the divine dancers duology

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Kritika H. Rao
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Release Date: January 21st, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In this sweeping crossover of romantic fantasy and Hindu mythology, acclaimed author Kritika H. Rao reimagines the famous tale of a celestial dancer tasked with seducing a human sage, but when she finds herself falling in love with her mark, she will be forced to choose between loyalty to her home and being true to herself—perfect for readers of Daughter of the Moon Goddess, Kaikeyi, and Circe.

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.

Romantic, spellbinding, and empowering, The Legend of Meneka breathes new life into Hindu mythology to weave a lustrous tale of a woman discovering the cosmic power within herself. This first book in the Divine Dancers duology is a completely unputdownable adventure for lovers of romantasy and myth retellings.

Thank you to Harper Voyager and Storygram Tours for my gifted copy.

TOO LUSTY FOR ME.

I really wanted to love this one and I do think the second half got a lot better. There seemed to be more of a plot and the action was amping up enough to hold my attention more.

The romance did grow on me on some aspects. I like the general idea of having to seduce the enemy and Kaushika was a worthy foe. Seeing Meneka have some growth as she met other mortals and fell in love with Kaushika were some of the better moments here.

What wasn’t clicking was the fact the entire book and major theme revolved around lust. It’s just not something that worked for me and it kept taking me out of the story. Even amidst scenes I did like, and I enjoyed Meneka as a character, ultimately I’m not sure I’ll continue the series.

Overall audience notes: