Plot:

An adolescent Hanuman grows up with His cousins Vali and Sugreeva in the lush landscapes of Kishkinda. Under the protective gaze of His king as well as father Kesari and mother Anjani, He indulges in fun and frolic as any youngster of His age would. However danger lurks as His aunt, Riksharaja is intent on seeing her son, Vali on the throne. While she doesn’t outright scheme to hurt Him, she is never above finding other ways to discourage Him and keep Him away from the throne. Amidst this, their Guru, Vishwamitra, notices omens that could put an end to the peaceful times they have known for so long and indicate an advent of Adharma – what happens next? Is Hanuman banished on unfair pretexts? Do the strange omens bode ill not just for His home but for the entire land? Who are the strange creatures who seem to have no inkling of Dharma and devour all in their sight to satiate their beastly hunger?

This page-turner is a great example of creative reimagining done right. It takes beloved characters from our Itihas and Puranas in hitherto unexplored directions and moulds them in a way that I haven’t come across before. It is by no means a disrespectful depiction or a distortion. Details have been altered while keeping the essence and spirit of most of the characters the same. Some of the popular fantastical creatures that roam the landscapes of Kishkindanagar include the Jatayus, Uttaras, Jambavanths, Ganeshas, and many more! Other well-known characters apart from the obvious trio of Hanuman-Vali-Sugreeva are also present in new forms. The fiery Vishwamitra adopts a more paternal and gentle persona and so does Vashishtha who is more enigmatic and prone to administering healing concoctions.

Our beloved pot-bellied Lord Ganesha appears not as a single entity but as an entire clan with many characters hailing from this Ganesha Race. There is even a creature resembling Ravana! Not with his ten heads as an organic part of him but instead skulls of other species. The sacred Kamadhenu too appears in a nurturing and maternal Avatar. The array of characters is impressive and the creative liberties work without ever feeling jarring. Each is distinct and none feel superfluous.

This work also got me pondering on the nature of Itihasic creative fiction.
Can a novel or any work of fiction depict a beloved Devata cherished by millions? One that takes certain creative liberties but still manages to capture the essence of the Devata? In light of many mythological fictional works that seem to reduce Devatas to caricatures or have their agendas embedded, it is necessary to ask such questions. All I can say is that Vamsee Ji’s excellent work answers all of the above. I’m certain that any ardent Bhakta would not be able to find fault with the author’s portrayal. For those of us who have grown up reciting the Hanuman Chalisa as children, He is our cherished hero. Someone who is Himself an ardent Bhakta of Sri Rama and is wise, courageous, and much more. Yet, the novel chooses to focus on His younger years, before He met Sri Rama – an interesting creative choice. I’m glad to say that it works well. The essence of Hanuman’s valour, wisdom, extraordinary feats, loyalty and honour are all retained in the fictional exploits of this book. It is a sensitive and reverential depiction and I doubt anyone immersed in the culture of Santana Dharma would finish reading this book and remain unimpressed.

On the Writing: 

The writing style and quality itself are truly impeccable. From the vivid descriptions of nature to the varied terrains and to the species that populate the landscapes, all are beautifully penned down in lucid and lyrical prose. I loved the author’s writing style when I’d come across his articles in FirstPost and the Indian Express and it works even better for a work of creative fiction. The scenes depicting the battles and descriptions of action are thrilling. The adrenaline is high whilst reading and you almost feel like a participant, if not just a mere witness to the final war and its aftermath. There are hardly any ‘filler scenes’ once the action begins and there are no gratuitous depictions of slaughter, carnage and bloodshed.

Quote:

(A lovely description of the Divine Mother at an unlikely place of worship i.e. a waterfall)

‘Just across the swirling waters below them, where the middle of the waterfall lay, was a lone tree growing out of what looked like the lap of a set of massive boulders. The boulders were covered in flowers of every hue, and thousands of bees swarmed around them, despite the spray and wind. “The keeper of the bees that bring sweet and honest words to Kishkindhan tongues!” Sugreeva said, referring to another saying about the Goddess. Slowly, their eyes travelled upwards, until they could see one spot covered under a veil of water that looked like a face. It was difficult to see, but each time the waters shifted, it was there; a nose off which light bounced, as if studded by precious stones, a corner of a smiling mouth, a hint of a motherly eye gazing downwards at her children.
Hanuman and Sugreeva slid off the backs of the elephants and walked up to Vishwamitra. After all the travails of the last few days and the lurking fear that more was to come, it was as if the Goddess had destined everything just so they could behold her in her ancient form. “How I wish everyone could see you like this, Mother Saraswati!” Hanuman said, in a kind and sad voice.’

Themes & other topics of interest: 

• A Hero’s Quest: In many ways, it resembles a classic coming-of-age story of a young hero on a quest. An adolescent on the cusp of adulthood, finds himself being tested as his shoulders are burdened with more responsibility than He had bargained for. How then does Hanuman rise to the challenge and demands that are made of Him? How does He reconcile Himself to the Adharma around Him and to what extremes must He resort to vanquish them? All this and more is answered in gripping prose that never fails to keep the reader engaged. In His journey, Hanuman must curb His tendencies of blood lust, lest He begin to resemble the very enemies He abhors. He must also come to terms with death and killing, after having lived in times that never knew strife. In this process, He comes to many a realisation, makes many a sacrifice, learns crucial lessons and occasionally finds Himself imparting them to others too.
• The Impact of War: War and the ensuing havoc is a prominent theme. The Kishkindans have long lived in times of peace. Blood spilling is an apachara and is forbidden. It was a sacrosanct rule of Devi designed during times when the elders had experienced much grief and bloodshed. As times change, the younger generation finds themselves longing to vanquish foes and earn victory and glory for themselves. In their ignorance of war, they find themselves optimistic in a way that only those inexperienced and untouched by its ravages can be. When the war does come, they find their fiery boasts quickly replaced by sobering realisations. They rapidly age as they resemble the weary and worn-out faces of the elders who have lived through the war. If not necessarily physically, at least in spirit. It’s something that any war veteran could relate to – the initial ignorance and optimism quickly give way to grief and the weary recognition of war’s realities.
  Some scenes also depict characters being unable to reign in their lust for glory. Others include wanting to annihilate foes and retaliate for one’s losses with bloodthirsty vengeance. Some of the war’s other realities such as undergoing the angst of restless nights when a loved one is threatened, risking all to save them from harm, and wanting to prove one’s military prowess are all portrayed through a diorama of characters. Despite this, the novel never feels too harrowing and carnage-filled to the point wherein the reader wants to turn away. This is a huge strength and is very much to the writer’s credit.
• Constantly questioning the nature of Dharma: This is a recurring motif across the novel. Hanuman has many conversations with other characters namely Vishwamitra, Sugreeva, and Vaishnavi (Suvarachala) about the nature of Dharma, the Divine Mother Goddess’s rules when creating the cosmos, how to address Adharmic acts while adhering to one’s own Dharma, the temptations of straying from the correct code of conduct and many more! There are some fairly nuanced discussions and the book is sure to prove thought provoking for some readers and may even leave them in a contemplative mood.
  The words ‘defeat not destroy’ are uttered multiple times by many a character and not without significance. The context was of course when facing the strange devouring race of beings that are adharmic to the core. The noble Kishkindans are extolled to never annihilate their enemies and instead only resort to as much violence as is necessary to restrain them. Some cynical folks may find the reasoning and ending too idealistic; I, however, found it to be true to the above theme – it is hard not to be touched by the characters’ earnest appeals (Hanuman in particular) to resort to violence conditionally and only destroy enemies when all other options run out.
• Ahimsa glorification: Some found the depiction of a time where bloodshed was forbidden to be idealistic and utopian while others felt it looks back at the SatyaYuga. The abhorrence of violence at all costs points to undertones of ‘ahimsa‘ glorification. It is not a stretch to say that the author is batting for a more pacifist approach while being critical of violence (even conditional violence based on the context). It is worth noting that this may not be appreciated by other readers particularly as people have grown critical of the virtues of absolute Ahimsa over the last decade or so. I don’t agree with the author’s beliefs entirely but this difference in opinion with the author’s portrayal doesn’t mean the novel is not excellently written or is not an exciting page-turner. Given that this is a trilogy, I’d be curious to see how the remaining two novels of the series tackle this. Do the characters come to an understanding and reconcile themselves to the fact that conflict, differences and violence are inevitable, or do they create a world wherein they can revert to the old times, where the spilling of blood is forbidden?
  One must wait and see.

Shortcomings:

I wish the book included a glossary of some terms which are not self-explanatory. An afterword or a foreword of some sort would have been most beneficial as well.
I’d love to know more about the author’s creative process, the source texts that inspired this re-imagining and more. However, there is an acknowledgements section wherein he briefly speaks of his trip to Hampi and Vijayanagara, and how that inspired him to write about Kishkindanagar. A page listing the entire cast of characters would also have been appreciated given the array that is presented.

(Spoiler alert!)

Hanuman’s initial hesitancy and fear that is mentioned multiple times in the initial sections of the novel makes no further appearance as the action picks up. From being told that He was unable to perform certain extraordinary supernatural feats, the reader then witnesses Him being able to achieve the feats and more; rather abruptly when the time of battle draws close. This inconsistency is curious and one wonders how the author managed to forget addressing it as the novel reaches its mid-section and conclusion. I understand why they may have been depicted in the first place. Perhaps it was to make us sympathise with an adolescent Hanuman. That is the time when most struggle with a sense of feeling inadequate and are unsure of their prowess, abilities, and self. However, there could have been at least a few pages dealing with Him overcoming it rather than leaving readers to notice this odd omission. A bit of a drawback in this otherwise excellent novel.

Something else that struck me as slightly ludicrous was the change of heart Vali had towards Hanuman. After being crowned king and arriving in Queen Vaishnavi’s kingdom to fight the devouring ‘Adharmic’ beasts, he seems to recognise Hanuman as an equal. Indeed now he even feels a sense of brotherly camaraderie towards Him. This seems strange given his animosity and resentment towards Him when under Riksharaja’s thumb and as crown prince. Moreover, since he had played an instrumental role in having Hanuman banished, I couldn’t quite bring myself to believe he’d had a change of heart as rapidly as that.

Conclusion: 

The book covers much ground and subject matter and depending on individual inclination, could easily be described very differently. Is it spiritual based on passages dealing with the questioning of the nature of Dharma? Is it an action-packed thriller given the battle scene depictions and wars waged? Is it ‘mythological’ since despite being based on living Devatas, it is a fictional representation of them and very different from the stories we were raised on?
Hard to tell since it is difficult to categorise as per conventional genres. It would be interesting to have different readers complete the novel and pose the question to them ‘Under which genre would you classify this book?’.
It ends on a cliffhanger and I won’t spoil it for future readers, but suffice it to say that it has left this reader all agog to know what happens in the next part of this trilogy!

Final Rating: 4.5 /5 Stars