Rate this book

Secret Of The Nagas (2012)

by Amish Tripathi(Favorite Author)

3.93 of 5 Votes: 1

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Westland

series

Shiva Trilogy

review 1: There's one thing to be said for Amish's books. Things happen. The pace never flags and though the writing is far from erudite (and in places dips into the awkward cutesy-ness of a self-conscious eighth grader's first attempt at poetry...for example, "the sun was rapidly descending into the horizon, the twilit sky a vibrant ochre"...ouch!) Nagas is a book I am not unhappy I stuck with.And why is that?Just cuz things happen. Which is unusual in the second book of a trilogy. I remember how hard it was for me to get through Book 2 of Farseer...The story veers into different tracks at a cracking good speed, despite the fact that you can see those turnings come a mile ahead. The world-building is good, each character is distinct (though none are very deep) and Amish has spent t... moreime imagining up varied cityscapes and civilisations as well as setting them out in loving detail. This is not a lyrical read nor a very deep one. The author says he wanted to write a series exploring the nature of evil. We are two thirds of the way in and he has barely scratched the surface. With cliched and irritatingly italicised observations about evil and good being two sides of the same coin. So this trilogy isn't for you if you want your fantasy with a bit of a sharp philosophical edge. Nor if you like lots of blood and gore. Deaths in Amish's world are swift and sparingly dealt with but he doesn't hesitate to kill off characters. It is however, one hell of a story. Humanising the god of a billion people can't be easy. Three stars for trying and damn near pulling it off. Nagas is good quality new-cut Cheddar. Next time, Amish, bring out the aged and matured stuff.
review 2: Seldom do I come across sequels which put to shame their prequels. Yes, The Secret of the Nagas completely overshadows the Immortals of Meluha with its sheer brilliance. I wasn't expecting it to be so good. On starting this book I had decided to read a chapter a day so as to not spend to much time reading, my new found indulgence. However, this book was so captivating that I finished with an average of three chapters a day.The book ends, like its prequel, with a "to be continued" note, paving the path for the third and final instalment of this trilogy (which I had ordered when I was midway through this book so that I had my hands on it as soon as I finished this one).I, personally, am not a very strong devotee of Lord Shiva. He had indeed never fascinated me unlike some other deities. However, this book turned to be a game changer. It ignited my interest into Lord Shiva and his story.This book is more complex than the Immortals of Meluha, with more characters, locations and twists. The plot is never predictable (in my case). The author has exceptionally build the character of Shiva (apart from a few instance like showing Shiva smoking weed), right from being a barbarian to almost an undisputed ruler of the nation. The sour relations between Shiva and Ganesh are heart rending however, the end of this book provides a ray of hope. Like its prequel, this book also doesn't go in line with the Hindu texts, however, on its own it's a great story. I must mention that I didn't like the fact the author has made the plot so centric that it results in giving some undue privileges to Shiva and his associates.Overall, it's a good read, especially for a novice reader like me. Looking forward to the third and final instalment. less

Download links for: Secret of the Nagas

Advertising