The Secret of the Nagas by Amish Tripathi!!!

              I am done with two things- 1. Reading the 2nd book of Shiva Trilogy: The Secret of the Nagas and watching the video of Amish Tripathi's speech at Conclave 2013. What a speech. This man is so much clear with his thoughts that even after cross-questioning him for 100 times, you will fail but his determination towards God and magnificence will continue to shine as crisp and clear as before. From last one week, since Mahashivratri, I am completed reading the first two books written by him and also watching all the interviews and speeches by this man on Internet and I can say that I am falling into a zone where you can't call me a FAN of Amish Tripathi but a kind of devotee. I have got an author after Chetan Bhagat whose way of living is what I would like to inherit in me. Failure does not affect them because they are clear with the purpose they are here with. As the The Secret of the Nagas have been read, it's time to review it and not the author's life. :-)

 Synopsis:

Today, He is a God.

4000 years ago, He was just a man.

The hunt is on. The sinister Naga warrior has killed his friend Brahaspati and now stalks his wife Sati. Shiva, the Tibetan immigrant who is the prophesied destroyer of evil, will not rest till he finds his demonic adversary. His vengeance and the path to evil will lead him to the door of the Nagas, the serpent people. Of that he is certain.

The evidence of the malevolent rise of evil is everywhere. A kingdom is dying as it is held to ransom for a miracle drug. A crown prince is murdered. The Vasudevs – Shiva’s philosopher guides – betray his unquestioning faith as they take the aid of the dark side. Even the perfect empire, Meluha is riddled with a terrible secret in Maika, the city of births. Unknown to Shiva, a master puppeteer is playing a grand game.

In a journey that will take him across the length and breadth of ancient India, Shiva searches for the truth in a land of deadly mysteries – only to find that nothing is what it seems.

Fierce battles will be fought. Surprising alliances will be forged. Unbelievable secrets will be revealed in this second book of the Shiva Trilogy, the sequel to the #1 national bestseller, The Immortals of Meluha.

             As I said in my last review itself, Amish Tripathi has a very unique style to present his sentences and theories which has many dimensions. It has all collaborated into one- Love, devotion, philosophy, mythology, legacy, history etc. If you have been an ardent reader, you will easily get the messages, direct and indirect, that Amish tries to give out whenever he makes his characters talk and converse with each other. Every time he writes in italic, you realize the weight in the words that are been put together in that customized font. I could have said that the book must have been shorter by few pages but I can not because every sentence has some meaning. Though its not necessary that we can understand the purpose of all but we will with time. This is what this most talked author- Amish Tripathi has in himself. Blissful writer.

             Coming to this book, obviously I would say that The Immortals of Meluha is wonderful and better than this one but still, The Secret of the Nagas is no less. I just didn't find first half as happening as the last book because I am already introduced to Lord Shiva in the last book itself. The new book could have been started with lots of happening. Though it has been tried but it failed, at least, for me. But from the chapter- The Battle of Madhumati, from where you can say that the second half of the book begins, the real book/story starts. I loved the whole scenario of Shiva's fight with promising Parshurama. Then the way he gets to know about Neelkanth. Ok, I would like to point one more good thing- the way Shiva is also referred as Mahadev and Neelkanth at times keeps the reader intrigued as monotonous Shiva-Shiva-Shiva can also irritate.

               Then, Sati's own journey towards finding Kali and Ganesh is a surprising element. The way Nagas has been shown, purely villainous, it creates interest to wait to read what Shiva's reaction would be. Then Daksha's past and his doings, his wife's past etc related to Nagas is an interesting part. Shiva's hatred for Ganesh is also described balance-fully  In all, The Secret of the Nagas is a promising sequel of the epic book- The Immortals of Meluha. The third and the last book of this Trilogy- "The Oath of the Vayuputras" will be given to me by tomorrow, as it is of 600 pages, it will take some time but I am unable to resist myself to read it. This is the time when I am loving to be in the world that I can never see. While reading this book, you will imagine all the scenarios not only in a normal visualized version but in a 3D version. :-) This is the kind of description that Mr. Amish has given throughout the book. Kudos. 

 Thanks.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU