Book Review of Dharmayoddha Kalki: Avatar of Vishnu

Genre:  Fiction, inspired by Mythology 

The Plot:  Whenever there is a decline in righteousness and an upsurge in unrighteousness, at that time, I take birth again. 
- LORD GOVIND. 

Born in the quiet village of Shambala, Kalki Hari, son of Vishnuyath and Sumati, has no idea about his heritage until he is pitted against tragedies and battles. 
Whisked into the province of Keekatpur, which is under the fist of Lord Kali, Kalki sees the ignominy of death trumping life all around him. He learns that he has been born to cleanse the world he lives in, for which he must journey to the North and learn the ways of Lord Vishnu's Avatar; from an immortal who wields an axe. 
But trapped in the midst of betrayals, political intrigue and forces that seek to decimate him, will he be able to follow his destiny before the Kaliyug begins?

My Thoughts:  The writing style of the author is such that it weaves elements of fantasy fiction around a mythological legend in a seamless fashion. The plot is creative and written in a third person narrative voice which is quite strong and smooth throughout the book. Being a fantasy fiction the length of the book is complimentary. The book is divided in two parts: the Battle of Shambala which deals with life of our protagonist, Kalki, and the second part- The Rise of Kali concern negative political influences of Lord Kali who rules the kingdom of Keekatpur. Most of the characters mentioned in the book have varying shades of grey in them with a kind of seduction that can only come from evil. A few other characters that caught my fancy were Durukti, Kali and Kripa.  The narration and the story both are so compelling that there is seriously no way that a reader can refrain from reading the part 2 of the series. The climax of the story is pretty good.

I will definitely be looking forward to next installment in this series as I love mythological tales. Pick the book up if you like sagas, lengthy tales, legends, fantasy or mythology. Skip the book if you don't enjoy any of the mentioned categories.