Originally written on: 19th March 2013
The face of Indian bestselling authors has
changed. A throne occupied (unfortunately) by Chetan Bhagat for the better
part of last decade is now home to Amish Tripathi. If you don’t agree, you are
welcome to check the frenzied pre-booking orders registered on Flipkart a
couple of months prior to the release. He is a celebrity… his bad writing be
damned!
Amish shot to fame after his debute novel Meluha, became a sleeper and
surprise success. The book was a delightful new approach to our
mythology, chronicling the journey of a man whose deeds made him the God. Lord
Shiva is just Shiva, a simple Tibetian leader whose strong morals and a strange
twist of fate make him the God of people.
The Oath
of the Vayuputras is a much awaited finale to the trilogy, and
is preceded by The Immortals of
Meluha and The Secret of
Nagas.
What is
evil?
The trilogy centers around this question. The
first book clearly tilts the arrow towards Chandravanshi’s who disrupt the
apparently harmonious lives of Meluhans. This logic is dispelled at the end,
when Shiva (branded Neelkanth by the Meluhans) wages a war against the
Chandravanshi’s to realize that they too see a saviour in him. The second book
significantly narrows down the evil to be associated to the Nagas
(deformed humans) but half way through even this belief is challenged.
The Oath of the Vayuputras picks up
where Nagas left and the reader along with Shiva inches closer to the real
Evil. In a predictable twist, the real evil is revealed or to quote the author
‘Anything good is bound to turn evil at some point.’ Now Shiva, along with his
trusted aides, must challenge the entire country to give up this evil
which they hold dearer than their families. Opposition is met at predictable
corners and the book offers no real surprise or twist.
We learn more about the mysterious Vasudevs
and a new set of characters, Vayuputras, are introduced. None of the races
leave an impact equivalent to the characters or societies introduced in the
previous book. In terms of plot, the novel is a ‘Travel Guide to Ancient India’
and has very less basic story. It is an endless river of monologues and
strategies which don’t read well when executed. Amish’s sloppy writing was a
concern in the Nagas but the magnificent twists and wholesome content
compensated for it, which unfortunately, is not the case with the final
book.
The story blends the line between History and Mythology (and tons of Geography ) with interesting insights from the author.
The existing characters take turns to be
foolish, greedy, naive, honor-bound, weak or passionate causing hurdles for the
well-meaning group. Shiva, the protagonist, retains his intelligence, humility
and sense of humor and you have no option but love, adore and worship
him. A character that refuses to leave you long after you close the
book, is Shiva’s wife, Sati. She is extremely well-written by the author
as a woman of substance. Her battle sequences are described commendably well as
she fights with valor and vigor. She is the sole reason you will have a lump in
your throat towards the climax.
The ending though… disappoints.
*Best I
could write without revealing the story.
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