The Great War of Hind - Book Review

Title: The Great War of Hind 

Author: Vaibhav Anand

Publisher: Srishti Publishers & Distributors

ISBN: 978-93-82665-46-5

Number of Pages: 165

Price: 175 [INR]

Genre: Historical Fiction

The Blurb:

"In the beginning, there was no such thing as heaven or hell. All that there was then, was earth… There are raconteurs and mischief-mongers in our ranks and I have no doubt they shall pervert the truth with their self-serving versions. The events of history – this history of our land – shall thus inevitably have many versions, doubtless. But, I was there with General Ramm, I fought by his side…” 

— Sanjaay, official chronicler of General Ramm

Around 12000 B.C., Hindustan as we know it today (or Hind), comprised five kingdoms of man, sandwiched between Parbat – the kingdom of the Gods in the north, and Lunka – the kingdom of the demons in the south. The ‘Legend of Ramm’ unravels the story of the military general called Ramm in the kingdom of Ayodh and how his actions came to define our world as we know it today.

My Review:

       When I first read the blurb, I thought it would be a retelling of the great epic - Ramayana but a bit differently. I was all set for reading Ramayana once more. But when I started reading it, I realize how wrong I was. It is anything but the Ramayana I knew of! The author has modified the entire story and presented it in a new and brilliant manner, which leaves you asking for more. This book narrates the story of Ramm, not as the God we know but as a common man (!) just like us.

      The story begins with General Ramm displaying his skills and winning one of the winter war games held in the presence of six kings seated together - his own king Vikramadetya, Sheikh Muhumud of Persis, King Talib of Kurd, Emperor Trystan of Nipalaya, Lord Garman of Ga and Russ, the cow king of the kingdom of Sur. The story soon jumps to Lunka, where Kaikesi narrates the young Raavan a bedtime story about the creation of man and demons and the curse bestowed upon Adum.

       Back in Persis, Sheikh Muhumud plans a war against King Vikramadetya to conquer Awadh. The story picks up momentum from here. The war plans, the tricks and the actual course of the war cover up the rest of the book. There are also snippets from Prabat where Lord Vishnu seems to be agitated about something and the few and far fetched scenes of Prabat slowly unfold the mystery which leads to a shocking revelation in the end!

Things I Liked:

• Writing something new is easy. But picking up a popular epic like Ramayana as base and then recreating the whole story in a different manner definitely requires lot of effort! The author has done a brilliant job in this front. If you could just give the starting few pages some time, you are sure to like the book.
• The narration was gripping and smooth.
• I loved the attention given to the details. Every incident, every war formation and every strategy has been explained in detail, making the story more interesting.
• The whole plot has been carefully planned and penned in a way that makes this book enthralling.
• The course of the war was the best part of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the war techniques and the wise moves made by Ramm in order to turn the odds in his favor.

Things I Disliked:

• While there wasn't anything specific that I disliked, I guess some people might feel offended reading this version of the Ramayana (and there were some parts which I felt weren't apt either). But one has to keep in mind that this is not a mythological novel but a historical fiction and agree that the work done by the author is indeed brilliant.

Verdict:

       I had once said in one of my reviews that the success of any series depends on how eager the reader is to read the sequel of your book. I am definitely curious to know what happened next to Ramm after the shocking realization that too especially now with Shiva and Vishnu plotting for more destruction. Highly recommended to those who enjoy reading historical fictions. This one is surely an entertainer!

My Rating:

PS: I received this book from the author in exchange of an honest review.

Until the next review,

Keep Reading :)

Love,

Starry Eyed Reader :)