‘मल्हार’ की कहानी ठीक वहीं से प्रारंभ होती है, जहाँ प्रथम भाग की समाप्ति हुई थी। दूसरा भाग असुर देश, मुंद्रा, सौराष्ट्र तथा ऊसर की रोमांचक यात्रा करते हुए आगे बढ़ता है, और कई नई घटनाओं के माध्यम से अर्थला के कल्पनातीत संसार को विस्तारित भी करता जाता है। संग्राम-सिंधु गाथा का यह खंड असुरों के व्यापार, उनकी राजनैतिक स्थिति और आगामी युद्ध में उनकी भूमिका के पीछे के कारणों पर प्रकाश डालेगा। अकल्पित युग की यात्रा जारी है|
Almost one and a half hear back I have read and reviewed "Arthala" by Vivek Kumar. At that time I have read only 3-4 Hindi novels and I found writing of Vivek better than those books I have read. I was thoroughly impressed by the "Arthala" and its complete fantasy world. Today when I have finished the second book in "Sangram Sindu Gatha" - Malhar, I am confident that book can give good competition to Amish Tripathi Meluha's Hindi translation, as no other current Hindi books in this genre are competent enough. I would like to thank Vivek for providing review copy in exchange for an honest review, else I wouldn't have been aware of such a hidden gem. Those who didn't find Hindi novels as good as English must-see/check this book.
The first part Arthala was finished with Vidhan and Dhananjaya successfully obtaining Kundala's from Danava nation (Santhar). From that point, the second part is resumed. Vidhan fainted on the border of Santhar near Danubans patch, from there they were rescued by mysterious Siddhidharak (Super Power). On returning to Arthala Dhananjaya started working on strategies to avoid a clash with Santhar. On the other hand, Dakshan new ruler of Santhar wanted to take control of Bharat Varsha, so he was also working in the line of his goals. These known characters of Arthala makes only 25% of the second part. In Malhar, completely new territory and relations were revealed. Malhar was the part of Kanji Pradesh controlled by Asura clan. Half of the book is written in and around characters that belonged to the Asura nation. This part shows the political and economic situation of the country. The kingdom was in turmoil. It shows how the trading community (mainly two groups) had handled the whole country indirectly. Along with that, this book has also revealed more "Siddhidharak" and created curiosity to know further. The book is finished in such a high tempo that I wish I had read when the next part will be with me.
Coming to writing style, when you are writing a series author has to cultivate multiple characters, plots, and subplots. Without which the series becomes dull. The first part was majorly dedicated to Vidhan but the second shows other important characters as well. There are more than 5-6 subplots and 7-8 important characters in series now. With these complexities, you have multiple fronts to guess what will happen next.
Good points about the bok 1) Good narration style. Juggling between plots and characters was optimum 2) Balanced suspense and thrill 3) Proper characterization of newly introduced characters 4) The mix of super power, war & political fiction 5) A light read for the general age group with easy to follow language usage.
Malhaar is the second book in the Sangram Sindhu Gatha series by Vivek Kumar. The story in this book begins from where it was left off in the first book, Arthla. With the introduction of a range of new characters, this book answers some questions that were raised in Arthla but at the same time raises some completely new questions too. The character development in this book is impressive. I really liked how the characters of Likshvi, Daara, Vajji, Rak, Yodhey, Kariya have been developed. Although, I wish there had been some memorable female characters too as there were in Arthla. I loved the characters of Ravidas, Yagya and Goo for their positivity. The plot is crisp, making the story a page turner. The book does a great job in transportating the reader to the world of author's imagination. The reader has to be very alert as one comes across new characters, places and incidents very frequently. The writing style is excellent, be it the description of nature or the mental dialogue of the characters. War scenes have been depicted with great finesse. The story is high on thrill and suspense and as result is a racy read. The book ends on an interesting juncture which makes me look forward to the next book.
सभी Spoilers इंगित हैं। संग्राम सिंधु गाथा हिंदी साहित्य की अपने ढंग की अनोखी रचना है। मल्हार अर्थला के बाद इस गाथा का दूसरा भाग है। विवेक जी की यह विशेषता है कि संस्कृतनिष्ठ हिंदी होने के बाद भी मल्हार सहज ही समझ में आती है।
कहानी की गति ठीक है। इस बार बहुत सारे नए किरदार भी जुड़े हैं। यदि आप विधान को लेकर उत्साहित हैं तो आपको थोड़ी निराशा होगी, पर पुस्तक का नाम ही मल्हार है! यह मुख्यतः असुरों, दानवों व विभिन्न सिद्धियों (उनके प्रयोग, सिद्धिधारकों और कई नए उपयोगों) पर केंद्रित है। मुझे सिद्धियों और अन्य प्रयोगों का प्रस्तुतीकरण बहुत भाया। सत्तू अपने चिर-परिचित अंदाज़ में दिखा। एक और बात बहुत रोचक लगी मुझे: शुक्र (मुख्य अग्निप्रेत प्रयोगकर्ता) की पुत्री का नाम देव्यानी!
कुल मिलाकर पुस्तक पसंद आयी। इसके अतिरिक्त अर्थला दुबारा पढ़ने के बाद संभव है यह समीक्षा थोड़ी लम्बी हो।
कमाल की कल्पनाशीलता. गज़ब की स्टोरीटेलिंग. यह हिंदी साहित्य का सौभाग्य है कि विवेक कुमार के रूप में एक अद्भुत रचनाकार का उदय हुआ है. 'अर्थला' और 'मल्हार' दोनों किताबों में नैतिकता और सिद्धांतों को जिस प्रभावशाली ढंग से दिखाया गया है वह अपने आप में अभूतपूर्व है. दोनों किताबों में जिस ढंग से प्रकृति और अन्य चीजों का वर्णन किया गया है उससे लेखक निश्चित रूप से प्रकृति प्रेमी लगता है. चाहे वह लिक्ष्वी के सामने सूर्योदय का दृश्य हो या बच्चे और कुत्ते का वर्णन हो. लिखे हुए शब्दों से ही बच्चे की क्यूटनेस दिख जाती है. मल्हार में पता चल जाता है कि अर्थला का संसार हमारी कल्पना से भी अधिक बड़ा है. मैंने बहुत सी किताबें पढ़ी हैं जिनके 100 पेज भी पढने में बहुत अधिक लगते हैं पर पहली बार ऐसा हुआ है कि जितना पढ़ो उतना कम है. यह पहली बार है कि किसी कहानी ने मन में इतनी गहरी पैठ बना ली है कि लगता है सब वास्तविक है. मन करता है किताब में घुसकर दक्षान, दारा और सत्तू से मिल आऊं. मल्हार में कई नए पात्र आए हैं और सभी अपने आप में विशिष्ट हैं. भाषा और शब्द-चयन अपने उच्चतम और साथ ही साथ सरल स्तर पर हैं. संग्राम-सिंधु गाथा के बारे में जितना कहा जाए, उतना कम है. पर यह पूरे विश्वास के साथ कह सकता हूँ कि यह सीरीज हिंदी साहित्य का गर्व है. विवेक जी को शुभकामनाये और आपसे विनती है कि इसे अन्य भाषाओं में भी लायें, जिससे यह कहानी और इसका ज्ञान अधिक से अधिक लोगों तक पहुंचे. वैसे भी यह केवल फंतासी कहानी नहीं है यह तो आस-पास कि ही चीज है. अगले भाग की प्रतीक्षा में ...
I have read the first part of this series, Arthla in the year 2016 and after reading the book, I felt that I have journeyed to an entirely new realm. And almost after 2.5 years I read the second book of this series which has some new awesome characters, yes, I forgot the story but the review written by me comes to the rescue.
Plot summary:
This book starts, where the first book ends. Vidhaan, Dhananjay and Ravidas successfully obtain ‘Shakti Kundal’ and Vidhaan faints in the Danubans and one mysterious siddhidharak helps them. Vidhaan returns to his home, whereas Ravidas and Dhananjay start making a diplomatic plan for the upcoming war.
This book takes the readers beyond Arthla and we get to know about the place of Malhar which a part of Kanji Pradesh. This is the place of traders and here we meet a man named Likhsvi who is the head of Business Empire of the region. His father, Marang and his friend Vajji is another interesting man in the book who holds various mysterious. We also meet various other characters of Malhar Empire, who helps to shape the story.
There is turmoil between two trading groups which is indirectly affecting the whole nation.
In between, we get a glimpse of various other on-going conspiracies which is shaping the future of the country.
Meanwhile, Vidhaan decides to perfect his skill of bhoomisiddhi.
The book again ends on an interesting note and I can’t wait to read the next part.
Writing style:
Vivek manages to write seamlessly and without any jargons. In spite of having multiple characters and plots, he has written this book beautifully. I loved the use of some Awadhi words in the book.
My perception:
If you love mythology, fantasy and a new story then this series is for you. The overall concept of the book is vast, and it is a hard task to write a book with such a measure and keep readers hooked to the story. I am glad that I have got a chance to read and review this book. The cover page is beautiful and presents the gist of the book. This book can give tough competition to other fantasy books available in the market. Eagerly waiting for the next part!
It's the second book of "Sangram-sindhu gatha" and an worthy sequel to "Arthla". This book provides answers to some unanswered questions in "Arthla" and simultaneously created a whole lot questions of its own that is to be answered in subsequent books. The story is fast paced and gives rise to a lot of new characters and new dimensions. The end point of the story is at such a juncture that makes me crave for the next part.
This was amazing and nice read.this is second part of sangram sindhu gatha and so it's as awesome as the frist part ,there are plenty of new characters and my all are amazing.. It's must read for arthla lover
. ⚔️ "मल्हार" विवेक कुमार जी द्वारा लिखी जंबूद्वीप की सबसे बड़ी रणगाथा देवासुर - संग्राम की दूसरी किताब है। यह एक काल्पनिक कहानी है। इस किताब की शुरुआत वही से होती है जहां पहले पहले किताब का अंत होता है। जिसमें अर्थला आगामी युद्ध की चिंता में डूबा रहता है और हर तरह से युद्ध की तैयारियों में लगा रहता है इसके लिए वह अन्य देशों से समर्थन के लिए कई रोमांचक यात्राएं भी करता है जो इस किताब में दिखाया गया है। इसमें असुरों के व्यापारिक और उनकी राजनीतिक स्थितियों को बहुत ही नजदीक से दिखाया गया है तथा युद्ध के कारणों को भी बताया गया है। . ⚔️ अर्थला किताब का अंत बहुत ही रोमांचक था जो इस किताब के शुरूआत में बरकरार है लेकिन इसमें बहुत सारे नए पात्रों को जोड़ा गया है जो इस कहानी की गति को धीमी कर देते हैं नहीं तो इसमें लेखक ने जिस काल्पनिकता और मिथकीयता का प्रयोग किया है वह मुझे बहुत पसंद आया है। . ⚔️ इन दोनों किताबों में मुझे जो सबसे ज्यादा अच्छा लगा है वह है इन किताबों की भाषा और इसका शब्द चयन जो आज के इस हिन्दी मिश्रीत अंग्रेजी या आज के शब्दों में कहा जाय तो नयी वाली हिंदी में देखने को नहीं मिलती हैं पर दोनों की अपनी खासियत है , अपना स्थान है। पर मुझ जैसे पाठकों के लिए आज के दौर में यह किताब बहुत ही सही चीज है। .
When i picked arthala last year, it was my first fantasy read in hindi and i loved it... i totally loved it and after reading that i was sure i want to read the next part and was eagerly waiting for the second part to release... and having finally read it i can say the wait was worth it...
I again loved reading this book, here the story continues after the conclusion of the first book... the story in first book was based in arthala and this story shifts to the "asur" capital malhaar...a lot of new and amazing characters with their unique powers are introduced... it will be amazing to see them play their part in the future books... here the political planning and plotting takes center stage and the action part is great too... Also, Vidhan who is our protagonist has very little description in this but that is expected as this story is based in malhar not in arthala... Lastly i will like to say this is a great sequel to an amazing first book..you should definately pick both the book in the series as both these books are a great joy to read and will definately entertain you... Happy Reading....
4.5 stars. I have now become an absolute fan of Vivek Kumar's writing style. Malhar is the second book in the series of Sangram sindhu gatha after 'Arthala' which was also an amazing read. Editing in Malhar is also better than Arthala. Do give it a try if you like to read books in Hindi.
There are very few people who write in this genre in Hindi. I have been an avid sci-fi/fantasy reader (Asimov, Brandon Sanderson, Neal Stephenson, Michael Crichton, Robbin Hobb, Pat Rothfuss, etc.) but was unfortunately restricted to English^. This series has definitely satisfied that yearning to read good fiction in Hindi.
I’m really impressed with the depth of world creation and the writing. While not appropriate, as each one has their own style, I would go to the extent of comparing Vivek ji's writing style with that of Brandon Sanderson. I think this series and Vivek ji's writing has great potential. My sincere wishes for a good future to both!
Thoughts about writing: I have enjoyed reading the Shiva trilogy by Amish ji (the English versions and their Hindi translations) and other similar books in this genre, but the problem, I have come to realize, is that they were not originally written in Hindi. The Hindi translations and expressions feel "force-fitted". So, there is a disconnect in the thought process and the exposition. The Hindi translation is just a literal translation of the English phrases; while it might be perfectly good English writing, one would never use those expressions in Hindi. This series does not suffer from this shortcoming.
And now more specifically about Malhaar.
Malhaar starts off a bit slow (at least slower than Arthala for me) but picks up in the middle. Although much shorter than Arthala, it surprised me in many more places than Arthala. Arthala had the more elaborate character creation, but not as many surprise elements as Malhaar. My only minor complain is that there seemed to be some shortcuts/gaps in places in Malhaar.
I was really fascinated/inspired by the character of Likshwi. Hopefully, we’ll see more of him in the next book.
^ Perhaps mostly because of my lack of knowledge about writings in Hindi; the only other ones I can recall are Narendra Kohli’s Varunputri, and one that I had read long time ago -- which I can’t remember the name of. I have read Chandrakanta, but I dare say, the depth here is much better.
"Malhaar," the second installment in Vivek Kumar's Sangram Sindhu Gatha series, picks up seamlessly from where "Arthla" left off, showcasing the author's adept narration style that effortlessly juggles multiple plots and characters. The book strikes a fine balance between suspense and thrill, keeping readers hooked with its well-paced storytelling. Kumar excels in properly characterizing the newly introduced personas, enriching the narrative with depth and dimension. The fusion of superpowers, war, and political intrigue adds layers to the storyline, making it accessible and engaging for a wide audience. However, some readers may feel that the abundance of characters could have been afforded more development before the rush to the final confrontation, leaving certain arcs feeling slightly underexplored. Overall, "Malhaar" offers an enjoyable reading experience, blending captivating storytelling with intriguing genre elements, albeit with minor pacing concerns towards the climax.
बहुत दिन के बाद इस तरह कि पुस्तक प्रकाशित हुई है।विवेक जी कि लेखक स्तर बहुत उच्च स्तरीय है,।मेने आचार्य चतुरसेन कि वैशाली कि नगरवधु व सोमनाथ के बाद पहली बार इतनी अच्छी कथानक पढी है।। दोनो भाग सिंगल सिटिंग मै पढने लायक है। मै आभारी है विवेक जी का जो ऐसे कालखंड मै हिन्द मै लेखन कार्य कर रहे जब कि लोगो को हिन्दी की पूर्ण अक्षर का भी ज्ञान नही रहा।अंत मै आगामी भाग कि इंतजार मै आपको शुभ कामनाएँ।
Much more gripping and adventurous than its last part. Charcater introduction & development is commendable. The world that vivek bhai has built is grasping and magical. I must say that the reader who sails through 1st part, can't stop till last part. Excellent work Vivek bhai, may we see more n more and yes sooner and sooner.
This book is again providing us the details of the remaining stakeholders who will take part in the upcoming war. The war is not started yet and may be will do so in the next book... waiting for the next book to come....
The writer has presented such a amazing story it's not less than mahabhata, though I feel stretching unnecessary due to much details. I thought the story will be over in 2 book.
इस किताब को पढ़कर जिनको हिंदी मैथोलॉजी पसंद नहीं है वो भी पसंद करने लगेंगे. मुझे यज्ञ औऱ धनंजय के किरदार से प्रेम हो गया.... बस लेखक से निवेदन है इस सीरीज को कम्पलीट करें, कहीं से भी कोई अपडेट नहीं है. This book is masterpiece🥰
It's awesome and amazing Nothing like any other Hindi book.. This series is going to the best series of Hindi novels.. I just loved the book it's really really wonderful
A MUST READ!!! The series gets better and better. Answer many questions raised in part 1 and raises more questions. Proud for such great family/war/kingdom/fantasy novels from India.
Author has lived up to my expectations that I had after reading the first book of the series. This is truly am amazing read. As far as I know, no novel has been written in Hindi of this big story and lots of characters. I found author's style of developing a character really fascinating. He makes you meet with the person. His characters are always realistic even if they have larger than life stature. The second book is paced a little bit higer than tha first one which is good. Cliffhangers and suspenseful endings of chapter really keep you going until you finish the book. Eagerly waiting for the next one. Cheers. :)
The length of the book is less. And compared to first part, its not tgat interesting. I think this part is just setting the plot for next part. Hope that next part will be best of the three.