Queen of Water
Devika Rangachari
Reviewed by Diksha Chodankar & Beena Choksi
Queen of Water is a young adult historical fiction novel by Devika Rangachari. Mainly written for children and teenagers aged 13 years and above. It invites readers to understand how society functioned during the medieval Chola period ( 10th – 11th century CE). This book not only shows us women as queens and princesses, but also as thinkers, advisors, and strong individuals.
| Pub Date: 2025
ISBN: 9780143471660 Page Count: 219 Publisher: Penguin Random House QBR Reviews Issue: Q1 2026 QBR Reviews Issue: Q1 2026 Categories: Historical Fiction |
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“Queen of Water” by Devika Rangachari is the fourth book in the “Queen Series.” In a 2020 interview with Penguin Random House India, the author explained that she wrote the series to correct history, which often ignores the important role of women. She pointed out that many textbooks make women seem unimportant by only talking about their clothes or jewellery instead of their achievements. Through her gender-sensitive historical fiction — such as Queen of Ice, Queen of Earth, and Queen of Water — she aims to highlight strong women who made a real impact on history but have been mostly forgotten or erased from it.
The story acknowledges the deep relationship that the Chola dynasty had with the fertile valley of the Kaveri River. Kundavai was the daughter of Raja Raja Chola I, one of the greatest kings in Indian history. At that time, the Cholas had a strong navy and controlled the seas. They didn’t just rule land — they controlled trade across the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. The title, “Queen of Water,” reflects the strength and power of her family. Another reason for the title may be that Kundavai is shown as very smart and politically clever. Water represents her mind. She moves through the tricky and sometimes dangerous politics of the royal court like water — systematically and carefully. Like the ocean, she may seem calm on the outside, but she has great strength, energy, and wisdom within.
Kundavai is called both a Princess and a Queen because of her growth from a royal daughter to a powerful leader. She appears to have the influence of a Queen, even though she never officially ruled as one.
Princess Kundavai enjoys privileges and advantages that ordinary people do not have. Unlike most women of that time, who usually stayed at home and had little role in public matters, Kundavai had great political power. She played an important role in the kingdom and was respected for her intelligence. She advised her father and her brother. She was not just a royal princess in name — she was also actively involved in important decisions and planning for the empire. This kind of power was usually reserved only for male members of the royal family. Kundavai received a very high-quality education. She learned many languages and studied how to run a kingdom. Because of her knowledge and education, she was respected and taken seriously, even when speaking among male ministers — something an ordinary person would not have been able to do. Kundavai does not accept the limited roles that society expects women to follow. Instead of behaving only as her mother thinks she should, she questions those rules and chooses to think and act independently. At the same time, she faces great pressure to protect the Chola Empire. The kingdom is threatened by outside enemies and by rivals who want power. After an attempt to harm her family, Kundavai uncovers hidden secrets and realises the danger around her. She sacrifices her personal dreams to protect the empire. In a world mostly ruled by men, she learns to navigate difficult and dangerous politics and works quietly behind the scenes. Through her courage and intelligence, she shows that women can challenge unfair rules and stand strong. Other important characters in the story — such as Sundara Chola, Aditya, her grand-aunt, and her mother — are not merely side characters. They are important because they help show how Kundavai grows, create political problems she must deal with, and highlight how different she was from the other women of that time.
We feel that the author has mainly written Queen of Water for children who are already comfortable reading in English. Some of the vocabulary and sentence structures may be challenging for readers who use English as a third language. Children who are not very confident in English may not continue with the story. In such a situation, it would be helpful if the educator reads aloud parts of the story to keep the reader engaged. Additionally, the story is told from the princess’s point of view, which allows readers to understand life within the royal world. If the story were told from the perspective of a common person or someone with less power, it might feel very different and reveal how society and power work among ordinary people.
This book is especially suited for readers who are interested in history and historical fiction. It also offers a perspective showing that even in male-dominated kingdoms, women like the “Queen of Water” asserted themselves and made history.
Other Books
- Devika Rangachari, Queen of Ice (Duckbill Books,2014)
- Devika Rangachari, Queen of Earth (Duckbill Books, 2020)
- Devika Rangachari, Queen of Fire (Duckbill Books,2021)
- Samhita Arni, Sita’s Ramayana (Tara Books, 2011)
- Supriya Kelkar Ahimsa (Scholastic 2018)