Shadowbound-Nikhil Sampath

Book: Shadowbound
Author: Nikhil Sampath
Publisher: Self Published

I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do if you could hide in the shadows?

In the forgotten village of Kattur, shadows carry old stories—and some are far more dangerous than legend. Kadhir, a withdrawn college student, wants nothing more than to stay invisible. But when he and the fiercely determined Surekha stumble upon whispers of an ancient legend, they are drawn into a web of hidden scrolls, strange disappearances, and a legacy that refuses to stay buried. At the center of it all lies the Nizhalvaazhveeran—the Shadow Protector—once believed to have saved Kattur from destruction. But as the line between folklore and reality begins to blur, Kadhir and Surekha find themselves confronting truths that are as unsettling as they are inescapable. What begins as a quiet investigation soon spirals into a night of betrayal, transformation, and tragedy—where friendship, loyalty, and courage are tested against forces older and darker than they could ever imagine. Slow-burning, atmospheric, and haunting, this is a thriller where the shadows don’t just hide secrets—they awaken them.

Shadowbound is a book that sits perfectly between mythology and a superhero story. Nikhil creates a wonderful world where a protector from the past comes alive. What I loved about the book was that the origin story of the Nizhalvaazhveeran has been built up, slowly and steadily. We see him understand, learn and use his powers to save Kattur in times of need. Nikhil takes his time to unravel the secret and while he does use a standard superhero formula, I loved that the story and the character is inherently local. Another aspect of Nikhil’s storytelling that stands out is that you are led into the story bit-by-bit and there are certain scenes that truly break your heart, specially 2 deaths which form the core of this book. The writing is quite fresh, and while you see some aspects of the story that show the author’s love for superheroes and all things magical, the idea to use local folklore and elements, along with a dash of science was a stroke of masterful storytelling. The light-vs-shadow was a wonderful play that he does in the book, and to flip the conventional color connotations was something I really loved. The climax is wonderfully penned and the visual aspect of it is quite descriptive which almost helps you visualize the scene, rather than just read it.

Coming to the characters, I loved the way Kadhir’s character has been written. A young college student, considered as weak by the others, a loner who suddenly has the power to change things. His journey from understanding to harnessing his potential was plotted nicely. Surekha’s character as a headstrong woman who will stop at nothing to fulfill what she has decided was the one I admired the most. Her relationship with Kadhir and how their equation changes was written in a very interesting manner, and specially when she realises that the person she was looking for is Kadhir, that scene does wonders for the story.

Overall, Shadowbound is a series that I am looking forward to reading, specially with more books in the pipeline. We might just have a superhero universe in making. The book scores a 4.88/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book on Amazon India.