Amara (Dharani, #1)
Amara (Dharani, #1)
Out beyond the mist, an old fire rages... Enter the richly imagined world of Dharani, where gods slumber in sacred waters and kings rule from behind towering walls.
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Product Information
Type of Book: Fiction
Number of Pages: ~300
Product Description
OUT BEYOND THE MIST, AN OLD FIRE RAGES...
When Dhvaja crosses River Vipanchi into the wild realm beyond, he seeks only personal glory. Instead, he discovers a cosmic forge that demands the ultimate sacrifice — and a people who are waiting for their Avadhoota.
Banished from his post as gatekeeper, Dhvaja finds himself among the oppressed Niyata people, trapped behind an ancient wall by a tyrannical king. When he ventures across the legendary mist-shrouded river and gains the power of the ashen hill, Dhvaja believes his destiny for greatness has finally arrived. But all power, he learns, comes at a price.
With the mystical priestess Balimi by his side and the fate of an entire people resting on his shoulders, Dhvaja will discover what it takes to become a worthy man — a lesson that will cost him his dreams.
Set in the richly imagined world of Dharani, where gods slumber in sacred waters and kings rule from behind towering walls, Amara will delight for lovers of mythology and epic fantasy.
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In some parts, 'Amara' reads like yet another fantasy story. And yet, as you read further and further into it, you find fresh takes on old narratives, and new narratives altogether. The ending - which, refreshingly, does NOT have a war or a fight - perfectly aligns with the rest of the book. I enjoyed the extractions from 'Dharani Samhita'. I wonder if the original Dharani Samhita will one day be written too! A no-brainer for all myth and fantasy lovers. Just pick it up and enjoy the story.
If you're a fantasy fan, this is a must read. At long last, I think we may have a writer who wants to tell original mythic fantasy stories as opposed to retellings. Go ahead and take the plunge. I guarantee you - you will be glad you did. The writing is evocative and tight, the plotting is excellent, and the character arcs are truly heroic. Balimi is easily my favourite!
Mythology doesn't have to be retellings of existing works. There is room - plenty of room - for original mythologies. While it is too early to say whether Sharath Komarraju's 'Dharani' will catch on, I can state with confidence that it is a brilliant start. If the map and the first novel are anything to go by, we're in for a ride. It's heartening to see the author move away from the crutch of Mahabharata Retellings, and to forge into a universe of his own. Must read!
I've read Sharath Komarraju's work before and liked it (the Birbal novels are wonderful) so perhaps I am not the most unbiased person to post a review. But this is easily the bst story I've read this year, and I've read many! While I agree with the other reviewers here that this is a work of fantasy, I also think the story by itself is quite strong. The magic is very understated, as it should be. More than anything, this is a story of humans set in a human world. There were many places I went back just to re-read the passages. Some of them were so good!
Probably Sharath Komarraju's best work yet. I've always thought the Hastinapur novels were good, but the care the author has taken to build this new world, and to introduce it to us in this novel, is just amazing. The writing and plotting have become better. Compare this to 'Winds of Hastinapur' and you will see what I mean. There is less rambling, more structure, and every paragraph seems to be going somewhere. I thoroughly enjoyed the ending of this book - I had a couple of expectations but the author managed to subvert both of them.