The soft touch adds another feather to the cap. At first, the title maynot sound appealing to the ears, but trust me folks never judge a book by its title. Just like the folklore goes, 'never judge a book by its cover.
The title goes in apt with the story in hand, well defined with the story written in detail, the explanations given across every segment of the book. Even the minutest detail has been explained with the figment of imagination satiating the curiosity of the readers goes in par excellence of the mature writing exhibited in this book. Theme consists of gameplay, politics, mystery, suspense, copious amount of humour, change in society, friendship, love, happiness, joy, sadness, war, suffering, humanity, gods, angels, demons, mystical weapons, universal power all inhibited with many other aspects making this book a complete surprise to the new readers.
Story consists of a couple of warriors along with a traction who's none other than the avatar of vishnu who wishes to bring change to the society via waging a full scale war. Fate brought them under strange circumstances when never in their wildest dreams they decided to opt for politics or lust for kingdom. The fate of the humanity rests upon their hands. However, reason being the same the never-ending zeel to bring happiness to others, freeing them from the clutches of evil.
Little did they knew their lives are gonna change because they've been living in an illusion. Because things are not always what we perceive themselves to be. What came next was beyond their feeble imagination. The book talks about a mysterious mystical epic war.
All in the pretext of a common goal to be achieved at a set duration of time. The game may very well change the fate of the world, as it lies in the mere pawns of the game created by nature itself. Language is excellent. Some touches of American, Britain accent has been retained in some places.
Next comes narration, now here I'm succumbed to loss of words. No words can define the amount of depth, perseverance, research, patience has been entailed in this book that compels the readers to go to the very end to know what happens. The story of Lord Krishna is absolutely amazing. If you're a fiction lover, sci-fi reader, one who loves being an mythological adventures, watches mahabharata then you're simply in for a treat of a lifetime.
Procrastination of the sequel is a sheer torture. It is a sheer pain to be kept waiting for the next one! The writer should be tortured and jailed for keeping the readers waiting for second part. The anticlimactic ending was well anticipated for a sequel to come in the distant future. Just go for it! Jul 05, Nandhini Narayanan rated it it was amazing Shelves: favorites. I have also reviewed Book 2 Kaurava and Book 3 Kurukshetra, and you can find them on my reviews page.
The Aryavarta Chronicles is a series of books written by the incomparable Krishna Udayasankar. It is a trilogy Govinda, Kaurava and the recently released Kurukshetra. The story is a de-divinised Manahabharata. The author retells the epic after removing all the supernatural elements of the tale, keeping Govinda undeniably and heartwarmingly human.
I have read the first two books of the epic be I have also reviewed Book 2 Kaurava and Book 3 Kurukshetra, and you can find them on my reviews page. I have read the first two books of the epic before, but I ordered all three books anyway.
Instead of reading from Kurukshetra, I decided to reread the series from scratch, as one does. This story is my favorite retelling of the Mahabharata. And believe me, competition for that position is very high. I adore the epic, and I do my best to get my hands on every single version of it that exists out there, literature or film. Udayasankar's Aryavarta is, in my opinion, the finest, most objective, practical retelling of the epic as we know it. The trilogy has a permanent place on my bookshelf.
Every subsequent re-read has caused details to jump out at me, details that I have missed the first time around and that still stump me with the sheer brilliance of the author.
I started reading the books again way back in , and I wrote-along reviews as I read. Review 1: At the Beginning The three books have been sitting on my table for a while now. I have had to go deal with real life problems and real life commitments before I could plunge into the fictitious. On Sunday morning, I peeled the plastic wrap off Govinda, with utmost reverence and love. I have been waiting for this moment for weeks. Kurukshetra sits on the shelf, perched high and its cover gleaming, beckoning me the way a mystic apsara beckons a lover.
While Kurukshetra is the story I have been dying to read for almost a year now, it seems like cheating to open it without refamiliarising myself with the world of Aryavarta. I have said this time and time again, but my favorite part of Govinda will always be the Author's Note. Udayasankar says it better than anyone else - "We are the stories we tell.
The author brushes away debates of "who's version of the epic is correct? It is not a question of whose version is correct, or if notions of accuracy are even relevant in the world we live in today. The point of this tale, these characters will never be about remounting history, but about the joy the story gives each one of us. Some of us grew up with these characters, for some of us, these incidents and tales are part of our psyche, they define some of our most closely and absolutely held beliefs.
It isn't about whose version comes closest to life as it happened; it is about the tale that reflects life as it is. I will give the last word to Udayasankar. To that extent, it no longer matters whether these events happened or not There is a sanctity which has developed as a result of what people have come to think and do as they have interacted with the spirit of these epic tales At the end of the day, that spirit is much, much larger than any story or a book.
A story for the sake of a story. A "what-if" tale, an incredible reconstruction, not lacking in sincerity or integrity. After all, we are the stories we tell, and this one is a whopper of a story. Aug 29, Aneen Suresh rated it really liked it. I usualy donot review books unless I get totally moved by it, or feel the sense of longing to want more.
This is one book that charms, teases and begs the pages not to run its course. Having been a huge fan of the new wave of mythological retelling, I had been looking forward to the release of " The Aryavarta Chronicles ".
The author should be commended, first off, in even thinking of tackling an epic the stature of "The Mahabharata". The epic has been etched in our memories with the excellent TV I usualy donot review books unless I get totally moved by it, or feel the sense of longing to want more.
The epic has been etched in our memories with the excellent TV series and the millions of comic and graphic renditions. I was frankly, not looking for it, to hit the levels of "Jaya" by Devdutt Patnaik a personal favorite in terms of Mahabharat based stories , but I was expecting something riveting, knowing that it was to be from Lord Krishna's view. I am impressed by anyone who takes the GOD factor out of the book, and retells, it on human, identifiable levels. They are ordinary people who by their deeds, make themselves extraordinary.
The female characters are not a support system, but more of characters with importance. Draupadi is feisty, and is not constricted to being the quintessential Bharatiya Nari. She exudes sensuality and is open to her femininity. Govinda is an enigma, who u cannot decipher. I was supremely impressed with Shikhandin, who is not a half n half ,but whole. The book gripped me from the first page on. Because of the sheer literary prowess in the words.
I felt, for the first time, modern Indian literature has come to age. The language used is a delight for bibliophiles. The plot lines are a foundation for the sequels, therefore, the author, spends a lot of time developing character details and locations, in lucid fashion. It is so perceptible that one almost can see it happening as a showreel. What I loved was the total perspective change I had for Duryodhana and Yudhishtira. The book gently prodded you to dare to think on a different term.
On the downside,I can see how the elaborative narrative might not be everyone's cup of tea. The intentional name changes are a bit of a confusion, but I think its a positive thing, especially because one gets a Tolkien feel with the family tree and the maps. Adds to the immersion. Its a little variant in pace, not always a bad thing.
Overall, it is a satisfying and immersive read, and you cant wait to get to the end of the book. My mom loved it so much, she ordered her own copy, so I guess for me that speaks volumes about the influence the author is gonna have.
With Jeet Thayil too on the scene, Im pretty sure this is gonna be the Literary Lovers selection for an epic retelling. Cant wait for Firewright : Great Going Ms. More power! Aug 28, Deepak Nare rated it it was amazing. Govinda: Aryavarta Chronicles 1 is the debut novel of Krishna Udayasankar, reinventing Mahabharata, the longest epic ever. Govinda Shauri, a cowherd-turned-prince of Mathura and now the commander of armies of Dwarka will use all his astuteness to make Dharma the emperor of Aryavarta against The Firewrights.
Even with the well known plot, the realistic characterization and few twists here and there make this book a delicious page-turner. Even with pages, this book is not a drag but fast-pace Govinda: Aryavarta Chronicles 1 is the debut novel of Krishna Udayasankar, reinventing Mahabharata, the longest epic ever.
Even with pages, this book is not a drag but fast-paced. Sometimes, a bit too fast. Being first in the series, lots of characters are introduced in very short duration. The fans of B. I would like to congratulate author for presenting the legends in such life-like way.
Also, a piece of advice would be to slow down on feminism. Everyone knows Panchali was the reason behind Mahabharata and she is the lead protagonist. The moment I read the name Syoddhan, I was sure that the author has done a splendid research work. All the details of scriptures are applauding along with fascinating scientific knits provided for The Firewrigths.
Just like Mahabharata, even with all the panic of a budding war, the writer does not miss the philosophical creed concealed in the subtext. Though in comparison to such a great epic, holding a series of enormous events weaving larger than life characters, this book does not contain even a minute portion. But hey, it is just the beginning. If the author slows down a bit and gives out five or six books instead of three, we might be looking at an Indian version of A Song of Ice and Fire.
Yes, this book belongs to the same category as of Kaal and Shiva trilogy, but the writing is of more expertise and somewhat more real.
Feb 19, Atula Gupta rated it really liked it. We always seem to think that stories that are passed on from one generation to the next, are all the same. But in reality, each story teller adds or substracts certain things to the story, giving it individuality, making it new and yet retaining the age old essence.
This book I think, is just that. A rendition of the age old story of Krishna and Mahabharata in a new dimension that would suit the temperament of the young generation.
The generation that has easy access to all the information in th We always seem to think that stories that are passed on from one generation to the next, are all the same. The generation that has easy access to all the information in the world but are seldom served the history of their own land in a logical way.
It is for those who want to question everything around them, even things that are passed on as myths and mythology in our society and therefore above reasoning.
Govinda is not a book for those who believe Krisha to be the Immortal God. It is a story of a mortal cowherd with an extra-ordinary intellect. A visionary. Being the debut novel of Krishna Udaysankar, traditionally, one would give leverage to certain flaws.
But that is where the reader might make a wrong presumption. When I read the book, I too began keeping in mind that this was after all written by a first timer. But surprise awaited me at every turn of the page. The book does not come across as the first-time attempts of a novice at all. It is the work of a researcher, a scholar who surely seems to have rigourously sifted through buried ancient manuscripts, some legible, some difficult to decipher, and presented to us the readers, a very thorough and precise glimpse of the times of Aryavarta.
She is a master story teller, because she has her facts correct, which unquestionably have been gathered after much toil and perseverence. I eagerly look forward to what she puts on our plate with her next work. This book is history, myth, fiction, thriller, and all in all a very logical and consistent narrative. Read if you want to know the what and why of the tale we know as Mahabharata. Jun 03, Nitin Ganapule rated it liked it. Easily 4 star book if it didn't have minor flaws.
I have been on journey of Indian mythology for a while now and with such good reviews this series had garnered, I decided to read it and I was not disappointed. Although the book is about Mahabharata it's neither reinterpretation not retelling of the epic instead the book is critical analysis of the epic with humane characters and logical explanations for the events. Don't expect the characters in this book to be the ones which we have known all Easily 4 star book if it didn't have minor flaws.
Don't expect the characters in this book to be the ones which we have known all along. The characters portrayed here have different shades and everything is not black and white.
The writing skills of the author has to be commended, the writing is crisp with right set of words and enough visual representations described whenever and wherever needed, probably the best Indian writing I have read so far. Coming to the shortcoming. The paperback version of the book has small fonts and spacing between lines very less.
So much so that it never allowed me to read more than an hour in one sitting, this book is definitely not for travel. Another problem was that author chose to have other names of the characters instead of the famous names everyone knows. The pacing of the first half the book was also not so engaging, there wasn't much happening in book in the first half but the pace picked up in the second half and it was a delightful read.
I would recommend this book to everyone who is interested in different take on the epic. I would love to read the next book if only the font and spacing issues weren't there but alas, the other two books too suffer from the same issue so I'll have to wait for a while before I start reading the next book in the series.
Dec 31, Ankur rated it it was ok. After the great success of the shiva trilogy a lot of new authors have found confidence to draw from indian mythologies and make a attempt at historical fiction. Krishna Udayashankar was getting good reviews about this book and after having okayish experience with shiva trilogy i bought this The book draws some basic premises from early to mid part of mahabharat but the author generally creates her own world and characters which is a plus point.
Contrary to popular opin After the great success of the shiva trilogy a lot of new authors have found confidence to draw from indian mythologies and make a attempt at historical fiction. Contrary to popular opinion i didn't find the characters well developed or even starting to develop except mostly govinda, shikhandin and to some extent panchali.
It almost felt like govinda shauri is way too smart and rest a little too dumb, for my liking. One thing that i found is that writing of the author was better than amish tripathi and she has woven a more complex and detailed plot with greater depth.
However, by the end of the book you do get a sense of familiarity with the plot w. I haven't ordered the second part right away as the book hasn't made me too excited like immortals did but a very commendable effort. Nov 03, Dhiraj Bharude rated it really liked it. Govinda is the tale of a man.
A towering intellect, a Yogi who aimed to be and thought himself dispassionate, but a man nevertheless, not a god. We start with an encounter between friends - Govinda and the royal set of Panchal, meeting in the forests of Aryavarta.
From there we see the same events unfold but mostly from the perspective of Panchali who is trying to understand the reason for Govinda's chess moves. She questions him and is frustrated when she gets no answers. Parth and Govinda's sl Govinda is the tale of a man. Parth and Govinda's slowly developing friendship is shown beautifully especially the description of events following the frostbite.
Parth stands for the ordinary man, yearning for Govinda's friendship, but never questioning him or his motives. While he doesn't precisely yearn for Panchali, there is a heavy attraction there to the other Krishna. The rest of the Pandavas are portrayed equally beautifully. It has a slow start but after few chapters just hold on to your seat as you will be taken by surprise with very page you turn. A completely different avatar of all the characters of mahabharat is unveiled.
Jan 20, Roshan Verghese rated it it was amazing. There is no hero worship or myth-fying of the characters, but raw representation. When I purchased the book at Thiruvananthapuram airport for reading on my flight, I had hoped it to of the fantasy genre. Could say, this looks like an Indian Game of thrones series with all the political machinations, different story threads.
Great book! I had bought both Govinda and Kauravas and am reading Kauravas right now. Aug 26, Anjali rated it liked it. Currently on the last few Chapters of Govinda: Aryavarta Chronicles 1 the debut novel of Krishna Udayasankar, reinventing Mahabharata, the longest epic ever This is a story which more or less focuses on the socio-political structure of the story and the characters who are presented as human beings with agendas of their own.
Very interesting the play of words esp. The book is beautiful for the myriad ideas explored in it - politics, social well being, the interpla Currently on the last few Chapters of Govinda: Aryavarta Chronicles 1 the debut novel of Krishna Udayasankar, reinventing Mahabharata, the longest epic ever The book is beautiful for the myriad ideas explored in it - politics, social well being, the interplay of relationships , the deep emotions which govern these relationship, gender equality among others - are very thought-provoking and sometimes, far progressive than current day India.
May 13, Manu Handa rated it it was ok. Bad absurd pathetic I don't know what has gone into these Indian writers mind why are they after our after old mythology it's the second book I have read this year on mythology the first one being Asura by anand Neelakantan. I believe there's a reason that these Ramayana and the Mahabharata were accepted in these forms after long consideration by our oldies.
Jan 31, Chinmayee rated it did not like it Shelves: bad-writing , just-horrible. A terrible read. One dimensional characters, stupid language - Panchali stuttered, Panchali fluttered, inclined her head slightly to one side ummm- i believe that is what inclined means!
Jul 21, Adarsh rated it did not like it. Absolute piece of junk, really sad to see indian mythologies being used and abused. Oct 25, Vaibhav rated it it was amazing. One thing that majorly differentiates Mahabharata from Ramayana is the fact that the former has a lot many characters with intricate level of relations and loyalties.
Further each character has a very definite role to play which is revealed in the Mahakavya at an opportune moment. When will "The Orphan of Aryavarta", the third book in the the aryavarta or northern india a lecture etc Krishna Udayasankar's third book of The Aryavarta Chronicles Updated: April 01, IST Indian mythological fiction is arguably one of the most popular The Seal A list of 52 good books to read in your 20s and thirties.
The book is a prequel to The Aryavarta Chronicles trilogy, in which Krishna Udayasankar re-imagined the Mahabharata and its epic battle The Aryavarta Chronicles Book 1: Govinda is a story about the struggle for power, the need to reign supreme and the PDF File Size: Jan 20, Roshan Verghese rated it it was amazing.. Amazon Customer. The Cowherd Prince. Krishna Udayasankar Goodreads Author 4. Govinda Shauri always has a plan.
Govinda, son of Nanda-one of the many cowherds in the verdant kingdom of Surasena, in Aryavarta-was content with his tough but wonderful life. Download File PDF Govinda The Aryavarta Chronicles 1 Krishna Udayasankar Govinda The Aryavarta Chronicles 1 Krishna Udayasankar As recognized, adventure as without difficulty as experience very nearly lesson, amusement, as capably as contract can be gotten by just checking out a ebook govinda the aryavarta chronicles 1 krishna udayasankar furthermore it is not directly done, you could take even ….
We know him by many names — Krishna, the dark one, Vaasudeva, the son of Vasudev, Gopala — the cowherd, and many more. Then why Govinda? Why choose this among all his names?
A site to look for free e-books is the Project Gutenberg website. Many public libraries offer e-books, so joining a public library might be a good way to go.
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