Digital Marketer | Mom blogger

Today I am writing about a new book that I received from WritersMelon. This is a book called Narsimha by Kevin Missal. It is the first installment from a trilogy. The book is a mythology fiction. Kevin Missal has done a fictional retelling and hence it does not exactly flow like the original story. The book is published by Harper Collins and the first look was what got me interested in the book.

Narasimha Book Blurb

Narsimha, once a brave soldier, has left the war and lies low as a physician in a village. But a familiar face from his past weeks 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 Brahmashastra. But the trials have sent so many others to their death. Can Hiranyakashyap survive?

My views

Starting with the cover, the book sets the tone for what is to come. Narsimha in his ferocious self tells you exactly how the protagonist of the book is. This helps you relate to the character better. It also sets the backdrop for the book which is mostly in and around war.

The series focuses on a less talked about Vishnu avatar that is Narasimha. Narasimha is a half lion and half human avatar Vishnu. As this is a fresh take on the tale, there are a lot of interesting sub-plots and characters in the story that are not a part of the mythological story that we know.

In the book, Narsimha belongs to a tribe of Naras created by Vishu during the first war against adharm.

It is a story of power, hunger for dominance, love and most importantly a story of redemption. 

The plot of Narasimha

Indra betrays the truce and attacks Kashyapuri when Hiranyakashyap is away, killing his wife in the process. Hiranyakashyap’ rage is fuelled with revenge and that starts the never-ending battle between devas and asuras. 

Prahlad is the son of Hiranyakashyap who wants to make his father proud and is angry at his mother’s death, but does not believe war to be the solution. He is torn between doing what is right and being seen as a weak soul.

Narsimha has to find himself and do what is right to redeem himself. Will he succeed? For that, you need to read the book.

The book sets the pace for what is to come. While you get a few answers, there are some for which I want to lay my hands on the next installment. The language is simple and easy to understand. It has a lot of characters and tribes but they are well etched and don’t feel forced or unnecessary.

Recently there has been a steady rise in such kind of mythological retelling and hence I was a bit skeptical about the treatment of the book but the book manages to engage the reader throughout. This was the first book from Kevin missal that I have read and I will definitely be checking out his other books.