I don’t know whether you are allowed to do this, but I couldn’t stop myself from posting a half review of this book. Out of its 290 pages, I have read 120 of them and stopped. The prospect of reading the thousands of years old tale through a boy of today felt so exciting and adventurous. But the writing style and the treatment of some of the most iconic characters from the epic made me put this down.

Book Name– Krishna Prophecy- The Rise of Mahendrasura

Author– Dinesh Veera

Pages– 290

Genre– Legendary fiction

What Went Wrong?

The Writing

Most of the story is written in dialogue style, meaning the thoughts of the characters are written as if they are speaking them out loud, complete with double quotation marks. There is a dialogue every time a character thinks and when there is an actual conversation happening. As a result of this, there is a lack of flow in the story. I found this very irritating and it ruined my reading experience.

The Treatment of Epic Characters

I didn’t like the way Karna-one of the greatest warriors of Mahabharata- was depicted. The author turned him into a person who lacks basic warrior skills like quick thinking and even strength and one who looks for support in out-of-hands situations and that too from an ordinary boy who has just landed on the scene and doesn’t know a thing about wielding a sword or a bow.

And what do I say about lord Krishna as shown in this book? This was one of the major letdowns for me. The Krishna of Krishna Prophecy never talks in simple language. He always preaches. It feels like the author doesn’t want the readers and the characters to forget that Krishna is God. It was disappointing. Picture the Krishna of the Palace of Illusions- that’s the God we like. Who is God, no mistake there, but doesn’t always speaks as if he is giving a sermon and who feels closer to us with his human-like mannerisms and traits. 

What Was Likable?

With so many flaws in the book, I was convinced there is nothing to like here. But no, I was wrong. The flaws of the book were limited to the good side- i.e. the part consisting of people fighting for the good cause. The writing and story take a U-turn in the chapters dedicated to the evil characters. The negative characters and their story shine with sharp descriptions and writing. There are also not the annoying speaking out-loud thoughts here. The story moves smoothly and you feel engrossed in it and excited for the upcoming battle. They are so good that you feel they were written by a different author.  

Final Thoughts

I tried to stay focused and complete the book just because of the great evil dedicated chapters. But I couldn’t. So this was my half book review. Have you ever been disappointed by any book halfway?