Kali’s Retribution

The Kalki Chronicles #2

by Abhinav

A god with a powerful weapon. An immortal sorcerer. An inevitable showdown.

Successful in deciphering Krishna's puzzles and retrieving the Kaustubha locket, Anirudh finally accepts his destiny as Kalki--the tenth avatar of Vishnu. However, with the ever-perilous world moving too fast for him to keep up with, he is taken under the wing of an esoteric society created for his protection.

As ancient allies watch over him from the Himalayas, Anirudh moves to find the greatest weapon in the universe hidden in the fabled submerged palace of Dwarka. However, the Demon of Time, Kalarakshasa, yearns to possess it as well. In an ultimate showdown, the cloaked sorcerer faces the last avatar of Vishnu on the battlefield.

Will it be long before Kali, the Lord of Evil, takes up the reins of the mortal world? And will the darkness brought upon by the Kali yuga soon eclipse the earth?

280 pages, Paperback

First published August 19, 2019

About the author

Abhinav based out of the Mumbai suburbs, works as a software developer.
An avid reader since his pre-teens, his journey in the world of stories began with reading comics, then he moved on to short stories and then eventually picked up full-length novels. Thrillers, comedy, historical fiction and mythology are his preferred genres when it comes to choosing a book to read.
His earliest sources of stories from the Indian mythology were his grandfather and mom. Amar Chitra Katha Comics, some articles he read about, and of course, some famous television series that aired during the time, added to it as he grew older.
His debut novel, 'The Sage's Secret', is based on Indian Mythology and is the first book in the series titled The Kalki Chronicles. The second installment in the series is 'Kali's Retribution'.

Reviews

[Sanket Gupte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh what a plot twist!!! Can't wait for the next book...

[Mhonchumi Kikon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I start reviewing let me tell you that, this book i.e. Kali’s Retribution is the 2nd book from the Kalki chronicles by author Abhinav and I haven’t read the part 1. Hence, the book begins with the continuation of the first chronicles. However, catching up with the plot was not that hard, as I managed to read the blurb and the plotline of the first book before I started reading it.
From what I learned from book 1 ‘The Sage’s Secret’ was that, In the year 2025, twenty-year-old Anirudh starts dreaming of Krishna. But these visions that keep flashing through his mind are far from an ordinary fantasy-they are vivid episodes from the god's life. Through these scenes, as Krishna's mystifying schemes are revealed, Anirudh slowly comes to terms with his real identity.
He is the last avatar of Vishnu, sent to restore the balance between good and evil. But an ancient and powerful nemesis, burning with the fire of revenge, has already started assembling a clan of mighty sorcerers to finally be rid of the protector god and unleash depravity on earth.
Moving forward to book 2, Anirudh, the protagonist is in search of the greatest weapon which has been long hidden in the palace of Dwarka (a fabled submerge area). On the contrary, Kalarakshasa, the demon of time is also on the hunt for the same. Who will win the battle? Who will win the fight between the good and the evil? Find out, in this fascinating legendary tale of Indian Mythology.
In the meantime you can read my take on the book here: https://bit.ly/2kgV1ze

[Bookishbong Moumita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kali's Retribution by Abhinav is the book 2 from Kalki Chronicles.

According to Indian mythology, the tenth Avatar of Vishnu is Kalki who will end the Kaliyuga .

The story first starts form , Dwarka 28 years after Kurukshetra war , Krishna and Sage Dweepa are having a conversation about the end of Krishna as well as Dwarka . Then again the story go forwards . Kalki was born already and he has been injured by some. The immortals of the Kurukshetra war decides to save Kalki and there is a strong evil power who has taken back the power of there watching future. In 2025, the man who is Kalki isn't well known about his superpower . But there is a team who knows it and they try to protect him .

The book takes us from 2025 India to the Dwarka's hidden place back and forth. The author has tried to blend real scenarios with mythology. Also the author tries to create suspense but the story is slow paced. There are enough elements which could have taken the story to another level .

I want to give it 3/5

[Sunil Kambham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping

Even though it is is pure fiction, it thrilled me from the beginning. Hats off to the author for his imagination

[Enakshi J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Kalki Chronicles is part mythology and part contemporary fiction that traces Anirudh’s journey of retrospection and realization as the tenth avatar of Lord Vishnu. This is one of those book series where the author deftly shuffles between two timelines and piques the interest of the readers with enough cliffhangers. Kali’s Retribution is the second book in the series and it focuses on the duel between Anirudh, who has now accepted his new reality and identified his purpose too, and Kali, the lord of Evil. The battle to conquer the mortal world is something to look out for in this book.

Read the complete review here:https://www.aliveshadow.com/category-...

[Nandna Dayal]

This book is fabulous, fantastic! I have never before read about any character who is soo sweet, kind, thoughtful and brave like Anirudh! And equally like the others, especially Avyay! Very heartwarming as well as emotional. I was so emotionally driven by his character that it was impossible for me to hold back my tears at the end. His courage, love, sacrifice and sense of responsibility make him conspicuous from others. Best book of my life, or I should say the whole series of Kalki chronicles! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️💗💗😍😍😍🌌🌌🌌✨✨✨💝💝💝

[Sakshi Ganesh Jadhav · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like that kali is duryodhana i hated that part it felt like whyyyyy and also for ashwathama whyyyy how this guys are villan why kalki is dead and the part I liked is padma their sweet love it was nice

[Noorjot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amqzing

Amazing spell binding and engrissing an exlemplart piece of art really enjoyed it a lot waiting for the next one

[Vedank Goyal]

Nooo!
I am gonna need a really good explanation in the next book now !!

[Srikar Aditya/Yt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending makes up for most of its flaws. Beyond excited for the next book.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a great read I liked it a lot. It is highly recommended by me .

[Shailesh S · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 2nd book was mysterious and good plot on story 😄😄😄

[Shivaramakrishnan.V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book

The ending is sad but unlocks a nltwist never anticipated. Good story telling. Looking forward for the next book in this series.

[Barsha Roy Chowdhury · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Kali’s Retribution’ is the second book of ‘The Kalki Chronicles’ where the author narrates his unique take on the reincarnation of Lord Vishnu’s last avatar Kalki.

Anirudh, as known from the first book, is born as the tenth avatar of Lord Vishnu. Along with sage Dweepa, he was successful in retrieving the Kastubha locket. He also defeated the powerful Kalnayaka. But vanquishing Kalnayaka was just the beginning of a burning fire of revenge steaming in the veins of Kalrakshasa, an immortal sorcerer who holds grudges against Lord Krishna.

As Kalrakshasa plans on taking his revenge from Kalki, there’s another group of ancient allies who is keeping a watchful eye on Anirudh from the Himalayas. Anirudh dives deep into the submerged palace of Dwarka to retrieve the greatest weapon in the universe, hidden by Lord Krishna himself. With an aim to snatch away the weapon from Anirudh, Kalrakshasa attacks him. There’s a big twist waiting to be disclosed in this final showdown. Will the darkness brought upon by the Kaliyug soon consume the mortal world? Read the book to find out.

My views- I am a bit disappointed with the second book of this series. The book felt a little dragged, with unnecessary details. The first book seemed promising, because of which I eagerly picked up the second book. But unfortunately, I did not like the way the story proceeded. Ofcourse, Kalrakshasas identity was the biggest reveal along with the twist brought along during the final showdown between the two. The ending again builds up a curiosity as to what happens next. So, the second half gets a thumbs up from me. However, the first half was slow and the narration could have been better. I wouldn’t say this was a page turner. I struggled with my urge to put it down during the first half of the book.

[Chetana Thakur Chakraborty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kali's Retribution is the second book in the Kalki Chronicles trilogy by Abhinav. As the title of the book suggests, it is about Kali, the Lord of Evil, and the arch-nemesis of the tenth and the final Avatar of Lord Vishnu, according to Hindu Mythology, Kalki.

The story begins at Dwarka, twenty-eight years after the Great War of Kurukshetra, where Krishna and sage Dweepa were having a conversation. The story continuously moves back and forth between the past and the future. The chapters set in the future tell us about Kalki, who is already born then as Anirudh. After successfully deciphering Krishna's puzzles and retrieving the Kaustubha locket, Anirudh finally accepts his destiny as Kalki.
Read the book to know what happens next!

Lately, a lot is being written on Mythology, especially on Kalki. In the last year, I guess I have read at least four books on Kalki. It seems to be a very popular subject now.
The cover of this book looks stunning and the blurb seems quite interesting. However, I was totally clueless for most of the book as I started to read this book without reading the first part of the series. And that was a really bad idea. This book cannot be read as a standalone. It failed to interest me as it was very slow-paced. The narration style was not great either. I think if I read the first book, only then I would make some sense out of it.
Nonetheless, the theme and the plot were good. I think I would read the first book in the series if I get a chance.

Fans of mythological fictions, you can pick this book, but do not forget to read the first book in the series, The Sage's Secret, before you start with this one!

[Ibtesam Rahman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kali's Retribution by Abhinav
🌸268 pages
🌸 Mythology
🌸₹299
🌸Penguin India
Blurb-
Anirudh is Kalki, the last Avatar of Lord Vishnu but doesn't know it. The story however is about Kali, who is the arch nemesis of Kalki. Now Kalki is in search of The weapon. Does he find it? Do they have the epic battle promised? I don't know you read to find out.
Opinion-
Being a Mythology fan, I was instantly attracted to the book just seeing the cover because let's be real, the cover is gorgeous. Intriguing and mysterious.
But being an idiot, I decided to read the second book before the first one.
DO NOT DO THE SAME MISTAKE. The story is definately not a stand alone.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed it thoroughly.The blend of modern day to ancient ages is brilliant.
It did take me few pages to get in the story because I was slightly confused when i started reading the book and it was a pain to read for a while but gradually it picked up pace and my interest piqued.
The language is easy with adequate use of hindi mythological terms. The writing style is smooth and fluent, never losing track of the plot with superfluous words.
The characters are well sketched, which took me a while to get used to because yours truly didn't read the first book. Many of them are based on Hindu mythology like Krishna or Sage dweepa.
It could however, do bit improvement in the narration section, because it failed to keep me intrested and I also lost track of the story most of the times.
Overall, a mediocre paced, bit drab in the first half but an amazing plot with great characters and a epic battle among the Hero and the villian.

[Gunjan | Bookworm Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating - 2.75/5

Kali's Retribution by Abhinav is the second book in the The Kalki Chronicles. The Sage's Secret was the first one where Anirudh, the protagonist finally accepts his Kalki avatar - the final avatar of Vishnu and was successful in decoding Krishna's riddle and was able to retrieve Kaustubha locket.

I haven't read the first book but it wasn't difficult to grasp what was happening. Following their discovery, Anirudh is accompanied by a secret society comprises of ancient, powerful and immortal beings who are responsible for the protection of Kalki as he is the one to destroy the evil and save the world.

The author has done a good job in introducing the scenes from Mahabharat and Krishna's Dwarka and blending it with this riddling and suspenseful story of Kalki and how is he going to protect the world considering the ultimate evil Kali is lurking around the corner and is getting ready for the perfect moment.

The story indeed had suspense and it had my attention for the first few pages then I feel it was being dragged. There was no unexpected twist, no jaw dropping or a little shocking moment (which I was waiting for) and after the book ended I just felt what was I even reading? Where the story was going? I could see the potential but the story lacked vividness and there were thrilling and some action packed moments but they lacked intensity.

If you have read the first book then you might want to continue and see what's in the store for Kalki. By all means, go ahead maybe you'll like it.

[Sanchita Bhoot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mythology and Mythological fiction are one amongst my top favorite genres and when it comes to a "Good Written" Indian mythological fiction, there is nothing like it. Kali's Retribution is one such well written, well phrased and tout fictional story of Kalki, 10th and last Avataar of Vishnu.

It is second in the series of Kalki Chronicles and author has kept the story tight and on the leashes. Kali's Retribution starts where Sage's secrets ends with the story of Aniruddha and Sage Dweepa moving forward. To keep Aniruddha, the 10th Avataar if Vishnu safe, Dweepa took him to pondicherry under the shelter of EoK an organization started to help and groom Kalki Avatar. Along with EoK, the Chiranjeevs or the immortals viz Parshuram, Hanuman, Ved Vyasa, Bali and Vibhishan are also trying to locate the enemy.

If you have followed the Indian mythology closely, it would not be difficult for you to guess the antagonist of this book but it doesn't affect the reading pleasure. Book is absolutely a page turner and suspense is grinding, though I personally did not like the little bit of Nepotism in the end but that is like a grain of salt in sugar.

Overall a great read, if you like Indian Mythology it is a must read.

[Prarinthepustakaaley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like an idiot, I picked up this book without reading the first book in the series but this book stood out on its own as well. This book was, how do I say this without sounding like a Gen Z, was a little flat. It couldn’t balance out the good and the bad for me. Here I’ll explain: While the plot was promising, the narration style didn’t do much justice to it. There was enough friction between the hero of the story and the villain to keep the reader on their toes but the unnecessary love story came in the mix and distracted the reader. The cover is absolutely gorgeous. I liked the fact how the author tried to bring mythology in the story yet still kept the problems of the present intact. Like he had an ancient theme in mind but he brought it into the story through problems of the present. I am going to buy the first book as soon as I can and eagerly wait for the third book as well.

[Sanjivini S Bhalla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping and fast paced story of Anirudh, born as Kalki: the last avatar of Vishnu, the novel takes you back and forth from Kaliyuga and Dwapar Yug. Being protected by Chiranjeevi, the Immortals, Kalki must find Asi, the greatest weapon in the universe, hidden by Lord Krishna in the submerged city of Dwarka. However, he has to battle with the evil Kalrakshasa you seeks the weapon as well.With the grave threat of Eclipse of Kaliyuga bringing darkness to the Earth and mankind, Kalki must act fast to stop it and save the mortal world.
.
Sometimes interesting and sometimes juvenile in its narration, the book is a good attempt at amalgamation of Hindu mythology in today's context. The writing is simple and fast paced and doesn't lose plot. Recommended for those who enjoy suspense thrillers and the hidden mysteries in the Hindu scriptures.

[Akanksha Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having been the second book in the series, I honestly did regret missing the first one.
There are very rare books series where a standalone book is that magnificent that you dont mind skipping the previous parts, sadly kali's retribution is not one of them.
Apart from that i love how Abhinav have taken up the complex preachings of Krishna and tried deciphering it from the perspective of the lead character while he is discovering the secret behind Kalki.
The book seemed a little slow on pace, the huge number of characters sometimes mingle up for me, maybe because i missed the first part. I'll still wait for the third part to see how the author goes on about the flow of the story.

[Pari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have been seeing mythology retellings a lot lately. A similar retelling, this one is on the last avatar of Hindu God Lord Vishnu.

The sequel to The Kalki Chronicles, it has the usual mix of fantasy, rivalry and revelations. Overall, it is a light read especially for those interested in Indian Mythology. I may have appreciated it further if not for the lack of knowledge of the events in the first part of this series. Still, an enjoyable read.

[Chaity Sarkar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story attempt to create a blend between modern and the myth. Going back and forth in Indian mythology the story tells the tale of Krishna's tenth avatar, Kalki. The protagonist is unware of his powers but there some to protect him and fiercely so.
Kudos to the attempt made at retelling this age old tale which has been used a few times in similar narrations. However it lacks that imperative distinction from other books from the same genre. Might be considered a good quick read.

[Svara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kalis Retribution is the 2nd in the series , so will highly recommend that one must read the first part to understand the premise of the book better. It's a light read for all the mythology lovers. The writer is a story teller and takes us through the alleys of Dwaraka to the modern day Anirudh's dilemma's. The book is intriguing and a good light read.

[Mitali Bhatia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good one and makes a light read. Mythologic characters are simplified and the pace is moderate.
If you have an inclination to mythology you should give this one a try .