I love reading… but for as long as I can remember I have had phases when reading would take a backseat. During those lull periods, it usually takes a really really good book to pull me back to the reading world! It used to happen when I was younger, exams, seminars, projects would engulf my world and I would lose the habit of wrapping up tiresome days with a good book in hand. Now that I am married, being a working woman and a homemaker, I would often find myself really exhausted by the end of the day, so much so that I would read barely a page before stepping into lala land!

This time, the book that compelled me to put everything aside, is The immortals of Meluha by Amish.

The book talks about my favorite topic: Mythology without making it boring or monotonous! The author has cleverly brought together the Chandravanshis (Clan of King Bharat which ultimately led to Mahabharat), Suryavanshis (Clan of King Ram whose story is the Ramayan) and the man who was their savior, Lord Shiva, all together in a spell-binding story. What I loved about the book was not just the story but the ingenuity with which various mythological characters we revere as Gods today, come alive as believable people – like they truly walked the land we live on… The names of all the characters, main or supporting, have been derived from the names of Gods that we pray to. Their characterisation in the book has been dealt with pain-staking detail, so much so that you feel like you have known them forever… Actually you have!!

The writing shows immense maturity with which the author has dealt with all the issues that plagued our societies in the past – some of them continue to plague us even today. It is surprising that this is the first book written by Amish. Author shows immense promise and I am already half way through the 2nd book of the Shiva Trilogy – The Secret of the Nagas (review coming soon)

This book is for anyone and everyone who has ever had the remotest interest in mythology. I was always asked by my non-Indian friends to tell them any one book which tied all our mythology together. I could never think of one… Shiva Trilogy has successfully emerged as an answer to that!

If Aamir Khan is listening, here is one book that would make a terrific movie!!

Are you guys ready for the Indian answer to ‘Lord of the Rings‘?