The fantastico Shiva trilogy

I was apprehensive about reading The Shiva Trilogy in the beginning. It really didn't sound like something I'd be into, since I am rather picky about the things I read. I am not very much of a fan of mythological narratives and their fictionalized versions. But in those three books, the parts with mystery, adventure and action were put down in such a smooth manner that I stayed interested until the very end! This set of books was simply fantastico.

It's a continuing story about the Hindu Lord Shiva. Every element of his mythological existence is altered and re-imagined to match our idea of "possible". It's like mythological books without the magic and supernatural aura. Lord Shiva is portrayed as a human being, though with a destiny to be much greater than the rest of us earthly mortals. He isn't a God; he also has his weak points, and he also makes mistakes. More than anything, he isn't always sure of himself. That is what makes it so easy for us to love his character and relate to it.

Sati's character, I have to say, is my favorite. It's awfully clear that Amish has a very modernised, yet ancient idea of a perfect woman. Sati is a strong young woman capable of taking care of herself, and at the same time beautiful enough to take away the great Shiva's breath. She is talented and self-respecting. And of course, just like Shiva himself, she has feelings, which help us relate to her more than we would imagine.
The story unfolds slowly and deeply, revealing bit by bit the problems that are uncovered each time there's a solution fixed up for a preceding one.

The amount of thought he has put into constructing the characters of Ganesh and Kartik - giving each of them their unique personalities while staying true to the original mythological folklore as much as possible - is just mind-blowing. It's a treat for anyone who is familiar with Indian mythology - and even if one isn't, it's a beautiful tribute to the original stories.

I feel that Amish has truly changed my life with these three books. He's written a perfect guide to the rules of the Universe, though it may be only his understanding of it. Every now and then, there are sentences that you come across while reading the book that can reveal so many truths that have been in front of your eyes all along, and bring them to your notice. While narrating the story of Shiva, Amish has also given some really excellent advice for us to live our own lives, and face the difficulties that present as obstacles on our path. His trilogy is fantastico indeed and I would recommend it to anyone who's looking forward to read a great story.

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.