The Oath of the Vayuputras

If The Immortals of Meluha had been the introduction then The Secret of the Nagas was a revelation but The Oath of the Vayuputras is nothing short of an intense game of chess with attacks and counterattacks of the masters of strategies. As Shiva tries to oust Evil from the soils of India helps come from unexpected quarters. While the call of duty makes enemies out of friends staunch support comes from distant quarters. Tragedies result as selfish souls betrays to the principles of humanity but Shiva ensures that truth triumphs above all. Traps are set, wars are fought, warriors and heroes are born but peace seems more and more distant as what seemed good shows its evil face, while the apparently evil selves show their heroic hearts. Blending myths with convincing rationale the epic is a glorious tribute to the Indian heritage. Barring some literary confusions while using expressions that may be more subtly handled the literature is unputdownable.

The Secret of the Nagas

The thrill starts right from where it culminated in the first part. Shiva's quest for the dark forces seem to stumble over unprecedented revelations. Frightening wars are fought. Strange alliances are forged. But a mastermind puppeteer seems to play a cruel game. As the pieces of puzzle are gradually ordered near ones seem to drift apart. Revenge is sought but results seem baffling. Amish has blended history with mythology presenting an interpretation of the Gods that is so relevant even today. Hope for the saviour when all seems to lost is instilled. Based on his belief that greatness resides on any ordinary soul Amish etches out a canvas where the unificatin of the great land of India had been so earnestly sought for maybe the very first time. Though stretching the limit to its extreme a significant aspect of the anecdotes is the use of scientific concepts in explaining some bizarre happenings. Finally the epic stops with even more suspense than it seemed to promise at first thus continuing with its trail of surprises. But the only disappointment is the lack of regionality in the choice of referring to designations of the characters.

The Immortals of Meluha

Can be considered as an alternative mythology, the novel tries to define the mythological and divine characters in the light of logic and philosophy with slight defects being in choice of curses like ‘Goddammit’ etc. and adjectives like ‘electrifying’ and the likes which is not proper when the backdrop is a civilization, maybe the most ancient in Indian history. Referring to dates in BC and using the names like India (?) seems also poor choice in the novel.

But besides these I will say that Indian readers will find an appealing anecdote of the philosophy of evil and the good in the beginner of the Shiva trilogy. On the verge when evil seems to engulf the souls of the tribes a saviour is hoped to rise to deliver the people to the righteous path. As the Suryavanshis try to protect their river Saraswati from being encroached by Chandravanshis, it seems all depends on Shiva, leader of the Guna tribe, hailing from the northern mountains of Tibet. The Nagas too seems to be involved in the plot. The deformed but skilled warriors in the Nagas are more worrisome due to their shadowy tactics. But curiously the apparently cursed Vikarmas of Meluha proves to be another strong force for whom Shiva restore reverence and from these people he curbs out a robust force for the Suryavanshis on their battle against their enemies. But tragedy strikes more than once as the secret of the Nagas are never revealed. A raging war cannot be prevented but the aftermath does not seem what It was hoped to be. The author has excelled not only in the description of the battles or the elaboration of the perspectives of the Good and Evil, but in explaining the Indus Valley civilization whose architectural rationale seemed only to be contained in books of history and archaeology so far. The narrative ends with the Pandits of the Vasudeva tribe whispering wisdom to Shiva and telling him of Lord Rudra, the first Mahadev while evil lurks just a short distance ahead thus continuing with the excitement till the next part.