Book: The Indus Challenge
Author: R. Durgadoss
Genre: Fiction (Mythology/History)
Publisher: Rupa Publications
Pages: 324
Price: 250
Blurb:
Bharat is in chaos. While the kingdoms fight each other,
Alexander’s forces gather for the assault, their leader lured by tales of
supernatural weapons and the elixir of immortality. Only one man can save the
subcontinent from domination by the Greeks: the young Chandragupta Maurya,
trained under the aegis of the ‘dark Brahmin’, Chanakya.
When an ancient seal is found, sharing the secrets of the
brahmastra, the redoubtable weapon of the Mahabharata, it is up to Rudra, young
commander of the Mauryan Nava Yuva Sena and lifelong friend and confidante of
Chandragupta, to decode it. Along with his fellow commandos and with the able
guidance of his guru, Rudra embarks on a quest that takes him from the snowy
peaks of the Himalayas to the seas of Rameshwaram, hunting the clues that will
lead him to the brahmastra. On the way, he meets the Chiranjivis, ancient
beings tasked with divine duties and learns the secrets behind his own birth
and his mysterious powers.
But Rudra must be careful, for not all enemies were dispersed
with the death of the mighty Alexander. Treachery lurks in the home and when Rudra
is framed for the attempted murder of his sovereign, he must pull every trick
at his disposal to reveal the enemy and save his kingdom from plunging, once
more, into bloodshed and chaos.
A historical, mythological adventure story, The Indus
Challenge is sure to appeal to readers interested in the storied past of India
and the legends woven into its soil.
Review:
The Indus Challenge is not like every other mythological
book. It has much more turns, much more stories hidden beneath the whole
concept. There is not just one aspect to it, there are different faces,
different phases at every other turn.
The story is normal, but with different angles. I have never
read a book of such subject-matter. I was hoping to find something different
from the book but great new deals of things were served.
The problem arrived in the never-ending narration of events.
I was just so distracted from so many flashbacks that it became hard after some
time to go on like that. The author though maintained a good bridge between the
past and present still it was not working in the bigger picture.
I liked the tale of Queen Helena because I knew about her
very less. Her side of the tale was intriguing. I loved all the proceedings,
her anger, her frustration, everything about her was great.
Also I loved reading about Chanakaya, his presence, his
magnificence is all laid out in proper forms. He is shown as sharp and witty
guru, which is expected from him. The whole episode of the little adventure
Rudra and Chanakaya go on is really nerve-wrecking. There are a lot of puzzles, lot of places and lot of situations.
Best part of all this was the group that was formed, the
puzzles, the violations, the hindrances and the different tactics involved at
every step.
The book was full of details, stories and suspense. It
really lived up to the expectations if one forgets the long and boring
narrations by different characters. The book was much better towards the
ending. The middle was so okayish that it brought the level of the book down.
It is that sort of a
book which will make you want to read the next phase of Rudra’s and Chankaya’s
life. Though I didn’t read the first book in the series but still it didn’t feel
like I have missed that much.
Check the spotlight of the book for more details about the
book
Spotlight
About the author:
R. Durgadoss (his associates call him Dr DD) is an
entrepreneur, inspirational speaker, writer and coach. He holds a PhD in
Corporate Finance. He has a career spanning more than three decades with
leading multinational institutions of high repute.
He has a deep-rooted passion for Indian mythology, history
and philosophy. Since his childhood he has been able to attract a number of
followers with his mesmerizing storytelling abilities. Wherever history is a
mystery, he fills gaps with his creative spin.
Having held his audience spellbound with powerful
storytelling during his lectures in international forums, he thought it was
time to focus on a series of fiction in the historical/mythological genre. The
Indus Challenge is the second book in this series.
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