Kalki Divekar grows up a daughter of Kingston—a city the British built on the ashes of Bombay. The older generation, including her father, have been lost to the brutal hunt for rebels. Young men are drafted to fight wars they will never return from. And the people of her city are more interested in fighting one another than facing their true oppressors.

When tragedy strikes close to home, Kalki begins to play a dangerous game with small acts of resistance, tempered by cautious, level-headed Yashu and fortified by Fauzia, whose dreams of the future awaken Kalki’s heart. Together, they found Kingston’s new independence movement, obtaining jobs working for the British while secretly planning to destroy the empire from the inside out. But one wrong move means certain death, and when facing threats from all quarters, Kalki must decide whether it’s more important to be a hero or to survive.

Ten Incarnations of Rebellion by Vaishnavi Patel is a brilliant alternative history that is a sweeping speculative fiction novel that reflects empowerment, friendship, sacrifice and the true meaning of freedom. In the novel, set against the backdrop of oppression in India and speculating on a history in which India was not freed in 1947, the author raises questions about morality and the price of freedom, the cost of rebellion but also the need to fight against one’s oppressors. She weaves in true details of history amongst speculative questions, seamlessly writing about India’s path to independence and the anguish of British colonization. 

One of the aspects I liked that simply the structure of the novel, told as ten moments in Kalki’s life, mirroring Dashavatara, the ten avatars of Vishnu. The author incorporates the stories of her culture into the novel, allowing the reader to see the depth of Indian culture and how much the British stole from the people. She also does an incredible job with the character of Kalki as we empathize with Kalki’s rage and pain and learns how to  be a leader. It is a love letter to the strength of those who rebel and continue fighting their oppressors. 

If you like speculative fiction and want to see more about the price of rebellion, the moral costs and strength of those fighting, I recommend this novel become the first book on your list to read. The brilliance of Vaishnavi Patel’s details woven into the fabric of an alternative history that still asks questions that forces the reader to re-evaluate everything they think they know about India is too fantastic not to read. The characters are engaging but more importantly, the history that you learn is fascinating. This is a powerful and emotional book that is unforgettable. 

5 out of 5 stories

Penguin RandomHouse

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