The Curse of Surya by Dev Prasad

by Dev Prasad

Sangeeta Rao, a beautiful, feisty reporter at Channel 7 TV in Singapore, rushes to Agra on a special assignment after an early-morning phone call. At the Taj Mahal, she meets Alan Davies, a charming Welshman. But a terrorist attack on Mathura’s renowned Krishna temple turns them into fugitives from justice and the duo must decipher a series of complex cryptographs and unearth the illustrious Shyamantaka that belonged to Surya, the Sun God, to prove their innocence. Joined in their quest by an elderly Frenchman, Anton Blanchard, the duo race against time in helicopters, motor boats and yachts. In hot pursuit are the brilliant and daring SP Nisha Sharma and the most ruthless terrorist organizations. Before she realizes it, Sangeeta is trapped in a world of betrayal, deceit and horror. Fast-paced and gripping, The Curse of Surya will keep you hooked and on the edge of your seat while you unravel one of the biggest mysteries in 5000 years.

Paperback

First published May 24, 2015

Reviews

[Digant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dev Prasad’s “The Curse of Surya” is a lovely read, and a must for all mythological fiction fans. It is gripping, fast – paced, well written, has a solid plot, and most importantly, has characters which you will instantly take to.
A thumbs up for me!

[Bhakti Motta · Rating 4 out of 5]

reading this book. This book keeps you literally on the edge of your seat, sometimes due to the Mythological mysteries and sometimes because of Sheer excitement. The events mentioned in the book happen in the time frame of just two days.

Uttar Pradesh is all set to host two major international events, The International All Saints' World Religions Conference at Krishna Janmasthan Temple in Mathura and the meeting between the Presidents of Singapore and India at the Taj Mahal in Agra. A day before the Mathura event, a Tibetan is found dead at Krishna Janmasthan, that Tibetan was a reporter working for Channel 7 TV, Singapore. Thus, Sangeeta, another reporter has to postpone her holidays to cover the Presidents meeting at Agra.

Sangeeta meets Alan Davies at Taj Mahal and they quickly become friends. Both travel to Mathura to attend the All Saints' World Religions Conference. This particular conference has become centre of attention for not just Indians but also for all important countries and the Underworld Mafia due to one of the Speakers, Swami Brij Mohan. Swamiji has promise to reveal the current location of Shyamantaka, which is not just a precious 5000 old gem but also a very powerful one.

This fun trip to Mathura takes an ugly turn when a terrorist disguised as a Sadhu sitting beside Sangeeta kills Swami Brij Mohan. SP Nisha Sharma who is incharge of Mathura Event thinks Sangeeta is also a part of the Terrorist group. Alan and Sangeeta run for their life, somehow they are convinced that finding Shyamantaka is the only way to prove their innocence and thus their Quest begins. They meet a old man, Anton Blanchard during this Quest. Is Anton a good man? Will Sangeeta and Alan Find Shyamantaka? Will they be able to prove their innocence?

Read the book to find out the answers.

[Satish Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome thriller ! Fast paced and simply unputownable !

“The Curse of Surya” is a very fast paced crime thriller where the entire story happens in less than two days. Unlike other Indian crime thrillers, this one has a great blend of international flavour and Indian History. I read the entire Book in just one sitting. Every chapter ends on a suspenseful note. I found this more enjoyable than “Da Vinci Code” and “Angels and Demons” simply because this was a story that I could easily associate with.
The story starts off with various protagonists coming from Singapore, UK and the US to India and on a treasure hunt filled with terror, deceit and horror. I think this story has the potential to be made into a Hollywood Movie – on the lines of Harrison Ford’s Indian Jones Series.

[Abhijeet Dutta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a masterpiece but unfortunately one of the most underrated novels in Indian novel literature. It is definitely an additional treat for fans of authors who directly or indirectly associate mythology and cryptography in their novels such as Ashwin Sanghi, Amish Tripathi, Vineet Bajpai and others; I will also not forget to mention Dan Brown of English novel literature.

It is a fast-paced novel. It is a present-day thriller story but having a deep link with the mythological past. The story is about rigorous attempts to finding an immensely valuable gemstone called “Shyamantaka” that was lost 5,000 years back. Few major events occur in the entire story which happens in the same pattern as described in the mythologies of Lord Surya and Lord Krishna. The journey transports the reader to historical heritage locations between Agra and Mathura in Uttar Pradesh and Dwarka in Gujarat: it has very strong binding force to keep hooked to seat till the end.

The most interesting thing is that events occur in a timeframe of 48 hours. Dev Prasad composed a splendidly well-plotted story. Dev has done a meticulous research on Hindu religion scriptures. The transition from present day to mythological past and mythological past to present is exceedingly splendid and difficult to describe in words. The scientific and geological description of “Tsunami” mentioned at the 20% remaining part is excellent which cannot be seen even in news channels. There are unpredictable twists and turns at every 10th or 12th page that leaves the reader highly amazed. It is a perfect read.

Dev totally fails all the guesses made by the reader after every 20th or 30th page about the identity of the main antagonist/villain: the suspense is very heart pulsating and unexpected. Dev took care of a nice comic relief through the light chemistry between the two main characters Alan Davies and Sangeeta Rao: it is very pleasant and not even least vulgar as delivered by English authors. The ending part is delightful especially the last two paragraphs. Overall, it is a very good novel written in a charming style: it is a perfect read.

I will give it straight 5 out of 5 without any hesitance. It is indeed a matter of grave sorrow that such masterpieces are not even considered for cinematic adaptation.

[Umashankar Vetrivel · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started reading "The Curse of Surya" over the weekend and found myself hooked on to the book. I finished the book in 2 sessions in the weekend . Overall this book is a good fast paced treasure hunt. It also gives a good insight into Indian history. Another great write by DevPrasad. I found reading this book more enjoyable and I strongly recommend for a good read. I can guarantee you that it an keep you engaged and maintains the curiosity to the subsequent pages till the end. Good historical thriller.

Happy reading folks...

[Suraj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dev Prasad has successfully weaved in Indian history within a fast paced thriller.

Set in multiple locations with stories occurring simultaneously, the book has an inspired way of story telling which is fast paced, sleek and quite gripping.

The reader also gets a good insight into Indian history, and incidents/ folklore from Lord Krishna's life.

Definitely worth reading :)

[Sreedhar Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best I've ever read so far, I like suspense thrillers, so the whole basis of the book was interesting.Obviously most of what is in the book is fiction, but Dev's story telling makes you think it's real. His use of real places, people and events will make an interested reading.
definitely I recommend to read this

[Kiron Abraham · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Curse of Surya is an excellent, fast paced crime thriller I have read in the recent times. Every chapter is speckled with surprises and a whole lot of twists and turns. I started reading the first two chapters and soon realized that it is impossible to put this back before you read it fully. A brisk, fiery and intelligent thriller!

[Lakshmangk · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Curse of Surya is a very interesting novel based on story of shyamantaka ( precious gem belonged to krishna), The novel narration is very excellent and straight forward without any unnecessary characters and confusions in the story, while reading it creates interest about krishna and explained about dwaraka in detail.

[Karthic Sivaswamy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Curse of Surya is written by an unknown author (only to me, because he has already written one best seller, Pitch It) is a thriller in the lines of Dan Brown series. To be precise it was like Davinci Code, here the protagonist are in search of jewel which was lost some 5000 years ago.

Dev Prasad Indianized the Davinci Code, here a reporter from Singapore, Sangeetha and Davies were on a treasure hunt for a jewel Shyamantaka. This jewel belongs to the god Surya and it always brings bad luck to whoever possess it. It has its own history and also an exiting unbelievable power to that gem which makes it the most wanted treasure by people across the world.

The main character, Sangeetha, reaches India to cover one important function which was about to happen in Agra and Davies was here to attend an international conference in which a swamiji was supposed to reveal the place of the lost jewel Shyamantaka. All thing broke loose when there was a terror attack which kills the swamiji and Sangeetha and Davies are present in the event becomes the most wanted terrorists. And, they were on the run, followed by a police office Nisha and they start their treasure hunt with an old man Blanchard who helps them escape from the crime scene.

The writing was simple and easily to follow. And, the places mentioned are some of the most famous sites in our country and it was fascinating to know the history of these places. So just like Dan Brown, Dev Prasad also tells us about the history of each place where the story travels. Also, another book which has the history about Lord Krishna, the last book I read about Krishna was Krishna Key by Ashwin Sangi.

The places where Sangeetha tries to fool the police by booking a flight ticket to Bangalore was explained elaborately in more than one chapter which I felt absolutely unnecessary. The moment she tells the receptionist to book two flight tickets, we know she's trying to fool the police. We didn't need the detailed police investigation, then Nisha calling another policemen at Bangalore to go to airport to catch them, then Davies acting surprisingly as if he didn't get why she is doing all this. The whole part could have been skipped. And, I wondered how Sangeetha and Davies able to talk to each other under water with their scuba dressing.

The treasure hunt came to an end very soon than I expected, but then Dev had an interesting twist there. And, it has all other twists which were expected in this kind of a novel. Like starting the plot with a mysterious murder, good guy turning into a bad guy, bad guy turning into a good guy. The lead character Sangeetha was like an encyclopaedia, she knows about each and everything in this world or able to find a solution for anything somehow. But, it was refreshing to have a female lead like Sidney Sheldon novel.

The Curse of Surya is definitely a worthy Indianized Davinci Code, the history about the treasure was fascinating and their search was thrilling. And, this book is an absolute page turner, well done Dev, looking forward to your next.

[Swagat Sinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently got a chance to read The Curse of Surya by Dev Prasad while on my birthday trip. This book is what one might call a mythological mystery set in modern times, a-la The Da Vinci Code or Chanakya’s Chant.

This book is set in locations inhabited by Krishna during his era (Mathura, Dwarka etc.) and focuses around a jewel called the Shyamantaka that was lost during Krishna’s times. What powers does the jewel hold, who all are the interested stakeholders in this jewel, what transpires between them is what makes up the story.

It is refreshing to see a female protagonist in a mystery novel. Sangeeta Rao, the carefree reporter from India working in Singapore, fits the bill very well. She is strong, inquisitive, knowledgeable and ready for adventure. She runs into Alan Davies, a Welsh professor, and is instantly charmed off her feet by the Welshman. Together, the two attend a religious conference where an untoward incident happens. In the ensuing confusion, the duo finds themselves on the run and being helped by a Frenchman who works in a museum in the USA (talk about globalization!). Meanwhile, the police is after them for prosecution. How this intrepid group of individuals peels the layers of the plot behind the crime and realize the bigger game underway, is what forms the crux of the story.

In terms of structure, the story flows well from one part to the next. I did not feel as if it was disjointed at any level. It takes a couple of chapters for you to get invested in the story, but once you’re in, you want to know what happens next and are wondering about the next steps of the characters.

In terms of the background, the story has its origins in Indian mythology and this makes it easier for the average Indian reader to relate with and understand. The easy-going way the story is written also makes you wonder about the authenticity of the claims. I, for one, have felt interested in reading more about Krishna’s times and the history behind them. As it turns out, the author Dev Prasad has written another book, Krishna A Journey Through The Lands & Legends Of Krishna which caters to the actual historical information about Krishna’s era.

In terms of readability, I would say it is a good read. As mentioned, the book starts out a little slow, but picks up speed as you go along. In the second half, the motivations of a few characters seemed a bit circumspect to me. However, all in all, this seemed like only a minor hiccup in what was an easily readable story.

In terms of final views, I would rate this book as a good easy read. As mentioned earlier, I read this in transit, and this was done by the time I had reached my destination. It’s a book that will keep you entertained, interested and invested while it’s in your hands. Once done, you have an easy option to explore further as well. Overall, I would give it 3.5 out of 5.

[Sujata Ravi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book VERY much. Was it perfect? No. Did it have some logical inconsistencies? Yes. But I have not read such a well-executed mythological thriller from a contemporary Indian author in a LONG time. Dev Prasad's The Curse of Surya is a fast-paced, extremely exciting story of a frantic hunt for the Syamantaka, the famed jewel of the Sun God which can make its possessors immeasurably rich. The book features gutsy journalist Sangeeta Rao, and a charming but mysterious foreigner Alan Davies, who become embroiled in a dangerous treasure hunt after being in the thick of a terrorist attack at a high profile religious conference where the location of the famed jewel is being revealed by a famous priest. What follows is Dan Brown-esque mythological puzzle solving from clues left behind by an ancient Indian king to discover the location of the Syamantaka. With double crossing accomplices, the Indian police hot on their heels, this thriller traces the protagonists' journey all over Krishna-country, in and around Mathura and then later Dwarka. The author makes extremely reasoned and well-researched references to the mythology of Krishna and his descendants. The myth of the Syamantaka, and its troubled history are also portrayed credibly by the author. What I loved especially about this novel was how meticulously researched the descriptions of all the cities it was set in. I know first hand of Singapore, Bangalore and Delhi, but even descriptions of cities like Agra, Mathura etc were so well-done, I never once felt like I'd never been there. Read it for a brilliant, quick-paced journey into India's rich mythological heritage, and good writing!

[Manpreet Kaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot: The plot of the book consist of thriller blended with historical fiction. Author has picked some myths/stories from Indian history and nicely blended with the modern day track. Overall plot is interesting and well researched. This was a very important part of the book because of the nature of the book - a thriller and it was presented in a very nice manner.

characters: The characters are well built. The book has two strong female protagonists which makes it a delight for people like me who love strong female characters.
All the characters have been given adequate importance. They are well built and someone you could relate too. Some of the characters are mysterious and you could feel that while reading. Great job with this too.

Story and narration: Due to a well researched plot, the narration is flawless. You get to virtually travel some of the most famous temples in India and it is a delight to know the history behind them. This is great for people who seek virtual travel while reading books.

Final thoughts: the books has been delivered in a very well manner and is a good read. Also, it can be read quite quickly and gives you thorough experience of reading a thriller. Loved the book.

Complete review here

[Bhasha Desai · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The curse of Surya" is a fantastic thriller. A treasure hunt for a 5000 year old jewel called Shyamantaka of the time of Lord Krishna, this mythological fiction is, without a doubt, unputdownable.

The author Dev Prasad has used great language to create a suspense through the plot. Sangeeta, a tv reporter at Singapore and Alan Davies, the (so-called) teacher of Archaeology in England meet at Agra where at a religious event, they learn about this precious jewel which has never been found since Lord Krishna's time. A series of events follow and the duo find themselves in a wild chase, finding the lost jewel and at the same time, running from the police. Do they actually find the Shyamantaka? Who was behind the killings? These questions are what makes the book a page-turner.

The plot is such that the time you start predicting the next happening, the story takes an unbelievable twist. Dev Prasad has written a great book and his research clearly shows in the interesting fiction.

[K. Sandhya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Narration of the story is excellent. I should says it's "Awesome thriller". This story has a blend of international flavour with an awesome Indian history. Each and every chapter in this book us full of suspense, surprises, twist n turns which keeps you hooked to this book.
In this story various protagonist from Singapore, UK, and from US come to India in search of treasure (Gem) and how they meet and try to deceive each other to reach the treasure. what happens when they get the Gem and how the curse effects them and how they overcome it , all this makes the book so intresting that u will feel like reading this book in one go.
Each and every character in this story has a strong personality and Author has taken care of all the minute details while writing the book.
What I liked the most in this book is the explanation of Tsunami ....why it is so vigorous when it reaches the coastline.

I wish him "BEST WISHES" for his next publications .

[Ankita Chauhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

When we start a new book especially of ‘Crime-Thriller’ genre, what do we expect? That book must be fast-paced. We don’t want to engage with heavy literature words but skillfully woven page-turner story. When I grabbed this book I was totally hooked on to it. It seemed Dev Prasad, author of ‘The Curse of Surya’ worked hard on every sentence. Basic theme is ‘Three people and One Gem’ somewhat like A treasure hurt. And here Dev Prasad created magic by blending this superb fiction with mythological element, that what I loved the most. Book will retain your curiosity till the end. Loads of turns and twists, author did a great Job. I’m a proud fan of Sidney Sheldon. I won’t hesitate a bit if I have to put this book on Sidney’s section. Highly Recommended!

Full Review : http://soundingwords.blogspot.in/2015...

[Abhishek Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! A brilliant fast paced novel to find the location of an immensely precious jewel lost 5000 years ago, The Shyamantaka. The novel starts taking pace from the very first chapter. Short and crisp chapter amplifies the urge every time to read a few more chapters before going to bed ;-)
The riddles and coded messages were a little simple. I felt some of the decodings of riddles were little childish.
Nevertheless, the Quest was very fast paced. I loved the strategies that the protagonists took to reach their destination. The twists and turns were really unpredictable. I liked the chemistry between Alan and Sangeeta. And the very last, ending line of the novel made me smile broadly.
Black coffee ridiculed indeed!
The antagonist's revelation was indeed surprising and shocking.
A very good novel, written in a charming style.

[Smarajit Datta · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a book written by a literary simpleton and is an affront to the intellect of the average readers. The plot is poor, the journey is hilarious, the outcome is pathetic. There is no research in the the process and procedures of the Indian government and police processes. In short, this is a very very poor read. It has become a trend for people of other professions to jump into the writing bandwagon following the success of a few but the replication of that success requires imagination and skill to translate the same into a gripping yarn. It is time to separate the real writers from these wannabes.

[Rameswar · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a mythological fiction book 'The curse of surya' touches lot of facts, brings lot of well researched interesting stories regarding Krishna. Briefing many historical points of interest regarding Agra, Mathura in Uttar Pradesh it goes to Dwaraka in Gujarat as it unfolds.

A book with good pace, well justified plots and narration while keeping the mission to find a Magical gem named 'Syamantaka' lost 5000 years ago. Lot of points to pick up on history, even it touches the archeological research and discovery of Dwaraka by Dr. S. R. Rao. I would definitely suggest this to anyone who has a interest in movies like 'National treasure'.

[Kiransm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading "The Curse of Surya" on Thursday and found myself drawn into the legends shown in the book. I finished the book at a stretch on Saturday morning. In a nutshell, the book is a treasure hunt, but that would be oversimplifying it. This is the Indian equivalent of "The Da Vinci Code". The book provides insight into the lesser known legends of Hindu mythology. When the scene shifts to Dwarka, it brought back memories of my vacation there. The book is a good "light read" and I recommend reading it.

[John Corlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect thriller , which can be made into a Bollywood but it too has a ending with an old philosophy that things are meant to be there where it has to be.

other than that , the characterization , the flow of the story , the thrill makes the reader to turn the pages .
One strange thing I felt was , what happened to the Meetings .
A good thriller .

Would recommend this book to readers who love fast paced thrillers and excavation. More religious matters are covered and I should appreciate the authors efforts for sure

[Chittajit Mitra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot is strategically written so that the suspense & the interest of the reader remains intact. Also the way the characters are described is commendable. The story is full of informative dialogue about Krishna, his predecessors & Brij Bhumi. It just shows that the author didn't just toured around the Brij Bhumi but enlightened himself with all the info about the places mentioned & also used very well in this book.
Full Review Here,

http://itsgoingtobeobvious.blogspot.i...

[Sujay Anjankar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Curse of Surya is a fast, upbeat thriller that won't let you drop it until you are through with it. The story is about Sangeeta Rao, a journalist from a reputed TV network from Singapore who is sent to India to cover a meeting of the political premiers of Singapore and India. There she meets Alan Davies, who along with her is forced to turn fugitive following a terrorist attack on the Krishna Janmasthan temple in Mathura.
Dev Prasad successfully weaves a story around Indian mythology with a pace.

More at: http://abookyonderweek.blogspot.com/2...

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found I could not put this book down once I had started reading it, I was "grabbed" by the book right from the beginning, which was great as I have started to read so many books which I have put down quite quickly because they showed no promise or were laborious from the outset, but this was great, I finally finished reading it at 2.30am. It was fast paced and totally absorbing, I will read it again with some maps by my side as my geographical knowledge of India is somewhat limited and I would like to be able to follow the chase with more knowledge.

[Jairam Mohan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book which has an interesting premise suffers from the overuse of cliches. Read my detailed review at https://mahabore.wordpress.com/2015/0...

[Shaman Krishna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captivating. The plot is brief and scrolling fast with gathering many details in short form and in fast pace. Not so elaborate or detail oriented script but crisp and quick !!

[Govind Krishnan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what I call a brilliant piece of work! If I'm asked to assign a genre to this, I'll go crazy. Though main plot is of mystery & crime thriller, there are all other elements of adventure, romance, betrayal, myth, etc. involved in a balanced ratio.

This novel will remain on the shelf of my favourite books forever. 'The Curse of Surya' has the potential to take us along with the protagonists till we finish off the book. All chapters are small compared to books of the same kind. But there are 77 chapters & each ends with a note that creates curiosity & thereby glues us to the book. Once started reading, we literarily can't stop mid-reading.

This book gets into the heart of reader mainly due to unexpected & major twists in the story. For instance, We lose hope when the protagonists, who are hunting for a priceless gem from the era of Lord Krishna now(2015), lost their treasure hunt initially. But, there comes a major twist in the entire plot & marks the beginning of something unexpected & thereby refreshing readers' minds.

Though the story happens in a time span of 2 days, we as well as the protagonists feel like it's 20 days. This is because of the fast-paced nature of the story & this gets us to the edge of our seats. A reader will complete reading within a day for the same reason.

As said, the protagonists are on a hunt for a priceless & magical gem which is believed to be gifted by Sun God to a man during the reigns of Lord Krishna. The story happens in 2015 where they are searching for the gem that was hidden somewhere by the great-grandson of Krishna with some tough codes to reveal its current location. Towards the end of the novel, readers can easily relate to the title of novel; The Curse of Surya.

All betrayals are punished instantly & problems are solved soon which relieves the heart of the reader & making us cheerful. It's happy-ending novel though we might think it would be tragic (another instance where our curiosity shoots up).

It's highly recommended to all readers who love mystery, puzzle solving, treasure hunt, mythical history, crime thriller, adventure & romance. In simpler words, this book is for all sort of readers. (my viewpoint)

It was a merry reading for me! Happy Reading! ♥

[SHIBIN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curse of Surya by Dev Prasad is an exciting and fast-paced thriller that combines mythology, history, and modern-day adventure. The novel centers on the hunt for the legendary Syamantaka, a mythical gem that was believed to have immense powers and was associated with the Hindu god Krishna. The story takes readers through various exotic locales in India as the protagonists try to decipher clues and race against time to find the gem.

The book is engaging, filled with action, and keeps readers hooked with its gripping narrative. Dev Prasad's writing is generally crisp, but at times the pacing can feel rushed. Some sections move too quickly, which can make it challenging to fully absorb the story's twists and turns. Additionally, there are moments in the book where certain plot points seem illogical or forced, which might throw off readers looking for a more grounded narrative.

Despite these minor issues, Curse of Surya is a fun and engaging read. It combines elements of adventure, mythology, and mystery, making it a great choice for readers who enjoy fast-paced thrillers with a touch of Indian culture and history.

[Indhumathi · Rating 1 out of 5]

~Reading the lowest rated book on my TBR :an experiment~

I would say the only worthy thing about this book is the mythology based cryptic codes.

It has brainy characters who can figure out cryptic codes but lack common sense to do basic things. There are a lot of loose hanging threads which don’t get wrapped up. Gravity defying stunt scenes make you hit your head on the wall. I wanted to DNF several times but being stuck in a cyclone without electricity compelled me to complete this book.

~Result of the experiment: I learnt that I should never read a book in which I don’t really have much interest. That has led me to purge my shelves ~

[Vimal Velayudhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you ever wondered what would be like to read an 'Indian masala' version of Dan Brown, then this is your book. But i warn its not nearly as effective and impressive. Its quite evident the book has been written in a whim and there is no thorough research to back up the story. The plot is full of cliches an glitches. The book turns out to be mildly entertaining nevertheless.