Bharathi V

For most people, the Mahabharatha means war. This book series is sure to be a treat especially for this audience but with the bonus that they will get to know exactly how the war played out at Kurukshetra as per Vyasa's version. The author does have dramatization and some creative liberties added in but the events of the war play out faithful to the authentic versions. This is a very heartening thing to see in this book.

The thing I loved most about the book is the interplay of emotions in the characters that the author brings out easily and seamlessly by choosing to switch POVs for each 'chapter'. This allows him to cover a gamut of emotions and views with flamboyance without affecting the actual flow of the narrative. A very smart idea indeed!

This POV switch also gives a glimpse into aspects that are usually lost in the action during the objective narration of Vyasa. For example, we start seeing people's aspirations, their hopes, their fears and then their actions or decisions make more sense.

The author also uses the POVs to quickly take us to flashbacks of key events that have had a bearing on the current ones. The context thus created for the actions of main characters is a valuable addition that the book makes.

I was especially attracted by the POVs of Krishna and Duryodhana and felt that the author did them a little extra well. There was emotion in Duryodhana but it still mirrored his flaws, inherent to his nature. For example, his arrogance comes through clearly.

Krishna's POV lets us peek into the most strategic mind in the war and that is quite a treat.

All in all, a very interesting read for me especially since I know how the war plays out exactly. This book gave me some extra meat to the war events that made it more real, more human, more emotional.

Looking forward to the next book in the series.