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Abhaya Collection #2

Mauri: The Woman Who Challenged Krishna

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She wants to kill the man whom others call God. However, love unwittingly becomes an obstacle in her sworn path.With her father's death shattering her world, Mauri is torn away from everything she had once loved. Anger has replaced every emotion within her, and she seeks only one thing-to kill her father's killer. Even if the man is none other than Krishna Vaasudeva, the man whom people worship as God.Someone is standing in the way though, reining in her bitterness when she is least prepared for it-the rakshasa prince Ghatotkacha! But by the time love sprouts within her, Mauri has gone too far in her thirst for vengeance and has endangered Kamarupa, the high seat of the Supreme Goddess.Does Ghatotkacha realise the true intentions of his lover?Can Mauri fight her own monsters and defend the temple?Can she save herself and Ghatotkacha before both their worlds are destroyed?Can Mauri fight her own monsters and defend the temple?Can Mauri save herself and Ghatotkacha before both their worlds are destroyed?

231 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 9, 2018

11 people are currently reading
130 people want to read

About the author

Saiswaroopa Iyer

14 books202 followers
Author of five novels.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Profile Image for Ruchi Singh.
Author 47 books124 followers
June 16, 2019
I have always loved Indian mythology. Add to it realistic characters and the story becomes a fabulous treat for a reader. This book from author Saiswaroopa Iyer focuses on Mauri, daughter of Mura. Though the story is a sequel to Abhaya, but can be read as a separate novel.

In this novel author throws light on lesser known characters from the rich Indian epic Mahabharatha. Mauri is a strong, as well as endearing protagonist. The scenes are so riveting that they come alive for the readers. And I loved reading about Ghatokcha too who had played an important and heroic role in the battle of Kurukshetra. Narration is crisp and fluent, and the plot is engrossing. I look forward to read more from the author.
Profile Image for Preethi Venugopala.
Author 34 books155 followers
August 28, 2018
I had loved Abhaya and loved this sequel too. Mauri tells the story of the spirited daughter of Mura, who plays an important role in Abhaya.

The author brings the characters to life. Felt like I was back in my childhood reading a favourite Amar Chitra Katha.

Highly recommended if you are a fan of mythological fiction.
Profile Image for Sushma | thegeekybookreader.
78 reviews17 followers
March 26, 2022
The story in this book is fascinating - With her father’s death shattering her world, Mauri is torn away from everything she had once loved. Anger replacing every emotion within her, she seeks only one thing. To kill her father’s killer. But there comes the plot twist, the killer of her father is none other than everybody’s favorite – Lord Krishna.

What I liked the most in this book is obviously the lesser-known tale of Mahabharata. When we talk about this holy book of Hindus, we talk only about Pandavas and Kauravas, and how we all witnessed the greatest battle of mankind. But I feel unheard-of stories like the one in this book need to be read by more people as it gives understanding into all the inside details of the Mahabharata tale. I also loved how the author portrayed Mauri as a Bold and strong woman who can stand against all the odds in her life, including the greatest of all, Lord Krishna himself. The book also gets a plus point for the same reason, as we rarely come across female-centric Mythology books.

I am afraid if I talk more about this book I will give away the spoilers. So let me stop here and recommend this book to all those who love reading mythological books. This is a perfect read for a beginner too as the narration was simple and engaging. I saw in good reads that this book has a prequel – Abhaya, so I guess my next read is sorted then!
Profile Image for Kavita.
344 reviews21 followers
June 19, 2018
I have read Abhaya and had loved the story and the writing style of the author.

What I majorly love is her depiction of the India at the time of Mahabharata. The descriptions are vivid and the narration is crisp.

The fact that this is a story of lesser known characters in the Mahabharata times and also got to see the real side of Ghatotkacha is what is endearing.

If you like to read Indian mythology and love women characters who are strong, vulnerable in equal measures then this one is for you.
Profile Image for Dagny.
19 reviews4 followers
December 13, 2019
This story has the mighty Mahabharata brewing in the background. The heroine, Mauri, seeks revenge for her father's death. Her father's slayer is none other than Vasudeva Krishna!

With that, knowing the divinity of Krishna, you are hooked. How can God unfairly kill a good man, you ask yourself as you read eagerly on, to find the answer.

One of the most interesting aspects of this story is that it takes you behind the scenes of the biggest story ever told on the Indian subcontinent. While the main cast getting geared to stage the epic Mahabharata, you get to witness one of the other, less spectacular stories playing out. In a way, it makes the epic more real to you. It gives you an 'insider' feel to the large show that's about to burst upon the world stage.

It is particularly interesting for me personally, to see strong women come to life on the pages of a book. Abhaya, Mahadevi, Hadimba... all were strong, as was Mauri. They are women, warriors and rulers. In that sense also, this was a wonderful read.

My rating: 4.5/5.0
Profile Image for Srivatsan V.
81 reviews4 followers
June 12, 2018
Another fabulous piece of work from Saiswaroopa

A fabulous sequel to Saiswaroopa's earlier book "Abhaya". Again, the author has changed her writing style and story narration for this book. The story is very much focussed on the plot and the chief characters and engrossing. What is missed the most was the wise words which the author used to share regularly in her early books. The author's great strength lies in potraying female characters in strong roles as can be noticed from her earlier books as well as in Mauri. Finished it in two days flat as the book kept me engrossed till the end
3 reviews2 followers
October 24, 2022
The title of the book, specifically, “the woman who challenged Krishna” was quite intriguing. Of all the books that I had read on the itihaas of Bharatvarsha, I had never come across the story of a woman who would challenge Krishna. The book has the ingredients to qualify as a love story, a revenge saga, itihaas and many more. But in reality it's a thriller spread across multiple locations. It's a perfect candidate for a movie, can be in the context of Mahabharata or transmogrified into a contemporary setting.

There was thrill at every phase in the book. The story travels through multiple locations and each location traversed had a story to tell. Be it Kamarupa, Hastinapur, the jungle travels and last but not least the climax at Kamarupa, the thrill only got better as the story progressed.
The introduction of Vasudeva towards the end was special in that it cleared the air around the death of Mura. He did everything that was required to restore Dharma - something which he does relentlessly. It was really a special appearance towards the end resulting in a happy ending.

The other aspect of the book that stood out clearly was the story of Ghatotkacha. Ghatotkacha had very limited visibility in Mahabharata. The only time he was visible was during the Kurushertra war. However, in Mauri, his story is elicited in detail. His relationship with his mother, his father whom he met after a long time, his visit to the grand palace and his inhibitions with the princes are worth reading and appreciating. A very different aspect of Ghatotkacha as a personality is seen along with his tumultuous relationship with Mauri. The constant tussle between what his eyes have seen and what his heart says was visible since the time he met Mauri.

I also realize that this book is a sequel to Abhaya and after reading Mauri, I can’t wait to read Abhaya. And hoping someday this story is made into a movie. Nothing helps stick the story of Mauri in the audience’s mind than a movie does.
6 reviews
October 22, 2022
First, I sincerely thank team @IndicaOrg and @IndicaBooks for their wonderful initiative of 1000-Reviewers-Club-2022, which I am a part of and based on which I got my hands on this book.

Mauri - The woman who challenged Krishna

Upon reading the title of the book, I could vaguely form a connection with the previous book I read, Abhaya - The destroyer of Adharma by Saiswaroopa Iyer. And I was not disappointed, even though it focused on the main protagonist, the book had provided a back story and base for the upcoming novel on the story of Mauri.

The readers get to see the character right from her beginning to how she has evolved, influenced by the happenings around her. The classic avenge story has been beautiful presented by the author. The continuation of the story is highly intriguing.

The strong willed woman willing to perform any activity to avenge her father's death is the highlight. And after coming to the realisation fo her wrong doings, the need to set things right is narrated by the author in a manner to keep us hooked. The portrayal of Mauri's emotions build compassion towards her. Also the lovable character Ghatotkach is introduced in the story seamless with the ongoing backdrop of Mahabharata.

Yet another seemingly interesting twist involving our mythological characters is presented in the novel. A read full of thrill indeed.
Profile Image for Saiswaroopa.
Author 14 books202 followers
Read
December 22, 2018
Obviously, I can't rate my own book. But this is my sales pitch.
Read an under explored tale of Mahabharata. A daughter's quest to avenge her father. A son's reunion with his father after a fourteen years separation. Mauri and Ghatotkacha's journeys collide during a turning point in the fate of Bharata. How do they overcome the multitude of enemies, internal and external?
Profile Image for Sudesna Ghosh.
Author 35 books56 followers
June 16, 2019
Wonderful narration with vivid imagery. I liked learning about historical characters who are rarely/never given attention to in modern history fiction.
Profile Image for Anna Bushi.
Author 13 books27 followers
February 3, 2022
First time I am reading a book by this author. I love Mahabharatha and the epic's intricate plots. This tale takes us on a journey with Ghatotkacha during his youth. Overall I enjoyed this book. It allowed me to immerse myself in mythology that I love to read. I would not recommend this for readers who are not familiar with Mahabharatha.

Profile Image for Mythbreaker.
30 reviews
January 17, 2019
This is a good sequel to Abhaya. Although, I'd loved Abhaya better, this one too is an interesting read.
The typos and misprinting needs to be addressed.
The best part? The heroine Mauri isnt a gifted, perfect human. She has flaws, she is untrained, and thus relateable. A very compelling read.
Profile Image for Siddhant Agarwal.
566 reviews25 followers
January 19, 2022
The story traces an interesting plot, one that is not commonly known, and the author has done her research establishing a plot that is interesting and takes mythological events into consideration. The plot is engaging, and since there are quite a few nail-biting moments, the reader is captivated into the story of Mauri and her thirst for revenge. The subtle references to social norms and a commentary on them through the eyes of various characters is nicely done. Having said that, and having read the author’s previous work, this book does fall short on a few aspects. The background story as to what leads to Mura’s death has been skipped, apart from a few references, which creates a void, and the readers connect to Mauri remains incomplete. Secondly, the book moves too fast for the complex plot and thus a few of the aspects that should have been focused upon get missed. The climax, again, while well executed, seems hurried and I felt it could have been done in a better manner.

Coming to the characters, Saiswaroopa’s strength lies in finding characters from the epics and weaving a story around them that is mostly hidden from the people. In this case also, Mauri’s character has been developed steadily from childhood to her young-adult stage as she goes through various emotions and events in her life. Ghatotkacha’s character was an interesting surprise, and I loved the way his story was developed. I would have loved to see a bit more of Mura’s and Dhrati’s character develop and add a bit more background to the events that occur.
Profile Image for dee (zuko’s girlfriend).
110 reviews13 followers
August 16, 2024
Picked up the book on a whim, and was surprised by the way it had no expression, no character development, an abruptly made romantic angle without providing any depth into the characters first, and a mediocre writing style.

The only reason this book is enjoying high-ratings in my opinion is because of the readers’ adoration for the epic of Mahabharata. Don’t bother yourself to go through the book. Just go through a quick Google search about Mauri and Gatotkacha’s alliance and you will find more details on the relationship between both than in the book. The conclusion lacks a proper resolution in many ways.

Fun fact: The author herself mentions that the book was penned during a month’s writing sprint, so you can evaluate the expressional quality from that. This needs serious revisions filled with details about the blooming relationship between Mauri and Bhima’s son. The tagline, “The Woman who Challenged Krishna” is more of a reading bait because even the revenge sequence is pretty bland. Don’t bother yourself much and expect a work where things are running all over the place with zero signifance.
Profile Image for Jay Mehta.
83 reviews1 follower
November 30, 2024
This book has everything you would expect from an excellent novel. Bringing in the backdrop of our Itihasa and weaving a compelling story around it with bits from our literature has brought this fantastic piece by Saiswaroopa Iyer. And I can't wait to start on her other books (Rukmini, Abhaya, Draupadi, Avishi) in the coming times.

While the central character and the reason for the story is Mauri, the author has given exciting and intriguing insights into a few other, particularly female, characters (that makes you wonder if there are books about these characters as well or not - and in some cases there are) as well. The author does a commendable job of projecting the strength of women in Hindu history in ways we perhaps never imagined.

While the story is set during the Mahabharata, even those who know the story of the Mahabharata would surely learn more about the less popular characters of the epic.

Definitely to be read and a great gift, particularly to the next generation.
Profile Image for Aswathy.
185 reviews12 followers
March 24, 2022
The book 'Mauri: The Woman Who Challenged Krishna' by Saiswaroopa Iyer is a mythological fiction.

As the title suggests, the plot revolves around Mauri, who had to leave behind everything she had once loved because of her father's sudden death. Sooner, she decides to avenge her father's death by killing her father's killer, who turns out to be Lord Krisha.

Mythological fiction is one of my favourite genres and I never miss a chance to read books belonging to that genre. The plot of this book was intriguing and it was interesting to read and understand the story of some wonderful mythological characters which I was totally unaware of. At the same time, there were so many familiar characters in this book like Ghatotkacha, Bhima, Rukmini, etc. The writing was simple and lucid. The narration style was also interesting. It was a quick read for me and therefore I was able to finish reading this book in one sitting. 

Overall it was a good read.
Profile Image for Sejuti Majumdar.
312 reviews7 followers
April 4, 2022
Mauri by Saiswaroopa Iyer is a mythological fiction which tells us the story of Mauri, the daughter of Mura. She wanted to kill Krishna, who was recognized by everyone else as God, as she knew him to be her father's killer.

Her journey of revenge takes an unexpected turn when she crosses path with Ghatotkacha, son of panadava brother Bheem and love sprouts in her heart.

I was interested in this book because I didn't know much about this character Mauri and also because I enjoy reading women centric mythology. With easy language amd smooth narrative this will be a great book for a beginner.

I also liked the character of Abhaya, who had a major role in this book. I had read little about her in "Rukmini". Though I have to say I wasn't very happy with the ending. I felt it was rushed and had potential to be more emotional and dramatic.

Overall it is enjoyable and the book isn't lengthy so you can finish it in one sitting.
4 reviews
July 25, 2022
I received a copy from Indica Books in exchange for an honest review and is posted as a part of Thousand Reviewers Club.

This story is mainly taken from The Mahabharata. The main character is a girl Mauri, who wants to take revenge from Shri Krishna for killing her father. In the pursuit of vengeance, she loses her judgement power and brings everything she loves in danger.

The book is based on a lesser known story of Mauri and prince Ghatotkacha, son of Bhima and Hidimba. The author has done a commendable job in bringing the characters to life by her vivid descriptions. The lead is a head strong girl who is a brave warrior but due to her troubled childhood her every action is determined just by anger and thirst for vengeance.

Overall an immersing read. Would like to read more from Saiswaroopa Iyer!
Profile Image for  Afreen  Khalil Inscribed Inklings.
862 reviews38 followers
January 25, 2022
Mauri: The woman who challenged Krishna by Saiswaroopa Iyer 📚



I've read a Indian mythology after a while now and this book was a breeze to read. Usually, it takes me time and multiple readings to understand an Indian mythology book but I found that this book was easy to read even for beginner readers. The author has used simple language and given glossary at end to give us clarity.

The list of characters were also mentioned in the beginning of the book and this helped me to keep track of all the characters in the book with ease. I'm not familiar with the lore behind the book, so it was even more thrilling for me to read about. The plot was a re-telling of sorts about a lesser story in Indian mythology.

Mauri was a young woman who was hell bent on getting revenge for her father's death. She went on a mission to kill Krishna, who she believed was the murderer. Little does she know that there was a good friendship and love coming her way. As she navigated the feelings between love and revenge, she fell into bad company.

The ending was cathartic and it all came together with a bang. There were epic fight scenes and there was a lot to learn from the story of Mauri. It taught me that revenge is not a solution for anything and that was an important take away from the book for me. If you want to try a simple Indian Mythology book, then this one is for you.
Profile Image for Vijay Anand Tripathi.
39 reviews8 followers
January 2, 2020
Being a fan of indic literature, and puranic vedic stories, Saiswaroopa Iyer is new found favourite to me. I liked Abhaya, Avishi and now Mauri is the next addition in the series. [Actually, Mauri is book 2 of Abhaya, i just read Avishi in between which is a separate, not connected story]

Saiswaroopa has ability to bring characters to life, and she create realistic characters with their own imperfections. The central character is always a strong female protagonist, and usually linked with lesser known (popular ?) events from purans.
I find the narration very crisp and fast paced, which keep interest of the readers. The plot is interesting and i think the author did very well in managing so many characters.

Highly recommended. Happy Reading :)
Profile Image for Sharan Jayanti.
3 reviews
July 8, 2020
నమస్తే సాయి స్వరూప గారు.

మీరు రాసిన అభయ & మౌరి, పుస్తకాలు ఇందాకే చదవడం కంప్లీట్ చేశాను అండి. భౌమాసురుడే నరకాసురుడని తెలిసినా, చదువుతున్నంత సేపు భౌమ అనేవాడు ఎవడో, అతనిని కృష్ణుడు ఎందుకు చంపాలో భాగవతం లో ఎక్కడ ఉందొ అర్ధం అవ్వలేదు. అంత బాగా రాసారు.

మౌరి కొంచం చిన్న బుక్ అయిపొయింది అని చిన్న కంప్లైంట్ మాత్రం ఉంది అండి

మీరు ఇలానే బాగా మన epics ని ఇప్పటి యూత్ కోసం బాగా రాయాలని, lesser known storiesని బయటకి చెప్పాలని మనస్పూర్తి గ కోరుకుంటున్న.

మీరు ఒక ఎక్స్ట్రా అభిమానిని ఇవాళ గెలుచుకున్నారు అండ్ నేను ఒక మంచి రైటర్ ని తెలుసుకున్నాను.

అల్ ది బెస్ట్.
Profile Image for Kidliomag .
1,434 reviews59 followers
April 19, 2022
A book that will leave you spellbound, enchanted and strong characters, unsettling narration that forced you to read this book about the the time of Mahabharta. This captivating female centric mythological fictional story filled with action, love, revenge and more. If you want to read something different about Krishna and Mahabharta then this book is the perfect choice.
Profile Image for Savita Ramsumair.
660 reviews5 followers
May 23, 2022
Beautiful

I just loved every moment of this novel. Whilst I understand Mauri's misplaced hatred for Krishna, her deceitfulness I cannot relate too. Sometimes the novel seem to be more about Abhaya than about Mauri.
Profile Image for Kunthavi.
10 reviews
May 14, 2024
Gripping narration, crisp style. Little intense for my taste though, however very interesting read
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews

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