Reading Warjuna by Krishna Raj was a complete delight. It’s after a long time I got to read a book which reminded me of The Immortal of Meluha and The Secret of Nagas by Amish Tripathi. Both are epic fantasy novels with excellent storyline and full of surprises.
Amish’s Meluha series and Krishna Raj’s Warjuna series are not similar in storyline but they draw characters from Mythology. So readers will read some familiar names like Kanha, Arjuna, Draupadi, Hanuman, Grauda, Devaki, Vasudeva and Kamsa. Author has kept their soul intact with characterization and traits remains unchanged so that they easily appear to be familiar and relatable.
The story is about an impending and dangerous disaster awaiting for the country Bharata. An evil is rising. Now it is on the Kanha and Arjuna to save the civilization from wiping out. There is a supernatural alliance between Mortal, Mahayogi and Suparnas to fight an evil yogi who could be compared to Voldemort of Harry Potter series by JK Rowling.
Fantasy novels with similar storyline are releasing every now and then but plotting and pace plays a vital role in making such books enjoyable. Warjuna is well plotted with twist and turns, exciting and jaw dropping scenes. Author had penned his imagination so perfectly in words that all the war and battle scenes, rescue episodes are vivid enough for readers to visualize.
It shows the rare talent of the author that he manages to describe complex fighting scenes in limited words and that to so lucidly and vividly. He doesn’t go on and on describing scenes and situations, city and people which is so common in the fantasy novels. But KrishnaRaj has kept everything short and snappy, concise and crispy thus it became imperative to read the book word to word.
Protagonist Arjuna is the spine of the story and his character is well build. He is shrewd and cunning, his sharp observation ability helps him to grasp the situation correctly and is quick in decision making. Of course he is a brave and courageous which helps to win nearly lost battles. One can’t help but fall in love with him.
Krishna is addressed as Kanha in the book who is a Mahayogi and one who guide Arjuna just like in Mahabharata in the fight against evil. Author shows how Kanha got that blue complexion. It was quite interesting to read. Krishna is known to be crafty and manipulative. These elements were surprising missing in Kanha. But there is warmness in his nature which draws people towards him. He is also secretive.
Draupadi another important character in the book. But she doesn’t find much space in the story. I am sure she will be playing a crucial role in the upcoming books of the series. Apart from these characters there are many negative characters in the story whose names were difficult to remember. A little description about the characters a couple of times would have made them easy to remember.
Narration is written in simple language yet it doesn’t affect the effectiveness of the story. It is fast-paced with lot of action. There is not a single dull moment in the book.
The Verdict:
Warjuna is definitely a series to look forward to. Adventure of Krishna-Arjun set up in different time and arena offers to read something new and fresh.
If you loved Shiva Trilogy by Amish Tripathi then this could be the next read. Eagerly waiting to read the next book to know more about the happening in the world of Warjuna.
Highly recommended
