I love historical fiction. Whoever knows me, knows this fact about me. So, when I was presented with Ashok K Banker’s latest, titled Chanakya, I couldn't stop myself. We all have grown up listening to the stories of Chanakya (and good Lord, a few days back I, myself read a story of this mighty person) and I couldn't help but read what the book has to say about how Chanakya became Chanakya. One look at the blurb and I knew I had to read this.
About the book- Jurist, war strategist, kingmaker. Master administrator. Author of the Arthashastra. But before the legend, there was the boy: Vishnu Gupta. Pataliputra, capital of the great Nanda empire, is teeming with crime and corruption. Granted unlimited authority by the hedonistic emperor Mahapadma Nanda, evil Mastermind Maha-amatya Kartikeya has the city in a vice like grip. But another name bubbles up through the chaos; there is talk of a young genius, Vishnu Gupta. When the Maha-amatya investigated the rumours, he recognizes a future rival in the boy. He is determined to destroy this competition from the roots- family and all. Vishnu must gather all his wit and his formidable knowledge to protect everything he holds dear. The holy scriptures, his brilliant interpretations of the Vedas and the power of his unmatched mind: these are the only tools he has against the might of the most powerful man in the empire. Epic storyteller Ashok K. Banker imagined the early life and formative years of India's greatest genius, a man whose influence persists down the ages. In this first installment of a thrilling trilogy, he recreated Chanakya's early struggles and triumphs.
In this thrilling journey what catches your attention at first glance is the prodigy Vishnu Gupta is. Let's not call him Chanakya straight away. The thin form of the book made me wonder what could be there in the book and once I finished it, I didn't want it to end. For the umpteenth time, reading about Chanakya made me feel proud. The blurb says it is an imagined story and kudos to the author for writing this down.
Okay! It would be a mistake from my end if I have to actually comment on the author's capabilities because he's just THE BEST but I'll try my level best to emote what I felt. Coming to the storyline, I loved the pace of the story and how every character was formed. Barring Chandra, how I wish I had more of him in this book. Vishnu Gupta has been formed wonderfully and everyone can connect to this prodigy from the time he is mentioned, so much so that I felt like meeting the kid upfront.
Only if it were reality. Now, every single descriptions made in the book were wonderful and that is one of the best parts of the book. Narration done to the point where you can imagine every single thing that is happening in the book. Dialogues on point. The book has everything it was needed to make the readers stand on a cliff and wait for the next part. I loved the cover of the book too. But if I have to speak of the cons then one biggest concern I had for the book was the length. Only if it was a bit more longer than it is. But having said that, I know why the author ended it where he did. Looking forward to the next part of the series and knowing about Vishnu Gupta, this book is 4 on 5 for me as of now.
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