AJAYA - RISE OF KALI (Book 2) (The Vanquished Series)

It’s a must read!! I have gone through so many emotions…even though almost all Indians know Mahabharata, still this book was able to stir somnambulism emotions and questions..loved it

Both volumes are a great way to understand mahabharat. That the war was the result of friendship is what I learnt

The author has done a great job of bringing forth arguments and counter arguments and towards the end, bringing out a sort of a summary discussions on various controversial and confusing issues. Enjoyed reading the book and it is definitely worth another read to absorb and play around with various possibilities and propositions.

Having watched Mahabharata as a kid on TV every Sunday morning, it was very clear that who was the good and who was the evil, of course with all the godliness and magic in between. With this book, the views become more human and balanced. The Kauravas get a voice and Pandavas show guilt and doubt very often. Krishna has his own dharma that he has set for himself. Its really a very interesting read!

Whether it is History or Mythology, the world is conditioned to see the victorious ones in good light and the losers in bad light. Mahabharatha, looked like a boring fantasy to me till I read this book. But, the author has been successful in giving a realistic perception and showcasing characters appropriately. One more feather in the cap of Anand Neelakantan. His simple writing style and the plots keeps you reading without a break. Good read.

Offers a different perspective. No matter how or the number times a story is told there are always two sides to it. This book proves it

I actually read this book and my initial impression is that the author has hushed through this. In my opinion, the concept of Dharma was stretched to the extreme in the Mahabharata - and the reason as to why was Krishna so adamant on having this war needed to be explained just a little bit more. Why did more people turnout in favor of Suyodhan needed a little more explanation...why did they lose despite military superiority needs to be explained...and so on. A Good read nonetheless, but I felt this story deserved to be told in three parts instead of two.

As big fan of Mahabharat stories, It was nice to get to know the other side and how the concept of dharma is a fine line that needs to be debated. I was taken aback especially with the story of Lord Krishna's son, Samba. Excellent writing from Anand Neelakantan. Must read for all mythology and Mahabharat lovers!

ReviewRise of Kali is the second and the last book in the Ajaya Duology by Anand Neelakantan which says the story of Mahabharata from the perspective of Suyodhana aka Dhuryodhana. This book follows the events of the part one, Roll of the dice.The first book ended with the most disgraceful event of the epic – the disrobing of Draupadi. Until then Suyodhana’s character was flawless but this event brought about a tend in his character even for the readers who admired and adored Dhuryodhana. Understanding this situation the author starts the second book Rise of Kali with a very interesting scenario and that ultimately came as a great and befitting redemption for Dhuryodhana’s damaged image.The author builds up a curiosity right from the very beginning and it persist till the very end. Right when you feel like almost every important anecdote of the epics have been told and what more the author has to write about ? He diligently surprises us with his unique story telling power and many untold events. The way in which he had woven this well known epic from a very different aspect and in a very interesting way was the strength of this book and the author.The most interesting thing about Anand Neelakantan’s writing is, he never infiltrates any magical elements into the book. He never said any of the characters had super powers and he simply depicted Krishna as a human and there was no mythical powers involved behind the birth of the famous Pandavas. The way he humanified the entire epic was so interesting and relatable even for today’s world and generation.The characterization of Duryodhana was extraordinary and his character never cease to amaze us with his generous heart and his integrity. The love he has for his friends was really inspiring, he is definitely the epitome of friendship. This book also showed some of shortcomings of Karna and that was really thought provoking. And this book deliberately sings the glory of the real unsung heroes of this epic, Eklavya and Aswathama. Through this book the author has exhibited Aswathama and Eklavya’s love for Dhuryodhana was no way lower thaan Karna’s. This is something most of the interpretations of Mahabharata fails to talk about in great detail. The friendship shared between Dhuryodhana, Karna, Aswathama and Eklavya was an epic in itself. And it obviously deserves a separate book to talk about.In this book, two innocent characters were introduced to the readers, they both were beautiful souls but who had a tragic life and ending. They were Dhuryodhana’s daughter and son, Lakshmana Kumara and Kumara. Their introduction part was the most adorable sequence of the book and the relationship shared between Dhuryodhana’s daughter and Ekalavya was really cute and heart warming.The dirty politics played by Shakuni and Krishna was unacceptable and really cruel. The whole conflict wouldn’t have happened if not for these two guys. And there was this character called Dhayumya whose character was extremely horrible than any other bad characters you would’ve seen.The author had cover a lot of things and that includes how the Pandavas and their allies treated Pandava’s illegitimate sons, Khatodkacha and Iravan. And that showcased their mindset and core personality. These events were really ugly and heartbreaking. Mild and subtle incidents that the author had written had a lot of impact on the character development of each and every character. Obviously, this book will make the readers realize how good a story it is. You cannot simply stop astonishing at the storytelling ability of The Great Sage Vyasa. This is remarkably one of the best stories the world has ever witnessed.For the most part of the book the author vividly covered all the war sequences. And it broadly showed how both the side fought their war. The Pandavas, who considered to be the heroes of the epic had almost broken every single law and actually won the war through crook and hook whereas the so called villains had never step away from the path of Dharma.This book did not vilify the Pandavas but it simply just manifested their inability to think on their own and act as per their heart’s wishes. Most of the time, it felt really sad to look at these five brothers who were caught up in the whirlpool of orthodox fanatics’ illusion which emphasis on divinity of non existential things like caste, godly lineage and so on.Whereas, on the other hand, it was so fulfilling to look back at the glorious life lead by Dhuryodhana because he acted as per her heart’s wishes. He had a great sense of social justice and responsibility and that was exhibited through his every deeds and actions. He wanted to bring about a social order where nobody is constrained or caged by the orthodox thought process of the society. He is such a hero material. It was really astonishing to see a man with such a commitment towards society, that too especially during that period.After reading this book, Dhuryodhana was the only character who stood tall and mighty throughout the book. He acted like a human and accepted his shortcomings and flaws, and that’s what made him better than every other characters in the book.And definitely, it is totally a worthy read.My ViewsOH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!The best book, I have ever read. I loved this duology so much. Today I’m falling short of words to describe my love for this book. I have always liked Dhuryodhana but this duology and the author gave me the correct and reasonable reasons to love him. This man was really perfect and he just did one deadly mistake and the world started to see him as the villain and turned blind eye towards all his goodness and positives.If you are a mythology lover, you should absolutely read this book. Or if you’re someone who had watched the Mahabharata series on your tele and loved it, then please do give this book a shot because it is such an amazing book and I literally want every single person to read this book and believe me, you will not regret it.Anand Neelakantan’s books are the only books I sit with pen and keep on highlighting nonstop and I totally love doing it.Please SS Rajamouli, turn this wonderful book into a movie and only you can do justice to this amazing plot written by Anand Neelakantan.Okay, so my top most favorites of this epic would be Suyodhana aka Dhuryodhana, Karna, Aswathama, Eklavya, Bhanumati and Balarama.My rating for this book would be 5 out of 5 starsHappy reading folks!!

I have never written any review after reading a book. Nevertheless, I am compelled to write one after reading both the volumes. To be honest, everyone knows about Mahabharata and there is hardly anything new to be told. I was initially hesitant to read the book. However, as I started reading it... it became like an addiction. Author has beautifully crafted words to show the conflicts in characters. What is ethically correct? Pandavas are regarded as torchbearer of Dharma. Ironically, they broke all principles of Dharma to win the war. Author raised the most fundamental question: what is Dharma? Dharma practiced by Pandavas did not stand for meritocracy and established the hegemony of Brahmins/upper castes over other castes bringing the biggest evil 'Casteism' into Hinduism. The truth is neither side followed Dharma. The history/myth is as always is written by the victors. Author beautifully put it in the book. Excellent piece of work, strongly recommended !

Mahabharatha is a tale of contrasts. Even to the most devout the inconsistencies of Pandavas and Krishna are quite apparent. To take such a complex epic and turn the story on its head in a manner that Suyodhana seems like the wronged Prince is a joy. It adds a whole new dimension to the ages old lore of the great war meant to end all wars!!! Absolutely loved it! More than the ASURAS by the same author. This book should be read by everyone who is interested in Indian Mythology.

Book ReviewBook:The Rise Of Kali⁣⁣Author:Anand Neelakanthan⁣⁣Genre:Mythological Fiction⁣⁣⁣⁣🗡️PLOT:Story begins at the same point where “Roll Of The Dice” had ended.Draupadi is called in the court when Yudhishthira gamble and lose her in the GAME OF DICE.Then the flow of incidents initate which we all have read/heard in the Mahabharata.⁣⁣⁣⁣🗡️COVER:Sort Of Attractive.One can hear the screech of an eagle in mind while looking at the cover.⁣⁣⁣⁣🗡️CLIMAX: Almost everyone has heard/read mahabharata is some way.We already know what's “going” to come at the end but that's not the writer's fault.There's already numerous retellings of the epic but here the role has been reversed and that's the major speciality of book.⁣⁣⁣⁣🗡️LANGUAGE:The language of KALI is a little bit better than the previous installment.Not so heavy words are used.Reader will get immediately attached to book.⁣⁣⁣⁣🗡️NARRATIVE:I found the narrative a little choppy.Some scenes unfolds at a very slow pace.But author's imagination should be praised as he has vanished all the magical elements from the epic and presented every Character as human.⁣⁣⁣⁣🗡️AMUSEMENT:KALI is an entertaining read.It give rises to a lot of questions (that's the major achievement of any book).“The Rise Of Kali” is basically the story of turning of “Suyodhana” into “Duryodhana”.It's worth many reads (REALLY).⁣⁣⁣⁣🗡️Characters:They r not so “LUMINOUS” as compared to the 1st book.Krishna's Character is strongest in this book and i liked every appearance of him.The debate between him and Balarama is more than amazing.Suyodhana's and karna's are strong too.But instead of above mentioned characters every other seemed just complementary.⁣⁣⁣🗡️FINAL VERDICT:I must say that KALI is not so terrific as compared to the 1st one but it doesn't mean that it shouldn't be picked.It's a must read for any Mythology lover because reading epics from villain's perspective is a totally different experience.Go!! Read it.I undoubtedly Recommend it.⁣⁣⁣⁣👉🏻The confrontation of EKALAVYA and ARJUNA is my favorite portion of the book

Good read. Not as exciting as the first part, but Ofcourse can't miss this one.