TL;DR: An interesting attempt at a retelling, but way to lust-forward for me.
Source: NetGalley, so many thanks to the publisher!
Plot: Meneka has to seduce someone, discovers love magic.
Characters: There were okay? I didn’t find myself loving anyone here to be honest.
Setting: I enjoyed the setting and the folklore behind this. Simple, if a bit infodumpy.
Romance: I didn’t buy this ‘chemistry’ at all.
Summary:
Across the mortal and immortal realms, celestial dancers known as apsaras are revered for their beauty, allure, and enchanting magic. But Meneka knows that is not all they are. Trained as a weapon—a warrior—Meneka despises leaving each of her marks in thrall to her potent illusions. With every seduction Lord Indra, king of heaven, demands of her for his political gain, she craves her freedom more and more.
When a mortal sage’s growing powers threaten Indra’s supremacy in his own realm, Meneka seizes a rare opportunity. She strikes a deal—if she can seduce this dangerous man, Indra will allow her to forgo future missions. But upon meeting the sage, Kaushika, Meneka finds herself captivated by his energy, ignited by his empathy and passion, even though he threatens everything she’s ever known. Can she overthrow the man who is—little by little—stealing her heart, or is Kaushika seducing her instead? As war looms in the skies, Meneka must choose between her duty to protect her home, and the sage who is showing her what true love can mean.
Thoughts:
This is going to be a duology? I think? And I’m honestly not going to continue. Being so transparent right now, this did not need a romance. This could have been a fantasy novel about a woman who has seduction type magic who ends up in a messy situation. Instead there is a very ham-fisted relationship shoved in here and the power of looooove saves the day.
Perhaps that is what soured the whole thing for me. Meneka was intensely unlikeable as well. Spending a huge chunk of her time simply whining about everything. She had some very Mary Sue vibes, with the energy of a wet cat. Then of course she falls in love very quickly, and discovers magic and it seems to be the fix she needed?
The setting, the idea, the mythology – all of that I enjoyed. I even enjoyed the writing itself. But I’m frustrated with the endless need to make everything a happy ending romance in the fantasy space. Women can read fantasy that isn’t ‘romantasy’. But here we are. The curse of Romantasy hits again for me. I can’t recommend it strongly but if you’re a hardcore romantasy fan… maybe?
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