An epic ending to The Siva Trilogy by Amish which consisted of two bestselling books- The Immortals of Meluha and The Secret of the Nagas, came in the form of this explosive package. The author has developed quite a fan following with his two flawless books and this was perhaps the most awaited book by an Indian author.
The third installment in the Shiva Trilogy – The Oath of Vayuputras by Amish Tripathi starts off exactly where the prequel ended with Shiva meeting his friend Brahaspati, whom he thought was dead. The book kicks off at an interesting pace and begins a series of revelations and conspiracies. Though at 575 pages, The Oath of the Vayuputras is a bit long but reading this impeccably written book is a joy.
Some new characters are unveiled and each of the characters like in his previous books has been carved to perfection. The Author continues with his jigsaw puzzles and with many twists, with his gripping tale, immaculate story-telling and impeccable writing. Each character is gripping and the ultimate battle begins early in the book. The plot takes a 180 degree turn by describing the Somras as evil, which needs to be destroyed at any cost. Conspiracies begin to assassinate Shiva by Lord Bhrighu, Daksha and Dilipa. My respect for Meluhan General Parva went up a thousand notches when he decides to fight for Meluha against his living god – The Neelkanth. It was such a beautiful digression that goes to waste in the climax. Beyond this decision, the Author gives Parvateshwar no role, except for a few war schemes. Rather than letting him die in a quandary, the author should have put him to better use and maybe even had a more honorable and useful death.
But what left me stunned was the description of the battle between Sati’s army and the assassins hired by her father to kill Shiva. I don’t think if I have ever come across any better portrayal of battle than this. The death of warrior Sati left me speechless and I couldn’t hold back my tears. I could almost see Sati fighting the warriors of Aten with everything she had. After that event, towards the end, the book was a bit of letdown. Kartik’s portrayal is magnificent and the change in character of Ganesha and Kartik after the death of their beloved mother Sati has been very well described.
In all, I enjoyed the series immensely, but the climax and ending in the final book disappointed me. The Neelkanth is left as a heart-broken man, who has lost sight of his mission thereby raising the question of why he received as much build up through three books as having been a living God; but again this shows how he was an exceptional – passionate lover. If we choose to ignore the tragic ending of this book, then definitely this book is authored to finesse.
With all this said, I’d like to congratulate the Author – Amish for staying true to his voice and narration and not trying to pull a commercial success coup. Amish’s knowledge and interest in Indian mythology has to be credited for the success of this trilogy. The way author has linked the mythological characters to fiction is commendable. For someone, who doesn’t know much about Indian mythology it would be hard to believe that it’s a fictional story. It’s a fine book worthy of being the last part in the fascinating trilogy and is a must read.
Roaming Ra-Ru! 