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The Aryavarta Chronicles #1
Govinda
HONOUR. DESIRE. VENGEANCE.
Aryavarta – the ancient realm of the noble.
For generations, the Firstborn dynasty of scholar-sages, descendants of Vasishta Varuni and protectors of the Divine Order on earth, has dominated here. For just as long, the Angirasa family of Firewrights, weapon-makers to the kings and master inventors, has defied them. In the aftermath of the centuries-long conflict between the two orders, the once-united empire of Aryavarta lies splintered, a shadow of its former glorious self.
Now, the last Secret Keeper of the Firewrights is dead, killed by a violent hand, and the battle for supreme power in the empire is about to begin.
As mighty powers hurtle towards a bloody conflict, Govinda Shauri, cowherd-turned-prince and now Commander of the armies of Dwaraka, must use all his cunning to counter deception and treachery if he is to protect his people and those whom he loves.
But who holds the key to the fantastic and startling knowledge of the Firewrights, which in the wrong hands will bring doom upon the empire? And does Govinda have it in him to confront the dark secrets of his past and discover the true meaning of being Arya, of being noble?
Aryavarta – the ancient realm of the noble.
For generations, the Firstborn dynasty of scholar-sages, descendants of Vasishta Varuni and protectors of the Divine Order on earth, has dominated here. For just as long, the Angirasa family of Firewrights, weapon-makers to the kings and master inventors, has defied them. In the aftermath of the centuries-long conflict between the two orders, the once-united empire of Aryavarta lies splintered, a shadow of its former glorious self.
Now, the last Secret Keeper of the Firewrights is dead, killed by a violent hand, and the battle for supreme power in the empire is about to begin.
As mighty powers hurtle towards a bloody conflict, Govinda Shauri, cowherd-turned-prince and now Commander of the armies of Dwaraka, must use all his cunning to counter deception and treachery if he is to protect his people and those whom he loves.
But who holds the key to the fantastic and startling knowledge of the Firewrights, which in the wrong hands will bring doom upon the empire? And does Govinda have it in him to confront the dark secrets of his past and discover the true meaning of being Arya, of being noble?
458 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
September 29, 2013
PATHETIC.
I have never seen any Indian author writing this badly. There are soooooooo many names, people,events etc this leaves the reader clueless. After 3 rd chapter. By all means copy Amish Tripathi but make sure that ur even half way near to his wits and intelligence. After Meluha it seems that young people with a Post - Grad degree and an ability to write are on a spree to pick up a mythological character and mold it into human form and write a battle around it. WHY? why copy? come up with something original. What came as a shocker was the language, it was so casual, the conversation between two characters was so much like our day today convo,if you are writing for a particular era than make sure that dialect matches to that age.
Cant write a detailed review as I had no strength and willingness to wrack my brain or time over this.
I have never seen any Indian author writing this badly. There are soooooooo many names, people,events etc this leaves the reader clueless. After 3 rd chapter. By all means copy Amish Tripathi but make sure that ur even half way near to his wits and intelligence. After Meluha it seems that young people with a Post - Grad degree and an ability to write are on a spree to pick up a mythological character and mold it into human form and write a battle around it. WHY? why copy? come up with something original. What came as a shocker was the language, it was so casual, the conversation between two characters was so much like our day today convo,if you are writing for a particular era than make sure that dialect matches to that age.
Cant write a detailed review as I had no strength and willingness to wrack my brain or time over this.
October 27, 2019
I think I have shared earlier in the review of Beast by Krishna Udayasankar, but let me share it again. I have bought Govinda by Krishna along with Auth of Vayuputra when Vayuputra was released. But I read Govinda much later (in 2015). And by the time I decided to buy the next two parts of the series they were out of the shelf. So I didn't get a chance to read the 2nd & 3rd part. Recently I saw a post by Krishna that the Govinda series along with Immortal are adopted by Penguin India and they are re-published. And as a Diwali gift, we were provided copies of the first part of Govinda & Immortal in exchange for an honest review. As Govinda is the same as the previous copy I bought, I went through the book to revise important points that can be covered in the review.
Before I go to plot discussion, let me give you a brief comparison of two editions.
Cover - Though both editions are paperbacks, the first edition cover was more elegant than the latest one. :)
Page - I think yellowish pages with a golden look of the title was giving regal look to the first edition. The latest edition is having proper paperbacks look.
Font settings - Here the latest edition has won the race, where the first edition has smaller fonts this edition has adequate sized fonts for the better reading experience.
Well, the first edition is no longer available, so you don't have a choice to select an edition of your likings. But I have both editions, so I gave details as per my experience.
As the name suggests the main character of our story is Govinda Saury, a cowherd who became general of Dwarka's military. The next main character is Panchali, princess of Panchala. And as it is the story of Mahabharata all major characters of actual Mahabharata play a major/minor role in this book as well. To bring a unique angle to the story, the author has shown the world with mere mortal without any divine powers. Aryavarta, as we know today, was led by firstborns sages & his followers through kings & lords. But way before that time, another entity had given a tough time to firstborns and they were known as Firewrights, a clan/group of people who work on machines, weaponry & alchemy. But they were almost wiped off by firstborns & kings. The book starts with the death of Ghora Angisara, the last known Firewrites of Mahabharata time. With his death, a bigger plan of powerful people brought into a crumble. On another side, a cowherd Gopala took it on himself to bring Pandava to the front runners of Aryavarta. Pandava, five brothers, who themselves were not sure of their heritage due to mystery behind their birth, were supported by Govinda achieved many unreachable targets which they may not be able to if Govinda was not present with them. They got a marriage alliance with Panchala, Dwarika; they decimated the Khandavprasth forest with its secrets to start a new kingdom, they killed and subdued the mighty Jarasandha & his kingdom Magadha; and finally able to hold Rajsuya Yagya. Panchali witnessed all means Govinda took to achieve this, for which her husband & his brothers didn't protest even once.
As the already mentioned concept is unique and so was the delivery of the content. Unlike Amish Tripath or Anand Neelkanthan, Krishna's writing style is more lavish. You will get a good amount of description to enhance your experience. It is up to you to decide whether you are okay with lengthy narrations or not. Coming to the content part, I have just read part one, but Mahabharata is vast and writing story till Rajsuya in just first part in around 400 pages, which I found a little bit fast. She might have taken it slowly. Having said that, there are places where the pace of the story was medium, and there are places where the pace was fast enough to keep turning pages. I found a few factual things misplaced, apart from that a nice read.
Detailed Review Link - https://chevusread.blogspot.com/2019/...
Before I go to plot discussion, let me give you a brief comparison of two editions.
Cover - Though both editions are paperbacks, the first edition cover was more elegant than the latest one. :)
Page - I think yellowish pages with a golden look of the title was giving regal look to the first edition. The latest edition is having proper paperbacks look.
Font settings - Here the latest edition has won the race, where the first edition has smaller fonts this edition has adequate sized fonts for the better reading experience.
Well, the first edition is no longer available, so you don't have a choice to select an edition of your likings. But I have both editions, so I gave details as per my experience.
As the name suggests the main character of our story is Govinda Saury, a cowherd who became general of Dwarka's military. The next main character is Panchali, princess of Panchala. And as it is the story of Mahabharata all major characters of actual Mahabharata play a major/minor role in this book as well. To bring a unique angle to the story, the author has shown the world with mere mortal without any divine powers. Aryavarta, as we know today, was led by firstborns sages & his followers through kings & lords. But way before that time, another entity had given a tough time to firstborns and they were known as Firewrights, a clan/group of people who work on machines, weaponry & alchemy. But they were almost wiped off by firstborns & kings. The book starts with the death of Ghora Angisara, the last known Firewrites of Mahabharata time. With his death, a bigger plan of powerful people brought into a crumble. On another side, a cowherd Gopala took it on himself to bring Pandava to the front runners of Aryavarta. Pandava, five brothers, who themselves were not sure of their heritage due to mystery behind their birth, were supported by Govinda achieved many unreachable targets which they may not be able to if Govinda was not present with them. They got a marriage alliance with Panchala, Dwarika; they decimated the Khandavprasth forest with its secrets to start a new kingdom, they killed and subdued the mighty Jarasandha & his kingdom Magadha; and finally able to hold Rajsuya Yagya. Panchali witnessed all means Govinda took to achieve this, for which her husband & his brothers didn't protest even once.
As the already mentioned concept is unique and so was the delivery of the content. Unlike Amish Tripath or Anand Neelkanthan, Krishna's writing style is more lavish. You will get a good amount of description to enhance your experience. It is up to you to decide whether you are okay with lengthy narrations or not. Coming to the content part, I have just read part one, but Mahabharata is vast and writing story till Rajsuya in just first part in around 400 pages, which I found a little bit fast. She might have taken it slowly. Having said that, there are places where the pace of the story was medium, and there are places where the pace was fast enough to keep turning pages. I found a few factual things misplaced, apart from that a nice read.
Detailed Review Link - https://chevusread.blogspot.com/2019/...
July 7, 2019
While I was wowed by the author Krishna’s short story in Magical Women and have been waiting to read her latest Beast (which my trusted friends really swear by), it didn’t occur to me that I already owned her debut trilogy and never actually read it. Thankfully I realized my folly and picked up this first book for the IndianLitReadathon and it was definitely an awesome decision *pats my back*...
Mahabharata is my favorite book in the world and nothing will ever change that. It’s had the most influence on my life, so it’s not surprising that I tend to turn unwittingly to reading the epic when I’m in need of comfort. In the recent years, I have also been able to read a few reimaginations and reinterpretations of this story by modern authors, and I’m always mesmerized by how many different ways this story could be told. In this same vein comes the author Krishna, and I’m wowed by her courage to have taken up this task right in her debut novel. The author has decided to strip the divinity from the epic and retell it as a socio-political saga of the kingdoms of Aryavarta, and I think she succeeds at it very well. The central conflict around which the story revolves here is something new, and that definitely makes it feel like a refreshing tale. The world building is done excellently, slowly revealing bits and pieces, so that it never feels info dumpy. I loved the descriptions of the kingdoms and the palaces and the terrain in general, my particular favorite being the absolutely stunning depiction of Dwaraka - I could actually feel the sun and the waves and the total awe that Partha feels when he arrives at its gates. The author also makes the characters here utterly human, with all their complicated motivations and moral dilemmas and I loved seeing them in a new light. There are lots of mysteries that are unraveled as the story progresses, but the particular reveals at the end surprised me and I’m just so excited to dive into the sequel immediately. The story is also just close enough to the canon that you might guess what could happen next, but different enough that you’ll be surprised by how the events unfold. The author manages to accentuate this feeling by giving some of the characters their not so popular names, so it never feels like you are just reading the Mahabharata.
The story follows multiple POV characters, so we get to know what everyone is thinking and the political plans they are weaving. The major perspectives we get are Govinda and Panchali, and I was just utterly fascinated by their relationship. Govinda loves his people and dedicates his whole life to be able to create a lasting empire, but he is also very dispassionate and almost emotionless in the way he manipulates everyone, which makes him pretty unlikable to everyone and also very difficult to get to know him closely. Panchali on the other hand is fiery, very intelligent and capable and is appalled at the way women are discriminated against and prevented from being in ruling positions. However, she is also pragmatic and uses her smarts to run her kingdom as well as understand the long term implications of everything happening around across the empire. Vyasa, Sanjaya, Asvathama and Shikhandin also play very important roles and it was fascinating to see them as much more developed characters. Dharma is probably the one Pandava whose depiction really surprised me, and I never knew it was possible to show him in such a morally grey light. He is such a follower and almost too much of a believer of destiny and righteousness, without actually doing any work for creating an empire - I can almost see how this will lead to his downfall and can’t wait to explore it all in the next book.
If you love Mahabharata reinterpretations, I would definitely recommend this book to you. If you are okay with stories that don’t necessarily stick to the canon and remove the mysticism of the epic in favor a socio-political fantasy saga, then you’ll enjoy this a lot. The world building is impressive, the characters very very refreshing and fascinating and the reveals totally captivating, that’ll keep you guessing as to what might happen next. Kaurava.... here I come !!!
Mahabharata is my favorite book in the world and nothing will ever change that. It’s had the most influence on my life, so it’s not surprising that I tend to turn unwittingly to reading the epic when I’m in need of comfort. In the recent years, I have also been able to read a few reimaginations and reinterpretations of this story by modern authors, and I’m always mesmerized by how many different ways this story could be told. In this same vein comes the author Krishna, and I’m wowed by her courage to have taken up this task right in her debut novel. The author has decided to strip the divinity from the epic and retell it as a socio-political saga of the kingdoms of Aryavarta, and I think she succeeds at it very well. The central conflict around which the story revolves here is something new, and that definitely makes it feel like a refreshing tale. The world building is done excellently, slowly revealing bits and pieces, so that it never feels info dumpy. I loved the descriptions of the kingdoms and the palaces and the terrain in general, my particular favorite being the absolutely stunning depiction of Dwaraka - I could actually feel the sun and the waves and the total awe that Partha feels when he arrives at its gates. The author also makes the characters here utterly human, with all their complicated motivations and moral dilemmas and I loved seeing them in a new light. There are lots of mysteries that are unraveled as the story progresses, but the particular reveals at the end surprised me and I’m just so excited to dive into the sequel immediately. The story is also just close enough to the canon that you might guess what could happen next, but different enough that you’ll be surprised by how the events unfold. The author manages to accentuate this feeling by giving some of the characters their not so popular names, so it never feels like you are just reading the Mahabharata.
The story follows multiple POV characters, so we get to know what everyone is thinking and the political plans they are weaving. The major perspectives we get are Govinda and Panchali, and I was just utterly fascinated by their relationship. Govinda loves his people and dedicates his whole life to be able to create a lasting empire, but he is also very dispassionate and almost emotionless in the way he manipulates everyone, which makes him pretty unlikable to everyone and also very difficult to get to know him closely. Panchali on the other hand is fiery, very intelligent and capable and is appalled at the way women are discriminated against and prevented from being in ruling positions. However, she is also pragmatic and uses her smarts to run her kingdom as well as understand the long term implications of everything happening around across the empire. Vyasa, Sanjaya, Asvathama and Shikhandin also play very important roles and it was fascinating to see them as much more developed characters. Dharma is probably the one Pandava whose depiction really surprised me, and I never knew it was possible to show him in such a morally grey light. He is such a follower and almost too much of a believer of destiny and righteousness, without actually doing any work for creating an empire - I can almost see how this will lead to his downfall and can’t wait to explore it all in the next book.
If you love Mahabharata reinterpretations, I would definitely recommend this book to you. If you are okay with stories that don’t necessarily stick to the canon and remove the mysticism of the epic in favor a socio-political fantasy saga, then you’ll enjoy this a lot. The world building is impressive, the characters very very refreshing and fascinating and the reveals totally captivating, that’ll keep you guessing as to what might happen next. Kaurava.... here I come !!!
August 22, 2013
I took me sometime to make up my mind about this book. And I have given it two stars only because I think the author has a strong command over her language and style of writing. The descriptive verses in this book brings forth the beautiful depiction of vedic India.
The plot is intriguing but somehow it failed to capture my interest. The only thing that fascinated me in this book was Yudhistra's admission to Draupadi that Duryodhana and his brothers were probably the rightful heirs of Kuru empire. This he admits because he knew that he and his brothers were no relation to Pandu as they were conceived through Niyoga. This could account for the complacent nature of Yudhistra and explain why he bowed down to his uncle's wishes all the time. And it also explains why the majority of Kings in Aryavarta at that time, allied with Duryodhana against the Pandavas.
Krishna wields the political baton trying to forge alliances and strengthen the arms of his cousins to counter Jarasandha's threat. And I was shocked to read that Rukmini was kidnapped by Pradyumna. Wasn't Rukmini the wife of Krishna and Pradyumna her son. (or did I read it wrong?)
As far as I know, Krishna's dynasty is well documented in Bhagavatha Purana so much so that there is no confusion as to who his son, grandson or great grandson is for that matter. So why play around with it for no purpose?
Overall I think you could give this a miss unless you are keen to read another fantasy read about Mahabharata.
The plot is intriguing but somehow it failed to capture my interest. The only thing that fascinated me in this book was Yudhistra's admission to Draupadi that Duryodhana and his brothers were probably the rightful heirs of Kuru empire. This he admits because he knew that he and his brothers were no relation to Pandu as they were conceived through Niyoga. This could account for the complacent nature of Yudhistra and explain why he bowed down to his uncle's wishes all the time. And it also explains why the majority of Kings in Aryavarta at that time, allied with Duryodhana against the Pandavas.
Krishna wields the political baton trying to forge alliances and strengthen the arms of his cousins to counter Jarasandha's threat. And I was shocked to read that Rukmini was kidnapped by Pradyumna. Wasn't Rukmini the wife of Krishna and Pradyumna her son. (or did I read it wrong?)
As far as I know, Krishna's dynasty is well documented in Bhagavatha Purana so much so that there is no confusion as to who his son, grandson or great grandson is for that matter. So why play around with it for no purpose?
Overall I think you could give this a miss unless you are keen to read another fantasy read about Mahabharata.
February 14, 2013
The rating is 3.5 to 4.0 really. What a refreshing read! Krishna Udayshankar has done a phenomenal job of demystifying the mythical heroes and villains and makes a fantastic attempt at getting to the 'why' of events rather than the 'what'. A very readable retelling of the Mahabharata, in which every character, from Krishna to Draupadi to Yudhishthira are mortals, with very human motivations, drives and failings. The book is fast paced for a body of work with the immensity of the Mahabharata - in one single volume, the author covers the time right upto the conclusion of the Rajasuya Yagya. In order to give a contemporary meaning and relevance, the author has taken certain liberties and resorted to interpretations that at times seem a bit far fetched. They seem far fetched not due to the 'leap of faith' or 'leap of interpretation', but simply because certain events and certain view of events of the Mahabharata are so firmly entrenched in our minds that to overcome them is a challenge. Nevertheless, all credit to the author for stretching our thinking to a different direction.
The author has also made a valiant attempt at constructing / de-constructing the characters of several key figures in the epic: Krishna, Yudhishthira, Jarasandha, Duryodhana, Draupadi, Vyasa and a few more. That is the biggest achievement of the book and its greatest undoing as well. For, to develop the characters of so many people with complex persona and do justice to it, to bring in a change of perspective in all of the characters and at the same time packing in multitude of events spread across several locations happening simultaneously, is a tad too much. Credit mush be given to the author for even attempting it. However, I do wish the author had not tried to pack in so much into one volume - why restrict the series to three volumes? Why not seven or eight volumes like Alex Rutherford's Empire of the Moghul series or Conn Iggulden's Emperor series and Conqueror series? The current work seems like a rushed job - you want more of it. The author has introduced several exciting and interesting ideas, but seems to be in a hurry to get to the next one. The characters could have been delved into in greater depth and detail, events described and analysed in more pages... leaving with the feeling of holding an incomplete work. Maybe if the author had given it a few more months, it would have turned out to be far better than the already very good read that it is.
In conclusion, I like the book, the ideas and the perspectives and look forward to picking up the next in the series.
The author has also made a valiant attempt at constructing / de-constructing the characters of several key figures in the epic: Krishna, Yudhishthira, Jarasandha, Duryodhana, Draupadi, Vyasa and a few more. That is the biggest achievement of the book and its greatest undoing as well. For, to develop the characters of so many people with complex persona and do justice to it, to bring in a change of perspective in all of the characters and at the same time packing in multitude of events spread across several locations happening simultaneously, is a tad too much. Credit mush be given to the author for even attempting it. However, I do wish the author had not tried to pack in so much into one volume - why restrict the series to three volumes? Why not seven or eight volumes like Alex Rutherford's Empire of the Moghul series or Conn Iggulden's Emperor series and Conqueror series? The current work seems like a rushed job - you want more of it. The author has introduced several exciting and interesting ideas, but seems to be in a hurry to get to the next one. The characters could have been delved into in greater depth and detail, events described and analysed in more pages... leaving with the feeling of holding an incomplete work. Maybe if the author had given it a few more months, it would have turned out to be far better than the already very good read that it is.
In conclusion, I like the book, the ideas and the perspectives and look forward to picking up the next in the series.
April 27, 2015
When I first read the Mahabharata as a child, I wasn’t clear on why the story started at a place called Naimisha-Aranya (The forest of Naimisha). To my mind that craved only action movies, this was a minor diversion and one that needed to be quickly bypassed to reach that big daddy of all battle scenes. But slowly with every retelling and re-reading that I went through, the forest grew on me. It was only very recently that Ashok Banker gave it a befitting name – The forest of stories. You can draw out countless tales from this forest. Heroes, villains, gods and demons walk among these tales and it would make even the seasoned fantasy writers stare in wonderment at the seemingly endless treasure trove that stands before them. Needless to say, this seems to be the rage these days among young Indian writers too for everybody wants to try their hands at retelling mythology across varied genres from action to romance to family drama. Hunting between the stacks at my library on Saturday, I came across a new series where Krishna was an assassin sent to take revenge on the Asuras by the Devas(imagine Krishna as Liam Neeson : I will look for you, I will find you and I will kill you ! some assassin he would make eh ? ). Krishna Udayasankar is another entrant to this field who chooses a retelling of the epic steeped in palace intrigues, conspiracies and machinations with a special focus on the rock star god of the Hindu pantheon : Krishna.
One thing is set straight right at the start itself : there are no gods in this tale. No one harnesses supernatural powers and nor are they the descendants of gods. They are Kings, Queens and Princes forever locked in the game of thrones. Merit should be awarded to the author for having stepped away from the ages old way of garishly painting Duryodhana as the baddie. In this tale, he is referred to by his actual name of Syyodhan and he is just another character and not the prince of darkness as most other authors would have us believe. This being the first installment I did not see nor hear much of Karna. If we go by the usual sentiments of authors, they romanticize this character to glorious heights of excessive magnanimity and valor. Here, Karna (or Vasusen) is a vassal King of Hastinapura and that is pretty much about him. No fanfare, no muses singing his praises with their lyres fully tuned etc. Then there is Krishna (or Govinda Shauri in this incarnation), the one who holds all the strings and plans out the ascent of his cousin Dharma Yudhishtir to the Emperor’s throne. Lives are made and destroyed, hearts are broken and left by the wayside, men and women die in the hundreds and still the kingdoms vie for the ultimate prize (reminds you of GRRM, doesn’t it ?). The first installment closes after Govinda and Bhima dethrone the Emperor , Jarasandha of Magadha and hence clear the way for Yudhishtir’s meteoric rise. The author is in command of her language and has a good way with words. It is a well written book from the language perspective.
And now sadly for the other parts of the book ! The whole book is hinged on a clash of clans (two of them !) – The firewrights ( the ones who hold the key to weapons technology) and the firstborn (the ones who are the trusted counselors of royalty). The conflict between these two overshadows even the Kaurava – Pandava conflict and gives the story a whole new dimension. The author unspools thread after thread of conspiracies and counter-moves and somewhere post two-thirds of the book, I lost my bearings and kept confusing firewrights with firstborns. A typical conversation that I had with my mind went like this :
Me : Alright, so that is a firewright in action !
Mind : No, it is a firstborn you fool !
Me : But I thought the author said it is a firewright, didn’t she ?
Mind : That was three pages ago, what were you looking at ?
Me : Oh darn you, you misleading double-crosser you !
Mind : Don’t you blame me for your sloppiness…
And so on.
Another point of disagreement with the author was on describing battle scenes. The Mahabharata is chock full of them and it is any fantasy writer’s best bet to lavish attention on them. This is exactly a point where I found the author to not reach up to her mark as a writer of fantasy. A tremendous battle is hinted at and as soon as you snap your fingers, it is over. The author just skims over the whole battle with a little glance at it all. If this keeps up, I might be in for a soggy ending during the Kurukshetra scenes. Towards the end, the book starts meandering and some of the principal characters go off on adventures which make no sense while looked at from the main story. A few scenes featuring Govinda also tend to get to being nothing more than rambling and long, long discourses which are not very enlightening.
By the look of things, I get a feel that the story has bitten off more than what it could chew. There are so many loose ends here that I surely hope the author ties them all up before the trilogy is done with.
Remember what the wise man said : If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it's not going to be fired, it shouldn't be hanging there.
One thing is set straight right at the start itself : there are no gods in this tale. No one harnesses supernatural powers and nor are they the descendants of gods. They are Kings, Queens and Princes forever locked in the game of thrones. Merit should be awarded to the author for having stepped away from the ages old way of garishly painting Duryodhana as the baddie. In this tale, he is referred to by his actual name of Syyodhan and he is just another character and not the prince of darkness as most other authors would have us believe. This being the first installment I did not see nor hear much of Karna. If we go by the usual sentiments of authors, they romanticize this character to glorious heights of excessive magnanimity and valor. Here, Karna (or Vasusen) is a vassal King of Hastinapura and that is pretty much about him. No fanfare, no muses singing his praises with their lyres fully tuned etc. Then there is Krishna (or Govinda Shauri in this incarnation), the one who holds all the strings and plans out the ascent of his cousin Dharma Yudhishtir to the Emperor’s throne. Lives are made and destroyed, hearts are broken and left by the wayside, men and women die in the hundreds and still the kingdoms vie for the ultimate prize (reminds you of GRRM, doesn’t it ?). The first installment closes after Govinda and Bhima dethrone the Emperor , Jarasandha of Magadha and hence clear the way for Yudhishtir’s meteoric rise. The author is in command of her language and has a good way with words. It is a well written book from the language perspective.
And now sadly for the other parts of the book ! The whole book is hinged on a clash of clans (two of them !) – The firewrights ( the ones who hold the key to weapons technology) and the firstborn (the ones who are the trusted counselors of royalty). The conflict between these two overshadows even the Kaurava – Pandava conflict and gives the story a whole new dimension. The author unspools thread after thread of conspiracies and counter-moves and somewhere post two-thirds of the book, I lost my bearings and kept confusing firewrights with firstborns. A typical conversation that I had with my mind went like this :
Me : Alright, so that is a firewright in action !
Mind : No, it is a firstborn you fool !
Me : But I thought the author said it is a firewright, didn’t she ?
Mind : That was three pages ago, what were you looking at ?
Me : Oh darn you, you misleading double-crosser you !
Mind : Don’t you blame me for your sloppiness…
And so on.
Another point of disagreement with the author was on describing battle scenes. The Mahabharata is chock full of them and it is any fantasy writer’s best bet to lavish attention on them. This is exactly a point where I found the author to not reach up to her mark as a writer of fantasy. A tremendous battle is hinted at and as soon as you snap your fingers, it is over. The author just skims over the whole battle with a little glance at it all. If this keeps up, I might be in for a soggy ending during the Kurukshetra scenes. Towards the end, the book starts meandering and some of the principal characters go off on adventures which make no sense while looked at from the main story. A few scenes featuring Govinda also tend to get to being nothing more than rambling and long, long discourses which are not very enlightening.
By the look of things, I get a feel that the story has bitten off more than what it could chew. There are so many loose ends here that I surely hope the author ties them all up before the trilogy is done with.
Remember what the wise man said : If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it's not going to be fired, it shouldn't be hanging there.
April 30, 2016
It is not often that an author is brave enough to take on one of the most well known mythological and religious texts for her debut novel but, knowing her, albeit in another life a long time ago, one would expect no less from Krishna. Most of what one reads as the Mahabharata is a collection of a simplistic "good prevails over evil" stories that is probably meant for children. Krishna does exceptionally well to make it interesting for those who know the stereotypes but yearn for someone to connect all the stories. The idea of a work of fiction based on existing works of faith and mythology is always a challenge when stereotypes built over centuries become sacred cows and any attempt at a different perspective risks being termed blasphemous. It is surprising that her bibliography omits Bhimsen by Prem Panicker, an unofficial translation of the Malayalam book Randamoozham, a short work which looks at the great epic from Bhimâ's perspective showing him to be so much more than a gentle giant that he is made out to be. In many ways her novel is so much like Bhimsen where the various characters of the mythology have complex personalities, showing up the simplistic uni - dimensional personalities which only work in the separate stories of the Mahabharata. With more aspects to the personality of the various characters which she builds so exquisitely, she is able to weave a wonderful story, when many of the others have just been collections of incidents about central characters involved in the Mahabharata. I started reading the book expecting it to be a work of fiction based on the various stories surrounding the Mahabharata. Having read some of the works that she has used in her research, one cannot but be impressed by how she has assimilated so much research while at the same time not for a moment looking like the novel was just a mere re-mix of old tunes. When I read the author's note at the beginning and her note on sources and methods at the end, I was not sure if this was a debutant seeking approval of her work and methods or if in some way, by presenting her hypothesis and research she expected this work to be an interpretation of the Mahabharata to impress the academics. Perhaps when she reads Amitav Ghosh, who did not impress me with a similar approach in Imam and the Indian, she will realise that an author needs to allow the readers to appreciate the work for what the end product is, not for the list of ingredients or the recipe, which the discerning ones will like to discover for themselves. I do hope that she has more time and editorial resources to iron out the Indian English and have it proof read a few more times. Perhaps I am what many call, anal, but I cannot help wincing when I read "revert back" and "involuntary shiver". I didn't understand the use of Syoddhan and Vasusena as replacements for the more popular Duryodhana and Karna. Just this would not be sufficient for her to be able to defend any charge that she was rewriting a religious text. She has set herself quite a challenge by promising us the second and third books of The Aryavarta Chronicles, which will keep many of us anxious for some time now while we still digest this wonderful feast that she has just served up.
March 7, 2017
Great premise. Very poor story telling. Soporific. Hopefully the next one will be better.
April 27, 2014
An excellent read. I have read all the volumes of "Krishnavatara" by K.M.Munshi. So the idea of Mahabharata as a story of extraordinary humans who had no superpowers was not new to me. What was new in "Govinda" is Mahabharata as a story of people all of whom have personalities which fall into grey or black(except I think Suka, Vyasa's son) and the intrigue in the political plots and plans behind the well known wars and conflicts. The book gives a different perspective, and there's no way to decide if it's true or not.
Edit: I previously mentioned the author of Krishnavatara as C.Rajagopalachari. It was actually K.M.Munshi.
Edit: I previously mentioned the author of Krishnavatara as C.Rajagopalachari. It was actually K.M.Munshi.
October 3, 2012
Full Review originally at Fantasy Book critic
ANALYSIS: I have been a fan of history and mythology as long as I can remember, plus being born in India led to me being exposed to a whole host of stories based on history and mythology. For most SFF readers in the subcontinent, their fascination begins when their grandmothers tell them about the Ramayana or the Mahabharata or both. These two epics are the cultural and mythological foundation in India as they deal with magic, heroes, destiny and lots of other things. For me, the Mahabharata always held a special fascination as it had a vast character cast and shades of grey to almost all of them.
My first exposure to this mega story came via the Amar Chitra Katha comic books, then as I read the C. Rajagopalchari version and finally culminating into the canon version by Kisari Mohan Ganguli. Through out these versions, the complexity never dimmed but kept on growing and made the story even more enticing. I also was able to read further volumes that explored the story via various characters or different aspects of the tale itself like Yuganta by Iravati Karve, Mrityunjay by Shivaji Sawant, Yajnaseni by Pratibha Ray, Yugandhar by Shivaji Sawant, The Mahabharata: A Modern Rendering by Ramesh Menon, Parva by S. L. Bhyrappa etc. My fascination with this story has grown exponentially and I’m ever on the lookout for new books that feature/focus on this magnificent story. So when I came across this new debut, I was intrigued simply by its blurb and wanted to see where it would stand among the aforementioned gems that I have previously read.
The story begins in the past and introduces a land that is slowly decaying from within. We are told about the machinations of the order of Firewrights that has lead to the ruination of the Matsya kingdom. There has been a decades long conflict going on between the Firewrights and the order of the Firstborn, a priestly order that has been leading various nations in matters of theology, politics and social structure. These two orders have been at loggerheads for reasons divulged in the book but that has also lead to various kingdoms arrayed differently in either support or against the Firewrights. However in the recent past things have take a drastically bad turn for the Firewrights and many of their members are dead. The book’s story begins with the murder of Ghora Angirasa (the head of the Firewrights) that upsets many a calculated plan and leads to beginning of the story with Govinda Shauri. Govinda is one of the crown princes of the Vrishini clan and of the Yadu kingdom while also being considered by many to be an enigma. He has led his people from their origins in Mathura to a new city called Dwarka on the Western boundary of Aryavarta. His enmity with Jarasandha, the Magadhan emperor has also complicated the political landscape and he needs to find newer allies to strengthen his own position as well.
Panchali is the princess of the Panchala kingdom who are a force to reckon with and her marriage will further complicate relations between neighboring kingdoms. The Kuru kingdom have their own problems as two groups of princes are looking to mark their own destiny. The Kuru princes are lead by Syyodhan who is a fair person. The Pandava princes are lead by Dharma who considers himself to be a sagacious leader. There are many more characters that play further important roles and should be discovered by the readers. This book takes the bones of the Mahabharata saga and then weaves it away from its magical, divine entity roots and makes it out to be a socio-political saga that makes this debut book very interesting and even so for those (like myself) who have a good idea about what to expect. Its a retelling of the Mahabharata but stripping it away from all its Gods, Magic and poetry. This is a story purely focused on the socio-political structure of the land and the characters that are presented as human beings with agendas of their own.
This was the first terrific thing about the novel that it does away completely with the divinity of the characters and makes out to be real human beings, who are as confused, conflicted and complex as the rest of us. This allows for newer turns in the story and also for the author to explore character relationships in a manner not seen by the readers before. The characters that get a POV in this book are most of the famous ones however the author presents a newer side of their relationships. I loved the author’s interpretation on the character’s motives and thoughts, she presents characters that involve the readers within their world and also allow the author to add a few shades to each and every one of them. There’s also some modern notions that are attributed to this story but I think it was necessary in regards to making the story that much more accessible and for presenting it as a complex socio-political saga.
The author’s prose was also another positive as from the first pages wherein she describes a world that is foreign and a bit different than what most readers have come to expect in the epic fantasy genre. She however does it smoothly whilst being careful so as to not seem to be info-dumping. The world settings as well as the political structure are very effectively described for the readers to understand the why and what about the land. Since this story is focused on the socio-political structure of Aryavarta, this description was a very important component of the story and makes the ongoing conflict a bit easier to understand.
The characterization is also another plus point as the author presents a complex story with a multi-POV structure and with many characters vastly different from those presented in the original texts. This aspect of the story was a smart move on the author’s part as it not only created intrigue but also had me guessing at to what would happen next. The story takes quite some twists as the character relationships are again markedly different than those presented in the canon version of the story. This twist to the story was again a calculated one that makes the reader to be engrossed by the happenings within the story.
I couldn’t find any major faults with this debut and the way the story ends, it will be apparent to the readers what will be coming next (The great war that is the focus of the Mahabharata) but again with all the surprises loaded in this book. I’m not sure what to expect and how the eventual story will turn out. There's also a curious naming pattern to all the characters and one that I hope the author will clarify in her forthcoming FBC interview. I think this book will be a good surprise to most readers however for those looking for an interpretation closer to the canonical story might not find it here and might be disappointed. I thought this to be the strongpoint for the book but it all depends on the perspective of each reader. There's also the massive character cast and with a character appendix not provided, it might not be easy for readers to remember them all without a moment's hesitation.
CONCLUSION: This book completely blew me away. I consider myself to be well acquainted with the Mahabharata as I have read the original work as well as the other books about it (such as Mrityunjay, Parva, Yajnaseni, and those by C.R. Rajagopalachari, C. Divakaruni, etc). Yet I was completely enthralled by the story, as I was constantly kept a bit askew by the story's turns and twists. This is a complex retelling of a terrific story and is very much recommended for all readers who want something different from the usual pseudo-European fantasy fare. On a sidenote this book also fits perfectly with "Non-European Fantasy by Women" list as well. The Mahabharata is said to be an Ocean of stories, which is ever expanding, Krishna Udayasankar has just added a huge dollop to it that enriches the complexity of the story even more.
April 11, 2024
It is a surprisingly dense book without much meaning. Mahabharath is a fascinating epic where everyone tries to draw their own meaning. It is by nature open to interpretation. The character of Panchali and her meaningless angst and dialogues, the names derived from modern names by removing a letter (Nepa) and the villain (this time Yudhishtir), so fake. The premise of being mytho-historical also was not served. Avoidable!
December 22, 2018
Easily 4 star book if it didn't have minor flaws.
I have been on journey of Indian mythology for a while now and with such good reviews this series had garnered, I decided to read it and I was not disappointed. Although the book is about Mahabharata it's neither reinterpretation not retelling of the epic instead the book is critical analysis of the epic with humane characters and logical explanations for the events. Don't expect the characters in this book to be the ones which we have known all along. The characters portrayed here have different shades and everything is not black and white. The writing skills of the author has to be commended, the writing is crisp with right set of words and enough visual representations described whenever and wherever needed, probably the best Indian writing I have read so far.
Coming to the shortcoming. The paperback version of the book has small fonts and spacing between lines very less. So much so that it never allowed me to read more than an hour in one sitting, this book is definitely not for travel. Another problem was that author chose to have other names of the characters instead of the famous names everyone knows. The pacing of the first half the book was also not so engaging, there wasn't much happening in book in the first half but the pace picked up in the second half and it was a delightful read.
I would recommend this book to everyone who is interested in different take on the epic. I would love to read the next book if only the font and spacing issues weren't there but alas, the other two books too suffer from the same issue so I'll have to wait for a while before I start reading the next book in the series.
I have been on journey of Indian mythology for a while now and with such good reviews this series had garnered, I decided to read it and I was not disappointed. Although the book is about Mahabharata it's neither reinterpretation not retelling of the epic instead the book is critical analysis of the epic with humane characters and logical explanations for the events. Don't expect the characters in this book to be the ones which we have known all along. The characters portrayed here have different shades and everything is not black and white. The writing skills of the author has to be commended, the writing is crisp with right set of words and enough visual representations described whenever and wherever needed, probably the best Indian writing I have read so far.
Coming to the shortcoming. The paperback version of the book has small fonts and spacing between lines very less. So much so that it never allowed me to read more than an hour in one sitting, this book is definitely not for travel. Another problem was that author chose to have other names of the characters instead of the famous names everyone knows. The pacing of the first half the book was also not so engaging, there wasn't much happening in book in the first half but the pace picked up in the second half and it was a delightful read.
I would recommend this book to everyone who is interested in different take on the epic. I would love to read the next book if only the font and spacing issues weren't there but alas, the other two books too suffer from the same issue so I'll have to wait for a while before I start reading the next book in the series.
December 14, 2012
Had the book not been based on the 'Mahabharata', I would have really liked it. But where Krishna(author) failed is mixing mythology with the fantasy. There are many absurd instances in the book that is quite not digestible and contradicting 'Mahabharata'. Though I was very happy when I read the book cover page, I regretted it the moment I started reading it. Not going for book 2 and 3. Hugely disappointed.
September 21, 2012
An attempt at re-telling the Mahabharata story. A bit dragging and over fictitious. Tough to rate it high if you have read M.T or Iravati Karve.
November 16, 2023
I've read different versions of the Mahabharata and it is an epic that has always amazed me.
What Ms Udayasankar has done in this, the first of her Aryavarta trilogy, is fascinating. Taking the mythical Mahabharata story and making it a very human one. No gods, devas or asuras here. Only kings and queens with their all too human moral dilemmas and impulses, motivated by the political needs of the times.
The characters' names in Govinda are their lesser known names - Dharma for Yudhisthira. Parth for Arjuna. Panchali for Draupadi. Syoddhan for Duryodhana. Govinda for Krishna. It can be confusing for the new reader with the many names and different story lines. But being familiar with the characters and the sub-stories within the story, I didn't have a problem keeping everything straight.
The world building here was superb. The descriptions of the different terrain, palaces, kingdoms and the various people that populated Aryavarta were exciting to read. It brought the story home in a more meaningful way.
Another thing that fascinated me was her depiction of Dharma. The Yudhisthira I know was the most righteous, most upright and most principled man of the five Pandavas. A mighty warrior in his own right. But here Dharma is shown in a, somewhat, morally grey light and not as a warrior at all. He was indecisive, in constant need of affirmation and depended on his brothers to win him his Empire. Besides this, another interesting aspect was that Syoddhan wasn't the warmongering, Pandava-hating brute as depicted in many other versions. In Govinda, he's calm, peaceful & not jealous of the Pandavas. These made for an interesting juxtaposition for me. Panchali on the other hand seemed more familiar as it reminded me of another version of Draupadi that I had read before. Strong, fiery, capable and efficient. Definitely a woman ahead of her time.
The one bit that confused me in Govinda was when Pradymna (Krishna's adopted son) rescues Rukmini from an unwanted marriage and marries her. In the epic, it was Krishna that did the rescuing and marrying and Pradyumna was his and Rukmini's son. But I suppose such change/differences are kosher in the interests of literary licence.
While this might not be everyone's cup of tea, I definitely enjoyed it and will be reading the rest of the series.
What Ms Udayasankar has done in this, the first of her Aryavarta trilogy, is fascinating. Taking the mythical Mahabharata story and making it a very human one. No gods, devas or asuras here. Only kings and queens with their all too human moral dilemmas and impulses, motivated by the political needs of the times.
The characters' names in Govinda are their lesser known names - Dharma for Yudhisthira. Parth for Arjuna. Panchali for Draupadi. Syoddhan for Duryodhana. Govinda for Krishna. It can be confusing for the new reader with the many names and different story lines. But being familiar with the characters and the sub-stories within the story, I didn't have a problem keeping everything straight.
The world building here was superb. The descriptions of the different terrain, palaces, kingdoms and the various people that populated Aryavarta were exciting to read. It brought the story home in a more meaningful way.
Another thing that fascinated me was her depiction of Dharma. The Yudhisthira I know was the most righteous, most upright and most principled man of the five Pandavas. A mighty warrior in his own right. But here Dharma is shown in a, somewhat, morally grey light and not as a warrior at all. He was indecisive, in constant need of affirmation and depended on his brothers to win him his Empire. Besides this, another interesting aspect was that Syoddhan wasn't the warmongering, Pandava-hating brute as depicted in many other versions. In Govinda, he's calm, peaceful & not jealous of the Pandavas. These made for an interesting juxtaposition for me. Panchali on the other hand seemed more familiar as it reminded me of another version of Draupadi that I had read before. Strong, fiery, capable and efficient. Definitely a woman ahead of her time.
The one bit that confused me in Govinda was when Pradymna (Krishna's adopted son) rescues Rukmini from an unwanted marriage and marries her. In the epic, it was Krishna that did the rescuing and marrying and Pradyumna was his and Rukmini's son. But I suppose such change/differences are kosher in the interests of literary licence.
While this might not be everyone's cup of tea, I definitely enjoyed it and will be reading the rest of the series.
November 19, 2012
By Krishna Udayashankar. Aryavarta Chronicles #1. Grade: A
—Reviewed by Anuj Sharma –
At the young and naive age of six, my grandmother got me married. Yes, a child marriage, and since then the Mahabharata has been my better half. Most of my basic understanding of Indian mythology came from reading the Amar Chitra Katha as a kid, and eventually it exposed me to whole world of stories based on history and mythology and evoke my innate love for them. The Mahabharata, the second major Sanskrit Epic of ancient India (the other being the Ramayana) is a complex book to read, and so, naturally, it is one of my favourites. This book comes with a big question attached as a tagline: a debut novelist attempting to retell an epic like the Mahabharata: Would she deliver?
HONOUR. DESIRE. VENGEANCE. Aryavarta – the ancient realm of the noble. For generations, the Firstborn dynasty of scholar-sages, descendants of Vasishta Varuni and protectors of the Divine Order on earth, has dominated here. For just as long, the Angirasa family of Firewrights, weapon-makers to the kings and master inventors, has defied them. In the aftermath of the centuries-long conflict between the two orders, the once-united empire of Aryavarta lies splintered, a shadow of its former glorious self. Now, the last Secret Keeper of the Firewrights is dead, killed by a violent hand, and the battle for supreme power in the empire is about to begin. As mighty powers hurtle towards a bloody conflict, Govinda Shauri, cowherd-turned-prince and now Commander of the armies of Dwaraka, must use all his cunning to counter deception and treachery if he is to protect his people and those whom he loves.
Govinda by Krishna Udayasankar
But who holds the key to the fantastic and startling knowledge of the Firewrights, which in the wrong hands will bring doom upon the empire? And does Govinda have it in him to confront the dark secrets of his past and discover the true meaning of being Arya, of being noble?
You might feel you can predict the plot, but you actually can’t. It opens with a conquest of a princess in a parched landscape in an underlying tone of writing that is perfected to the minutest detail. Udayshankar has employed excellent literary devices and umpteen characters in her novel that makes it a bit bulky and slows the pace but in a scholarly manner.
With her bold and enticing writing, Udayshankar has managed to bind all the characters in her story in a way that makes it clear, easy and special. It is swiftly revealed how character has an important part to play. We are introduced to the Firstborn Dynasty of scholar-sagas who are descendents of Vasishta Varuni and protector of the Divine Order on the Earth. They rule and control functioning of the planet. However, after centuries-long conflict, they are dethroned by the Firewrights, who are an ancient order of artillery scientists and inventors .
This consequence relation leads to falling apart of the once united empire of Aryavarta. The plot grew more gory when the last secret keeper of the Firewrights gets killed by a violent hand. This makes the rivalry and fighting between the Firewrights and the Firstborn dynasty take some bitter turns. Govinda Shuri, a cowherd turned prince and Commander of the armies of Dwarka – and is a master of strategy, statecraft, tactics – plots a sharp political plan which takes a political milegae by aligning with Pandava (Pandava in turn are denied throne of Hastinapur by Dhuryodhana on extremely untenable ground that their father Pandu was an impotent) against his arch-enemy Jarasandh who is politically aligned to Dhuryodhana.
Govinda is not a mainstream version of the epic tale; the main characters in the book are not divine. They are mythical characters, but ordinary all the same. Udayshankar has stripped them of their magical powers. Perfectly fine, the basic principle of Mahabharata is to teach us that at times, rules need to be bent, and sometimes dharma lies in achieving the ends, even if the means are secondary, and Udayshankar’s Govinda reinvents Mahabharata and reveres a story that does not derail from the core plot and is interesting enough that you cannot really put it down until the last page has been turned.
An absolute lavish feast of well-researched mytho-history work that has comprehend the heights and depths of the longest Epic ever.
Udayshankar has been able to weave a charm that is essentially grand and sublime stream of experiences in his evocative new dark take on the Mahabharata. The book is eloquent, yet not high handed; it is scholarly, yet not conceited. The retelling of the epic from an alternate perspective of the great Epic is intriguing . The way this book has been written is really commendable.
Kudos to debutant Krishna Udayshankar who has chosen to take the road less traveled and the ending prepares the reader for the second book and I’m definitely going to be reading that one soon. Expectations to next installment are pregnant with obvious adventure.
About the Author Krishna Udayasankar is a graduate of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore, and holds a PhD in Strategic Management from the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where she presently works as a Lecturer. Govinda is Krishna’s first published novel. She is currently working on the second and third books of The Aryavarta Chronicles and a collection of prose-poems entitled Objects of Affection. A resident of sunny Singapore, when she’s not busy writing and teaching, Krishna loves to watch Rajinikanth movies first-day, first-show, complete with applause and whistles, and to go on long drives with her husband, Jai, and two Siberian Huskies, Boozo and Zana.
Originally reviewed at: http://vaultofbooks.com/
—Reviewed by Anuj Sharma –
At the young and naive age of six, my grandmother got me married. Yes, a child marriage, and since then the Mahabharata has been my better half. Most of my basic understanding of Indian mythology came from reading the Amar Chitra Katha as a kid, and eventually it exposed me to whole world of stories based on history and mythology and evoke my innate love for them. The Mahabharata, the second major Sanskrit Epic of ancient India (the other being the Ramayana) is a complex book to read, and so, naturally, it is one of my favourites. This book comes with a big question attached as a tagline: a debut novelist attempting to retell an epic like the Mahabharata: Would she deliver?
HONOUR. DESIRE. VENGEANCE. Aryavarta – the ancient realm of the noble. For generations, the Firstborn dynasty of scholar-sages, descendants of Vasishta Varuni and protectors of the Divine Order on earth, has dominated here. For just as long, the Angirasa family of Firewrights, weapon-makers to the kings and master inventors, has defied them. In the aftermath of the centuries-long conflict between the two orders, the once-united empire of Aryavarta lies splintered, a shadow of its former glorious self. Now, the last Secret Keeper of the Firewrights is dead, killed by a violent hand, and the battle for supreme power in the empire is about to begin. As mighty powers hurtle towards a bloody conflict, Govinda Shauri, cowherd-turned-prince and now Commander of the armies of Dwaraka, must use all his cunning to counter deception and treachery if he is to protect his people and those whom he loves.
Govinda by Krishna Udayasankar
But who holds the key to the fantastic and startling knowledge of the Firewrights, which in the wrong hands will bring doom upon the empire? And does Govinda have it in him to confront the dark secrets of his past and discover the true meaning of being Arya, of being noble?
You might feel you can predict the plot, but you actually can’t. It opens with a conquest of a princess in a parched landscape in an underlying tone of writing that is perfected to the minutest detail. Udayshankar has employed excellent literary devices and umpteen characters in her novel that makes it a bit bulky and slows the pace but in a scholarly manner.
With her bold and enticing writing, Udayshankar has managed to bind all the characters in her story in a way that makes it clear, easy and special. It is swiftly revealed how character has an important part to play. We are introduced to the Firstborn Dynasty of scholar-sagas who are descendents of Vasishta Varuni and protector of the Divine Order on the Earth. They rule and control functioning of the planet. However, after centuries-long conflict, they are dethroned by the Firewrights, who are an ancient order of artillery scientists and inventors .
This consequence relation leads to falling apart of the once united empire of Aryavarta. The plot grew more gory when the last secret keeper of the Firewrights gets killed by a violent hand. This makes the rivalry and fighting between the Firewrights and the Firstborn dynasty take some bitter turns. Govinda Shuri, a cowherd turned prince and Commander of the armies of Dwarka – and is a master of strategy, statecraft, tactics – plots a sharp political plan which takes a political milegae by aligning with Pandava (Pandava in turn are denied throne of Hastinapur by Dhuryodhana on extremely untenable ground that their father Pandu was an impotent) against his arch-enemy Jarasandh who is politically aligned to Dhuryodhana.
Govinda is not a mainstream version of the epic tale; the main characters in the book are not divine. They are mythical characters, but ordinary all the same. Udayshankar has stripped them of their magical powers. Perfectly fine, the basic principle of Mahabharata is to teach us that at times, rules need to be bent, and sometimes dharma lies in achieving the ends, even if the means are secondary, and Udayshankar’s Govinda reinvents Mahabharata and reveres a story that does not derail from the core plot and is interesting enough that you cannot really put it down until the last page has been turned.
An absolute lavish feast of well-researched mytho-history work that has comprehend the heights and depths of the longest Epic ever.
Udayshankar has been able to weave a charm that is essentially grand and sublime stream of experiences in his evocative new dark take on the Mahabharata. The book is eloquent, yet not high handed; it is scholarly, yet not conceited. The retelling of the epic from an alternate perspective of the great Epic is intriguing . The way this book has been written is really commendable.
Kudos to debutant Krishna Udayshankar who has chosen to take the road less traveled and the ending prepares the reader for the second book and I’m definitely going to be reading that one soon. Expectations to next installment are pregnant with obvious adventure.
About the Author Krishna Udayasankar is a graduate of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore, and holds a PhD in Strategic Management from the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where she presently works as a Lecturer. Govinda is Krishna’s first published novel. She is currently working on the second and third books of The Aryavarta Chronicles and a collection of prose-poems entitled Objects of Affection. A resident of sunny Singapore, when she’s not busy writing and teaching, Krishna loves to watch Rajinikanth movies first-day, first-show, complete with applause and whistles, and to go on long drives with her husband, Jai, and two Siberian Huskies, Boozo and Zana.
Originally reviewed at: http://vaultofbooks.com/
April 19, 2022
It’s an okay-ish read.
Udayashankar has done her research, and the world she has created reflects that. The socio-political drama, the tussle between two ideologies, the tantalizing information meted out about the elusive tribe- it makes for an interesting read. The characters are totally different and not at all similar to their Mahabharata namesakes, and while mildly irritating, it’s not a big deal. I was like, why use Mahabharata character names at all, then? Why not make everything original? But that’s just a little personal grouse, and I assumed it’s an alternate universe and moved on.
But it wasn’t enough. What makes this otherwise interesting story very average is the characterizations. They’re completely bland, like cardboard cutouts mouthing what the author wants you to know. No depth to anyone at all. In fact, this is the first fictional work on Mahabharata in which I didn’t like Krishna’s character- Govinda. He talks too much, and is- just not there. His motives are not brought out well in the story and since the characterization is shallow with little emotion, it is irritating rather than a page-turner. Panchali suffers from Mary Sue syndrome. She’s everything super, and yet is myopic about so many things. The author has contrived some ridiculous moments to make her important and establish her as queen of woke. It looks forced and very unnatural. Duryodhana could have been a winner had he been given a perspective, but he ends up as a lost opportunity. Arjuna is little more than a womanizer. But the greatest tragedy is that the protagonist of the Mahabharata has been made a man of dubious morals and a weak character. So far I have failed to see why, and I have already finished the book. Maybe it will clear up in the next two installments? Here’s to hope.
All in all, a great plot that’s been bogged down by some very average writing.
Udayashankar has done her research, and the world she has created reflects that. The socio-political drama, the tussle between two ideologies, the tantalizing information meted out about the elusive tribe- it makes for an interesting read. The characters are totally different and not at all similar to their Mahabharata namesakes, and while mildly irritating, it’s not a big deal. I was like, why use Mahabharata character names at all, then? Why not make everything original? But that’s just a little personal grouse, and I assumed it’s an alternate universe and moved on.
But it wasn’t enough. What makes this otherwise interesting story very average is the characterizations. They’re completely bland, like cardboard cutouts mouthing what the author wants you to know. No depth to anyone at all. In fact, this is the first fictional work on Mahabharata in which I didn’t like Krishna’s character- Govinda. He talks too much, and is- just not there. His motives are not brought out well in the story and since the characterization is shallow with little emotion, it is irritating rather than a page-turner. Panchali suffers from Mary Sue syndrome. She’s everything super, and yet is myopic about so many things. The author has contrived some ridiculous moments to make her important and establish her as queen of woke. It looks forced and very unnatural. Duryodhana could have been a winner had he been given a perspective, but he ends up as a lost opportunity. Arjuna is little more than a womanizer. But the greatest tragedy is that the protagonist of the Mahabharata has been made a man of dubious morals and a weak character. So far I have failed to see why, and I have already finished the book. Maybe it will clear up in the next two installments? Here’s to hope.
All in all, a great plot that’s been bogged down by some very average writing.
June 15, 2021
Dnf at page 125
I feel terrible that I'm abandoning this book but it's a complete it's me not you situation. I don't generally read historical fiction, especially ones that focus on politics so much. I keep putting this book down and gravitating towards other books. I might pick it up again sometime in the future but I certainly am not in the mood to read it right now.
I feel terrible that I'm abandoning this book but it's a complete it's me not you situation. I don't generally read historical fiction, especially ones that focus on politics so much. I keep putting this book down and gravitating towards other books. I might pick it up again sometime in the future but I certainly am not in the mood to read it right now.
March 23, 2018
First & foremost I've to mention that my review is going to be long. Now now, don't get upset because the things I'm going to mention in detail is definitely gonna help the readers attain perfection, salvation & seek resolution. One thing that comes to my mind after finishing this book is 'Krishna.' The will definitely turn out to be a great movie. Trust me on this, very few books resonate with the experience with gives you a feeling that lingers in your throat & mind the moment you reach midway across the book.
I felt the same way while reading this. Though a fiction, there have been lots of traces that leads to stark reality accompanied with deep research & explanations.
The way it has been written & the climax which gives a feeling that, the story will make a refined series will undoubtedly touch your hearts.
Moreover, the humor content adds exuberance to the overall book.
Cover is enthralling. It's beautiful, refined & well defined with the plot at hand. The trident picturesque clearly explains the fantasy & dream aspects that are going to be presented in the book. The fathom less war & battle cry depicted is just amazing. The soft touch adds another feather to the cap.
At first, the title maynot sound appealing to the ears, but trust me folks never judge a book by its title. Just like the folklore goes, 'never judge a book by its cover.'
The similarity goes undefined in this context as well.
The title goes in apt with the story in hand, well defined with the story written in detail, the explanations given across every segment of the book. Even the minutest detail has been explained with the figment of imagination satiating the curiosity of the readers goes in par excellence of the mature writing exhibited in this book.
Theme consists of gameplay, politics, mystery, suspense, copious amount of humour, change in society, friendship, love, happiness, joy, sadness, war, suffering, humanity, gods, angels, demons, mystical weapons, universal power all inhibited with many other aspects making this book a complete surprise to the new readers.
Story consists of a couple of warriors along with a traction who's none other than the avatar of vishnu who wishes to bring change to the society via waging a full scale war. Fate brought them under strange circumstances when never in their wildest dreams they decided to opt for politics or lust for kingdom . The fate of the humanity rests upon their hands. However, reason being the same the never-ending zeel to bring happiness to others, freeing them from the clutches of evil.
Little did they knew their lives are gonna change because they've been living in an illusion. Because things are not always what we perceive themselves to be. What came next was beyond their feeble imagination.
The book talks about a mysterious mystical epic war. A battle between angels & demons, God & Satan himself, good versus evil, heaven versus hell and so on.
All in the pretext of a common goal to be achieved at a set duration of time. The game may very well change the fate of the world, as it lies in the mere pawns of the game created by nature itself. The embodiment & manifestation of weapons talked about is what makes it all the more interesting to read!
Language is excellent. The choice of words, vocabulary selected in contemporary & in conjunction with the setting. Some touches of American, Britain accent has been retained in some places.
Next comes narration, now here I'm succumbed to loss of words. No words can define the amount of depth, perseverance, research, patience has been entailed in this book that compels the readers to go to the very end to know what happens. The plethora of pain that has been taken to narrate such long epic tale is riveting, retelling & making the readers realise the true meaning of life is worth commending upon. No less that I expect from a debut book to make such an impression & leave such foretelling remark on the mind & soul.
The story of Lord Krishna is absolutely amazing.
If you're a fiction lover, sci-fi reader, one who loves being an mythological adventures, watches mahabharata then you're simply in for a treat of a lifetime.
Procrastination of the sequel is a sheer torture.
It is a sheer pain to be kept waiting for the next one!
The writer should be tortured and jailed for keeping the readers waiting for second part.
The anticlimactic ending was well anticipated for a sequel to come in the distant future.
Just go for it!
I felt the same way while reading this. Though a fiction, there have been lots of traces that leads to stark reality accompanied with deep research & explanations.
The way it has been written & the climax which gives a feeling that, the story will make a refined series will undoubtedly touch your hearts.
Moreover, the humor content adds exuberance to the overall book.
Cover is enthralling. It's beautiful, refined & well defined with the plot at hand. The trident picturesque clearly explains the fantasy & dream aspects that are going to be presented in the book. The fathom less war & battle cry depicted is just amazing. The soft touch adds another feather to the cap.
At first, the title maynot sound appealing to the ears, but trust me folks never judge a book by its title. Just like the folklore goes, 'never judge a book by its cover.'
The similarity goes undefined in this context as well.
The title goes in apt with the story in hand, well defined with the story written in detail, the explanations given across every segment of the book. Even the minutest detail has been explained with the figment of imagination satiating the curiosity of the readers goes in par excellence of the mature writing exhibited in this book.
Theme consists of gameplay, politics, mystery, suspense, copious amount of humour, change in society, friendship, love, happiness, joy, sadness, war, suffering, humanity, gods, angels, demons, mystical weapons, universal power all inhibited with many other aspects making this book a complete surprise to the new readers.
Story consists of a couple of warriors along with a traction who's none other than the avatar of vishnu who wishes to bring change to the society via waging a full scale war. Fate brought them under strange circumstances when never in their wildest dreams they decided to opt for politics or lust for kingdom . The fate of the humanity rests upon their hands. However, reason being the same the never-ending zeel to bring happiness to others, freeing them from the clutches of evil.
Little did they knew their lives are gonna change because they've been living in an illusion. Because things are not always what we perceive themselves to be. What came next was beyond their feeble imagination.
The book talks about a mysterious mystical epic war. A battle between angels & demons, God & Satan himself, good versus evil, heaven versus hell and so on.
All in the pretext of a common goal to be achieved at a set duration of time. The game may very well change the fate of the world, as it lies in the mere pawns of the game created by nature itself. The embodiment & manifestation of weapons talked about is what makes it all the more interesting to read!
Language is excellent. The choice of words, vocabulary selected in contemporary & in conjunction with the setting. Some touches of American, Britain accent has been retained in some places.
Next comes narration, now here I'm succumbed to loss of words. No words can define the amount of depth, perseverance, research, patience has been entailed in this book that compels the readers to go to the very end to know what happens. The plethora of pain that has been taken to narrate such long epic tale is riveting, retelling & making the readers realise the true meaning of life is worth commending upon. No less that I expect from a debut book to make such an impression & leave such foretelling remark on the mind & soul.
The story of Lord Krishna is absolutely amazing.
If you're a fiction lover, sci-fi reader, one who loves being an mythological adventures, watches mahabharata then you're simply in for a treat of a lifetime.
Procrastination of the sequel is a sheer torture.
It is a sheer pain to be kept waiting for the next one!
The writer should be tortured and jailed for keeping the readers waiting for second part.
The anticlimactic ending was well anticipated for a sequel to come in the distant future.
Just go for it!
February 28, 2020
(I have also reviewed Book 2 Kaurava and Book 3 Kurukshetra, and you can find them on my reviews page.)
The Aryavarta Chronicles is a series of books written by the incomparable Krishna Udayasankar. It is a trilogy (Govinda, Kaurava and the recently released Kurukshetra). The story is a de-divinised Manahabharata. The author retells the epic after removing all the supernatural elements of the tale, keeping Govinda undeniably and heartwarmingly human. I have read the first two books of the epic before, but I ordered all three books anyway. Instead of reading from Kurukshetra, I decided to reread the series from scratch, as one does.
This story is my favorite retelling of the Mahabharata. (And believe me, competition for that position is very high. I adore the epic, and I do my best to get my hands on every single version of it that exists out there, literature or film.)
Udayasankar's Aryavarta is, in my opinion, the finest, most objective, practical retelling of the epic as we know it. The trilogy has a permanent place on my bookshelf. Every subsequent re-read has caused details to jump out at me, details that I have missed the first time around and that still stump me with the sheer brilliance of the author.
I started reading the books again way back in 2015, and I wrote-along reviews as I read.
Review 1: At the Beginning
The three books have been sitting on my table for a while now. I have had to go deal with real life problems and real life commitments before I could plunge into the fictitious. On Sunday morning, I peeled the plastic wrap off Govinda, with utmost reverence and love. I have been waiting for this moment for weeks. Kurukshetra sits on the shelf, perched high and its cover gleaming, beckoning me the way a mystic apsara beckons a lover. While Kurukshetra is the story I have been dying to read for almost a year now, it seems like cheating to open it without refamiliarising myself with the world of Aryavarta.
I have said this time and time again, but my favorite part of Govinda will always be the Author's Note. Udayasankar says it better than anyone else - "We are the stories we tell." The summary of the human condition summed up in less than ten words.
The author brushes away debates of "who's version of the epic is correct?" with alarming preciseness and hits the nail on the head. It is not a question of whose version is correct, or if notions of accuracy are even relevant in the world we live in today. The point of this tale, these characters will never be about remounting history, but about the joy the story gives each one of us. Some of us grew up with these characters, for some of us, these incidents and tales are part of our psyche, they define some of our most closely and absolutely held beliefs. It isn't about whose version comes closest to life as it happened; it is about the tale that reflects life as it is.
I will give the last word to Udayasankar.
"....To that extent, it no longer matters whether these events happened or not... because the very idea that such things have come to pass has affected the lives of many for a long time now. There is a sanctity which has developed as a result of what people have come to think and do as they have interacted with the spirit of these epic tales.... At the end of the day, that spirit is much, much larger than any story or a book."
So there you have it folks! A story for the sake of a story. A "what-if" tale, an incredible reconstruction, not lacking in sincerity or integrity.
After all, we are the stories we tell, and this one is a whopper of a story.
The Aryavarta Chronicles is a series of books written by the incomparable Krishna Udayasankar. It is a trilogy (Govinda, Kaurava and the recently released Kurukshetra). The story is a de-divinised Manahabharata. The author retells the epic after removing all the supernatural elements of the tale, keeping Govinda undeniably and heartwarmingly human. I have read the first two books of the epic before, but I ordered all three books anyway. Instead of reading from Kurukshetra, I decided to reread the series from scratch, as one does.
This story is my favorite retelling of the Mahabharata. (And believe me, competition for that position is very high. I adore the epic, and I do my best to get my hands on every single version of it that exists out there, literature or film.)
Udayasankar's Aryavarta is, in my opinion, the finest, most objective, practical retelling of the epic as we know it. The trilogy has a permanent place on my bookshelf. Every subsequent re-read has caused details to jump out at me, details that I have missed the first time around and that still stump me with the sheer brilliance of the author.
I started reading the books again way back in 2015, and I wrote-along reviews as I read.
Review 1: At the Beginning
The three books have been sitting on my table for a while now. I have had to go deal with real life problems and real life commitments before I could plunge into the fictitious. On Sunday morning, I peeled the plastic wrap off Govinda, with utmost reverence and love. I have been waiting for this moment for weeks. Kurukshetra sits on the shelf, perched high and its cover gleaming, beckoning me the way a mystic apsara beckons a lover. While Kurukshetra is the story I have been dying to read for almost a year now, it seems like cheating to open it without refamiliarising myself with the world of Aryavarta.
I have said this time and time again, but my favorite part of Govinda will always be the Author's Note. Udayasankar says it better than anyone else - "We are the stories we tell." The summary of the human condition summed up in less than ten words.
The author brushes away debates of "who's version of the epic is correct?" with alarming preciseness and hits the nail on the head. It is not a question of whose version is correct, or if notions of accuracy are even relevant in the world we live in today. The point of this tale, these characters will never be about remounting history, but about the joy the story gives each one of us. Some of us grew up with these characters, for some of us, these incidents and tales are part of our psyche, they define some of our most closely and absolutely held beliefs. It isn't about whose version comes closest to life as it happened; it is about the tale that reflects life as it is.
I will give the last word to Udayasankar.
"....To that extent, it no longer matters whether these events happened or not... because the very idea that such things have come to pass has affected the lives of many for a long time now. There is a sanctity which has developed as a result of what people have come to think and do as they have interacted with the spirit of these epic tales.... At the end of the day, that spirit is much, much larger than any story or a book."
So there you have it folks! A story for the sake of a story. A "what-if" tale, an incredible reconstruction, not lacking in sincerity or integrity.
After all, we are the stories we tell, and this one is a whopper of a story.
February 25, 2013
I usualy donot review books unless I get totally moved by it, or feel the sense of longing to want more.This is one book that charms, teases and begs the pages not to run its course.
Having been a huge fan of the new wave of mythological retelling, I had been looking forward to the release of " The Aryavarta Chronicles ". The author should be commended, first off, in even thinking of tackling an epic the stature of "The Mahabharata". The epic has been etched in our memories with the excellent TV series and the millions of comic and graphic renditions. I was frankly, not looking for it, to hit the levels of "Jaya" by Devdutt Patnaik (a personal favorite in terms of Mahabharat based stories), but I was expecting something riveting, knowing that it was to be from Lord Krishna's view.
I am impressed by anyone who takes the GOD factor out of the book, and retells, it on human, identifiable levels. They are ordinary people who by their deeds, make themselves extraordinary. The female characters are not a support system, but more of characters with importance. Draupadi is feisty, and is not constricted to being the quintessential Bharatiya Nari. She exudes sensuality and is open to her femininity. Govinda is an enigma, who u cannot decipher. I was supremely impressed with Shikhandin, who is not a half n half ,but whole.
The book gripped me from the first page on. Because of the sheer literary prowess in the words. I felt, for the first time, modern Indian literature has come to age. The language used is a delight for bibliophiles. The plot lines are a foundation for the sequels, therefore, the author, spends a lot of time developing character details and locations, in lucid fashion. It is so perceptible that one almost can see it happening as a showreel. What I loved was the total perspective change I had for Duryodhana and Yudhishtira. The book gently prodded you to dare to think on a different term.
On the downside,I can see how the elaborative narrative might not be everyone's cup of tea. The intentional name changes are a bit of a confusion, but I think its a positive thing, especially because one gets a Tolkien feel with the family tree and the maps. Adds to the immersion. Its a little variant in pace, not always a bad thing.
Overall, it is a satisfying and immersive read, and you cant wait to get to the end of the book. My mom loved it so much, she ordered her own copy, so I guess for me that speaks volumes about the influence the author is gonna have. With Jeet Thayil too on the scene, Im pretty sure this is gonna be the Literary Lovers selection for an epic retelling. Cant wait for Firewright :) Great Going Ms.Udayasankar . More power!
Having been a huge fan of the new wave of mythological retelling, I had been looking forward to the release of " The Aryavarta Chronicles ". The author should be commended, first off, in even thinking of tackling an epic the stature of "The Mahabharata". The epic has been etched in our memories with the excellent TV series and the millions of comic and graphic renditions. I was frankly, not looking for it, to hit the levels of "Jaya" by Devdutt Patnaik (a personal favorite in terms of Mahabharat based stories), but I was expecting something riveting, knowing that it was to be from Lord Krishna's view.
I am impressed by anyone who takes the GOD factor out of the book, and retells, it on human, identifiable levels. They are ordinary people who by their deeds, make themselves extraordinary. The female characters are not a support system, but more of characters with importance. Draupadi is feisty, and is not constricted to being the quintessential Bharatiya Nari. She exudes sensuality and is open to her femininity. Govinda is an enigma, who u cannot decipher. I was supremely impressed with Shikhandin, who is not a half n half ,but whole.
The book gripped me from the first page on. Because of the sheer literary prowess in the words. I felt, for the first time, modern Indian literature has come to age. The language used is a delight for bibliophiles. The plot lines are a foundation for the sequels, therefore, the author, spends a lot of time developing character details and locations, in lucid fashion. It is so perceptible that one almost can see it happening as a showreel. What I loved was the total perspective change I had for Duryodhana and Yudhishtira. The book gently prodded you to dare to think on a different term.
On the downside,I can see how the elaborative narrative might not be everyone's cup of tea. The intentional name changes are a bit of a confusion, but I think its a positive thing, especially because one gets a Tolkien feel with the family tree and the maps. Adds to the immersion. Its a little variant in pace, not always a bad thing.
Overall, it is a satisfying and immersive read, and you cant wait to get to the end of the book. My mom loved it so much, she ordered her own copy, so I guess for me that speaks volumes about the influence the author is gonna have. With Jeet Thayil too on the scene, Im pretty sure this is gonna be the Literary Lovers selection for an epic retelling. Cant wait for Firewright :) Great Going Ms.Udayasankar . More power!
September 5, 2012
Govinda: Aryavarta Chronicles #1 is the debut novel of Krishna Udayasankar, reinventing Mahabharata, the longest epic ever.
Govinda Shauri, a cowherd-turned-prince of Mathura and now the commander of armies of Dwarka will use all his astuteness to make Dharma the emperor of Aryavarta against The Firewrights. Even with the well known plot, the realistic characterization and few twists here and there make this book a delicious page-turner.
Even with 470 pages, this book is not a drag but fast-paced. Sometimes, a bit too fast. Being first in the series, lots of characters are introduced in very short duration. The fans of B.R. Chopra’s series might find it inconvenient that all the characters are grey shaded, mortal beings without any supernatural powers, even Govinda. With amazing scenic descriptions, action pours out of the pages, but just don’t expect any miracles. I would like to congratulate author for presenting the legends in such life-like way. Also, a piece of advice would be to slow down on feminism. Everyone knows Panchali was the reason behind Mahabharata and she is the lead protagonist.
The moment I read the name Syoddhan, I was sure that the author has done a splendid research work. All the details of scriptures are applauding along with fascinating scientific knits provided for The Firewrigths. Just like Mahabharata, even with all the panic of a budding war, the writer does not miss the philosophical creed concealed in the subtext.
Though in comparison to such a great epic, holding a series of enormous events weaving larger than life characters, this book does not contain even a minute portion. But hey, it is just the beginning. If the author slows down a bit and gives out five or six books instead of three, we might be looking at an Indian version of A Song of Ice and Fire.
Yes, this book belongs to the same category as of Kaal and Shiva trilogy, but the writing is of more expertise and somewhat more real. Overall it was a joyous ride and I am looking towards the sequel ‘The Firewrights’ keeping my fingers crossed for what the author holds up in her sleeve.
Govinda Shauri, a cowherd-turned-prince of Mathura and now the commander of armies of Dwarka will use all his astuteness to make Dharma the emperor of Aryavarta against The Firewrights. Even with the well known plot, the realistic characterization and few twists here and there make this book a delicious page-turner.
Even with 470 pages, this book is not a drag but fast-paced. Sometimes, a bit too fast. Being first in the series, lots of characters are introduced in very short duration. The fans of B.R. Chopra’s series might find it inconvenient that all the characters are grey shaded, mortal beings without any supernatural powers, even Govinda. With amazing scenic descriptions, action pours out of the pages, but just don’t expect any miracles. I would like to congratulate author for presenting the legends in such life-like way. Also, a piece of advice would be to slow down on feminism. Everyone knows Panchali was the reason behind Mahabharata and she is the lead protagonist.
The moment I read the name Syoddhan, I was sure that the author has done a splendid research work. All the details of scriptures are applauding along with fascinating scientific knits provided for The Firewrigths. Just like Mahabharata, even with all the panic of a budding war, the writer does not miss the philosophical creed concealed in the subtext.
Though in comparison to such a great epic, holding a series of enormous events weaving larger than life characters, this book does not contain even a minute portion. But hey, it is just the beginning. If the author slows down a bit and gives out five or six books instead of three, we might be looking at an Indian version of A Song of Ice and Fire.
Yes, this book belongs to the same category as of Kaal and Shiva trilogy, but the writing is of more expertise and somewhat more real. Overall it was a joyous ride and I am looking towards the sequel ‘The Firewrights’ keeping my fingers crossed for what the author holds up in her sleeve.
February 25, 2013
We always seem to think that stories that are passed on from one generation to the next, are all the same. But in reality, each story teller adds or substracts certain things to the story, giving it individuality, making it new and yet retaining the age old essence.
This book I think, is just that. A rendition of the age old story of Krishna and Mahabharata in a new dimension that would suit the temperament of the young generation. The generation that has easy access to all the information in the world but are seldom served the history of their own land in a logical way. It is for those who want to question everything around them, even things that are passed on as myths and mythology in our society and therefore above reasoning.
Govinda is not a book for those who believe Krisha to be the Immortal God. It is a story of a mortal cowherd with an extra-ordinary intellect. A visionary.
Being the debut novel of Krishna Udaysankar, traditionally, one would give leverage to certain flaws. But that is where the reader might make a wrong presumption.
When I read the book, I too began keeping in mind that this was after all written by a first timer. But surprise awaited me at every turn of the page. The book does not come across as the first-time attempts of a novice at all. It is the work of a researcher, a scholar who surely seems to have rigourously sifted through buried ancient manuscripts, some legible, some difficult to decipher, and presented to us the readers, a very thorough and precise glimpse of the times of Aryavarta. She is a master story teller, because she has her facts correct, which unquestionably have been gathered after much toil and perseverence.I eagerly look forward to what she puts on our plate with her next work.
This book is history, myth, fiction, thriller, and all in all a very logical and consistent narrative. Read if you want to know the what and why of the tale we know as Mahabharata.
This book I think, is just that. A rendition of the age old story of Krishna and Mahabharata in a new dimension that would suit the temperament of the young generation. The generation that has easy access to all the information in the world but are seldom served the history of their own land in a logical way. It is for those who want to question everything around them, even things that are passed on as myths and mythology in our society and therefore above reasoning.
Govinda is not a book for those who believe Krisha to be the Immortal God. It is a story of a mortal cowherd with an extra-ordinary intellect. A visionary.
Being the debut novel of Krishna Udaysankar, traditionally, one would give leverage to certain flaws. But that is where the reader might make a wrong presumption.
When I read the book, I too began keeping in mind that this was after all written by a first timer. But surprise awaited me at every turn of the page. The book does not come across as the first-time attempts of a novice at all. It is the work of a researcher, a scholar who surely seems to have rigourously sifted through buried ancient manuscripts, some legible, some difficult to decipher, and presented to us the readers, a very thorough and precise glimpse of the times of Aryavarta. She is a master story teller, because she has her facts correct, which unquestionably have been gathered after much toil and perseverence.I eagerly look forward to what she puts on our plate with her next work.
This book is history, myth, fiction, thriller, and all in all a very logical and consistent narrative. Read if you want to know the what and why of the tale we know as Mahabharata.
August 5, 2015
The fact that Govinda is based on the great Indian epic of the Mahabharata automatically gives it an extra star, because it is such an amazing story. The author's ambition and the amount of research she did are both commendable as well; unfortunately, the beginning of the novel is marred by endless "Basil Exposition" speeches that help construct her world (I've read lots of fantasy - including some that isn't based on a sort of Western European medieval structure, such as Daniel Abraham's Long Price Quartet - and so I know it's possible to do world-building without giant info dumps!). Moreover, there's some language that takes you right out of the story - sometimes Lord Krishna speaks like a 21st century executive (yes, I have no idea how people in Ancient India talked, but "let's get real" doesn't seem like it fits the bill!) Her characterization isn't the best, to be honest, so there's this whole long-standing relationship between Panchali and Govinda that's never actually shown and I'm left thinking maybe it would have been better for the story and the characters if we'd seen some of that. Lastly, there's a line between being mysterious and being outright confusing and Udayasankar sometimes crosses that line!
With all my complaining though, I"m still planning to read the next two books in the series just because ... MAHABHARATA!!
With all my complaining though, I"m still planning to read the next two books in the series just because ... MAHABHARATA!!
January 4, 2014
After the great success of the shiva trilogy a lot of new authors have found confidence to draw from indian mythologies and make a attempt at historical fiction.
Krishna Udayashankar was getting good reviews about this book and after having okayish experience with shiva trilogy i bought this.......but after due thought.
The book draws some basic premises from early to mid part of mahabharat but the author generally creates her own world and characters which is a plus point.
Contrary to popular opinion i didn't find the characters well developed or even starting to develop except mostly govinda, shikhandin and to some extent panchali. pandavs/kauravs/bhishm are all pawns in the hands of govinda shauri.
It almost felt like govinda shauri is way too smart and rest a little too dumb, for my liking.
One thing that i found is that writing of the author was better than amish tripathi and she has woven a more complex and detailed plot with greater depth.
However, by the end of the book you do get a sense of familiarity with the plot w.r.t Shiva trilogy and happenings in mahabharat.
I haven't ordered the second part right away as the book hasn't made me too excited like immortals did but a very commendable effort.
Krishna Udayashankar was getting good reviews about this book and after having okayish experience with shiva trilogy i bought this.......but after due thought.
The book draws some basic premises from early to mid part of mahabharat but the author generally creates her own world and characters which is a plus point.
Contrary to popular opinion i didn't find the characters well developed or even starting to develop except mostly govinda, shikhandin and to some extent panchali. pandavs/kauravs/bhishm are all pawns in the hands of govinda shauri.
It almost felt like govinda shauri is way too smart and rest a little too dumb, for my liking.
One thing that i found is that writing of the author was better than amish tripathi and she has woven a more complex and detailed plot with greater depth.
However, by the end of the book you do get a sense of familiarity with the plot w.r.t Shiva trilogy and happenings in mahabharat.
I haven't ordered the second part right away as the book hasn't made me too excited like immortals did but a very commendable effort.
November 5, 2015
Govinda is the tale of a man. A towering intellect, a Yogi who aimed to be and thought himself dispassionate, but a man nevertheless, not a god. We start with an encounter between friends - Govinda and the royal set of Panchal, meeting in the forests of Aryavarta. From there we see the same events unfold but mostly from the perspective of Panchali who is trying to understand the reason for Govinda's chess moves. She questions him and is frustrated when she gets no answers. Parth and Govinda's slowly developing friendship is shown beautifully especially the description of events following the frostbite. Parth stands for the ordinary man, yearning for Govinda's friendship, but never questioning him or his motives. While he doesn't precisely yearn for Panchali, there is a heavy attraction there to the other Krishna. The rest of the Pandavas are portrayed equally beautifully.It has a slow start but after few chapters just hold on to your seat as you will be taken by surprise with very page you turn. A completely different avatar of all the characters of mahabharat is unveiled.
January 22, 2014
Having read The Shiva Trilogy and The Krishna Coriolis, reading Govinda was a kind of a welcome shock for me.
There is no hero worship or myth-fying of the characters, but raw representation. visualizing Krishna/Govinda as a normal human being, rather than a god hood, with all human follies, with dark secrets of his own to hide, being manipulative to achieve his dream of a united aryavrata is really refreshing.
When I purchased the book at Thiruvananthapuram airport for reading on my flight, I had hoped it to of the fantasy genre.
reading the first few chapters caused an initial disappointment (because I was expecting some mythological or fantasy story thread) but continued reading really got me up.
Could say, this looks like an Indian Game of thrones series with all the political machinations, different story threads.
Great book!
I had bought both Govinda and Kauravas and am reading Kauravas right now.
There is no hero worship or myth-fying of the characters, but raw representation. visualizing Krishna/Govinda as a normal human being, rather than a god hood, with all human follies, with dark secrets of his own to hide, being manipulative to achieve his dream of a united aryavrata is really refreshing.
When I purchased the book at Thiruvananthapuram airport for reading on my flight, I had hoped it to of the fantasy genre.
reading the first few chapters caused an initial disappointment (because I was expecting some mythological or fantasy story thread) but continued reading really got me up.
Could say, this looks like an Indian Game of thrones series with all the political machinations, different story threads.
Great book!
I had bought both Govinda and Kauravas and am reading Kauravas right now.
September 26, 2012
Currently on the last few Chapters of Govinda: Aryavarta Chronicles #1 the debut novel of Krishna Udayasankar, reinventing Mahabharata, the longest epic ever...
This is a story which more or less focuses on the socio-political structure of the story and the characters who are presented as human beings with agendas of their own. Very interesting the play of words esp. the Govinda Shauri portions...
The book is beautiful for the myriad ideas explored in it - politics, social well being, the interplay of relationships , the deep emotions which govern these relationship, gender equality among others - are very thought-provoking and sometimes, far progressive than current day India.
This is a story which more or less focuses on the socio-political structure of the story and the characters who are presented as human beings with agendas of their own. Very interesting the play of words esp. the Govinda Shauri portions...
The book is beautiful for the myriad ideas explored in it - politics, social well being, the interplay of relationships , the deep emotions which govern these relationship, gender equality among others - are very thought-provoking and sometimes, far progressive than current day India.
January 9, 2015
Bad absurd pathetic
I don't know what has gone into these Indian writers mind why are they after our after old mythology
it's the second book I have read this year on mythology the first one being Asura by anand Neelakantan.
both books have same MO. that's going against the old accepted stories.
I believe there's a reason that these Ramayana and the Mahabharata were accepted in these forms after long consideration by our oldies. and we should let it that way
I don't know what has gone into these Indian writers mind why are they after our after old mythology
it's the second book I have read this year on mythology the first one being Asura by anand Neelakantan.
both books have same MO. that's going against the old accepted stories.
I believe there's a reason that these Ramayana and the Mahabharata were accepted in these forms after long consideration by our oldies. and we should let it that way
January 31, 2013
*groan*, another overwrought, badly written book by the Lawyer-MBA types who think they can do it all. A terrible read. One dimensional characters, stupid language - Panchali stuttered, Panchali fluttered, inclined her head slightly to one side (ummm- i believe that is what inclined means!)
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