The Secret Of The Nagas by Amish Tripathi
Westland Publications
Readers were brimming with questions as they turned the last page of The Immortals of Meluha. They wanted to know if Shiva would switch loyalties from the Suryavanshis to the Chandravanshis? Who were the Nagas? How will Sati be rescued after being kidnapped by a mysterious Naga warrior? All the answers and much more are answered in Amish Tripathi’s latest offering ‘The Secret of the Nagas’ as we’re thrown into the narrative exactly from where the first book ended. And the breathless pace of the action ensures a sleepless night or a postponed lunch, at the very least!
Shiva, the Tibetan warrior and protagonist looks resplendent on the glossy cover of this attractively designed book. In an attempt to avenge the murder of his friend Brahaspati who was killed by a covert Naga assasin , he chases the mysteriously-hooded Nagas all across ancient India to find their secret. The descriptions of the places have been reconstructed from what you can identify about them from the present and from what the legends and stories from the past tell us about them which add to the enigma of the story. Shiva learns that appearances can be deceptive as he learns that the Nagas are not serpentine, evil creatures but humans with physical abnormalities who have been abandoned by their family because the law demands Nagas be exiled. The Nagas have their own empire and the precise location of their capital, Panchvati, is a carefully shielded secret. The identity of the Naga assassin and Panchvati are discovered in this fast-paced thrilling adventure. A delight to read about is the passionate, mercurial, sassy character of Anandmayi, who lights up the page every single time she makes an appearance. New characters form a part of Shiva’s entourage which only makes the wait for the next book more thrilling.
The writing once again is simple and relatable to readers across the spectrum. The grammatical errors and sloppy editing can be slightly overlooked due to the enticing strong characters and gripping events. While the suspense quotient is slightly lower in this book compared to the first, the philosophical elements keep the reader engaged. The author highlights the balance between good and evil, existentialism and consequentialism. The book is an apt sequel to the first book and focuses on Shiva's search for evil and his want to destroy it, only to find that nothing is what it seems.
For making mythology come alive in a world of futuristic technology, Amish Tripathi is deserving of much applause and accolades. The book is a complete page-turner and definitely a must-read.
Librarywala gives the book a rating of 4 on 5.
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Happy reading!
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