This sequel to Nandi’s Charge: Battle of Vathapi is equally gripping. Arun Krishnan keeps the reader on the edge with a well-woven narrative.

To give a recap of Book 1 of the trilogy, we step back into the 7^th century era of Pallavas and Chalukyas. The young Pallava king, Narasimhavarman, is fast fulfilling his father’s last wishes: the construction of the temple town Mamallapuram is in full swing and he has succeeded in penetrating the enemy walls. Pulikeshi, the ruler of Vathapi, had forced his father to surrender in Kanchi. A strategy to infilter into the enemy’s camp is made and implemented to avenge the father’s fall.

Picking up the story, Varaha’s Vengeance: The Battle of Vathapi Book 2 opens with the spy network that has succeeded in the first phase. The Pallavas have rattled their enemies, the Chalukyas. Peace is passe, and the enemy and allies are responding to the war cry.

The USP of this tale is the attention to detail. Krishnan is meticulous in his research and giving shape to the characters. Their conversations and emotional expressions bring them alive. The narrative flows smoothly, despite the many players that make up this historical fiction. Simplifying the process for the reader are the maps and list of names at the beginning.

The three spies, Elango, Muthuvel and Kannan, are now in love, but their commitment to the cause and the battle remains firmly embedded in their heads and hearts. Imagining an era of kings and deeply-entrenched loyalties is perhaps not the easiest of things, given the fact that values and principles change over the centuries.

Wars on foot, long distances, longer time spans, single spy networks, secrecy and vows of silence despite the brutal attacks, it seems like another world. For us, who hear of the current tech-savvy wars, satellite connections and deeply entrenched intelligence networks; the yesteryears tactics appear even more difficult.

Spies and scouts covered everything on foot, travelling for days through dangerous paths. People relied on word-of-mouth evidence; correspondence and coded messages seemed impossible to deliver. Krishnan describes war strategies and tactics in details, even the weapons. In between, there is love, committed love that waits for the war to get over. Duty and honour before love are the core values.

The mammoth battalions, the elephants, the soldiers and the huge tent cities—the days of fighting the enemy face-to-face were terrifying. Krishnan also skillfully touches upon the economics of war-how it benefits some. Wars certainly kept kings on their toes.

The war leaders, by and large, are ethical. They allow the dead to be cremated, the losers are left to walk out peacefully, and traitors are handled mercilessly. Women, more or less, are treated with respect.

The author has also treated the psychology of the protagonists well. A wrestler and powerful king mingles easily with his subjects, leaving his security in a hapless position. The enemy king, an old man, embarks to the battlefield with his army, putting aside the fears of his three wives.

The vivid description of the Mamallapuram temples under construction, reminds me of my short visit to the rock-cut marvels. While the saga might be a battle of king-sized egos, the three spies remain central to the storyline.

Krishnan’s book reminds us that ancient grudges are a burden to bear. As the wounded are left to the able hands of vaidyas, we wait for the last book of this battle.

Book Details
Publisher: ‎HarperCollins India
Language: ‎English
Pages: ‎420
Price: INR 499 (Kindle Edition available)

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