Semmanthaka - The Second Quest by Dr Syd K

I selected Semmanthaka by Dr. Syd K to be in my wishlist just by looking at the cover and title. They aroused my curiosity. Much has been said in our ancient texts about Semmanthaka and some wonderful stories were built around it. And trust me after reading Semmanthika, I realised that the story has exceeded my expectations that I had built by looking at the cover. This book is a mythical and historical roller-coaster of a story.

Book blurb

“Mother-lode da puttar, I have a feeling that this is going to be one heck of a treasure hunt!”

Renowned marine archeologist Dr. Baalan and his associate Yogi find themselves on an unusual mission when billionaire collector Stalin Malhotra hires them to find the most legendary gem in Hindu mythology – Semmanthaka. As excavations off the Saurashtrian coast begin to reveal that Krishna’s Dwaaraka existed, Stalin believes that the Semmanthaka must exist too and what’s more, he has a clue in hand.

Thus begins the second quest for Semmanthaka – a gem so brilliant that it can make you richer than Kubera; a gem so cursed that it brings death and disaster to all who covet it. Soon, Dr Baalan and Yogi find themselves thrown headlong into an action packed, life-changing adventure that ranges beyond treasure hunting, beyond this realm, beyond their own current incarnations, in a race against time to save our very planet and uncover some of the greatest secrets of Bhaarath-varsh and a great spiritual truth. One can only find the Semmanthaka when one does not want to.

The clock is ticking. As the forces of Adharma gather, can Dr Balaan and Yogi stand the test of faith or will they too succumb to the lure of Semmanthaka?

The story starts with a search for Semmanthaka. Billionaire Stalin Malhotra, a shrewd treasure collector hires a freelance marine archaeologist Dr. Shiva Baalan and his assistant Yogi to find Semmanthaka. Dr. Baalan, is a strong believer in science, and is skeptical about mythology. Stalin on the other hand has absolute belief that Semmanthika exists and has clues to locate it.

He provides them an ancient manuscript to start their hunt. The manuscript is 5000 years old. Dr. Baalan and Yogi start looking for clues that they hope will lead them to the gem. They visit the Rann of Kutch to find the next clue. One thing leads to another and they soon find themselves knee-deep in a quest to save the earth. They expect the journey to be archaeological, but it ends up being spiritual too.

The author has wonderfully woven incidents from mythology and history. I don't want to reveal any characters as it may spoil the reading experience.

Things I like about the book

• The narration of fight between animals. At three different points in the story, the author has wonderfully described these fights. While reading those parts, I was able to visualize it and felt that it was being aired on television. It gave me the feeling of watching animal planet.
• The story is to the point. And that I liked. Not on a single page, do you feel that the author has flooded the manuscript with unnecessary words. Each line contributes to the story.
• The combination of multiple genres. You will find mythology, history, magic and fantasy. The author has used a completely different style of story telling and made it flow through time. 
• Character importance and revelation. Author has nicely used characters from the past and arranged them properly to show a well threaded story. The suspense created around those characters along with their revelation makes the story more interesting.

For those who don't know about Semmanthaka. It is considered one of the mythical gems which has mystical properties. Some texts says it can create gold while others support its radioactive nature which converts other metal to gold. But the truth is the book has refocused our attention on the gem. Reading the book, gave me an experience similar to watching a big Tamil or Telugu film based on an ancient treasure hunt.

Fans of Ashwin Sanghi YOU will surely like the book. 

Talking about rating:

1. Cover Page : 4 / 5 
2. Concept : 4 / 5
3. Characters : 4 / 5
4. Storyline : 4.5 / 5
5. Overall : 4.5 / 5

Book can be found at Amazon

Reviews from other readers can be found at Goodreads