I am a self-proclaimed, publicly-acknowledged-and-ridiculed-on-several-occasions-because-I-live-in-a-country-of-intolerants agnostic. I do not believe in God (or gods) of any advertised nationality, ethnicity, caste, color, creed, or sex. And yet, I read and review each and every book from this, one of the best mythological writers of the country, Usha Narayanan. Why you ask? Dude, have you read her yet? I’m sure you haven’t because you wouldn’t be asking me this question if you had. You don’t read her books; you watch a 70mm film being screened in front of you. That’s how good her portrayal and narrative is.

Okay, enough of fanboying, let’s get down to review the book.

The only time I remember hearing of Karthikeya, the elder son of Shiva and Parvati, is when my mother told me a story about him and Ganesha. It so (supposedly) happened, that Ganesha and his elder brother Karthikeya got into an argument somehow, as to who was better or stronger, or something like that…

I remember feeling bad for the poor Karthikeya when I heard that story for the first time. I mean, the poor guy did everything by the rule book, but the younger sibling won. Why, because he was one manipulative dude who knew all the soft points of his parents. Pathetic! I could immediately relate because I have a younger sibling too. :/

Anyway, dudes, if you have an interest in Indian mythology, if you love fantasy fiction, and if you appreciate brilliant, excellent, true-to-life, and easy-to-read story-telling, you HAVE to read this book. Citizens of the Earth, this book has to be in ‘One Of The Books You Must Read Before You Die’ list.

I give this book, a complete 5 out of 5 stars.