loved ancient tales are retold from the most unexpected POVs, I can't resist picking them up.

Kavita Kane has yet another winner with the story of the Ramayana told from the sullen, resentment-laden glare of Surpanakha (Ravana's sister). Her sensuality, anger, fleeting happiness, slyness, despair, violent rage and vengeance have been effectively captured in this engaging read.

[Tarang Sinha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished yet another mythological fiction, my new favourite genre. Lanka's Princess is Kavita Kane's 4th book (Again by Rupa Publications), however, this is my first book by the author.

Although, Mahabharata is more advanced, complicated and multilayered - basically more interesting, I find the women characters of Ramayana intriguing.

Kavita Kane is known for her lesser known/talked female mythological characters like Urmila, Karna's wife and Menaka, but this time she has chosen a very well known character as her protagonist.

This book tells about Surpanakha, a very significant character of Ramayan; her emotions, sexuality and role in Ramayan - from her point of view.

Lanka's Princess starts with prologue where Krishna meets Kubja, and I loved this part even though I don't like the idea of prologue. The author has portrayed Krishna beautifully!

The setting has been described really well - it creates vivid imagery. Characterization is nice. I particularly liked little Surpanakha's relationship with her grandmother, Taraka who loves her - somehow an ignored child - unconditionally and encourages her wholeheartedly. Also, the scenes where Surpanakha converses with Sita and Urmila were interesting.

'You make the world believe what you are, not believe what the world believes of you.'

Writing is good, of course, however several editing errors were a tad disappointing. Usage of words like cerebral and damn in 'dialogues' felt odd for this genre.The first half of the book is slow and repetitive, but picks up in the second half. But, the end (including the epilogue) seemed rushed. Some important incidents just pass without much importance they deserved.

The main story starts with Surpanakha's birth, and then, it goes on in a linear way. It seemed more prototypical than imaginative. I didn't find any lesser known anecdotes - an important factor for mythology (in my opinion).

Overall, it was a nice read but not as exciting as I had expected it to be. But, if you enjoy mythological fiction, go for it.

I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.

[Aditi · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Meenakshi looked from one angry parent to another. They were fighting again over their respective favourites - Ravan and Vibhishan. She touched her swollen arm tenderly. It still hurt. But what hurt her more was that neither of them had noticed the angry welt where she had been hit by Som, the big bully who had teased Vibhishan. Her eyes reddened with checked tears."

Victim of family politics, Meenakshi feels neglected since the very beginning of her childhood. Girl born out of hybrid wedlock- that of a sage and a demoness- Meenakshi is confused about her equally hybrid mind-body connection. She has an evident penchant towards her religious scholar of a father. But also garners affection for her sorceress grandmother! The girl doesn't think twice before clawing (long, sharp nails = Supankha) at Som, who had hurt Vibhishan.

A woman of strong character, Surpankha knows how to get what she needs. She knows her way around the royal family politics of which she becomes a victim herself later in the novel. She is wronged time and again by her own family and burns in the fire of revenge from her power-hungry brother Ravan who ruins her for eternity.

Kavita Kané has set the Ramayan narrative in a totally unprecedented mould. What is absolutely beautiful about this novel is the depiction of Meenakshi, Ravan, Kumbhakarna and Vibhishan's childhood at their father's ashram in the forest. Most mythological fictions of our times that are centered around Ramayan do not offer this deep an insight into this apparently "villaneous" character of Surpankha.

Read the novel even if you know exactly what happens in Ramayan. Read it to know what a grieving demoness is capable of!

[Salonee Sonawane · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Over-dramatic with lengthy and flimsy dialogues"

Krishna recites to Kubja(also known as Trivarka) the story of herself in other older life. In her previous life, she was Meenakshi, the younger sister of Ravana, Kumbha and Vibhishana. The only daughter of Sage Vishravas and Princess Kaikesi (the daughter of the Rakhshas King Sumali and his wife Taraka) grew up as a black sheep in the family and was called as Surupanakha. This is the story of her life.

The author has taken the major incidents of Ramayana and weaved a wonderful plot around Meenakshi. Perhaps the author gave her more credit than she was due. This is the beauty of the mythological fiction.

Though the plot is wonderful it involves a lot of beating around the bush. The dialogues are too flimsy. At one point I had the heart of skipping pages. Also, when you are telling someone a story about themself would you make it sound cheesy? At one point I wondered if the author is Chetan Bhagat.

The author has also given a philosophical touch. My favourite phrase is Compassion heals suffering.
Overall, it was an okay read.

[Shikha S. Lamba · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say I have never enjoyed Indian mythology as much as I have reading @kavitakane ‘s books.

#lankasprincess tells the story of Meenakshi/Surpanakha , Ravan’s sister.
What I loved about this book, pretty much the same as what I’ve loved about her other books as well is that she makes her characters real.

No one is clearly a villain or a hero. Through her storytelling, the author is able to humanise each character - each character is written with depth and with the insight she provides into many of them, as a reader I was incredibly interested to know more.

Her writing style is easy to understand which really helps given the complexity of the subject matter. It helps the story flow seamlessly without the reader getting confused or stuck.

Our mythology is filled with unseen and barely acknowledged women, all of whom hold the most marvellous of stories within them. I can’t wait for @kavitakane to explore these characters one by one.

[Subasreenee Muthupandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book : Lanka's Princess
Writer : Kavita kane
Publisher : Rupa Publications
Pages : 298

💫 Another masterpiece from my favourite writer Kavita Kane. This book is about Meenakshi alias Surpanaka- princess of Lanka.

💫 Meenu was the fourth kid after Ravan, Kumba and Vibhishan where their mother wanted a fourth son . The mother and daughter had a love hatred relationship from the first.

💫 After her father left the family, Meenu was left alone in the big palace with loads of wealth. She was not happy there. She met Prince Vidyujiva, during Ravan's marriage. They both liked each other from their first meeting itself. Meenu felt happy after marriage she can move to his kingdom. The whole family was against their marriage. Atlast Ravan accepted their love, and marriage was held, but with the condition that he have to be in Ravan's palace after marriage.

💫 Vidyujiva was killed by Ravan and her son by Lakshmanan, Meenu want to take revenge against both of them. Rest is history.... I really enjoyed reading this book. Thank you dhanu for gifting me this book.

"Compassion kills Suffering"

புத்தகங்களை படிப்போம் , பயன் பெறுவோம்,
புத்தகங்களால் இணைவோம் ,
பல வேடிக்கை மனிதரைப் போலே ,
நான் வீழ்வேனென்று நினைத்தாயோ – மகாகவி .


சுபஸ்ரீனீ முத்துப்பாண்டி
வாசிப்பை நேசிப்போம்

[Sandeep Bhat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story of the lesser known. The well told ramayana in the perspective of Meenakshi, a name distorted as Surpanakha. Kavita Kane has used best imagery and the reader could actually feel the anguish, longing, anger and revenge. In today's world, where these emotions are plenty, lankas princess is relatable and one of the best mythological fictions till date.

[Sreejith Panicker · Rating 4 out of 5]

No words to say just read and enjoy this masterpiece...

[Ninad Bhangle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uncommon point of view of a familiar story. Quick read.
Much like Palace of Illusions by another author (Chitra Devi)

[Freya Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a very interesting perspective of Ramayana from the Lanka's Princess: Surpanakha aka Meenakshi.

'She was wicked, monstrous, evil and every other synonym for the same. She plotted a revenge against her brother own brother, used her family members for war ultimately pushing them towards death, all for a pity revenge.

But what was her exact fault?
That she desired love and acceptance for who she was? That she was angry with the world for she could not even grieve over her son's death?

She lost her husband, her son, her father, her grandparents, her uncle, her nephew, her brothers, all the people she loved. she sure was an Asura, but not a heartless one. She could have very easily killed her rivals when she had the chance but she valued family more. She did not feed on violence and revenge, she yearned for her lost World.'

I enjoyed reading Lanka's Princess by Kavita Kane quite a lot. The story did get a little monotonous towards the middle of the plot but it was quite exciting as I kept reading ahead.
I recommend this one.👍

[Sneha Suyal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lanka’s Princess surprised me—I never thought I’d ever sympathize with Surpanakha, even a little.

What sets this book apart is its perspective.
Seeing the Ramayana through her eyes made me feel her pain, understand her anger, and even shed a tear or two.

A unique and powerful read.