Review by Sundari Venkatraman on Amazon:

I am totally humbled by the kind of research and hard work that must have gone into creating this masterpiece. A special Kudos to Usha Narayanan for that!

Though I have heard a lot of stories on Krishna and do recognise the name of Pradyumna, I haven’t heard many stories about the hero. So, I was fascinated to read this book on him. I really can’t say how much of fact and fiction have been woven into it, but it makes for a truly fascinating read.

The language is very important to watch out for in such stories. No use of modern words and slang. I must say it’s a monumental achievement that this book is perfectly written in terms of language.

The metamorphosis of the womanising weakling Vama into the heroic Pradyumna is amazingly portrayed. In contrast, Mayavati – first his mother and then later discovered to actually be his consort – appears like a caricature – at least until she remains Vama’s mother. Her screeching and screaming as a jealous mother kind of takes away from the graceful person Rati is later shown to be.

The descriptions are splendid. I especially enjoyed reading about the description of Garuda spreading his golden wings across a huge span. I could so imagine him in my mind’s eye, the way the author has written it.

Then there is Surya on his resplendent chariot drawn by seven white horses – loved this one too.

About Surya in the author’s words: He appeared in his dazzling chariot drawn by seven white horses that represent the days of the week and the colours of the rainbow. As the chariot wheels turned, they caused day and night, and the changing of the seasons.

Shalva’s vimana is another write up that was exceptional. I have read quite a bit about vimanas also known as the modern UFO. Usha Narayanan’s description is bang on. Kudos!

Another plus that I found in the book are the small stories woven into the narration, without taking the reader away from the main story. It so reminded me of Sri C. Rajagopalachari’s portrayal of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. I must congratulate Usha on that.

There are a number of mytho fiction books that have been hitting the market by many popular authors. I find the elaborate descriptions of wars a put-off in those. Yes, wars were definitely waged a lot in those days, the prime example being the Kurukshetra War. But I believe the focus should not be only those.

In Pradyuma: Son of Krishna, the author has managed to balance other incidents along with wars and that’s what makes the book an interesting read. Her descriptions of the rakshasas, pichasas and other wild animals from mythology fitted in well, without rankling.

Having said all that, I have one peeve about the book. After beginning so well, somewhere midway, the story doesn’t unfold by itself. It feels as if the author is narrating it to us. Though it doesn’t take away from the book, I wish the author had continued to maintain the momentum.

VERDICT: Yes, it’s a must read if you are fond of Indian mythology. There are no two ways about it.