Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Ambuj

Rate this book
After the Great War of Sompur, Aryavir and Sitanshu are forced to go their separate ways – one back to Kamalkund and the other to Aryavartha. As the two struggle to embrace their new roles, the great Maharajadhiraj Ambujakshan’s past sins are revealed, casting ominous shadows on the events of the present.

Against all odds, Sitanshu must accomplish a seemingly impossible task set by the Maheshwari Masters. From an ancient secret cave deep inside Mount Mandeshwar to the mysterious Raven Monastery across the border of Ch’in, Sitanshu races against time to save an entire race of people from extinction. If the mother of all weapons – the Mahavidhvamsha Astra, is released, the Old World will be plunged back into Andhasaya – the darkest of ages.

Written with the classic Indian ethos, Ambuj, the third part of the Guardians of the Blue Lotus Trilogy, pays homage to India's magnificent mythological heritage and takes the reader on a journey into the heart of human passions.

286 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 10, 2019

5 people are currently reading
32 people want to read

About the author

Anita Shirodkar

8 books27 followers
My newest literary venture is a trilogy in the Indian mythological genre, titled Guardians of the Blue Lotus. Book one and two- Aryavir and Sitanshu- are published, and are available in Kindle and hard copy formats. The fictional, fantasy story set in the Old World takes readers into the loves, lives and wars of its denizens, and pays homage to India's magnificent mythological heritage and, at its heart, is a story about the eternal human journey.

I spent twenty years in advertising as an Art Director, looking for creative ways to sell everything from colas to candy and ice creams to face creams. I am now creative consultant to Tamarind, a Destination and Event Management Company, which gives me the opportunity to indulge my passion for travel. I have spent a lot of time travelling and absorbing all kinds of world cuisine, which led to a spate of food writing and a recipe book I ghost wrote for a nutritionist. I live partly in Mumbai and partly in Dubai, My interests include painting, photography, cooking, meditation, and spiritual pursuits.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
37 (43%)
4 stars
36 (42%)
3 stars
11 (12%)
2 stars
1 (1%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
Profile Image for Sadaf sarkar.
230 reviews22 followers
March 16, 2020
Ambuj is a the story of Kamalkund kingdom .It is a 3rd book of the Guardian of the The Blue Lotus Trilogy.
The story begins after the great war of Sonpur and the story continues further . The book contains map and family tree that makes the things and helps to connect the first two books . The characters are complex and well developed .
The narration smooth and swift .
Overall all it was a great book and highly recommend it to mythological lovers
Profile Image for Adv. Vandana Choudhary.
205 reviews33 followers
September 5, 2019
Sitanshu is back from the Great war but is bestowed with a seemingly impossible task by the
Maheshwari masters. While Aryavir is also back to Kamalkund after winning the war with the
Chandraketus at Sompur, that is when both Aryavir and Sitanshu get to know the past secrets
of Ambujakshan. Sitanshu however, tries to race against time to save his people, to stop the
release of the mighty weapon which could destroy the Old World forever. Will Sitanshu be able
to fulfill his destiny and what fate awaits Kamalkund and Aryavartha forms the rest of the story.
Ambuj is the third part in the trilogy of the ‘Guardians of the Blue Lotus’, and hence reading of
the first two parts will help understand the past story better. However, it can still be read alone
by new readers who haven’t read the previous two parts as the beginning of this book gives a
quick summary of the past two parts, starting from the birth of Madhumalli, later her association
with Ambujakshan and Master Chiron’s prophecy of the future and Ambujaskshan’s ambitions.
The third book however starts with the return of Aryavir to Kamalkund establishing the present
story.
The story as with the previous two parts is well narrated by the author, while bringing together
multiple characters into the narrative. The elements of Kingdoms, fantasy, politics are all
carefully weaved into the storyline while retaining a fast pace. The names used by the author for
places and people depict the Indian touch as they are hugely derived from Sanskrit and Indian
mythology while retaining the fictional touch. The beautiful cover, the interesting twists and the
gripping narrative all add to the brilliance of this part. The family secrets, the royal tactics and
the vivid description of the locations are well handled by the author.
The book demands the complete attention of the reader to keep a tab of all the characters and
the happenings. If you are looking to pick a series with Indian touch to a fantasy, mythology
based fictional story, then this is the one for you. Pick Ambuj for a thrilling journey in the land of
the Kamalakshis as the adventure unfolds.
Profile Image for Poonam.
66 reviews21 followers
September 16, 2019
Book Name : Ambuj
Author : Aanita Shirodkarauthor
Publication : Write Place Publication
Genre : Fiction

This is story of a kingdom Kamalkund which is blessed by Indivara, a divine blue lotus that protects kingdom.The Kamalakshis are guardians of this blue lotus. This book series is about these guardians.
Ambuj is book 3 from book series Guardians Of Blue Lotus.

My Review :
First of all this is not a standalone type book, for better understanding you have to read first two books.

Without reading previous two books I'm unable to give exact review but I will try to write which I understand from this book.

Cover is catchy & justifies the story.

Title goes with story very well.

Very strong plot. Concept of blue lotus & their guardians is very interesting & unique. Story narrated very beautifully, it makes me travel across a Kamalkund kingdom.There are several stories run parallely. Description about every small thing is given very thoroughly so that you can visualise the whole setup.

Characters are well developed but are complex, their names are unique & difficult to recall, which creates more confusion while reading.

It takes my lots of time to understand each plot, you have to read this book very slowly. It demands careful attention. Some difficult words made me go through dictionary. Definitely not for beginners.

But I must say author has done a breathtaking job.What a magnificent storyline. Brilliant work.

Definitely recommended but read whole book series in sequence.

May be I will write better review after reading prequel of this book.
Profile Image for Ibtesam Rahman.
410 reviews16 followers
September 28, 2019
Ambuj Guardians of the Blue Lotus 3 by Anita Shirodkar
🌸 Historical fiction
🌸 335 pages
🌸 Rs 350
🌸The write place
BLURB-
After the great war of Sompur, Aryavir and Sitanshu are entrusted with deadly tasks by the Maheswaris. Soon after, the secrets of Maharaja Dhiraj Ambujakshan's is revealed which leaves a deadly effect on the circumstances.
Read to know how Sitanshu races against time to save the world from annihilation. What are these secrets and why are they haunting the king.

OPINION-
If you don't find this blue cover intriguing, I don't know what to say. I love the aqua green cover, with the details as the cave and the lotus, a guy with medival weapons.
The title is also apt for the content.
The most striking part of the story would be the extensively described plot.
It's recommended to read both of the first books before starting this one. It can be read as a standalone but understanding the characters and the general plot would be have been better if I read the books before this. There is a short summary of the first two books before the general story begins.
Characterization and narration is also a strong point of the story. Each character has a background which is properly delved into. There's are groups and tribes if you call it and several flow charts for better understanding. Oh there also a map. ( Ps- I love books with maps, helps me actually reach there and live the story)
The language is fairly mediocre level. For me, as I'm a historical and mythological fiction enthusiast, it felt fairly easy but few names and terms might be difficult for others. The book is rather fast paced.
The world building is brilliantly done. I could visualise where I was going, what I was seeing every second. I so wish to read the other books now so that I can connect all dots. All the elements of historical and mythological fiction are well incorporated.
One thing that I found as a con is that there are too many sub plots and it took me a while to get the hang of it. Once you do, it sails smoothly.
Profile Image for Simran Bhatia.
224 reviews54 followers
September 25, 2019
#review
Book: Guardians Of The Blue Lotus - 3 Ambuj
Author: Anita Shirodkar
Number of pages: 335
Publisher: The Write Place
Genre: Mythological fiction

Central Sneak: This is the third part of the trilogy or rather mythological trilogy which deals with the war, consequences and intricacies with a tint or magnificent Indian culture and folktales. The protagonist of the book, Sitanshu is a sorted, predicted and the Chosen One to complete his part of the destiny in order to save the humanity. The other characters have their destiny intertwined with his in the most mystic way to help him carry out his task of searching himself and finding out a path to save an entire race of people from extinction.

My Take: To be very honest, I love the psychic and mystic characters in the story, and to my surprise, all the characters were to my accord! The unknown world and its mysteries along with the foreboding of the old souls are petrifying. The classic theme of eternity, spirituality and its essence, attachments to reality and predictions of the oracles would definitely submerge the readers on a journey into the pampering of the occultism. I love the way the plethora of Indian aura and folktales are explained so vividly in the form of metaphoric human passions.

Critique: Apart from a mistakes on the part of editing of a few words, the book is a graceful compilation of love, passion, warmth, intricate emotions and occultism. The other thing which I would not forget to mention is the pace, sometimes its too quick that the book feels to be addictive, but at the other time, it is too slow to continue.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.3/5

P.S. I love mythological fantasy, historical fiction and suspense! I came to a consensus after reading this book!
Profile Image for Purnima.
39 reviews1 follower
September 12, 2019
It is always a pleasure reading a book wherein the author has put in their heart and soul in the plot along with a lot of research.
Anita Mam has created a fictional character with qualities that have adaptations from Indian Mythology, yet every character has a distinctiveness that encourages you to know more about the characters.
In the 3rd instalment, Aryavir and Sitanshu, have both begun their journey of discovering their own destiny.
The final part unwraps the secrets that were well buried in the past unravelling how gruesome tales of revenge led to the present.
The trilogy as a whole is well written and well researched with complex characters that are interestingly intriguing.
Profile Image for Bewitchingly Paranoid.
122 reviews29 followers
January 8, 2021
Here are the points I liked about the book:
• great plot line with a strong structure to hold it up (don’t know if that makes any sense)
• strong character built up, and really like the way each character has been worked around; with proper focus
• being the last-part of the trilogy, it can be read as a standalone all by itself
• quick-read, best part

Although, there was a point that I didn’t appreciate and that was the fact that a couple of places, the story was being a bit dragged, that’s all. And the book cover, that needed some work.

Rest, it was a pretty good read and I gotta say, being a mythological geek, will be recommending this one!
Profile Image for Subhajit Das.
368 reviews112 followers
November 13, 2019
“Ambuj” by Anita Shirodkar is the 3rd segment of the breathtakingly thrilling Trilogy named “Guardians of the Blue Lotus”. It is a book of 352 pages (paperback format) & published by ‘AuthosrUpFront’ – ‘The Write Place’ on 3rd Jul y 2019. In this short feedback, I’ll entirely focus on this particular segment only (keeping aside the 2 previous segments) to keep my feedback to the point.

The front cover of the book is quite catchy and justified. Including to this, the title of the book is sequential and apt as per the storyline.

The language of the book is lucid yet promising enough to provide some healthy grammatical words to add on to vocabulary. There are places, where, the selection of the words made me amazed about the command of the authoress over English language. The eloquently fast paced narrating style of the author made it impossible to keep the book aside in mid way anywhere. Fast paced and lively description helped me to go through the entire book in a single sitting to be specific.

Following the saga of mythology and the amalgamation of thrill & mystery with historic sub plots in it, made the plot unique and captivating storyline fueled the pace of the reading (pleasingly saying).

Short yet gripping turns of the chapters made it easier to analyze the purpose of the events narrated in the book consecutively.

Quite ‘off the track” conceptual plot & justified setting up the story made the book ‘unputdownable’.

Each character of the story (be it the brave warrior Aryavir or the savior Sitanshu) is well connected with the reader (I personally felt this) and marginally developed with significant characteristics as individuals. Every character played their part with enough justification till the very end of the book.

The blurb is giving a clear idea with exact catch of the story keeping in store for the readers to explore. This made me more curious about what is awaiting me in the journey till the last page.

The entire story of this segment is follow up of the previous 2 segments of this series. So it was quite a thrilling revelation for me to go through the entire journey of Aryavir and Sitanshu (all the other characters as well – major / minor). To know the story in detail, I’d recommend to have a look on the 1st two volumes and then this one, to get the book properly in mind.

Would like to request everyone to do give this book a read. Especially historical & mythological thriller lovers won’t afford missing this, I bet.

Will give 5/5 stars to this one. Thank you.
Profile Image for Swapna Peri ( Book Reviews Cafe ).
2,230 reviews82 followers
September 10, 2019
Book Title:Ambuj
Author: Anita Shirodkar
Format: Paperback

Book Title:
The title of the book  ‘Ambuj’ is unique

Book Cover:
The cover of the book is an image of an armed man with a masculine personality. With a mysterious cave in the background and a vibrant blue lotus in the foreground of the image.

Plot:
The great war of Sompur comes to an end. Aryavir and Sitanshu get orders to go separate ways with deadly tasks ahead. Kamalkund and Aryavartha are the places where the two guys set their journey separately. Meanwhile, Maharajadhiraj Ambujakshan’s sins are revealed and they show an effect on the present conditions.

The Maheshwari masters order Sitanshu to complete an impossible task. He goes through the mysterious places resided in a cave. His act can save the entire race and save people from the deadliest disaster. The people who are terrified by the Astra Mahavidhwamsa can create a huge catastrophe and bring back the Dark Age again.

What are the sins which haunt the king? What are the difficulties faced by the protagonist in the story? What disaster can the MahaVidhwamsha create? Will Sitanshu rescue mankind from the great tragedy?

What I like:

The plot and the scene planning is done in an extraordinary way and leave the readers awestruck at certain points.

The combination of mythology and history will always make the subject interesting and this story is no less than any other plots.

The characterization is done very well and they make a strong impression on the reader’s mind.

What I didn’t like:

In particular, there are no negative points observed in this story. The concept of mythology and history is something which is popular and the author has chosen the same element. But the story gives a fresh experience to the readers.

Narration:
The narration is done in a good and decent way.

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

My Final Verdict:
The story which takes you to the fantastic world and let you experience the events and incidents in it. An interesting narration with beautiful characterization and story sequences.

Book Title: 3/5
Book Cover:3/5
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
Narration: 3/5
Language & Grammar: 3/5
Final Rating: 3/5
237 reviews17 followers
September 5, 2019
With the end of the great war of Sompur, two brothers cum bosom friends part ways, each in search of his destiny. While Aryavir’s destiny as King of Kamalkund is written large on the wall, Sitanshu’s destiny is hidden deep within layers of suspense. Riding towards his destination i.e. Aryavartha, Sithanshu gets ready to perform a task on the success of which lies the destiny of Aryavartha, and all that lies south of it. Will he or will he not succeed?........To know that one must delve into ‘Ambuj’ which incidentally is the third and last part of The Guardians of Blue Lotus Trilogy.

Packed with some interesting insights into the way a person’s character changes with time and situations, ‘Ambuj’ is a revelation in itself like its prequel ‘Sitanshu’. Here one gets to see the darker side of King Ambujakshan’s life and reign, as well as palace intrigues plus loyalties. But at the heart of ‘Ambuj’ is actually a story of gruesome murders and the thirst for revenge. Packed with suspense, ‘Ambuj’ sees love blossom in unexpected quarters.


The characters, a sizeable number, are well etched, and the pace as well as style are perfect. Then what is it that holds me back from saying, ‘Wow’?


While ‘Aryavir’ was perfect in every sense except for the typographical errors that held me back from giving it a 💯, ‘Sitanshu’ which was definitely a notch above ‘Aryavir’, had me floored, so much so that I couldn’t wait to lay my hands on ‘Ambuj’. The expectations were really high, so the disappointment at not receiving a truly riveting read like ‘Sitanshu’ was great. The end is a cliffhanger, and thus the realization that this is the end of the series, left me disappointed. It feels like one is driving down a well-constructed road, enjoying the scenic beauty around, only to be suddenly come face-to-face with a deep chasm. The sudden application of the brakes mars the mood. So I hope the saga continues, and the author comes up with another book that picks up from where ‘Ambuj’ ends.

VERDICT

An interesting read, which will leave you thirsting for a sequel.
Profile Image for Simrin.
198 reviews7 followers
September 12, 2019
Book Review : Guardians Of The Blue Lotus -3 Ambuj
Format : paperback
Author : Anita
Cover: 3/5
Rating : 4/5
Blurb : After the Great War of Sompur, the inseparable Aryavir and Sitanshu have to go their separate ways – one to rule the Kingdom of Kamalkund and one to pursue his destiny as the man chosen to right the wrongs of the Kamal Akshi rulers of yore. As the two struggle to embrace their new roles, the great Maharajadhiraj Ambujakshan’s past sins reach out and rip into the present, creating pitfalls that seem impossible to overcome.
Against all odds, Sitanshu must foil the diabolical plans of Empress X’ia, or the Old World must face annihilation. From an astonishing hidden cave deep inside Mount Mandeshwar to the mysterious Raven Monastery, Sitanshu and Parmangana race against time to save an entire race of people from extinction.

Written with the classic Indian ethos, Ambu, the third part of the Guardians of the Blue Lotus Trilogy, pays homage to India's magnificent mythological heritage and takes the reader on a journey into the heart of human passions.

About the book : 🌹 Historical fiction 🌹 This is the third book the first two parts you can read.
🌹 Too many characters, Aryavia is the character that was impactful.
🌹 The ending is emotional.
🌹 The book has a complicated plot in between which will need good sence of knowledge to the readers who are reading.
🌹The book has a historical background that creates interest in the readers to read it. 🌹 Blue Lotus Trilogy is the thing which keeps the readers more interested to know what is the book.
🌹 The incident in the book are really new idea and a fresh story for us to read.

Recommend to : I would Like to recommend this book to the book lovers, history Lovers, the people who are not interested in historical fiction should not read it as it will be of no interest but if someone wants to know more about what happened as this is the book which has a fresh story they can definitely read.
74 reviews2 followers
September 20, 2019
With the end of the great war of Sompur, two brothers cum bosom friends part ways, each in search of his destiny. While Aryavir’s destiny as King of Kamalkund is written large on the wall, Sitanshu’s destiny is hidden deep within layers of suspense. Riding towards his destination i.e. Aryavartha, Sithanshu gets ready to perform a task on the success of which lies the destiny of Aryavartha, and all that lies south of it. Will he or will he not succeed?........To know that one must delve into ‘Ambuj’ which incidentally is the third and last part of The Guardians of Blue Lotus Trilogy.

Packed with some interesting insights into the way a person’s character changes with time and situations, ‘Ambuj’ is a revelation in itself like its prequel ‘Sitanshu’. Here one gets to see the darker side of King Ambujakshan’s life and reign, as well as palace intrigues plus loyalties. But at the heart of ‘Ambuj’ is actually a story of gruesome murders and the thirst for revenge. Packed with suspense, ‘Ambuj’ sees love blossom in unexpected quarters.

The characters, a sizeable number, are well etched, and the pace as well as style are perfect. Then what is it that holds me back from saying, ‘Wow’?

While ‘Aryavir’ was perfect in every sense except for the typographical errors that held me back from giving it a :100: , ‘Sitanshu’ which was definitely a notch above ‘Aryavir’, had me floored, so much so that I couldn’t wait to lay my hands on ‘Ambuj’. The expectations were really high, so the disappointment at not receiving a truly riveting read like ‘Sitanshu’ was great. The end is a cliffhanger, and thus the realization that this is the end of the series, left me disappointed. It feels like one is driving down a well-constructed road, enjoying the scenic beauty around, only to be suddenly come face-to-face with a deep chasm. The sudden application of the brakes mars the mood. So I hope the saga continues, and the author comes up with another book that picks up from where ‘Ambuj’ ends.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Hetal  G.
100 reviews4 followers
September 22, 2019
#qotd Did you ever encountered such a book which has created the interest in the mythology read???
Hey, guys, I m back with another review so much thanks to @writersclub.india.

Book: Ambuj
Writer: Anita Shirodkar author.
Genre: mythology
Pages:335
Star rating: 4.5.

Blurb: War of Sompur ended it was a great war.
So ended by great warriors,
Aryavir and Sintanshu.

As secrets are waiting for them and both get separated by force.

Aryavir came back to Kamalkund.

While Sitanshu gets chosen by Maheshwari Master to do one important and impossible task.
The task of Sintanshu saves the world from the most dangerous weapon name Mahavidhvamsa(the weapon which can bring back the dark age) and which will lead the end of humans.

He tries to race against the time and goes back to save the world.

If he fails that the whole humans have pay for this.
On the other hand, the secret of maharaja revealed.
That secret is responsible for the todays
problems and all the trouble.

My review:
From start to end I will like everything.
1st the cover is magnificent and attractive.
It's like describing ancient India and our ancient. The beautiful blue lotus and the archery, just amazing.

The language is hard, not easy it's like both and I loved it .some new words for vocabulary,
The story of the book took my imagination in such a fantasy world that still I cannot get over from it it's filming the all characters with my imagination it's all possible because of such narration thank you for narrating such away.
The book is filled with all types which occurred in kingdoms likes mistakes, jealousy, bad plans, politics, a great warrior
And the Savior(hero). This myth read created an interest in me for mythology. as I had not read the 1st and 2nd part but then also in fulfilled with this.
The characters name the name of all the characters are chosen efficiently.

I m giving 4.5 stars to ambuj.

Thank you so much for reading.
Have a great time.
Profile Image for Motivationaldailythoughts.
1,091 reviews33 followers
September 10, 2019
Title - Ambuj
Author - Anita Shirodkar
Publisher - The Write Place
Genre - mythology/fiction
Pages - 335
Format - paperback .
.
Plot - The story revolves around Sitanshu and Aryavir who were forced to go their separate ways after the Great War of Sompur, one to Kamalkund and the other to Aryavartha. Aryavir is headed as the king of Kamalkund and Sitanshu races against time to save an entire race of people from extinction. If the mother of all weapons - the Madhavidhvansha Astra, is released, the Old World will be plunged back into Andhasaya - the darkest of ages.
Will Sitanshu be able to save them all?
Will there be any hurdles on his way?
What's in the fate of Kamalkund and Aryavartha?
Grab the third and the last part of 'The Guardians of Blue Lotus' to find out
.
.
Review -
1) The cover of the book is mesmerizing and apt. The title of the book is appropriate.
2) The plot of the story is strong and intriguing. It is a perfect blend of history, mythology and fiction. The author narrated fantasies and politics of kingdom very well.
3) It is a story of horrible murders, revenge and suspense.
4) A short summary of previous two parts are given in the beginning of this book which helps the readers to understand the past stories.
5) Map,family tree and short chapters are readers friendly.
6) The description of the locations is done wonderfully that one can easily visualise them.
7) The language used by the author is simple and rich in vocabulary.
8) The characters are very well developed and described by the author. Names of the characters and places are rare and derived from Sanskrit.
9) The flow of the book is fast paced and the secrets are unfold layer by layer which keeps the readers hooked till the end.
10) Overall, an engaging read. .
.
.
I highly recommend this book to all specially mythological fiction lovers
Profile Image for Ekta M.
541 reviews4 followers
September 11, 2019
I picked up this book mainly because of its cover. Its attractive and in my fav color blue😀. Do you also pick up a book based on it's cover?

The plot revolves around the great maharajadhiraj Ambujakshan and his family. His greed had changed the course of history. His past sins were greatly affecting the events of the present. The entire Old World will be plunged into andhasaya - the darkest of ages if the deadliest of the kaala astra is released. Sitanshu was needed by the great maheshwari mahanta in aryavartha. The chosen one that he was, he was assigned a seemingly impossible task by Maheshwari masters to save the Old World.
From an ancient secret cave deep inside mount mandeshwar to the mysterious raven monastery across the border of Ch'in, Sitanshu races against time to save an entire race of people from extinction. Will he be successful?
___________________

Ambuj by author Anita Shirodkar is a mythological fantasy. It's the 3rd part of the Guardians of the blue lotus trilogy. But it can be read as a standalone too.The starting of the book contains a map and thereafter a family tree which helps you to understand the places and the characters in the story. The book contains a lot of characters that at times i forgot who was who and i had to refer the family tree. All the characters were engaging. Right from the start the book was captivating. The authors writing and pace of storytelling was entertaining and kept me hooked all throughout. The author has created a fantasy world which feels kinda real. The descriptions given are evocative. The plot is sharply constructed without any plot holes. I have enjoyed every moment of reading it.
A tale of treachery and war, betrayal, love, and most importantly revenge. I highly recommend it.
Profile Image for Srilakshmi Indrasenan.
55 reviews29 followers
October 8, 2019
The third part of the Guardians of the Blue Lotus Chronicles by Anita Shirodkar released recently, and I am happy to have gotten the opportunity to lay my hands on this book. Having previously read and reviewed the other two books in this series, I was more than elated to know about the release of this one. With the first two books, Aryavir and Sitanshu having set some high expectations, I was looking forward to a lot from this one, and I must say Ambuj did do quite a good level of justice in keeping up with the adventures and mysteries that were the key of the first two books.

While this book essentially is the aftermath of the happenings of the first two books, this book by itself is an edge of the seat thriller or in bibliophile terms, a page turner. While Aryavir explored the life and times of Aryavir and Sitanshu did the same for the titular character, this book handles the struggles of Aryavir and Sitanshu in their new present and also the sins and ominous past of Maharajadhiraj Ambujakshan. What I loved about the book was the way Sitanshu’s character developed even further than what was portrayed in the previous book. I must say, Anita Shirodkar as an author has come a long way from her first book, be it with respect to story weaving, character development, or even the writing style. However, a slight bummer with this book was the slightly predictable ending, which felt like someone threw a damp towel on a beautiful flame. That said, the book lets us into a lot of introspection, especially, if you are an ardent follower of this series, or even any mythological, mystery series for that matter. With the cliffhanger of an ending, I wish the author writes another novel, picking up from where she left in this one.
Profile Image for Booxoul.
484 reviews29 followers
October 14, 2019
This year, unlike last, has been pretty good in reading. I got an opportunity to read some amazing books from Indian authors. Authors like Anita Shirodkar, whose book Ambuj is a book 3 in the trilogy GUARDIANS OF THE BLUE LOTUS.

Ambuj by Anita Shirodkar

I was initially confused about the story as I hadn’t read the previous two books. Fortunately, as it turns out that there was a quick summary of the previous two books at the beginning of the book, which really helped me understand the concept of this book well. Though, I gotta read it’s previous two books.

I must say I was mighty impressed with how the author created every part of the story. From the execution of the story to the characters and the narration. I wish I had a chance of reading the previous two books of the trilogy.

Anita’s book Ambuj is a fast-paced thrill ride. You will be sucked in the vortex of the twist and turns the story takes. Simply amazing.

Though you have to keep tabs of the several characters this book has. The author has artfully weaved the story with elements of love, adventure, politics in a beautifully imagined world, with an air of mystery surrounding it.

The narrative is brilliantly done, amalgamating various parts of the story smoothly. The language was easy to understand and crisp and lucid. The vividness of the story doesn’t fail to impress its readers. And the characters are brilliantly thought of and executed by the author. Each character has a trait that defines his personality in rather an impressive way.

What I didn’t like about the book was its size. It was a bit stretched for my liking. Overall an amazing read.

A must-read for people who like to read Indian fictional mythology and fantasy.

It’s a 4 out of 5 stars read for me!
Profile Image for Arya P B.
123 reviews10 followers
September 9, 2019
Book Review

Title : Ambuj
Author : Anita Shirodkar

QOTD : Your favourite series?

Ambuj is the third part in the trilogy of the ‘Guardians of the Blue Lotus’, so I was quite confused whether I should pick it up, but the cover and blurb is very eye catchy. And that forced me to give it a try. But I wasn't disappointed, best story
were you can see family revelations and several twists and turns.

First I was confused reading about family relationships, I felt maybe I would have got a clear picture after reading past books.

The Great war of Sompur both Aryavir and Sitanshu were forced to go in separate directions - one back to Kamalkund and the other to Aryavartha. As two were struggle in new position, cover of Maharajadhiraj Ambujakshan's sins got removed. The entire race of people was about to extinction, and Sitanshu was suppose to do an impossible task, that is from an ancient secret cave deep inside Mount Mandeshwar to the mysterious Raven Monastery across the border of Ch’in. If Mahavidhvamsha Astra is released, the whole world will turndown to Andhasaya – the darkest of ages.

Now what will happen next? Will he able to save the world? Any obstacles will come in between him?

To know about all this grab your copy. Things I love in this book.

🔥 Very eye catchy blurb and cover, just because of it I picked it up.
🔥 The way Author describes about characters and names are quite unique and must appreciate it.
🔥I was very doubtful about the book as I felt I didn't read the two parts so whether I will be confused, but thanks to Author about the writing. You can read single part also.
But I will sure purchase the first two parts as I liked it so much.
Profile Image for Kitabi Keeda.
625 reviews70 followers
October 1, 2019
Review- Ambuj- Guardians of the blue lotus-3 by @anitashirodkarauthor

#Insight/Review –
One day this book can be made into a blockbuster movie with Bollywood heavyweights featuring as Ambujakshan, Sitanshu, Raka, Aryavir, etc.
In a line I would describe it as a "a nail biting kinship and power battle saga." I read Ambuj and mesmerized by the intricacies of its fantasy world. Personally for me, I am not a fan of the mythology/fantasy genre but by the second chapter, I was completely hooked. The concept of protection of 'blue lotus' and all the nomenclatures @anitashirodkarauthor has used are very engaging, especially for Indian readers, unlike GOT or Lord of rings.
The characters in this book with their exquisite names have a direction and meaning which Indian readers can easily connect with. For example, they call their God "Ishv" which is deconstructed form of "Ishwar". There are plenty of other such names created from the native spoken knowledge. So although the fantasy creates a realm of alien culture, we still feel that the characters are similar to us which holds your attention till the last page.

#Strength - I was little lacklustre initially when I selected this book assuming that it may be similar to Ramayana, Mahabharata or even GoT or Bahubali. After I started reading it, I thought my assumption wasn’t false but I just could not put the book down!
The stories on ambition, fear, anger, jealousy and other themes are strongly written and kept me captivated.

#Genre- Fantasy Fiction

#Additional info- Ambuj is the third book of the "Guardians of the blue lotus trilogy"

#Rating- 4.2
.
.
.
#ambuj
602 reviews9 followers
September 13, 2019
"Guardians of the Blue Lotus - 3
AMBUJ" written by "Anita Shirodkar" is an amazing book. Plot is very interesting, entertaining and gripping.
The main plot is Sitanshu protagonist has to stop X'ia from releasing Mahavidhvamsha Astra which has power to annihilate the whole human race. Along with main plot multiple sub plots keep running parallelly.
Know more about Sitanshu, Parmangana, how both fall in love with each other, Aryavir and Reva, Ambujakshan's past sins, who is X'ia, what is Mahavidhvamsha Astra, how did it land into X'ia's hand, her plan to release it, who is Raven, story behind Stone of Unity, who are all on good side, who are bad, what powers they earn/ learn/ possess, who are Unknown Five, Master Chiron, how Sitanshu saves the human race etc. and much more by reading the book
Climax was a big let down felt fight
between X'ia and Sitanshu was bland, could have been better. Narration is not very smooth though the language used is simple. Book has lot of charecters and author has done justice to all. Author is successful in keeping the readers completely engrossed in the plot till the end.
Enjoyed reading the story and would definitely not miss the next book in the series.

Pros:
1. Very interesting plot and sub plots, you just don't feel like keeping the book away till the end.

Cons:
Lot of places, main charecters and supporting characters very difficult to remember and family tree not very clear

Would recommend to all readers who like reading period drama fictional stories with mystical powers.
Profile Image for Nidhi Kiran.
64 reviews2 followers
September 21, 2019
I seriously want to read the first two books as soon as possible.
So I guess my first line is impressive enough to make u buy this book and if it isn't then please go through the following. I hope I will be able to make up your mind.

Okay I haven't read the first two book in the series and I thought that it would be a problem for me but it didn't.
I understood the story well.
Sitanshu, Aryavir and Ambujakshan are the three main pillars of the story.
Aryavir and Sitanshu are friends with responsibilities on their shoulders. Sitanshu's fate is chosen by the maheswari masters to save people from extinction and from the andhasaya. While Aryavir's fate isn't clear It's a secret. After the end of the war when they both reach their respective places to make things fall into places , past sins of Ambujakshan is revealed which can destroy the Old world forever. To stop this Sitanshu is hell bent to stop the Mighty weapon from releasing. How will he succeed ? Or will he succeed ? What's Aryavir's fate ? Moreover what's the fate of Kamalkund and it's people.

😋 The story starts with a typical Bollywood mythology movies style.
‌😋 The plot is unique and refreshing. It's about a blue lotus and it's keepers.. interestingg right ? Never heard of yes I know .
😋Omg the cover. It's an absolute treat to eyes.
😋All the twists and turns made me shiver everytime with curiosity.
😋Writing style is perfect and simple.
‌And yess it has a map at the start.. now go n grab it..
‌must read series...
Profile Image for Rutuja Ramteke.
1,995 reviews97 followers
August 29, 2019
❤Ambuj By Anita Shirodkar❤
After the Great War of Sompur, Aryavir and Sitanshu are forced to go their separate ways – one back to Kamalkund and the other to Aryavartha. As the two struggle to embrace their new roles, the great Maharajadhiraj Ambujakshan’s past sins are revealed, casting ominous shadows on the events of the present.
Against all odds, Sitanshu must accomplish a seemingly impossible task set by the Maheshwari Masters. From an ancient secret cave deep inside Mount Mandeshwar to the mysterious Raven Monastery across the border of Ch’in, Sitanshu races against time to save an entire race of people from extinction. If the mother of all weapons – the Mahavidhvamsha Astra, is released, the Old World will be plunged back into Andhasaya – the darkest of ages. .
This is the epic conclusion and the third part of the series, for which I was pretty pretty excited. This book started a beautiful short summary which ended within a chapter. Now, this book focuses on lives of both Aryavir and Sitanshu. Again, writing was extremely beautiful, at places it becomes complex to understand about what the author is talking about because of the massive plots running all over. But, it's one of the most worthy conclusions which gave justice to the series. I hated when the book ended. I will definitely recommend this book and the entire series to everyone, especially to historical fiction lovers. .
Rating: 4🌟
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
81 reviews1 follower
September 25, 2019
AMBUJ
A BOOK REVIEW

Ambuj is the last part of a three book series. It is a historic fiction, written in the most captivating way. The centre of the story is a Blue flower, which is mesmerizing (as described). So without further adieu, let's dive in!


The Good Parts!

Character Development- The book has many significant character. And they are all built in their own special way. The glory and pride of ancient kings is displayed on point! True love ia beautifully portrayed.

Excellent Language- It is quite understandable that this book is no child's play. The language used is refined. There is a beautiful play of words on display. This only shows how skilled the writer is.

Scene-setting- The writer has put some real thought while describing scenes. For some people scene setting may seem boring or too much information at once. But when done beautiful, it is indeed captivating.


The Bad Part:
The only bad part (according to me) was the messed up timeline. To be honest I was unable to keep up with that was happening when. But thankfully at the beginning of each chapter it was mentioned what time zone we were in. There are just too many characters to track in a haphazard timeline.


Regardless, if you are into historical fiction, you should read this book. It is captivating, beautiful and also discovers many themes. This story isn't superficial, but has a deeper plot.
Profile Image for Voidvamp.
66 reviews11 followers
September 17, 2019
Book : Ambuj
Author : Anita Shirodkar
Publisher : The Write Place by Crossword
Genre : Fiction

Ambuj by Anita Shirodkar is the third book in Guardians of the Blue Lotus trilogy. The blurb will mostly spoil the story for you guys so not gonna post it here. The story revolves around three characters, but many more characters are delineated in the story by author, each having their very own unique engaging story. The cover of the book highly draws attention. Though it's a third book in the trilogy, it can easily read as a standalone as the book contains swift summary of first two books in the very start, but I am not gonna suggest that. For better understanding you have to read previous two parts of it first. The story line is a mixture of various components and contains grasping narrative. The royal strategies, the family secrets and the evocative description of the places are well portrayed by the author. The book has a really good length but the fast paced captivating story doesn't affect it to the reader and can be finished in a couple of sitting.

As both previous books of the trilogy, this book is also being narrated astoundingly. I've really enjoyed each and every bit of the story.
Profile Image for Anuja.
141 reviews4 followers
September 18, 2019
🌷Guardian of Blue Lotus🌷AMBUJ
Author: Anita Shirodkar
〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰
👑Background👑
Five thousand years ago when king Shujan had performed Mahadhipatya Kalpa to be king of kings it had given rise to a great war which had brought mass destruction as Mahavidhvamsha Astra was released killing thousands of innocent people, destruction created like the one which was never or heard before. Abolishing the concept of Kapa as a whole.
But king Ambujakshan has not learned from his history ....and the history was again repeated...
After the war, his descendants Aryavir and Sitashu are forced to go their separate ways...where one is back to kamalkund and other to Aryavartha...
Whats lies with their new role? Will Maharajadhiraj Ambujakshan past sins shall cast ominous shadows on their today??? or its queen madhumali birth on the blackest night was a real reason for the end? wat is secret of the blue lotus?
〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰
👑Review👑
🔴the book is unique though u feel few similarities like Mahadhipatya Kalpa compared to Ashwamedha Yagya
🔴this book is the 3rd book from the series so not adviced to read explicitly
🔴the language is good creating a mental picture for the reader
🔴unique plot and characters
🔴4.3⭐/5
〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰
132 reviews6 followers
September 8, 2019
Ambuj is the 3rd book in the series of Guardians of the Blue Lotus. Readers who read the first two parts can easily connect with the story. For the new readers, you can find gist of the story in the intial chapter, which gonna help to connect well with the book. 


This book is entirely based on the life of Sitanshu and Aryavir who part their ways to reach their destination, one to Kamalkund and other to Aryavartha. Aryavir is destinated to be King Of Kamalkund but what about Sitanshu? His destiny is filled with suspense. He needs to stop the ultimate weapon, the Mahavidhvamsha Astra to stop destruction of the Old World. Will he succeed? 


The story revolves around many characters and many stories run in parallel. Readers need to concentrate to understand how the story unfolds. A little complex but an interesting read. Story is well paced and will crave the readers to read more and more. It's interesting how story gets unravelled and the mysterious sins gets revealed. I thoroughly enjoyed the reads and Kudos to author's writing style. 


This book is a must read for those who love mythological, historical fiction. 
Profile Image for Hope of  Readers World.
121 reviews8 followers
September 9, 2019
This is the third part of the 'Guardians of the Blue Lotus' trilogy. However, it is a bit difficult to understand the whole story if anyone hasn't read the first two-part of it. So for a better understanding of the story and not to miss out or confuse oneself. It is recommended one should go through the first two-part of this trilogy. The first part is Aryavir Guardians of the Blue Lotus- 1 and the second part is Sitanshu Guardians of the Blue Lotus-2. 

The story consists of multiple characters, and all the characters have their own designated purposes to full fill. This is an Indian mythology fiction that depicts, The Kamalakshis popularly known as 'Guardians of the Blue Lotus'.

The family tree in the book is a bit complex to understand the whole story one needs to read all the three books of this trilogy. This book is filled with several twists and turns.

The Title and Cover 
The title is enough to relate you to the Blue Lotus and its Guardian.  
The cover is designed beautifully. The blue hue inside the cave, sky blue lotus with a warrior is mesmerizing.   

Writing style 
The writing style is descriptive. It is easy to understand and comprehensive in nature.
Profile Image for Kriti.
374 reviews26 followers
September 9, 2019
Title : Ambuj by Anita Shirodkar

Page count : 335

Review :
I liked the map at the start of the book. It made easy to understand the places narrated in the story. Each chapter js narrated smoothly and the book was interesting to read, twist of events described nicely and the secrets, the war were described perfectly.
The story revolves around Sitanshu and Aryavir and Sitanshu's struggle to save the people from destruction by stopping the release of the deadly weapon. Amidst all these chaos many secrets will be revealed. How will he be able to stop the release of the weapon?
Ambuj is the third book of Guardians o the blue lotus series and I would recommend the readers to go through the first two books to understand the plot better though at the beginning of there's a glimpse of the first two booKs
Power and politics is we crafted. The book is a mix of mythology and fiction and suspense. I was hooked till the last page though at some points I found it a little Confusing. It is fast paced and the story ends in a cliffhanger .
Overall, it was an intriguing read. Beautiful cover. The way everything wss narrated is very appreciable Amd i could imagine every scene playing in my mind.
Profile Image for ~ NS Reviews ~ biblio_confessions .
52 reviews1 follower
September 20, 2019
Book: Ambuj (Guardian of the Blue Lotus Book 3)
Author: Anita Shirodkat
Rating: 4.7🌟/5
Format: Paperback
Pages: 332
Publisher: The Write Place
Cover: 5/5 🤩
~Sneak Peek~
Great War of Sompur has come to an end and Aryavir and Sitanshu are forced to go separate ways in order to fulfill their respective destinies. Not being accustomed to separation, Aryavir and Sitanshu undergoes struggles and dilemmas to adapt to the new circumstances and fulfill their destined roles. But the past sins and actions of the Maharajadhiraj Ambujakshan comes as an hindrance for their success. Will they be able to overcome all the hindrance and fulfill their destiny ? Would Sitanshu fulfill his impossible task and save the Old World from the hands of dark ages ?
* Ambuj with its gripping plot line keeps the readers engaged till the end.
* The author has done a justification by employing simple and easy language.
* A very good character development has been ensured by the author.
* A wonderful and interesting read which becomes a treat for the mythological fans.
* First few chapters serves as a sneak peek and guide to the readers who haven’t read the prequels.
P.s. The cover is just wow 😍❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.