Book Name: Kartikeya
Author: Anuja Chandramouli
Publisher: Rupa
Rating: 4.9/5
Book Blurb: Unravel the puzzle that is the mysterious and misunderstood son of Mahadeva—KARTIKEYA.Kartikeya was born from the flames of a desperate need, an ardent desire and an utmost devastation. In him was distilled the terrible powers of Mahadev, at its fiercest and most deadly. Although he fought many wars and slew many tyrants, yet his gifts to humanity have always been those of mercy, compassion and love. What makes this possible?
For Kartikeya, there have always been more questions than answers. Did he really walk away from his family over a piece of fruit? What about the women in his life—was he the ravisher he is at times accused of being, or the protector of women? Was he the violent warrior who revelled in bloodlust, or a gentle family man? What was his relationship with his more popular sibling, Ganesha?
Anuja Chandramouli weaves together myth, imagination and folklore while looking to answer these questions and recreates for modern readers the story of one of the most enigmatic gods—Kartikeya.
Review: Anuja Chandramouli brings to life Kartikeya, one of the most loved Gods for thousands of Indians, though not so popular in North India where Krishna bhakti has found widespread acceptance.
Anuja is developing with each book and Kartikeya is one of her better writings so far. She weaves magic with mythology and in a manner that is immensely enjoyable and makes for a great read for even a layman with little knowledge of mythology or religion.
Even though the book is marketed to the general populace, a lot of scholarly research has gone into this book to get the mythology right. Its never an easy task to mix mythology and religious aspects with fiction but Anuja seems to excel in it. This is a fabulous attempt to bring a lesser known God into the limelight.
All characters have been given equal importance and the story reads like the plot of a film, well balanced and a book worth reading.
Her simple language and ability to interlay her narrative with a strong plot deliver a strong book in the form of Kartikeya. A magical read and sure to delight all readers.