Book Review # 118 Narsimha The Mahaavatar Trilogy: Kevin Missal

Blurb:
Narasimha, once a brave soldier, has left the war and lies low as a physician in a village. But a familiar face from his past seeks his help to stop the tyranny of the blind usurper Andhaka. If Narasimha refuses, the world might just end. What will he do? And why did he leave the war in the first place? Prahlad, the interim king of Kashyapuri, is torn between the ideals of his unrighteous father and his love for Lord Vishnu. Whom will he choose? Hiranyakashyap, the ruler of the Asura Empire, wants to avenge the death of his wife. To do that, he must go through the Trials and get the ultimate weapon - the Brahmastra. But the Trials have sent so many others to their death. Can Hiranyakashyap survive? Welcome to the reimagining of the fourth Avatar of Lord Vishnu by bestselling author Kevin Missal.

My Take:

I haven't read the authors previous works and wasn't knowing what to expect. Have been hearing about this book and the novice for me was Narsimha and Prahlad. Now we all know how Holika was asked to kill Prahlad by keep him in her lap and burn him as his father was a Astheist and Prahalad a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu. How Vishnu took Narsimha's avtaar to protect his devotee is all we know of them.

In one word MIND BLOWING. I hadn't expected so much detailing in plots and subplots. So many characters neatly described and well written. A sign of a good book for is pace and justified characters.The book is a sum of all those. An amalgamation of past and present is done with poise. The narration is strong and the language is simple.

Hiranyakashyap is out there to revenge his wife's death and kill Indra. Indra is a complex character always insecure and never trustworthy. In spite of calling a truce with the Asuras he attacks them when the king is away and kills the queen.

Narsimha, a warrior once. leaves everything behind him and becomes a doctor. He goes into self evaluation mode,feels guilty of the innocent lives taken in the wars he was a part of and leaves his troupe in a mess. Circumstances and time forces him to question his decision and when decides to comeback for the larger good he's asked to prove his worth.Is he really Lord Vishnu's avatar? Will he be able to achieve what he is destined for?

Prahlad a young prince, son of Hiranyakashyap likes to follow the path of peace. Not the one who believes in war and destruction's, he is forced to take tough decisions.Will he find his inner calling? Will he be the Vishnu Bhakt who will start the golden era? Anuhrad his elder brother, kills his own ambitions to become what was expected of him. Was his sacrifice worth all that he had to go through? Did he achieve what he desired?  For all these answers grab a copy now.

A war for the famous and celestial astra is on. Relationships are at stake. Each one has to do their job for the greater good. But is making such choices easy for even Gods? Is power that important? If you even achieve then at what is the price you pay?

I liked the way all the characters and the leads are introduced. All of them have a back story you would connect to and they all are subtly connected to the main story elegantly. The detailing and the way they shape up makes them more human and easy to connect to. They all make mistakes, are emotional, take wrong decisions and suffer.  Even the smaller characters contribute effectively and make their presence felt. The difference between Dharma and Avatar is explained beautifully.

Powerful punchlines are the highlight. Would rate this 4.8/5 . Waiting for the sequel to see how the story shapes up.

A few of my Favorites:

" Everything comes down to money. But then its an empire and every empire runs on dirty money"

"We all have to make choices that define us."

"A man never sees the actions he commit as something evil however wrong they might be".

“If a woman or a man objects and it is still forced on her or him, then it is no longer consensual. It is rape.”