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Pantheon #6
Age of Shiva
Zachary Bramwell, better known as the comics artist Zak Zap, is pushing forty and wondering why his life isn t as exciting as the lives of the superheroes he draws. Then he s shanghaied by black-suited goons and flown to Mount Meru, a vast complex built atop an island in the Maldives. There, Zak meets a trio of billionaire businessmen who put him to work designing costumes for a team of godlike super-powered beings based on the ten avatars of Vishnu from Hindu mythology. The Ten Avatars battle demons and aliens and seem to be the saviours of a world teetering on collapse. But their presence is itself a harbinger of apocalypse. The Vedic fourth age of civilisation, Kali Yuga, is coming to an end, and Zak has a ringside seat for the final, all-out war that threatens the destruction of Earth.
442 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 23, 2014
19 people are currently reading
594 people want to read
About the author
James Lovegrove
152 books663 followersJames Lovegrove is the author of several acclaimed novels and books for children.
James was born on Christmas Eve 1965 and, having dabbled in writing at school, first took to it seriously while at university. A short story of his won a college competition. The prize was £15, and it had cost £18 to get the story professionally typed. This taught him a hard but necessary lesson in the harsh economic realities of a literary career.
Straight after graduating from Oxford with a degree in English Literature, James set himself the goal of getting a novel written and sold within two years. In the event, it took two months. The Hope was completed in six weeks and accepted by Macmillan a fortnight later. The seed for the idea for the novel — a world in microcosm on an ocean liner — was planted during a cross-Channel ferry journey.
James blew his modest advance for The Hope on a round-the-world trip which took him to, among other places, Thailand. His experiences there, particularly what he witnessed of the sex industry in Bangkok, provided much of the inspiration for The Foreigners.
Escardy Gap was co-written with Pete Crowther over a period of a year and a half, the two authors playing a game of creative tag, each completing a section in turn and leaving the other to carry the story on. The result has proved a cult favourite, and was voted by readers of SFX one of the top fifty SF/Fantasy novels of all time.
Days, a satire on consumerism, was shortlisted for the 1998 Arthur C. Clarke Award (losing to Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow). The book’s genesis most probably lies in the many visits James used to make as a child to the Oxford Street department store owned by his grandfather. It was written over a period of nine months while James was living in the north-west suburbs of Chicago.
Subsequent works have all been published to great acclaim. These include Untied Kingdom, Worldstorm, Provender Gleed, The Age Of Ra and the back-to-back double-novella Gig. James has also written for children. Wings, a short novel for reluctant readers, was short-listed for several awards, while his fantasy series for teens, The Clouded World, written under the pseudonym Jay Amory, has been translated into 7 other languages so far. A five-book series for reluctant readers, The 5 Lords Of Pain, is appearing at two-monthly intervals throughout 2010.
He also reviews fiction for the Financial Times, specialising in the Young Adult, children’s, science fiction, fantasy, horror and graphic novel genres.
Currently James resides in Eastbourne on the Sussex Coast, having moved there in August 2007 with his wife Lou, sons Monty and Theo, and cat Ozzy. He has a terrific view of the sea from his study window, which he doesn’t sit staring out at all day when he should be working. Honest.
James was born on Christmas Eve 1965 and, having dabbled in writing at school, first took to it seriously while at university. A short story of his won a college competition. The prize was £15, and it had cost £18 to get the story professionally typed. This taught him a hard but necessary lesson in the harsh economic realities of a literary career.
Straight after graduating from Oxford with a degree in English Literature, James set himself the goal of getting a novel written and sold within two years. In the event, it took two months. The Hope was completed in six weeks and accepted by Macmillan a fortnight later. The seed for the idea for the novel — a world in microcosm on an ocean liner — was planted during a cross-Channel ferry journey.
James blew his modest advance for The Hope on a round-the-world trip which took him to, among other places, Thailand. His experiences there, particularly what he witnessed of the sex industry in Bangkok, provided much of the inspiration for The Foreigners.
Escardy Gap was co-written with Pete Crowther over a period of a year and a half, the two authors playing a game of creative tag, each completing a section in turn and leaving the other to carry the story on. The result has proved a cult favourite, and was voted by readers of SFX one of the top fifty SF/Fantasy novels of all time.
Days, a satire on consumerism, was shortlisted for the 1998 Arthur C. Clarke Award (losing to Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow). The book’s genesis most probably lies in the many visits James used to make as a child to the Oxford Street department store owned by his grandfather. It was written over a period of nine months while James was living in the north-west suburbs of Chicago.
Subsequent works have all been published to great acclaim. These include Untied Kingdom, Worldstorm, Provender Gleed, The Age Of Ra and the back-to-back double-novella Gig. James has also written for children. Wings, a short novel for reluctant readers, was short-listed for several awards, while his fantasy series for teens, The Clouded World, written under the pseudonym Jay Amory, has been translated into 7 other languages so far. A five-book series for reluctant readers, The 5 Lords Of Pain, is appearing at two-monthly intervals throughout 2010.
He also reviews fiction for the Financial Times, specialising in the Young Adult, children’s, science fiction, fantasy, horror and graphic novel genres.
Currently James resides in Eastbourne on the Sussex Coast, having moved there in August 2007 with his wife Lou, sons Monty and Theo, and cat Ozzy. He has a terrific view of the sea from his study window, which he doesn’t sit staring out at all day when he should be working. Honest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
February 22, 2014
REVIEW SUMMARY: Possibly Lovegrove's best yet.
MY RATING: 5 stars
BRIEF SYNOPSIS: A team of godlike super-powered beings based on the ten avatars of Vishnu from Hindu mythology is assembled, but are they in fact a harbinger of apocalypse?
MY REVIEW
PROS: Original take on superheroes, exploration of a vivid and colorful religion, sympathetic protagonist, deft plotting, great action.
CONS: Not enough development of the Avatars.
BOTTOM LINE: A combination of science fiction and mythology, superheroes and deities, further solidifying Lovegrove's title as Godpunk King.
I've been a devoted fan of James Lovegrove since I first read The Age of Zeus, his second Pantheon novel. Each year I anticipate the release of the next Pantheon novel. As far as running series go, this is one of my favorite. Six novels and three novellas (collected in one omnibus) in and Lovegrove continues to thrill. There's no over-arcing plot and no recurring characters. It's a series united in theme rather than narrative, a technique that results in a cohesive whole while continually managing to change up the dynamic that makes the Pantheon novels so compelling. With Lovegrove novels you always know what to expect and yet he still manages to subvert these expectations. You're always going to get solid prose, dry English humor, a gripping mix of science fiction and mythology, and ultimately a clever plot. Age of Shiva is tied for my favorite novel in the series. Here's why...
The first hook of Age of Shiva? This time around Lovegrove explores Hinduism. With each new Pantheon novel Lovegrove delves into a whole new...well, pantheon. It's worth noting that this is always done in a respectful manner. Lovegrove does his research and, in doing so, encourages readers to do their own. Going into Age of Shiva I knew next to nothing about Hinduism. After having read the book I'm intrigued by the religion and intend to read more on the subject. With each new Pantheon novel Lovegrove also examines a new way for humans to interact with these deities -- this is the core of the godpunk subgenre. In doing so science fiction is often married with mythology to present a whole new take on age old tales.
"We had been telling ourselves tales about super beings and their outlandish feats for centuries. Comicbook superheroes were just the latest iteration of an age-old trope."
The second hook? The Hindu pantheon in Age of Shiva is a super hero team -- and it fits. This book is like The Avengers meets The Watchmen, but with an Indian twist. In the Hindu belief, the Dashavatara refers to the ten avatars of Vishnu, the God of universal preservation. In Age of Shiva, the Dashavatara is a team of superheroes assembled by the Trinity Syndicate (a trio of billionaires with grand designs). I don't want to spoil anything so I'll avoid explaining too much about the team, save that the Dashavatara (or Avatars as they are also known) makes for a really cool group. It would seem that the devas (or deities) of Hinduism translate well into the world of comic book superheroes. Likewise the asuras (portrayed as a type of demon) make for great super villains. The whole dynamic is colorful and exotic -- this is where the third hook comes in.
Introducing Zachary "Zap" Bramwell, comic artist and geek extraordinaire. Zak is a diligent artist, a perfectionist even, but a bad boyfriend. On his way to the cafe one day he receives an offer to design the costumes for the Dashavatara -- an offer he literally cannot refuse. And why would he? A chance to work with real superheroes and the responsibility to create a look that will represent them to the world! It's a nerd's wet dream come true. Of course, an offer so good is bound to come with strings attached...Zak Zap is a strong protagonist. His perspective is a highly readable mix of geeky references and dry English snark. Zak Zap is perhaps Lovegrove's most down-to-earth hero to date, an everyman in a way that falls back on the mantra, "What would Jack Kirby do?" In my case, and I suspect in many others, Zak Zap represents the reader him/herself.
One of my few disappointments was that the members of the Dashavatara felt underdeveloped. This is understandable, given that there are ten Avatars in all. It would have taken a much larger book to detail the backstory behind each deva -- but that's something I would have appreciated. As a comic reader I find that the most interesting stories involve the personal lives of the heroes, and how their caped crusading conflicts with these lives. Age of Shiva feels like the first book in the series that could be further expanded into its own mini-series. Perhaps this can be attributed to its ties to comics, but I would love to read about the further exploits of the Dashavatara. The world is very much changed by the end of the novel and though it wraps up nicely there are a number of directions that Lovegrove could go in. I don't expect Lovegrove to do this, but if he were to I think it would be very cool. He has an excellent superhero team on his hands, one of the more interesting and original concepts I've seen even. And if he wanted to pursue a comic adaptation that would also be very, very cool.
The plotting, as always, is fast paced and clever. As I said earlier, readers know that to expect from Lovegrove and yet he still manages to deliver surprises. No two Pantheon novels are alike, and Age of Shiva is probably the biggest departure to date. There are twists, turns, brinksmanship, WMD proliferation, and plenty of super-powered action. The sci-fi elements are grounded in comicbook science. The real kicker here is the mthology. Towards the end of the novel there's a lump of exposition that combines Hinduism and conspiracy theories...it's told in such a convincing manner that for a second I was prepared to start watching the History Channel programming again (not with incredulity but acceptance). Well done Lovegrove.
On another note it's a shame that Marek Okon is no longer providing the cover illustrations for the Pantheon series. Jake Murray turns out to be an excellent replacement. The Age of Shiva cover is top-notch, successfully visualizing the Dashavatara. Add to this that he's able to match Okon's style, keeping the covers of the series consistent. I only wish that I could see Murray's interpretation of each of the ten (eleven) Avatars.
Age of Shiva is a awesome. Once again James Lovegrove has subverted and exceeded expectations. Hinduism is one of the most interesting belief systems the Pantheon series has yet explored, and throwing super heroes into the mix turned out to be the coup de grâce. This novel proves that there are plenty of original ways to explore godpunk -- may there be many more Pantheon novels to come!
Nick Sharps
SF Signal
MY RATING: 5 stars
BRIEF SYNOPSIS: A team of godlike super-powered beings based on the ten avatars of Vishnu from Hindu mythology is assembled, but are they in fact a harbinger of apocalypse?
MY REVIEW
PROS: Original take on superheroes, exploration of a vivid and colorful religion, sympathetic protagonist, deft plotting, great action.
CONS: Not enough development of the Avatars.
BOTTOM LINE: A combination of science fiction and mythology, superheroes and deities, further solidifying Lovegrove's title as Godpunk King.
I've been a devoted fan of James Lovegrove since I first read The Age of Zeus, his second Pantheon novel. Each year I anticipate the release of the next Pantheon novel. As far as running series go, this is one of my favorite. Six novels and three novellas (collected in one omnibus) in and Lovegrove continues to thrill. There's no over-arcing plot and no recurring characters. It's a series united in theme rather than narrative, a technique that results in a cohesive whole while continually managing to change up the dynamic that makes the Pantheon novels so compelling. With Lovegrove novels you always know what to expect and yet he still manages to subvert these expectations. You're always going to get solid prose, dry English humor, a gripping mix of science fiction and mythology, and ultimately a clever plot. Age of Shiva is tied for my favorite novel in the series. Here's why...
The first hook of Age of Shiva? This time around Lovegrove explores Hinduism. With each new Pantheon novel Lovegrove delves into a whole new...well, pantheon. It's worth noting that this is always done in a respectful manner. Lovegrove does his research and, in doing so, encourages readers to do their own. Going into Age of Shiva I knew next to nothing about Hinduism. After having read the book I'm intrigued by the religion and intend to read more on the subject. With each new Pantheon novel Lovegrove also examines a new way for humans to interact with these deities -- this is the core of the godpunk subgenre. In doing so science fiction is often married with mythology to present a whole new take on age old tales.
"We had been telling ourselves tales about super beings and their outlandish feats for centuries. Comicbook superheroes were just the latest iteration of an age-old trope."
The second hook? The Hindu pantheon in Age of Shiva is a super hero team -- and it fits. This book is like The Avengers meets The Watchmen, but with an Indian twist. In the Hindu belief, the Dashavatara refers to the ten avatars of Vishnu, the God of universal preservation. In Age of Shiva, the Dashavatara is a team of superheroes assembled by the Trinity Syndicate (a trio of billionaires with grand designs). I don't want to spoil anything so I'll avoid explaining too much about the team, save that the Dashavatara (or Avatars as they are also known) makes for a really cool group. It would seem that the devas (or deities) of Hinduism translate well into the world of comic book superheroes. Likewise the asuras (portrayed as a type of demon) make for great super villains. The whole dynamic is colorful and exotic -- this is where the third hook comes in.
Introducing Zachary "Zap" Bramwell, comic artist and geek extraordinaire. Zak is a diligent artist, a perfectionist even, but a bad boyfriend. On his way to the cafe one day he receives an offer to design the costumes for the Dashavatara -- an offer he literally cannot refuse. And why would he? A chance to work with real superheroes and the responsibility to create a look that will represent them to the world! It's a nerd's wet dream come true. Of course, an offer so good is bound to come with strings attached...Zak Zap is a strong protagonist. His perspective is a highly readable mix of geeky references and dry English snark. Zak Zap is perhaps Lovegrove's most down-to-earth hero to date, an everyman in a way that falls back on the mantra, "What would Jack Kirby do?" In my case, and I suspect in many others, Zak Zap represents the reader him/herself.
One of my few disappointments was that the members of the Dashavatara felt underdeveloped. This is understandable, given that there are ten Avatars in all. It would have taken a much larger book to detail the backstory behind each deva -- but that's something I would have appreciated. As a comic reader I find that the most interesting stories involve the personal lives of the heroes, and how their caped crusading conflicts with these lives. Age of Shiva feels like the first book in the series that could be further expanded into its own mini-series. Perhaps this can be attributed to its ties to comics, but I would love to read about the further exploits of the Dashavatara. The world is very much changed by the end of the novel and though it wraps up nicely there are a number of directions that Lovegrove could go in. I don't expect Lovegrove to do this, but if he were to I think it would be very cool. He has an excellent superhero team on his hands, one of the more interesting and original concepts I've seen even. And if he wanted to pursue a comic adaptation that would also be very, very cool.
The plotting, as always, is fast paced and clever. As I said earlier, readers know that to expect from Lovegrove and yet he still manages to deliver surprises. No two Pantheon novels are alike, and Age of Shiva is probably the biggest departure to date. There are twists, turns, brinksmanship, WMD proliferation, and plenty of super-powered action. The sci-fi elements are grounded in comicbook science. The real kicker here is the mthology. Towards the end of the novel there's a lump of exposition that combines Hinduism and conspiracy theories...it's told in such a convincing manner that for a second I was prepared to start watching the History Channel programming again (not with incredulity but acceptance). Well done Lovegrove.
On another note it's a shame that Marek Okon is no longer providing the cover illustrations for the Pantheon series. Jake Murray turns out to be an excellent replacement. The Age of Shiva cover is top-notch, successfully visualizing the Dashavatara. Add to this that he's able to match Okon's style, keeping the covers of the series consistent. I only wish that I could see Murray's interpretation of each of the ten (eleven) Avatars.
Age of Shiva is a awesome. Once again James Lovegrove has subverted and exceeded expectations. Hinduism is one of the most interesting belief systems the Pantheon series has yet explored, and throwing super heroes into the mix turned out to be the coup de grâce. This novel proves that there are plenty of original ways to explore godpunk -- may there be many more Pantheon novels to come!
Nick Sharps
SF Signal
June 20, 2014
Being a superhero must be a tiring business. Running(or flying or swimming) around in Spandex costumes, combatting physical and mental assaults by super villains and to top it all off living a life as a normal human being in your alter ego would be a test of endurance. Being touted as modern day mythology, the life of a masked (and sometimes unmasked) vigilante is something we all come across in comics and movie interpretations. Personally, I fall into that category of men who have not grown out of the affection with comics even after being termed ‘grown-up’. However, the panels of a comic book are not the first things that told us about super heroes for as long as there has been story tellers there have been superheroes. Let’s look at some examples : Gilgamesh, Heracles, Perseus were all examples of these kind of men. Then again there are the gods of the Hindu mythology who put most of the comic book super heroes to shame. This novel is about such a crossover of Gods into the realms of being the stuff of comic book legend.
Mythology tells us of the story of Vishnu who takes incarnations in the realm of mortals to vanquish evil. The interesting thing about his incarnations is that in a strange way they tend to follow our naturally established order of evolution. In the order of appearance, these are the incarnations :
1.Matsya : The fish. The one that saved the progenitor of the modern man and saved the scriptures of hinduism.
2.Kurma : The turtle and the first amphibian. Believed to have held up the world on its back.
3.Varaha : The boar. Battled a ferocious demon in the depths of the cosmic ocean and lifted the Earth on his tusks to bring it out of the gloom.
4.Narasimha : The man-lion. Leapt out of a pillar to destroy a seemingly invincible demon and is portrayed as the symbol of divine violence.
5.Vamana : The dwarf. Took form to vanquish a demon king in a rather unconventional way.
6.Parashurama : The renowned warrior sage. Master of all weapons and battle methods. Believed to have circled the Earth 21 times to slay all the Kshatriyas (warrior class of men) of the world.
7. Rama : Does not need much by the way of introduction. The man who took birth to kill the super badass demon king Ravana and still continues to be worshipped as an icon of manliness.
8.Balarama / Buddha : Things get slightly murky here for one faction believes that the plough wielding, alcoholic, wrestler brother of Krishna was the 7th incarnation of Vishnu while the other camp believes that Buddha was the 7th incarnation. I would personally prefer to believe the Balarama part.
9.Krishna : The next superstar in the list. Cowherd, lover extraordinaire, politician, diplomat, king maker, strategist, philosopher…you name it, he’s got it !
10.Kalki : This form is yet to take birth according to lore. Arriving at the time of utmost darkness in the world, this mounted warrior will be the bringer of light.
Wouldn’t these guys have made a kickass superhero team ? The Indian version of The Avengers or the Justice League. And this is exactly what happens in this tale for a trio of millionaires bring the ten to life through extensive bio engineering feats and bleeding edge technology. When you bring such a group of men to life, there are bound to be ugly villains arising at all corners of the world and that is just what happens. Our heroes Dasavatara (Dasa – Ten and Avatara – Incarnation) battles them all over the various parts of the western world and so the story goes until they step into an ugly military faceoff.
Interesting concept and rather amusing characters but then here the story starts going downhill. When you have larger than life characters, the plot is bound to be outlandish but the tale here builds up to sheer lack of real thought process. The narration is by a comic artist named Zachary Bramwell who takes over the mantle of Hanuman during the story but his forced casual tone of storytelling started getting on my nerves after a while. From a great initial buildup, it was as if the author did not where to take his characters to and so he puts them bang in the middle of the Indo-Pak conflict over Kashmir and with the Hindu tones of the Dasavatara, things go totally awry before you can say bang ! To the credit of the author, there is a lot of pulse quickening action and things move as fast as a video game in the story. However, it lacks a cohesiveness and at places logic. I know that I should not be dissecting this tale for all this for it is nothing beyond a pure thriller.
Worth a onetime read. And I still have no idea why this book is named so for Shiva features in no way in this tale.
Mythology tells us of the story of Vishnu who takes incarnations in the realm of mortals to vanquish evil. The interesting thing about his incarnations is that in a strange way they tend to follow our naturally established order of evolution. In the order of appearance, these are the incarnations :
1.Matsya : The fish. The one that saved the progenitor of the modern man and saved the scriptures of hinduism.
2.Kurma : The turtle and the first amphibian. Believed to have held up the world on its back.
3.Varaha : The boar. Battled a ferocious demon in the depths of the cosmic ocean and lifted the Earth on his tusks to bring it out of the gloom.
4.Narasimha : The man-lion. Leapt out of a pillar to destroy a seemingly invincible demon and is portrayed as the symbol of divine violence.
5.Vamana : The dwarf. Took form to vanquish a demon king in a rather unconventional way.
6.Parashurama : The renowned warrior sage. Master of all weapons and battle methods. Believed to have circled the Earth 21 times to slay all the Kshatriyas (warrior class of men) of the world.
7. Rama : Does not need much by the way of introduction. The man who took birth to kill the super badass demon king Ravana and still continues to be worshipped as an icon of manliness.
8.Balarama / Buddha : Things get slightly murky here for one faction believes that the plough wielding, alcoholic, wrestler brother of Krishna was the 7th incarnation of Vishnu while the other camp believes that Buddha was the 7th incarnation. I would personally prefer to believe the Balarama part.
9.Krishna : The next superstar in the list. Cowherd, lover extraordinaire, politician, diplomat, king maker, strategist, philosopher…you name it, he’s got it !
10.Kalki : This form is yet to take birth according to lore. Arriving at the time of utmost darkness in the world, this mounted warrior will be the bringer of light.
Wouldn’t these guys have made a kickass superhero team ? The Indian version of The Avengers or the Justice League. And this is exactly what happens in this tale for a trio of millionaires bring the ten to life through extensive bio engineering feats and bleeding edge technology. When you bring such a group of men to life, there are bound to be ugly villains arising at all corners of the world and that is just what happens. Our heroes Dasavatara (Dasa – Ten and Avatara – Incarnation) battles them all over the various parts of the western world and so the story goes until they step into an ugly military faceoff.
Interesting concept and rather amusing characters but then here the story starts going downhill. When you have larger than life characters, the plot is bound to be outlandish but the tale here builds up to sheer lack of real thought process. The narration is by a comic artist named Zachary Bramwell who takes over the mantle of Hanuman during the story but his forced casual tone of storytelling started getting on my nerves after a while. From a great initial buildup, it was as if the author did not where to take his characters to and so he puts them bang in the middle of the Indo-Pak conflict over Kashmir and with the Hindu tones of the Dasavatara, things go totally awry before you can say bang ! To the credit of the author, there is a lot of pulse quickening action and things move as fast as a video game in the story. However, it lacks a cohesiveness and at places logic. I know that I should not be dissecting this tale for all this for it is nothing beyond a pure thriller.
Worth a onetime read. And I still have no idea why this book is named so for Shiva features in no way in this tale.
June 20, 2014
A comic-book artist as a protagonist. Mutation. Indian Mythology. Superheroes. Cutting edge technology and loads of geeky gobbledygook that actually makes sense. Multi-millionaire manipulators. Conspiracy theories. Heroic heroes with the best intentions. Demonic Demons with the worst intentions (and fangs dripping with venom). Superbly choreographed action sequences. The edge of an apocalypse.
This story had all the elements to make me squeal with joy.
I was all geared up for a desi AVENGERS style, sci-fi fiesta.
But pretty soon, my face wore a different expression.
Despite a main character who never grew on me (he was obnoxious, slightly creepy, make that mostly creepy, loaded with pithy quips that DID not remind us of Spider Man (as if!) , generally irritating and firmly convinced that a light was shining out from his every orifice), the concept was amazing. Melding together the rather interesting idea of Hindu mythology's Lord Vishnu's ten Avatars with high-end technology to create what could be the modern day saviours of the world would have laid the basis for one great franchise.
The writing was impeccable. The author's prowess as a fantasy/ sci-fi writer shines through in every tight paragraph. The ten DASHAVATARS are likeable characters (yes, even the rude little man who overcompensates). And yes, I still didn't like the main character. Or his obligatory exotic Asian love-interest. But whenever the ten heroes made an appearance, I was hooked.
I was involved. I was almost developing a fangirl sized crush on the warrior, Parashurama. As a reader, I was ready to see ten noble men with the best intentions at heart, set a discordant world back on it's axis. And while they were at it, could they, pretty please, knock the big bad guys off their collective tushes?
But no.
The story slowly dissolved into what can be best be described as 'one hot mess'.
I am an idealistic soul who has taken one too many emotional knocks in life. When I open a fictional book starring Indian Gods and International Superheroes (my two all time favourite premises) I expect a happy ending. Nay, I DEMAND a happy ending. If you are going to leave me blinking dazedly at the end of 320 pages with no resolution in sight, you are invoking the rather miffed off Hulk in my otherwise mild mannered Bruce Banner. AND I see no main villain getting his comeuppance. You, sir, are just invoking the green beast in me.
In conclusion, read the book for the masterful action sequences and the well laid out backstories. You will be enchanted by the awesome ten. And you will root for them.
But be prepared for a loose end.
This story had all the elements to make me squeal with joy.
I was all geared up for a desi AVENGERS style, sci-fi fiesta.
But pretty soon, my face wore a different expression.
Despite a main character who never grew on me (he was obnoxious, slightly creepy, make that mostly creepy, loaded with pithy quips that DID not remind us of Spider Man (as if!) , generally irritating and firmly convinced that a light was shining out from his every orifice), the concept was amazing. Melding together the rather interesting idea of Hindu mythology's Lord Vishnu's ten Avatars with high-end technology to create what could be the modern day saviours of the world would have laid the basis for one great franchise.
The writing was impeccable. The author's prowess as a fantasy/ sci-fi writer shines through in every tight paragraph. The ten DASHAVATARS are likeable characters (yes, even the rude little man who overcompensates). And yes, I still didn't like the main character. Or his obligatory exotic Asian love-interest. But whenever the ten heroes made an appearance, I was hooked.
I was involved. I was almost developing a fangirl sized crush on the warrior, Parashurama. As a reader, I was ready to see ten noble men with the best intentions at heart, set a discordant world back on it's axis. And while they were at it, could they, pretty please, knock the big bad guys off their collective tushes?
But no.
The story slowly dissolved into what can be best be described as 'one hot mess'.
I am an idealistic soul who has taken one too many emotional knocks in life. When I open a fictional book starring Indian Gods and International Superheroes (my two all time favourite premises) I expect a happy ending. Nay, I DEMAND a happy ending. If you are going to leave me blinking dazedly at the end of 320 pages with no resolution in sight, you are invoking the rather miffed off Hulk in my otherwise mild mannered Bruce Banner. AND I see no main villain getting his comeuppance. You, sir, are just invoking the green beast in me.
In conclusion, read the book for the masterful action sequences and the well laid out backstories. You will be enchanted by the awesome ten. And you will root for them.
But be prepared for a loose end.
December 12, 2015
Well, Age of Shiva. Why would someone name the book Age of Shiva when the crux of the story revolves around the Dhasavathara. Let us for the time being forget about the title of the book and focus on the story line.
Wait, what exactly was the story about? A bunch of super rich guys create super-humans and a comic strip writer is called for to design the costumes for the supers. One thing leads to the other and he is made into a Super himself and wait for the twist in the tale, the super rich are super crooked (Wow! we never saw that coming). Then the Supers team up and stop the bad guys and everybody lived happily ever after.
I don't particularly understand the way the book was structured (actually I don't understand why it was written in the first place). You can re-charge your "Siddhis" (aka superpower) by drinking "Amrita" (I bet it is weed-juice) and the super-power is created through the faith of the billion odd Indian population? You got to be frikking kidding me! Don't even get me started with the demons which were prowling the cities. Duryodhana, Kumbakarna, Rahu, Takshaka!
You think you can randomly pick characters from Amar Chitra Katha and sell us a book? Sadly, being an Indian who knows bits of mythology, I can't digest the super-powers of each of the Avatar. Krishna is a driver and only a driver? Did you even do a rough background check on Krishna before you wrote the book? I don't even want to discuss about the ending where the Trinity becomes Trimurthi. Adjectives fail me this time!
I need to specifically mention the title of a chapter - Red Hot Monkey Sex! What were you thinking? Did you think adding Red and Hot was going to spice it up? It was Hanuman, the eternal celibate! Can't you do some real research please?
I was feeling gloomy on a rainy day (actually it was the day Chennai was drowning in floods) and was looking for a good book to read. May be Gods rolled their dice on the wrong board and I was made to read this book. Those are the 3 hours I am never getting back.
To sum it all - PLEASE DON'T READ THIS BOOK.
Wait, what exactly was the story about? A bunch of super rich guys create super-humans and a comic strip writer is called for to design the costumes for the supers. One thing leads to the other and he is made into a Super himself and wait for the twist in the tale, the super rich are super crooked (Wow! we never saw that coming). Then the Supers team up and stop the bad guys and everybody lived happily ever after.
I don't particularly understand the way the book was structured (actually I don't understand why it was written in the first place). You can re-charge your "Siddhis" (aka superpower) by drinking "Amrita" (I bet it is weed-juice) and the super-power is created through the faith of the billion odd Indian population? You got to be frikking kidding me! Don't even get me started with the demons which were prowling the cities. Duryodhana, Kumbakarna, Rahu, Takshaka!
You think you can randomly pick characters from Amar Chitra Katha and sell us a book? Sadly, being an Indian who knows bits of mythology, I can't digest the super-powers of each of the Avatar. Krishna is a driver and only a driver? Did you even do a rough background check on Krishna before you wrote the book? I don't even want to discuss about the ending where the Trinity becomes Trimurthi. Adjectives fail me this time!
I need to specifically mention the title of a chapter - Red Hot Monkey Sex! What were you thinking? Did you think adding Red and Hot was going to spice it up? It was Hanuman, the eternal celibate! Can't you do some real research please?
I was feeling gloomy on a rainy day (actually it was the day Chennai was drowning in floods) and was looking for a good book to read. May be Gods rolled their dice on the wrong board and I was made to read this book. Those are the 3 hours I am never getting back.
To sum it all - PLEASE DON'T READ THIS BOOK.
April 6, 2023
Lovegrove's Pantheon series appears to lose steam with this entry. It is a perfectly serviceable story but not nearly as exciting as "Age of Odin" or "Age of Ra". The real annoyance is that character personalities change when the book requires them to change completely without explanation. Took me right out of it. Still good but not great by any means.
August 10, 2015
3.5 stars, but rounding up because I liked the new Pantheon. This was one of the more interesting books in this series. I said in my review of the last book, Voodoo, that what made it quite different than the others in the series about Greek or Aztec gods, etc, was not just because it was set in basically our world instead of an alternate Earth, it was mostly because it was a current and active religion, it gave it a different feeling. I assumed that when this book came out it too would feel similarly...alive. (No pun intended for the zombie theme in Voodoo.) And I was right, this was a very different book than all of the others in the series. It walked a fine line of representing a potential story in our world in more of a science fiction way than a fantasy way, using technology that just has't quite been invented yet, and combining it with what might actually be the power of religious belief channeled into these people's Avatars. The way the gods were represented was very different. These were regular people who took on aspects of the gods, became them in a sense. Or maybe really did? It certainly wasn't like the earlier books in the series where ancient gods walked alongside humans. The devas/Avatars did seem to take on memories and abilities of the gods they represented, beyond what seemed entirely logical or empirical. Both more and less so than when a loa in the last book was riding a person as a horse, which was a temporary situation, appeared to be involuntary and was not an ongoing and permanent partnership as this was. Plus a loa using people as horses is an actual part of Voodoo or Vodou religion, this Avatar stuff was just a creative choice by the author, he made this stuff up. But maybe the one helped give him the other idea of what another living religion with a active partnership with the gods could look like. It was a bit of a irreverent choice to turn the concept into a superhero story, but when you think about it, it totally makes sense. If a new Pantheon of gods appeared in the world today, an awful lot of people would find it a lot easier to think they were superheroes than gods. If you were trying to market to the masses, a combo of both is a sure-fire winner.
If found the concept of the ages of human civilization, the yugas, according to Hindu scriptures, pretty interesting too. I don't know if things were ever so great in the days of the early cycles, in fact I'd be surprised if austerity or cleanliness were ever major factors in any interpretations of the words. But then somehow it becomes much more compelling when you look at the idea of the fourth leg being all that's left now and the description of the situation they say the world will be in, with hatred and ignorance dictating ruling the world, children not respecting their parents, greed, drinking, and fornicating becoming obsessive goals, leaders who are no longer reasonable or fair but are a danger to the world, and more. Scary. Are we at the end of an age? A lot of the stuff they describe for the end of a yuga sure sounds like our world, that's for darn sure.
I was annoyed that the Trinity/the doctor only made male devas/Avatars. Why no devis, no Kali? Later in the book Aanandi says she'd have been a bad choice because of her battle frenzies but that sounds like an excuse to me and Durga looks pretty fierce too. Most of the other goddesses look really peaceful and wouldn't be appropriate for this team. But the lack of women in these books always frustrates me. Pantheons are mostly men? Not necessarily. Warriors are mostly men? Not necessarily. One token woman does not really make the most fun reading experience.
The ending was bad. It seemed ironic and frustrating and kind of cool for a minute, then ended up dumb right at the very end when it was unresolved. I don't always need answers but this is pop fiction, it's not deep, it's just annoying to leave the end of it open like that. But it was just the very tail end of the book and you shouldn't let it discourage you from reading it, it's really very minor. Overall it was one of the better books in the series. It would have been interesting to see more of how it was a living religion though, there was little interaction with anyone outside the team. He changed the formula a lot and it made it more interesting seven books into this experiment of his, these parallel, stand-alone Pantheon novels. There just wasn't that much to show how their being avatars of the gods effected everyday Hindus or how things changed by the end of the book for Hindus and for them. I guess it was just more superhero than Pantheon and I'd have liked more Pantheon in the Pantheon series. But it was a neat book, a good change of pace in the series for sure.
Thank you SF Signal for the gift of the book, it helped get me to FINALLY finish the series. Unless he writes even more books, which would be fine, but he seems to have moved on to other endeavors.
If found the concept of the ages of human civilization, the yugas, according to Hindu scriptures, pretty interesting too. I don't know if things were ever so great in the days of the early cycles, in fact I'd be surprised if austerity or cleanliness were ever major factors in any interpretations of the words. But then somehow it becomes much more compelling when you look at the idea of the fourth leg being all that's left now and the description of the situation they say the world will be in, with hatred and ignorance dictating ruling the world, children not respecting their parents, greed, drinking, and fornicating becoming obsessive goals, leaders who are no longer reasonable or fair but are a danger to the world, and more. Scary. Are we at the end of an age? A lot of the stuff they describe for the end of a yuga sure sounds like our world, that's for darn sure.
I was annoyed that the Trinity/the doctor only made male devas/Avatars. Why no devis, no Kali? Later in the book Aanandi says she'd have been a bad choice because of her battle frenzies but that sounds like an excuse to me and Durga looks pretty fierce too. Most of the other goddesses look really peaceful and wouldn't be appropriate for this team. But the lack of women in these books always frustrates me. Pantheons are mostly men? Not necessarily. Warriors are mostly men? Not necessarily. One token woman does not really make the most fun reading experience.
The ending was bad. It seemed ironic and frustrating and kind of cool for a minute, then ended up dumb right at the very end when it was unresolved. I don't always need answers but this is pop fiction, it's not deep, it's just annoying to leave the end of it open like that. But it was just the very tail end of the book and you shouldn't let it discourage you from reading it, it's really very minor. Overall it was one of the better books in the series. It would have been interesting to see more of how it was a living religion though, there was little interaction with anyone outside the team. He changed the formula a lot and it made it more interesting seven books into this experiment of his, these parallel, stand-alone Pantheon novels. There just wasn't that much to show how their being avatars of the gods effected everyday Hindus or how things changed by the end of the book for Hindus and for them. I guess it was just more superhero than Pantheon and I'd have liked more Pantheon in the Pantheon series. But it was a neat book, a good change of pace in the series for sure.
Thank you SF Signal for the gift of the book, it helped get me to FINALLY finish the series. Unless he writes even more books, which would be fine, but he seems to have moved on to other endeavors.
December 26, 2014
This was a great read with all the right amounts of humour, wit action and sex. The language was fresh and intelligent and rather accurate with regard to the mythology being discussed. I just added a new Author to my list of favourites.
December 17, 2014
............stupid ending. I mean it was cool, really cool. But yeah.
August 31, 2024
Mythical Power Meets Modern Chaos: A Riveting Tale**
James Lovegrove's *Age of Shiva* is a captivating fusion of mythology and modern-day action, delivering a story where the divine collides with the contemporary. This novel, part of Lovegrove's renowned Pantheon series, takes readers on a thrilling journey through a near-future Earth, where ancient gods manifest as powerful beings navigating a world on the brink of collapse.
What makes *Age of Shiva* stand out is its imaginative premise—reimagining Hindu deities as superheroes in a dystopian landscape. The author deftly blends elements of Hindu mythology with the challenges of modern society, creating a narrative that is both engaging and thought-provoking. The novel's exploration of themes like cosmic balance, destruction, and creation resonates strongly, especially as they are juxtaposed against a world grappling with environmental degradation, political turmoil, and social decay.
The protagonist's transformation into an avatar of a powerful god is depicted with depth and emotional weight, capturing the inner turmoil that comes with wielding immense power. The novel excels in portraying the psychological and moral struggles of its characters as they come to terms with their divine identities and responsibilities. This human element adds a layer of relatability to the otherwise larger-than-life narrative, making the story more than just a series of epic battles.
Speaking of battles, the action sequences in *Age of Shiva* are nothing short of spectacular. Lovegrove's experience in writing fast-paced, action-driven fiction is evident in these scenes, which are described with a cinematic flair that makes them easy to visualize. The stakes are consistently high, and the tension never lets up, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. However, this focus on action sometimes leads to pacing issues, with the plot occasionally feeling rushed as it shifts rapidly from one scene to the next. A bit more time spent on world-building and character development would have enriched the story even further.
While the novel succeeds in making Hindu mythology accessible to a wide audience, it sometimes treats these myths more as a backdrop than as an integral part of the plot. Those with a deep interest in the source material might find themselves wanting more nuanced exploration of the myths that inspire the story. Nonetheless, Lovegrove's respectful and imaginative approach to the mythology ensures that it remains a vital part of the narrative, even if it doesn't always take center stage.
Overall, *Age of Shiva* is a compelling and action-packed addition to the Pantheon series. Its blend of mythological grandeur and modern-day chaos offers a fresh take on the superhero genre, one that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. Despite some minor flaws in pacing and depth, the novel's imaginative premise, strong character work, and explosive action make it a must-read for fans of myth-based fiction and anyone looking for a unique spin on the superhero narrative.
James Lovegrove's *Age of Shiva* is a captivating fusion of mythology and modern-day action, delivering a story where the divine collides with the contemporary. This novel, part of Lovegrove's renowned Pantheon series, takes readers on a thrilling journey through a near-future Earth, where ancient gods manifest as powerful beings navigating a world on the brink of collapse.
What makes *Age of Shiva* stand out is its imaginative premise—reimagining Hindu deities as superheroes in a dystopian landscape. The author deftly blends elements of Hindu mythology with the challenges of modern society, creating a narrative that is both engaging and thought-provoking. The novel's exploration of themes like cosmic balance, destruction, and creation resonates strongly, especially as they are juxtaposed against a world grappling with environmental degradation, political turmoil, and social decay.
The protagonist's transformation into an avatar of a powerful god is depicted with depth and emotional weight, capturing the inner turmoil that comes with wielding immense power. The novel excels in portraying the psychological and moral struggles of its characters as they come to terms with their divine identities and responsibilities. This human element adds a layer of relatability to the otherwise larger-than-life narrative, making the story more than just a series of epic battles.
Speaking of battles, the action sequences in *Age of Shiva* are nothing short of spectacular. Lovegrove's experience in writing fast-paced, action-driven fiction is evident in these scenes, which are described with a cinematic flair that makes them easy to visualize. The stakes are consistently high, and the tension never lets up, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. However, this focus on action sometimes leads to pacing issues, with the plot occasionally feeling rushed as it shifts rapidly from one scene to the next. A bit more time spent on world-building and character development would have enriched the story even further.
While the novel succeeds in making Hindu mythology accessible to a wide audience, it sometimes treats these myths more as a backdrop than as an integral part of the plot. Those with a deep interest in the source material might find themselves wanting more nuanced exploration of the myths that inspire the story. Nonetheless, Lovegrove's respectful and imaginative approach to the mythology ensures that it remains a vital part of the narrative, even if it doesn't always take center stage.
Overall, *Age of Shiva* is a compelling and action-packed addition to the Pantheon series. Its blend of mythological grandeur and modern-day chaos offers a fresh take on the superhero genre, one that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. Despite some minor flaws in pacing and depth, the novel's imaginative premise, strong character work, and explosive action make it a must-read for fans of myth-based fiction and anyone looking for a unique spin on the superhero narrative.
February 12, 2022
Age of Shiva was the first book that I read this year. It was a long journey back to my home-city and the bus I took didn’t have good enough lightening for me to consider reading a paper-back. I browsed through my kindle and was in the mood for speculative fiction. That’s how Age of Shiva happened.
Age of Shiva is a first-person narrative of a comic-book artist who’s hired by a company to give his aesthetic input for upcoming ‘Gods/superheroes’ from the Hindu Pantheon. As time goes by, not all the Gods are what they seem to be, the narrator gets pulled into the mix, and as spirits and horrifying beasts (from the Pantheon) start coming to balance the cosmic presence, the world is left in turmoil.
I rate AOS 3/5 because I don’t think it deserves a 2. It’s somewhere between 2 and 3. The reason for that are two.
Firstly, the idea was excellent. The execution? I feel it could’ve been way better. Sure, first-person narratives are a bit tricky to manage given that you need to make the story cohesive. Plus, add on the factor of an ‘unreliable narrator’ and you make things a little murky. But I felt that the protagonist was just….a little too much of a stereotype? Sure, he’s a superhero fan. Sure, he’s a dude. But I felt that this was something we were constantly reminded of, and the latter bit felt a little overused.
Now, the second thing I didn’t like is what I feel to be a bit of a question mark. We know, the people participating know, that the Gods are made, they don’t exist. Why didn’t the original 10 question any of the beasts and spirits rising when they know damn well that their own existence is a man-made thing? Eh, felt a little too much. Got high on their own supply, reasoning left the room.
On the upside, I really enjoyed how they brushed upon the history of the Indus Valley Civilization and how the people of that time might have been of a higher race, and how the power-manifesting stone relates to the god-making process. Gives you more to think about. What if, right?
Age of Shiva is a first-person narrative of a comic-book artist who’s hired by a company to give his aesthetic input for upcoming ‘Gods/superheroes’ from the Hindu Pantheon. As time goes by, not all the Gods are what they seem to be, the narrator gets pulled into the mix, and as spirits and horrifying beasts (from the Pantheon) start coming to balance the cosmic presence, the world is left in turmoil.
I rate AOS 3/5 because I don’t think it deserves a 2. It’s somewhere between 2 and 3. The reason for that are two.
Firstly, the idea was excellent. The execution? I feel it could’ve been way better. Sure, first-person narratives are a bit tricky to manage given that you need to make the story cohesive. Plus, add on the factor of an ‘unreliable narrator’ and you make things a little murky. But I felt that the protagonist was just….a little too much of a stereotype? Sure, he’s a superhero fan. Sure, he’s a dude. But I felt that this was something we were constantly reminded of, and the latter bit felt a little overused.
Now, the second thing I didn’t like is what I feel to be a bit of a question mark. We know, the people participating know, that the Gods are made, they don’t exist. Why didn’t the original 10 question any of the beasts and spirits rising when they know damn well that their own existence is a man-made thing? Eh, felt a little too much. Got high on their own supply, reasoning left the room.
On the upside, I really enjoyed how they brushed upon the history of the Indus Valley Civilization and how the people of that time might have been of a higher race, and how the power-manifesting stone relates to the god-making process. Gives you more to think about. What if, right?
June 29, 2020
I was looking for comps for another book which also involves spirits as protagonists and antagonists, but I was unsure what to expect. I knew this was the seventh in a series and therefore expected this book would be mature in that series' theme. It was all that and more. I read this in two days, separated by a day trip in which I could not read. That fast reading pace equals my pace for a thriller. Yes, I had another reason for reading this book. But, the truth is, I was caught up in the fascinating plot and the insights into the Vedic religion of South Asia in the fourth Millenium BC, which is one of my interests. The author restrains sexuality to an aptly named chapter, allowing a sensitive reader to skip it without losing either momentum or story. The use of profanity matches modern street talk and doesn't bother this old Marine, but it might others. I will be reading two more in the series, again incorporating ancient religions: the Aztecs and the Egyptians.
June 8, 2017
The beginning was good. Quite different from the conventional way of other related books. This book is a fine blend of Mythology and fantasy. So when I started it, it was fun. But with gradual ascend of time, the story turned into a mere Indian version of "Avengers". Also, there was no need to drag the avatars to war and Indo Pak issues. it was far fetched and blotted the original sense of the book as i understand.
Added to it, the end was abrupt. Many might as well call it an intelligently carved ending where the readers decide the fate of the story but to me, it seemed incomplete, an unfinished work.
I, of all people am an enthusiast about mythology, that too Indian mythology. but it was a sort of sloppy work on part of the author and to me it was a descending curve.
Added to it, the end was abrupt. Many might as well call it an intelligently carved ending where the readers decide the fate of the story but to me, it seemed incomplete, an unfinished work.
I, of all people am an enthusiast about mythology, that too Indian mythology. but it was a sort of sloppy work on part of the author and to me it was a descending curve.
November 21, 2019
I admit to neither being a great comic/super hero fan nor a great science fiction fan. I picked the book entirely for its title, but the title is misleading! This is my first book from the author. So obviously the first in the pantheon series as well ;) Still, the book seemed a good one time read to me.
I liked the narration with witty dry humour. As for the hindu mythology roles, there are some illogical stuff like great hot monkey sex while Hanuman is an eternal celibate. Didn't understand the significance of the title, there was not much of Shiva in the plot except the very end. Liked the ending.
I liked the narration with witty dry humour. As for the hindu mythology roles, there are some illogical stuff like great hot monkey sex while Hanuman is an eternal celibate. Didn't understand the significance of the title, there was not much of Shiva in the plot except the very end. Liked the ending.
February 14, 2018
Excellent storyline, very captivating with interesting characters and a classic end. Being a hindu myself would love too see such a series in movies. But I would prefer the book to named “Kalyuga”
September 21, 2021
Great read!
This is a great read! Several plot twists to keep you guessing. It will amuse and entertain you without fail.
This is a great read! Several plot twists to keep you guessing. It will amuse and entertain you without fail.
April 16, 2022
Not my favorite of this "series". Interesting concept but a little bland overall for my tastes
September 28, 2023
Intriguing enough to search on the myths in the book.
December 9, 2014
You can read the full review over at my blog:
http://sonsofcorax.wordpress.com/2014...
James Lovegrove’s Pantheon novels have been quite unlike other novels that I’ve read to date, irrespective of whether or not I like them. Starting with Age of Zeus and then Age of Aztec, these novels explore various religious mythologies from around the world and do an interesting contemporary science-fiction spin with them, trying to explain the existence of these gods in a way that you really can’t predict. Sometimes this works, and sometimes it doesn’t. I’ve only read the two books so far, though there are many more in the series, and reading James’ latest makes me really want to go back and read the ones I haven’t.
Age of Shiva, as the name implies, takes its cues from Hindu mythology. Specifically, the many Avatars of the God Vishnu, who is one of the Hindu Trinity of Supreme Gods. For me, Age of Shiva is like a culmination of everything that James has done with the series so far, being a perfect commentary on some key topics that have cropped up in the series again and again. It has a much better gist, much better characters, much better story, and much better pacing of the books I’ve read, and I think it is a great example of “Godpunk” as James has come to define the term through his works.
Age of Shiva explores how famed comics artist Zak Zap is caught up in events to present real, breathing superheroes to the world at large. Toiling away at his work, a loner without much of a social life, Zak is approached to become the visual creator of an entire team of superheroes, ten of them to be exact, called the Dashavatara (Ten Avatars). This sets the character off on an interesting path as he explores Hindu mythology, delving into a culture he has next to no experience with, and then discovering how the dream of these superheroes being real is based on a false premise and a bed of utter greed unlike anything.
Being Hindu myself, there is a lot to like about this novel. Initially I was turned off by the fact that of the ten superheroes in the novel, one were of Indian origin in terms of their civilian identities. But then, as the story progressed, I saw what James was trying to do here: write a story about cultural misappropriation that was also quite heavily satire in its approach. And that’s where much of James’ own love for comics came in I expect. He references several things about the industry at large through Zak Zap, and all of it makes for a really fun read, both entertaining and frustrating me as a reader, which was a nice balance by the end.
Best of all though, what I really loved in the novel was an exploration of Hindu mythology and how some of it might really be rooted in the reality of the times that the greatest epics of the religion were written in. That’s where the Dashavatara really come in. Each Avatar of Vishnu follows in ever-increasing evolutionary complexity and that is aptly reflected in each Avatar, with them being a facet of the different times that the God Vishnu manifested on Earth. Zak, and thus James, spends a lot of time on exploring what makes each Avatar superhero tick, and he gives a distinctive personality to each of them so that by the end you really get invested in their struggles, whether within the team itself as they learn to work together or in facing all the different challenges that they are forced to overcome.
http://sonsofcorax.wordpress.com/2014...
James Lovegrove’s Pantheon novels have been quite unlike other novels that I’ve read to date, irrespective of whether or not I like them. Starting with Age of Zeus and then Age of Aztec, these novels explore various religious mythologies from around the world and do an interesting contemporary science-fiction spin with them, trying to explain the existence of these gods in a way that you really can’t predict. Sometimes this works, and sometimes it doesn’t. I’ve only read the two books so far, though there are many more in the series, and reading James’ latest makes me really want to go back and read the ones I haven’t.
Age of Shiva, as the name implies, takes its cues from Hindu mythology. Specifically, the many Avatars of the God Vishnu, who is one of the Hindu Trinity of Supreme Gods. For me, Age of Shiva is like a culmination of everything that James has done with the series so far, being a perfect commentary on some key topics that have cropped up in the series again and again. It has a much better gist, much better characters, much better story, and much better pacing of the books I’ve read, and I think it is a great example of “Godpunk” as James has come to define the term through his works.
Age of Shiva explores how famed comics artist Zak Zap is caught up in events to present real, breathing superheroes to the world at large. Toiling away at his work, a loner without much of a social life, Zak is approached to become the visual creator of an entire team of superheroes, ten of them to be exact, called the Dashavatara (Ten Avatars). This sets the character off on an interesting path as he explores Hindu mythology, delving into a culture he has next to no experience with, and then discovering how the dream of these superheroes being real is based on a false premise and a bed of utter greed unlike anything.
Being Hindu myself, there is a lot to like about this novel. Initially I was turned off by the fact that of the ten superheroes in the novel, one were of Indian origin in terms of their civilian identities. But then, as the story progressed, I saw what James was trying to do here: write a story about cultural misappropriation that was also quite heavily satire in its approach. And that’s where much of James’ own love for comics came in I expect. He references several things about the industry at large through Zak Zap, and all of it makes for a really fun read, both entertaining and frustrating me as a reader, which was a nice balance by the end.
Best of all though, what I really loved in the novel was an exploration of Hindu mythology and how some of it might really be rooted in the reality of the times that the greatest epics of the religion were written in. That’s where the Dashavatara really come in. Each Avatar of Vishnu follows in ever-increasing evolutionary complexity and that is aptly reflected in each Avatar, with them being a facet of the different times that the God Vishnu manifested on Earth. Zak, and thus James, spends a lot of time on exploring what makes each Avatar superhero tick, and he gives a distinctive personality to each of them so that by the end you really get invested in their struggles, whether within the team itself as they learn to work together or in facing all the different challenges that they are forced to overcome.
April 30, 2014
For me, It's an OK one time read. Being born and brought up with the myths and facts from the Hindu Mythology and Scriptures that finds its places in this novel, I could see the end from far ahead, from the first when it's notion was referenced to! (In a way, I was wanting that to be the end).
While, the plot point is marvelous and really genius, the execution that went into it doesn't surpasses beyond average. Don't get me Wrong here! This novel is teaming with so many potentials and so many different story-arcs(you will get that, off course, when you take a mythology as the base :) ), and at places, the writing is really neat and laced with humorous punches(most with footnotes). The references to Comics and their intricacies really fascinated me. The actions were superb, happening in front of my eyes. Yet, somewhere it felt mundane for me. I was expecting something off a twist or new thing in this, and so, may be that made this A ONE TIME READ for me. . . I would recommend this only to the people who are not familiar with Hindu Pantheon or are at a beginner level. You can get a really good peek or a GREAT TEASE, reading this. . . . But for people who have read works like that of Devdutt Pattanaik would find heaps of irregularities in this that would turn them off.
A movie though would be fantastic for all :D :v if done properly.
But, I would put TWO THUMBS UP for the author to come up with this!!
It was really, realy, REALLY a grand effort! :D
p.s - It's sci-fi thriller with a-bit-of-mythology as base, entwined with comedy at places and a SUPERB COVER!!(That took my attention from the beginning!!)
While, the plot point is marvelous and really genius, the execution that went into it doesn't surpasses beyond average. Don't get me Wrong here! This novel is teaming with so many potentials and so many different story-arcs(you will get that, off course, when you take a mythology as the base :) ), and at places, the writing is really neat and laced with humorous punches(most with footnotes). The references to Comics and their intricacies really fascinated me. The actions were superb, happening in front of my eyes. Yet, somewhere it felt mundane for me. I was expecting something off a twist or new thing in this, and so, may be that made this A ONE TIME READ for me. . . I would recommend this only to the people who are not familiar with Hindu Pantheon or are at a beginner level. You can get a really good peek or a GREAT TEASE, reading this. . . . But for people who have read works like that of Devdutt Pattanaik would find heaps of irregularities in this that would turn them off.
A movie though would be fantastic for all :D :v if done properly.
But, I would put TWO THUMBS UP for the author to come up with this!!
It was really, realy, REALLY a grand effort! :D
p.s - It's sci-fi thriller with a-bit-of-mythology as base, entwined with comedy at places and a SUPERB COVER!!(That took my attention from the beginning!!)
September 26, 2014
You know, all the way up to the last page, I thought this book was solid and entertaining and fun and I loved the way it tackled the mythology.
then the last page was a total non-answer cop out and I was just VERY SAD. As I've said in previous reviews, endings that aren't conclusive pretty much drive me bananas, so I'm knocking off a star because I just cannot even.
THAT SAID:
I thought this was another great installment, otherwise, in this series. I would have liked it if we'd gotten to be a bit closer to the other characters, but that's the limitation of a first person narrative -- I guess it just would have given me a little bit more mythology that way, and being a myth-focused person, more mythology is always something I look for. But there wasn't anything really LACKING, aside from the inconclusive ending, even with the first person narration, and I loved the theories presented and explored. I might have to do some of my own reading now, to dig a little deeper and see what the source material says for itself, next! Which basically means this book is a winner -- because anything that makes me want to read more about the source mythology is doing its job right!
then the last page was a total non-answer cop out and I was just VERY SAD. As I've said in previous reviews, endings that aren't conclusive pretty much drive me bananas, so I'm knocking off a star because I just cannot even.
THAT SAID:
I thought this was another great installment, otherwise, in this series. I would have liked it if we'd gotten to be a bit closer to the other characters, but that's the limitation of a first person narrative -- I guess it just would have given me a little bit more mythology that way, and being a myth-focused person, more mythology is always something I look for. But there wasn't anything really LACKING, aside from the inconclusive ending, even with the first person narration, and I loved the theories presented and explored. I might have to do some of my own reading now, to dig a little deeper and see what the source material says for itself, next! Which basically means this book is a winner -- because anything that makes me want to read more about the source mythology is doing its job right!
February 2, 2021
The Age of Shiva is by comparison to the earlier works of the series is of middling quality. It is an improvement on the Age of Voodoo since at least this time we have direct link to the pantheon (this time Hindu), but again we do not have the direct god involvement that we had with say the Age of Odin. It was this twist of having the gods doing battle against each other, using human armies that set the series above the normal geo political thriller.
The fact the superheroes of the Age of Shiva are manmade through genetic engineering and are controlled be a group of megalomaniacs who are keen to start a war between India and Pakistan in order to showcase their genetic creations. Once showcased the plan was to sell the technology to other countries /interested powers. This makes story more geo political than the battle of the gods and as such I was slightly disappointed.
Overall it is still an enjoyable thriller but compared the Age of Zeus, RA or Odin it is missing that certain something that made the earlier instalments a cut above the average.
The fact the superheroes of the Age of Shiva are manmade through genetic engineering and are controlled be a group of megalomaniacs who are keen to start a war between India and Pakistan in order to showcase their genetic creations. Once showcased the plan was to sell the technology to other countries /interested powers. This makes story more geo political than the battle of the gods and as such I was slightly disappointed.
Overall it is still an enjoyable thriller but compared the Age of Zeus, RA or Odin it is missing that certain something that made the earlier instalments a cut above the average.
June 3, 2014
Given the way these plots have been treated before, i was a little skeptical about this book. Nonetheless, allured by the premise of mythology and godpunkism, i started off on this seemingly dangerous trek. And I wasn't disappointed by it. The way it inter-weaves humor and philosophy all throughout the novel seems like an effortless thing. The language isnt superfluous but is rich enough to give one a good feeling. The narration is almost PG Wodehouse-ish as Lovegrove tells the story from the perspective of a graphic artist. The plot is heavy and laced with superheroism, mythology and deceit.. a graffiti of the things a geek might look for in a book. Its almost the prose form of graphic novel. Though some facts seem to be dubious.. but the constant and interesting flow of the plot makes up for it. And the shinning on the cherry? the interesting end. Giving it 4 stars and recommending it to all the geek/nerds/anoreks/ out there... its definitely worth a good read.
April 25, 2015
I've read almost every book from this series and this one's the weakest. It does have some likeable characters, and it was a page-turner at certain times, but otherwise it was very annoying.
It was so full of clichés that I almost gagged on them.
The characters never did what you would expect in real life, never asked the obvious questions. They didn't go for obvious solutions which were right in fron of them.
The pantheon part, the part that is interesting because it tells you a little of the given religion, mythology (which was quite good in the other books) was as if it was an afterthought.
Also it was very hard to remember who was who from the several weird sounding Indian names.
So, not so good.
It was so full of clichés that I almost gagged on them.
The characters never did what you would expect in real life, never asked the obvious questions. They didn't go for obvious solutions which were right in fron of them.
The pantheon part, the part that is interesting because it tells you a little of the given religion, mythology (which was quite good in the other books) was as if it was an afterthought.
Also it was very hard to remember who was who from the several weird sounding Indian names.
So, not so good.
June 22, 2015
I suppose one shouldn't be looking for cultural or political sensitivity in a book that's labelled 'godpunk.' I didn't, not for the other books of the Pantheon series, until I came to Age of Shiva. Aside from being dreadfully written, what offends is the absolutely retarded conceptualization of the Hindu religion. I'm from Hyderabad, myself, and not a Hindu. Ironically, I sound almost like a Hindutva nutjob getting offended about the portrayal of the religion, and its ironic because this is probably the one fictional portrayal they would approve of. It fits in with their attempt to reduce hinduism, ruthlessly cut down plurality, codify the religion into a set of ugly pictures of gods and stories.
February 23, 2016
'Age of Shiva' is the latest in the Pantheon series from James Lovegrove, and after my disappointing experience with 'Age of Godpunk' it was a refreshing return to form for a man who basically invented his own genre; it was an interesting and engaging concept, well executed with solid action scenes. One or two troubling instances in the narrative and a really weak stinger for an ending didn't detract from the enjoyment of the rest of the story, which hit all of the great action beats I've come to expect from Lovegrove.
Read the full review at:
http://strangecurrencies.org/2016/02/...
Read the full review at:
http://strangecurrencies.org/2016/02/...
June 11, 2014
Incredible entry in the Pantheon series. It was certainly a bit different than its predecessors, but hey, that's why I've adored every book Lovegrove's published so far! The incorporation of Hindu mythology was as seamless as always, and Lovegrove's control over a fairly large central cast impressed me as much as always. As a huge comic book fan myself, having Bramwell as the protagonist was an incredibly enjoyable experience, as opposed to some of the former characters in the other books.
All in all, very much worth the read. I'll never stop repping these books to everyone I know!
All in all, very much worth the read. I'll never stop repping these books to everyone I know!
May 10, 2014
The final full length book in the Pantheon series, James Lovegrove channels his inner geek to great effect in this effort.
I greatly enjoyed reading this book. Of all the Pantheon books, this one felt the most 'real' the most likely to actually happen. Sure the reader is required to stretch their imagination but the author does a great job of making the impossible seem realistic as well as using comic book culture to great effect. Very enjoyable and I'm hoping that more books come available from this author.
I greatly enjoyed reading this book. Of all the Pantheon books, this one felt the most 'real' the most likely to actually happen. Sure the reader is required to stretch their imagination but the author does a great job of making the impossible seem realistic as well as using comic book culture to great effect. Very enjoyable and I'm hoping that more books come available from this author.
April 8, 2014
I hate to say it, but despite all the hardwork Mr Lovegrove put into this book, I did not enjoy it. His usual writing style was absent here. This was a short book that just took forever to read. The use of footnotes in the chapters was a good idea that was poorly executed. They took away from the story rather than enhancing it. Its is more of a shame for me because I love his other books. Oh well, I guess you cant love them all.
November 3, 2014
This book is more suited for comic book fans with the style of writing and description of action sequences. There are some glaring inaccuracies like mentioning Buddha as an Avatar of Lord Vishnu and putting in names of Prahlada and Durga where demons are mentioned.
The first person narration by a comic artist is at times hilarious and sometime cocky. Lots of double meaning lines thrown in between, bordering on vulgarity.
To sum up a light read for an action novel.
The first person narration by a comic artist is at times hilarious and sometime cocky. Lots of double meaning lines thrown in between, bordering on vulgarity.
To sum up a light read for an action novel.
April 23, 2014
So much better than the short stories in the last book! Should have been called the Age of Vishnu. Not sure why they went with Shiva. Is Shiva really more recognizable than Vishnu to the general populace? Nevertheless, another excellent entry in the series. But the ending! For the briefest of moments, I was all like "Oh no you didn't!", but then made peace with it and was happy. :-)
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