Author: Amish Tripathi
Rating:★★★★
I love when fantasy author's break the mold and set their novels in unexpected places. With such a rich cultural history, India makes a wonderful location. I thought Tripathi did a great job of educating the reader while entertaining. You learn a lot of new terms as you read.
There were parts of Shiva's journey that I really enjoyed and some that I didn't. I like that he wasn't made into a totally perfect, invincible character. He may be a very important figure, but he is also a man. He is not flawless. In the end he learns of his mistakes and takes personal responsibility for them. I thought that at times the attempts to make him human fell a little flat. A person isn't more human because they smoke marijuana and curse. I felt like he lacked some depth. He was given some personal vulnerabilities from his past- but it just felt a little disconnected. Sita's character as well. It would have been nice to hear about her journey from vikarma to regular society. I did think her character was very interesting though.
Where the book really started to catch my attention was the last quarter. The tension in the scenes of the battle was a great build up. You could feel something wasn't right. I usually hate cliffhanger endings, but this seemed like an almost natural place to end the first book. I don't know that it was a standout book for me, but it was entertaining enough.
*Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC, all opinions are my own.
Set in 1900 BC we meet a young Shiva. He and his tribe leave behind their bloodthirsty lands and journey to Meluha. They find a utopian civilization. Society is ordered and scientifically beyond their time. Shiva's life turns upside down when he is named the people's savior. He alone is suppose to save the people from their evil neighbors.
There were parts of Shiva's journey that I really enjoyed and some that I didn't. I like that he wasn't made into a totally perfect, invincible character. He may be a very important figure, but he is also a man. He is not flawless. In the end he learns of his mistakes and takes personal responsibility for them. I thought that at times the attempts to make him human fell a little flat. A person isn't more human because they smoke marijuana and curse. I felt like he lacked some depth. He was given some personal vulnerabilities from his past- but it just felt a little disconnected. Sita's character as well. It would have been nice to hear about her journey from vikarma to regular society. I did think her character was very interesting though.
Where the book really started to catch my attention was the last quarter. The tension in the scenes of the battle was a great build up. You could feel something wasn't right. I usually hate cliffhanger endings, but this seemed like an almost natural place to end the first book. I don't know that it was a standout book for me, but it was entertaining enough.
*Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC, all opinions are my own.
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