In 1900 BC, Shiva leads his small Guna tribe down from the slopes of Mount Kailash to Meluha, a wealthy, orderly empire of the Suryavanshis founded by Lord Ram. The Meluhans owe their long lives to the Somras, a drink of immortality, and they are struggling against terror attacks they blame on the rival Chandravanshi kingdom and a deformed people called the Nagas.
When Shiva drinks the Somras, his throat turns blue, fulfilling the Meluhans' legend of the Neelkanth, a destroyer of evil. A reluctant hero who swears, smokes and doubts himself, he is drawn into war, falls in love with Sati, a princess bound by the empire's rules on the untouchable vikarma, and begins to question whether the line between good and evil is as clear as the Meluhans claim.
The first book in the Shiva Trilogy reimagines a god as a historical man, mixing mythology, action and modern dialogue. It was a publishing phenomenon in India and helped create a market for mythological fiction in English. Its plain, contemporary language is part of the appeal, and Shiva's doubts make him an approachable hero.
Book details
| Author | Amish Tripathi |
|---|---|
| First published | 2010 |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Mythology |
| Type | Fiction |
| Pages (approx.) | 390 |
| Setting | Meluha, an empire based on the Indus Valley civilisation, around 1900 BC |
Themes
- Good versus evil
- Destiny
- Reluctant heroism
- Caste and karma
- Love
Who should read it
Readers who enjoy fast-paced fantasy rooted in Indian mythology and history.