Book review- Book 2 & Book 3- Kalki series by Kevin Missal

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Book review- Satyayoddha Kalki: Eye of Brahma (Book 2) & Mahayoddha Kalki: Sword of Shiva (Book 3) by Kevin Missal



Dharmayoddha Kalki—The Avatar of Vishnu (Book 1) was a two-part story - ‘The Battle of Sambala' and' The Rise of Kali’. Satyayoddha Kalki: Eye of Brahma (Book 2) starts with part three of the story, ‘The Coup at Indragarh,’ and ends with ‘The Dandak Rebellion’.

Kalki, accompanied by Kripa and Padma, moves towards the Mahendragiri mountains to attain a higher power. Meanwhile, Arjan is captured by Kali's force and forced to entertain royals employing the duel. Kali's sister attempts to reveal her assistant's true motive and, in that process, meets with a new ally, the daughter of the king of Indragrah. Manasa enters the Naga Kingdom and is met with several shocks and tragedies.

Overall, book two of this Kalki series is an exciting story woven with multiple important characters and their part in it. The author has wonderfully portrayed his imaginary world and glued readers to the same.

The first line from Book 3, "The Adharm was dead. And the Dharm was crying for him,” encapsulates the central theme of the book—the eternal struggle between good and evil. It reflects the emotional turmoil and moral dilemmas faced by the characters, adding depth to the narrative.

Mahayoddha Kalki: Sword of Shiva (Book 3) is the beginning of the end. Kalki arrives at Indragrah to find out that his brother has been taken prisoner, his beloved is about to be butchered, and the City is embroiled in a dreadful war with the Naga queen and Dakshini king. Armed with a mighty sword forged by a God, he fights to take the city back from his nemesis, the evil Kali. But the avatar of Vishnu is at a crossroads. His destiny is to fight the last battle with adharm and obliterate evil from this world. However, he has stumbled upon a terrible truth throughout his journey... A truth that may change everything.

In my view, the book's highlight is the intense portrayal of the female characters. Whether it is Padma, Mansa, Durkti, Ratna Maru, or even Alaskhmi and Kadru, each character is uniquely developed with its personality. Instead of following the male characters passively, they always fight for their beliefs and never submit to their enemies without a fight.

The innovative concept of channelling power, used by both the Dharm and the Adharm, is a unique element of the book. Kevin Missal's portrayal of how this power can be used is mind-blowing and superb. The scenes where Kalki and Arjan interact with their past selves are particularly interesting. Though somewhat expected, the final confrontation between the Dharm and the Adharm and its result is well unveiled and entirely unexpected in its execution.

Verdict- Overall, it was a fantastic trilogy. Sometimes, I wish it never ended, while other times, it felt like a quick slide of scenes and situations. If you're a reader, it doesn't matter what genre you like; you should go for the series. I recommend the series to everyone.

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