Vikramaditya Veergatha Book I: The Guardians Of Halahal

Book: Guardians Of Halahala
Author: Shatrujeet Nath
Genre: Mythological Fiction
Publishers: Jaico Books

Guardians of halahala

Stories from mythology have always intrigued me. Every story has been interpreted and presented in various versions by different authors.

The name ‘Vikramaditya’ always reminds me of television series ‘Vikram aur Betaal’ that I watched as a kid….I am sure many of you would still remember the sing song title music of the series like I do!!

When the first book of series ‘Vikramaditya Veergatha’ by Shatrujeetnath arrived at my doorstep, I had  faith that it would not disappoint me because I had liked the other book ‘Karachi Deception’ by the same author!

Weaving mythology with liberal dose of fantasy by his own admission, the author retells the story of ‘samudra manthan‘ between devas and asuras and the resulting fight for the products the churning of ocean brings forth.

Of the many things emerging from the ocean, one is ‘Halahal’ that is consumed by Lord Shiva to protect all living things from destruction. However a part of it is stolen  and preserved in a hilt of dagger by one of the asuras. This little portion is potent enough to be used as weapon and the devas and asuras are clamoring to get a hold of it. Lord Shiva turns to human king known for honoring promises and justice to protect the halahala from the gods and demons.

The story meanders through challenges that Vikramaditya and his council of nine people endure to protect not only the dagger given for safe keeping by Lord Shiva but also the boundaries of the entire Sindhuvarta and its allies from enemies across the border.

The first book of the series Vikamaditya Veergatha tests the courage and mettle of Vikramaditya and his nine councilors. The twists in story and conspiracies and high action, all make story a riveting read. With gripping plot, the book makes you want to read more and more.

By the time I finished reading the first part I was restless and already wanted to read the book II.

If mytho-fiction mixed with thick plot is your kind of story then ‘Guardians of Halahala’ is for you.