HarperCollins Narasimha: The Mahaavatar Trilogy Book 1

"In this world, heroes often died."Brutally thrilling, tremendously exciting and unbelievably fascinating, "Narasimha" by Kevin Missal welcomes its readers to the reimagining of the fourth avatar of Lord Vishnu.Once a brave warrior, Narasimha has left the war and is hiding as a physician in a village. But he is needed to end the tyranny of the blind usurper, Andhaka. His refusal might destroy everything. The interim king of Kashyapuri, Prahlad is torn between the ideals of his unrighteous father and his love for Lord Vishnu. His choice will determine the fate of the Kingdom. To avenge th death of his wife, the ruler of the Asura Empire, Hiranyakashyap must go through the life-threatening trials to acquire the Brahmashastra. His survival depends on becoming the bearer of the ultimate weapon. Three lives, three different missions, three separate journeys-- an avatar of Vishnu, a Vishnu Bhakt and an Asura King-- divided by fate, united by tragedy.Although the book seems to project some kind of a fantasy world, with mythological characters, yet the projection of events are quite relatable to the modern era. The beliefs, workings and the strategies of the Asura Kingdom are still in vogue. The dilemma of the good souls still exists, as they are torn between several opinions that gives rise to indecision as whether to protest against the wrongs or just keep waiting for someone else to do it.With a catchy style of narration and picturesque description, the author efficiently captures the war scenes and vividly demonstrates the great battles between the Asuras and the Devas. The readers can almost visualise the battlefield and hear the war-cries as they swipe through the pages.Within the proximity of lucid language, a fantastical world is created through such pictorial portrayal of scenes that they come alive in the canvas of the mind.The shift between several scenes is perfectly done to keep the curiosity alive without obstructing the flow. Author Kevin Missal excels in raising the readers' curiosity to its highest peak and then keep it fixated right there.Multiple lessons embrace the book as the characters gradually evolve into being a better individual. The morals which are derived from the mythological tales are still applicable to the modern world.Narasimha is not a story of someone who is a God by birth, but of someone who struggles hard, fights adversities and rejuvenate oneself to become one with the God.The story that showcases imagination at its best, is also quite at par with reality. With all the mythological characters being portrayed in a certain human light, the mythological places being depicted as to be really existing on Earth and with all the magical powers being given a logical explanation, the book weaves imagination into reality with great artistic efficiency.The plot that creates an enthralling atmosphere and guides one through the twists and turns of the tale with a steady pace, appeals greatly to the heart of the readers.Mysterious shadows coupled with blankets of suspense shrouds the readers into an envelope of thrill, enticing them to dive deeper into the tale in their surge to find out what happens next.Love brews even among the atmosphere of war and agony, revenge and ego. The story highlights the power of love that has the capability to defy several calamities and fight against all evils.Revelation of the past, unfolding of mystery and unveiling of secrets are tactfully presented, skillfully mingling them with the present and spreading them evenly throughout the story so as not to arrest the flow or hinder the interest of the readers.And since the book is just the first part of the Mahaavatar Trilogy, it obviously ends in a cliffhanger with a lot to be discovered in the next parts. The epilogue further assists in heightening the suspense, thrill and mystery with the readers being left in bewilderment, wondering as to "what will happen next?"The portrayal of the mythological characters that comes with a human touch is artistically designed and instantly captures the heart. The guilt, struggle and perseverance of Narasimha coupled with the love that he hides within makes him dear to the heart. The dilemma of Prahlad who is torn between right and wrong, responsibility and love, his own beliefs and his father's ideals, earns everyone's sympathy towards the poor soul. Even the evil king of the Asura Empire, Hiranyakashyap too wins the heart by his deep underlying love, inner strength and understanding that he nurses within. Cruel aunt Holika too proves that even brutality has a heart that cries for their dear ones. Other characters too play their part quite at par with their roles as depicted in mythology but with an earthly twist.The attractive title at once captures the attention as it springs curiosity in the mind as to what this little known mythological character of the past is up to. Narasimha-- a human with a lion head-- the name at once generates a thrill, a captivating feeling within the heart.The tempting cover compliments the title perfectly and does justice to the theme as well, featuring the great Narasimha fighting with the Asuras in the battlefield. With anger in his eyes and blood in his hand, he is slaying his enemies who now has the look of fear in their eyes as they stare at him.Wildly astounding and incredibly enthralling, "Narasimha" by Kevin Missal brings to its readers an unputdownable book of an overwhelming tale of three souls and their struggles through unfathomable tragedies that lead them on an unpredictable journey towards three different missions that might perhaps merge into one."When there's nothing else, there is Lord Vishnu. And there's faith."

This is my first mythological read. The book begins with a prologue. In the absence of the ruler of Kashyapuri - Hiranyakashyap, Lord Indra attacks his Asura Empire. Hiranyakashyap's wife Kayadhu gets killed in this war at the hands of Narasimha, who had his loyalty pledged to Lord Indra. For me, understanding the prologue was the most difficult part of reading this book. It was pretty difficult to grasp the introduction of numerous tribes, characters and their battles with other tribes. In fact, I had to maintain notes alongside so that I don't end up getting confused.The story then takes a leap of 14 years. Narasimha is not a part of the war anymore and now works as a physician living amongst the manavs in a village. He is then visited by Lord Indra who requests him to join him in the war but Nara refuses to do so since he didn't want to kill innocent people anymore. Indra then asks for Nara's help in acquiring the Pashupatastra weapon. Will Narasimha agree to work with Indra again? Will he get the Pashupatastra?Anuhrad and Prahlad, the sons of Hiranyakashyap and Kayadhu, the prince of Kashyapuri, now face a battle against Prince Jayant - the son of Lord Indra. After the battle, Hiranyakashyap chooses Prahlad as the interim King of Kashyapuri so that Hiranya could leave for Yakshlok and Anuhrad could leave to help Andhaka.Hiranyakashyap reaches Yakshlok to help Vigyasa against Lord Agni who had been constantly attacking Bhairav and their people. To defeat Lord Agni and avenge the death of his wife, Hiranyakashyap must acquire the Brahmashastra by completing three trials at the Brahma temple. What are three trials and will Hiranyakashyap pass all of them?Anuhrad meets his cousin Andhaka who is blind. Andhaka wishes to kill Bhairav and all his supporters with the help of Anuhrad. Why does Andhaka hate Bhairav to this extent? What does he know about Anuhrad’s past?Prahlad, upon becoming the Interim King, is responsible to work for the welfare of the empire. But when he gets to know of the tiff between Vishnu Sena and the empire because of the decisions his father made, who will he choose? Faith or family?Likes:♥ The cover of the book looks splendid.♥ The story is divided into chapters and is narrated from each characters perspective.♥ The language of the author is easy to understand. Even though the story is set in the ancient era, the author makes use of less complex terms to serve the readers of today's generation.♥ All the characters in the book were strong and well defined.♥ The back cover of the book has an illustrated map of Illavarti.♥ To the first time readers who haven’t read mythology before, the first few chapters may seem a little confusing because of the tribes names and the characters, but as the story progresses, it definitely does get clear.Dislikes:💔 It would have been easier to understand and remember the characters and the tribes if they were explained as the story progressed rather than naming all of them in the prologue itself.Recommend?Narasimha is a must read for everyone, even the ones who haven’t read mythology before.

This book is a remaining of the tale of Narasimha that we've heard from our parents and grandparents. And the author has made a point to let the readers know this before they dive into the story as to leave no chance for misunderstanding, which I really appreciated. As the note gives you a clean state where you know there is no need to compare the original tale and the book. And that this story has it's own individuality even if the characters are people we've grown up learning about.That being said, the story starts off with a situation where Hiranyakashyap's kingdom is under attack in his absence. The prologue paves the way for the journey, that you can guess with the first line itself, is going to be a roller-coaster ride of intense emotions portrayed vividly with the author's descriptive narration.The story revolves around Nara Simha who has long turned his back on being a soldier in battlefield and now leads a life devoted to saving people and practicing medicine.But when has a warrior ever been able to leave bloodshed and war behind for good? When has a fighter ever been able to ignore the way his heart pounds and veins fill with adrenaline everytime the prospect of fight for a cause lingers in air? When has the world ever let a soldier be anything but? Almost never.Decades later, Nara Simha is pulled back into the tangles of conflict. And whenever there's conflict, there's sides to choose and whatever choices he make, he can not choose to be ignorant to the consequences and guilt that the aftermath of the bloodshed and war promises.An enthralling tale with strong characters and graphic narrative that makes you feel every emotion.The mythological aspect is well researched and the author's take on adding tales from various unheard scriptures and texts available made me appreciate the book even more.My only complaint, and not as much as a complaint but rather a suggestion is to not use modern words in mythological fiction and try using words that were then used in speech instead, in the dialogues as it pulls you out of the historical world of Deva's and Asura's and disturbs the image that the words have imprinted on your mind.I can understand that it would be too much work though so it's not that big of a problem.Overall, I enjoyed everything about the book. The storyline is entertaining. The pace is never too fast or too slow. The characters have depth and their thoughts and beliefs were strong which made the relatable and humane. The narrative never falls flat and even the dialogues are written very well.

"When there is no hope, the universe gives birth to a legend for survival." - Kevin MissalBlurb:Narasimha, once a brave soldier, has left the war and lies low as a physician in a village. But a familiar face from his past seeks his help to stop the tyranny of the blind usurper Andhaka. If Narasimha refuses, the world might just end. What will he do? And why did he leave the war in the first place? Prahlad, the interim king of Kashyapuri, is torn between the ideals of his unrighteous father and his love for Lord Vishnu. Whom will he choose? Hiranyakashyap, the ruler of the Asura Empire, wants to avenge the death of his wife. To do that, he must go through the Trials and get the ultimate weapon - the Brahmastra. But the Trials have sent so many others to their death. Can Hiranyakashyap survive? Welcome to the reimagining of the fourth Avatar of Lord Vishnu by bestselling author Kevin Missal.Views:The story of Narasimha Avtar and Prahlad is known by almost everyone. Based on that story, writing a trilogy series with fictionalized parts is an extremely difficult job to carry out and the author as always did it with absolute conviction and ingenuity.Narasimha is such a book which starts with action, proceeds with action and ends with action. Being a fan of mythology from childhood this book was a treat to me. The storyline is so well built and believable that I could even see the happenings in front of my eyes. The transition of Narasimha in each phase is excellently portrayed. And I just couldn't put the book down once I started reading it.Each and every action written is so well detailed and comprehensive that it's almost like those slow-motion actions shown in movies. The emotions of the characters are very minutely portrayed as well.The characters are so well written that I could even feel for them and stay connected with them throughout. Each of their perception and targets are such that you're bound to be engrossed within no time and want to know more about each of them. The narration is excellent. The writing style is lucid and peaks interest and excitement at every moment. The language used is simple and bold at the same time. The speed is absolutely breakneck and you'd continue without blinking for so many times that you won't believe at the end. Despite of being so well known, Narasimha the book is something that I couldn't imagine would be at so par excellence.Rating and Recommendations:5/5.

The saga of the great avatar of Lord Vishnu, Narasimha, is one that I have grown up listening to. I think this story had stuck with me since my childhood because I was fascinated by the whole concept of an entity that's half human, half a lion; also the legend of Holika was a thing of fascination. So when I got introduced to this book, I was more than eager to know what this re-imagining of this childhood fascination holds.Narasimha by Kevin Missal is a mix of mythology and fantasy and as the author has clearly stated, is not to be confused with historical facts regarding the legend. Narasimha is the fourth avatar or incarnation of Lord Vishnu. In this fictional world, there is a land known as Ilavarthi which is divided into various sections, each occupied by distinctive groups of people: Devas, Asuras, Danavas and Simhas. Interestingly, instead of giving them an immortal stature, the author has presented them as people with a longer life span, but they are mortals.The story has been narrated from different perspectives. When told from different perspectives, a story can get boring and slow if not handled with care. But Kevin has done an amazing job in keeping up with the characters and the plot. The character development is worthy of praise. The blend between Dharma and Adharma is what makes this an interesting read. When the readers come across the various perspectives that the story presents, it will make them question the very meanings of right and wrong.Narasimha is a quest for redemption, for the real meaning of dharma, justice, and most of all, the TRUTH.A blend of mythology and fantasy, this is a great take on the very famous legend Narasimha and Pralhad. The language is lucid and the narration is very fast paced. One can easily finish the story in one or two sittings. However, I feel some regions could have been described better. Regardless, it was a delightful journey and I was unable to put the book down. The cliffhanger at the end was good.Lastly, cover designing is amazing. Ajitabha Bose has brought out the flavour of the story beautifully through the cover.If you are a mythology lover, or if you, like me have grown up listening to the famous tale of Narasimha, grab the book and enjoy the ride. I'm eagerly waiting for the next book.