Sons of Darkness (EPZ)

The book is amateurish at some times and absolutely brilliant at other times.This is one of the most difficult genres to get rightThe author has done a commendable - with his take of the Mahabharata in a fantasy genre.The characters are great - well etched outThe book is slow but worth the ride.Highly recommend

"Sons of Darkness" is Amish on Adrenaline—a world where *Avatar* meets *A Song of Ice and Fire*. Forget noble heroes—Mohanty’s cast is delicious dark and complex. Especially Shakuni’s ruthless cleverness and Krishna’s sharp wit which made for an epic dark showdown. I also loved the chakra-based magic which was so unique, rooted in Indian philosophy yet completely its own.And then there are the battles. Oh man, the Swayamvar duel was brutal, but nothing preps you for The Battle of Mathura. It’s carnage, it's chaos, and it’s intense.Even the worldbuilding is 😍😁 makes Aryavrat a living, breathing character. Each realm— Pirates of Kalinga, Empire of Magadh, Republic of Mathura, Hastina Union—brings the dust, clash of swords, and spice-scented air alive.But my favourite were the women. These aren’t side characters—they’re powerhouses who steal the show. Be it Mati the Pirate Princess or the Silver Wolves, these women are brutal and unapologetically badass!

I have a massive fascination with mythology, especially with the mythology of my own country. But I have found the Indian landscape for mythological fantastical retelling a very bland genre.Until that is, Sons of Darkness released.Sons of Darkness, as advertised, is dark AF and the best depiction of Indian mythology till date. The constant power struggle between great nations, politically motivated actions of individuals, the blurred binary of good and evil characters, and a lot more.Gourav really excels in the intrigue sections. They heighten the tension and it's fascinating to see all the twists and turns and schemes on display. And I was really impressed with how alive the world felt. So often if can feel as if characters are pieces being moved about to tell the story, but in Sons of Darkness, the characters felt real.Fascinating and bloody, full of intrigue, with characters that leap off the page and feel alive. If you like GRRM or Abercrombie, I highly recommend giving this one a go.

This book is what India needed. Beautifully doing justice to a genre that was unexplored until now. This is indeed India's first epic grimdark fantasy. I read this book while undergoing a reading slump and boy oh boy! This is what I needed. From the word go, this book entraps you and will not let you put it down till you have finished reading it. Thereafter, it leaves you to deal with the heartbreak it gives. Battles, political drama, lust, gore, emotions, you name it and this book offers you all of it. I don't remember the last book I read (that too by an Indian author) where the world building was so vivid. It is nothing short of watching a movie as you read. If you are a Game of Thrones fan, you cannot miss this. Even if you aren't, this book has has everything to make you a convert.

A Mahabharata setting. Kings, battles, Gamble of life. It’s not a cruel world. It’s people. It made me unable to decide who I should pick as my favorite. There are plenty of Vivid descriptions, well-written characters, and subplots resulting in a grander plot and climax that will make you go crazy.

First in the series, the book follows 2 main storylines. One focuses on Krishna and Bhanumati trying to save the fate of people in Mathura with an alternate strategy. On the other Karna's character emerges with his own set of challenges that mixes his destiny, past life and future into an adventurous ride.The prologue surely invested me into the story. I was excited to see how the Mahabharata-inspired tale spans out into its own epic fantasy. The main characters certainly had a depth to them with multiple angles developed and introduced to readers (their intellect, emotional baggage & strengths).While the book did have so many layers to it, I did have a few concerns. The character names & a few relationship dynamics were borrowed from the original, but they often played a different role and interest areas, which confuses whether to live with the image in mind or with the partially developed side characters who we may or may not understand. Another turn-off was that the female characters were explained in a stereotypical way. And lastly, it is not exactly a clean read!Hence, I had a hard time deciphering if I loved it or had too many issues with it, which leaves my rating somewhere in the middle. Given the length of the story, I feel at least a few of the muddles could be cleared up.