Vikramaditya Veergatha Book 1 The Guardians of the Halahala

Vikramaditya Veergatha #1

by Shatrujeet Nath

The deadly Halahala, the all-devouring poison churned from the depths of the White Lake by the devas and asuras, was swallowed by Shiva to save the universe from extinction.

But was the Halahala truly destroyed?

A small portion still remains – a weapon powerful enough to guarantee victory to whoever possesses it. And both asuras and devas, locked in battle for supremacy, will stop at nothing to claim it.

As the forces of Devaloka and Patala, led by Indra and Shukracharya, plot to possess the Halahala, Shiva turns to mankind to guard it from their murderous clutches. It is now up to Samrat Vikramaditya and his Council of Nine to quell the supernatural hordes – and prevent the universe from tumbling into chaos!

A sweeping tale of honour and courage in the face of infinite danger, greed and deceit, The Guardians of the Halahala is a fantastical journey into a time of myth and legend.

Shatrujeet Nath has sold ice creams, peddled computer training courses, written ad copy and reported on business as a journalist and assistant editor at The Economic Times. His first book, The Karachi Deception, was published in 2013. He divides his time between writing fiction and poetry, reading, playing with his daughter, and dreaming of buying a small castle in Scotland. Till that happens, he plans to continue living in Mumbai.

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Indian Literature, India, Epic

433 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2014

About the author

Shatrujeet Nath has sold ice-creams, peddled computer training courses, written ad copy, and reported on business as a journalist and assistant editor at The Economic Times. While still at the top of his game, Shatrujeet quit journalism to write fiction. His first book, the Indo-Pak espionage thriller The Karachi Deception, was published in 2013. He then went on to write the national bestselling epic fantasy series Vikramaditya Veergatha, which comprises four books: The Guardians of the Halahala, The Conspiracy at Meru, The Vengeance of Indra and The Wrath of the Hellfires. His latest work, Warlord of Ayodhya: Resurrection, has just been released, and is the second book in a three-book series that tells the story of Bharat’s 14-year-rule in Ayodhya during the exile of Rama. Described as “a new face to Indian mythology” by DNA, Shatrujeet writes for movies and web shows as well.

Reviews

[Vishnu Chevli · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Edit - Added Author Interview link]
Ever since I read "The Immortal of Meluha", I became huge fan of the alternate history or mythology genre. Half of my wishlist books are filled with this genre. The Guardians of the Halahala was in my wishlist for more than a year. I got my hands on the book few weeks back. And I considered myself lucky that I got author signed copy.

Indian mythological literature is pretty rich and deep. During our college times we used to think why Indian authors were not recreating those stories. Soon a trend of alternate history-mythology stories started. Today we find more than 300 books in the genre. But one has to put enough effort to leave an impact on readers. By combining stories of 'Samudra-Manthan' and Vikramaditya, Shatrujeet has created mind-boggling epic 'The Vikramaditya Veerghatha'.

Trilogy revolves around poison called Halahala. In this first part, the Lord Shiva himself has given responsibility of the Halahala sealed dagger to Vikramaditya. As task was assigned by omniscient himself, Vikramaditya, being the Samrat of the Bharatvarsha and the king of Avanti, considered the responsibility as illustriousness. Vikramaditya didn't know why Shiva chosen him and Shiva didn't reveal it to him. His counsel of Nine had wholeheartedly accepted their kings decision to protect dagger. Before accepting dagger, Shindhuvrata was having threat from barbaric Huna & Saka from the west. After accepting dagger, Maghadh became aggressive and started taking military actions in the east to increase their prowess. Avanti started getting attacks from Devas & Asuras. Counsellor of Avanti with their power and technology were able to counter those attacks, but the devastation brought by attacks had already taken heavy toll on Ujjaini, the capital of Avanti.

With heavy anticipation and few exciting revelation author finished the first part on high peak. It is not possible for someone who liked the first part to not check second one. Shatrujeet was able to match my expectations. It is a sure shot best read of this year in the mytho-action-thriller. I will dig into second part ASAP.

Detailed review link - http://chevusread.blogspot.com/2017/0...
Author interview link - http://chevusread.blogspot.com/2017/0...

[Bookish Indulgenges with b00k r3vi3ws · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit at the very beginning that I accepted a review copy of this book from the author without even reading the blurb. The reason behind it is the Author’s debut novel “The Karachi Deception”. I had absolutely loved it for his writing style. Then again, once I accepted and realized that this is a fantasy / mythological book instead of a gritty thriller, I felt apprehensive… what if the author isn’t as good in writing in a different genre from what I have already read and appreciated. I need not have feared. Shatrujeet Nath follows up his stunning thriller with an equally enthralling fantasy book.

During the ‘Samudramanthan’ which produced a lot of treasure and ‘Amrit’ in the end, also produced a poison, Halahala, so potent that even the fumes of it dropped the bodies of devas and Asuras alike. Lord Shiva had swallowed it in order to save the universe from extinction. But what many people do not know is that a small amount remains and the owner of it could have a huge advantage in any battle. Both Devas and Asuras are in search for it. But Lord Shiva, who knows the potential of it, entrusts Vikramaditya and his Navaratnas to guard it with their life.

I found the plot quite engrossing and different from anything that I have read from an Indian author so far. We all know of the ‘Samudramanthan’ and Halahala, and we also know of Vikramaditya and his various tales. When put together, they indeed form something unique. Complimentary to the plot is its characterization. The author has taken the age old characters and presented them in a new avatar. The Gods, especially Lord Shiva, seem so human in the story that one can almost identify with them. But I have to say that Vikramaditya stands out among all of them. With a wide choice of Devas and Asuras available, I choose team human because Vikramaditya as the wielder of the Hellfires is really a formidable personality. The author’s style of writing is opulent and easy to get into at the same time. He has not only maintained quality in writing, but has also improved upon it.

I would recommend it to all mythology and fantasy lovers as it guarantees entertainment with its plot, action and twists.



http://www.b00kr3vi3ws.in/2015/01/The...

[Vikalp Trivedi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Deceived by hordes of positive reviews and being a fan of Indian Mythology , I picked 'The Guardians Of Halahala' , the book one of 'Vikaramaditya Veergatha' , written by Shatrujeet Nath.

As I started reading the book the start was slow , the pace remained slow throughout . It felt like I was reading story of a Indian T.V. serial . The book qualifies every quality to be a perfect Indian daily soap . Useless conversations , nothing happening in many chapters , half of the chapters were wasted in character introduction , too many characters , the characters were not well-built . Author describes an event and forgets it for a long time and then reintroduce that event again later in the book .

Even in fantasy I am reading this first time that Holika was consort of Hiranyaksh (they actully were siblings) and Andhak (the blind Asura son of Lord Shiv) worked under Hiranyaksh .

Disappointing .
Done with the series .
1 Star .

[K.J. Charles]

Epic Indian-set fantasy with kings, demons, deadly MacGuffin, pending apocalyse, betrayals, politics, conspiracies, and one meeellion characters. All the fun of the fair, in fact. I enjoyed this a lot as an epic romp: the massive cast somewhat overstretched my mental faculties at points but I got to grips eventually and liked the team of Guardians and the concept a lot. There's a *lot* of exposition and the writing is workmanlike, but it's a good big twisty story with a vivid setting and lots of violent fantasy fun.

EDIT: Dear sweet Jesus, only book 1 is available on Kobo. What is the POINT of putting book 1 on Kobo and then making the others Kindle only? Why do publishers even exist? Oh my God.

[Priyanka Roy Banerjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the uninitiated, Halahala is the poison that was churned from the oceans, expecting Amrit instead. It was deemed to be so potent that it could destroy the three universes and who better than the destroyer himself to consume the poison and save everyone. If the Halahala didn’t exist anymore, what’s the story about? You have to read to find out because it has been crafted so beautifully.
Kudos to Shatrujeet Nath for bringing back Mythology and Fantasy in my reading habitat. Recommended for everyone, especially for young adults to get familiar with our mythology which is mostly verbally passed on through generations.

Read the full review here: http://oneandahalfminutes.com/2015/09...

[Guttu · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was 10, I was introduced to this story of King Vikramaditya and Betaal or "Vikram aur Betaal". I was fascinated by both the characters. Vikram, for being human and yet having courage to carry a ghost on his back and Betaal for his wicked sense of humor. Some years later, I was introduced to one more story of Vikramaditya, i.e. Singhasan Battisi. Since then I have seen him as a courageous and righteous king like no one. He was like Ram of modern world. My interest in this characters made me read this book.

I had read a great deal of praise about this book and I wanted to finish this last year. Somehow, I couldn't. It's for the good because it has given me a great start for this year.

Long time back during the Smaudra Manthan, Halahala (a deadly poison) was released. Devas and Asuras were both affected from the Halahala and it posed great thread to the whole creation. Both Devas and asuras approached Lord Mahadev to save them. Lord Mahadev decided to drink all the Halahala to save the world. But a small potion of the Halahala was stolen by an asura named Veeshada who had traps it safely inside a dagger. The dagger was under safe custody of Shiva, who is no one but Mahadeva himself living in the Himalayas. Shiva decided to hand over the dagger to Vikramaditya so that he could meditate in peace. Now it is Vikramaditya's responsibility to protect the dagger from both Devas and asuras who want to possess it to have an upper hand over their enemy.

The story is powerfully weaved never letting the grip loosen once the introduction part is over. The characters, Navratnas or the nine councilors or Vikramaditya, play major role in this book. There is more of them than Vikramaditya himself. It works so well that you'll love at least two of the characters from the Navratnas. Their background stories have been scattered over the book which I felt should have been packed into a chapter or two. It is annoying when a remark about a characters past is made and it is not revealed for the next 30-40 pages. This has been repeated throughout.

The fantasy elements in this book are admirable. The Ashvins, Maruts, Andhaka, Swords of Hellfire, etc.. will make you crave for more and more fantasy. The story would have been dull if not for these fantasy elements. One more plus about the story is that it effortlessly moves from one plot to another. It's not that easy when you have hundreds of characters and places in one story.

The flaws I found may not be of great importance to many. But I certainly thought they could have turned this into a much better book. The first was the annoying bombardment of unfamiliar words. It just breaks the flow of reading a thriller. Author doesn't have to impress the reader by diction but by the art of story telling. Secondly, There is a huge scope for humor in this story which hasn't been exploited much. It's like that one piece of cashew in good-day cashew biscuits. More would have made it tastier.

At the end of it, I won't be able to resist reading the next book in this trilogy. I'll have to put down everything else and read it. I doubt it will be limited to trilogy as there is scope for 5 books at least. Prepare to be blown away if you consider reading this.

P.S. - "Where there's Vikram, there's Betaal" :D :D

[Ruchi Patel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had my eye on this book since long and finally I got chance to read it and I am really glad that I picked up this book. My favourite genres are mythology and fiction and this book is perfect combination of both. The story begins with the scene of “Samudramanthan”. My grandparents used to tell me the stories regarding mythology and I have heard few stories regarding it. “Halahala” is the most powerful poison that has been derived from this process. So the Deva and Danava requested the lord Shiva and Shiva drank that poison to save the earth.
The book is first part of Vikramaditya Veergatha.

I loved the book. The story is written so wonderfully. It has very different and unique plot. Well written. Authors has done really nice job. Amazing use of vocabulary and language. Page turner. All the characters have been portrayed well. And I loved the politics woven around the plot. There are number of characters that holds the interest of the reader. Unexpected twists and turns take place. So plot is completely unpredictable. During whole time I felt like I was watching a nice movie and I would definitely love to see movie based on this book. As this is the first book of the triology, I cannot wait to read other two books. Indeed nice one. A must read for all the mythology and fiction lovers.

[Roshan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start by stating the obvious.
The Guardians of the Halahala is unlike any book you have read in the Indian historical fiction genre till date. The beginning of a trilogy, it effortlessly combines religion, legend, history and even one of the most iconic characters from our fables, bringing a unique perspective to their story.

review Godyears bookIt all begins with one of Lord Shiva's most iconic moments - one that requires not just the devas and asuras but also Lord Vishnu to work beside each other. The churning of the Ocean of milk to attain the nectar of immortality (Amrit) first produces something else though - the deadly Halahala poison, which is swallowed whole by Lord Shiva as per mythology.

Only that is not entirely accurate. A small portion of the Halahala was in fact siphoned away by an alert asura who hides it within an object. When Shiva finally gets his hands on it, he is faced with a conundrum - neither does he wish to retain possession of the object, nor does he trust the devas or asuras where safekeeping of such a potentially dangerous weapon capable of mass destruction is concerned.

The one he finally chooses is no deva or asura but a mere mortal - Chandragupta Vikramaditya, the king of Avanti, aided by his Navaratnas, the nine 'gems' of his court. Vikramaditya will find out that being the titular Guardian of the Halahala is not nearly as simple as concealing the destructive object as he becomes the centre of attention not just of his mortal enemies but also the devas and asuras.


What stood out for me in this book?

1. Attention to detail.
That is essential in any novel but almost paramount when you endeavour to write historical fiction because the characters already exist in some form in the minds of the reader, unlike unique new characters we create in normal fiction. And that is where Shatrujeet Nath shows his class. Each character is immaculately fleshed out and precise thought is given to world building for a larger narrative. There is a map at the beginning to visualise the world you are entering and a glossary at the end to aid you in knowing places and people from history who grace the storyline.



2. Characterisation
In a good story, the characters are never easily defined as good and evil. Never is that more apparent than here as you get to see the various shades of morality depicted in the Gods and demons alike, both in a race to get this deadly power for their own selfish reasons. Vikramaditya and his loyal posse will win your heart as they stand out here - fighting the just fight against odds that on paper should be stacked heavily against them (Avanti vs the devas,asuras, Huns et al... gulp!). Even the Lord Shiva you meet is very different from what you imagined.

3. Pace
The author brings in the same frenetic energy from his previous book here. With so many characters at his disposal, he still does not allow things to slow down as he moves across scenarios and settings, making this a pure thriller for the reader as opposed to just a tale of historical fiction. The battle sequences too work brilliantly here as you can easily visualize them as you read.

4. Twists in the tale
The little twists and unexpected turns in the tale are essential to make the reader nod in appreciation. In a storyline of this magnitude, you need to have a few tricks in the bag to grant Vikramaditya the upper hand in his battle against the asuras and devas. Also look out for a face we are all familiar with as you traverse the 'transitional land between life and death.' That, and the utilisation of the character, is a mark of pure creativity.

5. Language
With his first book, Shatrujeet Neet had already shown that he knew how to tell a tale well. Here too, you do not need to worry as the same fluency and ease with language come into play. A big shout out to the editor too for a job well done here.

A couple of years ago, I had the pleasure of reviewing the author’s first book “The Karachi Deception” and had found it to be one of the best spy thrillers by an Indian author. A part of me had been a little disappointed then when I had realised he was transitioning towards historical fiction because I really loved his style in the former genre and wanted more. I am happy to say that Shatrujeet Nath has made me a convert – this is an author who handles his devas, asuras and kings just as deftly and confidently as he had previously done with the various army men and spies across both sides of the border while executing “Project Abhimanyu” in his first book.

The Guardians of the Halahala (by Jaico Publishing) is a wonderful new world for you to enter – a thriller set in a world which seems familiar when you hear the names of the characters within it and yet will make you realise there is more to them as you get to know them.



I am going with a maximum rating of 5 out of 5 for this book. Anyone who can successfully combine the energy of an action thriller while creating a new iteration of a world that we thought we knew deserves no less than that.
http://www.godyears.net/2015/03/book-...

[Shreya Ganguly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title and the cover of the book is fierce and dominates the appearance a dagger looking royal and pristine, but bold enough to hint what the book beholds.

While many may contemptuously flick history as tales of the dead and gone, it has in recent times emerged a one of the best received genre. The art of combining fascinating history with appetizing mythology has not really been around but the Author seems to have carved his way in and has come to stay with a lasting impression. The recipe remains a guarded secret, for all you must know its voluminous amount of research and caliber served hot. The Author has fused legend, mythology, the known, the unknown and the lesser known with an applaud worthy element of mystery. He has sketched the characters of the tale racing against time and has maintained a generous pace. Bon Appétit!

The mythological element in the book is placed in a very contemporary setting, which runs parallel to the Vikramaditya era.

The tale runs a narration across an honour the legendary King Vikramaditya upholds interknitted with although debatable yet an indelible incident of mythology the Amritmanthan. The tale opens with an intriguing narration and holds the reader to a cliff hanger until the end. The Guardian of Halahala is themed on an unexpected plot. It’s a tale of courage, wisdom, passion, kingship, deceit, defeat, greed and victory. The Vikramaditya trilogy sets off with a tale from mythology and history.

Review:

Epic narrates that Lord Shiva, the supreme god had swallowed the deadly, all destructive poison The Halahala that was thrown out during the churning of the White Lake. Halahala holds the capacity to annihilate the evil and the good, the Devas and the Asuras to nil.

But what remained untold and unknown was that, a diminutive portion of the Halahala was stolen by a conniving asura and was hidden in a dagger. What unfurls in this tale of strength and courage is the war to poses the poison, coz the one who owns the lethal poison could destroy his enemy. Overpowered by greed and thirst for power the Devas and Asuras have embarked upon a fierce battle. Lord Shiva had acquired the poison and had guarded it for a time unknown, now it was time to bestow the guardianship of the Halahala upon a protector, safekeeper, the king of his words, the guard of honour, King Vikramaditya and his council of nine priceless courtmen. Duty bound to battle the Devas and Asuras, the King and his council aboard a journey to exploit their intellect and strength to guard the poison.

From the plots of the forces of Indra and Shukracharya, only mankind can contest the mystic powers to save the universe.

Shatrujeet Nath has created a very compelling and intriguing character sketch of Lord Shiva, every arch in the narration brings him to life. However to me, the portrayal of King Vikramaditya was the awe worthy, his might, his intellect, the courage the wisdom is very richly narrated. The language is affluent and the book speaks to the readers. There was no moment when the tale missed a beat.

What I loved : The entire novel is a fast pace thriller read. Although there are multiple characters and depiction, each one stands distinct of the other. A perfectly crafted hard-hitting, intense tale that takes readers to a time undiscovered. Shatrujeet Nath commendably blends reality and fiction into one compelling tale maintaining steady and unexpected twist in the plot.

What could have been better: There isn’t anything essentially a put off in the book. But I believe there was a tiny scope where the Author could have spiced up the political angle of the tale. However with the lasting effect that the book has created this bit can be ignored.

All in All: The story is interknitted with action, brilliant storytelling, and insightful of mythological and legendary elements that get under your skin and challenges the way you perceive history, as only few of the talented authors can. This was the book 1 of the Vikramaditya Triology..looking forward to the the book two in the series!

Read full review at https://thenotepadreviews.wordpress.c...

[Namratha · Rating 3 out of 5]

During the legendary churning of the White Lake : Samudramanthan, one of the most heinous things to be thrown up was the poison Halahala. Halahala had the capacity to raze both the Devas and Asuras to dust and wreck untold havoc on everything. The task to save the world ultimately fell upon good ol'Lord Shiva, who swallowed the deadly poison (ergo the blue throat) and averted disaster.

Temporarily.

For Lord Shiva knew something that was oblivious to the rejoicing Devas and Asuras. A minuscule portion of the Halhala was stolen by a conniving asura. Whosoever lays hands on this speck of death will have a formidable advantage over his enemies. Although Lord Shiva has regained control of this leftover poison and guarded it for many millennia, the time has come to hand over it's safekeeping.

Enter legendary and good (and also severely tried) King Vikramaditya of Ujjain. Lord Shiva entrusts the safekeeping of Halhala into the hands of King Vikramaditya and his powerful crew of nine councilors. Putting all their skills and strengths to the test, they must battle cold-blooded Devas and fiendish Asuras to keep the poison secure.

And thus are born The Guardians of the Halhala.

-----------------------------------

I always step into Indian fantasy with wary toes. Raised on a steady diet of Middle-Earth, Hogwarts, Narnia and their ilk, Indian Fantasy has yet to hold me in it's thrall. The Guardians of the Halhala is a tentative and marginally positive start. Tweaking the legendary tales of King Vikramaditya, the author has done a fine job of providing us with a hero who is big in stature and pretty cool and bad-a** in the face of dire disaster. But even more likeable is his motley crew of councilors. The characters are well-fleshed out with interesting backstories and enough pages devoted to each of them to keep the reader engaged.

Gruesome battle-scenes are written with fervor and enough attention to gory detail to make you remember that eating while reading was not the best idea.

While inner-city politics and cross-country conspiracies might form an integral part of the mythical/ historical fiction story, I could have done without them. More meat on Vikramaditya's heroism and chapters devoted to his councilors being all Matrix-y and lean, mean, thinking machines while dueling the Asuras and Devas alike would have been enough to keep me entertained.

In conclusion, the first in the Vikramaditya trilogy is a jolly good stomp into the world of Indian epic-fantasy. A little shorter and I would have been a happy camper.

[Arun Shourie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories of Samrat Vikramadithya, the Superhero King of Ancient India, including the Vikaram-Betal Stories was what I fascinated most in my Childhood, when i used to read those stories in Chandamama. Fantasy was the major part in such stories. The Author Shatrujeeth Nath has choosen such part of fabled History which leaves much scope for him to add whatever fiction he wants, while at the same time using all the known contemporary characters associated with Vikramadithya (Nine Gems, Betal, Indra, Asuras etc.,) The Halahala part was a much bigger boost of fiction to the already fascinating history.

The Story begins with the churning of the Milk Ocean by Devas and Asuras for Amrita and the Emanating of Halahala and accidental theft of certain portion by Veedesha before The Omniscient Shiva gulps the same to his throat, has set the wonderful plot for the Story and from then the introduction of each of the Characters, the portrayal of each character, the narration of the story, suspense and thriller elements, fantasy, heroics, cunningness, plots, wars, twists ….all have been so good that this book has become one of my favourate books in Indian Historical fantasy/fiction genre. The Author has really made an excellent addition to the Indian fantasy novel genre. As this is only the Beginning of the series and as many things are yet to unfold, expecting a much more engaging and enthralling story in the coming books.

I have not read the first book of the Author, but after I have read this book, I immediately ordered Karachi Deception and am eagerly waiting for the second Book of the Series “The Conspiracy at the Meru” which is expected by the year end. Why not have I started reading the Book after all the Three books in series have released.

[Sreekant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shatrujeet Nath and I worked together briefly at A&M magazine, and, later, he was part of the start-up team (of three) when we started agencyfaqs! (now afaqs!). He was a passionate – if occasionally forgetful :) - colleague who felt strongly about whatever it was that he was writing about. We were together for over five years until he left, later to become the editor of Brand Equity.

At some point, Shatrujeet took a different route to pursue full-time creative writing. When his first book, The Karachi Deception, was published in early 2013, I loved it. I enjoy the occasional western thriller and ‘Deception’ was on par with anything I’d read. I could imagine the passion with which Shatrujeet would have written it. I thought it would make a great film, and still do.

I was hoping that Shatrujeet would write more action books so when he told me that he was going to write a mythology, a trilogy on the life of the legendary king, Vikramaditya, I was dismayed. I needn’t have been.

The recently released first book of the trilogy, The Guardians of the Halahala, is gripping from the outset when four horsemen of the Frontier Guard come to a gory end. The Guardians is complex, with a strong layer of fiction on top and another philosophical one beneath about love and duty. The wonder is that Shatrujeet has managed to keep the entire cast of characters in control and the story constantly moving. It is his maniacal attention to detail that makes the first part of the trilogy such a delightful one.
All the same, I rang Shatujeet to grumble soon after having complimented him on ‘The Guardians’. Now that I was hooked, when could I expect the second volume??

So folks, do read The Guardians and harass Shatrujeet to hurry up with the second book, would you please? :)

[Durvankur Patil · Rating 4 out of 5]

December, 2011

The Immortals of Meluha had cast a spell on me and left my mouth wide and gaping. I was in awe of the book like the rest of the country was; only thinking that this was the best book I ever read.

A few years later...

April, 2015

The spell was cast again and this time it was Shatrujeet Nath. The Karachi Deception had laid a solid foundation for the author and every book nerd knew that this man can tell a story better than the rest. The Guardians of the Halahala has left me speechless.

It's generally said that too many cooks spoil the broth, but Shatrujeet Nath made sure that all the cooks knew what they had to do. The ensemble cast is vast and every page reveals a new character or two. However, their part in the story and a little history makes one think, if the book should be sub-titled as Vikramaditya's Council's trilogy.

The plot is a riveting one right from the start. The samudramanthan might sound and feel familiar, but it's the last line of the prologue that sets the tone for the entire book. The pace of the book mvoes according to the story, which is very intriguing and engrossing. What really lifts the book for me is the language, which has been kept very simple and readable for the vast diversity of the Indian audience.

I am glad that I accidentally stumbled upon this book a month before its release. It gave me a chance to try out The Karachi Deception as well, which assured of a great second book from Shatrujeet Nath in the form of The Guardians of the Halahala. The disheartening part of this entire episode is the wait for the second part, which I gather is releasing by the end of this year. I am sure that the second part (The Conspiracy at Meru) will do a lot of justice to this grand opening. Kudos!!! to Shatrujeet Nath.

[Suresh S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am normally wary of multi-book fantasy sagas because I have a dread of that oft-used phrase in fantasy fiction - "world-building". I cannot be bothered to read through tomes of preamble and meandering description just to get to a stage where the characters and story finally get going. Thankfully, even with this first book of his proposed trilogy, Shatrujeet loses no time in setting the plot wheels in motion. In fact, with an ensemble of interesting characters and multiple narrative threads, the fun comes fast and furious. Drawing upon known Indian legends of the Halahala poison and of king Vikramaditya and his Council of Nine (that he has very rightly likened to the King Arthur legend), he has woven an intricate but efficient fiction. In both his reining of the various plot strands and in the description of the several large-scale battle sequences, there is a pleasing clarity that brings his prose to vivid life. In a good way, the book reminded me of the wonderful Krishnavatara series by KM Munshi. I was constantly engaged and entertained through the entire length of this first installment and can hardly wait for the subsequent installments of the Vikramaditya trilogy to come out. I hope they will match up to the promise of solid entertainment that Book 1 has engendered.

[Ashish Taneja · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good work of fiction with a slight touch of mythology.
This is the story about Halahala - the poison which was destroyed by Shiva but a small portion of it remained and survived across centuries. That small part of Halahala has to be guarded by King Vikramaditya and his council against the wily forces of Devas & Asuras. Coupled with this is the attack by some wild tribes on their motherland.

Both these major story-lines along with various subplots make for an interesting read and keeps the reader hooked till the end. Having read Amish, I expected a bit of philosophy but there weren't any lengthy philosophical discussions between characters as we see in Amish's books. But the quality of fiction remains the same if not better!

[Sulfiq · Rating 4 out of 5]

First to start with, this book was way better than my expectations. Everything about the books is "FANTASY", devas, Asuras, demons, tantrics, magic etc, etc. gets us immersed with the story, you pray for Vikrama n his 9 to succeed in every obstacle. Heroism pours in every page. Best part is battle with asvin twins. Hats of to writer for his imagination n writing. Eagerly waiting for the second of the series

[Pradyota Prakash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this book was a surprise find. Walking down Sapna's aisle, this book looked too inviting to not pick it up. I know I judged it by its cover, I decided to surprise myself. And surprise myself, I definitely did.

I had zero expectations when I started this book. I never knew I would end up falling in love with it. It's incredibly well written. I love Shatrujeet's style of writing. It's so rich, on par with the greatest literature books. The only thing that actually put me off was that the scenes kept shifting frequently and there were too many things happening, it sort of pulled me back from the flow as I had to keep checking what was happening. The sequencing could have been done a little better since it kept dragging me out of the story.

The story keeps you hooked. I loved this take on mythology. It wasn't overly dramatic. It did not feel like a deliberate attempt to be different like Amish Tripathi's Shiva trilogy. It just felt right. Very few books feel just right. The characters were well brought out throughout the scope of the book. There was always something to learn about them as you progressed. The characters didn't take center stage, the story did and that is beautiful.

I am definitely looking forward to the next set of installments. Pick up a copy of this book if you haven't already.

I really wish writers like Shatrujeet Nath get more recognition, not people who shit words on paper, say, for instance, Chetan Bhagat. I now have hope for Indian writing.

[Manali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Name of the book- The Guardians of the Halahala by Shatrujeet Nath.
Stars given- 5 on 5 stars.
My take on the book-
I totally blame my grandparents for my love for stories. My Nani on my Mimi's side and Dadu on my Bapu's side used to read my stories, be it the Bengali classics of Thakumar Jhuli or The epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. As a grown up I tried to fill that gap of epic story thirst by gorging on lores of other countries but now I have amazing retelling of the Indian mythologies and yeaps it's like a part of my childhood is back…
This book doesn't really build up, it starts running from the get go and bam!!! You are hooked…
I had a bad couple of weeks, wasn't feeling too well but this one brought up tons of good memories.
First book of the series ended and now I am dying to get my hands on the second one and hopefully it will be soon.
Ps turns out book 4 released a few weeks back so trust me you all are in for an awesome rollercoaster journey for sure.

[Ankit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is going to be the best fiction work on Hindu mythology. You read this and then you realize Amish's work is highly over rated. This book has everything a fantasy fiction should have: a wonderfully crafted plot, a myriad of characters and each of them built with amazing details and high paced story. The interesting part of the book is that you desperately want to know the climax but since you are enjoying the story so much, you dont want to miss the details.

Just a caution that book is not a retelling of a mythological events like most other work in this field. Its a complete fiction where characters are inspired from the Hindu mythology, and I loved this style. You need huge creativity to write something like this. Its not mere re-imagining the already told tale but imagining a complete new saga.

Must read for fantasy fiction lovers!

[K Vimal Raj · Rating 5 out of 5]

wanted to give 4.5 stars
the story is new for me not sure if it is entirely hindu mythology or a mythological fiction.
i have read only about the vikram and veetal adventures so i was surprised to know that the same vikram appears here.
there are lots of characters so i was bit confused in the beginning. only in the latter part of the novel i understood the distinction in different characters. initially i thought raj-guru, acharya & vetala batta are all different characters and raj-guru & dhanvantiri are the same character. so the novel loses its 0.5 stars in not able to distinct the various character in the beginning.
Still it is a good reading experience that i went to avanti itself and admired the sindhuvarta.
recommended for hindu mythology lovers.

[Sanuj Kulshrestha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very engaging, and full of surprises, and eloquently written. The imagery was brilliantly used. It perfectly set up the scenes of a movie, that is going in our head while reading it. This book has a good blend of human courage and sorcery. Before reading this book I have only heard of Vikram and Betal, but this was a lot different (and better) than those stories. A human defending against the forces from all the thee worlds - Earth, Devloka, and Patala! Wow!

So this book will leave anyone in awe and I loved not just Vikrama but all of his council members, their pasts, their characters and of course courage.

[Tanmay Meher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling journey

You just need to start and I bet the grip does not go loose till the last page of the book. What a masterpiece developed by the writing genius Shatrujieet Nath!!!! There is not a single line in the book which will disallow you to sit straight . The fighting scenes are more than real, the way its being narrated, one feels like being part of that era and witnessing the events. Do hold your breath and don't refrain yourself from exploring this mythological fiction full of actions and human glories.

[Vishal Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read. A surprise read with a exceptionally good story which you hardly get now a days. I loved the characters and specially the council of Nine members. After Shiva trilogy by Amish Tripathy, this is a must read and now I know we have good Indian authors as well who knows how to tell a good mythology tale.

[Sriramachandra Murthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you write a beautifully crafted sentence, you feel proud and you enjoy every bit of it. When you read a well built sentence with a great vocabulary, you will be taken to a different world, and what if all those sentences are constructed in a book along with a well structured plot. This is 'The book'.. I don't have any more words to say than this.. Well written Sir.. Kudos..#shatrujeetnath

[Geetanjali · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️✨

Good book. 👍🏻✌🏻

Samrat Vikramaditya impresses with his qualities of duty, honour, bravery and many others, so do his band of counsellors. And I appreciate the author who actually bothered giving them all equal importance. I liked the action plots. They are very well written, but the book seems incomplete. The introductory part stretches more than it should, and makes the book a bit less interesting at the start, but once it’s 40% completed, it takes a good pace. But a lot of things happen and are left halfway at the end. I wanted at least one part or storyline completed. That doesn’t happen. Even though it’s part of a series, the book deserved a proper closure. I hope next book has all answers to the questions this one generated. 🤞🏻

[Sindhuja R · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent work of mythological fantasy blending in and borrowing from 3-4 legends. The author’s creativity and narrative shine and keep you hooked.

[Nandhini Chandrasekaran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review @ http://nandhinisbookreviews.blogspot....

If there is a human brain that needs to be researched upon, next to Einstein’s, it is author Shatrujeet Nath’s. I am not trying to exaggerate, but you will understand the truth in my statement if you’ve read his second book, The Guardians of the Halahala. Certainly, such an intricately woven plot could not have come from an ordinary brain!

When I read The Immortals of Meluah by Amish Tripathi, I felt it was the best mythological fiction. It may not be right to compare the efforts, work and creativity of two artists, however, it feels compelling to reveal that The Guardians of the Halahala definitely has an edge over the former. Eagerly looking forward to the next in the trilogy series.

It’s simply a must-read for all readers interested in Indian mythology.

The Guardians of the Halahala is a historical fiction, based on Indian mythology. The churning of the ocean by Asuras and Devas in search of the Amrit followed by the discovery of the deadly poison, Halahala that was consumed by Lord Shiva in order to protect the Asuras and the Devas, is a familiar Hindu mythology. However, what we wouldn’t have possibly known is the fate of the concealed portion of Halahala by an Asura, which has the power to destroy any magnificent enemy. Though Lord Shiva had safe guarded it for long, it is time to leave it safe to another hands. King Vikramaditya and his nine councilors are the chosen ones to pursue this daunting task of combating the powerful forces of the Asuras and Devas and at the same time save their kingdom and people and most importantly, guard the Halahala.

The book transports the readers straight to ancient India. The royal court scenes and battle field portions have been narrated so realistically that one can effortlessly rebuild all of it in the mental screen. The narration is sometimes poetic, sometimes fierce and sometimes just plain, exactly in accordance with the mood of the situation. The most admirable aspect of the narration is the significance given to even the minute details of the plot. Here are a few lines that I must have read at least a ten times:

‘The sun had yet to shake off its slumber when the small boat slipped through the dark water…’ (Page 28)

‘The darkness that had enveloped the plain just moments ago was now punctuated by hundreds and hundreds of pinpricks of phosphorescent light, winking eerily through the fine drizzle like silver-green fireflies.’ (Page 218)

‘…the king’s foot skidded every now and then to dislodge an avalanche of pebbles, which rolled down and disappeared into the fetid, gray-black waters of the Kshipra. The river barely moved, and even the ripples from the falling pebbles died prematurely on its sludgy surface.’ (Page 348)

There’s almost nothing I could find that needs a scope for improvement. However, a friendly warning that I would like to give the readers is that you will meet new characters almost every now and then. Most of the characters are known as much as they are unknown. In case you do not get to complete the book within a few days, as happened to me, you are sure to go back and forth to recollect the events, places and characters.

The intoxication of the splendid writing hasn’t got over me yet. And it feels difficult to write anything more about this book.

[Rahul Khatri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really don't know where to begin to from .........
Lets start with the Cover Page - A very beautifully designed cover showcasing dagger with a shiny liquid in between the hilt .Simply superb .As the book is all about guarding Halahala so the shiny liquid is of course the halahala .
Now Another design that's on beginning of every new chapter of the book is of Sun Crest which is also vey beautifully designed .
And now the writting . As one can expect from the author of THE KARACHI DECEPTION , the plot is MIND BLOWING . Have read many other fictions before related to hindu mythology but this one is something very different . Once a samll portion is used from mythology otherwise the whole story is generated by authors mind . I say 1 : 99 I.e 1 % from mythology & 99% is author's fantasy and brainy thoughts :)
Coming to the plot ......
Honour , Friendship & Respect are the major keywords to be used to descibe whole story beside it Arrogance , Greed , Politics , betrayal and evil is also there .Book is veey high oaced & gripping that I finished the book in just 2 days .
With the first page itself I felt so attached to the book and with turning leaf to leaf evens unfold in very nice manner .
As the name suggest THE GUARDIANS OF HALAHALA , the plot is all about saving Halahala , Posion chuned from white lake by devas and asuras and swallowed by shiva , from both devas and asuras . One day the omniscient shiva came to Samrat of Sindhuvarta & gave him dagger that contains halahala to potect it from both asuras and devas .So the Samrat and his council of 9 are designated as the Guardians of Halahala . As both asuras and devas get tonknow that halahala is in possesion of Human king Vikramaditya , both launch an assault on the kingdom to retieve the halahala . Devas led by Indira first send Ashvini brothers and then Maruts to carry an assault on human king & Asuras led by Shankracharya send an army of Pisachas under andaka .One interesting thing that I loved is that even the book is written about very old era but the auhor has used very modern words to describe each and every incident .
Author has done a magnificent job by giving an index of Major Characters in the begining of the book & Glossory of Indian terms at end .
in short I sa its a MUST READ thriller and as its a Triology so many unanswered questions still left and expected to be answered in IInd and third part .

[Sachin Shanbhag · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review: The Vikramaditya Veergatha by Shatrujeet Nath (Book 1: The Guardians of the Halahala, Book 2: The Conspiracy at Meru, Book 3: The Vengeance of Indra)

The Game of Thrones TV series has gone on to become one of the largest runaway successes of our times with a viewership that could rival or maybe even beat any other series. Having said that, the series originated from the books written by George R. R. Martin and any book lover worth his or her salt would swear that the books are so much better!

And with that seemingly random fact, let me get to the topic on hand, my take on the Vikramaditya Veergatha by Shatrujeet Nath. Mythological fantasy fiction as a genre has evolved tremendously in India over the last few years and many authors have dabbled in it some to resounding success and others who were way in over their heads. When I first heard the name “The Guardians of Halahala”, I didn’t know what exactly to expect and while the genre is one of my favourites after pure fantasy, I did not pick it up until a chance found me in the possession of the first 3 books of the series.

Having read a large number of books of this genre, I am sure that making your presence felt and standing out is a herculean task for any author but Shatrujeet from the very first book has raised the bar and how. I had decided that I would review each book of the series as I finished it but the first book flowed into the second and the second into the third so seamlessly that I found myself reading through them at breakneck speed and I write this after having read all three. As an aside, my wife started with The Guardians of Halahala after I was done with it and overtook me while reading The Vengeance of Indra – having quietly taking it away when I was only a quarter through it!

The story starts with Lord Shiva entrusting the dagger of Veeshada to Samrat Vikramaditya for safekeeping knowing him to be an upholder of all that is right and a worthy opponent to the best of adversaries. This dagger contains the leftover of the deadly Halahala poison that was revealed as a by-product of the churning of the ocean by the Devas and Asuras, rivals collaborating to find the much sought after Amruta. Both parties have been striving to get hold of the dagger and Shiva thought that Vikrama would be the ideal candidate to keep it away and foil any attempts by them to wrest it away. The books take us through the numerous conflicts Vikrama and his trusted aides have to grapple with in carrying out Lord Shiva’s charge.

The author starts weaving together a tight storyline from the first book itself and the plot, though complex, keeps you hooked from start to end. Samrat Vikramaditya (adapted from the Vikram Betaal story) of Avanti and his 9 councillors form the mainstay of this grand tale and every other sub-plot intermingles with the main story. The Samrat rules over Sindhuvarta, which comprises of many other nations, each with their individual ruler who is allied with Avanti, Vikrama’s own kingdom. Along with the humans which also include the Huna and Saka tribes, there are Devas, Asuras, Yakshas, Danavas, Pisachas, Garudas etc playing an equal and important role in the story. With so many characters, there is bound to be a lot of confusion and a general dilution of the plot. But this is where Shatrujeet surprises: each character in the books has been carefully etched and given enough background to ensure that their role in the proceedings is clear to the reader.

The level of detail amazes in many small but important ways; the Hunas and Sakas, both of which are imaginary races who are sworn enemies of the kingdoms of Sindhuvarta have been given their own language, which is as distinct from anything than I’ve ever read before. The physical descriptions of the multitude of characters are detailed so well that I could see each and every one of these in my mind’s eye with clarity. The same level of detail is also found in outlining the lives of different kinds of people described in the books including soldiers, tradesmen, palace attendants, merchants, nomadic tribes of the desert etc not forgetting the Devas, Asuras and Yakshas themselves.

There is a smooth intermingling of characters most of us are familiar with from our own knowledge of Indian mythology and our epics and while I have never observed any connection between them prior to reading these books, I found the interplay more acceptable and craftily executed to give us a masterpiece of a story, one that can hold its own against any of the other giants we have read and love. Many of the principal characters are ones that we know such as Samrat Vikaramaditya himself, the lord of the Devas – Indra, Hiranyaksha and Holika – the sibling consorts ruling the Asuras, Brihaspati, Narada, Shukracharya, Kubera the Yaksha, Betaala of the Underworld and a few others I might have missed out. These are ably supplemented by many other characters created by the author including the 9 councillors of Vikrama’s court, each of them with a definitive character that shapes the narrative ahead, the various kings who are allied with Avanti or in a few cases are against it and the Devas and Asuras who form part of the Indra’s and Hiranyaksha’s kingdoms respectively.

Shatrujeet has moved from the traditional definition of good and bad when it comes to the Devas and Asuras and given them both a common cause – getting the dagger of Veeshada for themselves so that they can defeat the other and are willing to go to any heights, right or wrong, to get hold of it. Given that nothing is truly black or white and there are a lot of varying shades of gray in between, this concept works really well in this day and world. The description of Indra, Holika and Hiranyaksha is a thing of beauty and challenges any other impressions you may have had of them previously. The same is true for many other characters but you will need to read the books to find out for yourselves.

As I have already mentioned before, the story is larger than life and each and every event in the book fits perfectly in place in this mammoth tapestry that Shatrujeet has woven. There was obviously a reason I’d mentioned the Game of Thrones books right at the start of my review and just like in it, the Veergatha too has many different strands running through it each having its own place and each coming back to seamlessly integrate into the main plot and hitting home hard. Not one place did I get the feeling of something being in excess or not required to keep the story going. I cannot fathom the amount of research and tracking that must have been required to make this happen. Ashok Banker’s Ramayana was another book series that I had loved and have re-read it multiple times – the Vikramaditya Veergatha is right up that alley and I am proud to acknowledge that there are Indian authors who can be compared with the best of them out there!

I could go on and on about these books and why you should read them but I guess I have almost written a chapter’s length and am in danger of not being read. To end with, a subtle hint for Shatrujeet: George R. R. Martin wrote the first 5 books in his series almost one after the other and hooked millions of readers worldwide to the Game of Thrones. He has still not released the ‘last’ book of the series and along with the bouquets has had many a brickbat thrown at him just for his tardiness in this matter. Enough said!

Rating: 4.5 / 5

[Mukund · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing work by the author which will transform to you the land of Sindhuvarta. An epic with adequate ingredients of twists, emotions, action and treachery. An amazing work!!

Read the Complete Review here

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