The Last Hun-Ashwin Razdan

Book: The Last Hun

Author: Ashwin Razdan

Publisher: Platinum Press/ Leadstart Corp

Set during the period of the Gupta ruler Baladitya, The Last Hun is the story of the rise and fall of the Hun ruler-Mahira. The story opens with him having nightmares, which make him irritable and prone to rash decisions. As the byline of the title says,” The most brutal man who ever lived” , Mahira is depicted as being moody,  brutal and gullible. The book highlights his exploits across the country on his whims and fancies. There are instances in the story where executions are explicitly described, thus giving a deeper shadow to his animal-like nature.

The story moves ahead when he starts getting visions of Shiva and how he manipulates him in order to create chaos by destroying the monasteries, which to him seem as if are a part of a larger plan of Shiva. The story moves on to Baladitya planning a war with Mahira to save Buddhism and what transpires after that.\

With the focus of the story on the brutality of Mahira the White Hun, Ashwin also brings out his human part of the nature subtly. His affection towards his Queen, Sitoi, and his daughter, seems almost out of character, yet blends in beautifully.

The characters of the book are beautifully written, with the descriptions detailed enough to create a virtual world where the reader can imagine the story taking place. The characters of Mahira, Sitoi, Baladitya and Jasbir are especially notable for their depth.

The plot seems to be a little weak as the story jumps from one point to another very quickly, thus making the links between the plotlines a bit weak.

The ending, though is a completer unexpected and amazing.

All in all, I would rate it 3.5/5.