Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Book Review - Yoddha: The Dynasty of Samudragupta by Rajat Pillai

The first time we heard about Rajat Pillai when we read the review of his debut book, "Chandragupta - Path of a Fallen Demigod", by Sheetal Maurya on Halo of Books. We were thoroughly impressed by the review. And that book is still part of my wishlist. So when we saw the author's post about the giveaway of "Yoddha: The Dynasty of Samudragupta" we participated that moment itself. (Due to book we are getting, we have not participated more than 4-5 giveaway in last one year). We were lucky enough to get the review copy. So here I am to present the review of the book.


Book Blurb
AD 379. The Gupta dynasty is stepping into its golden age

But the past holds many dark secrets... After long and bloody wars, Samrat Samudragupta sits on the pinnacle of an empire. yet, close to his throne are hearts filled with revenge, scheming to bring him down.
Into this gathering storm arrives Chandragupta, the king’s long-lost son. As he settles into his new life devastating family secrets surface, old wounds are reopened and Chandra can no longer trust anyone – least of all those closest to him. Bizarre and sinister incidents abound as palace conspiracies unravel plunging Rajgriha into a pit of chaos. 
Will the son pay for the sins of his father?
Yoddha: The Dynasty of Samudragupta unfolds the murky loves and lies of one of the most illustrious clans in history.
The story started with Samudragupta. He was the emperor of Magadha, the biggest empire of Aryavarta (Ancient India). Due to security issues, he had sent his sons to undisclosed locations for upbringing. His elder son Ramagupta was raised in military camp as a normal soldier, where in his younger son Chandragupta was raised in a village as a farmer. Ramagupta was brought to the public by Samudragupta ceremoniously. He was announced as future king - Yuvaraj. But Chandragupta's entry was rather unplanned due to his foster mother's (guardian) death. King welcomed him well and decided to give the responsibility of the army and intelligence. Chandra also got engaged with two ladies. And when things were supposed to get good, it became sinister. Chandra started hallucinating and got insane. On the other hand, an assassin entered into Royal guards, his motive was to kill the king or Rama. Read the book to know more.

Good points about the book
  • A flawless and fast-paced story
  • Awesome characterization (Chandra, Samudragupta, and Ramagupta)
  • Light read (even though 330 pages long book didn't fell heavy)
  • A clear understanding of the plot
  • Awesome cover art
  • Easy to follow language usage
  • Good for beginners as well as experts
  • Fewer characters and concentration on the storyline
I would say a sure shot page turner. I don't mind reading other books by the author. Once again sorry for little bit late review.

Ratings
  1. Cover - 5/5
  2. Concept - 4/5
  3. Characters - 4.5/5
  4. Content - 4/5
  5. Overall - 4.5/5
Book can be found at - Amazon & Flipkart
Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

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