A thriller in a historical background – While the premise gives the advantage of not having much technical advance in that era, it is equally challenging to match the timeline as well as lifestyle, character craft, and language.
The Curse of Anuganga by Harini Srinivasan- Review
“Shaunaka finds himself at the heart of the mystery and his logic and keen observation skills land him the duty of assisting he head of the police to solve this murder.”
The Curse of Anuganga is a blood-chilling thriller that is equally intriguing as well as entertaining. Circa 403 C.E. is the era when the whole plot takes place. The protagonist Shaunaka, a goldsmith’s son is asked to join his father’s business but Shaunaka doesn’t have any talent or interest in the craft. Since his father is assigned to make the jewelry for the Princess’s wedding, Shaunaka is asked to take charge of the work of the bridal jewelry of a rich and influential trader Vinayashura’s daughter. While he is not a master in the craft, his ability to handle situations and convince people are not lost on anyone. No one expected to witness a gruesome murder instead of an opulent wedding. Vinyashura’s cold-blooded murder shakes the foundation of the whole area. Speculations and investigations are going on. Considering his capabilities, Shaunaka along with his brother Ashwini are asked to join the investigations. Further unfolds the thrilling blood-chilling cliffhanger.
“She was looking at her husband, Arya Vinayahsura who was on the bed, with his eyes oepn, throat slit, utterly and completely dead”
The plot
The plot as a package holds a lot of possibilities. Several micro plots are merged throughout that all come together to form a wholesome reading experience. The characters could have been given more space to develop. The introduction of Mahakavi Kalidasa is a refreshing twist that piques the intrigue of the reader. In the part where one of the plays of Mahakavi seems to provide the turning point, the author gives a glimpse of Dan Brown but the same is not developed much to the consternation of the readers.
The author gives the glimpse of Dan Brown.
All in one place
As requisite for any thriller, the suspense has scored in the whole plot. Several suspicious characters and incidents are introduced seamlessly and hence leave the reader clueless as to what they should expect. The dialogues were more or less new generation types and hence could not keep up with the authenticity of the historical fiction. Overall the book is a wonderful reading experience barring the climax.
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