The Weapon Of Lord Shiva Trishul By Pranay Bhalerao | Kavaach Trilogy – 3 | Book Review

We have often mentioned that in our journey of reading books and sharing our unbiased reviews for the same, we got a chance to know about some fantastic talents. Well-known and yet-to-be-well-known, both.

We thank our ancestors for providing us an environment that lure us to the hobddy of reading. And, then encouraging us at each and every step to explore books across languages.

One such talent we came to know about is Pranay Bhalerao.

While his books in “The Lost World” series (I got a chance to read only the first installment of the same), are interesting; His books in the “Kavaach Trilogy” are mesmerizing.

Here are some quick links to our discussions about his books.

• The Protectors Of Kavaach
• The Protected Rakshasa Kaal
• The Lost World

We were curious to read and share our thoughts about the last book in the Kavaach Trilogy – The Weapon Of Lord Shiva : Trishul. So, we kept an eye upon the release date of the same. And, grabbed the opportunity to add it to our kitty, as soon as it was released. Of course, it took us a while to share our review, though, as we caught with some other pre-scheduled engagements.

Let us wait no more and delve deep into the virtual world of The Weapon Of Lord Shiva : Trishul.

Book Cover:

We, human beings, are instinctively inclined towards a beauty, by nature.

It applies to all the aspects of life.

And, books are no exception to the same.

We are attracted towards a book with a beautiful cover. The first glance does it all.

Of course, then we may read the blurb or the book (or any other free content), check the author name, book genre and other attributes before making a concious decision to read/buy it.

And, the book cover plays a really important role here.

So, we talk about the book cover a little in almost all book reviews.

As you can see, the cover page of this book is attractive.

On a side note: the cover page of the first book in the series was really eye cacher. The cover of the second installment was honest to the story and title, but was not that much good (in comparision).

The cover designer has a challenge to infuse both “Trishul” (the Trident) and Lord Shiva along with the elements of this story.

The dark background show the dark times and tragic situations explored in the book, from old and current timelines. The fierce warrior wielding a Trishul in his hand is seen capturing the center of the cover page. The glowing powers shown transferring between his body and the weapon.

Overall, an interesting cover page.

What do you say?

Storyline:

Let us take a bird’s eye view of the book plot.

Rudra and Shaurya both are on their quest to reach to their ultimate goals. Their reasons were different, though.

Shaurya wanted to be invincible and wanted a complete control over the universe. And, his goal was clear. He knew that the Kavaach still lacks an important element. And, that gem will not only make the Kavaach “complete” in true sense, but, will make him really invincible. Then, even Gods cannot defeat him!

Rudra was still trying to find answers to his questions about his origins, his parents, grand-parents, Kavaach, Trishul, his purpose, his destiny and more. He was very clear about one thing. He is willing to do anything required for the greater good, and wanted to perform his duty as per his Dharma.

They both have allies and enemies.

So, who will win in the battle between Lord Indra and Lord Sun (which they fought through others, like they did during the time of Mahabharat).

How Shaurya got his hands on Kavaach? How will Rurdra get his hands on Trishul? And, is he the rightful chosen one who can weild it?

Well, half of the answers you can guess, but how everything is concluded to that point, needs to be explored by reading this interesting tale.

Over the course of the story, you meet with Tanya, Ravi, Krishna, and Rudra,Lord Agneyaveera, Swami Shankarakhanda, Saharshee, Teena, Shaurya, Aryana, Kaal, Shaksheet, Shashwat Mahant, Isha Sharma, Kaleem Zaidi, Prakhar Khanna, Pawan Varma, Prithvi Shukla, Nandini, Virupaksa, and others.

Views And Reviews:

As the book follows parallel storytelling structure, we see events unfolding in the current timeline, 596- 555 BCE and beyond it and even from the timeline around the Mahabharat war. So, you need to be attentive to the details, as it is not just a regular linear story.

Usually, a reader skips acknowledgment, preface, glossary, bibliography and similar sections. However, I advice otherwise. These segments bridges a reader to the author. Here, the author conveys his/her idea behind various elements of the story and even the personal experiences.

For example, the author’s source of inspiration is ancient Indian (that is Bharatiya) literature. He insists “wanna be authors” to look into that if they look for inspiration. Also, his thoughts about writing the first word is “hard”, but last is “even harder”, will amaze you. And, yes, you cannot defy an urge to bless “little Rurda” as well :). And yes, you also come to know that this story is to be adapted for screen.

While this story has many characters rooted in Indian scriptures, the author doesn’t make it a story setup in old times. He weaves AI, robotics and other elements to make it Sci-Fi as well.

Also, he tries exploring and explaining scientific reason(s) behind various stuff and try elaborating them logically. So, even a rational reader will find it an interesting read.

While we cannot talk about various elements of the story to avoid spoilers. Let me share with you some interesting pieces of writing form the book, so you can get a first hand idea about the quality of writing and whether it suits your reading preferences.

Let me start with a couple of lines about Dharma:

‘But remember, Dharma is not simply about right or wrong. It is about the purpose and intent that guide our choices. It is the thread that binds each action to something greater than ourselves. And sometimes, Dharma demands we hold back— hold back our impulses, hold back our anger, and yes, even hold back our desire to know everything.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
If a person can’t differentiate between good and evil, Dharma and Adharma, the person is no less than a walking corpse.

In the similar aspects, the author discusses about how one should behave and respect boundaries.

Knowledge, Aryana, is power, but partial knowledge can be poison. To seek only what we are meant to know is a discipline.’
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
‘True strength is not found in uncovering every secret, but in the courage to accept what is hidden from us. Dharma requires patience, and sometimes, restraint is the greatest test of that patience.’

The following lines about various human emotions and attributes shows how good the author understands human psyche.

sometimes silence makes more noise than chaos.
– – – – – – – –
Her silence had been the loudest thing he had ever heard.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Influence blinds even the sanest minds.
– – – – – – – –
The influence of drugs corrupts the sane mind. And it elevates the ego of weak men.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Ego. The biggest enemy of a man always paves the way for the downfall.
– – – – – – – –
Humans develop egos with power, not weapons.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
A woman in love is powerful. A woman believing in love is divine. And the man with memories is miserable. Time doesn’t tick for him. His emotional clock stops the moment the love distances from him.
– – – – – – – –
Man only craves love. The deep wounds require love. Men are simple. All they need is respect and love.

True. Silence, Influence, Ego and Love have their own impact on all of us.

Same way, the importance of asking questions is elaborated quite nicely. The author also talks about greater good and how nation building is dependent on various attributes of individuals and society as a whole.

‘Asking questions does not mean challenging. It is my dharma to ask questions. And similarly, it is Gurudev’s dharma to answer the question.’
– – – – – – – –
‘In life, it is important to question everything. The answer to your question can reveal a lot about the society you live in, my friend.’
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
A weak nation equates to a weak economy. A weak economy creates a weak king, and a weak king creates a weak Empire. Thus, the beginning of the collapse of epic proportions.
– – – – – – – –
Unlawful people can only learn discipline when they embrace the law as part of their character, not just as an external force imposed by society.

I like the way the elements of nature are elaborated like living characters (as they are).

In the uncharted forest, the darkness saw the ritual. Isha saw the light but was wrapped in the dark abyss.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The ground that witnessed the heroics of the greatest warriors had soaked in their blood and kept their memory alive.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
In a moment of synchronized purpose, they raised the scroll high, its ancient edges trembling with the knowledge it bore.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
He chose not to move. The darkness ahead offered no answers. The sight was clouded, unclear.

You may least expect the lines like the following in this book.

…breath. Is it coming fast? If yes, that is your body under stress. A stressed body is as useless as a dead carcass.’

And, at the same time, the universal truths like the following are also there.

‘Evil doesn’t rise overnight, my son. Evil takes time and creeps up slowly. Darkness is not just the absence of light, but the deprivation of light.’

If you love oneliners, the book has plenty of them for you.

Reality always hides behind closed doors.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Sometimes, the rage blinds the most potent person. Thus, humanity condemns it.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
A lifeless object was more potent to respect the mystic powers than humans.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
‘Often, deprivation of information leads to such conspiracy.’

There are lines which could have been written better. For example:

A vulnerable people are driven by their desires….

Probably, in the following line if the author could have used “defied its edge” to make it better.

Holding the broken blade in one hand, Kaal raised it high, his intent unmistakable. He drove it downward, aiming for Saharshee’s chest. But Saharshee, ever the master, defied his age with impossible speed.

And, the use of words like “anyways” could have been avoided (though, it is used by most authors and writers nowadays.

On the whole the book brings you a really good reading experience, with a little scope of improvement.

Summary:

It is a nice conclusive installment of Kavaach trilogy. While it is rooted in the Bharatiya culture, it also has Sci=fi elements making it a perfect thriller. You should read previous two books to understand what is happening and why.

ThinkerViews Rating:

Around 8.5 stars out of 10.

Quick Purchase Links:

• Buy - Trishul by Pranay Bhalerao - Paperback - Amazon IN
• Buy - Trishul by Pranay Bhalerao - Kindle EBook - Amazon IN
• Buy - Trishul by Pranay Bhalerao - Paperback - Amazon US
• Buy - Trishul by Pranay Bhalerao - Kindle EBook - Amazon US

Over To You:

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