This is epic story-telling, Ashok Banker has taken a footnote from history, or to be precise the 7th mandala of Rig Veda and converted it into a stunning novel which gives us a peek into the "Bharat" of 3400 BC.
The significance of the date only hits you as you turn the last page, till then you are mesmerized by a battle of unequal. 60,000warriors led by 10 Kings against 6,000 Trutsu Bharat warriors led by King Sudas. Only one result should have been obvious, but history or in this case part mythology has funny ways of twisting the narrative.
The book is eminently relevant as it dwells deep into the morality of war and kingship. The high point of the book is the debate between Rishi Vashishtha and Rishi Vishwamitra on the peak of Uttang. This is not a historical novel, it's a historical thriller which never preaches yet has lessons which are probably as relevant today as they were 5400 years back.
I can't wait for the next book in this series. While Ashok Banker is well know for his English retellings of Mahabharata and Ramayana, I fell this is his best work ever. What an awesome book. Thank you Ashok Banker for giving a new perspective on the formation of Bharat-Varsha, even though it is a fictional account, historians will wonder if this isn't the authentic version.
Rating : 4 / 5
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