2133rd BLOG POST
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
