****This review contains spoilers. So please do not go on if you haven't read the books already****
I started reading "The Immortals of Meluha", the first book of the Shiva trilogy, when a friend highly recommended
it. Naturally my expectations were quite low because of the fact that when a book series gets that popular, it
is generally accompanied by a lot of hype. However the trilogy exceeded my expectations mostly and even proved excellent in some places. In fact, after reading the trilogy I have developed an urge to visit the Mansarovar at least once.
The first thing one should expect from the books is that they are full of fresh re-interpretation of mythology.
It could truly shock the reader in the beginning, but we get used to that and learn to roll with it.
The concept that impressed me to begin with was Shiva being an immigrant from Tibet. It provided an air of
reality and validation to the entire plot. The Shivaganas being his own tribe also added to the fact. This
re-imagination of the Shivaleela is bold and imaginative. Sati and Parvathi being the same person was truly
innovative and gave the story a whole new flavour. The elaborate buidling of the central theme i.e., the
cultural difference between the Suryavanshis and Chandravanshis was filled with refreshing new ideas. The
expression of these differences in mindset through their archtirecture and attire was only natural, yet brilliant.
However what didn't sit well with me were the inconsistencies in timing and language. The author uses contemporary Hindi and Sanskrit interchangeably all over the place so much that it made me squirm. If we stayed true to the timelines of the story, both the languages couldn't have been in the same shape and form that we see them in, today. The random derivation of terms was unconvincing for me.
Added to it, the liberties taken with the original story were not always easy to digest. For instance,
Sati being a Vikarma or Ganesh being a Naga. However if we look at the series as a fresh fiction only adapting characters from the existing mythology and not as a retelling of the mythology itself, then it is easier to accept it as a good read.
For me, the quality of the stories steadily declined with "The Secret of the Nagas". The fact that
Brihaspati was alive was extremely guessable. It was no secret at all. Nor were the identieis of Ganesh and
Kali, allthough I liked their character sketches.
The last book, "The Return of the Vayuputras" was interesting only after Sati's battle near Devarigi. The pace was really slow till then. I am sure everybody expected the series to end with an epic battle with a major role played by the Vayuputra's when they read the title. To be fair, the concept surrounding Pariha and explanation for Ahuras and Daevas was truly interesting. However, the conclusion to Shiva's encounter with the Vayuputras felt utterly half baked. It din't do justice to all the hype built around it. The ending was too sad and totally disappointing. Of course, it can be thought of as fitting with the theme of all the characters being only human. but even humans can deal with tragedies in very graceful ways. That too, Shiva being Shiva, I expected
him to find peace at some point of time and was utterly disappointed when it dint' happen.
Similarly the part about Somras being evil. Although central to the whole plot, the Somras is not an active
threat. Its not fair to call it evil. It reminded me the idiom, "One man's meat is another man's poison".
Although I liked the part about the Somras being the Halahal, I really could not understand what turned the
lead antagonist, Brighu against it after all in the end!
What salvaged the book for me was the chapter "The Final Kill". The way the author has narrated
Sati's battle against the tribe of Aten shows that he is not paying mere lip service to a woman's strength like
millions all over the world. He actually considers her a true warrior and a brilliant strategist, who stays
extremely smart even under immense pressure. He shows her to be capable of tolerating extraordinary physical injuries and keep fighting. I consider this to be a true homage to the womankind.
For me, the highest point about the trilogy was that although the author wildly reimagined the stories, he
stayed true to the basic spirit of each character. Shiva was truly the "Bholenath", the God who has the ability
to suck poision out of anyone with his open heart;Sati, the extremely principled epitome of a lady; Ganesh, the
brilliant strategist, yet a mama's boy at heart; Karthik, the ruthless warrior and Kali, the Godess of wrath.
I consider this to be the success of the Amish's work.
I have added some pictures from the trilogy's trailers. They give me the feeling that the story might be much better suited for the visual media.
My Review:
Rating:
4 (5 highest - 1 lowest)
I recommend it for:
The fluidity of story telling/Interesting fantasy and mythology based plot/ hollywoodesque
romance, action and dream sequences
Impressive One-Liners:
- dharmah matih udgritah - dharma is what well judged by your mind;
think closely about dharma and your mind will tell you what is right
- One cannot allow a bad deed to arrest the wheel of karma
- Being faithful to our path will lead to consequences both good as well as evil, for that is the way of the
universe.
Next work of the same author on my wishlist:
since there are none, I would probably go back to the Rig Veda
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