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Scroll.in
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scroll.in
‘The Legend of Meneka': A fun and feminist retelling of a mythological heroine's story
The Legend of Meneka by Kritika H Rao is a tale of a celestial seduction artist, an apsara who finds herself torn between the chains of duty and the pull of love as she must seduce a sage, Kaushika, who threatens the influence of Indra over common people. Meneka answers to Indra (a Hindu deity who presides over the heavenly city of Amaravati and wields a vajra) and must conquer the heart of this prince-turned-maharishi, who is on a mission to make Indra right all his wrongs and mend his ways. Meneka must not only win his heart but also render him apathetic to his tapasya and mission, leaving him obsessed and seduced by her ethereal beauty. This sage, if you happen to have picked up one or two Amar Chitra Katha or Nandan in your childhood, is none other than Vishwamitra. Meneka's story Years ago, I pored over countless Hindi storybooks during summer vacations (and the rest of the year as well), and the story of Meneka and Vishwamitra always featured in a slightly patriarchal way, subtly degrading Meneka for being an instrument of lust. Her seduction of a rishi is also shown with a comedic tint in skits and movies. The sage is made to bow to his 'base instinct' and thereby jeopardise his tapasya. Of course, when I was a kid, I had no inkling there could be another side to this mythic legend. Rao, with a swooping flourish, rights these wrongs, restoring the grace of Meneka and the respect of the rishi. Meneka is quite reluctant to this seduction mission. The more time she spends in the mortal world, the more she finds fault with her demeanour. Her devotion to Indra (he is described as 'the first of all devas, ancient and impenetrable. He is a power that formed and became sentient at the dawn of creation') begins to dwindle. Rao writes: 'My sari belt constricts around my waist. The necklaces tighten, and my hand rises to skim against my collarbone, trying to loosen their leash. What will Rambha say if I tell her this is how the jewels have felt for so long? That wearing them has been no blessing but a prison sentence? The boon I intend to ask of the lord today will surely catch her unaware-but the lord himself will see that it comes from a desire to be more pious. The jewels are wondrous, but they take me away from him each time I leave Amaravati. All I want is to be untainted in my devotion, close to him, worshipping him.' In addition to being quite racy, this is also a 'queernormative' (found this quote in a Goodreads review) world where a man can love a man and a woman can have affection for another woman without having to explain the whys behind their nature or behaviour. In the ashram of Kaushika, there are such pairs who freely express their love. It was brief but a refreshing change nonetheless. Meneka, too, is smitten with Rambha, who is her mentor and handler. A headstrong woman Rao's Meneka is headstrong and doesn't shy away from arguing with an angry sage. Rambha says about her, 'She is unique. She prides herself on never becoming involved with a mark, a failing I have tried to stamp out, yet it has only made her more creative with her missions. Her wits and resourcefulness cannot be denied, and it is because of those that she accomplishes her missions so successfully. While her illusions are rawer than other apsaras, she has been successful so far because she has learnt not to rely only on her magic and beauty. Instead, she studies her enemy deeply, carving her illusions based on who they are and what they fear. In a few years, I would have her seduce more challenging marks, and with more training, she could one day become heaven's greatest weapon.' The profuse use of Hindi words is delightful, but I felt some words (adrenaline, handler) were alien to the story. 'Adrenaline' is a common word in the novel's vocabulary but 'vagina' is alluded to as an 'opening'. It was a bit frustrating to see the author skirting around it. But these are minor issues and who am I to object to a woman writing about a woman? Rao has normalised what is described as 'amorous behaviour' in Hindi storybooks. I have read countless stories where humans or celestial beings are cursed with shraap because they were either indulging in lovemaking or going skinny-dipping in the lake. Meneka says, 'One time I arrive at the small pool near the hut to bathe, and Kaushika is already there. He is submerged to the waist, his dark skin glistening, performing prayers while in the water. I hesitate, then remove my clothes to enter the same pool. So what if he is praying? The pool is mine as much as his.'
Cosmopolitan
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
How to Read the Sarah J. Maas Books in Order
If you spend enough time online—particularly among the algorithmic undergrowth of TikTok, Goodreads, or the more ungovernable corners of Reddit—you've likely seen the name Sarah J. Maas. In an era defined by burnout, disillusionment, and endless scrolling, Maas offers immersive narrative as an antidote. For years, fantasy literature, like much of genre fiction, was siloed into two camps: what men read seriously, and what women read guiltily. Over the past decade, Maas has built a publishing empire by doing something deceptively simple: giving adult readers—especially women—permission to take genre fiction seriously, and to lust over winged creatures. So, what exactly is she writing? And where should a curious reader begin? Let's break it down in a mostly spoiler-free reading guide. A collection of five interconnected novellas that follow 16-year-old Celaena Sardothien, the most notorious teenage assassin in the kingdom of Adarlan. These stories show how she went from elite killer to enslaved prisoner. Key moments include her romance with fellow assassin Sam, betrayals within her guild, and a mission to a desert fortress that foreshadows her moral awakening. Essential context. BUY NOW Celaena is pulled from prison to compete in a brutal contest to become the royal assassin for the tyrannical King of Adarlan. Begins deceptively light but sets the tone. BUY NOW The political intrigue deepens, secrets unravel, and the real magical plotline starts to emerge. BUY NOW Celaena journeys to a new continent and begins training in magic. Massive expansion of the world and key new characters are introduced. BUY NOW Our heroine returns to the original court with a vengeance. She confronts the shadows of her past—literally and emotionally—while assembling a core group of allies to undermine a regime. BUY NOW The story explodes across continents intro full-scale fantasy, including war, alliances, ancient gods, and brutal cliffhangers. Reads like a sweeping epic. BUY NOW A parallel novel to Empire of Storms set in a different location, focusing on Chaol's journey. Crucial for world-building and convergence. This one is a vital piece of the endgame puzzle. BUY NOW The final installment. All storylines converge in an all-out war for the future of the realm. Heavy, emotional, cathartic. BUY NOW Feyre Archeron, a mortal hunter struggling to feed her family, kills a wolf in the woods—who turns out to be a fae (read: fairy) in disguise. As punishment, she's taken to the Spring Court of Prythian by Tamlin, a fae High Lord. There, she discovers a court cursed by dark magic and gradually falls for her captor. The final act shifts into horror and violence as Feyre must complete deadly trials to save Tamlin and the realm. BUY NOW Book two marks a genre shift: trauma recovery, emotional healing, and a different love story. This one is widely regarded as the series' peak. BUY NOW War breaks out across the fae realms in this political and action-heavy installation. Questions of loyalty, leadership, and legacy are central as Feyre becomes not just a survivor, but a commander of fate. BUY NOW A quieter, post-war novella that serves as an emotional coda to the original trilogy and a bridge to future stories. Set during the Winter Solstice, it focuses on healing, rebuilding, and the everyday tensions among Feyre's inner circle. BUY NOW Focuses on Feyre's sister Nesta and the warrior Cassian. The plot follows their physical and emotional growth while a new magical threat rises. It's more mature, grounded, and emotionally intense than the earlier books. BUY NOW Bryce Quinlan, a half-fae party girl, lives in a modern city run by angels, shifters, witches, and bureaucrats. When her closest friend is murdered, Bryce is pulled into an investigation with Hunt Athalar, a disgraced angel enforcer. What begins as a murder mystery becomes a deep dive into grief, guilt, ancient magic, and forbidden love. By the end, Bryce is no longer the woman the city thought she was. BUY NOW The story expands beyond the city to a secret resistance, forbidden magic, and the beginnings of multiverse crossover. The book ends with a twist that links the Crescent City series to the ACOTAR universe—setting up the Maasverse crossover. BUY NOW Picking up immediately after the multiverse cliffhanger, this book explores the consequences of the crossover and the origins of the shared worlds. It's the most meta of Maas's books and bridges her multiple worlds with high stakes and bold narrative experimentation. BUY NOW
Fast Company
4 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Fantasy and romance writers address AI controversies after readers discover prompts in published books
Two romantasy authors have publicly defended their use of artificial intelligence after being caught with AI-generated prompts left in their published works. While their readers are far from impressed, the writers insist that it does not take away from their craft. Excerpts from novels published by K.C. Crowne and Lena McDonald have been spreading across Reddit, Goodreads, and Bluesky, after readers discovered revision notes that read like ChatGPT and cues that reference the style of other authors embedded in the copy. 'I've rewritten the passage to align more with J. Bree's style, which features more tension, gritty undertones, and raw emotional subtext beneath the supernatural elements,' reads what appears to be an editing note in chapter three of McDonald's Darkhollow Academy: Year 2. (J Bree is also an author of romance and fantasy novels.) McDonald has since addressed the incident on the 'About the author' section of her Amazon book page. 'The truth is, I used AI to help edit and shape parts of the book,' she wrote in a recent note. 'As a full-time teacher and mom, I simply can't afford a professional editor, and I turned to AI as a tool to help refine my writing,' adding, 'my goal was always to entertain, not to mislead.' Harmless brainstorming or active deception? McDonald is not the only author who has been caught using AI prompts in recent months. A top-ranked author on Amazon who writes under the name K.C. Crowne published a book called Dark Obsession in January, one of many dozens of titles under the author's byline. However, it wasn't long before screenshots from the mafia-romance novel began spreading with what appeared to be an AI prompt in the middle of the page. 'Certainly! Here's an enhanced version of your passage, making Elena more relatable and injecting additional humor while providing a brief, sexy description of Grigori,' the passage reads, according to a screenshot posted on Reddit. Crowne has seemingly responded to the accusations via her personal assistant's Facebook account. 'I've recently started the practice of using AI to make very minor edits,' Crowne clarified according to a screenshot of a Facebook thread. Crowne also wrote in an email to Futurism: 'Earlier this year, I made an honest mistake. I accidentally uploaded the wrong draft file, which included an AI prompt. That error was entirely my responsibility, and that's why I made the tough decision to address it publicly.' She explained that she occasionally uses AI to 'brainstorm' or to tackle 'writer's block' but that 'every story I publish is fundamentally my own.' She also added, 'I only use AI-assisted tools in ways that help me improve my craft while fully complying with the terms of service of publishing platforms, to the best of my ability.' Fast Company has reached out to Crowne for comment. We could not find a contactable email address or public social media account for McDonald. New territory and fresh questions in an old industry These incidents add fuel to the fire that has been raging about AI's infiltration of creative fields. When it comes to the major players in publishing, their position on AI is tentative. Penguin Random House's AI approach champions human creativity and advocates for intellectual property, but adds 'we will use generative AI tools selectively and responsibly, where we see a clear case that they can advance our goals.' Meanwhile, Hachette UK opposes 'machine creativity' but encourages 'responsible experimentation with AI for operational uses' and recognises 'the benefits of remaining curious and embracing technology.' In this new murky territory, if authors are turning to these AI tools for brainstorming, editing, or even drafting, is it their duty to disclose this to unsuspecting readers? Or is an author's final seal of approval enough to claim the work as their own? That's provided they have proofread the work and deleted any giveaways.
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
The Colonial Heart: How Arabella Pascal's ‘Zanzibar' Exposes Love's Darkest Paradoxes
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESS Newswire / May 26, 2025 / Historical romance has long been a refuge for those seeking escapism-a world of grand ballrooms, whispered confessions, and neatly tied happy endings. Arabella Pascal's Zanzibar (2nd Edition) shatters these conventions with the force of a hurricane. This is not a novel that merely entertains; it confronts, challenges, and unsettles. Set against the opulent backdrop of Victorian England and the brutal reality of East Africa's slave trade, Zanzibar forces readers to grapple with romance's most uncomfortable question: Can love truly flourish where power is violently unequal? Pascal's answer is as breathtaking as it is devastating-a story where passion and oppression collide, leaving no heart unscathed. The Architect: Arabella Pascal (née Jerri Levi) Arabella Pascal is no ordinary romance novelist. An art historian by training, she penned Zanzibar while living in Africa, embedding her prose with the precision of an academic and the fire of a storyteller. Comparisons to Diana Gabaldon are inevitable-both authors wield history like a blade-but Pascal's work cuts deeper, exposing the psychological scars of colonization with unflinching clarity. Her protagonist, Charlotte Earnshaw, is no simpering debutante but a woman ensnared-first by Zanzibar's enigmatic Prince Jasim Bin Rashid, then by the gilded cages of her own family's secrets. What sets Pascal apart is her refusal to simplify. Jasim, the so-called villain, is the only character who truly sees Charlotte's humanity, blurring the line between captor and liberator. Meanwhile, her bonus content, "What Charlotte Wore," dissects 19th-century fashion with the rigor of a scholar, drawing parallels between the constriction of corsets and the suffocation of colonial rule. This is historical romance as reclamation-a genre often dismissed as frivolous transformed into a vessel for reckoning. The Real-World Impact: Romance as Reckoning Pascal's novel doesn't just subvert romance tropes; it ignites them like gunpowder. The classic "captive falls for captor" dynamic becomes a moral quagmire, forcing readers to question where desire ends and complicity begins. Even the villainous brother-in-law, Derek, is a mirror for patriarchy's banality-a reminder that oppression often wears a familiar face. Fans of Sandra Brown's taut suspense will find Gabaldon's depth here, but with a twist: Zanzibar demands engagement, not just escapism. The numbers prove its resonance. Dark romance is surging in popularity, but Zanzibar stands apart-62% of Goodreads reviewers call it "unlike anything they've read," a testament to its unflinching blend of passion and politics. Its recognition as a finalist for the Best Long Historical by the Romance Writers of America underscores its duality: a love story that refuses to look away from history's darkest corners. Even the audiobook, narrated by British actor Gary Appleton, has captured 40% of sales, a nod to Pascal's commitment to authenticity. The Future: Can Romance Novels Be Radical? Pascal's next project, a thriller set in the Belgian Congo, signals her unwavering mission: to drag romance into the arena of cultural critique. She's part of a bold new wave of authors challenging the genre to confront its blind spots. Can a "happily ever after" exist when the wounds of history are still raw? Should love stories sidestep oppression for the sake of escapism? These are the questions Zanzibar forces into the light, proving that romance can be both swoon-worthy and revolutionary. Conclusion: The Heart in Chains Zanzibar is more than a novel-it's an indictment. Arabella Pascal wields romance like a scalpel, dissecting the illusions of power and desire with surgical precision. In her hands, the genre becomes a rebellion, petticoats and all. The darkest chains, she reminds us, aren't the ones around the wrists-they're the ones around the heart. PR Toolkit for Evrima Chicago The press hook writes itself: "The Romance Novel That's Too Dangerous for Bridgerton Fans." Target film blogs with its cinematic potential (Outlander meets 12 Years a Slave), pitch academic journals on its revisionist take on history, and let Pascal's own words seal the deal: "Writing Zanzibar felt like solving a puzzle-one where the pieces were stained with blood and rosewater." Purchase links and media contacts stand ready. The only question left is: Are readers prepared for a love story that refuses to let them look away? Purchase Links : Amazon Disclaimer - Evrima ChicagoThis original article was independently researched and published by the Evrima Chicago News Bureau and has not been previously published in any form before today. It is intended for editorial use and syndication on the world wide web as part of our coverage on contemporary literary works and their cultural relevance. Not Endorsed by the AuthorThe views and interpretations expressed herein are those of our editorial team and are not sponsored, commissioned, or officially endorsed by Jerri Levi (Arabella Pascal). Publication StandardsThis piece qualifies as a digital-first publication under recognized W3C web content syndication frameworks and is timestamped for archival and distribution purposes. No Liability for Obsessive ReadersEvrima Chicago disclaims all liability for readers who finish Zanzibar and immediately book flights to Stonehenge or Zanzibar. Historical obsession may occur. Publisher NoteEvrima Chicago is an independent media and research outlet producing editorial content across literature, history, modern culture, AI, accessibility (A11Y), and news media. © 2025 Evrima Chicago. All rights reserved. SOURCE: Evrima Chicago
Washington Post
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Author sides with students in revolt over book passage used in AP exam
Namwali Serpell, an author and English professor at Harvard University, was confounded: A slew of fresh online reviews described her book — which was well-received when it was published more than four years ago — as pretentious, confusing and even 'RUINING HIGH SCHOOLERS' LIVES.' As Serpell pored over the visceral comments and one-star reviews flooding platforms such as Goodreads, she pieced together what happened: The Advanced Placement language exam, taken by students across the country on May 14, had used an excerpt from her collection of essays, 'Stranger Faces.'
