Raavanputr Meghnad
As I turned the last leaf, I realized that it was the epilogue that I liked most. Laxman’s réalisation, and Meghnad’s last wish, succeeded in creating an impact. When I saw the title, I thought it’ll be just another story based on the epic, but I was in for a real surprise. The book is a fantastic work of fiction where the author presented a very different perspective to the world of Devas and Rakhshas; from Sita’s abduction to Raavan’s yearning to gain more power.
Each character, be it Meghnad or Laxman, the author etched them thoughtfully and with a touch of contemporary writing style and colloquial vocabulary, the story was a whole new experience. It had strong characters and characters whom I wasn’t familiar with, like Prameela, the naga princess, with whom Meghnad fell in love. The story starts with Meghnad’s victory over Lord Indra. Though his actions were portraying the characteristics of his clan clearly, the author was careful enough to wait till the end to present him as a hero.
The game of power; the truth behind Sita’s abduction was an interesting angle expressed by the author. The narration was intriguing, and kept me hooked till the end. The idea of Meghnad looking for chintamani stones to create atomic weapons gave the story a futuristic touch though the premise was of a different era. Somehow I liked the infusion of technology to a story full of mythological characters. Thoughtfully written dialogues and the brilliant narration transported me to the location and made me visualize the scenes. I think the story will make a good series if ever the author wishes to make one.
It wasn’t too hard to connect the chapters as they were dedicated to each character. The author composed and well planned the content of each chapter though some portions, descriptions were a bit elaborated. It was easy for me to connect with the vocabulary and delivery. In this book, the author has stated the use of chemical compounds and nuclear weapons which again, gave the story a realistic touch. For a modern day reader, it was the answer to those fiery flashes which otherwise seemed to be magical. Hats off to the authors imaginative prowess.
Well, it wasn’t an easy read though. Engaging but lengthy and with so many characters around, at times I did lose track. Presence of several sub-plots did consume time, for me to comprehend and connect to the main plot. The cover design is interesting and is bound to attract the readers. Kudos to the author Kevin Missal for thinking of a plot as such and for giving us a chance to know Meghnad, Prince of Lanka in a better way.
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