Book Review #66: The New Dewtas The Rise of Rudra: Suraj Kothiyal

This book was sent by the author in exchange of a honest and unbiased review.

Blurb:

Neer, the head priest of the Himalayas, is troubled by the horrifying visions in his dream. On Ganga maiyya's behest, he embarks on a journey to the doomed island of Bali. The island, plagued with cyclic torments of se ka LA and neskala and suffering from constant rainfall, faces an imminent danger of drowning in sea. However, neer's power was no match for the strong evil forces that kidnapped the king and the Queen, activating the volcano of MT agung. With the neighboring king of Java on his toes to attack and conquer the struggling island of Bali, will the gritty prince erlangga, assisted by Neer, be able to save his kingdom? Read to find out how people turn towards the new dewtas introduced by Neer as the end becomes evident and how eka-dasa-rudra helps in arousing the most furious energy of this world, Rudra.

My Take:

Rudra, also known as another form of Shiva means destruction. The story opens with Neel, a priest who has visions in his dreams of destruction which he finds out as Bali embarks his journey in a ship to the said place.He has a blue stone which protects him  and empowers him. With so many evil forces against him and uncertainty about whom to trust, how he craves his own path and save the Kingdom with the introduction of Rudra forms the base of the story. Bali, its culture and traditions are used thoughtfully.

Limited characters and their well etched roles make this a breezy read.  Mythology and thriller  liberally used just as needed. None of them is overdone which makes it intriguing right till the end. I felt Neel's character could have developed a little more as somewhere he sounds weak and vulnerable, in spite of being the hero.  His back story of why he is blue , what powers the stone have?  is missing. I loved Kebo Chiwa and Prince Erlangga characters too.

The graphics alongside each chapter is an bonus. A good read for even a amateur who wants to explore a new genre can enjoy this. You can buy the book here.

Rating:

I would rate this book 3.8/5 for the story line and research.