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Shiva Trilogy #3
The Oath of the Vayuputras
ONLY A GOD CAN STOP IT.
Shiva is gathering his forces. He reaches the Naga capital, Panchavati, and Evil is finally revealed. The Neelkanth prepares for a holy war against his true enemy, a man whose name instils dread in the fiercest of warriors.
India convulses under the onslaught of a series of brutal battles. It's a war for the very soul of the nation. Many will die. But Shiva must not fail, no matter what the cost. In his desperation, he reaches out to the ones who have never offered any help to him: the Vayuputras.
Will he succeed? And what will be the real cost of battling Evil? To India? And to Shiva's soul?
Discover the answer to these mysteries in this concluding part of the bestselling Shiva Trilogy.
Shiva is gathering his forces. He reaches the Naga capital, Panchavati, and Evil is finally revealed. The Neelkanth prepares for a holy war against his true enemy, a man whose name instils dread in the fiercest of warriors.
India convulses under the onslaught of a series of brutal battles. It's a war for the very soul of the nation. Many will die. But Shiva must not fail, no matter what the cost. In his desperation, he reaches out to the ones who have never offered any help to him: the Vayuputras.
Will he succeed? And what will be the real cost of battling Evil? To India? And to Shiva's soul?
Discover the answer to these mysteries in this concluding part of the bestselling Shiva Trilogy.
575 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
About the author
Amish Tripathi
35 books7,478 followersAmish is an IIM (Kolkata) educated, banker turned award-winning author. The success of his debut book, The Immortals of Meluha (Book 1 of the Shiva Trilogy), encouraged him to give up a fourteen-year-old career in financial services to focus on writing. He is passionate about history, mythology and philosophy, finding beauty and meaning in all world religions.
His 7 books have sold over 5 million copies and been translated into 19 Indian & international languages. His Shiva Trilogy is the fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history while his Ram Chandra Series is the second fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history.
In 2019, Amish was appointed to a diplomatic role as Director , The Nehru Centre in London, India's premier cultural centre abroad.
His 7 books have sold over 5 million copies and been translated into 19 Indian & international languages. His Shiva Trilogy is the fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history while his Ram Chandra Series is the second fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history.
In 2019, Amish was appointed to a diplomatic role as Director , The Nehru Centre in London, India's premier cultural centre abroad.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,633 reviews
March 15, 2013
I am sad. Mr. Tripathi... what happened?
After the first two books, I had high hopes. The writing was good, the plot was good; it had purpose - "Evil" had risen in Meluha, Shiva had to stop it. Simple, yes? Throughout the first two books, we were given the impression that evil, in the form of some not-so-nice people, was lurking in the shadows, ever-growing, ever-menacing, threatening to disrupt life as they knew it,and it must be stopped at all cost.
And then came the third book.
As soon as I started the book, I knew something was wrong. Instead of the story being about Shiva and his ultimate, glorious triumph over evil, we were being told that, suddenly, the balance between "Good" and "Evil" had been destroyed and that Shiva must rise to the occasion quickly and remove "Evil" and restore "Good" (All this was told over 50 or so pages with the words "Good" and "Evil" being thrown in my face about 20 times per page. It is safe to assume by the end of it, I was nursing murderous feelings towards the author/editor)
Only, turns out "Evil" is not a person, or even persons, but, in fact, is the Somras.
...
I know right? Ooooh, an elixir that gives you immortality and perfect health! SO EVIL!!!!
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(EDIT : See what I mean?)
A vague and half-assed explanation was given about how that though the Somras is beneficial to some, it can cause side-effects among others (Nagas, Brangas) and so, even though it started out as "Good", it has now (out of nowhere) been declared as "Evil" and must be destroyed. Actually, no, let me correct myself. It wasn't declared "Evil" out of nowhere. It was declared "Evil" only when Shiva came to the conclusion (THIS was out of nowhere) that Somras was "Evil".
Don't even get me started on the contrivances in this book. Apparently, it was all planned from the beginning that Shiva was going to be the Neelkanth. His Uncle had given him some drink when Shiva was a kid (which Shiva conveniently remembered just now) that would ensure that his throat would turn blue when he drank the Somras, which would happen only if he drank it at the right time (Was his uncle psychic?) and that "Evil" would be recognised, or something would be accepted as "Evil", ONLY when Shiva decided it so (Does this mean, he could have pointed at a rock on the ground and declared it "Evil" and people would have accepted it blindly?!)
The good thing is, Amish has Shiva think like the readers and question the credibility of this whole shebang. The bad thing is, Amish tries to explain it away with a feeble "everything happened exactly the way it should because the universe conspired it so". Ugh.
Let's talk about Kartik, Shiva and Sati's son, a bit here. In this book, we find him as a superior warrior, defeating even the likes of Ganesh; leading vicious, bloody battles ending in victories; preaching and counseling even wise men like Maharishi Brighu. Which should sound perfectly fine - history is rife with brave, wise men like this. My problem? HE IS SIX F***ING YEARS OLD
Ultimately, what was most disappointing about this book (I had put it down for two days and completely forgot it pick it up again, I was that unenthusiastic) was the terrible ending.
I give up.
P.S - What oath? What Vayuputras? Holy misleading title, Batman!
June 2, 2013
A funky mix of pseudo-science, pseudo-history and pseudo-mythology, The Oath of the Vayuputras marks a new low for this trilogy. Amish ensures that anyone reading this book will emerge with a thoroughly muddled conception of Indian mythology and pre-history. This would be a valuable asset when the movie comes out.
I had criticized the plot mechanism in my previous review by comparing it to an Amar-Chitra Katha. I have to take that back. Amar-Chitra Kathas were really good, in fact. No I would venture to say that the plotting, the characterizations and the dialogues are in the time honored tradition of the beloved saas-bahu serials of India. You cannot go wrong with that.
I clenched my teeth and read through this one. And guess what, the book ends with a threat that Shiva willing, there might be more!
PS. I have so many rants, especially factual ones. But unless someone wants to contest me about the virtues of the book, I am not going to bother.
PPS. The Star Progression for the trilogy = 3,2,1.
March 24, 2021
The Oath of the Vayuputras (Shiva Trilogy, #3), Amish Tripathi
The Oath of the Vayuputras is the third book of Amish Tripathi, third book of Amishverse, and also the third book of Shiva Trilogy.. The book was released on 27 February 2013, through Westland Press and completes the mythical story about an imaginary land Meluha and how its inhabitants were saved by a nomad named Shiva.
Starting from where the previous installment left off, Shiva discovers what is the true evil in The Oath of the Vayuputras.
Shiva then declares a holy war on those who seek to continue to use it, mainly the Emperors Daksha and Dilipa, who are being controlled by the sage Bhrigu.
The battle rages on and Shiva travels to the land of Pariha to consult with Vayuputras, a legendary tribe. By the time he returns, the war has ended with Sati, his wife, being murdered.
An enraged Shiva destroys the capital of Meluha and Somras is wiped out of history. The story concludes with Shiva and his associates being popularized as Gods for their deeds and accomplishments.
On meeting Brahaspati at the Naga capital of Panchavati, Shiva comes to know about the evil "Somras", and its ill effects on the people of India.
Brahaspati explains that the large amounts of water required to manufacture Somras has resulted in the depletion of the Saraswati River's water.
The waste generated in the process of manufacturing the Somras was dumped in the Tsangpo river, which flows through Branga territory as Brahmaputra, and resulted in their disastrous plague. Also the birth of Naga babies was credited to Somras as it results in the multiplication of cells at a very high rate which lead to their deformation and outgrowths. ...
تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز بیست و دوم ماه فوریه سال 2017میلادی
عنوان: سوگند وایوپتراس: کتاب سوم از سه گانه شیوا؛ نویسنده: آمیش ترپانتی؛
ملوحا (ملوها) یک امپراتوری تقریباً کامل است، که سده ها پیش توسط «لرد رام»، یکی از بزرگترین پادشاهان «هندو» که تاکنون زندگی کرده، ایجاد شده است؛ با اینحال، امپراتوری که روزی افتخارآمیز بوده، حاکمان آن سوریوانشی با بحران شدید روبرو هستند، زیرا رودخانه اصلی آن «سارسواتی»، به آرامی در حال خشکیدن است؛ آنها همچنین با حملات ویرانگر تروریستهایی از «چاندروانشی»ها روبرو شده اند، که به نیروهای «ناگا» پیوسته اند، ...؛
در ادامه از «نامیرا» در «ملوحا»، «شیوا»، ناجی سرزمین «ملوحا»، برای نجات همسرش «ساتی» از «ناگا» که فرار میکند، عجله میکند و «سکه»ها را با حکاکیهای عجیب جا میگذارد؛ یابندگان، پس از مشورت با پدر «ساتی»، «داکشا»، و «دلیپا» پادشاه «آیودیا»، متوجه میشوند که آن سکه متعلق به پادشاه «چاندراکتو»، حاکم سرزمین «برانگا»، در «هند شرقی» است؛ «شیوا» و «ساتی» به منظور کسب اطلاعات بیشتر، در مورد «ناگا»ها به «کاشی»، جاییکه جمعی از «برانگا»ها در آن ساکن هستند، سفر میکنند؛ آنها با همر��هان «شیوا» در جنگ «پرواتش»، همراهان «نندی» و «ویربهادرا»، پزشک «آیورواتی»، و «بهاگیراتو آناندامایی»، شاهزاده، و شاهزاده خانم «آیودیا» همراه هستند؛ ...؛
وداها کهنترین کتابهای «آریاییان» و قدیمیترین نوشتارها، به زبان «هند و اروپایی» هستند، که تاریخ نگارش آنها را، در دوره ای بین سالهای هزار و هفتصد و پنجاه، تا ششصد سال پیش از میلاد میدانند؛ کتاب «ودا» چهار کتاب با عنوانهای «ریگودا» یا نیایشها، «یجورودا» یا کتاب نیایش کنندگان، «سامهودا» یا کتاب سرودها، و «آتارواودا» هست؛ هر کدام از این چهار کتاب، دارای چهار قسمت هستند: «سمهیتا، سرود»، «براهمنهها، دستورات مراسم قربانی کردن»، «آرنیکهها، دستورات قربانی کردن در مراسمهای خطرناکتر، متون فلسفی و مذهبی زاهدان» و «اوپانیشاد، متون فلسفی و مذهبی روحانیون و عوام؛ «وداها» مهمترین نوشتار، برای شکلگیری فرهنگ کنونی، در شبه قاره ی «هند» میباشند؛ سرودهای کتاب «ودا»، در جشنها و مراسم دینی، مراسم ازدواج، و نمازهای «هندو» خوانده میشوند؛ و «وداها»، مهمترین کتاب آئین هندو؛ و «وداها» یکی از یادگاران یگانه ی «هند و ایرانی» نیز هستند؛
نام «شیوا» که گویای نیک اختر و فرخ پی بودن، و خدای نگهدارنده ی آسمان و زمین، و بخشنده ی گناهاناست، در «ودا»های «سانسکریت» نیست؛ اما نام «ویشنو»، در متون کهنسال، به عنوان عضوی، از گروه خدایان، و خدایی باورمند به انسان، در «ودا»ها آشکار است، «شیوا» به صورت، بیگانه ای تاریک و دیوسان، در دشمنی با دیگر خدایان، و انسان، قرار میگیرد؛ نیای او در «ودا»، «رودْرا» است، که «پاراجاپاتی» را، برای زنای با نزدیکان، پادافراه میکند؛ «رودرا» خدای برهوت، خدای حیات وحش، و جنگلها، خدای ستیغ کوهها، خدای تقاطعهای خطرناک، بوده اند؛ به «رودرا» که در مناطق گوناگون، و به صورت جداگانه، پرستیده میشد، سهمی از قربانیهای «ودا»یی، داده نشد؛ زمانی که خدایان، برای نخستین بار، قربانی کردند، «رودرا»، از سهم قربانی، محروم شد، و سپس او، در طی یورشی، آنها را، وادار ساخت، تا سهمی هم به وی دهند، و سروری حیات وحش را، به او ببخشند
شیوا، با «ساتی»، دختر «داکشا»، ازدواج میکند؛ «داکشا»، مراسم قربانی را، بدون دعوت نمودن از «شیوا»، انجام میدهد، و «ساتی» به خاطر بیآبرویی، که پدر بر او وارد آورده بود، خودکشی میکند؛ وی در آتش قربانی میشود، و به عنوان نخستین مفهوم، برای «سنت ساتی (رسم سوزاندن بیوهها)»؛ قربانی میگردد؛ سپس، «شیوا» رسم قربانی را قدغن میکند، او «داکشا» را، گردن میزند، و کلّه وی را در آتش میاندازد؛ هنگامیکه خدایان، در پیشگاه او به خاک میافتند، و از وی طلب بخشش میکنند، «شیوا»، قربانی را دوباره پس میدهد، و «داکشا» را، زنده میکند، بدین ترتیب، «شیوا»، که از سهم قربانی محروم شده بود، قربانی کردن خود را، اجرا نمود، و سرانجام، در کنار خدایان جای گرفت؛
مشخصات شیوا: «چشم سوم بر پیشانی (نشان عقل)»؛ «گردنبند مار کبرا (تندرستی و نامیرا)»؛ «موهای پریشان (ارباب بادها))»؛ «هلال ماه روی سر (هلال پنج روزه، نمودی از زمان)»؛ «گنگ مقدس (رودخانه ای که از موهایش جاریست)»؛ «طبل در دست (صداها و زبانها)»؛ «ویبوتی (سه خط از خاکستر روی پیشانی، نماد جهل، خودپرستی، و خشونت)»؛ «خاکستر گورستان (مرگ و زندگی در کنار هم)»؛ «پوست ببر (توان و نیرو)»؛ «پوست فیل و گوزن (پیروزی بر غرور)»؛ «رودراکشا (شیوا بندهایی به دور مچ دست خود بسته که کاربرد درمانی دارند)»؛ و «عصای سه شاخه (عصای سه شاخه شیوا، تریشول نشان دهنده سه عملکرد ویژه هستند: خلق، نگهداری و مرگ؛ این عصا در دست شیوا، نشان دهنده این است که تمامی این قدرتها در کنترل او هستند؛ برداشت دیگر این است که این سه شاخه، نماینده گذشته، حال و آینده نیز هستند، که نشان میدهند زمان نیز در کنترل شیوا است)»؛
و کتاب سوم ریویو به زودی
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 03/01/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
The Oath of the Vayuputras is the third book of Amish Tripathi, third book of Amishverse, and also the third book of Shiva Trilogy.. The book was released on 27 February 2013, through Westland Press and completes the mythical story about an imaginary land Meluha and how its inhabitants were saved by a nomad named Shiva.
Starting from where the previous installment left off, Shiva discovers what is the true evil in The Oath of the Vayuputras.
Shiva then declares a holy war on those who seek to continue to use it, mainly the Emperors Daksha and Dilipa, who are being controlled by the sage Bhrigu.
The battle rages on and Shiva travels to the land of Pariha to consult with Vayuputras, a legendary tribe. By the time he returns, the war has ended with Sati, his wife, being murdered.
An enraged Shiva destroys the capital of Meluha and Somras is wiped out of history. The story concludes with Shiva and his associates being popularized as Gods for their deeds and accomplishments.
On meeting Brahaspati at the Naga capital of Panchavati, Shiva comes to know about the evil "Somras", and its ill effects on the people of India.
Brahaspati explains that the large amounts of water required to manufacture Somras has resulted in the depletion of the Saraswati River's water.
The waste generated in the process of manufacturing the Somras was dumped in the Tsangpo river, which flows through Branga territory as Brahmaputra, and resulted in their disastrous plague. Also the birth of Naga babies was credited to Somras as it results in the multiplication of cells at a very high rate which lead to their deformation and outgrowths. ...
تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز بیست و دوم ماه فوریه سال 2017میلادی
عنوان: سوگند وایوپتراس: کتاب سوم از سه گانه شیوا؛ نویسنده: آمیش ترپانتی؛
ملوحا (ملوها) یک امپراتوری تقریباً کامل است، که سده ها پیش توسط «لرد رام»، یکی از بزرگترین پادشاهان «هندو» که تاکنون زندگی کرده، ایجاد شده است؛ با اینحال، امپراتوری که روزی افتخارآمیز بوده، حاکمان آن سوریوانشی با بحران شدید روبرو هستند، زیرا رودخانه اصلی آن «سارسواتی»، به آرامی در حال خشکیدن است؛ آنها همچنین با حملات ویرانگر تروریستهایی از «چاندروانشی»ها روبرو شده اند، که به نیروهای «ناگا» پیوسته اند، ...؛
در ادامه از «نامیرا» در «ملوحا»، «شیوا»، ناجی سرزمین «ملوحا»، برای نجات همسرش «ساتی» از «ناگا» که فرار میکند، عجله میکند و «سکه»ها را با حکاکیهای عجیب جا میگذارد؛ یابندگان، پس از مشورت با پدر «ساتی»، «داکشا»، و «دلیپا» پادشاه «آیودیا»، متوجه میشوند که آن سکه متعلق به پادشاه «چاندراکتو»، حاکم سرزمین «برانگا»، در «هند شرقی» است؛ «شیوا» و «ساتی» به منظور کسب اطلاعات بیشتر، در مورد «ناگا»ها به «کاشی»، جاییکه جمعی از «برانگا»ها در آن ساکن هستند، سفر میکنند؛ آنها با همر��هان «شیوا» در جنگ «پرواتش»، همراهان «نندی» و «ویربهادرا»، پزشک «آیورواتی»، و «بهاگیراتو آناندامایی»، شاهزاده، و شاهزاده خانم «آیودیا» همراه هستند؛ ...؛
وداها کهنترین کتابهای «آریاییان» و قدیمیترین نوشتارها، به زبان «هند و اروپایی» هستند، که تاریخ نگارش آنها را، در دوره ای بین سالهای هزار و هفتصد و پنجاه، تا ششصد سال پیش از میلاد میدانند؛ کتاب «ودا» چهار کتاب با عنوانهای «ریگودا» یا نیایشها، «یجورودا» یا کتاب نیایش کنندگان، «سامهودا» یا کتاب سرودها، و «آتارواودا» هست؛ هر کدام از این چهار کتاب، دارای چهار قسمت هستند: «سمهیتا، سرود»، «براهمنهها، دستورات مراسم قربانی کردن»، «آرنیکهها، دستورات قربانی کردن در مراسمهای خطرناکتر، متون فلسفی و مذهبی زاهدان» و «اوپانیشاد، متون فلسفی و مذهبی روحانیون و عوام؛ «وداها» مهمترین نوشتار، برای شکلگیری فرهنگ کنونی، در شبه قاره ی «هند» میباشند؛ سرودهای کتاب «ودا»، در جشنها و مراسم دینی، مراسم ازدواج، و نمازهای «هندو» خوانده میشوند؛ و «وداها»، مهمترین کتاب آئین هندو؛ و «وداها» یکی از یادگاران یگانه ی «هند و ایرانی» نیز هستند؛
نام «شیوا» که گویای نیک اختر و فرخ پی بودن، و خدای نگهدارنده ی آسمان و زمین، و بخشنده ی گناهاناست، در «ودا»های «سانسکریت» نیست؛ اما نام «ویشنو»، در متون کهنسال، به عنوان عضوی، از گروه خدایان، و خدایی باورمند به انسان، در «ودا»ها آشکار است، «شیوا» به صورت، بیگانه ای تاریک و دیوسان، در دشمنی با دیگر خدایان، و انسان، قرار میگیرد؛ نیای او در «ودا»، «رودْرا» است، که «پاراجاپاتی» را، برای زنای با نزدیکان، پادافراه میکند؛ «رودرا» خدای برهوت، خدای حیات وحش، و جنگلها، خدای ستیغ کوهها، خدای تقاطعهای خطرناک، بوده اند؛ به «رودرا» که در مناطق گوناگون، و به صورت جداگانه، پرستیده میشد، سهمی از قربانیهای «ودا»یی، داده نشد؛ زمانی که خدایان، برای نخستین بار، قربانی کردند، «رودرا»، از سهم قربانی، محروم شد، و سپس او، در طی یورشی، آنها را، وادار ساخت، تا سهمی هم به وی دهند، و سروری حیات وحش را، به او ببخشند
شیوا، با «ساتی»، دختر «داکشا»، ازدواج میکند؛ «داکشا»، مراسم قربانی را، بدون دعوت نمودن از «شیوا»، انجام میدهد، و «ساتی» به خاطر بیآبرویی، که پدر بر او وارد آورده بود، خودکشی میکند؛ وی در آتش قربانی میشود، و به عنوان نخستین مفهوم، برای «سنت ساتی (رسم سوزاندن بیوهها)»؛ قربانی میگردد؛ سپس، «شیوا» رسم قربانی را قدغن میکند، او «داکشا» را، گردن میزند، و کلّه وی را در آتش میاندازد؛ هنگامیکه خدایان، در پیشگاه او به خاک میافتند، و از وی طلب بخشش میکنند، «شیوا»، قربانی را دوباره پس میدهد، و «داکشا» را، زنده میکند، بدین ترتیب، «شیوا»، که از سهم قربانی محروم شده بود، قربانی کردن خود را، اجرا نمود، و سرانجام، در کنار خدایان جای گرفت؛
مشخصات شیوا: «چشم سوم بر پیشانی (نشان عقل)»؛ «گردنبند مار کبرا (تندرستی و نامیرا)»؛ «موهای پریشان (ارباب بادها))»؛ «هلال ماه روی سر (هلال پنج روزه، نمودی از زمان)»؛ «گنگ مقدس (رودخانه ای که از موهایش جاریست)»؛ «طبل در دست (صداها و زبانها)»؛ «ویبوتی (سه خط از خاکستر روی پیشانی، نماد جهل، خودپرستی، و خشونت)»؛ «خاکستر گورستان (مرگ و زندگی در کنار هم)»؛ «پوست ببر (توان و نیرو)»؛ «پوست فیل و گوزن (پیروزی بر غرور)»؛ «رودراکشا (شیوا بندهایی به دور مچ دست خود بسته که کاربرد درمانی دارند)»؛ و «عصای سه شاخه (عصای سه شاخه شیوا، تریشول نشان دهنده سه عملکرد ویژه هستند: خلق، نگهداری و مرگ؛ این عصا در دست شیوا، نشان دهنده این است که تمامی این قدرتها در کنترل او هستند؛ برداشت دیگر این است که این سه شاخه، نماینده گذشته، حال و آینده نیز هستند، که نشان میدهند زمان نیز در کنترل شیوا است)»؛
و کتاب سوم ریویو به زودی
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 03/01/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
October 7, 2013
An unfitting end to a wonderful series. What I intend to imply by an unfitting end is that the entire novel disappoints. Not just the end. It does not feel like a book from the same person who wrote the fantastic "Secret of the Nagas" or "The Immortals of Meluha" before that. Amish left the readers on such a high after the 2nd book that he had to hit a home run with this one or else, it was doomed to fail. And fail it does!
For starters, the book is way too long! It could have easily been brought down to about 300 pages. Would have made it much less painful to read! All the secrets are revealed in the first 100 pages itself! Makes you wonder what else is going to come ahead! Sets one to expect more twists and turns in the point. However, the only thing that did come ahead was page upon page of unnecessary details! Yawwwwwnnnnnn!!! It took me forever to get through the 200s (pages I mean).
The author's writing skills are reflected in the latter half of the book (say page 300+), but by then the damage has already been inflicted. I could not be convinced beyond that point. It sure gets interesting, making you want to read further. But that's it. It was not enough to make me get over the trauma of the 200s.
The end is too filmy to say the least! I am really disappointed with the way the story has ended, after being shaped up so beautifully (with the previous 2 books).
It has all the elements of a typical Bollywood climax scene. A death, a fight scene, hero escaping unscathed, family scene, hero running off to find peace, follow the hero X years later. How typical! How predictable! I was expecting something new. Something else.
I would like to add that Amish is a skilled writer. I cannot allow one failed book to change that fact. His play of words and easy-breezy style of writing is still wonderful to read. There are some statements in the book that instantly captures one's attention. It is simple things written in a simple yet striking manner. My favorite line - "There is no wrong way to do the right thing". Wonderful!
The book is an abysmal end to a wonderful series. Some amazing characters, superb plots, great writing, fast paced – that is how I would like to remember the Shiva Trilogy. For those who have read and loved the first 2 books, this book would not change much. But yes, it surely leaves one wanting for something far better than what has been dished to us.
Visit http://bit.ly/1d9eHo9 for more
For starters, the book is way too long! It could have easily been brought down to about 300 pages. Would have made it much less painful to read! All the secrets are revealed in the first 100 pages itself! Makes you wonder what else is going to come ahead! Sets one to expect more twists and turns in the point. However, the only thing that did come ahead was page upon page of unnecessary details! Yawwwwwnnnnnn!!! It took me forever to get through the 200s (pages I mean).
The author's writing skills are reflected in the latter half of the book (say page 300+), but by then the damage has already been inflicted. I could not be convinced beyond that point. It sure gets interesting, making you want to read further. But that's it. It was not enough to make me get over the trauma of the 200s.
The end is too filmy to say the least! I am really disappointed with the way the story has ended, after being shaped up so beautifully (with the previous 2 books).
It has all the elements of a typical Bollywood climax scene. A death, a fight scene, hero escaping unscathed, family scene, hero running off to find peace, follow the hero X years later. How typical! How predictable! I was expecting something new. Something else.
I would like to add that Amish is a skilled writer. I cannot allow one failed book to change that fact. His play of words and easy-breezy style of writing is still wonderful to read. There are some statements in the book that instantly captures one's attention. It is simple things written in a simple yet striking manner. My favorite line - "There is no wrong way to do the right thing". Wonderful!
The book is an abysmal end to a wonderful series. Some amazing characters, superb plots, great writing, fast paced – that is how I would like to remember the Shiva Trilogy. For those who have read and loved the first 2 books, this book would not change much. But yes, it surely leaves one wanting for something far better than what has been dished to us.
Visit http://bit.ly/1d9eHo9 for more
August 30, 2020
"Lord Ram, have mercy!" on those who attempt to read the third installment. It was never the literary genius of the author that made me continue reading the trilogy after The Immortals of Meh. Like I'd mentioned in my review of the book, I thought there was some imagination at work. The trend continued in The Secret Nag (yes, I'm irritated enough to play with the titles) and there was some effort in polishing the language. All of this meant that Book 3 had to be read, but what a horror it turned out to be!
That damn phrase I quoted in the beginning has appeared so many times in this book that it must have easily hiked the page count by at least 20! It is one of the many torture devices the author has skilfully used. It also partially explains why this book is about 560 pages when the earlier two gave up in their attempts to touch 400. Partially, because the rest is accounted for by Amish attempting to take himself seriously as a literary figure. Nothing else can explain the deluge of prose that fills the book. It easily lives up to the 'Vayu' in the title - full of gas!
In the non-existent plot, Shiva does his version of Around the Sub-Continent in 80 days but finds time to romance his wife and exhort his sons with phrases like "Give them hell". Oh yes, I have used exact words! If that weren't enough, most of the book is devoted to intricate war strategy that caused me to think whether Amish wants to be given military command in real life! I do think that's less dangerous than what he's doing now! In the last few pages of the book, Amish applies his final torture mechanism - making an attempt to retrofit (his) mythology with history - not just Indian, but Tibetan as well. The Dalai Lama would stop reincarnating if he read this section! The strengths (if any) of the first two books were the plot and the pace of the narrative. Both of them apparently died an untimely death at the end of book 2.
What makes me truly afraid is the possibility that this will be a reference point for Hindu mythology (fiction) in say, another 15 years! That's very scary! As per Amish, true evil creeps up on us slowly. Sometimes, it's in the form of books!
That damn phrase I quoted in the beginning has appeared so many times in this book that it must have easily hiked the page count by at least 20! It is one of the many torture devices the author has skilfully used. It also partially explains why this book is about 560 pages when the earlier two gave up in their attempts to touch 400. Partially, because the rest is accounted for by Amish attempting to take himself seriously as a literary figure. Nothing else can explain the deluge of prose that fills the book. It easily lives up to the 'Vayu' in the title - full of gas!
In the non-existent plot, Shiva does his version of Around the Sub-Continent in 80 days but finds time to romance his wife and exhort his sons with phrases like "Give them hell". Oh yes, I have used exact words! If that weren't enough, most of the book is devoted to intricate war strategy that caused me to think whether Amish wants to be given military command in real life! I do think that's less dangerous than what he's doing now! In the last few pages of the book, Amish applies his final torture mechanism - making an attempt to retrofit (his) mythology with history - not just Indian, but Tibetan as well. The Dalai Lama would stop reincarnating if he read this section! The strengths (if any) of the first two books were the plot and the pace of the narrative. Both of them apparently died an untimely death at the end of book 2.
What makes me truly afraid is the possibility that this will be a reference point for Hindu mythology (fiction) in say, another 15 years! That's very scary! As per Amish, true evil creeps up on us slowly. Sometimes, it's in the form of books!
August 11, 2020
Was it really written by the same Amish who wrote the Immortals of Meluha? The second book was bit of a let down, but I had high expectations from this book considering it's the end of the Shiva trilogy.
The author rambles for 500+ pages with boring details trying to find a way to tie up all the loose ends and conveniently forgets the plot. The only part that moved me was Shiva grieving for Sati.
The story had so much potential. Wish Amish hadn't strayed from the original plot.
The author rambles for 500+ pages with boring details trying to find a way to tie up all the loose ends and conveniently forgets the plot. The only part that moved me was Shiva grieving for Sati.
The story had so much potential. Wish Amish hadn't strayed from the original plot.
March 3, 2013
A satisfying ending to a great saga
Let me be honest. When I heard that Amish was writing his third and final novel to the Shiva Trilogy, I was kinda relieved. Thinking that we would finally get some closure to Shiva's life, I greedily picked up the book and went through with it. Now as I have turned the final page of India's most successful series in recent times, I sincerely wish it had gone on just a bit longer.
The first 200 pages or so were quite boring and honest to God, I was planning to shut this book and place it in an already overcrowded bookshelf in a section I have called I wish I hadn't. Had this been a single book with no books before or after it, I would have done so without a second thought. But, due to the fun I had reading the previous novels, I knew I just had to get through with it, just hoping for the best. And so, I went on.
And, I haven't regretted doing so one bit, the story actually picked up, the moment I thought it had become bland and I was hooked. Lots of emotion, drama, action, war etc filled the 300+ pages. Saying any further will only act as a spoiler since there are a lot of twists and turns each linked to each other in some way or another.
Amish has definitely done a great job bringing closure to all the major characters in the trilogy. Couldn't have asked for anything less or anything more.
I would definitely love for Amish to continue writing such novels and entertaining us all the more. Amish, Best of Luck in advance for your future works, if any.
For the Indian reader, you can grab this book from Flipkart at a discounted rate of Rs.245 over the cover price of Rs.350.
Let me be honest. When I heard that Amish was writing his third and final novel to the Shiva Trilogy, I was kinda relieved. Thinking that we would finally get some closure to Shiva's life, I greedily picked up the book and went through with it. Now as I have turned the final page of India's most successful series in recent times, I sincerely wish it had gone on just a bit longer.
The first 200 pages or so were quite boring and honest to God, I was planning to shut this book and place it in an already overcrowded bookshelf in a section I have called I wish I hadn't. Had this been a single book with no books before or after it, I would have done so without a second thought. But, due to the fun I had reading the previous novels, I knew I just had to get through with it, just hoping for the best. And so, I went on.
And, I haven't regretted doing so one bit, the story actually picked up, the moment I thought it had become bland and I was hooked. Lots of emotion, drama, action, war etc filled the 300+ pages. Saying any further will only act as a spoiler since there are a lot of twists and turns each linked to each other in some way or another.
Amish has definitely done a great job bringing closure to all the major characters in the trilogy. Couldn't have asked for anything less or anything more.
I would definitely love for Amish to continue writing such novels and entertaining us all the more. Amish, Best of Luck in advance for your future works, if any.
For the Indian reader, you can grab this book from Flipkart at a discounted rate of Rs.245 over the cover price of Rs.350.
March 5, 2013
Within the first 100 pages, I was haunted by the feeling that Amish Tripathi probably had the following written on a post-it that he stuck prominently to his screen when writing this book:
1) Tie up all loose ends!
2) Rationalize the legend and all actions around him! Everything must be given a scientific reason, nothing can be attributed to supernatural/superhuman possibilities.
3) Complete the story! Since you promised a trilogy, discovering that there is enough material for a fourth book is a no-no!
4) Retain the realism and passion of the first two books! The Secret of the Nagas (Shiva Trilogy, #2) slipped a little bit from the high standards that The Immortals of Meluha set, so compensate... compensate!
I think the author prioritized #1 so much, that he traded off some of the other priorities, with the end-result being that the book ended up a little flatter than the first two, and the overall effect was just a little disappointing. However, to the author's credit, to pull off a story of this quality is in itself a huge achievement, and the Shiva series raises the bar higher than any Indian fiction has achieved in the fantasy/mythology space in a long time.
Part of the disappointment for me, is due to my background as a science fiction fan. The distinction between quality sci-fi and pulp sci-fi is the plausibility of the fantastic science described in various situations. I appreciate Amish Tripathi's commitment towards rationalizing the fantastic, but to the average scientific, some of the scientific stuff is even more far-fetched and implausible than the super-hero stuff he seeks to avoid at all costs.
Some of the sub-plot twists were simply weird, I thought this came from trying to tell too many stories simultaneously. Some stories, or sub-stories - if there is such a thing, have a life of their own, and tend to hijack the plot if you succumb to the temptation of letting them take themselves to a "logical end". A good example of how this can be handled, is The Lord of the Rings, where the author simply reduces the character-count to a much more manageable list. The Dune series also suffered from the same over-characterization that this book suffers from, with similar results.
There were brilliant moments in the story, moments where I felt the pace was as gripping as in the previous books, and these parts hold the book together for the sometimes heavy 535 pages. But the ratio of "number of pages read per brilliant moment", is simply lower as compared to the previous two books. This is probably an example of the predecessors leaving too high a bar for the last instalment to leap over!
All in all, this will go down as one of the best book series I have consumed, and I look forward to reading the three books back-to-back. I look forward to what Amish will come up with next, considering the clear hint he drops about the "Mahabaratha". Bring it on...
1) Tie up all loose ends!
2) Rationalize the legend and all actions around him! Everything must be given a scientific reason, nothing can be attributed to supernatural/superhuman possibilities.
3) Complete the story! Since you promised a trilogy, discovering that there is enough material for a fourth book is a no-no!
4) Retain the realism and passion of the first two books! The Secret of the Nagas (Shiva Trilogy, #2) slipped a little bit from the high standards that The Immortals of Meluha set, so compensate... compensate!
I think the author prioritized #1 so much, that he traded off some of the other priorities, with the end-result being that the book ended up a little flatter than the first two, and the overall effect was just a little disappointing. However, to the author's credit, to pull off a story of this quality is in itself a huge achievement, and the Shiva series raises the bar higher than any Indian fiction has achieved in the fantasy/mythology space in a long time.
Part of the disappointment for me, is due to my background as a science fiction fan. The distinction between quality sci-fi and pulp sci-fi is the plausibility of the fantastic science described in various situations. I appreciate Amish Tripathi's commitment towards rationalizing the fantastic, but to the average scientific, some of the scientific stuff is even more far-fetched and implausible than the super-hero stuff he seeks to avoid at all costs.
Some of the sub-plot twists were simply weird, I thought this came from trying to tell too many stories simultaneously. Some stories, or sub-stories - if there is such a thing, have a life of their own, and tend to hijack the plot if you succumb to the temptation of letting them take themselves to a "logical end". A good example of how this can be handled, is The Lord of the Rings, where the author simply reduces the character-count to a much more manageable list. The Dune series also suffered from the same over-characterization that this book suffers from, with similar results.
There were brilliant moments in the story, moments where I felt the pace was as gripping as in the previous books, and these parts hold the book together for the sometimes heavy 535 pages. But the ratio of "number of pages read per brilliant moment", is simply lower as compared to the previous two books. This is probably an example of the predecessors leaving too high a bar for the last instalment to leap over!
All in all, this will go down as one of the best book series I have consumed, and I look forward to reading the three books back-to-back. I look forward to what Amish will come up with next, considering the clear hint he drops about the "Mahabaratha". Bring it on...
April 29, 2020
The last book in Shiva Trilogy, The Oath of Vayuputras, started with the secrets of Brahaspati's passing and why he planned his demise. The fight between good and evil is now on its ultimate stage, but still, so many mysteries confused Shiva. Before he decides the path, which led to war; he wants to understand every aspect of Somras, and how it becomes evil.
When Shiva gets his answer, he prepared his army for war. Many will trust his lord Neelkanth and betrays Meluha, but many choose Dharma over their living God. Different allies came in the time of need, strategical plans were laid out perfectly, but Bhrigu (Rajguru of Meluha) with the help of King Daksha and Dilipa announced Shiva a fraud. Shiva was not chosen by the Vayuputras tribe. They were the people left behind by Lord Rudra to assist the new lord whenever he rises. Many of them against the Shiva, that made his task more challenging.
While the book named on Vayuputras, but their role was neither felt significant nor the author gave them much-needed space. There are so many monotonous things, and the story felt unnecessarily dragged. There are so many characters that you can't remember them all, but a few stand out like Kartik and Ganesh. I fancied the two action sequences the most. First, when Kartik battles with Magadhan's, and second, Sati's battle with the people of Aten tribes.
Everything is explained ideally so that readers don't have any loose ends. This book is all about the equilibrium between virtue and vice. It portrays that whenever darkness rises, it will be destroyed by the light. The people who are chosen by Gods will build a new path; despite the loss, they have to endure. The battle demanded sacrifices, and in this story, it took everything from Shiva. Even his reason to smile and live.
Amish Tripathi delivered a decent conclusion to this trilogy. The book is thick, but it is fast-paced. It is neither intriguing like The Immortals of Meluha nor crafty like The Secret of the Nagas, but still, it is a good one time read. If you haven't read the series yet, give it a try. It is good for novices.
Read more here - https://www.bookscharming.com/
When Shiva gets his answer, he prepared his army for war. Many will trust his lord Neelkanth and betrays Meluha, but many choose Dharma over their living God. Different allies came in the time of need, strategical plans were laid out perfectly, but Bhrigu (Rajguru of Meluha) with the help of King Daksha and Dilipa announced Shiva a fraud. Shiva was not chosen by the Vayuputras tribe. They were the people left behind by Lord Rudra to assist the new lord whenever he rises. Many of them against the Shiva, that made his task more challenging.
While the book named on Vayuputras, but their role was neither felt significant nor the author gave them much-needed space. There are so many monotonous things, and the story felt unnecessarily dragged. There are so many characters that you can't remember them all, but a few stand out like Kartik and Ganesh. I fancied the two action sequences the most. First, when Kartik battles with Magadhan's, and second, Sati's battle with the people of Aten tribes.
Everything is explained ideally so that readers don't have any loose ends. This book is all about the equilibrium between virtue and vice. It portrays that whenever darkness rises, it will be destroyed by the light. The people who are chosen by Gods will build a new path; despite the loss, they have to endure. The battle demanded sacrifices, and in this story, it took everything from Shiva. Even his reason to smile and live.
Amish Tripathi delivered a decent conclusion to this trilogy. The book is thick, but it is fast-paced. It is neither intriguing like The Immortals of Meluha nor crafty like The Secret of the Nagas, but still, it is a good one time read. If you haven't read the series yet, give it a try. It is good for novices.
Read more here - https://www.bookscharming.com/
April 20, 2021
What a disappointment this whole series particularly this book has been. All that hype, all that hoopla from all of Bollywood and a lot of Indian readers that reached me here in Australia as well. I thought that I was missing out and have to read this sooner rather than later. Come on I mean COME ON what was this?
For what it's worth it started out pretty good and fizzled towards the middle before dying down completely. I was not able to get my head around the whole thing that happened. Sati, oh Sati, how could Amish Tripathi do this to you. How could he do any of this?
This could have been an epic finale and I could have loved it but it was not meant to be.
2 stars
For what it's worth it started out pretty good and fizzled towards the middle before dying down completely. I was not able to get my head around the whole thing that happened. Sati, oh Sati, how could Amish Tripathi do this to you. How could he do any of this?
This could have been an epic finale and I could have loved it but it was not meant to be.
2 stars
March 13, 2013
I read all the three books back to back. Though I liked the first two books very much specially IOM, my expectations really grew many folds for the third one. I was really excited when I started ‘The Oath of Vayuputras’. By the time I reached page no 91 (chapter#7) I closed the book and regretting that I ever started reading it. After gathering some courage next day when I resumed the reading I knew what to expect… sheer b**l sh*t. A big promise to be ended with a big thud and that’s exactly what I got by the end of the book.
Mr. Tripathi Amish, I am truly disappointed, shocked and heartbroken with ‘The Oath of The Vayuputras’, by the treatment you have given to the flow of the story, the characters, the discovery of ‘Evil’ and specially the main protagonist poor Mahadev (akka Shiva) himself. Mahadev’s obsession to use the ‘Pashupatiastra’ (a nuclear weapon… pheww) to take revenge for killing of his wife made him sound so much like D graded hindi movies of 80’s starring Dharmendra, I think he was tempted to use that famous dialogue as well ‘kutte main tera khun pi jaunga’. The character of Shiva built-up so beautifully earlier to become “Mahadev’, failed so miserably at the end by becoming a revengeful husband and seized for personal vendetta only. What a waste. The destroyer of evil became the destroyer everything else. Basically a promising hero becomes a zero.
I can still forgive the author for not being able to deliver a quality read in the final book which was promised in earlier two books, but please somebody please make him to rewrite the chapters 46 to 53 and erase the chapter 54 completely, that was a horrible, lame, sad and uninspiring portrayal of a hero of that stature.
The narrative of events and specially the surroundings sometime are too lengthy and boring. The direct usage of the terminologies such as oxygen, antioxidant etc. (which came into exist during 18th century AD only) made me really irritated throughout the reading. He should have used some similar references from Sanskrit (pran-vayu for oxygen, antah-upayachak for antioxidant etc.) or at least he could have created new terminologies but I guess the author wanted an easy way out and ignored the demand of authenticity of language and terminologies that is required in writing such huge and complex subject.
One last thing to add, why in name of holy lake the book is named ‘THE OATH OF VAYUPUTRAS’???
Mr. Tripathi Amish, I am truly disappointed, shocked and heartbroken with ‘The Oath of The Vayuputras’, by the treatment you have given to the flow of the story, the characters, the discovery of ‘Evil’ and specially the main protagonist poor Mahadev (akka Shiva) himself. Mahadev’s obsession to use the ‘Pashupatiastra’ (a nuclear weapon… pheww) to take revenge for killing of his wife made him sound so much like D graded hindi movies of 80’s starring Dharmendra, I think he was tempted to use that famous dialogue as well ‘kutte main tera khun pi jaunga’. The character of Shiva built-up so beautifully earlier to become “Mahadev’, failed so miserably at the end by becoming a revengeful husband and seized for personal vendetta only. What a waste. The destroyer of evil became the destroyer everything else. Basically a promising hero becomes a zero.
I can still forgive the author for not being able to deliver a quality read in the final book which was promised in earlier two books, but please somebody please make him to rewrite the chapters 46 to 53 and erase the chapter 54 completely, that was a horrible, lame, sad and uninspiring portrayal of a hero of that stature.
The narrative of events and specially the surroundings sometime are too lengthy and boring. The direct usage of the terminologies such as oxygen, antioxidant etc. (which came into exist during 18th century AD only) made me really irritated throughout the reading. He should have used some similar references from Sanskrit (pran-vayu for oxygen, antah-upayachak for antioxidant etc.) or at least he could have created new terminologies but I guess the author wanted an easy way out and ignored the demand of authenticity of language and terminologies that is required in writing such huge and complex subject.
One last thing to add, why in name of holy lake the book is named ‘THE OATH OF VAYUPUTRAS’???
March 13, 2020
And the book is finally finished. I don't think I could have withstood any more of Amish's writing. The pages and pages after pages of nonsense twisting meandering psycho-babble about Good and Evil (yes, capitalized) written just to show how smart and deep thinking philosopher he is was laughable at best. The man can't write for shit. This book proved it. I had compared Amish's works to Chetan Bhagat's works but after this book, maybe I should apologize to Chetan Bhagat for insulting him as such. At least Bhagat has never used same metaphor "sitting ducks" in the same chapter four times to tell how ships anchored in the river are a liability or used the term "mythical goddesses" back to back in three sentences. I really wonder how these books are best-sellers.
As with the other two books, this book also carried on the grand tradition of characters calling Shiva great leader and strategist but himself doing jack squat. There was a point in the books where the other characters talk strategy while Shiva doesn't contribute. Later, a character commends Shiva by saying he led the meeting in the right direction already having reached a decision before. Bitch where? But, my biggest issue was that of the characterization of Kartik. Somras or not, no 6/7 year old kid acts, fights or talks like him. You can't make him a kid and also make him be the MOST fearsome warrior ever. I mean come on, did the author even use his head while writing? Kartik is said to look like 10/11 year old with the Somras use and he is on par with the armies who have supposedly trained and lived for hundreds of years? Has the author even seen a 6 year old or a 11 year old? Is the author really that stupid?
I am not even going to go into the botched up Shiva myths or how stupid the decision was to arbitrarily make Somras evil. This is the author's take on the story and he can have it. What scares me more is that the author has threatened to disembowel Mahabharata like he has Shiva Puran. I hope this never comes to pass.
I wasted a lot of my reading waste of paper and printing ink. If there was a book I could give negative rating to, this book would be pretty high on my list.
As with the other two books, this book also carried on the grand tradition of characters calling Shiva great leader and strategist but himself doing jack squat. There was a point in the books where the other characters talk strategy while Shiva doesn't contribute. Later, a character commends Shiva by saying he led the meeting in the right direction already having reached a decision before. Bitch where? But, my biggest issue was that of the characterization of Kartik. Somras or not, no 6/7 year old kid acts, fights or talks like him. You can't make him a kid and also make him be the MOST fearsome warrior ever. I mean come on, did the author even use his head while writing? Kartik is said to look like 10/11 year old with the Somras use and he is on par with the armies who have supposedly trained and lived for hundreds of years? Has the author even seen a 6 year old or a 11 year old? Is the author really that stupid?
I am not even going to go into the botched up Shiva myths or how stupid the decision was to arbitrarily make Somras evil. This is the author's take on the story and he can have it. What scares me more is that the author has threatened to disembowel Mahabharata like he has Shiva Puran. I hope this never comes to pass.
I wasted a lot of my reading waste of paper and printing ink. If there was a book I could give negative rating to, this book would be pretty high on my list.
March 7, 2013
Time and Money vacuum. Sigh!
February 28, 2013
"The oath of the vayuputras" can be termed as the best and the most probable conclusion for this epic series. Author was successful in blending his fiction with the mythology. All the characters were narrated with a great precision and the sub plots, though a fictitious work, were very close to the actual legend. This requires a thorough research and extreme intelligence to present together.
Speaking about this concluding book, Amish was successful in deciphering all the loose ends and leaving some to the imagination of the reader. Certain chapters in the book suddenly make your eyes go wide and say "Wooow!!" The narration was very shrewd and the language was as pure as the intentions of the author. The pace of the narration will make your eyes and fingers run across the pages and u never know where u landed but still connected with the plot.
The description of a few places and action sequences will be beyond any reader's wild imaginations. There were times when I felt "is this what I know or is it the author's version", but still it didn't stop me from going ahead. Every single chapter grabs your attention and every single page makes your eyes glued to itself. I am completely satisfied with the way things went and no complaints. To summon in one phrase I can say that this book is "ABOVE AMAZING".
Shiva trilogy can be named as the best literature ever, modern India has witnessed. Amish must be a very brave and a genius person for choosing a mythological fiction for his work. Amish jii, u wrote an epic.
I can proudly say that he has got the intelligence of JK Rowling and the vision of JRR Tolkien. Hence I have no qualms to rate Shiva Trilogy equally competent or slightly higher than "Lord of The Rings" trilogy and "Harry Potter" in terms of almost everything.
Speaking about this concluding book, Amish was successful in deciphering all the loose ends and leaving some to the imagination of the reader. Certain chapters in the book suddenly make your eyes go wide and say "Wooow!!" The narration was very shrewd and the language was as pure as the intentions of the author. The pace of the narration will make your eyes and fingers run across the pages and u never know where u landed but still connected with the plot.
The description of a few places and action sequences will be beyond any reader's wild imaginations. There were times when I felt "is this what I know or is it the author's version", but still it didn't stop me from going ahead. Every single chapter grabs your attention and every single page makes your eyes glued to itself. I am completely satisfied with the way things went and no complaints. To summon in one phrase I can say that this book is "ABOVE AMAZING".
Shiva trilogy can be named as the best literature ever, modern India has witnessed. Amish must be a very brave and a genius person for choosing a mythological fiction for his work. Amish jii, u wrote an epic.
I can proudly say that he has got the intelligence of JK Rowling and the vision of JRR Tolkien. Hence I have no qualms to rate Shiva Trilogy equally competent or slightly higher than "Lord of The Rings" trilogy and "Harry Potter" in terms of almost everything.
June 2, 2019
31/05/19: Full review up
While Amish may not be one of the amazing authors, far from it, but he does his job really well. One has to understand what this series set out to do. It started with a straight forward idea that once upon a time, the Gods of today were mere mortal men whose deeds transformed them into something more. The idea of this book is to explore those deeds and the character of the man who we follow on this journey. The purpose of the series is to present the readers with our mythology in a way that they can understand and connect with. To put forth the meaning of so many things that we know of but do not understand. The idea, is to tell the story of how Shiva, a tribesman from a harsh foreign land accomplishes the title of a God. The author may not have done it in the most spectacular fashion but he certainly did achieve what he set out to. I believe that Amish has not only presented our mythology in a very fresh light by breaking it down into logical and sensible pieces to the ones who knew about it but he has also introduced a host of people to this mythology in a way that makes sense.
I’ve heard people complain about how the book isn’t true to the story of Shiva that they “fact checked” on google or wiki or so many other sources. I’ve heard people groan about how Amish has changed a few “critical” things about Shiva or Sati. To all those people I’d like to remind that this book is marked under fiction and fantasy. Take a hint.
I like how the author has tried to and mostly succeeded at capturing most of what Shiva is supposed to be in a very human way and I like him for that. I like how so many things have been explained from a philosophical point. The story moves at a steady pace and takes you on a journey of a vast scale, travelling through so many different lands and spanning so many years. In its own right, this book is an epic fantasy, a very lowly one for sure but even so, it's an attempt.
Now, I do know that it’s not without flaws. The writing is far from the best. Amish can definitely improve a lot. In many places I find him explaining things that don’t really need much explanation and many places he falls short. The overall pacing of the book is fast but it’s not consistent. The book slows down comparably in many places while it moves at a breakneck paces at times. There is also the issue of severe lack of time keeping from the author. This is one area that I feel Amish is found completely wanting and clueless. There are huge time gaps and all of sudden the author will declare that many months or days have elapsed. In a few cases, years. And it just throws you off every time. This makes you go back and check again if you missed a hint at the passing time or anything.
This isn’t a series that I’d actively recommend someone bcz it’s not that good but believe it or not, this is definitely one of the best works I have read from an Indian author in terms of doing a series or mythology or writing in general.
While my honest opinion is that Amish has a lot of scope to improve as an author, the fact remains that he writes very decently as it is and his books are not just about the writing. I believe he has earned the attention he gets and I wish him luck and I hope he keeps writing more and more books about the mythologies and we keep reading.
“We don’t become gods because we think we are gods. That is only a sign of ego. We become gods when we realize that a part of the universal divinity lives within us; when we understand our role in this great world and when we strive to fulfil that role.”The final instalment in the Shiva trilogy gives a very satisfying conclusion to this series and brings about the end of the journey that Shiva undertook. This is the only series re-read that I have done till date. This is not to say that this book series is so good, far from it. But to say that this series is very breezy and makes for a very engaging read. During this re-read of the series I saw the problem areas much better than I did when I first read this series with only few books under my belt.
While Amish may not be one of the amazing authors, far from it, but he does his job really well. One has to understand what this series set out to do. It started with a straight forward idea that once upon a time, the Gods of today were mere mortal men whose deeds transformed them into something more. The idea of this book is to explore those deeds and the character of the man who we follow on this journey. The purpose of the series is to present the readers with our mythology in a way that they can understand and connect with. To put forth the meaning of so many things that we know of but do not understand. The idea, is to tell the story of how Shiva, a tribesman from a harsh foreign land accomplishes the title of a God. The author may not have done it in the most spectacular fashion but he certainly did achieve what he set out to. I believe that Amish has not only presented our mythology in a very fresh light by breaking it down into logical and sensible pieces to the ones who knew about it but he has also introduced a host of people to this mythology in a way that makes sense.
I’ve heard people complain about how the book isn’t true to the story of Shiva that they “fact checked” on google or wiki or so many other sources. I’ve heard people groan about how Amish has changed a few “critical” things about Shiva or Sati. To all those people I’d like to remind that this book is marked under fiction and fantasy. Take a hint.
I like how the author has tried to and mostly succeeded at capturing most of what Shiva is supposed to be in a very human way and I like him for that. I like how so many things have been explained from a philosophical point. The story moves at a steady pace and takes you on a journey of a vast scale, travelling through so many different lands and spanning so many years. In its own right, this book is an epic fantasy, a very lowly one for sure but even so, it's an attempt.
Now, I do know that it’s not without flaws. The writing is far from the best. Amish can definitely improve a lot. In many places I find him explaining things that don’t really need much explanation and many places he falls short. The overall pacing of the book is fast but it’s not consistent. The book slows down comparably in many places while it moves at a breakneck paces at times. There is also the issue of severe lack of time keeping from the author. This is one area that I feel Amish is found completely wanting and clueless. There are huge time gaps and all of sudden the author will declare that many months or days have elapsed. In a few cases, years. And it just throws you off every time. This makes you go back and check again if you missed a hint at the passing time or anything.
This isn’t a series that I’d actively recommend someone bcz it’s not that good but believe it or not, this is definitely one of the best works I have read from an Indian author in terms of doing a series or mythology or writing in general.
While my honest opinion is that Amish has a lot of scope to improve as an author, the fact remains that he writes very decently as it is and his books are not just about the writing. I believe he has earned the attention he gets and I wish him luck and I hope he keeps writing more and more books about the mythologies and we keep reading.
“The distance between Evil and Good is a vast expanse in which many can exist without being either”25/04/19: RTC
February 1, 2014
When I first read an excerpt of "Immortals Of Meluha", I fell in love with the book. The two books were really wonderful. The part I loved the most was the love between Sati and Shiva.
There were many questions that was left unanswered.
1. Kartik is 6 years old, but he acts older. There's no explanation for his behavior.
2.The ending of the 2nd book hinted that Shiva's uncle was a Vayuputra, but that connection was not explored till almost the ending of the book.
3.The Vayuputras were supposed to be aiding the Mahadev but they never contacted him
4.Bhoomidevi's identity was not revealed.
5.Logic of Parvateshwar, he says that he fights for Meluha, but by opposing Shiva is he not indirectly harming Meluha. If Shiva had lost, then Meluha would have been doomed .
6.Vasudev Gopal just followed what others said. I thought he was supposed to be guiding Shiva.
7.In the series it is mentioned that Lord Rudra had lion like features, but there is no explanation for it. Lord Rudra was born near Pariha so he couldn't have been a Naga.
8.I had a problem with the ending. .
I hate the characters of Daksha and Bhrigu. Veerini should have stood up for her daughters.
The author has hinted at the end of the book, that he might write a book on Mahabharath. I'm looking forward to it.
There were many questions that was left unanswered.
1. Kartik is 6 years old, but he acts older. There's no explanation for his behavior.
2.The ending of the 2nd book hinted that Shiva's uncle was a Vayuputra, but that connection was not explored till almost the ending of the book.
3.The Vayuputras were supposed to be aiding the Mahadev but they never contacted him
4.Bhoomidevi's identity was not revealed.
5.Logic of Parvateshwar, he says that he fights for Meluha, but by opposing Shiva is he not indirectly harming Meluha. If Shiva had lost, then Meluha would have been doomed .
6.Vasudev Gopal just followed what others said. I thought he was supposed to be guiding Shiva.
7.In the series it is mentioned that Lord Rudra had lion like features, but there is no explanation for it. Lord Rudra was born near Pariha so he couldn't have been a Naga.
8.I had a problem with the ending. .
I hate the characters of Daksha and Bhrigu. Veerini should have stood up for her daughters.
The author has hinted at the end of the book, that he might write a book on Mahabharath. I'm looking forward to it.
March 16, 2013
i cried and i cried..........i loved it.glimpses of love that shiva and sati shared, the anger and hatred that i generated against daksha and the loss that lord shiva had to embrace was hardcore painful.i fell in love with shiva, his entire charisma and beliefs since the very first day i read meluha, thereafter nagas and now the oath of vayuputras. In all amish is an avid bhakt and at the end of the day i have turned into an avid bhakt..thank u amish for enlightening me with his strong significance in my life.
April 18, 2013
A book with violence and sadness all over. But then It was another great book to read. The description Amish wrote of every incident makes you feel that it is all real. All the relation , connections and events all of them. These three sets of books has totally impressed me.
Good Job Amish
Good Job Amish
October 23, 2023
Shiva por fin a descubierto el mal que debe destruir para cumplir su propósito. Las somras que antes fueron buenas, se han vuelto malignas y deben destruirse. Pero para eso debe contar con el apoyo de todas las personas de la India, incluso de todos los Meluhanos que crean en el. Y si, sus enemigos son los que los vieron surgir la primera vez, el pueblo de su esposa y de sus primeros aliados, si solo pudiera conseguir que el gobierno de Meluha aceptara eliminar las fabricas de somras, todo podría resultar mas fácil, podria evitar la guerra, pero el rey de Meluha junto con el vishu Birghu, junto con otros monarcas no quieren seguir su precepto y lucharan hasta con los medios menos honorables para detener a Shiva de su propósito. Podrá vencer Shiva? Que precio tendrá que pagar por esta guerra? Podrán destruir la fabrica secreta de somras?
Este es el capitulo final de la serie, quizás el mas lento, monótono y aburrido de toda la serie. El autor se enfoco mucho en el enfoque filosófico y religioso en este libro, dejando atrás la acción, el drama y la diversión, que me gustaron tanto de los libros anteriores. Sin embargo, es un buen capitulo final, te ayuda a aprender ciertas filosóficas hindúes que uno desconoce. Te muestra la forma como los hindúes conciben a sus dioses y el porque de esas adoraciones.
En fin, es una bonita serie, que es tiene grandes enseñanzas para aquellos que no conocen la cultura hindú, pero que entretiene y emociona en igual manera.
Quizás mas adelante pueda leer otros libros de este autor, me gusto bastante su forma de escribir y llevar acción y emoción en sus tramas.
Este es el capitulo final de la serie, quizás el mas lento, monótono y aburrido de toda la serie. El autor se enfoco mucho en el enfoque filosófico y religioso en este libro, dejando atrás la acción, el drama y la diversión, que me gustaron tanto de los libros anteriores. Sin embargo, es un buen capitulo final, te ayuda a aprender ciertas filosóficas hindúes que uno desconoce. Te muestra la forma como los hindúes conciben a sus dioses y el porque de esas adoraciones.
En fin, es una bonita serie, que es tiene grandes enseñanzas para aquellos que no conocen la cultura hindú, pero que entretiene y emociona en igual manera.
Quizás mas adelante pueda leer otros libros de este autor, me gusto bastante su forma de escribir y llevar acción y emoción en sus tramas.
March 14, 2013
Thrilling, tragic and heart-breaking are the three key-words that sum up my review even before it starts.
The Oath of the Vayuputras is the Final book of The Shiva Triology written by a now improved writer Amish Tripathi. His writing style has been abysmally poor in the first two books, but he picks up the art by this book. Yet, his lack of ability to smooth out his story stays visible.
He struggles to describe the events as they happen in a better format than what he'd used in the past pages. His introduction to characters is still blunt and the way they behave is easily predictable.
The story, though, as always, is brilliant. There are twists and turns that one can't see coming, unless one is learned on these subjects. I loved the way Amish built up the story to reach the crescendo. And the way he achieved it!
There are parts that will make you immensely sad, and parts that will break your heart and Amish provides no palliative care for the injuries, but I think he had no choice there. The story had to proceed the way it did.
The book is perfumed with war, death and hope. And a lot of knowledge!
In conclusion, I'll recommend this book for all the Indians who believe, or not in Lord Shiva for this is a fiction that will render a magical faith in your new favorite hero!
I enjoyed reading this book, and I think everyone else will too!
The Oath of the Vayuputras is the Final book of The Shiva Triology written by a now improved writer Amish Tripathi. His writing style has been abysmally poor in the first two books, but he picks up the art by this book. Yet, his lack of ability to smooth out his story stays visible.
He struggles to describe the events as they happen in a better format than what he'd used in the past pages. His introduction to characters is still blunt and the way they behave is easily predictable.
The story, though, as always, is brilliant. There are twists and turns that one can't see coming, unless one is learned on these subjects. I loved the way Amish built up the story to reach the crescendo. And the way he achieved it!
There are parts that will make you immensely sad, and parts that will break your heart and Amish provides no palliative care for the injuries, but I think he had no choice there. The story had to proceed the way it did.
The book is perfumed with war, death and hope. And a lot of knowledge!
In conclusion, I'll recommend this book for all the Indians who believe, or not in Lord Shiva for this is a fiction that will render a magical faith in your new favorite hero!
I enjoyed reading this book, and I think everyone else will too!
March 3, 2013
Finished one of the most awaited sequels of a book. For those who have read 1 & 2 , they need to finish the series by reading the final one. But, as a standalone book, I think Vayuputras couldnot reach the benchmark set by the earlier books.
For me, there were a few aspects of the first 2 which made it the must-reads. It took a not so often spoken about mythological story, made it into a fantasy fiction and cleverly interspersed with today's world without confusing you. It was fast paced and kept you on the edge throughout. There was an element of suspense upto the end which you had to know. And this is where the 3rd one failed.
This book had too much today : it spoke about nuclear fusion, fission, explained an atom bom explosion, spoke about neutrons and had all sorts of chemical and biological jargons used today.. Even though its fiction, the reader still need to connect to the mythical world and feel that you are within that. Amish takes the reader out of it too often and too directly which makes you come out of the world and get disinterested too many times.
The book broke the suspense far early and just made it into a war strategy book. That just killed the mood.
The book is long . With the suspense already gone, you just wanna get it to end. The twists intorduced in between were not enough to keep up the interest.. & the biggest issue was that the end was kind of an anti-climax. The book was all about war strategy and preparation and in the end, ........... I am not flling up the blanks here for those who have not yet read it.
For me, there were a few aspects of the first 2 which made it the must-reads. It took a not so often spoken about mythological story, made it into a fantasy fiction and cleverly interspersed with today's world without confusing you. It was fast paced and kept you on the edge throughout. There was an element of suspense upto the end which you had to know. And this is where the 3rd one failed.
This book had too much today : it spoke about nuclear fusion, fission, explained an atom bom explosion, spoke about neutrons and had all sorts of chemical and biological jargons used today.. Even though its fiction, the reader still need to connect to the mythical world and feel that you are within that. Amish takes the reader out of it too often and too directly which makes you come out of the world and get disinterested too many times.
The book broke the suspense far early and just made it into a war strategy book. That just killed the mood.
The book is long . With the suspense already gone, you just wanna get it to end. The twists intorduced in between were not enough to keep up the interest.. & the biggest issue was that the end was kind of an anti-climax. The book was all about war strategy and preparation and in the end, ........... I am not flling up the blanks here for those who have not yet read it.
September 16, 2015
A decent novel and a good enough series.
However... I died laughing when I read the following paragraph:
What the hell is he talking about?
Paramanoos = atoms. They are not the smallest stable division of matter. Free electrons and protons exist. And most of the time in fusion more than two atoms are fused together. But it gets even more ridiculous. Anoos = molecules. NOT atomic particles. So, when molecules (anoos) are broken down to release atoms (paramanoos), it's a chemical process, not nuclear fission. In actual nuclear fission, atoms (paramanoos) are broken down to release smaller atoms and atomic particles (eg neutrons).
Conclusion: Either nuclear physics worked differently in ancient times or the author didn't do his research. I believe it to be the latter case.
However... I died laughing when I read the following paragraph:
"The Pashupatiastra was a pure nuclear fusion weapon, unlike the Brahmastra and the Vaishnavastra which were nuclear fission weapons. In a pure nuclear fusion weapon, two paramanoos, the smallest stable divisions of matter, are fused together to release tremendous destructive energy. In a nuclear fission weapon, anoos, atomic particles, are broken down to release paramanoos, and this is also accompanied by a demonic release of devastating energy."
What the hell is he talking about?
Paramanoos = atoms. They are not the smallest stable division of matter. Free electrons and protons exist. And most of the time in fusion more than two atoms are fused together. But it gets even more ridiculous. Anoos = molecules. NOT atomic particles. So, when molecules (anoos) are broken down to release atoms (paramanoos), it's a chemical process, not nuclear fission. In actual nuclear fission, atoms (paramanoos) are broken down to release smaller atoms and atomic particles (eg neutrons).
Conclusion: Either nuclear physics worked differently in ancient times or the author didn't do his research. I believe it to be the latter case.
August 23, 2016
Amish has maintained the flow..the same amount of excitement, drama, action and most importantly the story line. Fantastically written and wonderfully woven with facts and myths that difficult not to appreciate it. What I most enjoyed were the discussions between Lord Gopal and Shiva. They were very simple yet held a lot of meaning. The discourses were logical and rational. The introduction of the Vayuputras and their connection to the story is so beautifully done. The whole scene looks so real and plausible. Evil has been explained in such a novel manner that it did not look scary or overwhelming, just something too obvious which no one noticed. Am in awe of Sati..she is what a woman should be..could be..if the man allows her to be herself. Daksha is the perfect caricature of the present day rulers..absolutely self involved and selfish, to the extent that they consider the others around them as totally insignificant. Loved the book. Loved the narration.
March 2, 2013
This was probably the most awaited book for me and expectations were really really high. However the book turned out to be a major disappointment.
While the first two books of the triology were indeed examples of creative best and became a part of my all time favorite collection, third book fell completely flat.
The author constantly emphasized that book covers the event that made shiva - Mahadev - The God of Gods? And what he did to achieve this title?
---------------- S P O I L E R A L E R T ---------------------
He committed a crime against humanity (In his very own words). Proved all those who called him "fraud" and "not ready" right. And Why? Because of a personal grief. And not in a spur moment of anger. But preparation took its time. How was mahadev more stronger and better than the simpleton lady who decided to bear his anger for no fault of her, Or from Parvateshwar or from Kartik? Are we trying to justify (and make is sound more realistic) his action because he was in grief. This is good more a lesser mortals. But Mahadev's actions is supposed to be a legacy for the future (in author's word). With great power comes great responsibility. And what was his legacy? Kill humanity for none of its fault? Fail those who explicitly trusted you (vasudeva and vayuputra)? Act like those blinded with rage and constantly commit mistake (like Kali)?
No I guess Shiva's real legacy is as a person who swallows poison for the good of mankind. And that is what made him God of Gods. Shiva destroyed Tripur which was an icon of evil and not a platform full of innocents people waiting for execution.
Ok Let us leave the lesson apart and come to execution? It leaves a lot of question unanswered.
Questions?
==========
1. Why was Gopal the chief of Vasudev's? He showed no wisdom of other Vasudev's we have seen in the previous two books. No guidelines. Rather he just followed the advises of likes of Tara and failed to stop Mahadev from its crime.
2. Why was this book called The Oath of Vayuputura? Why should a committee who is supposed to protect a society be at a distance of 6 months from it?
3. Mithara was supposed to be one without family. But what about current Mithra?
4. For which qualities the tribes of Nilkantha was headed by Veerbhadra? Because he was Shiva's friend or because he was individually capable like Gopal and Mithara? Or Shiva realized (by seeing Gopal and Mithara) you need not have any qualification to be the keeper of Mahadev's tribe?
Execution
==========
Story moved at a slow pace, with a lot of discourse in Physics and brutal war fare. Shiva blindly trusted Brihaspati's version (He was supposed to deduce himself. right?) He just made a guess about Amrit when he realized coin turning. But Foundation of his belief was the research of Brihaspati and reconfirmation by Vasudev? So where does his genius comes? He meets Vasudev Chief who will follow him only because Shiva reached his own conclusion (How?).
Parvateshwar decided to change sides. He expects Shiva will permit him. After all he is Mahadev. What he does? Keeps him in prison till Sati offers her wisdom.
Conclusion
============
In the first two parts of the triology author made it fresh out of imagination. However, towards the end of this book, it appears, he felt the compulsion to relate it with events of Purana and religion and went on to suggest how and why Kartik became a war lord, 51 shakti-peeth and the list goes on.
Unfortunately in order to build a bridge between imagination and known events, the story went neither this way nor that way.
Sad... I waited for it for a long time...
While the first two books of the triology were indeed examples of creative best and became a part of my all time favorite collection, third book fell completely flat.
The author constantly emphasized that book covers the event that made shiva - Mahadev - The God of Gods? And what he did to achieve this title?
---------------- S P O I L E R A L E R T ---------------------
He committed a crime against humanity (In his very own words). Proved all those who called him "fraud" and "not ready" right. And Why? Because of a personal grief. And not in a spur moment of anger. But preparation took its time. How was mahadev more stronger and better than the simpleton lady who decided to bear his anger for no fault of her, Or from Parvateshwar or from Kartik? Are we trying to justify (and make is sound more realistic) his action because he was in grief. This is good more a lesser mortals. But Mahadev's actions is supposed to be a legacy for the future (in author's word). With great power comes great responsibility. And what was his legacy? Kill humanity for none of its fault? Fail those who explicitly trusted you (vasudeva and vayuputra)? Act like those blinded with rage and constantly commit mistake (like Kali)?
No I guess Shiva's real legacy is as a person who swallows poison for the good of mankind. And that is what made him God of Gods. Shiva destroyed Tripur which was an icon of evil and not a platform full of innocents people waiting for execution.
Ok Let us leave the lesson apart and come to execution? It leaves a lot of question unanswered.
Questions?
==========
1. Why was Gopal the chief of Vasudev's? He showed no wisdom of other Vasudev's we have seen in the previous two books. No guidelines. Rather he just followed the advises of likes of Tara and failed to stop Mahadev from its crime.
2. Why was this book called The Oath of Vayuputura? Why should a committee who is supposed to protect a society be at a distance of 6 months from it?
3. Mithara was supposed to be one without family. But what about current Mithra?
4. For which qualities the tribes of Nilkantha was headed by Veerbhadra? Because he was Shiva's friend or because he was individually capable like Gopal and Mithara? Or Shiva realized (by seeing Gopal and Mithara) you need not have any qualification to be the keeper of Mahadev's tribe?
Execution
==========
Story moved at a slow pace, with a lot of discourse in Physics and brutal war fare. Shiva blindly trusted Brihaspati's version (He was supposed to deduce himself. right?) He just made a guess about Amrit when he realized coin turning. But Foundation of his belief was the research of Brihaspati and reconfirmation by Vasudev? So where does his genius comes? He meets Vasudev Chief who will follow him only because Shiva reached his own conclusion (How?).
Parvateshwar decided to change sides. He expects Shiva will permit him. After all he is Mahadev. What he does? Keeps him in prison till Sati offers her wisdom.
Conclusion
============
In the first two parts of the triology author made it fresh out of imagination. However, towards the end of this book, it appears, he felt the compulsion to relate it with events of Purana and religion and went on to suggest how and why Kartik became a war lord, 51 shakti-peeth and the list goes on.
Unfortunately in order to build a bridge between imagination and known events, the story went neither this way nor that way.
Sad... I waited for it for a long time...
May 18, 2013
This book was an annoying conclusion to a series that started with wonderful promise. It was very overwritten, so much that it missed the biggest strength of the first book in series. That strength, according to me, a fast moving story. A story - not its writing style not its dialog nor words chosen (to tell the story) since they were often cheesy, and at times cringe-worthy, sometimes picked up straight from yuppies' conference rooms. Story and a curiosity what was coming next is what got me going in the first place. True it was story was of mythology of Shiva, Sati, Bhadra, Nandi and encompassed the geographies that we only heard about in history books kept it interesting. But, it was the story that held the book together.
Third book has no simplicity of the first book that just focuses on telling a story. At 570 pages (at least 150 pages more thicker than previous books), Amish has wasted no opportunity to 'enlighten' us readers - nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, their impacts, the yugas (treta, dwapar etc), age of Brahmin, Kshatriya etc etc. Descriptions of temple and battle formations - the one mentioned in the first book and one the movie 300 so famously portrayed - became much bigger and all this information overload, often obstructing the flow of story.
All these descriptions - an overt attempt to be visual - made people say 'it was written with movie deal in mind'. I wasn't completely convinced, I felt I was missing something. And then it came to me - maybe the writer thought his book could one day be textbooks in school - considering what a source of knowledge that it is. Believe me, this book, does fit in to some curricula where kids study it just to pass through exams. Oh wait, but that can't happen yet, at least not in this decade since the Shiva in this book curses so often. 'Hell, yeah!'
P.S: I am still not sure which oath of Vayuputras did the title of the book indicate to. :|
Third book has no simplicity of the first book that just focuses on telling a story. At 570 pages (at least 150 pages more thicker than previous books), Amish has wasted no opportunity to 'enlighten' us readers - nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, their impacts, the yugas (treta, dwapar etc), age of Brahmin, Kshatriya etc etc. Descriptions of temple and battle formations - the one mentioned in the first book and one the movie 300 so famously portrayed - became much bigger and all this information overload, often obstructing the flow of story.
All these descriptions - an overt attempt to be visual - made people say 'it was written with movie deal in mind'. I wasn't completely convinced, I felt I was missing something. And then it came to me - maybe the writer thought his book could one day be textbooks in school - considering what a source of knowledge that it is. Believe me, this book, does fit in to some curricula where kids study it just to pass through exams. Oh wait, but that can't happen yet, at least not in this decade since the Shiva in this book curses so often. 'Hell, yeah!'
P.S: I am still not sure which oath of Vayuputras did the title of the book indicate to. :|
December 28, 2020
Honestly, this book was really disappointing. The writing was too lengthy. First 300 pages , only three words dominated i.e.- good,evil and somras. It was like an essay written by us during our school days😬. At times, I felt like giving up the reading. But I wanted to finish the book because of the obsession to finish the series. And there was too much of philosophy and geography. Had I wanted to learn about those I would have picked those respective books,not the fiction. The real story starts after 300-400 pages. Two scenes in the book were really moving. There were emotions in those scenes. I had tears welled up in my eyes. I don’t want to spoil the story by discussing those scenes. And the ending was not convincing at all. I think Amish was in a hurry to finish the book.
The first two books were the best in the series. Third part of the series didn’t do enough justice.
I think it’s 2.5/5.
The first two books were the best in the series. Third part of the series didn’t do enough justice.
I think it’s 2.5/5.
May 23, 2021
I waited all those years to read this series only to be disappointed with this last instalment. Tough Luck, haan! The first two were brilliant, they were beautiful, the story was weaved in such a magical and mystical way. I loved them so much. And this one... just so bland in comparison.
So all that suspense, all that build up spread over two books, for this? For evil to be an ecological phenomenon? Really! Evil was supposed to be grand. Even if wasn't it had to be something better. Please. And the title? There's hardly any central idea of the Vayuputras in the book. Nothing magnificent about them, at least nothing to title a 600 pages long book after them. Did Amish really write it?
There was no set rhythm in the entire book. The first 200 pages were such a drag, all philosophical and unnecessary explanations, it then picks up thereafter but the bad writing and editing blows everything, and the last chapter, like an epilogue mushes everything together, like when you are writing your last answer in an exam and the time is running out and you have to conclude everything in those last minutes!
I couldn't empathise with the characters at all in this book. Though, I'll admit my eyes became moist , but apart from that I was bored. And while we are onto Sati, for all her courage and wisdom, Amish Tripathi made her look weak and indecisive and altogether a bad judge of circumstances in absence of Shiva. Why?
Why after all that mythology and fantasy it has to be so bland!
So all that suspense, all that build up spread over two books, for this? For evil to be an ecological phenomenon? Really! Evil was supposed to be grand. Even if wasn't it had to be something better. Please. And the title? There's hardly any central idea of the Vayuputras in the book. Nothing magnificent about them, at least nothing to title a 600 pages long book after them. Did Amish really write it?
There was no set rhythm in the entire book. The first 200 pages were such a drag, all philosophical and unnecessary explanations, it then picks up thereafter but the bad writing and editing blows everything, and the last chapter, like an epilogue mushes everything together, like when you are writing your last answer in an exam and the time is running out and you have to conclude everything in those last minutes!
I couldn't empathise with the characters at all in this book. Though, I'll admit my eyes became moist , but apart from that I was bored. And while we are onto Sati, for all her courage and wisdom, Amish Tripathi made her look weak and indecisive and altogether a bad judge of circumstances in absence of Shiva. Why?
Why after all that mythology and fantasy it has to be so bland!
March 24, 2019
The final instalment of the Shiva trilogy consumed me completely and invoked a profusion of emotions within. The first two volumes of Amish were testament enough for his writing prowess but he yet again proves his sheer writing brilliance in his third part of the trilogy. What really stands out is the seamless flow of the story line with all the characters whose prominance and dedication to a cause be it for or against the Neelkanth is loveable. The sheer expectation of reaching the end of this epic masterpiece kept me on the edge and motivated to read till the last word. And the unexpected turn of events in the end left me speechless.
Shiva, the destroyer of evil, finally has arrived at the conclusion and is on a mission to destroy what he believes is true evil. He needs the support of the Vayuputras but the tribe does not recognise him as their chosen Neelkanth. In spite of a strong support system including his wife Sati, sons Ganesh and Kartik along with his most ardent followers, he may not succeed without the backing of this tribe chosen by Lord Rudra. And when Shiva is on the verge of victory, he comes face to face with a tragedy leaving his existence, his very soul completely shattered.
Clearly, Amish has written these books with pure devotion and passion. Words fail me when I even attempt to describe this trilogy. I am grateful for the day I decided to read it. It has left me with more devotion, respect and adoration not only for the Mahadev but also for Lady Sati, Ganesh and Kartik.
Om Namah Shivaay!
Shiva, the destroyer of evil, finally has arrived at the conclusion and is on a mission to destroy what he believes is true evil. He needs the support of the Vayuputras but the tribe does not recognise him as their chosen Neelkanth. In spite of a strong support system including his wife Sati, sons Ganesh and Kartik along with his most ardent followers, he may not succeed without the backing of this tribe chosen by Lord Rudra. And when Shiva is on the verge of victory, he comes face to face with a tragedy leaving his existence, his very soul completely shattered.
Clearly, Amish has written these books with pure devotion and passion. Words fail me when I even attempt to describe this trilogy. I am grateful for the day I decided to read it. It has left me with more devotion, respect and adoration not only for the Mahadev but also for Lady Sati, Ganesh and Kartik.
Om Namah Shivaay!
March 7, 2013
Well, let me say I have mixed emotions. While I was pretty much hooked by 80% of the book, the rest disappointed me a lot. It starts with a roar and ends on a whimper. Clearly the character such as shiva deserved a better ending than the one he received. Some imaginations and conclusions were logical and brilliant, but overall I felt it was a neat endeavor which got a little ruffled towards the end. Keep your mind and heart open when you open the book. And control the sigh as you close it.
March 8, 2013
PLOT: 5/5
CHARACTERS: 5/5
LANGUAGE: 5/5
CLIMAX: 3/5
Had little expectations initially. But was a good overall read. The war strategies were brilliant. It was like reading Sun Tzu & Chanakya together. But the ending was very bad. Should have made the ending at par. Seems like Amish was in a hurry to finish up the book.
CHARACTERS: 5/5
LANGUAGE: 5/5
CLIMAX: 3/5
Had little expectations initially. But was a good overall read. The war strategies were brilliant. It was like reading Sun Tzu & Chanakya together. But the ending was very bad. Should have made the ending at par. Seems like Amish was in a hurry to finish up the book.
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