Book Review # 131 The Brahmastra Chronicles : Kumar Aditya

Blurb:

"2019: a retired History professor is gruesomely murdered near Indraprastha. A week later, angels with fire wings are sighted in modern day India; reports of rabid, cannibalistic children that feel no pain and inhuman corpses that melt.

An ancient war, older than humankind, is about to spill out of the shadows into broad daylight...And the fate of the entire creation of Oorja--the Primordial Light--rests upon two complete strangers from different worlds:

Abhay Rajvardhan, a seemingly ordinary young man will discover his dead father’s secrets and his connection to a clandestine army dating back to the ages long before the epic battle of the Mahabharata. Abhay’s interaction with a magical artifact--a Chakra forged from an unknown but sentient metal--triggers an unforeseen event whose ripples are felt light-years away. As her kindred prepare to go after the Artifact on Prithvi, Dhwani, a 600-year-old Angiri warrior will find herself chasing an unknown mole hiding in their midst and working alongside the Enemy.

To protect the divine artifact of the gods--the Ultimate Weapon--the two will embark upon a quest fraught with nameless perils, fighting the demonic forces of Andhakar that are bent upon destroying them.

The lines between myth and reality will blur, a forgotten history will shape a new reality. The Three will unite as One to unleash the Destroyer of Worlds: the Brahmāstra, the weapon to end all weapons--and the world as we know it."

My Take:

One Celestial weapon, many groups .One divine power many power hungry groups.  A book that blends mythology and present. A story that leaves you mystified.

Abhay is blessed with super powers which he is unaware of. His father is a Dwij, the keeper of the celestial weapon to protect it from falling in wrong hands. For this he had kept Abhay away, has told him a few lies and knowingly become a bad father in his eyes.

When Abhay gets back to Indraprasthra, his father is already murdered . With a web of questions in his mind and the quest to find his father killer, he starts hunting for what his father so dearly protected. With the baton passed to him now its a challenge Abhay needs to rise to. Will he be able to fulfill the challenge? Read to find out.

The liberties the author has taken in building the characters and world is commendable. The story begins on a slow note and takes its own time to develop and grow. But as it progresses the characters of the story are built. Lots of elements like Angiris, Asuras,Yati are introduced and developed intricately.  The cover is beautiful and depicts what the book is about. Also the mention that the Supreme Gods are not perfect and even they too make mistakes builds a relationship and drives a point home.

The language used is a little complex and the end battle is stretched I felt. But overall a good read. Waiting for the sequel to unfold.

I would rate this 4/5.