1st Book of 2025
There are few books which makes you miss them as soon as you are done reading them. You are not able to move on from it to be able to pick your next read. There are few authors who are able to create this magic every time they release a book. I remember the phase when there were ample of trilogies releasing after The Shiva Trilogy’s success but none could create the same energy whereas some of them couldn’t even release all the parts as the initial books didn’t sell. One Indian author who has brought the same magic again with his trilogy is Pranay Bhalerao undoubtedly. I have just ended up reading the 3rd and the last book of The Kavaach Trilogy named “Trishul: The weapon of Lord Shiva”.
I completed this 328-pages book in just two days which is enough to explain how engaging it is. Pranay has been able to give a perfect closure to the story which was running for 3 years through 3 different thick books. He is a great craftsman who knows how to engage the millennial and Gen-Z readers in a mythological tale by embedding it with modernity. His writing style is very friendly wherein he ensures that he proves his mettle only with his story-telling rather than complicating the language of the book to sound intellectual. All the characters are created by him in both the timelines- 555 BCE and the present world yet when you read it you feel that these are famous characters which are being rewritten.
Bhalerao’s research work is phenomenal as his own reading experience of the ancient Indian stories is evident in the way he has created his own. He ensures that even when he is using the names of the ancient historical characters such as Karna or reference of Gods such as Lord Shiva, he is doing it with respect. The way he builds connection between the real characters and his characters’ storyline is again something a very good narrator can only do it. Like the previous two books, even this story is written where both the timelines are written in parallel but the transition is seamless. You never get confused while reading and enjoy moving into both the stories back to back.
All the cliffhangers and secrets that Pranay had held in the first two books are nicely disclosed in this book one-by-one. The 3rd book is very action-oriented and emotional – both at the same time. The past of Kaal which was a great interest is finally disclosed. Author explains the origin of the darkness behind his character and reading the whole part was such an exhilarating experience. The romantic angle between him and Nandini is one of the best love stories you would read in a book which is not even marketed as a romantic book. Haha! The scene when both of them gets apart in one of the sections is very tragic and you’ll have to fight tears to control yourself. The whole writing moved me and the impact of it is still with me.
How Kaal gets disassociated with his own teachers and how they become enemy for him is a nice twist to the story. Pranay also ensures that he hits some of the societal issues through his stories. For e.g. he discusses about menstruation and people’s reasoning of it for not letting females enter the religious ceremonies or temples during these 5 days. He does it so smoothly that it transforms your own thinking and doesn’t even sound preachy, forced or pretentious. He has regularly given insights into the lives of Aghori sages which helps us relate with them and understand their point of view as well. Similarly, all of us have heard about Konark Temple but the way he has made its relevance and importance justified makes you visit it and feel its spiritual importance.
The Mahakumbh is one of the important backdrop of this book and reading it was such a beautiful feeling as the same is currently in talks every day on News channels and Social media. Kaal’s initial story is based in Mahakumbh and you will feel goosebumps while reading about his dip in the water. Author has helped us understand about this religious event in a very subtle manner. Pranay’s writing makes us imagine all the eventful scenes- whether its action-packed, violent, emotional or something completely based in fantasy set-up. This is his main USP which makes this trilogy an important milestone in the self-publishing context.
I have rated both the previous books above 4 and I am going with 4.5 stars for Trishul – the 3rd book as well. This speaks enough how consistently beautiful this trilogy has been written. Pranay has never gone out of touch or tried experimenting with it differently than his original plan. I recommend the same to everyone who is interested in mythological books with a modern set-up. I am eagerly waiting to watch this story in its visual format as revealed by the author in the book. On top of that, I want to learn what next is Pranay writing. 😊
Thanks!
WRITING BUDDHA
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