The Hastinapur Bundle: Books 1 - 6

I had read some of Sharath Komarraju's earlier work, but never got around to reading his Hastinapur series. So when I saw an ad that they were available as a bundle, I jumped at it. What I like most about Sharat's novels is how real the characters seem. Their troubles, their lives, their journeys. Definitely worth a read!

Highly recommended for lovers of mythological fiction, and for that matter any kind of fiction. I loved how the characters of the Mahabharata came alive in these stories! My favourite was the Ganga and Satyavati narratives in the first book. Hope to read more from Sharath in the future.

If you're someone who is tired of Chetan Bhagat and Durjoy Datta style books, these will be a welcome change. Not only does Sharath Komarraju give you a fresh take on a great story, but the amount of depth and empathy he gives the characters is something to see. You may agree or disagree with some of the internal messages in the books, but you cannot quarrel with how deeply they immerse you into their world. First class!

I thought it was an exaggeration when I saw an ad for these books and claimed they would be the best books I would read this year. But now I see that it's not at all. Of the six books, I liked the second three the most. I especially loved Song of Vrindavan. The bonus books on Kunti and Gandhari helped give me a lot of background material that helped me understand the novels better. Recommended to everyone!

Beautiful books! I love reading them on my Kindle. Easy to transfer, easy to read. The stories themselves are so good. I've always been a big fan of the Mahabharata, so these are right up my alley.

I had not heard of the author before, so I first got the first book. I liked it so much that I got the entire set. I also have the bonus bundle of Character Guides. Such a wealth of information. Now I want to try all of Sharath Komarraju's books!

Could read a very unique perspective of this story, a really enriching version our history!

I enjoyed the last three books of the series (Vrindavan, Mathura and Dwaraka), but the first three books had some long subplots that didn't seem to go anywhere? Maybe they were supposed to add atmosphere or whatever - I don't know. Overall, I enjoyed the whole thing and it was definitely better than scrolling on a social media site. But the best books I will read this year? Hardly.

Hmmm. I don't know. I like the first three books, and parts of the last three books. In some places the writer's style shines through, and I like the plots of four of the six books. Two were boring. The bonuses were okay - nothing I couldn't get out of searching the internet myself. So it was all a bit of a mixed bag. 3 stars. The books were good enough to get me to try some of the author's other work.

I had not heard of Sharath Komarraju before, and at first I thought these would be just more of the many mythological 'retellings' we are seeing these days. But something about the covers piqued my interest, and since there was a refund guarantee, I thought I'd give it a shot. Winds of Hastinapur was slow to get off the ground (though I appreciated the worldbuilding of Meru), but from the Satyavati part onwards, I was hooked! The first three novels of the series are very strong. Definitely recommend this to one and all.

Readers must remember that these are NOT works of nonfiction. The author does take liberties with the 'look and feel' of the original Mahabharata. In saying that, he doesn't flip the entire story on its head so you will still get plenty of authentic Mahabharata vibes. My favourite of the six novels was Song of Vrindavan, because it depicts the Radha-Krishna story in such a new way. Also appreciated the bonus character guides - Kunti and Gandhari. Very hard not to recommend these books to anyone who likes well-written fiction.

Every once in a while you are glad you tried out the work of a new author. This is one of those occasions for me. I would not say the books are flawless, but if you are like me, you are not looking for flawlessness. You are looking for relatability. This is the first series in this genre that made me feel relatable to the characters. Now I want to read Sharath Komarraju's other books as well. Recommend this to everyone who enjoys good writing.

I admit - I did not know who Sharath Komarraju was. But seeing an ad for these books piqued my interest, as I have interest in the genre. I went in with no expectations, and the author blew them out of the water! It is clear from reading these books that Sharath is a professional-grade writer. Not just someone who has put a few chapters together and is selling his work. These should be published and promoted far and wide.

The best books I've read this year, and I read a lot! It doesn't matter if they're about the Mahabharata or not. Just as stories and novels, they're amazing. Especially the three threads that come together so beautifully in Rise of Hastinapur. If you're a reader and enjoy good writing, just get these without hesitation. You won't regret it.

So good! I am re-reading Books 2 and 4 because they were my favourite. But I liked all six.

Good books! I thought the final book in the series was a bit far-fetched, but apart from that, everything else was excellent! Anyone who likes the Mahabharata, mythology or fantasy fiction will certainly enjoy these stories.

I am a long-time lover of the Mahabharata, and have read many books on the subject. I was skeptical about this series because I thought it might be a repetition of what I already know. But I was surprised to note that it was not. In fact, there was very little in here that is commonly known. The author takes the approach of telling stories about the silences of the Mahabharata, which I think is a very good approach. The writing quality is top notch. Go for it!

Some of the treatment - especially in the first book - may come across as too fantasy-inspired, but as you read along, you understand why that is necessary. The contrast between Ganga and Satyavati's stories in the first book kept me hooked throughout! Admittedly I have only read the first three books, but I love them already. No hesitation in recommending them to everyone.

My favourite book in the series is Rise of Hastinapur, especially the section with Amba. The whole story has been presented with so much freshness that it deserves high praise. I have never seen such a depiction of Amba. Very curious to see how this will circle back to the Kurukshetra. Hope Sharath Komarraju writes that book too!

It is a very interesting read, which gets one hooked to the book. I liked the style of writing - a well known epic in such an interesting manner, in a very different perspective and approach. The most powerful characters like, Ganga, Devavrata, Shantanu and others are depicted so differently.

I'd heard of Sharath Komarraju before, but never tried anything by him until these Hastinapur books. I was thinking of getting one of his standalones first, to see if the writing style is for me or not, but then I decided to get the set because it felt like a good purchase. I am glad I got the set! Like other reviewers have mentioned, there is some variability in writing style because these have been written over a decade, and the stories are different (some are character explorations, some are plot-driven). Overall, I felt King of Mathura took many liberties of the creative kind which I did not appreciate. But all the other books were great. Definitely give it a go.

Taken as a whole, this is a solid 4 stars. It is very difficult for a set of six books to get a 5 star rating. I reserve that for the classics in the genre, like LOTR and Harry Potter. Still, I spent a very enjoyable 15 hours or so reading these books, and now I want to try Sharath Komarraju's other work. Looks like he has written a lot!

Good books. My favourites are Rise of Hastinapur and Song of Vrindavan. A couple of the books are just so-so.

Hats off to the author! Writing a six-book series with such depth and scope is no joke. I've read extensively in the genre, and let me tell you, the Hastinapur series is the best you will find. Whether it is writing style, plot, suspense, or the little asides that give us a glimpse of the world, you will come away from this with fresh appreciation for the Mahabharata. Highly recommended.

Great for people who love the mythology genre. There are many writers doing this now, but I found these books different. I feel the author is doing good work.

I had not heard of Sharath Komarraju before, and at first I was doubtful about the whole thing. But the books looked interesting, and a quick search on the internet suggested the writer is legit, so I took a chance. Definitely happy I did so! Not all six books in the series are equally good, but I appreciate having read them all. My favourite is Rise of Hastinapur. Especially the Gandhari section.

Easily the best books in the genre I've ever read. Even better than Amish when it comes to characterization and plotting. You just feel so wholesome and nice reading these.

No hesitation in recommending these books! More than anything, I love that I can buy the books directly from the author, so I know I am supporting his work. The stories themselves are great! I especially enjoyed the Winds of Hastinapur so much. The inner lives of Ganga and Satyavati are written with such empathy. Keep going, Sharath!

The only book of Sharath Komarraju's I had read was Murder in Amaravati, way back in the day. I had assumed that he had stopped writing, but clearly not! The Hastinapur series spans six books and about a decade of writing. This time and breadth shows in the variety of styles Sharath employs to tell these stories. While Winds of Hastinapur is slow, melodious, almost written in lyrical prose, the later books are grittier. Personally, I liked King of Mathura the best. It was fascinating to see how Mathura was taken over by Krishna and Balarama, and how almost immediately the tables are turned on them by Jarasandha.

Most of the reviews here seem to like the later books more. I found that Book 2 was just breathtaking. Not just the way the three strands are interwoven, but also how they're brought together at the end. None of the other books have the same complexity of structure I felt. I were to ever re-read any of these books, it will be Rise of Hastinapur. My least favourite, on the other hand, is Birth of Dwaraka. Felt too political for my tastes. But of course, YMMV!