In Defence of the Realm

by Sanjay Deshpande, Lalit Kumar Sharma (Illustrator)

In an ancient age, when the pyramids were being built in Egypt, and Mesopotamia was rising under the rule of the Akkadians, the Indus Valley Civilisation grew in the plains of western India...Four times the size of its more famous contemporaries, the Indus Valley Civilisation grew around a network of five great cities where peace and prosperity reigned. Prince Meluha, the young crown prince of Dholavira, enjoyed a life of pleasure until Sargon, the ambitious ruler of the Mesopotamian city of Akkad, turned his eye towards the east and sent his army to take these lands. Will Prince Meluha be able to save his kingdom? Or will the powerful Akkadians and their fearsome weapons of mass destruction destroy all before help is at hand? Read on to join Prince Meluha in his adventure to reclaim the sovereignty of his lands in what is truly a brilliant and insightful recreation of the times of the Indus Valley Civilization.

Genres: Graphic Novels

104 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Kavitha Sivakumar · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The story could have been better with at least the illustrations showcasing the items discovered from excavations of those times as the author is an archaeologist. Only the bath is from those times.

[May · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't get me wrong. I did not hate this book or anything. I just found myself skimming through most of it. None of the characters appealed to me. I just wasn't invested enough to care about the story. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that I wasn't up to reading an epic historic.

[Hrishabh · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story is basic and could be done in 10 pages. The author fills it with history & knowledge to bulk up the story but has very little to actually do with the story.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Acquired: Received a review copy from Steerforth Press.

Reason for Reading: I enjoy ancient historical fiction and am a fan of this India-based publisher.

An epic historical tale told within the frame of an ancient (150BC) children's study class. The book starts off with a two page spread of text explaining that very little is known of the actual people who lived in the Indus Valley in ancient times, but that much *is* known about how they lived and their way of life. This story takes place in 2310BC in the Indus Valley with one real historically known person, Sargon, an Akkadian king. Sargon was a conqueror who sought to expand his lands and conquered much of the area at this time in history. This story supposes he tries to conquer the Indus Valley and by having the 5 small empires join together as one they are able to defeat his mighty army. But it is also the personal story of two people, Prince Meluha, heir to one kingdom and his betrothed, Princess Kundalini, heir to another kingdom. This is an exciting story which I read through in one sitting involving treason, treachery, loyalty, battles of might and battles of wit. Also, of course, a minor love story as the two main characters were betrothed as young teens and now meet again for the first time in five years. A very realistic portrayal of the times, good graphics, and an exciting story make for an exhilarating read.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

This graphic novel tells a history of the Indus Valley Civilization. Much of the information is based on actual archaeological information although individual names are fiction. The authors are archaeologists.

I am not a big fan of graphic novels. This tells the story well through words and pictures. You do get a sense of what life was like. It is a quick read and would be good for folks interested in this time in history.

[Aryan Dhiman · Rating 3 out of 5]

graphics are not interesting as other campfire novels do have but story is well explained with historical instances about civilisations..a good timepass

[Tomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good book. So cool.