Book Review - The Curse of Brahma by Jagmohan Bhanver

Title: The Curse of Brahma

Author: Jagmohan Bhanver

Price: 295.00 INR

Publisher: Rupa Publications India

Blurb

"The man who became a brahmarishi. The curse that banished him to the hell of hells. And the revenge that threatens to destroy the three worlds."

In a fit of rage, Brahma banishes his star pupil from Swarglok. Mortally wounded and anguished at Brahma's unfair punishment, the man struggles to survive in tamastamah prabha, the hell of hells. In time, he becomes the Dark Lord, the most feared figure in Pataal Lok, who swears to destroy Brahma

"Brahma's curse sets in motion a chain of events that threatens to alter the fate of the three worlds. Vasudev, the brave Prince of Bateshwar, becomes the hunter of Asura assassins, his closest friend, Kansa, almost dies saving his sister, Devki, from a group of deadly monsters and the most valiant kings in Mrityulok turn over to the dark side, driven by forces beyond their control. Only one person threatens the Dark Lord's well laid plan Devki, the beautiful princess of Madhuvan, who is destined to give birth to the warrior Krishna."

Review

Jagmohan Bhanver’s ‘The Curse of Brahma’ is the first book of the Krishna Trilogy. No doubt a myth, this book is the unheard narration of Kansa’s life.  It is the story leading to Krishna's birth. It is the story of Amartya, Brahma’s favourite disciple, who is cursed and banished from Swarglok. To avenge the unfair treatment meted out to him, Amartya builds an army of asuras who will spread havoc in Mrityulok. The story is about his transformation from a Brahmarishi to the feared Dark Lord. It is also the story of Kansa, the prince of Madhuvan.

It is always exciting to know the backstory. Personally, I never knew about this side of the narration that Bhanver has put forth. I’ve always thought of Kansa as evil and I’m sure so have many others. This book claims otherwise. Kansa isn’t shown as evil. He loved his cousin Devaki and fought demons to protect her. So what changed? The answer is Brahma’s curse. It unwittingly set in motion a chain of events that threatened to forever alter the fate of all the three worlds, including Mrityulok. It all began in 3312 BC when in a fit of rage Brahma banished Amartya. Kansa is merely a pawn in the hands of the Dark Lord. He is indeed portrayed as valiant and a loving brother. He begins to change as the Dark Lord uses his powers to turn him over to the Dark side. The man considered by most to be the next King of Madhuvan turns into a paranoid monster leaving a trail of carnage in his wake. There is only one person who can threaten the success of the Dark Lord’s plans; the beautiful and mischievous Princess of Madhuvan, Devki. She is the one who will give birth to the warrior, Krishna. Amartya sets about to remove this obstacle from his ambitious paln of world domination. He manipulates Kansa to carry out his dirty work.

A lot of research has gone into developing the story. Bhanver has taken care not only to build on his major characters but also the minor ones, each with their own histories that are tied to the main narrative. The author has a fluid style of writing and managed to create a visual of the scenes and events in my mind. However, the narration gets a bit tiring in the long monologues of various characters. Even the story line sometimes gets confusing when too many characters give their own perspectives. The plot and the execution are promising but the story could have been told in a crisper manner. That said, there is no doubt that the book has potential. The story itself is fresh and demands attention. The language is contemporary and fits well into the mythological tale. I’m certainly looking forward to the next installment.

About the author

Jagmohan Bhanver has handled national and international roles for top multinational banks and is rated among the top leadership coaches in the country who has mentored industry leaders across the globe. He is considered one of the most powerful speakers in Asia and addresses half a million people every year. Jagmohan has been the recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award and the Global Achievers Award, among several other felicitations in education and public service. He has previously authored three bestsellers in the non-fiction space. The Curse of Brahma is his first novel.

I'd like to thank author Jagmohan Bhanver for letting me review his book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading!