The Relic-Ashwin Karthik & Madhava Sharma

Book: The Relic
Author: Ashwin Karthik & Madhava Sharma
Publisher: Pblishing.com

Have you come across a mythological story that you had trouble believing in?

The Relic by Ashwin Karthik and Madhava Sharma revolves around the Shri Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala, the treasures and mystery that surround it. The story begins with the government trying to investigate if there had been any misappropriation of funds. As the story progresses, we meet Vijay, an Intelligence Bureau officer who is sent with the orders to open the secret vaults and chronicle his findings. While investigating, he finds a pot and is fascinated with the secrets it might hold. As he decides to unravel the mystery behind the pot, he finds himself undertaking the journey of his life. The question remains, will he find the answers he seeks, or get waylaid by the puzzles?

The premise that the book explores is quite interesting and imaginative. The plot is well planned, and various aspects are incorporated into the story, right from the legend of the Shri Padmanabhaswamy temple to the Aghoris of Banaras. The authors have done a fair bit of research, and historical references have been interestingly made a part of the plot. The story runs smooth, but towards the end becomes a bit repetitive and dull. There was a great potential to explore a bit more, but the travels from Banaras to the upper reaches of Himalayas seem a bit rushed. The language of the book is simple and easy to understand, however the book needs a second round of editing as a lot of grammar issues and language errors were noticed. Another aspect that I would have loved to have read about was more about Vijay’s lineage and how his grandfather figured in the scheme of things. The climax was interesting, and a bit unexpected, and teaches an important lesson for life, and that is why I loved the ending.

This book is interestingly focused on a single character, Vijay and he is the one who actually drives the story forward. His past has been explored in detail, and his motivation of doing what he does is well justified. The other characters, such as Dr. Raman, Bade Baba, and Jogi Baba, though appear briefly, have their own roles, and I liked the manner they were not forcefully given too much of space, but were a part of the story as long as the plot demanded it.

Overall, a good read and a recommendation if you like reading mythological fiction. The Relic gets a 3.5/5 from me.

Grab a copy of the book here.