Sharath Komarraju

I remember really enjoying the first two books in this series because I’m usually very biased towards well written Mahabharata retellings but I don’t actually remember a lot of the story. But having no time to reread them, I proceeded with this third book and as I’m familiar with the source material, I found it quite easy to follow.

I have developed a lot of interest in reading our epics told through the women’s POVs, so reading this one through the eyes of Ganga, Gandhari and Pritha was a revelation. It’s a tale of destiny and fate, of what happens when celestials meddle in the lives of men, and how long term consequences are written into existence when women take charge of their own desires and fight for what they want. This is a story of motherhood, kingship, ambition and the lust for power - and ultimately what it leads to.

I think the author does a great job giving an interesting spin to the story, especially in portraying the queen mothers as more significant in the events that shaped the Hastinapur empire and I loved getting to know more about these women. They are shown as quite a bit ruthless and power hungry and while it’s something of a new portrayal and might offend some readers, I thought it was written quite well. The next two books seem to concentrate on Krishna’s side of the story but I hope we do get to read about the Pandavas exploits as well. Definitely excited to continue the series.… (mais)

While I really enjoyed the previous three books in this series which told the story of Hastinapur, I can’t deny that I have a bias towards stories of Krishna. So, it’s not a surprise that this book has now become my favorite of the series.

The way the author explores the humanity of Krishna and his character arc since his childhood, as well as the sarcastic manner in which Radha dismisses the tall tales of his godliness - it’s all written in a very engaging and mesmerizing manner and I didn’t even realize how quickly I finished the book. But the best part was definitely the bond that Krishna shared with Radha as well as with all the other villagers of Vrindavan - it’s a story about the love that blossoms between hearts, unburdened by the desires of the bodies and I was amazed at the way the author managed to capture this feeling.

This book has been languishing on my shelf for a while now and I only picked it up because of a readathon, but now I’m very excited to read the next book which I’m glad I already have a copy of.… (mais)

This book turned out to be so so different than I what I expected - not in a bad way - just that the story deviates a lot from the well known mythology. But it also gives a rare look into the kind of the character Krishna, how he trusts no one but himself, and how he takes it upon himself solely to remove all the obstacles for his brother to be the king.

But, we also get to see what happens when he is outmaneuvered at his mind games by someone smarter at playing the game. It is this part of the story (the second half to be specific) that I found fascinating, because it so much resembled our real life - how facts get twisted and retold, how truths are mixed with lies to confuse and manipulate the minds of the masses, how politicians and other bad faith actors use these misinformation tactics to get a leg up on their opponents - it felt like the author was making a commentary on our world through allegory. And this part of the story kept the mystery going till almost the last page, leaving us wondering how Krishna will react. And it was worth the wait.

I don’t know if the author plans to write more books in this series. If he does, I don’t know if I’m looking forward to more of Krishna’s story or the Mahabharata; but I know I will eagerly wait whatever comes next.… (mais)

I bought "The Tree Bears Witness" - A Birbal Mystery - a while ago from Amazon India, during a promotion; but got a chance to read it recently. It is comparatively a long book (usually, Birbal stories are smaller) where Sharath Komarraju (the author) tried exploring a murder mystery.

The Plot:
Emperor Akbar recently got married to Hira Kunwari. Most of the royal marriages are more of a political treaty and a promissory note amongst kingdoms. Eventually, the marriages may turn into the real bond of love between the husband and the wife, and it may happen that the things fall apart.

Hira Kunwari's relatives are also at the Palace of Akbar.

While two guards were doing their duties inside the palace, near a garden, they were approached by an influential figure, whom they let go inside. Actually, one of the guards don't know the person, but the other one identified him as Sujjamal. Being a relative to queen Hira Kunwari, Sujjamal is definitely an influential person and a guest who must be honored.

There happened something wrong when both the guards were in the conversation. Suddenly they hear (from the far) that Sujjamal's cry and eventually seen him getting stabbed also! Yes, Sujjamal is stabbed to death, but they couldn't see who did it!!! They ran towards Sujjamal and one of them has fainted midway! Sujjamal was taken to Hakim's place, but, he was declared dead.

The situation became very tricky in terms of political circumstances. If Hira Kunwari's relative doubt/believe that Sujjamal was assassinated by the emperor or his confidante, the political balance and relations between the Rajputs and the Mughals will be facing a storm.

The mystery needs to be solved at the earliest, and there is only one person the emperor could trust in such troublesome moments. That is Mahesh Das, aka Birbal.

How Birbal tries finding the clue in order to solve the mystery, is the rest of the book.

Views and Reviews:
The book is a good mystery which at places you may find stretched but never get bored of.

The mystery involves a large number of characters but the main on which you should keep a watch includes Akbar, Birbal, Azgher Abbasi, Rashid, Man Singh, Bhagwant Das, Sujjamal, Gulbadan Begum, Mirza Hakim, Nazneen, Raja Bharmal, Hira Kunwari to name a few. If you mix up them while reading with each other, probably you will not enjoy it properly. It is tough to write a mystery where a number of characters are involved and especially linked with each other. The author did a good job here.

Here are some of the character-defining lines from the book:
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A man who is impossible to bribe, Mahesh Das, is a man that can be scared.
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Rajput women do not abandon their husbands no matter how grave the grievance.
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The book has its own dose of Sarcasm:
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Some dead people make the most charming companions. Way better than the living.
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And here is an advise a lot of men need to remember:
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A woman’s heart ought to be won over with patience, not snatched by force.
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The way the author weaved the components together is something worth going for. Also, the author is good at explaining the scenes. Overall, I’ve enjoyed reading it.

Rating:
Around 7.5 stars out of 10.

Book Review Link: https://thinkerviews.com/books/english-books/the-tree-bears-witness-birbal-myste...… (mais)