Ashwatthama's Redemption: The Rise of Dandak [Paperback] Gunjan Porwal

Ashwatthama's Redemption #1

by Gunjan Porwal

Over a hundred years after the Mahabharata War, an ancient power threatens to destroy the new Age of Men, by establishing the Age of Terror of the asuras, long believed to be extinct. the only hurdle in its path is Guru Dronacharya’s son, the mighty but accursed warrior Ashwatthama, who lost all his powers following Lord Krishna’s curse and who unwittingly finds himself drawn into the quest of the lost bow of Lord Rama, the Kodanda. As ghosts of the distant past return to haunt him and the line between friends and enemies blurs, Ashwatthama must fight his inner demons to emerge victorious. He undertakes a perilous journey—across the vast plains of the Ganges, to the snow-capped peaks of the Himavant where the price of failure is a fate worse than death and death is a privilege not granted to Ashwatthama. Is this all part of Lord Krishna’s great plan? Will Ashwatthama be able to regain his lost glory?

Genres: Mythology, Fiction, Historical, India

264 pages, Paperback

Published September 15, 2018

Reviews

[Vishnu Chevli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall Verdict:- A superb read

It’s been a long time I’ve come across a book that lives up to the expectations of its cover. A ready-to-war Ashwatthama decked in front, resembling Krishna and a colophon that briefs his past and role in the story; the tone was set to be an engaging treat and I wasn’t disappointed.

“Ashwatthama’s Redemption...” takes place more than a hundred years after the events of Mahabharata Kurukshetra war. A cursed but super powerful demon king Dandak and his wreaking havoc army are on the verge of resurrection. Sudden deaths and suspicious omens force King Vikram and Prince Rana to seek the aid of Ashwatthama and set out on a perilous journey to obtain Lord Rama’s long lost bow “Kodanda” which is powerful enough to stop him.

If there exists perfection in writing a fiction based on Indian historical epics, it’s this book. Gunjan Porwal preserves the details of Kurukshetra war along with the essence of its original characters. The way historical accuracy is maintained throughout the plot and taking creative liberty only when its required is fantastic. Be it the action sequences or the scenic journeys or even the old tales, the author delivers more with the use of a few words.

Whilst the original Mahabharata is written in second person perspective, this novel is written in third person narrative. Ashwatthama as the protagonist on the path of recovery is shown perfectly. With most of the severity of his curse diluted, his struggles to regain his warrior status, his remorse for actions of his past, his vigilance in battles with the supernatural are shown perfectly. There is huge potential in characters of Vikram and Rana, but for now, they end up as support cast. The light love story between Urmila and Rana sometimes misbalances an otherwise well set pace of the story. Raktavija and Vidyut don’t feel that intimidating as villains should, but nevertheless they have their moments. Dandak feels like Lord Voldemort; everyone fears him and dreads his resurrection. I have a feeling there is more to his character and hope it levels the persona of Ashwatthama.

Personally, I loved the use of original Shlokas from Mahabharta. Not many can detail the true greyness that every character in the original epic had, but the author does it with ease. Janmejaya as a character could had been explored more and given more time in the plot.

In all, Gunjan Porwal delivers a true engaging masterpiece that keeps us gripped throughout the book and makes us eager to await the well deserved sequel.

My overall rating for this enjoyable masterpiece would be 4.5/5

Detailed Review Link - https://chevusread.blogspot.com/2018/...

Author interview link - http://chevusread.blogspot.com/2019/0...

[RITU MAHESHWARI · Rating 3 out of 5]

After Karna, now it is time for Ashwathama's redemption. He is a favorite among the authors and many books on Ashwathama are hitting the bookshelves, giving this immortal character some solace and salvation from his felony and curse.

Ashwathama's cursed eternal life gets some meaning and purpose when the rise of an ancient evil began to threaten the world. That evil could only be killed by a Lord Shiva or his incarnation by Vishnu's bow. Now Ashwathama completely fits in the bill as he is a demigod and partial incarnation of Lord Shiva and now it is up to him, with the help of his friends, to stop the evil.

The story line is interesting and looks promising, but poorly executed. More than half of the story was the mere repetition of all the major incidents of Mahabharata. It was so tedious and boring to read. The plotting was done half heartedly and seems like half baked cake. Even the adventurous scenes were tepid and lacked thrill. Only the climax scene was the one which has a real dire situation and I was wondering how Ashwathama will save everyone.

I think a little more attention to the plotting could have done wonders to the storyline. Read this book only if you are not well versed with your epics or new to the genre or the character of Ashwathama really intrigues you just like it is Karna for many.

[★ ⋮ipsi ⸝⸝ (ia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone knows about the greatest war in mythology, about the Mahabharata, the war that started between two brothers to establish Dharama among the people for betterment of humanity. And what conspired in that great war was beyond imagination.
But no one knew the details of the brave and mighty warrior and demigod, the son of Dronacharya himself, Ashwastthama and about his fall. Or what happens after the war of Mahabharata when cursed and casted aside by Lord Krishna because of Ashwastthama's most disgraceful act in the war, he has long since forgotten the essence of his existence and the reason behind the God's grace and mercy.
While in this book the author shows ways of how all of those condemned acts of the villains in a war could be indeed justified and thus even they can't be blamed for their actions.
Or is this all part of one of the God's greatest plans after all, in the long run?
This book follows a story, long after the war of Maharashtra has ended and people have lived forfeiting their and where a new threat has started to create havoc among humanity that could have the power to wipe out the new age of empires.
When Dandak, the most cruel Asura King and powerful like Ravana but deadly in more ways than him, threatens to resurface from the past, Ashwastthama must help his royal friends and trusted acolytes, setting out on a journey to retrieve the bow of Lord Rama, the Kodanda and must stop the resurrection of Dandak from the Otherworld.
Will they succeed in their quest?
Can Ashwastthama really stand up to all these expectations from his friends and could he be redeemed after all?
Can they all succeed to stop the rise of the Asura Dandak using the Divine weapon used by Lord Rama to kill Ravana
or will fate won't favor the sides of those who wants to save the mankind from the greatest evil?

My Thoughts:
When I first read the blurb on the back of the book, I was briefly informed about how the book is going to take form while Mythology is among my favorite genres I knew this'd be something different.
From the start I always had an idea about the Mahabharata War and its history and stories that I've come across often since childhood, but no one seemed to mind the acts of the villains in the story and so the story about Ashwastthama was not taken into consideration.
I didn't have any idea about the reality and the fictional facts and the difference between them as I had never heard of his story apart from the sidelines.
And when I started to read it, I was completely taken aback by how amazingly the tale was written and I was engrossed in it.
The plot of the book is rather intriguing and well kept throughout the entirety of the book. All the characters in the story were diversed yet they had such close relation and friendship. I loved Vikram and Rana's bickering friendship. Vikram and Janamejaya's characters were my favorite while Urmila's character and her bravery were very admirable. Whereas Ashwatthama's character was described very well, keeping in mind of all his guilts and self loathing that had been a result of his regrets of his deeds in the war of Mahabharata and how he overcomes them regaining his lost glory.
The narrative point going about the evil king and monsters, about Dandak and his cursed army was so perfectly composed; both terrifying yet unmistakably admiring in their aspect.

"Evil cannot survive if people find courage in their hearts to stand up for the good. Evil thrives on the weakness of men. Evil rises on their shoulder; it feeds on bloodshed & death. Being a silent spectator wouldn't help. Evil can only be defeated by determination & self-belief."

Vikram's ideals and love for his kingdom and family, was what made me like him that most and also how he embarks the journey along with his friends.
And while the evil has every intention of coming back and destroying all that they've planned and feared,
it can't be swayed or delayed. And to defeat this enemy they must practice how to repel the act if sorcery and realize what is true and which is illusion.

"The enemy is no mightier than the thoughts and the words we use to describe them."

My favorite quote from this book was,

"If you know the complete truth, you will realize that everything happens for a reason. It is only then we ponder deeper that we come to understand that events that dictate our lives are controlled by our Karma."

I truely, enjoyed the book and the journey of Ashwatthama in his quest to regain his lost glory and powers.

Final Verdict and Ratings:
While I really enjoy reading mythological fictions and love to explore different perspectives, I loved this book and I recommend this book to everyone who's a fan of history and has a keen interest in knowing what went on in the war of Mahabharata and enjoys mythology above all.
I'm giving this book a big 4.5 stars since it was a really impressive and amazing read for me.

[Thanks so much to the author for providing me with the book in exchange of an honest review]

[Khyati Gautam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mythological Fiction is a fast-growing genre in contemporary Indian Literature. Our Indian mythology is very interesting with its larger than life characters and surprising events. And nowadays, more authors are venturing in its mystical arena.

Ashwatthama is a lesser-known figure of the epic Mahabharata. In the war that saw heavy bloodshed and gore, fight for dharma and adharma, events resulting due to karmic cycles, deceitful and treacherous means to win over one’s rivals, Ashwatthama played a vital role. He is seen with contempt for his actions which we have been listening for ages. This book attempts to mold our views about him and give him a chance for redemption.

The book is set in the Kaliyuga where reigns the hatred and revenge. Vikram is a ruler who wants to stop the asura Dandak from resurrecting or else he will wreak havoc on the earth. For this, he seeks Ashwatthama who is a part incarnate of Lord Shiva, a demigod. Both of them are accompanied by the prince of Avanti, Rana, and are set to get their hands on the powerful bow of Lord Rama. Only this weapon can bring the end of Dandak. In their journey, they face several challenges and fatal obstacles. The adventure awaits them as the book moves forward.

At the onset, the book didn’t attract me. I found it a little difficult to connect with it. But as it went ahead and Ashwatthama came into the picture, it piqued my interest. From there on, it totally indulged me. I loved the retelling of the Mahabharata at several places and the unpopular facts related to it. It was a pleasure to discover so many new points about the unfolding of the war as it happened. It felt as if what I knew already was so little and what I came across with this book was so vast. The fight against evil is hard but it is inevitable to avoid the annihilation of mankind. And so, Ashwatthama was bound to take up war, though it involved facing his demons of the past full of sins and guilt associated with them, to redeem himself and save the earth.

Evil cannot survive if people find courage in their hearts to stand up for the good.

It was the bravery of the side characters such as Vikram, Rana, Urmila, and Nyta along with Guru Apasmitra and Janamejaya that helped Ashwatthama in his efforts for averting the rise of Dandak. They successfully defeated his allies – Raktavija and Vidyut. But how far would they be able to carry their success?

The book did end properly but in a way, it disappointed me. Perhaps I was expecting something else. I found it quite plain and not in sync. However, every ending has a new beginning! The writing style is smooth. The language and flow of the story are proper. Though when the confrontation of Raktavija and the warriors took place, that scene could have been more gripping. The title completely justifies the storyline. And the cover has been designed perfectly.

Through the gaps filled here and there, the book attempts to teach us many things. It brought to my attention the effect of Karmic cycles. It strengthened my faith in the power of love as well as the importance of trust. The narrative has been captured and developed very well by the author. Details of the palaces, the places where the characters visit, the description of the characters and the whole arrangement of events have been done wonderfully. It was an amazing experience reading the book. I appreciate the efforts the author has put in researching and coming up with this book.

If one likes to know about different aspects of Indian mythology, he should definitely go for this book.

[Abhisikta Basu · Rating 4 out of 5]

To read the full review, click on the link below
https://storyofabooknerd.blogspot.com...

'Ashwatthama's Redemption: The Rise of Dandak' by Gunjan Porwal is an mythological fiction. The story takes place a hundred years after the Kurukshetra war (also called the 'Mahabharata War') where the author tries to explore the life of Ashwatthama, aftermath of the war.

When the kingdoms of Avanti and Surparaka discerned the fact that some uncanny events are occurring in the forest of Dandakaranya, they suspected that it can be the possible resurrection of the Asura king Dandak. Dandak, who is known to be a master of black magic and sorcery once resurrected can wreak havoc on their kingdoms. He cannot be killed by any mortal or god except Lord Shiva. Only, Ashwatthama, the last living form of Lord Shiva has the power to stop him. Thus to prevent the rise of Dandak, Rana Pratap Singh, the Prince of Avanti and Vikramsena, the King of Surparaka seeks the aid of Ashwatthama. Together, they embarked on a precarious journey to retrieve 'Kodanda', the bow of Lord Rama, which is the only weapon that can kill Dandak.

Will they be able to retrieve the bow and stop Dandak? Read the book to find out!

The reason I picked up this book was because I found the blurb intriguing and yes, the book didn't disappoint me! I would say that the author has done a commendable job in his debut novel. It is an action-packed mythological thriller. The story was fast paced and well-elaborated. All the characters were well-etched and the writing style was simple and neat. It was good to go through the instances of Mahabharata that the author has incorporated in the story.

However, I felt that the ending was quite abrupt. Eagerly waiting for the sequel to know what happens next. And also, I felt that the book could have been made a little less detailed, because at times it slows down the reading pace.

All in all, 'Ashwatthama's Redemption: The Rise Of Dandak' was a good read for me. I would definitely recommend this book to the fans of mythological fiction.

[Swapna Peri ( Book Reviews Cafe ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Title: Ashwatthama’s Redemption: The Rise of Dandak
Author: Gunjan Porwal
Format: Paper Back

Book Title:
The title of the book is ‘Ashwatthama’s Redemption: The Rise of Dandak’

Book Cover:
The cover of the book is a digital painting of the story’s torchbearer Ashwattama. His forehead is covered by his hair but the face reflects the anger. A giant and masculine body covered with a huge armour. A bow in one hand and another hand with the tightly closed wrist, which clearly depicts that he is ready for the war or already in it.

Plot:

Ashwatthama, the great warrior with a gem on his forehead. He is also called as an incarnation of Lord Shiva and also said as immortal with no hunger, thirst, and weariness. He fought against the Pandavas in Kurukshetra. He is the son of Guru Drona. During the Kurukshetra, Bhima ends the life of an elephant named Ashwatthama and make Drona believe that his son died in the war. Dhrishtadyumna, the brother of Draupadi who is on Pandavas side beheads the sage Drona. In the fury and anger, Ashwattama does a treacherous act which will perturb and exasperate Lord Krishna and curse him. He takes out the gem from his forehead and curses him to wander in the world without dying till the world ends. It is still believed that he is roaming till date with a wound on his head and with a huge warrior-like persona.

Coming to the plot, Ashwattama who is now living a hollow life, ramble in the Kairali forest like a wanderer with despair. One day, one of his friends Vikram from the Surparaka kingdom approaches him with an important task about Dandak, an asura. The asura who is hiding in the Patal Lok(underworld) is expected to come bad to take away the peace on the earth. Somehow he will get convinced by the king Vikram and starts his new journey to kill the demon.

What are the circumstances he will face during this period? Will he be able to find his strengths back leaving his dreadful past behind? Who will he meet in his journey? Will he be able to kill the Dandak, the asura? Well, you need to read this fascinating story ‘Ashwatthama’s Redemption: The Rise of Dandak’.

What I like:

As most of the readers know the story of Mahabharata, Ashwattama is also a remarkable character in it and almost competitive with other characters. Recently, I have come across many books on Hindu mythological characters. The authors have focused on the characters which we think are not important. But making Ashwattama as the protagonist, Gunjan Porwal has made a great and an unusual effort. We can see the two sides of the character here and it is portrayed excellently.

What I didn’t like:
The one who loves to read the mythological stories will never find a flaw in them. In particular, there are no negatives points in it. If you completely enjoy the fantasy, just read it which will take you to the other world.


Characters:
The way Ashwattama molded his life is portrayed nicely and how he gained his strengths and other stuff will convince you. The author has done a great job with the other characters as well. All the characters will embark an impression in your mind.

Narration:
The narration of all the story is very well done and it will grasp the minds of the readers

Language & Grammar:
A clear language with neat and uncomplicated grammar is used in the book

My Final Verdict:
The reader will end up having a great experience of reading a fantastic book.

Book Title: 4/5
Book Cover: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Narration: 4/5
Language & Grammar: 4/5
Final Rating: 4/5

[Wanderingg__soul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ashwatthama's Redemption- The Rise of Dandak ✨✨
By Gunjan Porwal 📖📖📖📖
Over a hundred years after the Mahabharata War, an ancient power threatens to destroy the new Age of Men, by establishing the Age of Terror of the asuras, long believed to be extinct. the only hurdle in its path is Guru Dronacharya’s son, the mighty but accursed warrior Ashwatthama, who lost all his powers following Lord Krishna’s curse and who unwittingly finds himself drawn into the quest of the lost bow of Lord Rama, the Kodanda. As ghosts of the distant past return to haunt him and the line between friends and enemies blurs, Ashwatthama must fight his inner demons to emerge victorious. He undertakes a perilous journey—across the vast plains of the Ganges, to the snow-capped peaks of the Himavant where the price of failure is a fate worse than death and death is a privilege not granted to Ashwatthama.

Is this all part of Lord Krishna’s great plan? Will Ashwatthama be able to regain his lost glory? 📖📖📖📖
Indian Mythology has always been one of my favorite genres. We all have heard stories from Mahabharata and Ramayana since we were kids, and it always interests me to read about the lesser known characters from both the epics.
It was such an exciting and intriguing journey to read about Ashwatthama as the main character of this book. This book is kind of an extension to Mahabharata. The story and plot are so gripping, I couldn't put the book down, I literally finished reading it in two sittings😍
The author has done a very commandable job, it takes a lot of research to write about such a topic and weave a perfect story out of mythology and fiction. The plot, the narrations and writing style are amazing.
I specially loved the use of Sanskrit verses in the book❤
It just kind of transported me to a different era and made my reading experience much more real and fun❤
Also the cover of the book and the title are SUPERB!! The author has done a brilliant job in his debut novel.
I definitely recommend this book to all the people who love to read mythology and fiction.

[Shrikanth Venne · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all thanks to the author for sending me the free copy for a honest review. This book is about 2 kings Vikram and Rana with aswatthama and Urmila being protagonists and dandak, Vidyut and raktjiva being the antagonists. This story also has the information of the greatest war Mahabharata, which is very good for the readers to get the information. This story makes villain of Mahabharata a hero that is Ashwatthama. This story is about dandak coming back from dead as same as voldemort in Harry Potter. Vikram Ashwatthama and Rana try to finish dandak before he rises. For finishing dandak they need Rama's bow kodanda. So finding the kodanda is the first half of the book and then how they confront Vidyut and raktjiva is the other 2nd part. The only disappoint is this book too joins the long list of waiting for the second book. And don't know when it will be released. Author has used very simple language and never felt difficult to read the book. Overall very good book but waiting for the second book and making the wait long for completing the story is the only fallback of this book. Overall very good Goodread... 😊

[Ronita Banerjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Name- Ashwatthama's Redemption: The Rise of Dandak
Written By- Gunjan Porwal
Published By- Om Books International
Pages- 263
Ratings- 4🌟
Review-
The war is over, but the impact of the war isn't.
The Great war of Mahabharata and the stories surrounding it has been a real inspiration to every Indian. Sadly, people are losing their interest in Mythology and the teachings in Mahabharata and Ramayana are also eroding from our lives.
A book like Ashwatthama's Redemption jolted me back to the days when my grandmother used to recite the stories of the great epics. Mahabharata also known as the longest epic in our world has been my inspiration since childhood. One of those interesting events of Mahabharata was Krishna's cursing of Ashwatthama till eternity. An eternal life with diseases and bruises. A result of the great sin that Ashwatthama committed by trying to destroy the Pandava lineage.
Gunjan Porwal, picks up the story several years after the great war fictionalizing Ashwatthama's life after the Kurukshetra war.
He delved into the pages of the great epic to find references and create an enthralling storyline about the life of Dronacharya's son and the rise of Dandak, one of the most formidable Asura.
Every page is laced with mystery and suspense. The plot is excellent and beautifully crafted to keep the readers hooked and craving for more.
Everybody deserves a closure. So did Ashwatthama. Gunjan Porwal, found a fantastic way to answer the million dollar question every reader of Mahabharata had...Is Ashwatthama still alive? Walking on this earth, doomed till eternity?
I'm hoping to find out more about this in the next book of this series.

[Chetana Thakur Chakraborty · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the literary world, lately, there has been a lot of work on Mythology. The number of books on mythology, especially Indian Mythology is on the rise. I guess in recent times, the Indian readers are interested very much interested in reading this genre.
Ashwatthama's Redemption: The Rise of Dandak by Gunjan Porwal is a mythological fiction.
Mythology has always been a subject of interest to me and is one of my favourite genres. I really liked the way the author has narrated the tale of one of the lesser known and not-so-much discussed characters of the great Indian epic Mahabharata, Aswatthama.

The story takes place a hundred years after the great war of Mahabharata, Kurukshetra war. As the story begins, we see that the Kingdoms of Avanti and Surparaka comes to know about the trouble brewing in the forest of Dandak. To prevent the rise of Dandak, Rana, the Prince of Avanti and Vikram, the King of Surparaka seeks the help of Ashwatthama. Then the three of them sets off on a journey to retrieve the lost bow of Lord Rama, Kodanda.
Will they be successful in their quest? will Ashwatthama be able to regain his lost glory?
Read the book to know more!

The author has done a commendable job in developing and constructing the plot of his debut novel, Aswatthama's Redemption. It takes a great deal of research to write a mythological fiction. The characters are well developed. The language is simple which makes it a quite easy read.

Altogether, this book was a nice read. I really enjoyed reading it. Fans of Mythological Fiction, this book is definitely for you!

[Venkitesh Mathakode · Rating 5 out of 5]

PLOT: 5/5
CHARACTERS: 5/5
LANGUAGE: 5/5
CLIMAX: 3/5
OVERALL: 4.5


FRONT COVER: -

Front Cover which is beautifully designed. Front Cover secures the scene of Ashwatthama - a strongly built with long hair, holding his bow ready for war.

Writing: -

Superbly, thoughtfully very well-crafted novel which draws amazing parallel between history and contemporary. Ashwatthama’s Redemption – The Rise of Dandak written by Gunjan Porwal is an amazing Mythological thriller.

The author has done a thorough study about the history before writing this book. The writing is wonderful, and the flow is very ease and you will not be bored and will flip thru the pages eagerly. Overall the characters are strong, the plot is well developed, and the description is wonderful...I felt mythology come alive all around me! The author was successful in taking me into a completely different world, which is the prime for any fiction/fantasy writer.

The ancient and the revered mixes nicely and effortlessly with modern concepts, and makes you smile. The author was successful in deciphering all the loose ends and leaving some to the imagination of the reader. Certain chapters in the book suddenly make your eyes go wide and say "Wooow!!" Clearly, Gunjan Porwal has written the book with pure devotion and passion.

Story :-

A very few of us knew the story of Ashwatthama , Guru Dronacharya’s son.
My mind was blown seeing the epic story of Ashwatthama in a different way. History has made Ashwatthama a negative character since he supported Kauravas in the Kurukshethra battle. Ashwatthama was not killed in the Kurukshethra war but got a curse from Krishna and lost all his power.

A hundred years later after Kaurava , Pandava’s battle one ancient power of Asuras threatens to destroy the new Age of Men. The evil force is led by Dandak who is in the process of resurrection. Strange things were happening at the southern border of the kingdom of Avanti. A team is formed up - King Vikramsena, the king of Surparaka, a kingdom in the Western Ghats and Rana - Prince of Avanti, is ready to battle up against Dandak.. Ashwatthama and the team is in search of Lord Rama’s long-lost bow “Kodanda”. Thru Kodanda only they can eliminate Dandak. Will they succeed. Whether Ashwatthama can regain his lost power? Rest is the story.

Characters:

The usage of every character is very apt, and all the supporting characters were very well built. Apart from the wonderful character building what I liked most was tension building throughout the book


Overall:

Overall the book is so compelling, has so many characters, so many story lines, so many mysteries. The book impressed me for one reason: The author manages to write a story about his protagonist without feeling the need to justify his actions in the canon or argue that he was misunderstood but has a heart of gold. The sudden twists and turns, the well-planned strategies, the extreme planning and the out-of-the-box flabbergasting ideas would make the reader happy.

Worth a read.

Happy Reading.

[Utkrisht Fella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gunjan Porwal's Ashwatthama's Redemption: The Bow of Rama is a stellar example of how powerful historical fiction can be, especially when it takes on the weight of myth. Despite its compact nature (making it a perfect, single-weekend read!), this book is an absolute epic. It is, quite simply, a beautifully woven narrative that I couldn't put down.

Gunjan tackles the legendary and tragic figure of Ashwatthama, cursed and immortal and grounds his story in a context that feels deeply, historically real - the Dandak region. The author doesn't just retell a story; they explore the humanity behind the curse. The prose is economical, sharp and evocative, ensuring that every word advances Ashwatthama's internal and external journey.

The core strength lies in the exploration of redemption. We see a character(Ashwatthama) burdened by centuries of guilt and divine punishment finding a new purpose. His transition from a mythic warrior to a grounded figure shaping the destiny of a region is handled with incredible sensitivity and insight. It’s a compelling look at legacy, forgiveness and the difficult, often lonely path of atonement.

Crucially, the book doesn't shy away from the epic's foundation. It masterfully uses the fallout of the Mahabharata war, particularly the details of Lord Krishna's curse upon Ashwatthama, not just as background but as a driving force for the entire plot. Gunjan Porwal skillfully weaves in the why of Ashwatthama's curse and the what if of Krishna's ultimate, long-term plan, suggesting that even this agonizing eternal life might serve a higher, pre-ordained purpose. By referencing these sections of the epic, the author fills in the gaps left by the original texts, offering a fresh perspective on motivation and consequence a hundred years after Kurukshetra.

If you are a fan of Indian mythology or finely detailed historical fiction, pick this up immediately. It proves that a book doesn't need hundreds of pages to feel immense and deeply satisfying. Highly, highly recommended! Looking forward to reading part 2.

[Chitra Iyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading mythological fiction but not each of them can be captivating enough. But in my opinion, after Amish Tripathi and Ashwin Sanghi, Gunjan Porwal, author of Ashwatthama’s Redemption: The Rise of Dandak, is the one to watch out for, for he has given his readers an amazing gift through his writing.

So, let’s get down to the review before I begin my rambling session.

Summary

The book is about Ashwatthama, Dronacharya’s son, who was cursed by Krishna after he broke the rules of warfare and killed all the children of the Pandavas to avenge his father’s death in Kurukshetra. He vows a life of solitude but when his friend, Vikram, comes to him for help, he cannot refuse. The Prince of Avanti, Rana, notices some strange happenings in his kingdom and along with Vikram comes to a conclusion that the demon, Dandak, is on the rise again.

Rana, along with Vikram and Ashwatthama set out on a journey to find the one thing that can stop Dandak from creating havoc. Through treacherous terrain and challenges at every turn, they surge ahead but also realise that Dandak has his eyes on them each moment.

Read the rest of my review here:
https://goo.gl/Wdf5ka

[Neelam Mungekar · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Ashwatthama’s Redemption’ by Gunjan Porwal is a mythological fiction set over a hundred years after the Mahabharata War when all was going well and people were leading a peaceful life when all of a sudden there were signs (sudden deaths and suspicious things) that were leading to a suspicion in the minds of the rulers of the neighbouring kingdoms. To know the matter in detail the rulers decide to meet the knowledgeable sages of the neighbouring kingdoms to clear their doubts which finally leads them to the conclusion that there is definitely some unknown power that is waiting to rise but on further investigation and with the guidance of the sage it becomes clear that it is none other than the Dandak, an ancient power that is rising. So to stop the resurrection of the powerful demon king Dandak and his army King Vikram approaches Ashwatthama to tell him the facts and sets out with Ashwatthama to see Guru Apasmitra and consult on the resurrection of Dandak which leads them to the Lord Rama’s long lost bow ‘Kodanda’. Soon the trio (King Vikram, Prince Rana and Ashwatthama) set out on a perilous journey to obtains Lord Rama’s bow which is the only way to stop the demon king Dandak. But it is not an easy journey and they yet have to face many supernatural powers and demons on their way which makes their journey all the more dangerous and impossible. Will the trio be successful in getting the long lost bow of Lord Rama and will they be able to get of all the difficulties that lie ahead. To know more read ‘Ashwatthama’s Redmeption’.

My Views:

‘Ashwatthama’s Redemption’ is a story that will set the readers on an adventure with the characters. Loved the writing style of the author, the writing speed is perfect it is neither too fast nor too slow. The author has done an excellent job of preserving the details of the Kurukshetra war along with the essence of its original characters. The historical accuracy is maintained throughout the plot and there is a plot twist at every page which would keep the reader’s at edge throughout the book. The descriptive writing style of the author would make the whole story run in front of the readers as if a movie is being played. The action sequences or the adventurous journey that the characters are set on or even the old tales of the past the author has done an excellent job of describing them and at the same time creates an eagerness about what’s happening next.

The characters are well developed. Our protagonist Ashwatthama is on the path of recovery and with most of his curse diluted he is still struggling to regain his warrior status, the guilt that he still carries for the actions of his past, his battle warfare with the supernatural are shown perfectly. The readers would get to read a love story between Urmila and Prince Rana. The demons Raktavija and Vidyut are also described well and their loyalty towards their master Dandak is also shown excellently.

The author has also added the original Shlokas from the Mahabharata which gives it is a more epic feeling. To describe the overall experience while reading the novel I like to add that it is truly a gripping novel and the readers will not be disappointed to pick this one up. Eagerly waiting for the sequel. Overall, Ashwatthama’s Redemption is a true masterpiece which the readers will surely enjoy.

[Rajan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anything except romance is welcome from Indian writer. Romance writing is lazy. After success of Amish’s Shiva trilogy mythological genre is revived. It has unlimited potential and can be a most interesting. Gunjan tried to t=doo that in “Ashwatthama’s Redemption”.

Vikram, Rana and Urmila come to know a sinister secret wherein the mankind is threatened. Ashwatthama, the cursed son of Guru Dronacharya is the only one which can avert this. They have to find the Kodnada, bow of Lord Rama which is hidden in great Himalaya. They travel though Gangetic plain to find Kodanda. Will they be successful?

This book is different and it takes a detour from that done to death genre of Romance. The mythological fantasy is light and free flowing. The language is first rate and interest is kept throughout. This is first part of the story and more can be said after reading next instalments. There are some slack moments too and too much time is taken to come to the main chase. The introduction is stretched and this slackened the p[ace. Tighter editing was required.


3/ 5 stars.

 

[Booxoul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last two years have seen a rise in Authors experimenting with Mythology genre. Only this year I have read around twenty books on Mytho genre.

And the latest I am reviewing here is from the Author Gunjan Porwal, Ashwatthama’s Redemption – The rise of Dandak. Ashwatthama’s Redemption – The rise of Dandak takes a uniquely fresh approach on the lesser known outcast character of Mahabharata.

Ashwatthama’s Redemption – The rise of Dandak is a story of Ashwatthama. The book is set over a hundred after the Kurukshetra War era. When the Kingdoms of Bharata are at peace. But not for long. A rumored rise of an ancient demon Dandak shatters the peace of surrounding kingdom of Dandakaranya: the forest that was ruled by Dandak during Ram Era.

The only person who can stop the Dandak is Ashwatthama, who lost his powers following Krishna’s curse. Knowing he is powerless, the question is whether Ashwatthama takes this perilous journey?

Review
The storyline of Ashwatthama’s Redemption – The rise of Dandak is engaging.
I loved how the Author portrayed Ashwattma’s character, giving depth to the character as the story progressed. I easily connected with Ashwattthama’s character as he is portrayed more human than the Demigod in this story. The other two characters Vikram and Rana were amazing, they lightened the mood of the otherwise serious story. There were instances where I couldn’t stop laughing out loud.

Ashwatthama’s Redemption – The rise of Dandak is more thriller with Mythology theme. There is always an element of surprise as you turn the pages. The book is a breezy read. Gunjan writing is elegant and keeps pace with the story. But the best of the book is it’s ending. You’d be shocked to no end. A truly sensational ending, I must say.
The ending of the book paves way for the book 2 of the ‘Ashwattam’s Redemption, and I simply cannot wait to find out what happens next in Ashwatthama’s story.

Recommendation
If you are a Fan of Mythology Fiction and loves to read while traveling then this the book. Fast paced and the language very easy. A must buy.

I gave it 4/5 stars.

[Anupama C K(b0rn_2_read) · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the Kingdom of Avanti and Surparaka becomes aware of strange happenings in Dandaka forest (Dandakaranya), they begin to suspect the resurrection of the Asura King Dandaka. Dandaka has received a boom from Shiva so he can only be killed by Shiva and a Vaishnavastra. Ashwatthama, the son of Dronacharya, the invincible warrior who was cursed by Lord Krishna, is part Shiva incarnate. Ashwatthama is still reeling in guilt from his deeds at the Kurukshetra war, the curse has made sure that he has forgotten all his Warrior skills. The only Vaishnavastra on earth is the Kodanda, the bow of Lord Rama, which was hidden by Kush, the son of Ram. Rana Pratap, the Prince of Avanti, Vikram, the King of Surparaka and Urmila, the Princess of Indraprastha go with Ashwatthama to retrieve Kodanda.
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Will Ashwatthama be redeemed for his actions?
Will Ashwatthama and his team be able to retrieve the Vaishnavastra?
Can Ashwatthama win against Dandaka?
Read to find out
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It is a fast paced action packed mythological thriller. Mythology is one of my favorite genres and I can't get enough of it. Since Indian mythology is something which I have read a lot of, it was easy for me to get into the story. I did know of Ashwatthama's story but not of Dandaka, that was new to me. I did feel that some of the stories were repeated twice, maybe to help the people who are not aware of Indian Mythology. I also didn't know that Parasuram had helped Ashwatthama and that the Pandavas did forgive him at the end. I didn't understand the point of Urmila, it felt like she was added just so that romance could be incorporated into the story. The book certainly redeemed Ashwatthama in my eyes. I'm looking forward to read the next book in the series

[Deepika Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story starts with the life after 100 years of Kurukshetra war. Ashwatthama, son of Dronacharya, lost his all powers and warfare skills due to the curse of Lord Krishna. His sinful deeds of past and its guilt made him to live a drunken nomad life. No purpose of his life seems to him untill his friend, Vikram came to him for his help. He was unsure would he be able to help anyone but he still proceeded with him.
The whole of their journey revolves around how they will combat with the most evil power Dandak. But wait! Wasn't Dandak dead thousands of years ago? Was he so easy to kill? No! Something happened long back that made everyone believe he is dead but he wasn't. And now he is resurrecting with the only motive of destructing. Everything!

MY REVIEW:
🌈 This book is full of adventures, travelling and mythological stories.
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🌈 All mythological stories are related to the time of Ramayan and Mahabharat and even before them that really fascinated me. I just love reading stories of those time.
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🌈 This book has mythology factor along with fantasy factor. It has shown lot of fantasy places, that are very well described. I could visualize everything.
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🌈 It has everything of old time Kauravas, Pandavas, Asuras, Devas, Sages and what not.
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🌈 Language is super easy. Author has explained everything at correct time which kept the flow of story.
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🌈 I believe, this is the first part of the series and I am eagerly waiting for the next one.

[THE BIBLIOPHILE (Rituranjan) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good mythological adventure story centered around one of the most powerful and controversial characters from The Mahabharata, filled with action and thrilling anticipation. It is a pretty short book, lengthwise, but, the author successfully depicts the events of the story in quite a credible manner without sacrificing characterisation.

I liked the fact that the author choose the timeperiod of 100 years after the Kurukshetra war, and it gave the story the feel of an epic quest. The readers are given brief glimpses into some important events surrounding the great war, which are somewhat ignored in certain retellings. Mind you, they're informative at best, but in an entertaining way. Also, the premise of an evil Asura king arising to oppress the continent lended an urgency to the story, and as such, the pacing and plot progression was brilliant. However, I didn't like how the fate of the Divine Bow of Rama was met towards the end of the story. It's supposed to be insanely powerful capable of killing greater demons, but, how it was dissembled by an asura sorcerer appeared incredible to me, not in a good way. Also, there are mythical Yetis in the story.

I'm always intrigued by Aswatthama, and although we don't get the desired complexity of his character here, I actually enjoyed the redemption arc which the author tried to portray. I always considered Aswatthama to be dark character, not evil, not good, but a brutal warrior with his own sense of ambiguous morality. Here, we see him quite vulnerable, and at the same time taking on a righteous turn to goodness. Besides him, the supporting characters of Rana, Vikram, Urmila were well fleshed out, and I liked the interpersonal dynamics between them and Aswatthama as a team in their mission. However, we don't get to see the villain, and he appears briefly towards the end, but in a shrouded manner. I hope the author will flesh out his motivations more clearly in the next novel.

This could be made into a movie, and I'm serious about it. The author doesn't waste words in lengthy descriptions and philosophical ponderings, rather he gives us a lean story that has considerable substance and an interesting plot. I would definitely recommend this to readers who are looking for mytho-fantasy fiction that remains true to the original elements, and yet has a delightful story suited for the contemporary times, filled with hope.

[Krupa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ashwatthama's Redemption takes place 100 years after the Mahabharat war. The story starts with Rana, the Prince of Avanti, hearing about disturbances on the borders of Avanti indicating the rise of a demon, Dandak. Meanhwile King Vikramsena has also heard of the possibility of Dandak rising from the dead, and leaves to find the one person whom he knows can help prevent this from happening- Ashwatthama. Rana, Vikram and Ashwatthama set off on perilous journey to retrieve a lost bow of Lord Rama that they believe can help them destroy Dandak once and for all.

The trio go through many hazards and and some unexpected pitfalls. Do they find the Kodanda (Rama's Bow)? Do they manage to defeat Dandak is the rest of the story.

The underlying theme that runs through the book is about Karma and how everything that happens is always part of a bigger plan. A plan that we may not know about until much later, but we should just trust in something larger than us and allow life to play out the way it is meant to be.

Written in a simple language, I loved how Gunjan Porwal has made the effort to bring to light a lot of the less popular stories and characters from the Mahabharat. However these stories are sort of randomly thrown in with the main plot. None of the characters in the story come across very strong and it was hard to feel a connection with the characters. Ashwatthama is not your typical hero and he has a bit of a dark side from his past. Dandak, the terrible asura, is not depicted enough and you don't feel like he is such a bad negative character. What I didn't like was the abrupt ending. The story didn't seem quite complete, there was some ends left open, and there is no clear indication as to whether there is a part 2 or not (I really hope there is because the last chapter most certainly made it feel like there was more to the story). So you are left wondering what's next.

Honestly as a debut book by Gunjan Porwal I think Ashwatthama's Redemption is a great attempt. However this genre of mythology + fiction is really picking up these days and there are so many fantastic stories out there, that I had quite high expectations from the book, and it really did not reach that level for me.

[Audriza Banerjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone knows about the great Mahabharata War/ Kurukshetra War in order to establish Dharma for the betterment of humanity, the Duryodhan's army of hundred brothers along with the Narayani Sena fought the Pandavas and Krishna. In the episode we have come across Dronacharaya and his son Ashwatthama but little do we know about Ashwatthama or what happens to him after the war, when cursed by Lord Krishna for the former's disgraceful act in the war. He has long forgotten the purpose of his existence.
In the book we see long after the war is over, lurks an ancient power which has the extreme potential to destroy and wipe out the New age of men and their empires. The new threat has created a havoc amidst humanity.
Dandak is the most cruel and extremely powerful Asura King just like Ravana of Lanka but he is much more deadly in comparison to the latter. When he resurfaces threateningly from the dead past Ashwatthama must help his friends from the royal families, acolytes and followers to retrieve the holy bow of Lord Rama,The Kodanda thereby stopping the resurrection of Dandak and stop him from wiping out human race. The story is set in Kaliyuga and speaking of royalities Vikram must take the help of the demigod to stop Dandak from wrecking havoc. In the journey they're accompanied by the Prince of Avanti, Rana and face several challenges together with fatal obstacles. Will they be successful in their itinerary in stopping Dandak?

Review
Enthralling story line
Every page is fortified with mystery and suspense.
Nothing is predictable
Plot is excellently crafted making the book unputdownable
Narration is lucid and simple with precised focus on the plot
The author should be appreciated for his captivating story line, impressive facts , keeping you glued to the pages.
The reader may at one point just forget that it is a work of fiction and start relating to it like a real mythological tale.

[Nagendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was Ashwatthama a traitor or an unsung hero of Kurushetra war that Pandavas won after killing their own?

When I started reading this book, I grappled with this thought in my head, because the writer brings out a man in front of us, who is guilty of his past, careless about his present, but understands that he can redeem himself once again in his own eyes, if he fights for the future generation- The present day kingdoms of Avantika, Hastinapur & others.

This book was suggested by my mother, who likes Historical fictions, and as I began reading this book, I found myself in the middle of an imminent war between the Kingdoms and Asuras. Dandak- the most fearsome and brutal Asura of all has awakened and he is gathering a formidable army in the netherworld as writer Gunjan Porwal puts it, and he will kill all unless Ashwatthama, the Demi-god, the villain of the war, ostracised, yet brave warrior helps them in the war and kills Dandak.

I loved the plot, premise and the atmosphere that the writer has been able to create successfully. Without revealing any further I would say this book of 260 pages is full of stories of India's glorious past, the devas, asuras, Pandas, Surya, Indra and one and only KRISHNA and more.

It is a gripping and quick read, and is worth your time, along-with a story, you would also learn a lot about our golden and glorious past.

[Manjri Gopalan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a mythological fiction book. Recently, a lot of Indian writers have chosen this genre, but many have failed in delivering/ meeting the expectations. Fortunately, "Ashwatthama's Redemption: The Rise of Dandak" by Gunjan Porwal has hit the bullseye and it does not fail to entertain you.

Honestly, I was a bit skeptic before buying this book, as I have read a similar book on Ashwatthama sometime back and was not very happy with it. On the contrary, I found Ashwatthama's Redemption quite enticing and engrossing. The book has a lot of short stories from Mahabharat which are quite unheard but very interesting like the story of Barbarik's sacrifice; the episode where Yudhistar insults Gandiva and Arjuna takes revenge for it; the secret how Sahadev gets knowledge of the past, present, and future, and many more...

The only let down, I felt is that the book is first in a series and you don't know how many books does the writer intends to write. For that matter, by looking at the cover, you will not even realize that its novel series. Would I have known it, I would have definitely NOT bought it.
However, post reading the first book, I am sure the writer will not disappoint and there would be more interesting stories in the second book. Hoping the second (and the final) book comes out soon :) :)

Good work @Gunjan Porwal!

[Adeena Syed · Rating 2 out of 5]

To start, I like the mysterious air it made. The very first page where Rana Pratap Singh is waken by a weird dream. I like the writing style in that first chapter but it didn’t go all around the book. I like the story, I like some part of it while some parts like that of journey and war was not so greatly narrated.
Though I wasn’t expecting much as it being a debut novel, but it was quite good. The characters were not very detailed and was not easy to picture, none of them feel like they are in the book for no reason. From the character of Ashwatthama to the minor role of Urmila, none of them gave me the feeling of why-you-are-here which is something to say as I find at least one such character in almost all the book I’ve read.
The narration was good until the little group was on journey. The difficulties of journey, the use of resources were not so thoroughly written and it was hard to imagine how they spend two months when I can count only a week.
The retellings of the Krukshetra War was told by someone or other of different times and places which I sometimes found unnecessary. There will be story behind everything which I’d have like to know myself but they were stretched for too long and even the minor details which could have caused no harm if ignored were narrated while the details from the group’s journey was not made that detailed.
The battle was also not so well written and there were several loopholes. Also I never felt the fear of Dandak that I should have felt of the mighty and evil asura.
All in all the book was mixture of good and not-so-good narration. The story was quite powerful and the sign that was so powerfully talked about in the first chapter will hopefully make itself clear in the second book.

[Md Akhlaq · Rating 5 out of 5]

To write a mythological fiction is a much difficult job to maintain the balance between mythological facts and fiction and the facts about the characters as well like somebody's truth and fiction. And this book a perfect example of that balance between facts and fiction.



Mahabharata is the most epic this world and this has been an inspiration for all the Indians since childhood. This book is complete based on the post impact of Mahabharata.

Ashwatthama or Drauni was the son of guru Drona and he is the grandson of the Brahmin sage Bharadwaja. Ashwatthama is the avatar of one of the eleven Rudras and he is one of the seven Chiranjivi.After Arjuna and Karna, Ashwatthama killed most number of warriors in the Kurukshetra war on behalf of the Kauravas. Ashwathama at the end of the war promised Duryodhana that he would kill the Pandavas and attacked the Pandava camp in the middle of the night, but by error ended up murdering the 5 sons of the Pandavas, borne by Draupadi.This is one of the most interesting scenes from this epic proportions. Author Gunjan Porwal portraied the post war scenerio and fictional character of Ashwathama's. Author beautifully fabricated this epic : Rise of Danak his personality and power , with an engaging storyline. Author has amazingly narrated all the facts and figures about this great epic. A lot answers you can find in this book about the Mahabharata and the characters of Mahabharata.



Language is very engaging , book fills the gap between present and post factors about the Kurukshetra war. Imagination and research is amazing. Full of mysteries and thrills with a very sensational climax. Looking forward to read more in this series by the author.

[Richa · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times, it gets difficult to comprehend as to whether immortality is a boon or a curse. Of course it appears to be a boon if its possessor has the responsibility and determination to save the world and its people from destruction for ages, but it is nothing less than a curse if one has no clue how to make use of it or has nothing to look forward to in his/her life.

If you have also grown up watching those mesmerizing epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana, it is very unlikely that you haven’t heard of this superpower at least a thousand times by now. It is something that even the mightiest warriors, wisest sages and powerful asuras yearned for.

Don’t really matters if you really believe in the authenticity of the epics or not. Even if you have the slightest interest in fiction and epics, you will enjoy reading this book, as it will give you a taste of ancient mythical characters surviving in the present day world.

Speaking of immortality, most of us would have definitely heard about Ashwatthama, a warrior believed to be so mighty that only great yodhas like Arjuna and Karana could challenge him. Son of Dronacharya, this fearless warrior fought a remarkable war in the Kurukshetra battlefield and dreaded the confidence and bravery of many of his opponents.

He is believed to be a part-incarnate of Lord Shiva and was born with a distinctive and precious gem on his forehead, which made him undoubtedly fearless and free from the worldly botheration of hunger, thirst, disease and fear of weapons. He led a glorious life until one day, when out of revenge and anger over his father’s death, he committed an unforgivable sin. As a result, Lord Krishna got infuriated and pierced out the jewel from his forehead. He cursed Ashwatthama to live the life of a wanderer till the end of the world. If this wasn’t a punishment enough, he was further cursed that the hollow made on his forehead will never heal and always seep blood and puss. It would bear a constant pain to remind him of the deadly sin he once committed.

It is believed that Ashwatthama is still alive. There are any instances where people claim to have cited him, believing it was him owing to his gigantic warrior like body structure and constantly bleeding wound on his forehead.

In this book, the author has tried to picture and present as to how Ashwatthama might be surviving and keeping up in the present age. Does he have a purpose in life to look forward to? Is he still living with a consistent sensation of pain that keeps taking him back to that unfateful day in the past.

Very efficiently and convincingly, the author has tried to build a fictional situation where the present day world is at the mercy of a rising evil and Ashwatthama alone has the rightful courage and capacity to bring it down.

As the story unfolds, Ashwatthama is seen living a deserted and meaningless life in the forests of Kairali. Although he had secluded himself from the outer world, he still has a few acquaintances in the nearby kingdoms. One fine day, he is approached by his friend Vikram, King of Surparaka, who informs him about the speculations of Dandak’s possible comeback. Dandak is an asura believed to have died centuries ago. But turns out, he had been hiding in the Pataal Lok since then and is now planning his resurrection, which will be a huge downfall to humanity.

After many discussions, explanations and pleading, Vikram manages to convince Ashwatthama to take up this responsibility of finding and defeating Dandak, thereby rescuing the world.

The story takes you through the entire journey that Ashwatthama undertakes, along with Vikram and a few other companions, in a quest to end the evil power. To do so, they must prepare well and acquire all that is needed for safeguarding their victory over Dandak. They are seen traveling across the kingdoms, through thick and illusionary forests and beyond the mighty mountain ranges. They make alliances with several kingdoms on their way to reaching the Kanjiroba peak (beyond the Himavat ranges), where they believe the Kodanda (Lord Rama’s bow) is hidden and thereafter seek to kill Dandak with this divine weapon.

En route this journey, they come across various hindrances and enormous hurdles, never ever encountered or even heard of before. In a way, this journey and purpose helps Ashwatthama to overcome his pain and brings him at truce with the past. He ends up rediscovering his lost strengths and looks forward to serve the mankind, whenever and wherever required.

He comes across many situations and circumstances that pull him back and make him grieve over his past doings and unfortunate gift of immortality. However, the mighty, fearless and determined warrior that he was once, still persisted inside him. His strong will power and excellent knowledge about terrains, warfare tactics, weapons and survival helps them successfully complete their journey in spite of the innumerous losses and unannounced troubles.

The entire story is well knitted around how Ashwatthama has been living with a dreadful past and how he finally stands up to continue doing what he was born for. You will be surprised to see how wonderfully the author has connected the story to the incidents in the epics. Just when you are about to have a slight feeling that some of the descriptions and events are too fictional, the author helps you connect the dots and clarify your doubts, providing an excellent reasoning for everything presented in the story.

Also, this book will acquaint you with many events and important links that you might have skipped noticing while watching those epics. The story is intriguing enough and is a must read for all those who are deeply interested in learning more about epics and wish to ponder deep into the reasoning behind every incident.

Essentially a story where a death seeking immortal finds a new purpose in life, this book is an excellent attempt to develop an understanding that although these epics are related to an era much old and ancient, one can still find its traces in this modern world. The past can never be swept away in totality and ‘today’ is after all a continuation and consequence of yesterday’s actions. Even if you are not a believer of all this, this spell bounding story will make you fancy those epic stories at least for a while.

[Srishti Mahato · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone who has a more than casual acquaintance with the Mahabharata, Ashwatthama is among the epic's most fascinating figures both condemned and celebrated in our literature. Ashwatthama, part-incarnate of lord Shiva, son of Dronacharya and cursed by Lord Krishna for killing the children of Pandavas and Abhimanyu. He was cursed to roam in the forests with blood and puss oozing out of his injuries and cry for death and since he had no fear of death during was, death would not meet him. .
Now the twist is the author has used the mythical characters surviving in the kalyuga. There is this evil asura's resurrection being planned from Rasatala which must be stopped and can be done by only Ashwatthama who is the part of Shiva and Vishnu. .
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I did not knew much about Ashwatthama or Abhimanyu. The writing and perspective were more from human psychological evolution level rather than religious or mythical notes. This book has given a very clear insight on what where the mistakes Ashwatthama did and suffered the repercussions. Also beautifully simplified the concepts of karma and dharma and it's influence on human beings from Indian Mythology perspective.

[Khayma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cant wait for the next book, i believe there will be a sequal to this

[Anuya Patil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Ashwatthama’s Redemption: The Rise of Dandak
Author: Gunjan Porwal
Format: Paperback/ Kindle Edition available too
Length: 264 pages
Publisher: Om Books International
Synopsis:
Over a hundred years after the Mahabharata War, an ancient power threatens to destroy the new Age of Men, by establishing the Age of Terror of the asuras, long believed to be extinct. the only hurdle in its path is Guru Dronacharya’s son, the mighty but accursed warrior Ashwatthama, who lost all his powers following Lord Krishna’s curse and who unwittingly finds himself drawn into the quest of the lost bow of Lord Rama, the Kodanda. As ghosts of the distant past return to haunt him and the line between friends and enemies blurs, Ashwatthama must fight his inner demons to emerge victorious. He undertakes a perilous journey—across the vast plains of the Ganges, to the snow-capped peaks of the Himavant where the price of failure is a fate worse than death and death is a privilege not granted to Ashwatthama.
Is this all part of Lord Krishna’s great plan? Will Ashwatthama be able to regain his lost glory?
Review:
I am really fond of books like this one, those based on Mythology, especially Indian Mythology. It really takes great research and skill to build the story for such books and the author has commendably done that in this book, Ashwatthama’s Redemption: The Rise of Dandak. The book beautifully starts with Sanskrit lines and these can be found ahead too at many places in the book. These lines help us to catch the essence of the times we are reading about in the book. The author's vivid use of imagery in the book is commendable. The language flows to create the masterpiece of the author's dreams. These images create the sight of the majestic, ancient kingdoms that the author talks about. No doubt that the book is a mythological fiction but a concerned reading of the book will talk about so much more with the readers, like the beliefs of the ancient time that are still very relevant today, the principle of karma, concepts of morality, predestination, determinism and also the underlying gratitude under sheets of suffering. Not just this each reader, each perspective can find a new meaning from the book and all of this is a simple yet captivating language. The author beautifully writes “Rise for your fellow citizens, for what you run away from today will come to haunt you tomorrow, in one way or the other, if you do not take a stand.” Such simple yet deeply meaningful lines and paragraphs are found throughout the book just that the readers have to identify them. the author's research for the book, his knowledge about the epics and his perspective towards them is really commendable and laudable.
The journey that the warriors go through is truly adventurous and the readers can actually visualize and feel the thrill that the warriors experience. The reader is sure to get involved in the book to such an extent that keeping it aside becomes a tough task. The romantic story that blooms beside the brave acts will bring smiles on the readers face. One this of the book that I truly appreciate is the portrayal of the female character, Urmila. She is shown to be as brave, as strong, as intelligent and as able as the male characters in the book. The male characters too are penned down beautifully and each character be it a major or the minor has an important part to play. The smart planning, Ashwatthama, the bravery of the kings and the strong effect of the happenings of the Kurukshetra war characterize the book. The book not only talks about the fierce demon Dandak but also talks about the demons present inside each one of us. He says, “Sometimes, our inner demons lead to our own fall.” And one who can win over the inner demons can always defeat the outer ones. The book is a little longer than the normal fiction novels but I believe that the majesty of mythology cannot be compressed. I assume the readers get to read a sequel soon because I, myself as a reader can't get enough of the book.
I would recommend the book to everyone book lover and non-book lovers too because it is simply mesmerizing and captivating and a must read. You will be missing out on a lot if you plan to overlook this book.
Rating:
4 /5

[Damini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis: The events of this story take place over a hundred years after the completion of the Kurukshetra War. The kings of several regional kingdoms find the safety and peace of their respective kingdoms under threat when mysterious events start happening in the peripheries of Dandakaranya. Keeping the incidents in mind, a conclusion is reached that the mighty Asura King Dandak, who had been thought to be dead for the past 5000 years wasn't dead after all, he had merely gone into hiding and he was going to be resurrected with the help of his two loyal servants Raktavija and Vidyut. Being blessed with a boon from Lord Shiva, Dandak was almost invincible and his rise would mean the end of the peaceful reign in all the kingdoms.
Ashwatthama, the son of Dronacharya, who had been cursed by Lord Krishna after the Kurukshetra War because of the sins he committed, can come to the rescue of the entire humankind by killing Dandak because he himself is a part incarnation of Lord Shiva. Along with Vikram, the King of Surparaka, Rana Pratap Singh, the Prince of Avanti and Urmila, the Princess of Indraprastha, Ashwatthama sets out for a dangerous mission to retrieve the Kodanda which is the only weapon that can possibly kill Dandak. Ashwatthama's redemption: The Rise of Dandak revolves around what happens in this journey of theirs and afterwards.

My View: When I read the blurb for the first time, the story seemed very promising and now, having read the story, I can say that my initial deduction was right, the book lives up to one's expectations. Mythology is a genre I have started exploring recently, but unfortunately, apart from the epics I have not read many books about Indian mythology. My familiarity with The Mahabharata grew through the stories I heard from my grandmother and later from my father, and also the abridged version of the epic that I have read. I was vaguely familiar with Ashwatthama's story as well, but the way the author has spun this tale, coupling the actual events of the war and his imagination, is truly commendable.

The best thing about this book is its simplicity. There are countless stories and myths interwoven within the main story but the way all of them have been segregated makes the story an easy read. The writing is lucid and devoid of excess information. The author has presented whatever backstories the readers need to know in order to understand the context of the story in a very methodical way. Another thing that appealed to me is that how the deeds of different warriors in the war have been explained from a neutral perspective. The concept of Dharma and Adharma and that of Karma have been talked about without being biased to either side. I really liked how no one is shown to be a hero or villain but every character is portrayed from a realistic angle where they are all just victims of their Karma.

The narrative is quite gripping as well. The only thing that hindered my pace is the dragging description of some parts of the journey more than it was necessary. Another positive thing is that the story, although talks about grim subjects mostly, there is enough humour elements as well scattered throughout the pages of the book and it certainly makes the reading experience much more pleasurable. Here are a few quotes from the book that I liked,

The enemy is no mightier than the thoughts and the words we use to describe them.

Evil cannot survive if people find courage in their hearts to stand up for the good. Evil thrives on the weakness of men. Evil rises on their shoulder; it feeds on bloodshed & death. Being a silent spectator wouldn't help. Evil can only be defeated by determination & self-belief.

If you know the complete truth, you will realize that everything happens for a reason. It is only then we ponder deeper that we come to understand that events that dictate our lives are controlled by our Karma.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I would like to thank the author for providing me with a copy of the book. I will definitely be looking forward to read the sequel.