Stranger Things meets Hindu mythology in the action-packed, coming-of-age tale of a teenager who comes to know he is a Naga Marut, destined to save the world in The Legend of Triquetra by Tara Rewa.
Wantra, the alternate world mirroring our world, is where powerful beings called Maruts lived ages ago. But, after a gruesome incident centuries ago, they are now powerless. Maruts have silhouettes - animal selves in addition to their human form - which give them the power to fend off other evil creatures in Wantra.
Adi, our fifteen-year-old protagonist, unbeknownst to him, is a Naga Marut. Even when he morphs into a boy with a strong physique in Wantra due to his Naga powers, he finds it hard to believe he can do anything extraordinary.
This is because, in the real world, he wears glasses, hearing aids, and special shoes. Further, his only living relative, his grandmother, has showered all her love and affection on Mohan, his younger brother. She also keeps berating Adi for even the smallest of mistakes. Moreover, his frail and bespectacled appearance makes him prone to bullying at school.
Consequently, Adi has low self-esteem, is starving for love, and is also angry most of the time. Rewa beautifully integrates these issues of low self-esteem, bullying, and unrequited crush into the story, thus making it relatable to the target audience.
Once Adi lands in Wantra on page 10 or so, there is no let up in the action and mayhem that ensues until the last page. The author keeps flinging twists after twists, and I had no choice but to be glued to the pages to find out what's more in store for Adi and his friends.
Tara Rewa seamlessly weaves Hindu mythology into a fantasy tale to craft an engaging story. Devas such as Indra, Varun, Agni, Brahma, the Nagas, as well as Rahu and Ketu make an integral part of this story.
The Legend of Triquetra made the kid in me happy because growing up, our gods and the navagrahas (the gods representing the nine planets) were just celestial beings for me, powers to be respected and prayed to. I had never imagined I would be reading stories about them where they are manifested in flesh and blood.
However, I did have my quibbles with the book. A new character was always popping up every few pages, which, after a point, became difficult to keep track of. Also, there was non-stop action all throughout the 400 or so pages, which didn’t give me a chance to take a breath and absorb all the new information that emerged every now and then.
Overall, I enjoyed reading the novel. It is a commendable debut, and I am eager to read the upcoming sequel.