Author: Harini Srinivasan
Publisher: Treeshade Books
I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Do you like historical fiction?
Circa 403-404 CE. The Gupta Empire has reached its zenith under its
greatest ruler yet, Maharaja Chandragupta II Vikramaditya. But with glory comes
mischief. Mahakavi Kalidasa, the great poet-dramatist and one of the Navaratnas
of the kingdom, heads the state intelligence network to weed out threats,
internal and external. On the eve of the annual Buddhist procession, a spate of
shocking murders casts a dark shadow on the glorious city of Pataliputra, with
corpses of unidentified foreigners and the city’s social and administrative
elite turning up one by one. Who is behind these killings and why? To crack the
mystery, the Mahakavi enlists the help of Shaunaka, one of his unofficial
spies. As the keenly observant but idealistic guptachara pursues his secret
mission, the young man gets a taste of real-world affairs-deception, religious
fanaticism and a 100-year-old secret. Faced with more questions than answers,
there is one thought on everyone’s mind-what is going on in Pataliputra?
The book is a historical fiction based in the times of the Gupta empire. While I loved the premise of the book, considering that the spy network during the earlier days was quite efficient. The book is detailed oriented and Harini has explained the events quite in detail which help you place and understand what is happening in the book to make connections with the people and the events. However, it is this detailed oriented nature of the story that makes it a hard read. With the full names of the characters being repeated, monotony sets in and as a reader you get bored and turning the page becomes a bit difficult. Another aspect of the book that didn’t work for me was the slow pace, and being a historical spy fiction, I expected the story to move at a faster pace than it did in the book. However, with the flaws, the book does has its moments when you are drawn into the story, and it keeps you engrossed in sections.
In favour of full disclosure, I couldn’t continue the book after 50% and
thus it would not be fair for me to comment on the climax, the characters and
to rate the book. The book might be liked by people who like to read a
slow-paced, long drawn historical spy fiction because the writing is good, only
that the pace is a bit slow.
Get a copy of the book on Amazon India or your nearest bookstore.
I appreciate your honest review of the book. Even though it didn't quite hit the mark for you, it’s great to hear that you found the historical spy plot engaging. Sometimes, a compelling story can still shine through, even if certain elements don't resonate. Thanks for sharing your insights!
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Samidha / Lovely Tiny Things