Author: Sonali Raje
Publisher: Vishwakarma Publication
I was provided a Media Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Do you like reading mythological retellings?
This is the second part of The Empress of Indraprastha series, a
fictional recreation of the Mahabharat, and a sequel to hugely popular The
Empress of Indraprastha - Entering Kuruvansh. We've heard endless glories of
the five brothers. Now discover the sisterhood between the wives of the
Paandavs. Follow Draupadi in action, as she devises and implements financial
strategies to jumpstart the economy. Tread delicate waters as Draupadi seeks
answers from her husbands for causing the death of a Bhil woman and her five
sons to save their own skins in the Vaarnavat fire. Watch her probe Krishna for
justification about his role in the destruction of an indigenous asura habitat,
simply to satiate Agni's hunger. Plunge into the depths of her marriage with
Arjun, that hits its nadir when she criticizes him for not protecting Eklavya.
Explore her relationship with her sons. The strategist Devika, the epicurean
master-chef Valandhara, the mother and devoted wife, Subhadra, the danseuse
Karenumati, and the financial analyst, Vijaya unite under Draupadi's leadership
as they toil towards a single-minded goal of building their empire.
The book takes on from where the first book ended, and this book explores
the Pandavas journey of building up Indraprastha from scratch in a location
deemed uninhabitable. Keeping the perspective of Draupadi continued in this
book as well, Sonali presents the story of how the empire comes into existence
and the hurdles they face while building it up. The book also explores Draupadi’s
emotional upheaval as she gets to know of matrimonial alliances that take
place, and especially Arjun’s marriages with Uloopi, Subhadra and Chitrangada.
The story has been told in an engaging manner that keeps you hooked throughout
the story. The age-old story has been written from Draupadi’s perspective in a beautiful
manner that captures the essence of the epic in a fictionalized narrative. What
worked for me was the detailed description that was made possible by the book’s
focus on the building up of Indraprastha as a primary plot point. Sonali also
highlights the various aspects of the personal and the professional when it
comes to governance, and how, at times it becomes important to choose between
the two. The book ends on an interesting note that closes the chapter of the
building, yet keeps you curious as to what would happen next, how would it look
from Draupadi’s perspective.
The primary character in this book is Draupadi and Sonali has crafted her
character to perfection. There are multiple facets of her character that shine
through via her interactions with the other characters in the book. Narrating
the book through a single-perspective keeps the story flowing, while at the
same time highlighting the emotions of the primary character. The other
characters do make their mark in the plot, and I am looking forward to
Prativindhya’s character development in the upcoming books as he did stand out
for me in the book.
A definite recommendation for anyone loves to read mythological fiction.
The book scores a 4.81/5 for me.
Check out my review of Book 1 of the series: Entering Kuruvansh (The Empress of Indraprastha #1)
Get a copy of the book on Amazon India.
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