Nine : Vengeance of the Warrior by Shobha Nihalani : A Review

On The Jacket –

All future is defined by the past.

And therefore, the end is only the beginning.

After burying the vicious Kalingan warrior, Akash, Tara and Zubin are continuing their lives as before, hiding the fact that they are a part of King Ashokas exalted Nine and that each of them has powers meant to be used for the benefit of mankind, when needed.

Except, things are not as quiet as they seem to be.

The Kalingan warrior has risen once again angrier and more vengeful. And this time he knows each one of them. If they dont destroy him now, they will be hunted down and the world will be battling its worst, most terrifying chemical warfare yet.

This second book in the Nine trilogy will change the way you look at time and space.

Now, Review Time –

Experimentation with mythology is something new in popular Indian English writing. Every time I pick up a mythology, I try to gain knowledge from that particular book, about that particular time in which book is set. And when I picked up “Nine: Vengeance of the Warrior.” I had only one question in mind what this had to offer me.

I don't remember the last time I read a book that totally blew me off! This book is a pretty enigmatic tale of a hidden society formed by the ancient Indian king, Ashoka, the great that since then has been thriving right in the middle of civilization, going out of its way in helping humanity to survive and prosper perfectly. The society is run by nine protectors and is guided by monks.

Nine: Vengeance of the Warrior is a gripping spiritual cum mythological fantasy ride that will never lose the grip on the reader. Researched in depth, solid characterization and wide plot that works better for books in series. The story is very fluent and gripping. It trips forward without any amazement and twists that you cannot pick well before. Some characters are flat and not well developed. But some characters are sketched very well and they make book and plot more interesting. While certain descriptions, sub plots and brief introductions to history were mesmerizing and I took a particular liking in the spirituality. The plot reveals all the cards on the table, and ties all the characters and story very well together. It will definitely surprise you at times. Readers may brace themselves for a detailed history class. We recommend that you should read this book as it will take you on new journey itself. Mythological books require a lot of research and the author has done complete justice in this department. 

Author has good imagination and has drafted an engaging story that keeps a reader hooked. The book is almost error-free. Narration skills of author are awesome. The author’s grip is steady throughout the narrative, feeding only those facts that he wants the readers to lap up, and hazing out evident clues that could have made you guess the mystery. The description of the places and situations is precisely done and it can’t be better than this. 

To be honest, author has built a lot of expectations for me for her next book. I would like to rate it 4.5 out of 5. If you like mythologies, you surely should give it a shot. It definitely worth a read.