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Name of the Book: The Tiger Throne-Kalki’s Ponniyin Selvan Retold
Author of the book: Preetha Rajah Kannan
Genre: Historical fiction
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Preetha Rajah Kannan has written five books on Indian mythology, edited a translation of the Telugu Navagraha Purana and contributed to several newspapers and magazines. A homemaker and mother to two sons, she lives in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
She is like neighbour and homemaker next door, excited about setting up the golu next week. But the difference is that at 53, Preetha Rajah Kannan has not one but 54 stories sold in a book and that seems to have opened the gates for her in the literary world.
ABOUT THE BOOK
The Tiger Throne-Kalki’s Ponniyin Selvan Retold is a historical novel set around 970 C.E. This book is a compact version of the Kalki's 2000 odd pages novel which was brilliantly written. It is about the Chola king and queens and princes and princesses and their friends and enemies. It has everything that one would expect in a historical novel from dashing warriors, beautiful princesses, secret passages, dark dungeons, sorcerers, spies, vengeance, romance and too many surprising revelations.
In this book you can see that the author has very vividly captured the Chola era and created a brilliant mental pictures for the readers to cherish. The book talks about Sundara Cholan who was a pacifist ruler, he had two gifted sons, the eldest and heir was Adita Karikalan and the younger was prince Arulmozhivarman aka Raja Raja Cholan. Adita Karikalan is murdered, a mystery that is unsolved to this days. The Cholas begin an invasion of Sri Lanka chasing after the last Pandyan king Arul, who becomes the emperor.
The protagonist of our tale is young Vandiyatevan, he has given a task to deliver a message from his master, Adita Karikalan, who heads the Chola armies and is based in Kanchi to the King and Adita’s powerful sister. Now from here, we meet a whole lot of interesting characters from the beautiful and dark Nandini, to the brave, noble and clever Arulmozhivarman in the jungles of Sri Lanka to Anirudha Brahamarayar, the spymaster and the man of whispers and secrets and his eternal devotee and aid Azhwarkadiyan Nambi. The book revolves around a Pandyan conspiracy to regain the throne.
This is not just a book but an evidential record of our illustrious history and culture that offers a glimpse of our roots and the rich lives of our ancestors.
MY TAKE ON THE BOOK
What would you expect from any historical novel? Something that captures the details of the time period as accurately as possible for authenticity, including social norms, manners, customs, and traditions and the author of this book has exactly done the same. l loved the setting and plot of the book as it is authentic and real. The description of each character is so accurate that it makes you feel part of the era. Historical fiction books resonate with me especially because they give me the chance to immerse myself in another time.
The book is quite thick, it has 688 pages but I can assure you that once you start reading you will be completely hooked. Reading this book is a complete pleasure which will soak you in greatest of imagination that is magnificent and splendid. I truly loved it and would advice each one of you to read this to enjoy and learn about our glorious history.
BOOK DETAILS
Book format: Paperback/Kindle edition
Book price: 599 INR/ 569.05 INR
Pages: 688
Publisher: Jaico Publishing House
Availability: Amazon
Oh the story sounds fascinating but I have never read any historical novel ever so really don't know what one should expect from that. But as per your review, I feel like reading it once.
ReplyDeleteThe Tamil Movie Ponniyn Selvan's huge box office success did inspire me to read the original book upon which it was based but the sheer size of the book was a deterrent.
ReplyDelete"The Tiger Throne" looks like a book I could read and enjoy. Thanks for the review!
I appreciate your efforts for the book review. Though I don't read much of historical books but loved your review. Hope it will help historical books lovers to pick up this book.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favourite novels but I haven't read Preetis work. I'm sure after this review I will definitely look to read her works in future. Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteI am awed by the amount of research involved and then write a book without making any mistakes. Hats off to such writers in India, who are making our rich history accessible. This was a very tempting review and I am going to grab this book for sure.
ReplyDeleteI have not come across this book..you have wonderfully reviewed the book i am definitely going to add it to my list.
ReplyDeleteI too read this book and what at the end I can say is that it’s a book which all should read. It will never give you a chance to feel bored at any point of the story and offer a complete mythological entertainment package
ReplyDeleteI don't think i have tried reading a historical fiction book because I'm wary of some history but love the royalty stories in any version. This looks like a good one to start with, right?
ReplyDeleteI love to read historical fiction as it takes me back in time and era I would love to enjoy and experience. I will check this book out for myself.
ReplyDeleteI am a huge fan of history mixed with fantasy writing, creating mental pieces is a huge art and is the soul of any such genre. I would love to read this particular book for sure.
ReplyDeleteI love history and historical fiction and this book appeals to me. More so because it is the story of the great Chola king, which has inspired films by the same name.
ReplyDeleteThis is absolutely new kind of fiction for me and it really excites me to grab this book as the plot of the story excites me. Thanks for sharing an honest review.
ReplyDeleteI am not much into reading historical fiction but your post has made me curious about this one. my elder one loved reading historical fiction. will check if it is suitable for her age or not. thanks swati for sharing your honest review with us.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed reading your take "The Tiger Throne: Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan Retold" by Preetha Rajah Kannan. Your attention to detail and vivid descriptions truly transported me to the Chola era. As a person who likes history too I will go for it also I must add that after reading your review the book looks more captivating that I will definitely enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI have never been a fan of history and haven't read a historical fiction yet but I have been thinking of including more genres in my TBR list. I would love to pick this book, I enjoyed reading the review, I feel like I will enjoy the book as well.
ReplyDeleteI like reading historical fiction. This story looks interesting, adding it right away to my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteI am not into historical works like these buddy but your excellent review does makes me eager to pick this one are try a new genre.
ReplyDeleteI watched the movie and am waiting to get the copy of the book. Somehow I have this guy feeling that I am going to love the book more.
ReplyDeleteHistorical fiction is catching up popularity among the readers who want to deep dive and explore more into history. The book seems an interesting one. Thank you for sharing such a detailed review.
ReplyDeleteYour review beautifully captured the essence of the retelling, highlighting the author's ability to bring the beloved epic to life in a fresh and engaging way. The intricate plot, well-developed characters, and rich historical backdrop portrayed in your review have piqued my interest in reading the book
ReplyDeleteI've watched the movie but really want to read the book and I think from your post this version would suit my reading style
ReplyDeleteWill definitely take a look