Title: Son of Shiva
Author: Preetha Rajah Kannan
Publisher: Jaico Publishing House
Review
Kartikeya is an ancient god, traceable to
the Vedic era. Also known as Murugan, Skanda, Kumara,
and Subrahmanya, he is the Hindu god of war and as such the
commander-in-chief of the celestial army. An important deity found all over
the Indian subcontinent in its history, Kartikeya is particularly
popular in South India, such as among the Tamil people. He is heralded as
the champion of gods and commands great respect from his followers. He is the
son of Parvati and Shiva, brother of Ganesha, and a god
whose life story has many versions in Hinduism. Based on this background,
Preetha Rajah Kannan’s ‘Son of Shiva’ explores the stories related to
Kartikeya.
Though the protagonist of the book is Kartikeya, he makes
his appearance only in the third segment of the book. By this time half the
book is over. Kannan has gone into a lot of back story before telling the
actual one. The book actually starts with Parvati being banished from Kailash,
to her adoption by Daksha, marriage to Shiva, rebirth as Girija, remarriage to
Shiva, and finally the birth of Kartikeya. One may think that this book is more
about the story of Shiva than his son. But it does not spoil one’s reading
experience for the author’s way with words has the capacity to cast a spell on
the reader.
Kannan writes assuredly and evocatively and with a precise
eye for details. The flowing language and short chapters makes for easy
reading. The occasional illustrations add a certain kind of charm to the story
itself. There’s nothing path-breaking about this book, but it never bores. One
would think that it is an exhausted subject for new writing, but the fact
remains that mythology retellings seldom go wrong.
To sum it, ‘Son of Shiva’ is a neat package and a delight
for mythology lovers.
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About the Author
Preetha Rajah Kannan is the author of Shiva in the City of
Nectar, an enthralling collection of stories based on the revered Tamil text,
Thiruvilayaadal Puranam. She is also the editor of Navagraha Purana, a
translation of the eponymous Telugu work on the mythology of the nine planets,
by celebrated author V. S. Rao. Kannan has contributed extensively to
newspapers and magazines, such as The New Indian Express and The Express School
Magazine. A homemaker and a mother of two boys, she lives with her family in
Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
I'd like to thank the author for letting me review the book.
I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for
stopping by, and happy reading!
* I received a review copy
from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
** Picture courtesy:
Amazon.in
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