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The Legend of Virinara
A lone woman travels fearlessly into the jungle to confront the enemy. She holds the fate of an entire world in her hands.
The year is 120 CE. The Ashwamedha Yagna has established young Vijay the ruler of Virinara, a mighty city-state of south India. Soon after the kingdom starts to expand into the surrounding forests, its glittering capital, Dandavrut, is attacked in a brazen act of terror. Even as Raja Vijay unleashes his forces against the nomadic forest dwellers, his beloved sister Shanti treks secretly into the wilderness—and falls in love with the handsome warrior Narun. Will love triumph over hubris, and Shanti forge a new destiny for her people?
A thrilling tale of adventure and political intrigue, The Legend of Virinara stirs up timeless questions about war and peace. This is a powerful parable of our times.
The year is 120 CE. The Ashwamedha Yagna has established young Vijay the ruler of Virinara, a mighty city-state of south India. Soon after the kingdom starts to expand into the surrounding forests, its glittering capital, Dandavrut, is attacked in a brazen act of terror. Even as Raja Vijay unleashes his forces against the nomadic forest dwellers, his beloved sister Shanti treks secretly into the wilderness—and falls in love with the handsome warrior Narun. Will love triumph over hubris, and Shanti forge a new destiny for her people?
A thrilling tale of adventure and political intrigue, The Legend of Virinara stirs up timeless questions about war and peace. This is a powerful parable of our times.
- GenresFiction
326 pages, Paperback
Published April 17, 2018
4 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
About the author
Usha Alexander
3 books17 followersUsha Alexander was born to Indian immigrants who came to the United States in the 1950s and settled in Pocatello, Idaho, where she grew up as the second of three children. Wanderlust and rootlessness have kept her moving: She's lived in four countries, visited dozens of others, and continues to travel as much as she can. At present, she resides near New Delhi, India.
Her latest novel, "The Legend of Virinara", set in ancient India, was published by Penguin in 2018.
"Only the Eyes Are Mine," her first novel, was selected as a Semi-Finalist in the Multicultural Fiction category for the 2006 Independent Publishers Book Awards.
Her latest novel, "The Legend of Virinara", set in ancient India, was published by Penguin in 2018.
"Only the Eyes Are Mine," her first novel, was selected as a Semi-Finalist in the Multicultural Fiction category for the 2006 Independent Publishers Book Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 8 reviews
July 15, 2018
The Legend of Virinara is an extraordinary story of epic scale. It's set in ancient India but speaks powerfully to our present. It combines vivid and cinematic period details with rich characters in a well-paced plot. Through an unlikely love story, a tragic conflict between two groups—the Virina and the Gontu—and a riveting interplay of hope and despair, it reveals timeless truths about human beings.
July 16, 2019
A carefully written book filled with luscious detail, teleporting you to a fictional past and into the middle of a romantic and diplomatic whirlwind. There is a rich pageant of characters, and the settings are beautifully described. Told from the perspective of a guru at the end of her life, I enjoyed the interplay between the passionate story of youth and the contemplative musings of age. This was a most enjoyable summer read.
March 7, 2021
Rare to find an Indian fantasy novel which is both non-derivative and good.
January 9, 2022
The plot is rather simple, a story of warring clans, politics, pride, love and loss.
However more than the actual plot, I liked the portrayal of the characters. It is raw, true and something that exists even today. The last few lines of the book completely encompass this familiar feeling - "It is your story and it is our story. A true story of our world. Perhaps someone will find a reflection of themselves and their times in your words."
Take for example, the royal women characters in this book. The story shows how their sole purpose of existence is for marrying with allies and producing heirs to the kingdom. They're treated like outcasts and vermin if they cannot procreate. They have almost no or very little say in the matters of the state, because well, women don't understand politics, right? The whole atmosphere of misogyny is very nicely captured in this book.
Let's take the portrayal of men next. Men have traditionally been expected to be aggressive and their hot-headed behaviour is easily excused even if it hurts everyone else around them. I love the character of Vijay specifically here. He's not your typical aggressive alpha king. He is inherently compassionate and has an emotional side, which is possibly highly discouraged among his other male family members, so he feels lesser than them. He has a lot of self doubts because possibly no other male around him is like him. He inherently seeks approval of his sister and wants to be a better and just king, even though he may not outright say so. His character shows how men like him suffer with self doubt. Men who have the purest of intentions and a balanced way of thinking, but are overpowered or forced by the societal expectations. It's just sad.
Next topic that explores a deep rooted evil is the caste system. This is the underlying theme of the book. Lower castes are abused and treated like vermin. Especially if you're a forest dweller and you're up against someone from the royal city, you should definitely expect to be humiliated, abused, or worse if you're a young woman, you could surely get raped and killed for sport.
I'm telling you, you'll forget the story over time, but the characters and the underlying themes will continue to haunt you. This is not a story that ends happily. It ends with the ultimate betrayal, loss and complete annihilation.
However more than the actual plot, I liked the portrayal of the characters. It is raw, true and something that exists even today. The last few lines of the book completely encompass this familiar feeling - "It is your story and it is our story. A true story of our world. Perhaps someone will find a reflection of themselves and their times in your words."
Take for example, the royal women characters in this book. The story shows how their sole purpose of existence is for marrying with allies and producing heirs to the kingdom. They're treated like outcasts and vermin if they cannot procreate. They have almost no or very little say in the matters of the state, because well, women don't understand politics, right? The whole atmosphere of misogyny is very nicely captured in this book.
Let's take the portrayal of men next. Men have traditionally been expected to be aggressive and their hot-headed behaviour is easily excused even if it hurts everyone else around them. I love the character of Vijay specifically here. He's not your typical aggressive alpha king. He is inherently compassionate and has an emotional side, which is possibly highly discouraged among his other male family members, so he feels lesser than them. He has a lot of self doubts because possibly no other male around him is like him. He inherently seeks approval of his sister and wants to be a better and just king, even though he may not outright say so. His character shows how men like him suffer with self doubt. Men who have the purest of intentions and a balanced way of thinking, but are overpowered or forced by the societal expectations. It's just sad.
Next topic that explores a deep rooted evil is the caste system. This is the underlying theme of the book. Lower castes are abused and treated like vermin. Especially if you're a forest dweller and you're up against someone from the royal city, you should definitely expect to be humiliated, abused, or worse if you're a young woman, you could surely get raped and killed for sport.
I'm telling you, you'll forget the story over time, but the characters and the underlying themes will continue to haunt you. This is not a story that ends happily. It ends with the ultimate betrayal, loss and complete annihilation.
January 9, 2021
"'But-make no mistake-now we are again many and strong. Those lands which were taken from us in generations past may not be recovered. We can accept that. But further incursions and destruction of our people we cannot abide. Now that we're again able, we must defend ourselves. For when you ruin our lands and destroy out gods, when you attach and maim and rape our people, how can we stand idly by?'"
(SPOILERS!) The story spills out fountains of passionate love and animosity, pride and dignity, and an array of emotion-filled tryst with life and longing of a now dying Guru. The author's vivid imagination coupled with a poised narration of events has the ability to leave the reader with a sense of wonder over everything else- Do we humans really deserve to experience the beauty and enchantment that nature has to offer?
(SPOILERS!) The story spills out fountains of passionate love and animosity, pride and dignity, and an array of emotion-filled tryst with life and longing of a now dying Guru. The author's vivid imagination coupled with a poised narration of events has the ability to leave the reader with a sense of wonder over everything else- Do we humans really deserve to experience the beauty and enchantment that nature has to offer?
June 28, 2018
This novel is the lesson from Daniel Quinn's Ishmael dramatized for the less mature reader. It's the age-old struggle between the leavers and the takers, the forest dwellers and the city-folk, town mouse against country mouse.
Notable mostly for the unusually strong role played by women.
Notable mostly for the unusually strong role played by women.
July 8, 2024
A tale as old as time (warring clans, forbidden love, thirst for power) that neatly captures the complex realities of caste hierarchies and settler colonialism. The ancient South Indian setting and the (mostly) female pov narration were refreshing and enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 8 reviews