In general, there are far more stand-alone books than those which come as series. English fiction has few of them which have been very successful, for instance, Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Harry Potter, The Wheel of Time and the still ongoing- A Song of Ice and Fire. Compared to these, historical fiction series are few and far between. In Indic context, Amish Tripathi’s Shiva or Ikshvaku trilogies are probably the best known.

It is in this really rarefied atmosphere that Sri Arun Krishnan steps in with his debut novel:  Battle of Vathapi; Nandi’s Charge. Writing fiction or nonfiction is probably easier than writing historical fiction. Unlike the above-mentioned genres, historical fiction is bound very strictly with actual events that have already happened. And the author cannot change even a single “result” to suit his/her story line. Nor can they not mention actual characters who have played their part in the “result”. In other words, writers of historical fiction have to play with the cards they are dealt with, a much more difficult proposition than picking and choosing cards to play with! Coloring a page vs painting on a blank one.

In addition to choosing this already tough genre, Sri Arun, makes his job even tougher by making it a Trilogy! Unlike stand-alone books, a series has to keep the readers hooked thru entire time, which can span multiple years in some cases. And the ending for books [or movies] has to entice the readers [or watchers] to come back for the next one. An outstanding example for this “emotional hook” was the ending of Bahubali part 1. It is a testimony to Sri Arun that his debut book leaves the readers gasping as if they have watched the last frame of Bahubali 1.

At the beginning, Sri Arun pays homage to one of the greatest writers of this genre Sri Kalki. Even decades later, Sri Kalki’s Ponniyan Selvan is considered as THE Golden Standard in historical fiction. I felt as though I was reading Ponniyan Selvan when I was reading Battle of Vathapi. Especially all of the stories that happen in present day Tamizh Nadu and Sri Lanka. In addition to painting a beautiful picture of Tamizh Nadu back then, Sri Arun, paints an equally beautiful picture of Karnataka thru Maharashtra and Ujjaini.

The story starts a few years after the great Chalukya king Pulakesi defeated Harshavardhan and is the most powerful Emperor in the country at the moment. Narasimhavarman or Mamalla as he was also known as, has just taken over the Pallava throne. While working on Mahabalipuram, he is also planning a revenge on Pulakesi for defeating Narasimhavarman’s father Mahendravarman. What happens next, everyone with an ilking of history knows. But it is the way it is presented that captures the reader's mind. There is action, reaction, strategy, counter strategy, Nalanda in its pristine form, Chanakya neeti, battles, squabbles, wheels within wheels…. And a lot more!!! Makes us think, not enough or in words of hutAtma Sri Vikram Batra “yeh dil maange more!”

One of the most intriguing features of Sri Arun’s writing is that it is logical to a fault. For instance, people walking on well laid roads can do 20 miles in a day whereas the same people walking through the thick Dandakaranya can do only 7. It is these minor things that endear readers to Sri Arun’s writing! So, get your copy from the nearest store or from Garuda Prakasan website, read it and then please help us all pressure Sri Arun ji to write faster. I need to know what happened to *that* character at the end of book one… as I am sure, you all will also be wondering and waiting like me.

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