The concept of imagining Gods as ancient and legendary heroes is an idea which might have struck many people across ages but building a conceptually believable storyline revolving around the myths and beliefs of this God is truly impressive. Needless to say, Amish has done a fine job in creating a fast-paced, exciting novel series based on the many myths of the Hindu Mythology.Through this book, Mr. Tripathi has taken up a very sensitive topic as Indians don't take literature on their Gods very lightly. He has carefully threaded through the plot without any sort of controversial discussions or diversions. Some of Lord Shiva's habits, like that of smoking ganja is a strict no-no in our modern society but in the book has been shown on a pretty light note allowing the reader to draw his own interpretation.
Though the author deals with the timeline of the ancient civilizations of Mohenjodaro and Harappa, he shows that they are far more superior in times of their design as compared to the ones we live in. He has given scientific explanations for each of the myths surrounding Shiva, which is more or less believable in the context in which it is presented.
My favorite part of the book is where Shiva's and Sati's relationship are being compared to that of the Sun and the Earth. While Lord Shiva talks metaphorically about him being the Sun who grants warmth to the Earth, Sati instead tells him that the Sun is a star which grants warmth to all the planets and not only the Earth and hence his duty should be to protect the entire civilization instead. This beautiful play of metaphors is truly a gem of a literature piece and one can never believe that this is the author's debut work.
Amish Tripathi certainly has a gift; the first book of the Shiva Trilogy is unputdownable and the intelligently inserted mythological kernels make it an excellent read. Not only is the book a fantastic work of fiction but also instills courage and belief in one's own capabilities through the example of Shiva who becomes a Lord from a mere commoner.
Bytes and Banter Verdict : Sheer Awesomeness - 5/5
