Book Review - The Immortals of Meluha

“THE IMMORTALS OF MELUHA” is ENGAGING, FASCINATING, AND DARING!!!

Genre: Mythology/ Fiction

“THE IMMORTALS OF MELUHA” is the first novel by Amish, and is the first book of Shiva Trilogy. Set in 1900 BC, it’s a fascinating story of an extraordinary man, Shiva, who eventually turns into a MAHADEV (God of Gods). Shiva, a man with uncommon gifts, is the tribal leader in Mount Kailash. But, his destiny takes him to a “near perfect” empire of Meluha, the land of Suryavanshis. The Suryavanshis are constantly being troubled and attacked by Chandravanshis. To make the matters worse, the Chandravanshis have the support of the “Nagas”, the sinister race of deformed human beings with astonishing martial skills. The only hope for Suryavanshis is Neelkanth, a Legend, for whom they have been waiting for hundred years. Their hope turns into the reality, when they find their Neelkanth in Shiva, who promises to be the saviour of Meluha.  Under the expert leadership of Shiva, the Suryavanshis plan to attack the Chandravanshis. Amid some conspiracies, terrorist attacks and brutal battles, Shiva finds his soul-mate in Sati, the princess of Meluha. Now it is up to Shiva to overcome his inner torments, and destroy the “so called” evil.

Well, this is just the gist of a 400 page mythological saga. First thing first, “The Immortals of Meluha” is NOT a Shivpuran. So those who are expecting to learn about the Lord Shiva, will be disappointed. Amish has picked up the mythological characters and fascinatingly blended them into a fictional story. But, what a story it is!!! It’s MAGNIFICANT!!! It’s 400 page of sheer brilliance. Every scene is so well written, be it the fearsome battle scenes, or the sweet love story of Sati and Shiva.

Amish, being the first time author, has done an outstanding job. Right from imagining the story, the characters, the events, the places, the descriptions, and blending them with mythological characters of Shiva, Sati and Daksha, Amish has announced his strong arrival. Today, when most Indian authors are blindly following the spineless love-breakup “desi-chiclits”, I truly applaud Amish for his first book. Scripting your first book, with 400 pages, needs guts and confidence.

Now the few negatives... The story is set in 1900 BC, but the usage of certain words, like “Dammit, Oh Hell” should have been avoided. I personally believe, no one would have used such words 4000 years ago. Secondly, some of the concepts described in this book, may baffle the readers, e.g. the explanation of the word “Aum”, or the concept of Saptrishis, the name of certain places (like Rajasthan).  But as I said, this is not a Shivpuran, and the readers, who are expecting the “real” mythological Lord Shiva story, will be disappointed.

To sum up, Amish’s “THE IMMORTALS OF MELUHA” is a near-perfect book. It will keep you engaged, it will keep you mesmerized, and it will make you chant “Har Har Mahadev”. I am going with 4 out of 5 stars and two thumbs up for Amish’s “THE IMMORTALS OF MELUHA”.

Verdict: “THE IMMORTALS OF MELUHA” is ENGAGING and FASCINATING, and contains some DARING IDEAS... This Book should and must be read by ALL!!! I am right away ordering the next book in the trilogy.