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Matsyagandha: Kuruvansh Ki Rajmata
‘I learnt to love like a man—to love without feelings. And I shall never forget this lesson.’
Matsyagandha, Daseyi, Yojanagandha — the queen of Hastinapur, Satyavati. Abandoned as a baby, preyed on by a rishi, she hardens herself, determined that the next time she is with a man, she will be the one to win. And win she does: the throne of Hastinapur for herself, and the promise that her sons will be heirs to the kingdom. But at what cost?
In a palace where she is disdained and scorned, Satyavati must set aside her own loss and pain if she is to play the game of politics. She learns to be ruthless, unscrupulous — traits that estrange her from everyone around. Everyone, except the man she cheated of his birthright.
A piercing, insightful look at the grand matriarch of the Kuru family, the woman who set off the sequence of events that ended in the bloody battle of Kurukshetra, The Fisher Queen’s Dynasty will re-align your reading of the Mahabharata.
Matsyagandha, Daseyi, Yojanagandha — the queen of Hastinapur, Satyavati. Abandoned as a baby, preyed on by a rishi, she hardens herself, determined that the next time she is with a man, she will be the one to win. And win she does: the throne of Hastinapur for herself, and the promise that her sons will be heirs to the kingdom. But at what cost?
In a palace where she is disdained and scorned, Satyavati must set aside her own loss and pain if she is to play the game of politics. She learns to be ruthless, unscrupulous — traits that estrange her from everyone around. Everyone, except the man she cheated of his birthright.
A piercing, insightful look at the grand matriarch of the Kuru family, the woman who set off the sequence of events that ended in the bloody battle of Kurukshetra, The Fisher Queen’s Dynasty will re-align your reading of the Mahabharata.
295 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 17, 2020
96 people are currently reading
1233 people want to read
About the author
Kavita Kané
13 books736 followersA senior journalist with a career of over two decades, which includes working for Magna publication and DNA, she quit her job as Assistant Editor of Times of India to devote herself as a full time author. A self-styled aficionado of cinema and theatre and sufficiently armed with a post-graduate degree in English Literature and Mass Communication from the University of Pune, the only skill she knows, she candidly confesses, is writing.
Karna's Wife her debut novel, (2013)was a bestseller. Her second novel - Sita's Sister (2014) also deals with another enigmatic personality - Urmila, probably the most overlooked character in the Ramayan. Menaka's Choice(2015) ,another best-seller, is about the famous apsara and her infamous liaison with Vishwamitra the man she was sent to destroy. Lanka's Princess (2016) is her fourth book based on Ravan's sister, Surpanakha, the Princess of Lanka who was also its destroyer...
Born in Mumbai, a childhood spent largely in Patna and Delhi , Kavita currently lives in Pune with her mariner husband Prakash and two daughters Kimaya and Amiya with Chic the black cocker spaniel and Cotton the white, curious cat.
Karna's Wife her debut novel, (2013)was a bestseller. Her second novel - Sita's Sister (2014) also deals with another enigmatic personality - Urmila, probably the most overlooked character in the Ramayan. Menaka's Choice(2015) ,another best-seller, is about the famous apsara and her infamous liaison with Vishwamitra the man she was sent to destroy. Lanka's Princess (2016) is her fourth book based on Ravan's sister, Surpanakha, the Princess of Lanka who was also its destroyer...
Born in Mumbai, a childhood spent largely in Patna and Delhi , Kavita currently lives in Pune with her mariner husband Prakash and two daughters Kimaya and Amiya with Chic the black cocker spaniel and Cotton the white, curious cat.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 187 reviews
January 5, 2018
“If you want to see the brave, look at those who can forgive. If you want to see the heroic, look at those who can love in return for hatred.”
----Krishna Dharma
Kavita Kané, an Indian bestselling author, has penned an inspiring and extremely compelling mythological tale inspired from the characters from the Indian epic mythology, Mahabharata in her new book called, The Fisher Queen's Dynasty that revolves around two key protagonists, one ordinary woman, denied of her royal birth-right who grows up under the care of a meager-fisherman, and later claims to the throne of Hastinapur by her clever tricks, but sadly she becomes a pawn to the dirty politics of the state, turning her into a bitter and wicked queen and the other, a handsome prince, who is the true heir to the throne to Hastinapur, but he sacrifices away his chance to become the king in order to fulfill his father's romantic wishes to marry a fisher-girl. The woman is known as Satyavati, the grandmother to Pandu and Dhritarashtra and the man is known as Bhism, the son of Ganga.
Synopsis:
‘I learnt to love like a man—to love without feelings. And I shall never forget this lesson.’
Matsyagandha, Daseyi, Yojanagandha — the queen of Hastinapur, Satyavati. Abandoned as a baby, preyed on by a rishi, she hardens herself, determined that the next time she is with a man, she will be the one to win. And win she does: the throne of Hastinapur for herself, and the promise that her sons will be heirs to the kingdom. But at what cost?
In a palace where she is disdained and scorned, Satyavati must set aside her own loss and pain if she is to play the game of politics. She learns to be ruthless, unscrupulous — traits that estrange her from everyone around. Everyone, except the man she cheated of his birthright.
A piercing, insightful look at the grand matriarch of the Kuru family, the woman who set off the sequence of events that ended in the bloody battle of Kurukshetra, The Fisher Queen’s Dynasty will re-align your reading of the Mahabharata.
Two babies, one girl and one boy, twins, born out of wedlock to a king of a land, turns fateful for the infant girl, whose skin is as dark as the night, who is abandoned by her king father and given away to a poor fisher man. This fisher man happily takes the little girl under his wing and brings her up like his own daughter, who is called Satyavati, but people around his village commonly call her as "Kali" due to her dark skin. Satyavati may not have been born with the good looks, but she has been born with a sharp mind of her own, which she uses to seduce a highly-acclaimed rishi and later seduces the king of Hastinapur to become his queen. But sadly her life becomes another piece of puzzle to solves the political troubles in the state.
The son of Ganga and the king of Hastinapur grows up to become a responsible and a very kind man with intellect, handsome looks and princely attributes that easily the stole the hearts of his kingdom's people. Unfortunately his destiny to become the king of Hastinapur gets destroyed when his old father decides to marry a meager fisher girl out of lust, as a result to honor his father's wishes, he makes a vow that he will never compete for the throne ever and that the meager fisher girl's sons will become the right heir to the throne. And this man is commonly knows as Bhism who not only burnt a handful of hearts followed by lifelong and deadly curses, but also gave up his material desires for his own father.
This is the first time that I read any book by this author and now I'm regretting on the fact that why couldn't I find this author sooner in my life. Even though I'm not that much of a fan of reading mythological fiction, yet Kane's book on certain characters from the epic Mahabharata is extremely interesting, enthralling and engrossing to its very core. And yes, this book left me hungry for more Kavita Kane penned books, I'm sure her previous book too are equally riveting like this one.
The author has re-imagined the character of Satyavati, the grandmother to Pandu and Dhritarashtra in a vivid manner. She has brought her alive by giving her a compelling and intellect demeanor who is also emotional and protective towards her own children. And her evolution through time, ages, hardships and challenges, is strikingly portrayed through the fast-moving chapters. And the author has gone deep into her roots to give her a strong personality who is bound to leave an impression in the hearts and souls of the readers long after the story has ended. Her journey to womanhood is not an easy one and her challenges and troubles that made her cold hearted towards men is very well justified by the author. I fell for Satyavati and after reading this tale, I had a lot of respect for her in my heart.
Sadly, the character of Bhism is not that well developed, but that's not an issue since the story is solely based on the sad and tragic life of Satyavati. Then again, Bhism could have had some edge of his own in this story. I felt his story to be really heart breaking. The rest of the supporting characters are penned with enough depth and honesty so that the readers can easily contemplate with their plights.
The author's writing style is really brilliant and articulate and is laced with emotions and drama to make it extremely alluring for the readers. The pacing is fast ans smooth and with an elegant prose, the story will sway the readers along with its rhythmic tune. The narrative is engaging and evocative enough to keep the readers glued to the pages of the book ill the very end. And the author has done her research well and with an imaginative mind of hers that knows no bounds, this story is surely going to keep the readers arrested into the story line. And the visually imaginative scenes add the cheer on the top to this already spellbinding tale.
In a nutshell, I revisited the lands where the great epic of India, the Mahabharata has taken place through this captivating story about a sharp-witted queen and her demons, both internal and external.
Verdict: A fascinating mythological fiction about a regular woman rising above her stature through challenges and sacrifices.
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers from Westland Publications for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
----Krishna Dharma
Kavita Kané, an Indian bestselling author, has penned an inspiring and extremely compelling mythological tale inspired from the characters from the Indian epic mythology, Mahabharata in her new book called, The Fisher Queen's Dynasty that revolves around two key protagonists, one ordinary woman, denied of her royal birth-right who grows up under the care of a meager-fisherman, and later claims to the throne of Hastinapur by her clever tricks, but sadly she becomes a pawn to the dirty politics of the state, turning her into a bitter and wicked queen and the other, a handsome prince, who is the true heir to the throne to Hastinapur, but he sacrifices away his chance to become the king in order to fulfill his father's romantic wishes to marry a fisher-girl. The woman is known as Satyavati, the grandmother to Pandu and Dhritarashtra and the man is known as Bhism, the son of Ganga.
Synopsis:
‘I learnt to love like a man—to love without feelings. And I shall never forget this lesson.’
Matsyagandha, Daseyi, Yojanagandha — the queen of Hastinapur, Satyavati. Abandoned as a baby, preyed on by a rishi, she hardens herself, determined that the next time she is with a man, she will be the one to win. And win she does: the throne of Hastinapur for herself, and the promise that her sons will be heirs to the kingdom. But at what cost?
In a palace where she is disdained and scorned, Satyavati must set aside her own loss and pain if she is to play the game of politics. She learns to be ruthless, unscrupulous — traits that estrange her from everyone around. Everyone, except the man she cheated of his birthright.
A piercing, insightful look at the grand matriarch of the Kuru family, the woman who set off the sequence of events that ended in the bloody battle of Kurukshetra, The Fisher Queen’s Dynasty will re-align your reading of the Mahabharata.
Two babies, one girl and one boy, twins, born out of wedlock to a king of a land, turns fateful for the infant girl, whose skin is as dark as the night, who is abandoned by her king father and given away to a poor fisher man. This fisher man happily takes the little girl under his wing and brings her up like his own daughter, who is called Satyavati, but people around his village commonly call her as "Kali" due to her dark skin. Satyavati may not have been born with the good looks, but she has been born with a sharp mind of her own, which she uses to seduce a highly-acclaimed rishi and later seduces the king of Hastinapur to become his queen. But sadly her life becomes another piece of puzzle to solves the political troubles in the state.
The son of Ganga and the king of Hastinapur grows up to become a responsible and a very kind man with intellect, handsome looks and princely attributes that easily the stole the hearts of his kingdom's people. Unfortunately his destiny to become the king of Hastinapur gets destroyed when his old father decides to marry a meager fisher girl out of lust, as a result to honor his father's wishes, he makes a vow that he will never compete for the throne ever and that the meager fisher girl's sons will become the right heir to the throne. And this man is commonly knows as Bhism who not only burnt a handful of hearts followed by lifelong and deadly curses, but also gave up his material desires for his own father.
This is the first time that I read any book by this author and now I'm regretting on the fact that why couldn't I find this author sooner in my life. Even though I'm not that much of a fan of reading mythological fiction, yet Kane's book on certain characters from the epic Mahabharata is extremely interesting, enthralling and engrossing to its very core. And yes, this book left me hungry for more Kavita Kane penned books, I'm sure her previous book too are equally riveting like this one.
The author has re-imagined the character of Satyavati, the grandmother to Pandu and Dhritarashtra in a vivid manner. She has brought her alive by giving her a compelling and intellect demeanor who is also emotional and protective towards her own children. And her evolution through time, ages, hardships and challenges, is strikingly portrayed through the fast-moving chapters. And the author has gone deep into her roots to give her a strong personality who is bound to leave an impression in the hearts and souls of the readers long after the story has ended. Her journey to womanhood is not an easy one and her challenges and troubles that made her cold hearted towards men is very well justified by the author. I fell for Satyavati and after reading this tale, I had a lot of respect for her in my heart.
Sadly, the character of Bhism is not that well developed, but that's not an issue since the story is solely based on the sad and tragic life of Satyavati. Then again, Bhism could have had some edge of his own in this story. I felt his story to be really heart breaking. The rest of the supporting characters are penned with enough depth and honesty so that the readers can easily contemplate with their plights.
The author's writing style is really brilliant and articulate and is laced with emotions and drama to make it extremely alluring for the readers. The pacing is fast ans smooth and with an elegant prose, the story will sway the readers along with its rhythmic tune. The narrative is engaging and evocative enough to keep the readers glued to the pages of the book ill the very end. And the author has done her research well and with an imaginative mind of hers that knows no bounds, this story is surely going to keep the readers arrested into the story line. And the visually imaginative scenes add the cheer on the top to this already spellbinding tale.
In a nutshell, I revisited the lands where the great epic of India, the Mahabharata has taken place through this captivating story about a sharp-witted queen and her demons, both internal and external.
Verdict: A fascinating mythological fiction about a regular woman rising above her stature through challenges and sacrifices.
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers from Westland Publications for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
November 4, 2020
This is the first book that talks about Indian mythology in such a lucid, breathtaking way!
My knowledge regarding the characters of Mahabharat is limited to the clan Dhritarashtra (the blind king who had hundred sons) and the Pandavas; what happens with their lives and how battles were fought amongst them along with the myriad other main characters like Krishna, Bhishm and so on.
But this book presents a big surprise!
It portrays everything before the Pandavas and the Kauravas!
The book revolves around Queen Satyavati and Bhishm.
It all began with how King Shantanu of Hastinapur ended up marrying Kali(who would become Queen Satyavati), an ambitious and an intelligent girl; the daughter of a fisherman-chieftan.
This marriage became the sole reason why and how the great Bhishm took his famous vow to live a life of celibacy till the end.
The consequences of such a marriage and Kali, through mere grit and determination, becoming the responsible queen with
Bhishm always in the picture is the main theme .
The heartbreaking untimely deaths of the heirs, the abduction of the three princesses at their shayamvar, the tragic end of one of these princesses, how Queen Satyavati built up a strong kingdom after the king passed away and how she never gives up on Hastinapur as long as she sees into the fact that the kingdom survives with the rightful heir to carry on the legacy are the main highlights of this book.
But why do this fierce queen who never ever thinks of giving up even at the times of the death of her own sons think of giving up in the end? And that too after building up the empire she dreamt of?
👍 This book is such a big, good break from the monotonous range of genres available today!
👍 How mythology is presented in such a strong, straightforward read is applaudable!
👍 The best part is that each page just delivers and you won't want to stop reading once you start👌
350 pages worth the time I have spent my childhood watching the Mahabharata series on TV at weekends👍
My knowledge regarding the characters of Mahabharat is limited to the clan Dhritarashtra (the blind king who had hundred sons) and the Pandavas; what happens with their lives and how battles were fought amongst them along with the myriad other main characters like Krishna, Bhishm and so on.
But this book presents a big surprise!
It portrays everything before the Pandavas and the Kauravas!
The book revolves around Queen Satyavati and Bhishm.
It all began with how King Shantanu of Hastinapur ended up marrying Kali(who would become Queen Satyavati), an ambitious and an intelligent girl; the daughter of a fisherman-chieftan.
This marriage became the sole reason why and how the great Bhishm took his famous vow to live a life of celibacy till the end.
The consequences of such a marriage and Kali, through mere grit and determination, becoming the responsible queen with
Bhishm always in the picture is the main theme .
The heartbreaking untimely deaths of the heirs, the abduction of the three princesses at their shayamvar, the tragic end of one of these princesses, how Queen Satyavati built up a strong kingdom after the king passed away and how she never gives up on Hastinapur as long as she sees into the fact that the kingdom survives with the rightful heir to carry on the legacy are the main highlights of this book.
But why do this fierce queen who never ever thinks of giving up even at the times of the death of her own sons think of giving up in the end? And that too after building up the empire she dreamt of?
👍 This book is such a big, good break from the monotonous range of genres available today!
👍 How mythology is presented in such a strong, straightforward read is applaudable!
👍 The best part is that each page just delivers and you won't want to stop reading once you start👌
350 pages worth the time I have spent my childhood watching the Mahabharata series on TV at weekends👍
December 31, 2017
Satyavati was an ambitious, head-strong queen of Hastinapur, who always made wrong choices to survive in the race for the throne.
Satyavati was an insecure, cunning and shrewd administrator. Born a princess, she was brought up as a fisher-woman, she craves for best-catches ever-since her birth. Entire Hastinapur dances to her tune after she marries Shantanu.
She manipulates the people around her, trying to plaster the grave mistake she committed against Bhishm. None of her schemes could hide the damage. The seeds of greed she sowed were reaped in Kurukshetra.
Through Satyavati's eyes, Kavita Kane renders the story of first-part of Mahabharat. Satyavati of Fisher Queen's dynasty and Menaka of Menaka's choice sounded similar. Great read.
Satyavati was an insecure, cunning and shrewd administrator. Born a princess, she was brought up as a fisher-woman, she craves for best-catches ever-since her birth. Entire Hastinapur dances to her tune after she marries Shantanu.
She manipulates the people around her, trying to plaster the grave mistake she committed against Bhishm. None of her schemes could hide the damage. The seeds of greed she sowed were reaped in Kurukshetra.
Through Satyavati's eyes, Kavita Kane renders the story of first-part of Mahabharat. Satyavati of Fisher Queen's dynasty and Menaka of Menaka's choice sounded similar. Great read.
February 7, 2019
Name- The Fisher Queen's Dynasty
Written by- Kavita Kane
Published by- Westland Publications
Genre- Mythological fiction
Pages- 324
Review-
Satyavati was the grand matriarch of the Kuru family.
Mahabharata, the world's longest epic has innumerable characters and uncountable events that led to the great war. The war destroyed several dynasties along with the Kurus and led to a destruction that was beyond comprehension.
The most debated topics surrounding the Mahabharata has been- who is responsible behind this war.
Lord Krishna, has always mentioned that the war was inevitable but that didn't stop the blame game. Even today the events that lead to this war is one of the most sought-after topics.
Satyavati also known as Matsyagandha was one of the people who was blamed for this war that destroyed her own family.
Satyavati's marriage to King Shantanu, Bhishm's terrible oath of life long celibacy and his sacrifice of the throne of Hastinapur for Satyavati's children is still regarded as one of the main causes of the war.
Satyavati's life had been wonderfully described by Kavita Kane in her book The Fisher Queen's Dynasty which mainly deals with Satyavati and Bhishm's lives. Satyavati's mistakes, her thirst for power and her ambitions for her sons lead to the imminent destruction of her own family.
Satyavati has always been a mystery and enigma. Kane in her book has beautifully dissected her life, love, loss and destruction.
The story though written about Satyavati, largely revolves around Bhishm and his life. I strongly believe it would have been better had the story been written from Satyavati's point of view.
Fictions gives the author a certain independence and liberty to mould the characters according to their imaginations. While this is a gift in some cases, for this book I noticed that Satyavati's thirst for raw power has been heightened and her motives always seemed questionable.
I strongly love stories that stick to the version of Ved Vyas, the original writer of this epic. Although I cannot say that this book strayed away from the original plot I sensed their was an unnecessary negativity about Satyavati's character.
I would have loved the story more had it been written from a neutral perspective not heightening the negativity of her thoughts and actions.
The hint of Satyavati's attraction towards Bhishm was something that I found hard to comprehend.
Other than these aspects I think it is a nearly decent work which revolves around the lives of some of the most important characters of Mahabharata.
Written by- Kavita Kane
Published by- Westland Publications
Genre- Mythological fiction
Pages- 324
Review-
Satyavati was the grand matriarch of the Kuru family.
Mahabharata, the world's longest epic has innumerable characters and uncountable events that led to the great war. The war destroyed several dynasties along with the Kurus and led to a destruction that was beyond comprehension.
The most debated topics surrounding the Mahabharata has been- who is responsible behind this war.
Lord Krishna, has always mentioned that the war was inevitable but that didn't stop the blame game. Even today the events that lead to this war is one of the most sought-after topics.
Satyavati also known as Matsyagandha was one of the people who was blamed for this war that destroyed her own family.
Satyavati's marriage to King Shantanu, Bhishm's terrible oath of life long celibacy and his sacrifice of the throne of Hastinapur for Satyavati's children is still regarded as one of the main causes of the war.
Satyavati's life had been wonderfully described by Kavita Kane in her book The Fisher Queen's Dynasty which mainly deals with Satyavati and Bhishm's lives. Satyavati's mistakes, her thirst for power and her ambitions for her sons lead to the imminent destruction of her own family.
Satyavati has always been a mystery and enigma. Kane in her book has beautifully dissected her life, love, loss and destruction.
The story though written about Satyavati, largely revolves around Bhishm and his life. I strongly believe it would have been better had the story been written from Satyavati's point of view.
Fictions gives the author a certain independence and liberty to mould the characters according to their imaginations. While this is a gift in some cases, for this book I noticed that Satyavati's thirst for raw power has been heightened and her motives always seemed questionable.
I strongly love stories that stick to the version of Ved Vyas, the original writer of this epic. Although I cannot say that this book strayed away from the original plot I sensed their was an unnecessary negativity about Satyavati's character.
I would have loved the story more had it been written from a neutral perspective not heightening the negativity of her thoughts and actions.
The hint of Satyavati's attraction towards Bhishm was something that I found hard to comprehend.
Other than these aspects I think it is a nearly decent work which revolves around the lives of some of the most important characters of Mahabharata.
February 10, 2018
The Fisher Queen's Dynasty by Kavita was the second book which I read after Lanka's Princess and before starting reading this book I was very excited and it didn't disappoint me. I am a story buff and I love to read and hear mythological stories. I have heard, read and seen Mahabharata a lot but never thought about Satyawati so much and this is what I love about mythology fiction queen Kavita Kané that she picks up female protagonist which are not so much discussed.
The Fisher Queen's Dynasty revolving around the queen of Hastinapur, Satyawati is a very gripping story. It is penned down beautifully in a simple language which made me dive into the story. The characters are very well described and developed. Firstly, when I started reading I didn't like the protagonist much but as I kept on reading I fell in love with her. The way author has described the character of Bhishm is amazing.The narration of the story is in third person and is very engaging.
Coming to the the emotions, they are very well written and were articulate, directly impacting the reader. The best thing about reading The Fisher Queen's Dynasty was that it took me back to the era of Mahabharata and I was able to visualise all the events which are so marvelously described.
Overall, a fast paced, well researched and an engaging book which sticks the reader to the book till the end. A very insightful book which is a page turner. I really enjoyed reading it. I would highly recommend this book to those who are interested in reading mythology.
* I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange of a review.
Check out the full review here: https://taanyaahuja.blogspot.in/
The Fisher Queen's Dynasty revolving around the queen of Hastinapur, Satyawati is a very gripping story. It is penned down beautifully in a simple language which made me dive into the story. The characters are very well described and developed. Firstly, when I started reading I didn't like the protagonist much but as I kept on reading I fell in love with her. The way author has described the character of Bhishm is amazing.The narration of the story is in third person and is very engaging.
Coming to the the emotions, they are very well written and were articulate, directly impacting the reader. The best thing about reading The Fisher Queen's Dynasty was that it took me back to the era of Mahabharata and I was able to visualise all the events which are so marvelously described.
Overall, a fast paced, well researched and an engaging book which sticks the reader to the book till the end. A very insightful book which is a page turner. I really enjoyed reading it. I would highly recommend this book to those who are interested in reading mythology.
* I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange of a review.
Check out the full review here: https://taanyaahuja.blogspot.in/
February 14, 2018
Kavita Kane is known for her unique writing style and uncovering the lesser known female characters of the Indian mythology. These women characters are strong but never had come to light. Kavita introducing them to her readers and giving them a chance to decide their role in the tales widely read. She is a bestselling author and her every book has female characters comes from epic tales of Mahabharata and Ramayana.
The Fisher Queens Dynasty is a story of Satyavati, Kali, Matsygandha, the queen of Hastinapur. She is unapologetic, heartless, sly and determined.
I had a love and hate relationship with Satyavati. She is wicked and mean but she has a different side too. She is a daughter, a mother, a wife and a queen. This book will change the way you had read or seen the longest epic of the world, Mahabharata. The language is lucid and storytelling is engaging. I read her writing before; I had no doubt for her writing style. A remarkable and piercing tale of a woman.
https://thereviewauthor.com/
The Fisher Queens Dynasty is a story of Satyavati, Kali, Matsygandha, the queen of Hastinapur. She is unapologetic, heartless, sly and determined.
I had a love and hate relationship with Satyavati. She is wicked and mean but she has a different side too. She is a daughter, a mother, a wife and a queen. This book will change the way you had read or seen the longest epic of the world, Mahabharata. The language is lucid and storytelling is engaging. I read her writing before; I had no doubt for her writing style. A remarkable and piercing tale of a woman.
https://thereviewauthor.com/
January 14, 2018
I had read Lanka’s Princess a while back and it was one of the better mythology writings in our country that I had come across since Amish Tripathi. However, something changed this time when I picked up ‘The Fisher Queen’s Dynasty’. I was irritated throughout the book at various aspects of but I still wanted to know how the story proceeded since I am not much aware of Mahabharata. I did not like the book much but now I know something more about the epic series and what led to the war. Is that sign of a good book or a bad pick? Let me tell you what I felt upon reading the book.
Cover page
I absolutely loved the cover, more for the graphic. The cover is a graphic art of the fisher Queen herself adorned in heavy jewellery and red forehead. The art is beautiful, however, the text ruins it. The text in white looks like it has been misplaced there. It needed some more work. One may not be able to spot the name of the author on the cover at once.
Character
Satyavati is a character in Mahabharata who is responsible to start of the great war of Kurukshetra. This is the book about the woman who was looked down upon by everyone. And so is she in the entire book here as well. She tries to justify herself but fails miserably. The book is meant to be for the lesser acknowledged ladies of the Indian epics but this one as well paints her in dim light. Satyavati or Matsyagandha was born to a king and remained forever Unacknowledged. She is greedy but generous to lesser privileged. She is a opportunist as opposed to the feminist character that I expected her to be.
Some would deem it immoral, but virtue was a quality invented by the men to suit their needs. If men could use women, why couldn’t it be the other way round? Sex and beauty were the weapons of seduction that she could, and had, wielded in conflict and contest.
Bhism also plays a major part in the story. He too is a benevolent psuedo ruler who is a mural of dharma. His character is exactly like the one in Mahabharata. However, his entire life hear revolves around Satyavati.
Content
The book begins with an interesting prologue with Bhism lying on the bed of arrows contemplating his life as he lived it. He is looking back at his mistakes and wishes he never made them. The book is all about his life as he lived it swearing allegiance to the fisher queen and her dynasty. It is beautiful start quite unlike the pages to come.
The story backflahes into the entry of Satyavati or the fisher queen. She is rightfully a queen who has grown up in a fisherman’s household. Having abandoned by her father when she was a new born she learns the importance of a privileged life. She inhabits a strong determination to acquire power and status. She gets an opportunity when a wise Vasudev brings her a proposal. A proposal to give her whatever she wants in return of which she is to give her a child. She exchanges the child with eternal beauty and a scent that seduces men as she enter the room.
There also enters Ganga with her son, Shantanu. There are two stories running parallel where Satyavati and Shantanu are living separate lives until they come face to face and that brings the starting line of the war of Mahabharata. This book is all about how Satyavati climbs the ladder of status with deceit. And how each step she takes she brings her dynasty awfully close to destruction.
The story of Mahabharata is known to all. This one is no different. However, in this narration Satyavati has also been given a voice. A little too much is what I felt. She is always talking. Or thinking in her head. Or repeating their dialogues over and over again in different format. It is annoying. Bhism is known to everyone as the noble figure but he is impotent when t comes to Satyavati and her dynasty. The plot is great that keeps you wanting to know what happens further. However, the narration is crass. Flipping the pages become painful as the story goes by.
Language
Painfully long descriptions. Extremely dramatic narration. Crass narration of intercourses. The internal monologues are boorish. There is a constant mention of Satyavati keeping her finger on her lower lip. I did not understand the meaning of it. The fact that it was repeated throughout was even more annoying. There are so ridiculous dialogues in the book that blow your top of, not in a good way. For example:
‘One has to stumble to fall in love or otherwise, she thought grimly, and I am not one who will ever stumble or fall. But to own the kind she has to give her all, she reminded herself.
To quote a daily soap dramatic narration:
The happiness dissipated as fast as it had filled just a few moments ago, and she felt a hot flush mounting up to her face. She would be wearing Ganga’s crown; she had taken Ganga’s husband, Ganga’s place, Ganga’s role. Even Ganga’s son. Ganga!
Bhism is no better:
‘He could not break his vow; he could never marry her. But he should, a voice tainted him. He had brought upon her this crisis. No! He could not; he could never.’
Good points
I loved he cover. It is gorgeous! The plot is extremely interesting. It is the only aspect in the book that will keep you glued to the book.
Overall
The characters are extremely crass and the narration is overtly dramatic. Those who dislike soap opera are going to have tough time getting though the book. The content tests your patience. It is heartbreakingly slow. There is no meat in the story. It could have been written in one chapter.
Whom do I recommend this to
This is for mythology enthusiast who would like to a different perspective.
Cover page
I absolutely loved the cover, more for the graphic. The cover is a graphic art of the fisher Queen herself adorned in heavy jewellery and red forehead. The art is beautiful, however, the text ruins it. The text in white looks like it has been misplaced there. It needed some more work. One may not be able to spot the name of the author on the cover at once.
Character
Satyavati is a character in Mahabharata who is responsible to start of the great war of Kurukshetra. This is the book about the woman who was looked down upon by everyone. And so is she in the entire book here as well. She tries to justify herself but fails miserably. The book is meant to be for the lesser acknowledged ladies of the Indian epics but this one as well paints her in dim light. Satyavati or Matsyagandha was born to a king and remained forever Unacknowledged. She is greedy but generous to lesser privileged. She is a opportunist as opposed to the feminist character that I expected her to be.
Some would deem it immoral, but virtue was a quality invented by the men to suit their needs. If men could use women, why couldn’t it be the other way round? Sex and beauty were the weapons of seduction that she could, and had, wielded in conflict and contest.
Bhism also plays a major part in the story. He too is a benevolent psuedo ruler who is a mural of dharma. His character is exactly like the one in Mahabharata. However, his entire life hear revolves around Satyavati.
Content
The book begins with an interesting prologue with Bhism lying on the bed of arrows contemplating his life as he lived it. He is looking back at his mistakes and wishes he never made them. The book is all about his life as he lived it swearing allegiance to the fisher queen and her dynasty. It is beautiful start quite unlike the pages to come.
The story backflahes into the entry of Satyavati or the fisher queen. She is rightfully a queen who has grown up in a fisherman’s household. Having abandoned by her father when she was a new born she learns the importance of a privileged life. She inhabits a strong determination to acquire power and status. She gets an opportunity when a wise Vasudev brings her a proposal. A proposal to give her whatever she wants in return of which she is to give her a child. She exchanges the child with eternal beauty and a scent that seduces men as she enter the room.
There also enters Ganga with her son, Shantanu. There are two stories running parallel where Satyavati and Shantanu are living separate lives until they come face to face and that brings the starting line of the war of Mahabharata. This book is all about how Satyavati climbs the ladder of status with deceit. And how each step she takes she brings her dynasty awfully close to destruction.
The story of Mahabharata is known to all. This one is no different. However, in this narration Satyavati has also been given a voice. A little too much is what I felt. She is always talking. Or thinking in her head. Or repeating their dialogues over and over again in different format. It is annoying. Bhism is known to everyone as the noble figure but he is impotent when t comes to Satyavati and her dynasty. The plot is great that keeps you wanting to know what happens further. However, the narration is crass. Flipping the pages become painful as the story goes by.
Language
Painfully long descriptions. Extremely dramatic narration. Crass narration of intercourses. The internal monologues are boorish. There is a constant mention of Satyavati keeping her finger on her lower lip. I did not understand the meaning of it. The fact that it was repeated throughout was even more annoying. There are so ridiculous dialogues in the book that blow your top of, not in a good way. For example:
‘One has to stumble to fall in love or otherwise, she thought grimly, and I am not one who will ever stumble or fall. But to own the kind she has to give her all, she reminded herself.
To quote a daily soap dramatic narration:
The happiness dissipated as fast as it had filled just a few moments ago, and she felt a hot flush mounting up to her face. She would be wearing Ganga’s crown; she had taken Ganga’s husband, Ganga’s place, Ganga’s role. Even Ganga’s son. Ganga!
Bhism is no better:
‘He could not break his vow; he could never marry her. But he should, a voice tainted him. He had brought upon her this crisis. No! He could not; he could never.’
Good points
I loved he cover. It is gorgeous! The plot is extremely interesting. It is the only aspect in the book that will keep you glued to the book.
Overall
The characters are extremely crass and the narration is overtly dramatic. Those who dislike soap opera are going to have tough time getting though the book. The content tests your patience. It is heartbreakingly slow. There is no meat in the story. It could have been written in one chapter.
Whom do I recommend this to
This is for mythology enthusiast who would like to a different perspective.
May 8, 2021
Who says Draupadi was the most important woman in Mahabharata?
This book aptly justifies it was the grand matriach. She was a key player, it is her dynasty, not the Kuru clan.
We hardly focus on the women in this epic.
We hardly focus of each character's reason to act like they did. There itself is a lesson hidden for the one who reads between the lines.
The author positions Satyavati in such a rebellious manner that it's almost uplifting and empowering.
The author has kept true to the major storyline adding least number of fictious elements and still made this book worthy.
I see all the characters differently now because how'd you understand them if you didnt know their backstory.
Yes, backstory, is what this book gives.
This book aptly justifies it was the grand matriach. She was a key player, it is her dynasty, not the Kuru clan.
We hardly focus on the women in this epic.
We hardly focus of each character's reason to act like they did. There itself is a lesson hidden for the one who reads between the lines.
The author positions Satyavati in such a rebellious manner that it's almost uplifting and empowering.
The author has kept true to the major storyline adding least number of fictious elements and still made this book worthy.
I see all the characters differently now because how'd you understand them if you didnt know their backstory.
Yes, backstory, is what this book gives.
September 15, 2018
Follow Just A Girl High On Books for more reviews.
I received this book as part of the Writer's Melon review program.
'People are as shallow as the river shore, never as deep as the river.'
- Kavita Kane, The Fisher Queen's Dynasty
Remember vampires? The Damon Salvatore kind who have always made us swoon over them? (Forgive me, I was watching The Originals recently hence the influence.) Well, what was the one thing that Salvatore taught us about vampires? The heightened emotions! To be honest, I am not a vampire but my emotions were heightened to a new level after reading this book. Majorly my hatred toward Satyavati.
I have always despised the woman for what she did to Devarat, better known as Bhishma. I have also always noticed how the people fighting for the throne of Hastinapur in the Battle of Kurukshetra were not really the ones who deserved the throne, or the ones who even had any right over the throne. But well...
Anyway, my point being that I have always hated the woman. She always resembled that evil step-mother that one should never have, to me. And after reading Kavita Kane's book, it appeared that I began to hate her even more and then, all over again! My hatred for her was heightened so much that I can well imagine what a person feels after becoming a vampire. That passion of hatred!
The Fisher Queen's Dynasty by Kavita Kane is a nice take on the original story of the Mahabharata from the point of view of the fisher queen, Satyavati, and sometimes even Bhishma. It has always been hard to understand what really went on inside their heads because the duo managing the kingdom for so long were such complicated figures in their own selves. Yet, Kane's writing seems to have brought them alive in a way that I never expected them to. I have always felt strongly for the characters of the Mahabharata, especially Draupadi. However, at the same time, Satyavati and Bhishma were to characters that had always appeared to me as two-dimensional, in contrast to their later generations who were more or less three-dimensional to me. Kane's book brought that third dimension to their character that I had missed since a long while.
What I liked the most about this book was the way the story was told. It was perfect in every single way, Kane's writing, as I have already told, did not disappoint me. And neither did her speed. I guess it would be futile to talk about the plot since it was mainly the plot of Mahabharata in itself, just from a different perspective. However, I particularly liked that Satyavati's entire life story was told in as much as mere 325 pages, at the same time, not making anything sound boring.
Another thing that I loved was the emotions that flowed through each page of the book, from Kali's ambitiousness to Shantanu's helplessness to Bhishma's inner turmoil. All of these emotions were displayed in full fervor and added nothing but amazing text to the book. At times, though, there were too much emotions and no action. From a book that was talking about the story of Mahabharata, this looked slightly unappealing since the story of Mahabharata is always action-packed. This is what brings me to my next point:
What I disliked was that at certain points, the story seemed to be dragging a little. This bothered me a lot because although I wasn't bored at a single instance, I sure as hell was upset that it wasn't as appealing as it seemed to be.
However, despite this, the book was a beautiful story of an over-ambitious girl and how she led to the downfall of one of the greatest bloodlines of the nation.
I received this book as part of the Writer's Melon review program.
'People are as shallow as the river shore, never as deep as the river.'
- Kavita Kane, The Fisher Queen's Dynasty
Remember vampires? The Damon Salvatore kind who have always made us swoon over them? (Forgive me, I was watching The Originals recently hence the influence.) Well, what was the one thing that Salvatore taught us about vampires? The heightened emotions! To be honest, I am not a vampire but my emotions were heightened to a new level after reading this book. Majorly my hatred toward Satyavati.
I have always despised the woman for what she did to Devarat, better known as Bhishma. I have also always noticed how the people fighting for the throne of Hastinapur in the Battle of Kurukshetra were not really the ones who deserved the throne, or the ones who even had any right over the throne. But well...
Anyway, my point being that I have always hated the woman. She always resembled that evil step-mother that one should never have, to me. And after reading Kavita Kane's book, it appeared that I began to hate her even more and then, all over again! My hatred for her was heightened so much that I can well imagine what a person feels after becoming a vampire. That passion of hatred!
The Fisher Queen's Dynasty by Kavita Kane is a nice take on the original story of the Mahabharata from the point of view of the fisher queen, Satyavati, and sometimes even Bhishma. It has always been hard to understand what really went on inside their heads because the duo managing the kingdom for so long were such complicated figures in their own selves. Yet, Kane's writing seems to have brought them alive in a way that I never expected them to. I have always felt strongly for the characters of the Mahabharata, especially Draupadi. However, at the same time, Satyavati and Bhishma were to characters that had always appeared to me as two-dimensional, in contrast to their later generations who were more or less three-dimensional to me. Kane's book brought that third dimension to their character that I had missed since a long while.
What I liked the most about this book was the way the story was told. It was perfect in every single way, Kane's writing, as I have already told, did not disappoint me. And neither did her speed. I guess it would be futile to talk about the plot since it was mainly the plot of Mahabharata in itself, just from a different perspective. However, I particularly liked that Satyavati's entire life story was told in as much as mere 325 pages, at the same time, not making anything sound boring.
Another thing that I loved was the emotions that flowed through each page of the book, from Kali's ambitiousness to Shantanu's helplessness to Bhishma's inner turmoil. All of these emotions were displayed in full fervor and added nothing but amazing text to the book. At times, though, there were too much emotions and no action. From a book that was talking about the story of Mahabharata, this looked slightly unappealing since the story of Mahabharata is always action-packed. This is what brings me to my next point:
What I disliked was that at certain points, the story seemed to be dragging a little. This bothered me a lot because although I wasn't bored at a single instance, I sure as hell was upset that it wasn't as appealing as it seemed to be.
However, despite this, the book was a beautiful story of an over-ambitious girl and how she led to the downfall of one of the greatest bloodlines of the nation.
July 2, 2018
I must confess that I love to read and hear mythological stories. We all have heard, read and seen Indian mythology stories and like all stories, Indian mythology has their own under played characters. Many of characters like Urmila (Sita’s Sister – Laksham’s Wife); Vrushali (Karna’s Wife); Meenakshi aka Surpanakha (Lanka’s Princess – Ravan’s Sister) are strong but never had come to light. Author Kavita Kané is known for her books on these female protagonist which are not so much discussed in Indian mythology.
It is a challenging task to write, when the story is known yet making the readers to keep reading, and the author has weaved his magic once again in the book. This story is about Kali or Matsyagandha or Daseyi or Yojanagandha or Satyavati - the queen of Hastinapur,
Satyavati, of the Kuru Dynasty - a girl denied her rightful birthright, brought up under the care of a fisherman - a girl who rose from rags to riches, her journey through life. It is a tale of a woman who knew how to play her cards.
‘I learnt to love like a man—to love without feelings. And I shall never forget this lesson.’
Author has brought her alive by giving her a compelling and intellect appearance who is also emotional and protective towards her own children. And her evolution through time, ages, hardships and challenges, is strikingly portrayed through the fast-moving chapters.
The story is not only about Satyavati, it offers more for her readers. It also brought to light, the character of Bhism in a wider perspective and equally given space to develop his character. Bhism handsome young prince, who in every way qualifies to be a king and is the true heir to the throne to Hastinapur, but he sacrifices away his chance to become the king in order to fulfill his father's romantic wishes to marry a fisher-girl.
This is a novel that is worth the read because it is beautifully told by Kavita Kane and celebrates the life of a relatively unknown woman who changed the course of many lives in the Mahabharata. I really enjoyed reading it. I would highly recommend this book to those who are interested in reading mythology.
It is a challenging task to write, when the story is known yet making the readers to keep reading, and the author has weaved his magic once again in the book. This story is about Kali or Matsyagandha or Daseyi or Yojanagandha or Satyavati - the queen of Hastinapur,
Satyavati, of the Kuru Dynasty - a girl denied her rightful birthright, brought up under the care of a fisherman - a girl who rose from rags to riches, her journey through life. It is a tale of a woman who knew how to play her cards.
‘I learnt to love like a man—to love without feelings. And I shall never forget this lesson.’
Author has brought her alive by giving her a compelling and intellect appearance who is also emotional and protective towards her own children. And her evolution through time, ages, hardships and challenges, is strikingly portrayed through the fast-moving chapters.
The story is not only about Satyavati, it offers more for her readers. It also brought to light, the character of Bhism in a wider perspective and equally given space to develop his character. Bhism handsome young prince, who in every way qualifies to be a king and is the true heir to the throne to Hastinapur, but he sacrifices away his chance to become the king in order to fulfill his father's romantic wishes to marry a fisher-girl.
This is a novel that is worth the read because it is beautifully told by Kavita Kane and celebrates the life of a relatively unknown woman who changed the course of many lives in the Mahabharata. I really enjoyed reading it. I would highly recommend this book to those who are interested in reading mythology.
May 13, 2018
I am amazed by this author's knack of making the most undermined characters of our mythology the protagonist and telling the story from his/her point of view in most riveting style. She left me yearning for more ...
September 4, 2018
As far as I remember the epic drama of ‘Mahabharat’; the first visual that crosses my mind is the desperation of King Shantanu for Queen Satyavati. Her insecurity for the throne and taking unjustifiable promise of following Brahmacharya (celibacy) from Bhishm. It always seemed a perfect setup for a saga written thousand of years ago.
The Fisher Queen’s Dynasty is a book by Kavita Kané, where she has taken a unique path to highlight the story of Satyavati/Kali. It well captures the perilous journey of Matsygandha and how she chooses to manipulate people rest of her life to become the Queen and find her ways so forth. The story not only focuses on Satyavati but gives a detailed sketch of Bhishm’s character and widens you perspective on his choice of decisions. The story delves into the outright contradictions of each character and puts a spotlight on royal dilemma.
Kavita is a senior journalist and a renowned author of several books about the lesser known female mythological characters that got lost over a period of time. These are strong women who contributed significantly into the stories and had weighted opinions. She has done a commendable work in her recent release.
The narration of the book guides you into a grey area of emotions and behavior; at one side you would see a positive side of Satyavati and on the other hand, Bhishm struggling with his own ideals. It also brings lesser known characters like Uparichara Vasu, Amba etc who shape the projection of the story. The characters are raw and blunt, almost life like and that makes the reader believe in them. The narrative is simple and almost poem like, the writing flows in a manner that it feels like watching a dream.
It’s an enthralling book that will push you into the world of contradictions and perplexity. It will time and again force you to question the choices of characters and their psychology behind such actions. It will also leave you with a constant tussle in mind to love or hate Satyavati.
All in all, it’s a good read for people interested in fiction mixed with mythology.
The Fisher Queen’s Dynasty is a book by Kavita Kané, where she has taken a unique path to highlight the story of Satyavati/Kali. It well captures the perilous journey of Matsygandha and how she chooses to manipulate people rest of her life to become the Queen and find her ways so forth. The story not only focuses on Satyavati but gives a detailed sketch of Bhishm’s character and widens you perspective on his choice of decisions. The story delves into the outright contradictions of each character and puts a spotlight on royal dilemma.
Kavita is a senior journalist and a renowned author of several books about the lesser known female mythological characters that got lost over a period of time. These are strong women who contributed significantly into the stories and had weighted opinions. She has done a commendable work in her recent release.
The narration of the book guides you into a grey area of emotions and behavior; at one side you would see a positive side of Satyavati and on the other hand, Bhishm struggling with his own ideals. It also brings lesser known characters like Uparichara Vasu, Amba etc who shape the projection of the story. The characters are raw and blunt, almost life like and that makes the reader believe in them. The narrative is simple and almost poem like, the writing flows in a manner that it feels like watching a dream.
It’s an enthralling book that will push you into the world of contradictions and perplexity. It will time and again force you to question the choices of characters and their psychology behind such actions. It will also leave you with a constant tussle in mind to love or hate Satyavati.
All in all, it’s a good read for people interested in fiction mixed with mythology.
September 19, 2018
Author- Kavita Kane
No. Of pages- 325
Publisher- Westland Books
Genre- Mythological Fiction
Review:
The stories of Pandavas and Kauravas are widely known. Kurukshetra was the ultimate battle that followed due to the clash of interests between these two clans of the Kurus. But do we have any idea of the fact that the roots of this dynasty were instilled in the soil of Hastinapur way before the Pandavas and Kauravas? This book is an actual answer to that. It follows the journey of Satyavati, the grand matriarch of the Kurus. A fierce and determined woman, Satyavati found her way on the throne of Hastinapur despite being from the Fisher community herself. Suffering taunts from the community due to her dark complexion and foul smell, Satyavati utilised this virtue of her to her advantage when a young rishi found a way of fulfilling his lust in her. A victim to cruel fate and hardened to the core by circumstances, Satyavati was assured that she has to take part in the cruel game of royal politics in order to survive the throne she has captured from it's rightful heir, all her attempts being securing a heir from her sons for the throne of Hastinapur. Losing her sons even wasn't enough take her away from that motive. A rational and practical woman, emotions weren't a part of her. Despite all these, there was a thing that was missing all the way. Disillusionment, guilt and a view of upcoming disaster made for the realization that the throne wasn't everything. It has it's own share of helplessness.
The author has done a really good job at framing the characters. The storyline is perfect. The well known myths have it's own place in the book. Engaging from the first chapter, it's difficult to abandon the book once I had started reading it.
Overall, the book was an amazing insight into the life of the grand matriarch of the Kurus.
No. Of pages- 325
Publisher- Westland Books
Genre- Mythological Fiction
Review:
The stories of Pandavas and Kauravas are widely known. Kurukshetra was the ultimate battle that followed due to the clash of interests between these two clans of the Kurus. But do we have any idea of the fact that the roots of this dynasty were instilled in the soil of Hastinapur way before the Pandavas and Kauravas? This book is an actual answer to that. It follows the journey of Satyavati, the grand matriarch of the Kurus. A fierce and determined woman, Satyavati found her way on the throne of Hastinapur despite being from the Fisher community herself. Suffering taunts from the community due to her dark complexion and foul smell, Satyavati utilised this virtue of her to her advantage when a young rishi found a way of fulfilling his lust in her. A victim to cruel fate and hardened to the core by circumstances, Satyavati was assured that she has to take part in the cruel game of royal politics in order to survive the throne she has captured from it's rightful heir, all her attempts being securing a heir from her sons for the throne of Hastinapur. Losing her sons even wasn't enough take her away from that motive. A rational and practical woman, emotions weren't a part of her. Despite all these, there was a thing that was missing all the way. Disillusionment, guilt and a view of upcoming disaster made for the realization that the throne wasn't everything. It has it's own share of helplessness.
The author has done a really good job at framing the characters. The storyline is perfect. The well known myths have it's own place in the book. Engaging from the first chapter, it's difficult to abandon the book once I had started reading it.
Overall, the book was an amazing insight into the life of the grand matriarch of the Kurus.
August 30, 2021
Mahabharata, the greatest epic ever written in the history of the world. It is 4 times bigger than Ramayana and 10 times bigger than the Iliad. The scope covered in this epic is wide and varied. There are many philosophical discussions, human emotions, and day to day life of people covered here. With a mixture of magic and reality, Mahabharata can light our imagination and open up our minds. I have never read the original epic. But I have read many abridged versions and retellings. A shout out to Krishna Udayashankar, Ananth Neelkantan, PK Balakrishnan, and MT Vasudevan in this regard. These authors have written some of the best reinterpretations of this epic.
The Fisher Queens Dynasty is a unique retelling, telling the story of Satyavati and Bhishma. The story of a woman who established a dynasty and the man who did the wrong things for the right reasons. This is a story filled with political intrigue and tragedy. Lust plays a major role in the book. Human emotions are like wildfire, engulfing everything in its path. I call this book unique, as it tells the story the point of view of Matsyagandha and Bhishma. It is a fresh perspective on the things that lead to the fall of Kuru dynasty. Magic and reality are masterfully interwoven and liberalities taken by the author are minimal when coming to the plot setting.
Kavita has always done great work when retelling epics from the viewpoint of the lesser-known female characters. By far, this is my favourite work. The cunning and alluring Satyavati will keep you hooked. More like hook line and sinker.
The Fisher Queens Dynasty is a unique retelling, telling the story of Satyavati and Bhishma. The story of a woman who established a dynasty and the man who did the wrong things for the right reasons. This is a story filled with political intrigue and tragedy. Lust plays a major role in the book. Human emotions are like wildfire, engulfing everything in its path. I call this book unique, as it tells the story the point of view of Matsyagandha and Bhishma. It is a fresh perspective on the things that lead to the fall of Kuru dynasty. Magic and reality are masterfully interwoven and liberalities taken by the author are minimal when coming to the plot setting.
Kavita has always done great work when retelling epics from the viewpoint of the lesser-known female characters. By far, this is my favourite work. The cunning and alluring Satyavati will keep you hooked. More like hook line and sinker.
December 12, 2019
The modern mahabharata.
It is a great character that the author has chosen to write about. The story justifies to be called the modern mahabharata, if she chose to write further. It pretty long in some places, could have been a little bit less and easier to read.
It is a great character that the author has chosen to write about. The story justifies to be called the modern mahabharata, if she chose to write further. It pretty long in some places, could have been a little bit less and easier to read.
August 28, 2018
Reviews by storyteller_md_ak
THE FISHER'S QUEEN DYNASTY : @kavitakane
_______________
Mythology is mine one of the favourite topic. Mythology taught us about the ancient era and about the ancient and history lifestyle which helps us to relate our lives as what we're now. But mythology is not an easy topic, it's a very critical subject. Because mythology is a such type of genre which can't be written before proper research about it. You can make it poetic but can't be twisted beyond the limits.
The book is the story of Satyavati and along-side bhisma told in a new twisted and poetic way. the book focuses on lesser-known characters like uparichar Vasu- biological father of Satyavati, dasharaj- foster-father of mastyagandha, amba- princess of Kasi and nemesis of bhisma and finally the most beautiful of all Satyavati or mastyagandha or yojanagandha or daseyi, herself.
Mahabharata is ofcourse one of the favourite topic for the Storytellers and filmmakers in india but here i can say Kavita kane tell this story in such a beautiful way , twisted in a very interesting and attractive poetic emotions.
Best part of this book is the beauty of words and narration and an amazing vocabulary.
Author has diminished a lot of myths about the history of Mahabharata and about the characters related to it. Metaphor is used in pretty good way during the whole tale. Imagination and improvisations are quite impressive and beautiful.
The ending is just mesmerising, the way the author makes it a conclusive one by explaining how Satyavati accepts the consequences of all her choices and does not believe in fate and finally she enters into ganga and dies by drowning-realising all her mistakes makes it hit the right note.
Emotions are mesmerizing , all the emotions are relatable and way of telling the story make it real experience at that moment. Way of storytelling of Kavita kane can merge you in to her imagination very springly.
Brilliant imagination , emotions , very intensive characters. Intense philosophy.
This is perfect mythological fiction and i recommend you this if you are a mythology lover must read this book.
__________________________________________
Thanks @writersmelon for providing me review copy.
THE FISHER'S QUEEN DYNASTY : @kavitakane
_______________
Mythology is mine one of the favourite topic. Mythology taught us about the ancient era and about the ancient and history lifestyle which helps us to relate our lives as what we're now. But mythology is not an easy topic, it's a very critical subject. Because mythology is a such type of genre which can't be written before proper research about it. You can make it poetic but can't be twisted beyond the limits.
The book is the story of Satyavati and along-side bhisma told in a new twisted and poetic way. the book focuses on lesser-known characters like uparichar Vasu- biological father of Satyavati, dasharaj- foster-father of mastyagandha, amba- princess of Kasi and nemesis of bhisma and finally the most beautiful of all Satyavati or mastyagandha or yojanagandha or daseyi, herself.
Mahabharata is ofcourse one of the favourite topic for the Storytellers and filmmakers in india but here i can say Kavita kane tell this story in such a beautiful way , twisted in a very interesting and attractive poetic emotions.
Best part of this book is the beauty of words and narration and an amazing vocabulary.
Author has diminished a lot of myths about the history of Mahabharata and about the characters related to it. Metaphor is used in pretty good way during the whole tale. Imagination and improvisations are quite impressive and beautiful.
The ending is just mesmerising, the way the author makes it a conclusive one by explaining how Satyavati accepts the consequences of all her choices and does not believe in fate and finally she enters into ganga and dies by drowning-realising all her mistakes makes it hit the right note.
Emotions are mesmerizing , all the emotions are relatable and way of telling the story make it real experience at that moment. Way of storytelling of Kavita kane can merge you in to her imagination very springly.
Brilliant imagination , emotions , very intensive characters. Intense philosophy.
This is perfect mythological fiction and i recommend you this if you are a mythology lover must read this book.
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Thanks @writersmelon for providing me review copy.
August 28, 2018
A huge thank you to Writersmelon for sending this review copy in exchange of an honest review.
I broke my own record today by completing this book in just a day. Does that say anything about how wonderful this book is?
We have all heard tales of awe about the mighty Bhishma. But little do we know how he derived that name. Bhishma is a very well-known Indian Mythological character whose life was filled with turbulence. The mightiest, bravest and loyal Bhishma has a very interesting story about his origin and this book gives a glimpse of the same. The author has done an outstanding job by offering his story to the readers.
This book took me by surprise because there were so many details that I wasn’t aware of. This book revolves around Satyavati who was the Queen of Hastinapur. It talks about her life in all its glory and failures, her choices and regrets, and the way she affected everybody’s lives around her.
Satyavati was a shrewd woman, manipulative, extremely intelligent and cold hearted. This novel describes the real her. The woman she was at heart and what made her the way she was. It should be a must read for all the readers including beginners since it’s written by using simple yet very effective vocabulary. Her existence is narrated beautifully in this novel that tugs at the heart of its readers. The characters in the book are highlighted gracefully, pointing out even the minute details that any other author might have missed out on.
Why you should read this?
We might have heard Mythological stories passed down by our ancestors but our perspective changes once we read the books. This novel is one of such kind where it ropes in abundant knowledge and history into 21st Century where people have no time to read the big scholarly books. With just the right amount of details and picturesque description of the scenery as well as the characters, this book is truly a worthy read.
I broke my own record today by completing this book in just a day. Does that say anything about how wonderful this book is?
We have all heard tales of awe about the mighty Bhishma. But little do we know how he derived that name. Bhishma is a very well-known Indian Mythological character whose life was filled with turbulence. The mightiest, bravest and loyal Bhishma has a very interesting story about his origin and this book gives a glimpse of the same. The author has done an outstanding job by offering his story to the readers.
This book took me by surprise because there were so many details that I wasn’t aware of. This book revolves around Satyavati who was the Queen of Hastinapur. It talks about her life in all its glory and failures, her choices and regrets, and the way she affected everybody’s lives around her.
Satyavati was a shrewd woman, manipulative, extremely intelligent and cold hearted. This novel describes the real her. The woman she was at heart and what made her the way she was. It should be a must read for all the readers including beginners since it’s written by using simple yet very effective vocabulary. Her existence is narrated beautifully in this novel that tugs at the heart of its readers. The characters in the book are highlighted gracefully, pointing out even the minute details that any other author might have missed out on.
Why you should read this?
We might have heard Mythological stories passed down by our ancestors but our perspective changes once we read the books. This novel is one of such kind where it ropes in abundant knowledge and history into 21st Century where people have no time to read the big scholarly books. With just the right amount of details and picturesque description of the scenery as well as the characters, this book is truly a worthy read.
August 3, 2021
Another untold story by Kavita Kane!!
We generally know the Mythological History of Mahabharata but have we ever ventured in to:
∆ How a particular Character must have felt?
∆ How some decisions have actually led to the so called Kurukshetra War?
This book revolves around as the prelude to the epic war.
Satyavati : A born Princess, Abandoned, brought up as a Fisher woman, her craving to be a Queen, an epitome of unfaltering Hope & Fortitude, one who defiantly braves odd,
THE SEED OF THE FAMOUS EPIC.
What disturbed me in this whole book was a touch of negativity in her character.
∆ Shantanu's Guilt
∆ Bhishm's Famous Vow of Celibacy
∆ Amba's Decision
was it in any way fault of Satyavati? We need to think twice before judging!!
All I could feel about her is SHE WAS AMBITIOUS!!
Taking efforts & making compromises to earn dignity from Kali to Queen, taking care of Hastinapur so that legacy is carried on, surviving with every soul around you being judgemental is surely an arduous journey!!
On the whole its a beautifully rendered book with a new perception on the passive character in 'The Mahabharata'.
I felt it wasn't as gripping as the other Kane's books but You can give a try!!
We generally know the Mythological History of Mahabharata but have we ever ventured in to:
∆ How a particular Character must have felt?
∆ How some decisions have actually led to the so called Kurukshetra War?
This book revolves around as the prelude to the epic war.
Satyavati : A born Princess, Abandoned, brought up as a Fisher woman, her craving to be a Queen, an epitome of unfaltering Hope & Fortitude, one who defiantly braves odd,
THE SEED OF THE FAMOUS EPIC.
What disturbed me in this whole book was a touch of negativity in her character.
∆ Shantanu's Guilt
∆ Bhishm's Famous Vow of Celibacy
∆ Amba's Decision
was it in any way fault of Satyavati? We need to think twice before judging!!
All I could feel about her is SHE WAS AMBITIOUS!!
Taking efforts & making compromises to earn dignity from Kali to Queen, taking care of Hastinapur so that legacy is carried on, surviving with every soul around you being judgemental is surely an arduous journey!!
On the whole its a beautifully rendered book with a new perception on the passive character in 'The Mahabharata'.
I felt it wasn't as gripping as the other Kane's books but You can give a try!!
January 8, 2022
The moral of the story is - One cannot escape his/her FATE.
and
The bigger lesson is - One cannot build a castle by burying someone else's happiness - which Satyavati tried to do by taking away Devavrat's right to rule and reserve it for her yet to be born kids. Both of the kids short lived without heirs and undeserving to rule Hastinapur.
Devavrat on the other hand trained and superior in skills to become a mighty ruler of Hastinapur forsakes all out of his love for his Father. Hastinapur sure had to pay a heavy price for his one decision.
The book revolves around Devavrat and Satyavati time of ruling Hastinapur which shapes the foundation for the battle of Kurukshetra. Written in a simple and lucid manner, it is comfortable to read.
and
The bigger lesson is - One cannot build a castle by burying someone else's happiness - which Satyavati tried to do by taking away Devavrat's right to rule and reserve it for her yet to be born kids. Both of the kids short lived without heirs and undeserving to rule Hastinapur.
Devavrat on the other hand trained and superior in skills to become a mighty ruler of Hastinapur forsakes all out of his love for his Father. Hastinapur sure had to pay a heavy price for his one decision.
The book revolves around Devavrat and Satyavati time of ruling Hastinapur which shapes the foundation for the battle of Kurukshetra. Written in a simple and lucid manner, it is comfortable to read.
May 2, 2018
Kavita Kane has done it again! She picks up a lesser known character Satyavati and weaves her magic. An abandoned princess, brought up as a fisher woman, her journey through life is what the story is about. It is a tale of a woman who knew how to play her cards. Her choices were dubious and resulted in great catastrophe after a couple of generations. She knew when she made a mistake but was unapologetic. The author has very deftly explored the grey shades of this character. The reader is compelled to empathise with Satyavati's choices. That is the success of this book. Lovely read!
January 12, 2018
It is a challenging task to write, when the story is known yet making the readers to keep reading. In this regard I really appreciate the task taken up by the writer to write about Satyavati. Well written book. The narration is interesting.
January 5, 2019
It is the greatest irony with the Mahabharat that even being a quarrel of men, it is women of the epic who are often considered as the root of the catastrophe took place in the field of Kurukshetra. Most commonly Draupadi is charged with the responsibility to bring the havoc on the Kuru Clan but there are some lesser characters too which, to an lesser extent and not as directly as Draupadi, are charged with the responsibility of bringing the havoc. Satyavati is one such character and this book by Kavita Kané is about her.
My main problem with the book was it's synopsis, which was misleading the synopsis says that she was "preyed on by a rishi" but when I read the book it was exactly different. What Satyavati does in this instance is kind of a give and take deal. She gets pregnant with Sage Parashar's son and in exchange she asks Parashar to get her rid of the fishy smell comes out of her body. Later she herself shows her proud that her one son will be a great learned man and her other son will be a king of the greatest dynasty of India. So I didn't find any logic behind "preyed on by a rishi".
"She learns to be ruthless, unscrupulous — traits that estrange her from everyone around. Everyone, except the man she cheated of his birthright...."
I didn't get any logic behind this part of book and synopsis. Because in the book it was not Satyavati who forces Bheeshm to take the oath but it's her father who asks Bheeshm to do so, in this instance Satyavati is constantly shown trying to revolt against her father and on the other it was on Bheeshm to take or not to take the oath. If this part was establish Satyavati as a real ruthless and ambitious character then she has already done the most ruthless thing she can do to Bheeshm. The character of Satyavati fluctuates throughout the book sometimes it is shown as a wannabe ruthless and sometimes a helpless woman who sole aim and ambition is to get acceptence. The other problem with the book is that it takes too much time to get from one point to other. There are over elaborative discription of what a character thinks which stratches the book and gives it a feeling of a daily soap episode.
The only thing I enjoyed is when Shantanu's brother Bahlik works as the truth which Shantanu, Satyavati and Bheeshm choose to ignore but he makes them realise that what has happened is not an individual's mistake, it is the mistake of all three of them. This instance made me realise that how short sighted (I would say almost blind) decision Bheeshm, Shantanu and Satyavati took.
2 Stars.
My main problem with the book was it's synopsis, which was misleading the synopsis says that she was "preyed on by a rishi" but when I read the book it was exactly different. What Satyavati does in this instance is kind of a give and take deal. She gets pregnant with Sage Parashar's son and in exchange she asks Parashar to get her rid of the fishy smell comes out of her body. Later she herself shows her proud that her one son will be a great learned man and her other son will be a king of the greatest dynasty of India. So I didn't find any logic behind "preyed on by a rishi".
"She learns to be ruthless, unscrupulous — traits that estrange her from everyone around. Everyone, except the man she cheated of his birthright...."
I didn't get any logic behind this part of book and synopsis. Because in the book it was not Satyavati who forces Bheeshm to take the oath but it's her father who asks Bheeshm to do so, in this instance Satyavati is constantly shown trying to revolt against her father and on the other it was on Bheeshm to take or not to take the oath. If this part was establish Satyavati as a real ruthless and ambitious character then she has already done the most ruthless thing she can do to Bheeshm. The character of Satyavati fluctuates throughout the book sometimes it is shown as a wannabe ruthless and sometimes a helpless woman who sole aim and ambition is to get acceptence. The other problem with the book is that it takes too much time to get from one point to other. There are over elaborative discription of what a character thinks which stratches the book and gives it a feeling of a daily soap episode.
The only thing I enjoyed is when Shantanu's brother Bahlik works as the truth which Shantanu, Satyavati and Bheeshm choose to ignore but he makes them realise that what has happened is not an individual's mistake, it is the mistake of all three of them. This instance made me realise that how short sighted (I would say almost blind) decision Bheeshm, Shantanu and Satyavati took.
2 Stars.
July 22, 2018
This was one of the Editor's Picks e-books available to Amazon Prime customers this month. I have previously read and liked 'Karna's Wife' and 'Sita's Sister'. This one was disappointing with and without comparison.
Sadly, the book shows a lot of promise. Queen Satyavati could have made a wonderfully ambitious character, like Cersei in Game of Thrones. But trying to insert morality to her actions weakens her character as a whole. Bhism is a major character too and it would have been interesting to read about the entire war from his perspective. His guilt and emotions are better portrayed than Satyavati, but it was unnecessary to hint at a romance between them. What I really cannot forgive this book for is portraying Amba as 'crazy'. In lore she was abducted at her swaymwar and later spurned by three princes. Her desire for revenge can be well-explained, even without making her a woman drivenc crazy by love for Bhism. This book tries to absolve blame from Satyavati and Bhism. Not only does it fail, it also comes across as ridiculous for trying.
Sadly, the book shows a lot of promise. Queen Satyavati could have made a wonderfully ambitious character, like Cersei in Game of Thrones. But trying to insert morality to her actions weakens her character as a whole. Bhism is a major character too and it would have been interesting to read about the entire war from his perspective. His guilt and emotions are better portrayed than Satyavati, but it was unnecessary to hint at a romance between them. What I really cannot forgive this book for is portraying Amba as 'crazy'. In lore she was abducted at her swaymwar and later spurned by three princes. Her desire for revenge can be well-explained, even without making her a woman drivenc crazy by love for Bhism. This book tries to absolve blame from Satyavati and Bhism. Not only does it fail, it also comes across as ridiculous for trying.
December 18, 2019
Satyavati... I resented this name, for what she had done with Bhishm's life out of her quest and mad ambition for power!
But this book took me to the wonderful array of the Mahabharat and unfolded the truth of the character... Where, a poor fisher girl plots, schemes and rigs those around her to become a queen. She was not stone-hearted; she was vulnerable to the situations that life had thrown on her and which she has turned into opportunities. She strived for justice, change in mindsets and among all - challenged patriarchy!!! Which in itself is rebellious!!!
The beautiful thing about her character is she did have regrets, and she accepted all her flaws and mistakes bravely, taking responsibility for all of them!!! Now, I adore her; for what she was!!! I wonder why the great Mahabharat is underrated among young readers!!!
This "War of Scion" is as captivating as any game of thrones!!!!!
But this book took me to the wonderful array of the Mahabharat and unfolded the truth of the character... Where, a poor fisher girl plots, schemes and rigs those around her to become a queen. She was not stone-hearted; she was vulnerable to the situations that life had thrown on her and which she has turned into opportunities. She strived for justice, change in mindsets and among all - challenged patriarchy!!! Which in itself is rebellious!!!
The beautiful thing about her character is she did have regrets, and she accepted all her flaws and mistakes bravely, taking responsibility for all of them!!! Now, I adore her; for what she was!!! I wonder why the great Mahabharat is underrated among young readers!!!
This "War of Scion" is as captivating as any game of thrones!!!!!
October 18, 2018
This is the story of Satyavati, born to a king, abandoned by him, who grew up as a fisher girl, then turned into a cunning lady willing to go any extent to become a queen and safeguard her progeny. The grand matriarch of the Kuru family, instrumental in starting the events leading to the battle of Kurukshetra. The story shows Mahabharata in a new light, the back story of one of the most important characters- Bhishm who was born as Devavrat, his life story and the role of Satyavati in it.
This book is mythology at it's best with exhaustive information and several intricacies minutely connected.
A must read for everyone.
See my full review on my blog. Link is is the bio.
This book is mythology at it's best with exhaustive information and several intricacies minutely connected.
A must read for everyone.
See my full review on my blog. Link is is the bio.
June 27, 2021
I found this book a bit slow in the beginning.
But after birth of Chitrangad and Vichitravirya, the story picked up.
Never knew Satyavati was a mean scheming nasty queen.
Good language. Got to know a lot about the three As, Amba, Ambika and Ambalika.
How these queens Ambika and Ambalika crave for power!!!!! Disgusting.
Overall a good read. You get to know the story behind each character of the Big Rpic Mahabarat.
But after birth of Chitrangad and Vichitravirya, the story picked up.
Never knew Satyavati was a mean scheming nasty queen.
Good language. Got to know a lot about the three As, Amba, Ambika and Ambalika.
How these queens Ambika and Ambalika crave for power!!!!! Disgusting.
Overall a good read. You get to know the story behind each character of the Big Rpic Mahabarat.
January 4, 2019
☘️This book is about the incidents that took place before Mahabharata.
☘️The narration style of the author is really appreciable.
☘️ The cover is so beautiful.
☘️The title is apt.
☘️The blurb itself is so powerful.
☘️I loved the way Bhism's character is portrait here.
☘️My love for Mythology increased after reading this book.
☘️The narration style of the author is really appreciable.
☘️ The cover is so beautiful.
☘️The title is apt.
☘️The blurb itself is so powerful.
☘️I loved the way Bhism's character is portrait here.
☘️My love for Mythology increased after reading this book.
July 8, 2020
a very interesting retelling of the story of Saytavati, and Bhishma. the Mahabharata is a story with so many shades of grey and this retelling adds a lot of perspective to the story... the characters are very human, and the author does not shirk from painting them in a negative light...
November 19, 2020
An average book with story from the eyes of the fisher queen but apart from a few instances most of the stuff is already widely known.
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