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Kaikeyi: The Warrior Queen of Koshala

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About the Book The atrocities of the Rakshasas are on the rise and Raavan is rapidly expanding his empire beyond the southern peninsula into the northern plains, the epicentre of the Aryan culture. The great seers of Jambudweep come together to counter the offensive and the Princess of Kaikeya is espoused to play a pivotal role into their scheme of things. The dream of a unified Jambudweep with Aryan dominance, which was a dream of the sages, suddenly becomes her own vision. What sacrifices Kaikeyi must endure to see that her dream of an Akhand Bharat comes true? Does she possess the fortitude that would take her efforts to the logical end? Will she succeed in her plans or the seers will have their own way? Only time will tell. It is the story of the Aryan conquest of the South India. It is also the story of a fearless woman who reshaped the world forever and is destined to be reviled and hated for it. About the Author Jai Shukla was born in intense hardship symptomatic of small villages in post- independence India. At the age of 17, he joined the Indian Air Force and spent over a decade working as a technician on India’s foremost technology including first generation computers and indigenous fighter jets. He served across the country, from the deserts of Rajasthan to the forests of North East. After voluntarily leaving the Air Force, Jai built a career in banking and international finance in India and the UK. Post retirement, Jai joined a political party and supports several parliamentarians as a speech writer. Jai has a degree in world history and is the undisputed champion of historical trivia at any gathering. Post retirement, Jai and his wife shuttle between their hometown Kanpur and Mumbai to spend time with their two children.

165 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 30, 2021

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
Profile Image for Anjali Sharma.
958 reviews60 followers
June 17, 2021
There are many female figures in the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata who aren't talked about much and we don't come to know all the facets of their character. The character of Kaikeyi is often remembered for the harshness she showed towards Rama when she asked King Dasharatha to exile him for fourteen years. But there is so much more to her character.

Kaikeyi : The Warrior Queen of Koshala by author Jai Shukla brings forth unknown facets of Kaikeyi's character. The book follows her life journey right from her childhood. She is depicted as a bold and fierce warrior, someone who worked diligently to make the dream of Akhanda Bharat a reality.

This book was an interesting read as a character we all have heard about is the protagonist. The culture of ancient times is well depicted and that atmosphere is nicely woven by the author through his engaging writing style. I would have loved the book more if it had maps and family trees. However, the language is easy to comprehend and writing style is lucid making the book beginner friendly.
Profile Image for Readwithmadhu.
507 reviews22 followers
June 16, 2021
Kaikeyi might be easily one of the most disliked characters in our mythology. Many see her as the core root that changed the course of Lord Ram’s life. She was the reason why history was written the way it is.

Kaikeyi was a great warrior, evident due to how she saved Dasharath’s life, and also exceptionally beautiful and a resolute scholar.

However, we all judge her for the one thing that she did, the one thing that we prominently know about her. But there are so many different aspects to her, which all seem to have been ignored because of her one mistake.

In the book: Kaikeyi - The Warrior Queen of Koshala by Jai Shukla, the author has tried to illuminate us with those positive aspects of the queen, which haven't been majorly focused on before. Many of these are infact unknown and hence reading the book was quite enlightening.

The events of the book take place in the early life of the Queen and we get to see how she came out through all the trials and tribulations that life threw at her. We all can fault her for being selfish, but if we see at the entire picture, we will find that she was fierce. She was just misguided, but her intentions were pure and not all malicious.

The book did give us a different insight to Kaikeyi’s story. She has been portrayed in such a negative light. However, after reading the story, it was as if I was almost reading about a completely different character.

The writing was flawless and a lot of reasearch went into it to get all the findings, as it wouldn't have been an easy job to find something positive about a person who has been shown in nothing but bad light for centuries. Hence, I am going to give this book FIVE WARRIOR STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Profile Image for Shreya Vijay.
Author 5 books31 followers
July 29, 2021
Kaikeyi is a Mythological book, one which is a very well threaded. Honest to god, I finished reading the novel in a mere two hours.

Starting with the cover of the book, it's beautiful and eye-catching. The title is unique and practically tailor made for the book. It is a quick read which keeps the readers hooked from start to finish.

The book maintained a fast pace throughout. The plot was riveting and filled with suspense. The writing style of the author was easy to comprehend enthralling enough to keep the reader hooked. The storyline gets a definite A plus from my side. There was no instance in the book where I found the story line lagging or stretching.

Coming to the characters, I think I need to admit that every single character was descriptively penned. Each character had their flaws and that is what made them real. Mostly, it's just the protagonist but her journey is awe-inspiring and lovely.

The language employed by the author is vivid and engaging. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and getting to know more about Indian Mythology.
98 reviews1 follower
June 20, 2021
The book is filled with the life of the cruel queen of Khoshala, Kaikeyi from south India. The story is about the history of the brave and bold lady who has no fear and she hatred by herself. She faced real battles in her childhood, that's she have a great name in the world. Her birth name is Surupa. Later on, she married a old man. She used to be with his husband during war. But she was hatred by his own son. She sacrifices alot in her Life. Just grab the book to know why she was hatred by her son and for what the reason she got married to her father's age man?

We wanna know a history about saint age people's culture and Life style, seems it's very important. This is our privilege in India. Grab the book to know the history of the queen Khoshala. It's a small book with simple language. I felt it's a valued time when reading her history. Happy reading!
Profile Image for Anil Swarup.
Author 3 books721 followers
February 10, 2022
Not much is known about Kaikeyi, specially about her childhood. All we know is the nefarious role played by her in banishing Ram to the forest. The book fills in this gap and the author does it pretty well through engaging narration of the events that led to the fateful day when Ram was banished.
Profile Image for Megha Zen.
84 reviews
June 17, 2021
KAIKEYI - The Warrier Queen of Koshala authored by Jai Shukla, is the story of a dauntless and heroic but unsung character from Ramayan. This book is a narrative of her transcendental journey from keen princess Surupa to majestic queen Kaikeyi.

It starts with the depiction of the Prayagraj's Mahakumbh where Koshala king Dasharath with his queens Kaushalya and Sumitra has come to pilgrimage to pay homage to ascetics and to seek blessings for a son. In between Dialogues are there among Maharshis about the prophecy of the 7th incarnation of Lord Vishnu and its possibilities.

At another time, in Kekaya, there's the birth of a daughter to king Ashvapati and is named Surupa, grew up into a gorgeous graceful young woman exactly justifying the name given to her. By the time through her persistent practices, she is adorned with all skills of warrior and charioteer and wished to learn more but destiny has a different plan for her as she had to get married to King Dasharath and became his 3rd queen. She teamed up with her husband for the battle with Asura, where she battled like a warlord, not only saved twice her husband and many lives but terminated the war killing Trighnasura.

Kaikeyi's character has a lot of distinguished shades that would inspire the other women as well. She is a noble daughter, devoted wife, benevolent queen, and the woman of the time to alter history and changed course. Kaikeyi was determined for women-empowerment because unlike Kekaya, Koshala was lacking in giving the same honor to women and that's would be the reason that kaikeyi's sacrifices and welfare efforts were unnoticed and ignored. She became the cause for awakening God into a man. If he was the man of prophecy then Kaikeyi was the catalyst.

This book from cover to content is a magnificent piece of writing depicting the majestic warrior queen.
 Reading this book, certainly makes one feel like profound and diligent research of years is done with this book and character of Kaikeyi, as History is author's prowess. Language is next level but throughout it's easy for any reader. Certainly, this book would take you to another world of mythology & gives you throughout visual scenarios. Definitely recommend reading the book.
Profile Image for Aditi Gouda.
178 reviews
June 18, 2021
Title: Kaikeyi - The Warrior Queen of Koshala
Author: Jai Shukla
Format: ebook

Blurb: The atrocities of the Rakshasas are on the rise and Raavan is rapidly expanding his empire beyond the southern peninsula into the northern plains, the epicentre of the Aryan culture. The great seers of Jambudweep come together to counter the offensive and the Princess of Kaikeya is espoused to play a pivotal role into their scheme of things.

The dream of a unified Jambudweep with Aryan dominance, which was a dream of the sages, suddenly becomes her own vision. What sacrifices Kaikeyi must endure to see that her dream of an Akhand Bharat comes true? Does she possess the fortitude that would take her efforts to the logical end? Will she succeed in her plans or the seers will have their own way? Only time will tell. It is the story of the Aryan conquest of the South India. It is also the story of a fearless woman who reshaped the world forever and is destined to be reviled and hated for it.


MY TAKE ON THIS:

I believe that Kaikeyi that beloved Queen of King Dasharath, was one of the most misunderstood characters in the entirety of the Ramayana. Deemed to be evil, selfish, and the root cause of almost all the events in Ramayana - Kaikeyi or Surupa was made to be everything that was only a biased view of things.

This book appears like a breath of fresh air as it deviates from the generic way of storytelling. It was able to beautifully  present and narrate a new version of the story that we all have heard in our childhood. It gave us a insight of that mysterious queen's motives and presented to us a different look - a look of a fearless warrior.

If you're a history and mythological buff, and then this book is a must read for you.

•The cover of the book is well designed.
•The plot of this book is well constructed.
•The theme explored in the book is unique and it is quite evident that the author has done thorough research in order to stay true to the research material.
•The characters are well developed and have various layers to them.
•The language used by the author is quite lucid.
189 reviews1 follower
June 19, 2021
🔮Are you a fan of mythology? What do you think about the character of Kaikeyi in Ramayana?

𝐊𝐀𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐘𝐈 : 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐑 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐊𝐎𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐀

by 𝐉𝐚𝐢 𝐒𝐡𝐮𝐤𝐥𝐚

📚I picked this book solely to know more about the beloved Queen of Dasratha, Kaikeyi. She was one of the most misjudged character of Ramayana as she was considered the root cause for all the events that took place. But to my surprise this book has lot more to offer than just a single mythological character.

This book is devoted to life of gorgeous and intelligent princess Surupa. This book unfolds her transcending journey from a princess to a majestic Oueen, Kaikeyi. She is depicted as a bold, fierce warrior who has mastered in sword fighting and charioting. She has worked actively to make the dream of Akhanda Bharat a reality.

This book doesn't only limit its knowledge about Queen Kaikeyi but also throws some light about the brief history of kingdoms and how they are run by the kings back then.

🕯️My take on the story -

Author has presented the story beautifully and narrated a whole new version of the story which gives a fresh brief insight about the character of Queen Kaikeyi.

Theme explored in the book is executed brilliantly and its quite obvious that the author has done a great job researching about things to stay true to the story.

Cover of the book, looks so appealing. Plot is constructed very well with strong portrayal of the characters. Language is easily comprehensible.

The culture of the ancient time is well depicted and every scene is nicely built through gripping narration of the author.

🎀Rating - 5 /5⭐

🍁This book totally changes my perspective about Queen Kaikeyi, it lifts the layer of biased thoughts about her character and weaved a whole new viewpoint about her. Also I get to know many new bits and chunks of ancient history from this book.
🦄 I will highly recommend this book.
If you are mythology lover, you definitely need to read this book atleast once. 💕
Profile Image for Nikita Bharti.
279 reviews1 follower
July 6, 2021
Book : Kaikeyi - The Warrior Queen of Koshala
Genre : Mythology

Being brought up in a religious household, I have been listening to my grandmother reciting mythology stories since I was a kid. One of the things I enjoy immensely in most of the retellings is how the authors try to change perspectives, showing us the age old tale in a different light.

𝗞𝗮𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘆𝗶 was a similar ode to the contentious and despised character in the epic tale of Ramayana, wherein we view her in a completely different light as a brave warrior and the embodiment of feminism that she sadly wasn't portrayed to be in the original story. ✨
It brings forward a journey of Kaikeyi from her childhood to her adolescence as an intellectual she grew up to be, and then through her adulthood as the figurehead for women empowerment in the patriarchal society of Ayodhya.

The book quite well elicits the epigrammatic saying of a coin having two sides. 🎭
We see the POV of the supposedly cruel Manthara, Kaikeyi's older cousin, of how her confidence debilitated with time because of a degenerative condition, in an environment where appearance was paramount, and circumstances forced her to resent herself and everyone around her.

While only 165 pages, it took me almost two weeks to complete it, because I was in a slump 🙈, and because of how EXTREMELY detailed it was. The information overload kept getting to me, but also I wanted to continue reading it because of how intrigued I was! 😅
I also had a very enriching conversation with my Mom around this ; I told her everything mentioned in the book about Kaikeyi, and she gave me her own views.
Overall, a book I personally quite enjoyed!
Would definitely recommend if you enjoy mythology and don't mind a bit of elaborate details. 👌

Check out all my other reviews on :
https://instagram.com/_booksandclever...
24 reviews
May 29, 2021
I picked up this book to read solemnly one reason to know more about Kaikeyi, a character in epic Ramayana that we know of envious , Selfish & villain type, but after reading this book it changed my perspective of Kaikeyi.
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This is the story of an immensely beautiful and intelligent girl Surupa who has mastered skills in Charioteering and sword fighting becomes Kaikeyi a warrior and venerated Queen of Koshala and her sacrifices to see her dream of Akahand Bharat.
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Story starts with the discussion of how to stop Asura King Ravan to stop conquering the Saptsindhu at the Great Maha Kumbha Mela attended by Great Maharishis, Brahmins Devas and Emperors of Saptasindhu.
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Kaikeyi is known as the birth name Surupa born to the Kekaya King Ashwapati. From childhood she was smart , intelligent ,eager in learning and marvelled in charioteering , horse riding and Sword fighting.
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Surupa marries Emperor Dasharath , a man of her father’s age sacrificing her dreams to learn more warrior skills , marrying a perfect man and for her beloved people and comes to Ayodhya Capital of Koshala as Queen.
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With the story the author has pressed on Women Equality and Women Empowerment. When other parts of India a prevailed Patriarchal society, Kekaya was totally supporting women. How Kaikeyi has put efforts for Women Empowerment.
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Battle valour and extravagant glory of Kaikeyi in the Aryan conquest in Asura rules South India described very well.
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Kaikeyi has given ultimate sacrifices of her character in pursuit of her life’s dream of Akahanda Bharat, her name became synonymous with selfishness and womanly greed.
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Well placed historical examples and lineage make the story interesting. A good mythological fiction with fast paced action and a lot of good virtues to learn..
25 reviews
June 19, 2021
How many of you know about the life of Rama? I think pretty much everyone , either from the bed time stories from our grand parents or parents or from reading books based on mythology and Ramayana. I myself have experienced the same. Do you all remember Kaikeyi, the one who is always considered to be the one who asked for Rama's exile? I think yes, but do you know anything deeper than this. Yes, the most of your answer will be no ,I guess. Well this book is the one where you will get a great dynamics of her personal character. The main factor that attracted me towards this story line is the fact that here we get to see a warrior princess and the queen which I believe is much more human take rather than the mystified version which we get to hear in the bedtime stories of Ramayana. This particular book has some awesome plot and the beauty of depicting the situation with a proper attention to details. I love mythological backdrop because it helps me to run wild with my imaginative space. This book was neither an exception. Every action was live for me the way it is depicted in this particular book and the most important thing that I take back with myself after completing this particular book is the fact that there is much more dynamics in every story if studied properly. Everyone can not be defined in terms of black and white rather all of them always have a greyish tone which is most of the times omitted and when that particular tone is acknowledged I think the perspective to see things changes a lot. I just love reading this book for this particular perspective and would take a moment to appreciate the amount of thinking and research of the author which is laid down in order to build this particular book. A book that I will always love to have in my library.
94 reviews1 follower
June 22, 2021
Kaikeyi- an embodiment of new women

Book - Kaikeyi
Subtitle - The Warrior Queen of Khosala
Author - Jai shukla
Genre - mythology

Kaikeyi is one of the powerful female characters in Ramayana. She has been cursed by the readers for making Rama and Sita to live in exile for 14 long years. If not she, they would have lived happily in the palace- there would be no deer, no Ravana and no battle. Life would be smooth.

Kaikeyi is an underestimated character. Her bravery is not talked by the readers. She is seen as a powerful, cunning mother, who wants her son to rule the country.

Kaikeyi has her side of the story, which is not been interpreted. She did everything for the love of her son. The motherhood within her made her do it.

I just was curious to know her story and started reading this book. It has much more information about Kaikeyi. She is not just viewed as a mother, but as a daughter, wife and a citizen of the country. Despite being a child she had been brave. She worked so hard to achieve her vision of Akhanda Bharat.
She fought for her country's happiness. She had been a great warrior and she loved horse riding. She was intelligent too.

Kaikeyi's deeds may been seen as God's will to make Rama kill Ravana and the Asuras. This comment is an acceptable one, because if not they will never go to forest. Sita will not be alone. Ravana will not see her and abduct her.

This book tells us a lot about Kaikeyi. Her character is brought to light. I loved the description of Kaikeyi by the author. The language is simple. I am sure people will get to know Kaikeyi on a better note, if they read this.
1,186 reviews46 followers
June 12, 2021
📚 Rating: 4.1/5️⃣



|| BOOK REVIEW || - 🍁 The Book, Kaikeyi By Jai Shukla, is about The Life of An Intelligent Princess who Turned in to a Warrior Queen, Kaikeyi. She was an Integral Character in Ramayana.
🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂

🍁 The Book is Divided in to Six Chapters. Each Chapter is written Wonderfully by The Author.
🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂

🍁 The Six Chapters of the Book are,

1.) Rajgriha ( Kekaya )
2.) Ayodhya
3.) Chitrakoot
4.) Dantewada
5.) Vaijayanta Fort
6.) Ayodhya

🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂

🍁 The Story Begins with How Kekaya, a Prosperous Place was Founded, where is it Located and who Founded that Kingdom. The Author has written Details about Kekaya in an Intricate Manner in the Beginning of the Book. Everything about How Kekaya is, about Different Lives Residing in Kekaya and their Culture.
🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂

🍁 The Life Journey of Queen Kaikeyi through Different Places and Phases is written Beautifully in the Book. Read an Inspiring Story to know about the Choices and Decisions of Queen Kaikeyi.
🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂

🍁 The Language of the Book is Rich. The Writing Style of the Book is Slow - Paced. The Cover of the Book is Fabulous. The Title of the Book is an Absolutely Appropriate.
🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂

🍁 The Book is a Must Read For Someone who Likes to Read Mythology.
🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂 🍂

|| PERSONAL INSIGHT || - 🌸 Although, I enjoyed Reading the Book, The Writing Style of the Book could have been Fast - Paced. That would have made the Book a Bit Shorter and also An Engaging to be Read. Overall, The Book is a Good Read.
Profile Image for Ruchi Patel.
1,148 reviews95 followers
June 15, 2021



King Kaikayasu, the 26th descendant of King Anu, founded the kingdom of Kekaya after capturing the mountain kingdom of Gandhara from his cousins. Sukriti was daughter of Vrihadaksha and Yamini. She suffered fatal illness in childhood and loss of her parent.
Sukriti was not aware of the atrocious ways of the Rakshasas. But she had heard some stories from her father about their monstrosities. To prepare herself for the big task ahead and overcome her physical constraints, Sukriti decided to fall back on her mental abilities. She focused on her studies. Raavan was rapidly expanding his empire. Princess of Kaileya has an important role to play. She saw a vision of Akhand Bharat. Will she be able to fulfil that. She lacks physical strength but will her mental abilities and tactics will help? Read the book to unfold further plot. It’s tough for me to discuss the plot. As it’s deel and vast and there are so many characters. By reading title, I thought of Ramayana Kaikeyi. This book turned out different and more interesting. Author has taken all Ramayana related characters as it is such as Dashrath, Raavn, Yayati and woven an interesting story around them. The plot is unique. It’s filled with politics and war tactics that makes it interesting. It took me a while to understand role of characters but it was worth it. There are few twists and turns plotted. The plot moved unexpectedly. The narration style of the author is captivating. Indeed an interesting read.
737 reviews9 followers
June 19, 2021
Title - Kaikeyi : The Warrior queen of Koshala
Author - Jai Shukla
Genre - mythology

'Kaikeyi : The Warrior Queen of Koshala' by Jai Shukla is a mythological read. As the title suggests this book talks about the life journey of Kaikeyi and her sacrifices. We all have known her negative side like selfish and villain type of a woman who was hated even by her own son. Through this book we come to know another side of her life, childhood and sacrifices she made. She was born in Kaikeya to the king Ashwapati and named Surupa. She was brave, intelligent and skillful in sword fighting. Later she was married to a man of her father's age,Dashrath and became Kaikeyi, a queen of Koshala.

What made her marry an older man?
What sacrifices she made to make Akhand Bharat?

Read the book to know the answers and more about Kaikeyi.

My take -

Cover - aptly designed
Title - related to the content
Plot - informative
Narration - engaging
Language - rich
Characters - nicely built
Flow - slow paced

The author has narrated the life journey of Kaikeyi in such a manner that made me glued till the very end of the book. It was quite informative and nicely presented. The language used by the author is rich. Hats off to the author for all the research work. I recommend this book to all those who are interested in knowing positive side of warrior queen Kaikeyi.

In nutshell, an informative read.

Rating - 4.8/5

Recommendation - yes
188 reviews4 followers
June 14, 2021
Who has not listened Mahabharata? Lord Rama has always punished the wrong, even when Sita was suspected she also had to give Agni pariksha, but Kaikeyi was the only character to got mercy. "What the eyes see are not always complete" this quote is justified through this book.
The woman whose pins gave pain were actually weaving clothes for future. She knew lord Rama's capabilities so she made sure that divine power is distributed for 'Akhand Bharata', her dream. A lot of questions were unanswered until I read this book like did Kaikeyi married a married man of her father age did for wealth? Why was she cruel to send Rama to exile? What made her dreams to submerge? What she did with her skills of sword fighting? Was sending Rama to exile was a part of her plan to liberate IndiIndiam Kansa? Was she always dedicated to her dream of Akhanda Bharata?
All these questions are answered in an amazing way. The whole story if dedication, sacrifice, inspired towards dream and standing stil with courage in hand.
Book has made me realised that Kaikeyi was someone we should be proud on. The fluidy narration with fantastic description of war and scenes ignited the fire inside me. Not to forget the mesmerising cover that added stars in the book. I am delighted to get this book. One should definitely try this.
Profile Image for Gourav Ghosh.
358 reviews3 followers
June 20, 2021
This is the story of the Aryan conquering of the South India. It contains Six Chapters of the Book are :-1.) Rajgriha ( Kekaya )2.) Ayodhya3.) Chitrakoot4.) Dantewada5.) Vaijayanta Fort6.) Ayodhya . This story is about a courageous woman who reshaped the world continuously and it is heading to be criticize and hated for it. The cruelty of the Rakshasas are on the stand up and Ravan is quickly
expanding his kingdom beyond the southern promontory
into the northern plains, the attraction of the Aryan culture. The great prophet of Jambudweep come together to counter the insulting and the Princess of Kaikeya is embrace to play a central role into their plan to things . The dream of a amalgamate Jambudweep with Aryan supremacy , which was a dream of the sages, suddenly becomes her own eyesight . With the story the author has bear down on Women Equality and Women Empowerment. When other parts of India a triumph patricentric society, Kekaya was totally holding up women. How Kaikeyi has put efforts for Women Empowerment.What immolation Kaikeyi must endure to see that her dream of an Akhand Bharat comes true? Does she posses the courage that would take her efforts to the logical end? Will she succeed in her plans or the seers will have their own way? To khow the answers and to know more about it, go through the book. Overall it is a very interesting book... I Loved to read it...
Profile Image for Akshara.
161 reviews2 followers
June 11, 2021
🏹Story of a fearless woman who reshaped the Aryavart and is destined to be reviled and hated for it.
🏹From princess "Surupa" to queen "Kaikeyi"This is story of Kaikeyi, who is most misunderstood women character of Hindu mythology and also the reason I wanted to read more about her.
🏹Born to king "Ashwapati" and queen "Ira" , she was smart ,intelligent, learned horse riding - sword and was always eager to learn new things on her way. She married to king Dashrath and became 3rd queen of kosla. She was loved wife of the king.
🏹She is portrayed as jealous, proverbial step-mother etc etc....But is that really true.???
The queen gave the ultimate sacrifice. Kaikeyi sacrificed her character in pursuit of her life’s mission.
🏹The world questioned, challenged and abhorred Kaikeyi’s actions, but she remained stoic, even when her name became synonymous with selfishness and womanly greed. And it is still continued...
🏹Kaikeyi is much more beyond our thinking.. Her actions and sacrifice needs a deep understanding and you can justify her actions........
🏹Have you ever wondered what makes Ramayana interesting even after we know the story... Its this deep thinking and interpretations which is hidden behind every action and is unwrapped slowly.
452 reviews4 followers
June 17, 2021
Brave Woman

The storyline is based on historical period. Here comes the story of the fearless and daring princess name Kaikeyi.
She was the third consort of King Dasharatha and the Queen of Ayodhya in the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. Out of Dashrath's three wives, Kaikeyi had the most significant role. She was the princess of Kekeya and a powerful warrior, who helped her husband during a war. Kaikeyi was the mother of Bharata.
Kaikeyi's nature and her relationships are quite revealing in Ayodhya Kand of Valmiki Ramayan. Kaikeyi maintained strong relations with her maternal family even after her wedding to King Dasharath.
Kaikeyi is the most misunderstood woman because she sent Rama under influence of Manthara. One day she saw a vision of Akhand Bharat and she made that vision her dream. She is not physically strengthen but will she able to fulfill the dream with her mindful abilities.
Overall I liked the book and the language used is lucid and easily understandable. The narration and writing style is quite good and the Cover page is so captivating.The author has tried to bring the women empowerment and women equality to light. I hope everyone whose interested in this book must like it when they come to know the realness of Queen Kaikeyi.
266 reviews3 followers
June 17, 2021
I am quite impressed and immensely appreciate the thought of the author to project a message connecting the historical facts, coagulating story base and concomitantly carving the message through this text.

An elegant skilled beautiful magnificent intelligent young lady blessed with divine powers and exercising her novel thoughts, sacrificing self dreamy desires for the creation of Bharat, is flawlessly inked by the author, freely flowing the creativity and coagulating the storylining with the eloquent engagement of the reader through this piece.

Koshala is proud for having such an elegant presence of Kaikeyi, profoundly named as a successful sword fight, brave horse rider and one of the best charioteer.

The bottom line of the text, women identity is profoundly projected, the land of Bharat is riched with countless such brave women, their potentials, skills and expertise in various sectors and subsequently their contribution, selfless sacrifices for the development of a golden era of society is unforgettable & memorable.

Through this text, the author not only energizes the reader but also precisely articulated the inner strength, exercising those inherent hidden powers and making the right usage of those powers for the construction of constructive society.
Profile Image for TRISHHH.
67 reviews
June 18, 2021
BOOK: Kaikeyi-The Warrior Queen of Koshala
AUTHOR: JAI SHUKLA
LENGTH: 165 PAGES
GENRE: MYTHOLOGICAL
RATINGS: 4.6/5

"I guess darkness serves a purpose: to show us that there is redemption through chaos. I believe in that. I think that's the basis of mythology."

The author Jai Shukla faced real battles in his childhood as he was born in terror like situation after the independence of India. He then joined Indian Air Force and completed his graduation in the world history adn that is why he remains tall in every historical discussion gatherings.

Let's talk about the book and it is as attractive as the cover of the book. This story confirms the rise of the Queen Kaikeyi. A girl who is brave as anything and the brilliance she possesses of charioteer and sword skills. Earlier known as Surupa and renamed as Kaikeyi after marrying to King Dashrath. Kaikeyi means,'The Princess of Kaikey.'

What I would like to throw a light from the book is that we've watched and heard a lot about the Ramayana but we never actually got to know Kaikeyi as person. This book gives us brief about the Princess. Apart from this the cover is of course well designed,the characters are well developed and language is easy to read.

Special read for people who love mythology.
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483 reviews1 follower
June 19, 2021
Kaikeyi: The Warrior Queen of Koshala

by Jai Shukla

With an array of mythology, comes this book. This is the story of Kaikeyi maneuvering through life, with the help of sharp intellect and unwavering gallantry. This is also a story that casts itself across the social strata, to portray the fabric of relationships in a very tattered and revealing manner especially when it comes to mystery.

It is a book that isn’t directed, isn’t sharpened—rather appears to come to us like a web of conversations and events, imbibing an all-round inclusion of the storytelling spirit and essence of mythology with fiction. ⁣

The author has philosophied this story in such a bright and exuberant way, that it ceases to be just a story. It evolves and transcends to represent the germination and thrive of certain ideologies, figments of emotions, and some very distinct trails of thought that question some of the very basic foundations of how we perceive and analyse. ⁣

The quality of bewilderment coats book with a glaze of soothe and calm. The text, while reading, makes you visualize the interplay of events unfolding before your eyes. You see it all: struggles, calamity, liberation and enlightenment.
Profile Image for Aarav Gangwal.
310 reviews1 follower
June 24, 2021
Kaikeyi: The Warrior Queen of Koshala is a magnificent book written by Jai Shukla.
Basically, it is a book in mythology genre. As most of us know, Kaikeyi was one of the powerful female characters in epic Ramayana. She has been an underestimated character and her bravery is not often talled of. All of us have heard or come across Ramayana at some point or the other in our lives. Many of you would have watched it on DD during the lockdown 😁. Kaikeyi was initially known as Surupa, and she was really very talented and brave. She was the third wife of King Dashrath. Every coin has two sides and this story also has two sides, and we have seen the character of Kaikeyi only in either way: we assume that she was an antagonist and apparently a villain. Kaikeyi was the one who saved life of her beloved husband as many as two times. Incidents of her bravery and sacrifices are very well portrayed in this book. The author of this book deserves appreciation for glorifying the character of Kaikeyi without whom lord Ram wouldn't have defeated Ravana.
Overall, I found this book quite amazing from all the aspects. In my opinion, it doesn't have a single flaw and should be read by everyone once. If you love reading books in fiction mythology genre, then you shouldn't miss this one!
68 reviews
June 17, 2021
Let’s talk about the author first, Jai Shukla was born in intense hardship symptomatic of small villages in post-independence era. Then he joined Indian air force. He has degree in world history and is the undisputed champion of historical trivia at any gathering. And hence the book “Kaikeyi”
This book is about the immensely beautiful and intelligent girl who has mastered the skills in Charioteering and sword fighting and became Kaikeyi. Kaikeyi as we know Ramayana is the brave and courageous queen. her original name was surupa and was newnamed as kaikeyi after she gets married to King Dashrath. Kaikeyi simply means the princess of kaikey kingdom.
What I really liked about the book is that we all have read, watched and listened Ramayana but we never got the chance to kaikeyi deeply. This book gives us that chance. The poster of the book attracted to me at first and I’m the big fan of mythological genre so I instantly picked it up.
What I dint liked about the book is its length as I can read more and more about mythologies.
My recommendations are for every mythological lover and researcher out there. Grab the book and dive into the world of kaikeyi.
108 reviews2 followers
June 18, 2021
Book - KAIKEYI: THE WARRIOR QUEEN OF KOSHALA

Author - Jai Shukla

Even a small mistake is worth it to turn your life and you entirely in a opposite way. This well suits to Kaikeyi. The women whose act changed the history. The powerful women is left behind as a mistaken character till date.

Honestly l was quite shocked. That shock went mindblowing after reading this book. The book is about one of the greatest warrior of the universe. Yes definitely she is. She has been an hidden treasure, Kaikeyi is a noble women, strong female and an eminent personality. Without her l guess we would never got to know the real Ramayana.

This book reaveal the real her. It focuses on her early years and turns that she went through. She had been stable and confident. She bet all odds to become a scholar. Little did we really know, it's absolutely fascinating to know who she really is. She is worth inspiring you. Check out the book to realise who she is.

The Author has done an extraordinary job by creating this masterpiece. Hat's off to the narrative part and storyline. The cover is amazing. I highly recommend this book.
54 reviews
June 18, 2021
Book : Kaikeyi
Author : Jai Shukla

The title, we know about "Kaikeyi", Kaikeyi is one of the most disliked character in the Ramayana. She was the third consort of King Dasharatha and the Queen of Ayodhya in the Hindu epic, the Ramayana.

So the book is divided into six parts....
1.) Rajgriha ( Kekaya )
2.) Ayodhya
3.) Chitrakoot
4.) Dantewada
5.) Vaijayanta Fort
6.) Ayodhya

The Author has written Details about Kaikeyi in the book.
Kaikeyi is known as the birth name Surupa born to the Kekaya King Ashwapati. From childhood she was smart , intelligent and superior.
But after marries king Dasharath, the Man of her father’s age she sacrificing her dreams and comes to Ayodhya Capital of Koshala as Queen.
In her life there is lots of things happenes go buy and read the whole book.

Kaikeyi had always been a character blamed and forgotten, by even get own son, but by reading this book, you perspective will be changed.
I loved the way how author portrayed the scenario of history.
The language is very easy to read.
The cover is really attractive and relatable.
The narration is mind-blowing.
Overall, a informative book.
I would definitely recommend to everyone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
170 reviews7 followers
June 19, 2021
The author takes us journeying through the life of Queen Kaikeyi, it’s a journey of becoming Queen Kaikeyi from princess Surupa. Ramayan gave us a totally different portrayal of her but after reading this book you’ll view her from completely different lenses. This book provides a complete change of perspective . I have always loved a story with a strong female protagonist and this was one , I really enjoyed the diversity and the strength of the main character ,hooray for strong women who kick ass! The action, description and character growth is well done. The elements and plot lines were slotted in seamlessly and the end resolution was satisfying. Furthermore this book is thoroughly researched and gives us a great deal of information about the Hindu mythology, kudos to the author for that. It consists of six chapters, all impeccably articulated and easy to comprehend. You will fall in love with Kaikeyi she’s beautiful , brave and intelligent and so driven and dedicated , she wasn’t born as Kaikeyi but she earned it rightfully. If you’re a fan of Hindu mythology like me , you should definitely give this book a read. It’s worthwhile. Highly recommended.
156 reviews1 follower
June 19, 2021
Kaikayi- the warrior queen of koshala
Author- Jai Shukla

The book falls into genre-mythology. I have grown up by listening to the stories of Ramayan and Mahabharata. There are few characters in Indian mythologies who didn't get much recognition but their decision made a great impact.

Every coin haz two sides , so the stories have. We have always seen kaikayi as an antagonist in the Ramayana or the story was highlighted in such way where it made Kaikayi villian.

There are many authors who writes about unknown character of Indian scriptures . So, this book also justified Kaikayi's role very well. If kaikayi didn't wish Ram to go to exile. The Ravan would haven't killed by Ram.

This mythological fiction described many incidents without disgrading any character. After a long time, I got to read such mythology because glorifying negative characters isn't easy . Sometimes , people criticizes author for such work. Language and deliberation is excellent . Cover and the tittle really compliments each other. The blurb is written well. Everyone should go for this book.

Ratings-4/5
Profile Image for Shweta Rohira.
172 reviews10 followers
July 15, 2021
It’s raining outside and I read a few books on self-help and simple rom-com I wanted to read something different just when I was thinking about what should be the next read I received my copy of Kaikeyi by Author Jai Shukla. Without wasting a single moment I rushed to the study and started reading the story of Queen Kaikeyi who was destined to be banished to the dark whereas the truth is if not for her Ramayan wouldn’t be the way it is. I have always loved books based on mythology. And on this rainy day thanks to the author I am transported to the era back then. The author has so well researched every character and written so well that you feel you are present there. The detailing is a little extensive which may put you a little off track but will soon connect you back too. The two societies are also well distinguished with minute detailing, every event is given importance which leads to the story further. If you enjoy mythology and like to read stories from the different characters' points of view then this book is a must and you will definately enjoy it and see the Queen in a different light
553 reviews1 follower
July 19, 2021
We heard Kaikeyi as a devil in Ramayan. In influence of Manthara she has done some
Unruly deeds which we will never forget who is behind the war between Raavan and Ram. But after reading this my perspective about Kaikeyi changed totally. I want to read more about her..
In the kingdom of Kekaya, Kaikeyi is raised on grand stories about the might and benevolence of the gods: how they churned vast oceans to obtain the nectar of immortality, how they offer the devoted and the wise magnificent boons, how they vanquish evil and ensure the land prospers. Yet she watches as her father unceremoniously banishes her mother, her own worth measured by how great a marriage alliance she can secure. And when she calls upon the gods for help, they never seem to hear.

Kaikeyi born as Surupa skilled in charioteer amd in many arts. Unlike Koshala In Kekaya , women are respected more. Women empowerment has given more importance then anything. She is been trained from her childhood but to learn more she decided to marry King Dashrath to learn some more skills for him. Though her skills she has saved King Dashrath twice by which she got the boons. In use of that she sent Ram to Banvas. Which is just a misconception.

Her story continues to be an villain but if heard closely, eons of echo with the weight of the untold story of this selfless architect of an Akhand Bharat.

These lines just completed the whole concept of the book.
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