Things come to a head when a conspiracy against the royal family is uncovered. Will Shaunaka be able to stop the perpetrators from causing harm to the people in danger or not forms the rest of the story. It starts off with a man being dragged by two guards on horses and he utters the titular curse.
Though it is quite an engaging read — I finished it in about 5 hours — it does have problems that one cannot ignore. The narrative is repetitive in places, with phrases and points important to the story repeated over and over again to the point where it gets a little annoying. This makes the story feel like an unengaging, discontinuous mass of events in places, making it a sort of a paradox. We as readers usually ask for details to be delivered to us contextually or through dialogue.
But 'The Curse of Anuganga' takes it too far, with even the slightest of atmospheric descriptions being elucidated in dialogues. The biggest problem with this book is that as it comes to a close, it blindsides you with too much information relatively unrelated what has happened so far in the book. Aug 10, Kriti Sharma rated it it was amazing.
If yes, then how far are you satisfied in reading this particular book? Also, Vinayashura is main attraction too. Vinayashura, is an affluent trader with mysterious links to the royal family in Nandivardhana.
Now the questions that arises are: 1 Why Shaunaka is involved into this case so much? Writing style of the author is good. Overall, I enjoyed reading it. This novel is a must read for all readers out there Jun 24, Kavita rated it really liked it. My Take: A unique story. A different time line. History and Fiction is blended beautifully. Set in Circa C. E this one revolves around the mysterious incidents happening in Nandivardhana. A curse is what the story starts with.
Are the incidents and the curse related? Who is Anuganga? What is the curse? Read the book to find out. Shaunaka, son of Vishnuveera , a famous goldsmith although born with the talent and knowledge of the family business, his heart is not in this. He has a curious, analyt My Take: A unique story. He has a curious, analytical and intelligent mind.
Amidst royal wedding in palace and another extravagant wedding in the corner house in the family of mysterious Vinayashura he finds himself in the muddle of complexities. Vinayashura, has some mysterious connections with the Palace family and he is murdered ruthlessly.
The first one to witness him lying in pool of blood is Shaunaka. How will he solve this mystery? Who has murdered Vinayashura and why? The characters are developed well. Especially the female ones are given strong personalities. The queen who makes decisions after the King's death and runs the kingdom efficiently. Tarinika, wife of Vinayashura who has a strong personality and courage to stand for truth and say it loud. The story develops beautifully with mystery angles sprinkled liberally as it progresses.
The thread of past and present are weaved intricately. The end is unexpected, the book holds your attention till the last page as the suspense is built nicely as to why and who does this.
The narration is different with use of Sanskrit words which enriches the reading experience. The writing could have been crisp, as in the middle somewhere it loses its pace and sounds dull.
Overall a good attempt. I would rate this 3. Aug 04, Ananya Thakur rated it really liked it. A good book doesn't only requires a good storyline, but to make it an effective read, it must consider the sequence of events unfold specially if it is something related to a murder and the mystery hidden behind it. A reader normally lost the touch if in case the revelation turns out to be mundane. Shaunaka, son of an eminent goldsmith aspires to visit Pataliputra to find out the a A good book doesn't only requires a good storyline, but to make it an effective read, it must consider the sequence of events unfold specially if it is something related to a murder and the mystery hidden behind it.
Shaunaka, son of an eminent goldsmith aspires to visit Pataliputra to find out the area where his interest actually lies. But his father Vishnuveera has different plans for him, he wanted Shaunaka to follow his family's ritual by joining their jewellery business. Unsure of what he wanted to do in life, he was left with no option than to welcome his father's desire.
But life has already constructed a path which would straightly lead him towards his destiny. Vinayashura, a trader residing at the conermost house in the Buddhist quarter of the city was found dead in his bedroom. Soon the entire city was abuzz with his staggering death. Meanwhile Shaunaka has sensed the amiss and was determined to unveil the truth.
Would he be able to detect deceased's connection with the royal family and the unusual presence of two foreign traders? The title is decently synchronizing with the plot. The curse which was created in context of the murder was revealed neatly. Although some topics like Kshtrapas and Brahmi Script were left untouched. Their brief discussion seems out of touch to me. However in order to cover that, author has sincerely worked to make the ending better.
Involvement of the popular playwright Kalidasa besides the historical background serves as an important part in the overall story. Mystery behind the murder was unexpectedly good. All dots which were lying vaguely in-between were connected for concluding the end. If you are looking for a murder mystery with a blend of history, then this one is preferable. Happy reading. Jun 05, Jayasri Prasanna rated it it was amazing. I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset.
This book is one of the best historical fictions I have ever read. This is a classic cat and mouse chase with a lot of palace intricacies and a spotlight to Gupta dynasty. First of all hats off to the author for writing this book based on very less research material.
Needless to say, the book is well researched and compiled. It amazes me to read the culture of ancient people and their lifestyle is woven with true facts. The second reason wh I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset. The second reason why I recommend this book is, it is written with one of the unique backstories which give us insight to a different time period.
The writing is flawless and the characters are well developed and relatable. Another thing I liked about the book is its writing style and the plot. The author used the right words at the right time.
As this book is a murder mystery, the suspense is alive till the end of the book. The author made the reader to bite nails in anticipation. I was guessing and second-guessing the characters linked with the murder. Coming to the negatives, I didn't like the name of the book. I actually didn't think it went appropriate with the story but that is purely my point of view. Also, I felt at some places there were too many descriptions for my taste.
Apart from that, I really enjoyed the book. Overall, its a treat to read and I highly recommend this book for all the historical fiction and murder mystery lovers. My Rating: 4. Jul 16, Fathima Ashab added it. A historical thriller set in C.
I didn't expect it to be a murder mystery even the first quarter of the book didn't give any sign to that but as the plot developed, it became a gripping story involving a mysterious family and a royal family. I guess the description and character developments were pretty good and interesting. Though there were many characters involved, it didn't confuse the plot.
Even the writing style was really good. But there were three things that didn't sit wit A historical thriller set in C. But there were three things that didn't sit with me well. The mentioning and emphasizing the well known historical character named Kalidasa to be the centre of the story by the author in the beginning. But his appearance was only few times throughout the book and he didn't do anything much as he appeared to be at first which was disappointing.
The title of the book. It says 'the curse of Anuganga' but even the name Anuganga was only mentioned once or twice and I don't know why the plot has anything to do with the title. I loved how it was descriptive but also I find it too lengthy and boring at times. It would have been better with some more editing and cutting down some unwanted descriptions. Apart from these three points, I really enjoyed the book. As I mentioned earlier, it was gripping.
So I couldn't put it down for any longer and finished it in two sittings. May 26, Ritika Srivastava rated it really liked it. He does not wishes to join his father's business under Somnath, the second in command to Vishnuveera's business but is left with no other option. When Shaunaka was making the jewellery in one corner of the house,he heard a shrowl cry from King Vinayashura's room where he was found dead.
Who killed him? What was the motive behind the murder? To know more get your copies from your nearest stores. The narration was adorable with the exact piece of message to be given out. The stoey has a historical ascent which adds salt ro the book. The endind and the revelation was commendable. Congratulations to the author for such a great book. I'll strongly recommenyld this book. Aug 06, Poonam rated it really liked it.
Plot : Plot is very interesting. It's a historical murder mystery. Authors note on historical inspiration at the comecement of main story give exact idea of that historical period which helps to get into the story. Though story is slow-paced, but it holds my attention as I read prologue. Prologue is very strong, it develops more interest for reading further.
Suspense is well maintained throughout the story. All characters are well developed. I like the character of Tarinika, wife of Vinayashura most.
Jun 01, Angel Sivan rated it really liked it. Historical fiction is a new genre for me and I picked this book up given the mystery angle to it. Voila, this book transported to a different era The historical city of Nandhivardhana , that is so vividly described by the author.
I loved the way the city, the houses , the market, the people , their mannerisms were portrayed throughout the book. Harini has done a lot of research on the era and that definitely came out in the book. The hero Shaunaka , also my favorite character in the book , a Historical fiction is a new genre for me and I picked this book up given the mystery angle to it.
The hero Shaunaka , also my favorite character in the book , along with pitamahi at a close second , was calm, composed and peaceful in his demeanor and reminded me a lot of sleuths like felu da, Sherlock etc. I would have loved for the sleuthing aspect to be more in the book, but I guess this is just the beginning and I can't wait for him to make his next appearance! I also really liked the cover of the book It was very representative of the theme and feel of the story. All in all, a definite must read so we can experience and reminisce simpler times and learn about an era which was reflective of a resplendent Bharatavarsha!
Jul 13, Aruna Kumar Gadepalli rated it really liked it Shelves: my-collection , indian-writers , historical-fiction , read , bought-in This historical fiction deals with solving the murder mystery. Plots and subplots and the conspiracies that are involved in the power politics.
May 23, Audriza Banerjee rated it really liked it. The cover is vintage, nice and attractive. I abstain from reading historical fiction but this pick was really good. The storyline and plot is new and unique. Narration is good but not recommended for beginners.
The twists initially seemed predictable to me but I was awed when none of my predictions turned out to be true. Fast paced and must read. Jul 06, Jinesh Jain rated it it was amazing. In way of his work Vinayashura was found murdered and Shauaka and his brother were hired to find out the person behind this murder. What is the Curse of Anuganga? To know these questions read this mysterious historic fiction with murder mystery.
I highly recommend this book for all the historical fiction and murder mystery lovers. Jun 26, Aditya rated it it was amazing. Historical fiction has never been by genre but I totally loved reading this one. I have one problem with the book is that the cover of the book doesn't do justice for the read, maybe the only reason the proverb prevails that "Never Judge a book by its cover".
So let's talk about the book. Plot: The book has an interesting mystery plot-line where a rich man from the quarters has been killed ruthlessly by someone and the blame is on the poor goldsmith's son but it turns out that the goldsmith's son has an alibi and is out of the suspect list. Also, the son has a great sense of things happening and turns out that the police or should I call Mahadandnayika asks the goldsmith to allow both his sons to help them in the case.
Vinayasurya, the goldsmith, allows both of his son to help the police in the case and now both the boys are spying the suspicious things happening in the town. Shuddhodhana, the biological child of the goldsmith, is given the job to have an eye on the house of crime while Ashwini, the adopted one, is asked to be with all the actors who might be troublesome for the kingdom.
Timeline: As the story is set in CE and takes place in Nandivardhana, during the reign of Prabhavatigupta daughter of Chandragupta II , the author followed the timeline strictly and the characters were placed accordingly. I found the way characters greeted each other really interesting. They took care of each other designation and respected each other showing a great sense of moral values existed back then.
I found it little hard to remember all the name as their names are not so common now. Or maybe the person had these type of name back then. My favourite character of all is Ahilya Devi, mother of Vinayasurya. The lady is full of wisdom and has a great sense of things happening.
She believes in hard work and provided great insights to her grandchildren about all the links they were not able to connect.
Language: The language was tough for me. I had to refer to dictionary every now and then. But it was worthy. I learnt a-lot of new words from this book. My favourite being "fillip" meaning acting to a stimulus. So the book isn't a recommendation for the new comers specially who are struggling with the books but totally a good read for the people who are reading from some time now.
But, I didn't talk about some questions. Newer characters, subplots, scenes had to be introduced and woven in seamlessly. It also meant that I had to revisit the Gupta-Vakataka period to refresh my knowledge of the period. In my experience, painstaking research, irrespective of where the story is based, is needed, One needs to read — a lot — to be able to write.
Reading up on the Gupta-Vakataka period threw up so many interesting, enjoyable vignettes that I have tried to include in The Curse of Anuganga — partly as they occurred, while fictionalising a bit. What happened to Prince Divakara is something that does not come out at all in most available historical material.
A brief mention in one of the books on this period indicates the passing of Prince Divakara approximately circa CE. In my story, which is set in CE, I have used this as a sub-plot. Before I get too carried away with these little historical tidbits, I will stop. His life changes when he ends up helping the local police solve a murder he accidentally stumbles upon.
The deceased man, Vinayashura, is an affluent trader with mysterious links to the royal family in Nandivardhana. The rest of the story is about how Shaunaka helps the police figure out who killed Vinayashura.
You can also read a small excerpt that was featured in The Statesman here. Congratulations again, Harini. This one was a very interesting glimpse into a period I knew next to nothing about. You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account.
You are commenting using your Facebook account. At the massive gates that separated the two portions of the palace, the fierce-looking porter — a huge, towering man named Harsha — stopped this young man, bidding him to uncover his face.
Signalling Harsha to be quiet, the young man produced a royal insignia and showed it to him. Harsha, now bereft of his fierceness, was stunned into silence. Here was the man of the moment, the Prince, the Yuvaraja, wishing to go out without any security.
Bowing quietly, Harsha excused himself and told the Prince that he could not possibly let him go. However, the Prince had made up his mind.
It was an order, and besides, he was not going to leave the palace unaccompanied. And thus it was that Prince Divakara sneaked out of the inner palace! What was he up to and why? It so happened that an afternoon, not so long back, as Divakara was in his palatial quarters, painting a scene from a play he had seen before, he overheard an interesting conversation. The voices were coming from outside the window. Hearing the maids describe the acting and oratory of these actors, Divakara had an urge to see them perform.
It was not widely known, in fact it had been suppressed, that during his growing years, acting had been a passion for the young prince.
Growing up under the tutelage of the great poet and dramatist, Kalidasa, meant that both Divakara and Damodara had been exposed to many plays — of contemporary and ancient renown. Both the boys had been enamoured. If Divakara wanted to act, Damodara wished to write plays! The Queen did not mind this interest nor did she actively discourage it till the time the year-old Divakara wished to become an actor and an acrobat.
Of course, a youthful indiscretion with a girl of dubious repute was partly responsible for this sudden ambition.
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