The Cyclone: Ponniyin Selvan 2

by Kalki, Gowri Ramnarayan (translator)

Our valiant hero Vallavaraiyan Vandiyatevan has been asked to make his way to Ilankai on Princess Kundavai Devi’s request. With the help of the curious and eccentric Poonkuzhali, he does so, traversing across dangerous land and waters to finally meet ‘Ponniyin Selvan’—the beloved Chozha prince Arulmozhi Varman.
Back home, the plotting to take over the throne of the Chozha empire continues. At the centre of it all, stands the wife of the senior Pazhuvettaraiyar, the beautiful and dangerous Nandini Devi, who will stop at nothing to bring down the Chozas. Will Vandiyatevan and the Chozha princes manage to outplay Nandini and the Pazhuvettaraiyars?
An epic adventure, skilfully written by Kalki and elegantly translated by his granddaughter Gowri Ramnarayan, continues in this, the second in the Ponniyin Selvan series.

Genres: Indian Literature

544 pages, Hardcover

Published June 24, 2025

Reviews

[Ranjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed Volume 2 of Ponniyin Selvan! The familiarity with the characters makes this a much faster, breezier read than the first. The action shifts to Ilankai in this book and we are introduced to the Ponniyin Selvan properly. I was pleasantly surprised by the Ilankai chapters—the book provides a level of detail and character development (especially for Poonkuzhali and the ‘Mute Queen’) that the movies simply couldn't capture. While the Ilankai (Sri Lanka) arc occasionally felt like a lull in the cinematic adaptation, this is not true in the book. The translation is top-notch. Highly recommended for anyone craving a deep dive into Chozha history. This series is turning out to be a masterclass in immersive historical fiction. I'm diving into the third book immediately!

[Hagrid's Book Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.6⭐️
Part 2 of the Ponniyin Selvan translated series. Did not disappoint. Now that we are more familiar with the characters and their links I got more sucked into the story, especially the second half of the book kept me on my toes. First half was a bit of a slow burn. I really feel this is a great historical fiction for anyone of any culture who wants an HF on royal families, political deception, conniving, strong FMCs.

[Chaitanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe I got used to the style of translation by now but I love the second book.

Off to the third one!