The Sanguinarian

The Sanguinarian

Tuesday 5 January 2016

Review- Varchasva: The Mythos of Jaladhi- Nishant Shailajan



"Varchasva – signifying absolute dominance – is the first in the Trilogy of The Mythos of Jaladhi. It is a tale of grit, determination and valour of five princes, handpicked and tutored by Maharishi Devang, their spiritually endowed mentor, in the inhospitable and treacherous terrain of Mount Anshuman. Their innate talents fostered by rigorous discipline and harsh training, their body and mind honed to perfection and exceptional prowess, the princes develop into an invincible Five Man Army of redoubtable warriors. Worthy wielders of divine weapons, their mission is to overcome the occult power of Himsa, abominable master of Seven Deadly Sins and the mighty rakshasa generals. Varchasva is the seedling that sprouts into the episodic saga of The Mythos of Jaladhi – a saga that draws its sustenance from the righteous yet vanquished heroes of lore – the illustrious antagonists from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata; who now lend their phenomenal powers to the just cause of the princes, in a different age and world and in completely different avatars altogether! This indeed is heady old wine in sparklingly new bottle – the super-human drama of an epic struggle that culminates in triumph of good over evil, of love over hate, of hope over despair! A gripping fantasy with the evocative power to transport today's readers into a world of epic déjà vu!! " 


Mythological fantasy gets a new outlook, scope and from with Nishant Shailajan's first book. 

The novel starts of with a drastic and dramatic prologue which gives the reader a glimpse into what is coming in the next page. 
In the next few chapters, an interesting story unfolds as a brave king faces an enemy which seems not just invisible but also invincible. Tradegy follows as the dark forces of evil take over kingdoms. This happens as Maharishi Devang trains five young princes under him- five brave princes whose families and kingdoms are under seige by Himsaa and the seven sins, and who form each other's 
backbone in times of stress and grief.
The story loses pace for the first few chapter- even though the premise is intriguing. There is more telling and less showing. Excessive descriptions make the pace slow and drag the story along- scenes with less description would have been better. 

But then the story picks pace. Elements of political intrigue, horror and adventure come in as the action increases the feverish pace of the book. The brave warriors battle demons, rakshasas, the seven sins and other dark creatures from the darkest places imaginable. 

The writing is of high quality and the prose is flowing and eloquent. The editing is thorough and typos are less. Grammar is also perfect. 

The world-building is imaginative and original. The characters are rich and complex- good people do the most terrible things and bad people act with honor. The conflict is shown well- and the denoument matches the pace of the book. 

Nishant Shailajan is a promising writer to watch out for. I wish the author all the best for his future work and await his next book. 

If you like mythological fantasy with a dash of horror and politics and adventure, go buy this book here: 
The Mythos of Jaladhi


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