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Yama's Lieutenant #2
Yama’s Lieutenant and the Stone Witch
As Yama's Lieutenant, Agni Prakash, has diligently been tracking down demons and spirits that threaten peace on earth and dispatching them to his lord's thousand hells. Danger is a constant in his job, but this time an apocalypse threatens his entire world. Agni must go up against a terrifying sorceress-adept in the ancient art of stone magic-and her bestial army of demoniacal creatures who used to be humans before they were transformed into willing killing machines. The witch has a nightmarish vision for a new world that involves large scale culling of the humans-and it falls to Agni to stop her. He must find the Samayakalas, the mysterious keepers of time and reset the clock before all life is destroyed. However, any contact with the Samayakalas is forbidden to mortal and immortal alike and those who flout the ancient decree risk incurring punishment far worse than death. The price asked of him is an impossible one, but Yama's Lieutenant does not have a choice. Enlisting the help of old friends, he must submit to being borne across an ocean of death and destruction to find the Samayakalas before darkness engulfs them all.
320 pages, Paperback
Published July 24, 2017
About the author
Anuja Chandramouli
14 books397 followersAnuja Chandramouli is a bestselling Indian author and New Age Indian Classicist. Her highly acclaimed debut novel, Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince, was named by Amazon India as one of the top 5 books in the Indian Writing category for the year 2013. Kamadeva: The God of Desire and Shakti: The Divine Feminine are her other bestsellers. Currently all three books are being translated into Hindi, Marathi, Gujarathi and Bengali, a real achievement for one so young. Her epic fantasies called Yama’s Lieutenant and its sequel has received an overwhelming response.
Her books on Kartikeya, Padmavati and Prithviraj Chauhan have been very successful. Her latest book is Ganga: The Constant Goddess.
An accomplished orator, she regularly conducts workshops on Creative Writing, Story Telling and Mythology in schools, colleges and various other platforms. Her motivational speeches have also been well received. According to Chandramouli, her work with youngsters in the rural belt helping them improve their Spoken English and Writing skills has been wonderfully satisfying and enriching.
This happily married, mother of two little girls, lives in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu. She is a student of classical dance and Yoga.
Email: [email protected]
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/authoranujac...
Her books on Kartikeya, Padmavati and Prithviraj Chauhan have been very successful. Her latest book is Ganga: The Constant Goddess.
An accomplished orator, she regularly conducts workshops on Creative Writing, Story Telling and Mythology in schools, colleges and various other platforms. Her motivational speeches have also been well received. According to Chandramouli, her work with youngsters in the rural belt helping them improve their Spoken English and Writing skills has been wonderfully satisfying and enriching.
This happily married, mother of two little girls, lives in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu. She is a student of classical dance and Yoga.
Email: [email protected]
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/authoranujac...
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 16, 2017
I would like to thank the author for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
So once again I accompany Agni Prakash - Yama’s Lieutenant on his mission to protect humanity. This book is a sequel to Yama’s Lieutenant. And, I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Let me introduce Yama or Yamraj. According to ancient Indian mythology, Yama is the God of Death & Guardian of the Naraka (the thousand hells).
This time Agni has met an adversary even more powerful and terrifying than the necromancer he encountered in the previous book. The Stone Witch aka Nayima wants to bring about the apocalypse – she wants to destroy the “unworthy” humans who have brought about so much destruction and suffering, and on their way to destroy the earth itself. Nayima spares a few “worthy” humans to repopulate the earth and create the ideal society.
The Stone Witch possesses some very powerful gems and is invincible. She has unleashed her army of hideous monsters not only on the common humans but also on an ancient order who could have stopped her. The world is in chaos and terror as her monsters carry out carnage after carnage. Armies armed to the teeth with modern weaponry are no match for the witch’s killers.
The author can really write suspense & horror. I liked her descriptions of the chaos, the fear and the carnage. One character I have to mention – a brave police dog who had alone charged at the monsters. I like dogs so I had to say this.
Anyways, no need to say Agni is mankind’s only hope for survival. In order to stop Nayima, Agni must find samayakalas – the keepers of time. But, any attempt at contacting the samayakalas invites the wrath of a Goddess who cannot be named, and the punishment is far worse than death.
Agni soldiers on and with the help of friends – old and new tries to complete his mission. His new friends are some pretty interesting characters too. But, I think I should stop now. I would only say that the end was good too.
The narrative alternates between Agni’s adventure and Varu’s book. Varu is Agni’s late sister and the book chronicles the life of Yama and other characters in his life. This part is also good and shows the foibles of the heavenly beings. It also explains how Yama had incurred an ancient curse. But, I have to say that Agni’s adventure was the real deal.
I became a fan of the author after reading Yama’s Lieutenant. I enjoy her writing - her skill with words – the wonderful descriptions she can write – her ability to create suspense & excitement and also her wit. The author can also manage to bring in social problems into the narrative. The author has proved that Yama's Lieutenant is a series worth following.
One good thing about this book with respect to the previous book is that the author has reduced her usage of difficult (for lack of a better word) words.
I loved the cover art. It gives you a good idea of the horrors that you will encounter.
I would recommend this book to lovers of mythological and fantasy adventures. I have just started to explore this genre and can’t compare this book with others. But, I can say that this book is certainly enjoyable.
If you plan to read this book, then I would suggest that you read Yama’s Lieutenant first.
So once again I accompany Agni Prakash - Yama’s Lieutenant on his mission to protect humanity. This book is a sequel to Yama’s Lieutenant. And, I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Let me introduce Yama or Yamraj. According to ancient Indian mythology, Yama is the God of Death & Guardian of the Naraka (the thousand hells).
This time Agni has met an adversary even more powerful and terrifying than the necromancer he encountered in the previous book. The Stone Witch aka Nayima wants to bring about the apocalypse – she wants to destroy the “unworthy” humans who have brought about so much destruction and suffering, and on their way to destroy the earth itself. Nayima spares a few “worthy” humans to repopulate the earth and create the ideal society.
The Stone Witch possesses some very powerful gems and is invincible. She has unleashed her army of hideous monsters not only on the common humans but also on an ancient order who could have stopped her. The world is in chaos and terror as her monsters carry out carnage after carnage. Armies armed to the teeth with modern weaponry are no match for the witch’s killers.
The author can really write suspense & horror. I liked her descriptions of the chaos, the fear and the carnage. One character I have to mention – a brave police dog who had alone charged at the monsters. I like dogs so I had to say this.
Anyways, no need to say Agni is mankind’s only hope for survival. In order to stop Nayima, Agni must find samayakalas – the keepers of time. But, any attempt at contacting the samayakalas invites the wrath of a Goddess who cannot be named, and the punishment is far worse than death.
Agni soldiers on and with the help of friends – old and new tries to complete his mission. His new friends are some pretty interesting characters too. But, I think I should stop now. I would only say that the end was good too.
The narrative alternates between Agni’s adventure and Varu’s book. Varu is Agni’s late sister and the book chronicles the life of Yama and other characters in his life. This part is also good and shows the foibles of the heavenly beings. It also explains how Yama had incurred an ancient curse. But, I have to say that Agni’s adventure was the real deal.
I became a fan of the author after reading Yama’s Lieutenant. I enjoy her writing - her skill with words – the wonderful descriptions she can write – her ability to create suspense & excitement and also her wit. The author can also manage to bring in social problems into the narrative. The author has proved that Yama's Lieutenant is a series worth following.
One good thing about this book with respect to the previous book is that the author has reduced her usage of difficult (for lack of a better word) words.
I loved the cover art. It gives you a good idea of the horrors that you will encounter.
I would recommend this book to lovers of mythological and fantasy adventures. I have just started to explore this genre and can’t compare this book with others. But, I can say that this book is certainly enjoyable.
If you plan to read this book, then I would suggest that you read Yama’s Lieutenant first.
September 9, 2017
Anuja brings the magic back! Again!
Agni Prakash, the protagonist is determined to demolish the existence of demons and evil from the world. He is yet to be recovered from the depart of his sister, Varu who left him nothing but a piece of manuscript.
We get to see various other significant linked stories from Indian mythology. Full packed action flavored with strong narrative provided me a three dimensional experience with the reading. For a young and enthusiastic reader in me, holding this book was mesmerizing.
It is always treacherous and yet moving to see how and what situations lead people to turn evil, posses evil thoughts and be ready to sacrifice their lives over it. Such was the case with the Stone Witch. There is nothing more difficult than bringing such souls to justice and peace.
Already having read the first part, I confess I adored this much much more that the previous one. Connecting all the dots from both the books, it helped me understand each characters and their motives way too better. Tale of Yama and Yami made the book more interesting.
I'm still in an awe with the author's vocabulary and how amazingly she picks up each word, evaluates it thoroughly and places it decidedly without any hesitance. Her books are a must if you want to inundate yourself with a prosperous vocabulary.
With her books, you turn your head somewhere else and there you missed an important action scene. You have to be constantly vigilant while reading them. You don't want to miss nay of it. With the second installment, Anuja Chandramouli proved that she is a gem of an author in mythological fiction. She is very creative and artistic with her work.
The cover seems deadly good. A book dealing with heroes and witches, should definitely have a prominent cover as this. Congratulations to the editing team.
I suggest you to go through its prequel first because then you'll get used to the author's writing style and be thrilled with this one.
I so want to read more adventurous and audacious books like these from the author.
4.5 blazing stars to Anuja's novel!
Agni Prakash, the protagonist is determined to demolish the existence of demons and evil from the world. He is yet to be recovered from the depart of his sister, Varu who left him nothing but a piece of manuscript.
We get to see various other significant linked stories from Indian mythology. Full packed action flavored with strong narrative provided me a three dimensional experience with the reading. For a young and enthusiastic reader in me, holding this book was mesmerizing.
It is always treacherous and yet moving to see how and what situations lead people to turn evil, posses evil thoughts and be ready to sacrifice their lives over it. Such was the case with the Stone Witch. There is nothing more difficult than bringing such souls to justice and peace.
Already having read the first part, I confess I adored this much much more that the previous one. Connecting all the dots from both the books, it helped me understand each characters and their motives way too better. Tale of Yama and Yami made the book more interesting.
I'm still in an awe with the author's vocabulary and how amazingly she picks up each word, evaluates it thoroughly and places it decidedly without any hesitance. Her books are a must if you want to inundate yourself with a prosperous vocabulary.
With her books, you turn your head somewhere else and there you missed an important action scene. You have to be constantly vigilant while reading them. You don't want to miss nay of it. With the second installment, Anuja Chandramouli proved that she is a gem of an author in mythological fiction. She is very creative and artistic with her work.
The cover seems deadly good. A book dealing with heroes and witches, should definitely have a prominent cover as this. Congratulations to the editing team.
I suggest you to go through its prequel first because then you'll get used to the author's writing style and be thrilled with this one.
I so want to read more adventurous and audacious books like these from the author.
4.5 blazing stars to Anuja's novel!
August 20, 2018
Before I start let me thank Anuja Chandramouli for providing the review copy in exchange for the honest review. I would like to apologize Anuja for delaying review beyond her consideration. The wrong delivery of the book has somehow put the book in the farthest corner of my shelf. Being a fan of Anuja's book I was well aware of what kind of mood her books needed to read, I took the book when I would be able to read with the needed attention.
"Yama’s Lieutenant and the Stone Witch" is the second book in the series of Yama's Lieutenant. The story started with a few pages of the re-cape. Agni the protagonist of our story, the Yama's Lieutenant, was up against a sinister witch. Along with the main story, Agni's sister's (Varu's) story/letter written for Agni also continued in this part. Now coming to the antagonist of our story Nayima was the stone witch. A precious gem she possessed had given her unparallel power. She dreamed of a perfect society. But just like Thanos of Avenger, the stone witch also had an idea of destroying current order before procreating ideal world through her selected humans. Her army was the harbinger of death, where ever they went; death, chaos, and carnage followed them. Even Agni had only one option to approach and take help of an unapproachable GGodess. He had some new comrade to help him out. Read the book to know more. Don't worry I haven't revealed much.
Now coming to good points
1) A complete combo of action, thriller, and horror. Better than 1st part
2) Language usage is brought down to a simple one compared to 1st part
3) Awesome cover art
4) Ignoring the initial 50 pages even pace is also improved
Things that took time for me.
1) Anuja has magic in her words when she writes all the characters (no matter how minute or sidelined it would be) given a great depth. While reading you will feel them important characters, but they would not be. Many such descriptions have added some percentage of bored-ness in the reading experience. For me, without them, the book might be 50-60 pages lighter.
2) The bar of the first 50 pages. The slow-paced of first 50 pages were like a never-ending wall for me. It took extra efforts from me.
Overall a wonderful story. Better than part one.
Detailed Review Link - http://chevusread.blogspot.com/2018/0...
"Yama’s Lieutenant and the Stone Witch" is the second book in the series of Yama's Lieutenant. The story started with a few pages of the re-cape. Agni the protagonist of our story, the Yama's Lieutenant, was up against a sinister witch. Along with the main story, Agni's sister's (Varu's) story/letter written for Agni also continued in this part. Now coming to the antagonist of our story Nayima was the stone witch. A precious gem she possessed had given her unparallel power. She dreamed of a perfect society. But just like Thanos of Avenger, the stone witch also had an idea of destroying current order before procreating ideal world through her selected humans. Her army was the harbinger of death, where ever they went; death, chaos, and carnage followed them. Even Agni had only one option to approach and take help of an unapproachable GGodess. He had some new comrade to help him out. Read the book to know more. Don't worry I haven't revealed much.
Now coming to good points
1) A complete combo of action, thriller, and horror. Better than 1st part
2) Language usage is brought down to a simple one compared to 1st part
3) Awesome cover art
4) Ignoring the initial 50 pages even pace is also improved
Things that took time for me.
1) Anuja has magic in her words when she writes all the characters (no matter how minute or sidelined it would be) given a great depth. While reading you will feel them important characters, but they would not be. Many such descriptions have added some percentage of bored-ness in the reading experience. For me, without them, the book might be 50-60 pages lighter.
2) The bar of the first 50 pages. The slow-paced of first 50 pages were like a never-ending wall for me. It took extra efforts from me.
Overall a wonderful story. Better than part one.
Detailed Review Link - http://chevusread.blogspot.com/2018/0...
November 21, 2017
This is the second instalment of Agni Prakash and his adventures. In the first book, we saw Agni Prakash battling Naganara the necromancer along with his friends Minothi and Dharami. In this book too, they help him to overcome Nayima the stone witch who is unleashing terror on humanity. He is approached by Mara the agrami or the leader of the kimkaras to find the samayakalas (Vela, Pari and Vasana) keepers of time, to unwind and reverse the time to avoid humanity being decimated by Nayima. There is also a brief appearance by Naganara, his old adversary from the first book, who has changed for the good. All in all a very interesting read.
I liked it better than the first book. The writer has a good command over the language and the prose flows naturally. I have not come across another fantasy novel in the Indian context and the author has exploited this genre superbly. Readers better read her first book to get a hang of her language and more importantly, to familiarise with the characters, almost all of them are present in the sequel.
Thank you Anuja for providing me with a copy in exchange for a review.
I liked it better than the first book. The writer has a good command over the language and the prose flows naturally. I have not come across another fantasy novel in the Indian context and the author has exploited this genre superbly. Readers better read her first book to get a hang of her language and more importantly, to familiarise with the characters, almost all of them are present in the sequel.
Thank you Anuja for providing me with a copy in exchange for a review.
August 30, 2017
*** Note: I received book from the author, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to publisher and author for sending me book. ***
The story in this book was about Agni’s constant struggle of getting over the loss with dangerous fight with demons and spirits with heart wrenching stories and history of characters in the book, horrifying apocalyptic thoughts and act of Stone Witch, and continuation of book written by Varu (Agni’s twin sister). Amazing concept and writing by author.
Alert: There is lot of gory details and dark story of characters’ life so harden your heart. For me it was totally fine. In fact, it was little less dark than previous book. I’m starting to like this kind of dark stories.
Characters: Brilliant! Right from the hero, side characters to the villain, all characters were written creatively with their detailed life story and appearance. Awee! I loved Agni in this book so much. Our whiny, gloomy doomy hero of first book has turned out witty and logical in this one. He was sarcastic in the first book also but the grief was making his comments rude and sarcastic. In this book company of Dharami and Minothy has changed him and it was visible here. I salute author for writing this character so effectively. And of course there is development in this character. Those two girls of Agni, Dharami and Minothy just gave life to book and Agni. They were more open and came out of their shell in this book.
Another my favorite character of the book was Dhumorna, Yama’s wife. While in first book I admired Yama for his love towards his twin, all that admiration was drawn to Dhumorna in this book. I didn’t like decisions of Yama and silver goddess.
There was entry of new characters as well who played important role in the book and I liked them. No characters went unnoticed even if that character was only for one chapter. (Actually event that happened with the character was more important in the book but narration of that event through the character’s perspective made it unique and interesting.)
What I liked-
Cover of the book. I wanted a book with skull and birds flying on the cover and I got it. Ah! and that witch on the back cover. Isn’t it just perfect for the theme of book?
Writing of course. Though it felt easier to read after the first book. In first one I was googling words at every paragraph. In this one it was once or twice a page. Maybe because now I’m more aware of writing style of author and like her way of using words, it’s definitely not easy like rest of Indian authors but is creative and very unique.
Poverty, heart touching story of character, cruelty, and brutal murder was just perfect start of the book. As I said earlier, every character had a story and all those story were heart wrenching specially story of Upakshina and Ram Chandra was horrible. I loved reading all those stories. It was one thing common in whole saga. Agni’s encounter with Upakshina was written very nicely, tense moment with wittiness of Agni made it amazing. Descriptions of ruined places by demon, nightmarish visions, Eagle’s Nest, beautiful palace of witch, apocalypse of world, and battle and torture scenes created perfect horrifying HD scenes in my mind. I liked philosophical part in the book and that memory of Agni and Varu’s talk about their mother was funny. That memory part also gave the glimpse of what Agni was before death of his sister. I liked to know more about him before he became Yama’s lieutenant.
The main story of history of witch and magical stones and how she made a recipe of demonic creature from human was terrific.
Varu’s book and story of Dhumorna in that was heart of the story. It was best thing in the book and so mesmerizing that I never wanted it to end. In first book it told the story of twins Yama and Yami and how Yama made ruler of underworld, while in this book it told married life of Yama, how Rodhana was destroyed and worst demons of hell escaped all trough voice of Dhumorna. This part connected whole saga and made the story of both the books more clear. It answered all questions that I had for first and second book- why Silver Goddess approached Agni, why it was necessary to send Nitara safely to hell and why death of stone witch was necessary.
How jealousy, loneliness, blind adherence to Dharma, lack of love, and freedom can lead characters astray and make everything worse, how kindness, putting yourself in someone’s place, compassion and love can save all the destruction, was perfectly displayed through different stories in this book.
Climax and End– totally unexpected it was bitter sweet sad and yet amazing.
No! No! I want read more. It looked like this saga ends here. And I seriously don’t want it end. Evil is never going to end in this world, we need Agni to save us, right? Right? Please someone say YES so that author write more of Agni’s adventure.
I loved this book even more than the first one. ❤
Overall, adventurous mythical saga that will show you the glimpse of hell and darkness on earth and still will make you fall in love with it. I know it sounds weird but it’s definitely amazing. Anyone who love Indian mythology and this type of story would love to read this book.
You can read all my review on my blog - Books Teacup and Reviews
The story in this book was about Agni’s constant struggle of getting over the loss with dangerous fight with demons and spirits with heart wrenching stories and history of characters in the book, horrifying apocalyptic thoughts and act of Stone Witch, and continuation of book written by Varu (Agni’s twin sister). Amazing concept and writing by author.
Alert: There is lot of gory details and dark story of characters’ life so harden your heart. For me it was totally fine. In fact, it was little less dark than previous book. I’m starting to like this kind of dark stories.
Characters: Brilliant! Right from the hero, side characters to the villain, all characters were written creatively with their detailed life story and appearance. Awee! I loved Agni in this book so much. Our whiny, gloomy doomy hero of first book has turned out witty and logical in this one. He was sarcastic in the first book also but the grief was making his comments rude and sarcastic. In this book company of Dharami and Minothy has changed him and it was visible here. I salute author for writing this character so effectively. And of course there is development in this character. Those two girls of Agni, Dharami and Minothy just gave life to book and Agni. They were more open and came out of their shell in this book.
Another my favorite character of the book was Dhumorna, Yama’s wife. While in first book I admired Yama for his love towards his twin, all that admiration was drawn to Dhumorna in this book. I didn’t like decisions of Yama and silver goddess.
There was entry of new characters as well who played important role in the book and I liked them. No characters went unnoticed even if that character was only for one chapter. (Actually event that happened with the character was more important in the book but narration of that event through the character’s perspective made it unique and interesting.)
What I liked-
Cover of the book. I wanted a book with skull and birds flying on the cover and I got it. Ah! and that witch on the back cover. Isn’t it just perfect for the theme of book?
Writing of course. Though it felt easier to read after the first book. In first one I was googling words at every paragraph. In this one it was once or twice a page. Maybe because now I’m more aware of writing style of author and like her way of using words, it’s definitely not easy like rest of Indian authors but is creative and very unique.
Poverty, heart touching story of character, cruelty, and brutal murder was just perfect start of the book. As I said earlier, every character had a story and all those story were heart wrenching specially story of Upakshina and Ram Chandra was horrible. I loved reading all those stories. It was one thing common in whole saga. Agni’s encounter with Upakshina was written very nicely, tense moment with wittiness of Agni made it amazing. Descriptions of ruined places by demon, nightmarish visions, Eagle’s Nest, beautiful palace of witch, apocalypse of world, and battle and torture scenes created perfect horrifying HD scenes in my mind. I liked philosophical part in the book and that memory of Agni and Varu’s talk about their mother was funny. That memory part also gave the glimpse of what Agni was before death of his sister. I liked to know more about him before he became Yama’s lieutenant.
The main story of history of witch and magical stones and how she made a recipe of demonic creature from human was terrific.
Varu’s book and story of Dhumorna in that was heart of the story. It was best thing in the book and so mesmerizing that I never wanted it to end. In first book it told the story of twins Yama and Yami and how Yama made ruler of underworld, while in this book it told married life of Yama, how Rodhana was destroyed and worst demons of hell escaped all trough voice of Dhumorna. This part connected whole saga and made the story of both the books more clear. It answered all questions that I had for first and second book- why Silver Goddess approached Agni, why it was necessary to send Nitara safely to hell and why death of stone witch was necessary.
How jealousy, loneliness, blind adherence to Dharma, lack of love, and freedom can lead characters astray and make everything worse, how kindness, putting yourself in someone’s place, compassion and love can save all the destruction, was perfectly displayed through different stories in this book.
Climax and End– totally unexpected it was bitter sweet sad and yet amazing.
No! No! I want read more. It looked like this saga ends here. And I seriously don’t want it end. Evil is never going to end in this world, we need Agni to save us, right? Right? Please someone say YES so that author write more of Agni’s adventure.
I loved this book even more than the first one. ❤
Overall, adventurous mythical saga that will show you the glimpse of hell and darkness on earth and still will make you fall in love with it. I know it sounds weird but it’s definitely amazing. Anyone who love Indian mythology and this type of story would love to read this book.
You can read all my review on my blog - Books Teacup and Reviews
Read
August 14, 2020 (I received a free copy of this book from the author and Penguin Random House India in exchange for an honest review.)
(NOTE - The book has some explicitly violent scenes and gory descriptions)
CHARACTERS
First off, I missed not having enough Mino in this book. In book 1, while the story starts off with Agni as the main character, Mino comes to play a crucial role and I absolutely enjoyed her interactions with the other characters. But here we see more of Agni than any other characters. We also see many new characters who while adding a lot of dimension to the story made me miss the original cast.
The stone witch intrigued me so much. I did guess a couple things about her as I was reading but not the entire picture. I quite enjoyed her unique way of getting what she wants done. I also enjoyed getting to know more about Dhumorna's past. While Yami had been the one I sympathized with in book 1, the decisions made by herself and her brother that we learn of in this book irked me to no end. In this book it was Dhumorna I sympathized with and enjoyed reading about.
PLOT
Like with book 1, book 2 had me guessing till the very end. One of the twists at the end took me unawares and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how it all turned out. Not everything is neatly wrapped up in a bow and things are bittersweet but I quite liked the way things worked. I did feel there were times when the plot was moving too slow but it always got faster before I could feel distracted.
What I love about these books is the fact that the author brings in those parts of Hindu mythology that aren't well known. I've grown up listening to Hindu mythology stories and yet as I read these books I realize there's a lot I don't know. The world Anuja Chandramouli shows us is complex, fascinating and utterly entertaining.
I really hope there is a book 3 because I still have so many questions and would love to see what Agni does with his life after the events of this book. I'd like to see somewhat of a "happily ever after" for our moody hero.
WRITING
The writing is truly the best part of the book. The author has a way with words that invokes thought and emotion in the readers. This book is so quotable and at many points the words put a smile to my face.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK
- The mythology
- The characters
- The plot
- The writing
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK
- The slow parts
- The fact that we see less of some characters
CONCLUSION
A wonderful sequel that kept me hooked from beginning to end. I would heartily recommend this series to all lovers of dark fantasy.
(NOTE - The book has some explicitly violent scenes and gory descriptions)
CHARACTERS
First off, I missed not having enough Mino in this book. In book 1, while the story starts off with Agni as the main character, Mino comes to play a crucial role and I absolutely enjoyed her interactions with the other characters. But here we see more of Agni than any other characters. We also see many new characters who while adding a lot of dimension to the story made me miss the original cast.
“Not every story is about a girl who dreams of romance, waiting impatiently and dramatically for a tall, handsome, strong man to fall hopelessly in love with, in the foolish hope that he will protect her from all harm and give her the happily ever after she has always wanted.”
The stone witch intrigued me so much. I did guess a couple things about her as I was reading but not the entire picture. I quite enjoyed her unique way of getting what she wants done. I also enjoyed getting to know more about Dhumorna's past. While Yami had been the one I sympathized with in book 1, the decisions made by herself and her brother that we learn of in this book irked me to no end. In this book it was Dhumorna I sympathized with and enjoyed reading about.
PLOT
Like with book 1, book 2 had me guessing till the very end. One of the twists at the end took me unawares and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how it all turned out. Not everything is neatly wrapped up in a bow and things are bittersweet but I quite liked the way things worked. I did feel there were times when the plot was moving too slow but it always got faster before I could feel distracted.
What I love about these books is the fact that the author brings in those parts of Hindu mythology that aren't well known. I've grown up listening to Hindu mythology stories and yet as I read these books I realize there's a lot I don't know. The world Anuja Chandramouli shows us is complex, fascinating and utterly entertaining.
I really hope there is a book 3 because I still have so many questions and would love to see what Agni does with his life after the events of this book. I'd like to see somewhat of a "happily ever after" for our moody hero.
WRITING
The writing is truly the best part of the book. The author has a way with words that invokes thought and emotion in the readers. This book is so quotable and at many points the words put a smile to my face.
"No, you pessimistic fool, I am saying that if we can find it in ourselves to be miserable even when things are actually pretty good then there should be no difficulty being happy even when there is gloom and doom all around us.."
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK
- The mythology
- The characters
- The plot
- The writing
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK
- The slow parts
- The fact that we see less of some characters
CONCLUSION
A wonderful sequel that kept me hooked from beginning to end. I would heartily recommend this series to all lovers of dark fantasy.
August 5, 2017
This book is the second installment of Yama's Lieutenant Series. I am really thankful to the author for giving me a chance to read and review her book again. When this book reaches to me, the first thing which hooked me is the striking book cover. This doubled up my curiosity to read this book so let’s check out which adventures are destined in the life of Yama’s Lieutenant again?
You may read the full book review here Yama’s Lieutenant and the Stone Witch by Anuja Chandramouli - Book review
After the confrontation with the Necromancer Naganara in the first part, Agni is still working to wipe down the evil spirit and demons. During all these his heart still, aches for his beloved departed sister Varu.
This time Agni is summoned to fight with the Stone witch named Nayima. She aims to wipe the humans from the earth and replace it creating her own world. She is also using humans to make them into demonic creatures who work under her spell.
Agni is instructed to find Samayakalas, the keepers of time and reset the clock before everything becomes worst. But no one knows who and where they are and finding them is a forbidden task for mortals and immortals.
Nayima and her zombie army is creating havoc on the earth. Everything is disturbed; inmates and poor people are killed. Children go missing.
During all this, Varu’s diary keeps continues depicting the tale of Yama and his thousands hell.
Yama’s Lieutenant with all his mighty effort tries to find out a way, he also decides to take help from his old friends Kritya, Minothi and earth-spirit, Dharami. But Agni, Kritya, and Minothi are now captured by Nayima. Freeing from her Adobe is an impossible task.\
Read this book to know how they free from the captive of Nayima? Will Agni ever find the time Keepers if yes, then what price he has to pay? Who is Nayima and what is her past? How is this destruction going to end?
My perception:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This book is not among those which you can read rapidly but you will instantly fall in love with the characters and story. The past life of Nayima is something which I found very interesting to read. Apart from this, the tale of Yama, his thousands hell, his wives, and children is something fascinating to read. With the present story the author has also given a glimpse of the first book, so if you have picked this book first then also you can read this without any trouble. But still, I suggest reading previous part first. Agni, Minothi, and Dharami absolutely able to left an impact on the mind of readers. If you love magic, witches, and mythology then you should not miss this book.
You may read the full book review here Yama’s Lieutenant and the Stone Witch by Anuja Chandramouli - Book review
After the confrontation with the Necromancer Naganara in the first part, Agni is still working to wipe down the evil spirit and demons. During all these his heart still, aches for his beloved departed sister Varu.
This time Agni is summoned to fight with the Stone witch named Nayima. She aims to wipe the humans from the earth and replace it creating her own world. She is also using humans to make them into demonic creatures who work under her spell.
Agni is instructed to find Samayakalas, the keepers of time and reset the clock before everything becomes worst. But no one knows who and where they are and finding them is a forbidden task for mortals and immortals.
Nayima and her zombie army is creating havoc on the earth. Everything is disturbed; inmates and poor people are killed. Children go missing.
During all this, Varu’s diary keeps continues depicting the tale of Yama and his thousands hell.
Yama’s Lieutenant with all his mighty effort tries to find out a way, he also decides to take help from his old friends Kritya, Minothi and earth-spirit, Dharami. But Agni, Kritya, and Minothi are now captured by Nayima. Freeing from her Adobe is an impossible task.\
Read this book to know how they free from the captive of Nayima? Will Agni ever find the time Keepers if yes, then what price he has to pay? Who is Nayima and what is her past? How is this destruction going to end?
My perception:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This book is not among those which you can read rapidly but you will instantly fall in love with the characters and story. The past life of Nayima is something which I found very interesting to read. Apart from this, the tale of Yama, his thousands hell, his wives, and children is something fascinating to read. With the present story the author has also given a glimpse of the first book, so if you have picked this book first then also you can read this without any trouble. But still, I suggest reading previous part first. Agni, Minothi, and Dharami absolutely able to left an impact on the mind of readers. If you love magic, witches, and mythology then you should not miss this book.
September 7, 2017
This is the second book in the series and I loved it more than the first one. May be because I have read both the books back to back and was more familiar with the author's complicated writing style and werid supernatural characters of the book.
But keeping this point aside the book had a solid story line with an interesting twist and was well plotted. The villain Nayima's character was very well carve out. She was dangerous and intelligent and was stylish as well. A fitting and challenging opponent for Agni and his friends.
And moreover this time magic was not in play and Agni and his friends have to use their physical power and will power to defeat Nayima and her army. So it was an unequal fight and that's why so gripping to read. All the battle scenes were brutally vivid to read.
Nayima's story was also interesting to read. Her story is the perfect example of misinterpretation and misperception. And in my opinion a perfect masterstroke from the pen of writing and provided a great twist to the story.
Agni's character was not so bitter this time and there where some lively moments between him and his girls. Varuna's story of Yama continues and we get to read more about his wife and children.
In first novel we get to read more about sibling relationship this time the focus was on friendship. Friendship between Agni, Dharami and Mino, between Dhumorna and her friends.
All in all this one was a great read and has perfect balance of myth and fantasy in the book to keep readers glued till the end.
But keeping this point aside the book had a solid story line with an interesting twist and was well plotted. The villain Nayima's character was very well carve out. She was dangerous and intelligent and was stylish as well. A fitting and challenging opponent for Agni and his friends.
And moreover this time magic was not in play and Agni and his friends have to use their physical power and will power to defeat Nayima and her army. So it was an unequal fight and that's why so gripping to read. All the battle scenes were brutally vivid to read.
Nayima's story was also interesting to read. Her story is the perfect example of misinterpretation and misperception. And in my opinion a perfect masterstroke from the pen of writing and provided a great twist to the story.
Agni's character was not so bitter this time and there where some lively moments between him and his girls. Varuna's story of Yama continues and we get to read more about his wife and children.
In first novel we get to read more about sibling relationship this time the focus was on friendship. Friendship between Agni, Dharami and Mino, between Dhumorna and her friends.
All in all this one was a great read and has perfect balance of myth and fantasy in the book to keep readers glued till the end.
August 6, 2017
My thanks to the author and Penguin Randomhouse India for a review copy of the book.
This is the second book in the Yama’s Lieutenant series which sees our hero Agni Prakash still grappling with his demons and indeed the visions that haunt him, while having to tackle a new and far more dangerous enemy than he did in his first adventure. This book follows pretty much the same format as the first―we have Agni Prakash’s story and new adventure and parallel to it, a second story, from his sister Varu’s book (though he had finished her manuscript in book 1, new words suddenly appear in it and he finds a second story). The evils Agni Prakash faced on his first outing have been contained but his duties as Yama’s lieutenant are continuing. Meanwhile a new evil seems to have been unleashed on the world. Agni finds himself called on, this time by the agrima (chief) of the order of the Kimkaras (truth seekers who oversee the doings of the mortals) to find the samayakalas (time keepers) to get them to reverse time, and the terrors unleashed by Nayima, the stone witch of the title. Only, approaching the samayakalas is forbidden for mortals or immortals alike, and one who does so meets a fate worse than death. So once again, Agni Prakash has a seemingly impossible task before him. In this he is helped by old friends, the land spirit Dharami and kritya (wielder of earth magic) Minothi, as well as some new ones, but also finds himself having to call on an old enemy for assistance, something he is understandably reluctant to do. The story that runs alongside in this one is of Yama certainly, but more so of his consort Dhumorna, and tells us why and how she ended up as she did in the first book. The characters in both stories face trials of their own, and tragedy and sacrifice are truths they must confront and choices they must make.
The villainess of the piece, the stone witch Nayima is rather different from the “villains” Agni battled in the first instalment, in that while she does unleash terror and destruction on the world, her purpose is one that Agni, and us readers too can appreciate―it is her means that he really has to battle, and that unfortunately seems too strong for him and his friends to be able to conquer. She seems herself caught between wanting to “help” our hero in a way, and wanting to do what she thinks is right for the world.
In this one we get to learn a little more about Agni, what he wanted to do before his world turned upside down after his twin sister Varu’s death, but he still seems aloof and like we don’t really know him, unlike Minothi, who has fought through (and still is fighting) her own troubles controlling her magic, who one seems to feel one knows better. Dhumorna’s story was may be not as interesting to me as Yama and Yami’s tale in the first book but it clears up many things and put them in perspective.
I enjoyed once again the plot, and the mythological elements of the tale, as well the author’s weaving of contemporary concerns – in fact of the two worlds. Despite being a fantasy adventure it brings up a predicament very much a cause of concern for all of us today―human beings pillaging, damaging, and destroying the earth, and rather relentlessly so. (Reading recently about Earth Overshoot Day moving up in the calendar every successive year made me think of this theme all the more.) Other hard truths like human trafficking are also dealt with.
There were also some surprise revelations at the end, one of which I actually did guess but all of which I nevertheless enjoyed.
The gory bits in the book though were still a bit much for me (speaking in the context of book 1) though here it didn’t feel (as in the first book) like it was put in even where it wasn’t needed but one still keeps wondering why the characters must constantly be in or pass through places that are quite so repulsive. Then, I thought Minothi’s language in some places seemed a tad too “modern” for one who was brought up in a Mutt, away from the mainstream world―somehow one wouldn’t expect her to speak that way (expressions like “war buddy”, for instance). Another little issue was the first chapter (also, the fourth) vis-à-vis the rest of the story―with the amount of detail about the characters described there, I thought there’d be a bit more about them later on (may a further role even if as a monster), but they seemed to just disappear. At another place, Agni’s thought process on the upakshina he has spared some pages ago, seems a bit at odds with what he has done―I wondered whether the author was trying to create a Harry Potter–Dobby kind of relationship (in a more grown up context of course) but while one felt it, it didn’t entirely come through.
While the book does give the reader enough of the story from book 1 to make sense of this book if one reads this one alone, I did feel it would make far more sense (particularly Dhumorna’s tale) if one read these in order.
Once again the author gives us a creative plot, and an interesting adventure with some unexpected twists which made for fairly interesting reading though like book 1, for me (may be, this is really a matter of personal taste), it would have done better with less gore.
This is the second book in the Yama’s Lieutenant series which sees our hero Agni Prakash still grappling with his demons and indeed the visions that haunt him, while having to tackle a new and far more dangerous enemy than he did in his first adventure. This book follows pretty much the same format as the first―we have Agni Prakash’s story and new adventure and parallel to it, a second story, from his sister Varu’s book (though he had finished her manuscript in book 1, new words suddenly appear in it and he finds a second story). The evils Agni Prakash faced on his first outing have been contained but his duties as Yama’s lieutenant are continuing. Meanwhile a new evil seems to have been unleashed on the world. Agni finds himself called on, this time by the agrima (chief) of the order of the Kimkaras (truth seekers who oversee the doings of the mortals) to find the samayakalas (time keepers) to get them to reverse time, and the terrors unleashed by Nayima, the stone witch of the title. Only, approaching the samayakalas is forbidden for mortals or immortals alike, and one who does so meets a fate worse than death. So once again, Agni Prakash has a seemingly impossible task before him. In this he is helped by old friends, the land spirit Dharami and kritya (wielder of earth magic) Minothi, as well as some new ones, but also finds himself having to call on an old enemy for assistance, something he is understandably reluctant to do. The story that runs alongside in this one is of Yama certainly, but more so of his consort Dhumorna, and tells us why and how she ended up as she did in the first book. The characters in both stories face trials of their own, and tragedy and sacrifice are truths they must confront and choices they must make.
The villainess of the piece, the stone witch Nayima is rather different from the “villains” Agni battled in the first instalment, in that while she does unleash terror and destruction on the world, her purpose is one that Agni, and us readers too can appreciate―it is her means that he really has to battle, and that unfortunately seems too strong for him and his friends to be able to conquer. She seems herself caught between wanting to “help” our hero in a way, and wanting to do what she thinks is right for the world.
In this one we get to learn a little more about Agni, what he wanted to do before his world turned upside down after his twin sister Varu’s death, but he still seems aloof and like we don’t really know him, unlike Minothi, who has fought through (and still is fighting) her own troubles controlling her magic, who one seems to feel one knows better. Dhumorna’s story was may be not as interesting to me as Yama and Yami’s tale in the first book but it clears up many things and put them in perspective.
I enjoyed once again the plot, and the mythological elements of the tale, as well the author’s weaving of contemporary concerns – in fact of the two worlds. Despite being a fantasy adventure it brings up a predicament very much a cause of concern for all of us today―human beings pillaging, damaging, and destroying the earth, and rather relentlessly so. (Reading recently about Earth Overshoot Day moving up in the calendar every successive year made me think of this theme all the more.) Other hard truths like human trafficking are also dealt with.
There were also some surprise revelations at the end, one of which I actually did guess but all of which I nevertheless enjoyed.
The gory bits in the book though were still a bit much for me (speaking in the context of book 1) though here it didn’t feel (as in the first book) like it was put in even where it wasn’t needed but one still keeps wondering why the characters must constantly be in or pass through places that are quite so repulsive. Then, I thought Minothi’s language in some places seemed a tad too “modern” for one who was brought up in a Mutt, away from the mainstream world―somehow one wouldn’t expect her to speak that way (expressions like “war buddy”, for instance). Another little issue was the first chapter (also, the fourth) vis-à-vis the rest of the story―with the amount of detail about the characters described there, I thought there’d be a bit more about them later on (may a further role even if as a monster), but they seemed to just disappear. At another place, Agni’s thought process on the upakshina he has spared some pages ago, seems a bit at odds with what he has done―I wondered whether the author was trying to create a Harry Potter–Dobby kind of relationship (in a more grown up context of course) but while one felt it, it didn’t entirely come through.
While the book does give the reader enough of the story from book 1 to make sense of this book if one reads this one alone, I did feel it would make far more sense (particularly Dhumorna’s tale) if one read these in order.
Once again the author gives us a creative plot, and an interesting adventure with some unexpected twists which made for fairly interesting reading though like book 1, for me (may be, this is really a matter of personal taste), it would have done better with less gore.
March 14, 2018
Full disclosure… This review (and future reviews of the books by this author) may be slightly biased. I have been reading Anuja Chandramouli’s books right from the time she made her debut with Arjuna. I have read three more books by her since then, making this the 5th book I am reading (and reviewing). She has slowly grown to be one of my favourite IWE authors with her steady delivery of quality content and lucid language.
Agni Prakash is back with a second adventure in Yama’s Lieutenant and the Stone Witch. The first instalment was Yama’s Lieutenant which was in a way a very dark tale. Agni is still reeling from the events of the last book. But with the help of Minothy, he is also dealing with it all the while disposing of demons that threaten the world. This time around, he is running against time and has to literally reset time before all goes to hell and brings forth an apocalypse that the humans may not survive. Agni is up against a sorceress who may very well be unstoppable.
Read the full review on Bookish Indulgences with b00k r3vi3ws
Agni Prakash is back with a second adventure in Yama’s Lieutenant and the Stone Witch. The first instalment was Yama’s Lieutenant which was in a way a very dark tale. Agni is still reeling from the events of the last book. But with the help of Minothy, he is also dealing with it all the while disposing of demons that threaten the world. This time around, he is running against time and has to literally reset time before all goes to hell and brings forth an apocalypse that the humans may not survive. Agni is up against a sorceress who may very well be unstoppable.
Read the full review on Bookish Indulgences with b00k r3vi3ws
January 1, 2019
Note : Review based on a copy received from the author.
The character of Agni Prakash who was introduced by Anuja Chandramouli in her first book was one I quite liked for his novelty. There are not many books which talk about the Lord of Death from the Hindu mythology – Yama and a handy man for him to clean up the souls from the earth was a unique creation. The first volume left a lot of questions unanswered : why does the boss not arrive at even the direst situations to get his employee through was the biggest one. This still does not get answered in the second volume in the series as the boss appears only in a mythological side story and not in the plot proper. Taking a cue from the first outing, this time around Agni Prakash finds himself in the middle of an even bigger web woven by a stronger antagonist with the apocalypse rushing through the earth like a juggernaut. The plot is about a hero quest and pain, hardships and sacrifices that Agni ends up making to see the quest through its bitter end.
The unkempt lieutenant of Yama finds himself being warned by an unlikely messenger that the end is nigh and the one who shall wreak havoc upon the earth would be a witch named Nayima. The sorceress with her army of demons and lyncanthropes soon arrive like locusts and wipe out every human stronghold. While this seems simplistic enough, the sorceress hides some secrets and Agni is tasked with turning things around before annihilation becomes absolute. He does get some help from allies – old and new and how he goes around with this mission impossible makes up the whole story. The gore factor is pretty high in the story, the apocalypse as brought about by the witch is a brutal one and the humans have no chance against it. The narrative structure is quite similar to the first volume where one chapter of Agni’s adventure is interspersed with a portion from his dead twin’s diary which tells us about the mythological background to what happened within the household of Yama. The characters created by Anuja are quite unique and there are very few humans among them. While some of the names ended up confusing me, I would certainly want to read more stories set in these landscapes.
Maybe it was just me but I felt that the story ended rather abruptly. The post-apocalyptic earth could have been explored a bit more in detail and yet it all ended before that could happen. A lot happens over the final 50 pages of the book and then the scene shifts rather smoothly to a totally different landscape. I know this sounds rather evasive a set of lines but I cannot go into further detail without spoiling the whole plot.
This is not a standalone volume and needs to be read in conjunction with Anuja’s earlier work – Yama’s Lieutenant for you to make sense of the characters and their backgrounds. The deep dive into mythology and the ambiance are solid while the plot as such gave me a feel of having been through this earlier. Recommended !
The character of Agni Prakash who was introduced by Anuja Chandramouli in her first book was one I quite liked for his novelty. There are not many books which talk about the Lord of Death from the Hindu mythology – Yama and a handy man for him to clean up the souls from the earth was a unique creation. The first volume left a lot of questions unanswered : why does the boss not arrive at even the direst situations to get his employee through was the biggest one. This still does not get answered in the second volume in the series as the boss appears only in a mythological side story and not in the plot proper. Taking a cue from the first outing, this time around Agni Prakash finds himself in the middle of an even bigger web woven by a stronger antagonist with the apocalypse rushing through the earth like a juggernaut. The plot is about a hero quest and pain, hardships and sacrifices that Agni ends up making to see the quest through its bitter end.
The unkempt lieutenant of Yama finds himself being warned by an unlikely messenger that the end is nigh and the one who shall wreak havoc upon the earth would be a witch named Nayima. The sorceress with her army of demons and lyncanthropes soon arrive like locusts and wipe out every human stronghold. While this seems simplistic enough, the sorceress hides some secrets and Agni is tasked with turning things around before annihilation becomes absolute. He does get some help from allies – old and new and how he goes around with this mission impossible makes up the whole story. The gore factor is pretty high in the story, the apocalypse as brought about by the witch is a brutal one and the humans have no chance against it. The narrative structure is quite similar to the first volume where one chapter of Agni’s adventure is interspersed with a portion from his dead twin’s diary which tells us about the mythological background to what happened within the household of Yama. The characters created by Anuja are quite unique and there are very few humans among them. While some of the names ended up confusing me, I would certainly want to read more stories set in these landscapes.
Maybe it was just me but I felt that the story ended rather abruptly. The post-apocalyptic earth could have been explored a bit more in detail and yet it all ended before that could happen. A lot happens over the final 50 pages of the book and then the scene shifts rather smoothly to a totally different landscape. I know this sounds rather evasive a set of lines but I cannot go into further detail without spoiling the whole plot.
This is not a standalone volume and needs to be read in conjunction with Anuja’s earlier work – Yama’s Lieutenant for you to make sense of the characters and their backgrounds. The deep dive into mythology and the ambiance are solid while the plot as such gave me a feel of having been through this earlier. Recommended !
May 30, 2018
A young-adult fantasy with a healthy dose of Hindu mythology imbued in the narrative. I read it pretty slow, because sometimes the story didn't catch up to my liking. But, I read it and, it was an adventure for me. There were some standard fantasy tropes at work here, and I wish it was altered a little, so that it might feel more relatable. But, it's a issue which I hope will be rectified.
Anuja's worldbuilding is very strong. She describes the surreal atmosphere of Yama's Hell and other otherworldly realms. She engages in beautiful and macabre depictions, and skillfully captures the elements of horror and awe. There is magic, time-travel, shape-shifting monsters, a genocidal witch, and a group of unlikely heroes. The story is all familiar, a power-hungry witch tries to end the world and rebuild it in her own image of a perfect Utopia, and the struggle of our heroes to stop her.
Anuja's characterisation is upto the point. I liked Agni Prakash, the chief protagonist who is conflicted and doubtful, but has a good heart. We are introfuced to him coming into terms at the loss of his twin sister, and also at the same time carrying his missions as Yama's Lieutenant disposing of evil demons and monsters. The two female characters Mino, and Dharami was great as well. And, I wanted them to play a more greater part in the game, but their roles were limited to a few scenes. I liked the way the author has developed the chemistry between the characters, the sense of a subtle romance and a deep bond of friendship which makes them strong as well as vulnerable with their powers. I hope that Anuja writes a standalone novel on Zaurya, the undefeated one where his life and wars are explored.
At times the novel was a little sluggish, but, it also pushed the story when required. We're provided insight into the consort of Yama Dhumorna, and her story is a poignant one. There is a significant twist at the end of the story, which will make the reader a little emotional. It is a story about choices and consequences, and the destiny that awaits us in the varied threads of fate.
I liked Anuja's writing, which is descriptive and opulent at times. The book is targeted at a younger audience, but, the themes tackled are problematic. The good and evil has a grey area here, which I personally like. I'm conflicted wheter to give this a 4 or a 3 star rating...But, it feels good to say that I enjoyed reading it.
Anuja's worldbuilding is very strong. She describes the surreal atmosphere of Yama's Hell and other otherworldly realms. She engages in beautiful and macabre depictions, and skillfully captures the elements of horror and awe. There is magic, time-travel, shape-shifting monsters, a genocidal witch, and a group of unlikely heroes. The story is all familiar, a power-hungry witch tries to end the world and rebuild it in her own image of a perfect Utopia, and the struggle of our heroes to stop her.
Anuja's characterisation is upto the point. I liked Agni Prakash, the chief protagonist who is conflicted and doubtful, but has a good heart. We are introfuced to him coming into terms at the loss of his twin sister, and also at the same time carrying his missions as Yama's Lieutenant disposing of evil demons and monsters. The two female characters Mino, and Dharami was great as well. And, I wanted them to play a more greater part in the game, but their roles were limited to a few scenes. I liked the way the author has developed the chemistry between the characters, the sense of a subtle romance and a deep bond of friendship which makes them strong as well as vulnerable with their powers. I hope that Anuja writes a standalone novel on Zaurya, the undefeated one where his life and wars are explored.
At times the novel was a little sluggish, but, it also pushed the story when required. We're provided insight into the consort of Yama Dhumorna, and her story is a poignant one. There is a significant twist at the end of the story, which will make the reader a little emotional. It is a story about choices and consequences, and the destiny that awaits us in the varied threads of fate.
I liked Anuja's writing, which is descriptive and opulent at times. The book is targeted at a younger audience, but, the themes tackled are problematic. The good and evil has a grey area here, which I personally like. I'm conflicted wheter to give this a 4 or a 3 star rating...But, it feels good to say that I enjoyed reading it.
August 8, 2017
August has been kind to me till now, and I received another brilliant book to review recently, Yama's Lieutenant and the Stone Witch by Anuja Chandramouli. I've been introduced to Anuja Chandramouli via Shakti which is another good read. But with Yama's Lieutenant and the Stone Witch, Chandramouli has now established herself as the top mytho-fiction writer for me. Though I was mentally smacking myself for not reading Yama's Lieutenant previously, a friend was kind enough to share the previous plot with me.
Yama's Lieutenant and the Stone Witch revolves around Yama's trusted Lieutenant Agni Prakash, who has been ordered to eradicate Nayima. In the prequel, we can read about Yama fighting with Necromancer Naganara. During all this chaos, his heart still pines for his sister Varu, who has now left Agni with her most prized possession, her thoughts in a notebook which guides Agni Prakash during darkest of times.
Book Review: Shakti by Anuja Chandramouli
Now Agni Prakash has been asked to track and fight with a stone witch called Nayima who wants to destroy the world and make a new world for herself. She is using humans and demons to get her work done. On the other hand, Agni needs to find Samayakalas who are the keepers of time and who can reset the clock before Nayima destroys their world. The only problem; Nobody knows who are Samayakalas and finding them is a forbidden task for mortals and immortals alike.
Helping Yama's Lieutenant are his friends Kritya, Minothi and Dharami. But will all these people be enough to stop the stone witch from achieving what she desires the most?
When I started reading the Yama's Lieutenant and the Stone Witch, I was a bit dazed because I haven't read the prequel. After 50 pages, I took a break and called my friend from whom I took a brief on the first part. That call really helped me out and made this book damn interesting and engaging for me. The detailed description of Nayima's past, Agni Prakash's pain spells, the stone witch's evil intentions were really intriguing and kept me hooked to this book till the end.
Another striking thing that I liked about the book was reading about Tale of Yama and his personal life including the thousands hell. It was something new for me, something I haven't read before from any other author and acted like a plus point for Yama's Lieutenant and the Stone Witch.
The language of the Yama's Lieutenant and the Stone Witch was a bit tricky to decipher because I am not used to that kind of high end language. Honestly, it may turn off a reader's mind in the beginning itself regarding the plot and essence of the book. Also, do not expect to just skim through the book, you won't be able to interpret or understand. In simple lines, Yama's Lieutenant and the Stone Wich requires patience and understanding majorly.
I think apart from this, I absolutely loved the book. It had delicious twists, brilliant storyline and something new for my curious mind. So make sure you grab a copy if you're looking for some brilliant mytho-fiction this month.
Yama's Lieutenant and the Stone Witch revolves around Yama's trusted Lieutenant Agni Prakash, who has been ordered to eradicate Nayima. In the prequel, we can read about Yama fighting with Necromancer Naganara. During all this chaos, his heart still pines for his sister Varu, who has now left Agni with her most prized possession, her thoughts in a notebook which guides Agni Prakash during darkest of times.
Book Review: Shakti by Anuja Chandramouli
Now Agni Prakash has been asked to track and fight with a stone witch called Nayima who wants to destroy the world and make a new world for herself. She is using humans and demons to get her work done. On the other hand, Agni needs to find Samayakalas who are the keepers of time and who can reset the clock before Nayima destroys their world. The only problem; Nobody knows who are Samayakalas and finding them is a forbidden task for mortals and immortals alike.
Helping Yama's Lieutenant are his friends Kritya, Minothi and Dharami. But will all these people be enough to stop the stone witch from achieving what she desires the most?
When I started reading the Yama's Lieutenant and the Stone Witch, I was a bit dazed because I haven't read the prequel. After 50 pages, I took a break and called my friend from whom I took a brief on the first part. That call really helped me out and made this book damn interesting and engaging for me. The detailed description of Nayima's past, Agni Prakash's pain spells, the stone witch's evil intentions were really intriguing and kept me hooked to this book till the end.
Another striking thing that I liked about the book was reading about Tale of Yama and his personal life including the thousands hell. It was something new for me, something I haven't read before from any other author and acted like a plus point for Yama's Lieutenant and the Stone Witch.
The language of the Yama's Lieutenant and the Stone Witch was a bit tricky to decipher because I am not used to that kind of high end language. Honestly, it may turn off a reader's mind in the beginning itself regarding the plot and essence of the book. Also, do not expect to just skim through the book, you won't be able to interpret or understand. In simple lines, Yama's Lieutenant and the Stone Wich requires patience and understanding majorly.
I think apart from this, I absolutely loved the book. It had delicious twists, brilliant storyline and something new for my curious mind. So make sure you grab a copy if you're looking for some brilliant mytho-fiction this month.
September 14, 2017
I haven't read the first part. Hence as far as the story is concerned, I had so many unknown characters revealed in almost every page in the first half. And as each character comes out, I got to know them without any prejudices whatsoever. I believed all of them to be naïve and wow, that's was quite an interesting thing in reading second part without actually reading the first one.
What a pick up the book has! The author took me by surprise with her powerful narration and her language is so stylish. I was slowly absorbed in her elegant writing style. Dark humored and flavored with philosophical particles, it is so beautiful. Enhanced the experience of reading this gripping plot. I very much enjoyed how well she connected the two worlds.
The characters of this book deserve a special mention here. They are complex and sometimes they get very dark that you cannot fathom to such a depth. The hero is so naïve and lovable. This book made me want to read more of the author's works. Will probably pick up the first part soon and come back again to this for its literature pleasure.
What a pick up the book has! The author took me by surprise with her powerful narration and her language is so stylish. I was slowly absorbed in her elegant writing style. Dark humored and flavored with philosophical particles, it is so beautiful. Enhanced the experience of reading this gripping plot. I very much enjoyed how well she connected the two worlds.
The characters of this book deserve a special mention here. They are complex and sometimes they get very dark that you cannot fathom to such a depth. The hero is so naïve and lovable. This book made me want to read more of the author's works. Will probably pick up the first part soon and come back again to this for its literature pleasure.
September 15, 2017
Firstly My thanks to the author and the publisher for a review copy of the book.
The story like its first part is centered around Agni Prakash who has been provided with Yama's weapons in order to eradicate evil from the earth. The story goes on through the manuscript provided by Agni's sister Varu as new words keep appearing in the book to lead Agni forward. The opponent in this part is a Witch trying to cleanse up the world of the unworthy and create a new one as per her wishes and desires consisting of only the strong and worthy. The job Agni is entrusted is to stop the witch and save mankind.
While still grappling with his inner demons about losing his sister in the first part Agni continues his journey to find and eradicate evil and in the process is met by Chief of the Kimkaras who have been mercilessly killed by the witch. He asks for Agni to find out the samaykalas and ask them to send him back in time to stop the witch from becoming what she is today and in the process stop the apocalypse from ever happening. The only problem is no one knows where samaykalas are or how to find them and not only is it forbidden to meet them but the one who meets them has to suffer a terrible fate worse than death. In this seemingly impossible task Agni is joined by his friends Dharami the land spirit, Minothi a kritya who help him get through his difficult times and save his life so that he can complete the job that he has been entrusted.
The book runs Nayima's (the stone witch) and Yama's consort's (Dhumorna) story in parallel to show how the former unleashed her beasts on the world and why Dhumorna ended up the way she was in the first book. The story then takes a sudden turn when Agni and his friends are captured by Nayima who tortures them using different mechanisms to make them amenable to her cause and how they resist and move forward with the task entrusted to them bearing in mind the sacrifices that must be made in order to fulfill the task.
The story although not very gripping is a good read. The script is kept simple and one does not constantly need to go back in the back to remember what had happened earlier when the plots change. The characters have been well described and play an equally important role in the book which prevents them from becoming obsolete all the while keeping the story concentrated on Agni Prakash. The book becomes surprisingly graphic in some parts where the author has managed to put in very accurate descriptions of the act being performed. One innovative thing that I liked about the book was the naming of the characters. Some characters are literally the embodiment of their names. It also gives you a look into Yama's world which is also a first in books.
The book has really long chapters which make it difficult to read at some point. The story doesn't keep pace with the change of chapters and big changes are far and few in the book. The ending of the story is sort of a let down which makes the entire journey till the end seem like a big task with a small output in the end. The story is tightly made with not too many variations from the story line and little or no action at many points which leads to dropping in excitement levels making it difficult to go on.
All in all the book is a good read if you fancy mythology and are a fan of strong action.
The story like its first part is centered around Agni Prakash who has been provided with Yama's weapons in order to eradicate evil from the earth. The story goes on through the manuscript provided by Agni's sister Varu as new words keep appearing in the book to lead Agni forward. The opponent in this part is a Witch trying to cleanse up the world of the unworthy and create a new one as per her wishes and desires consisting of only the strong and worthy. The job Agni is entrusted is to stop the witch and save mankind.
While still grappling with his inner demons about losing his sister in the first part Agni continues his journey to find and eradicate evil and in the process is met by Chief of the Kimkaras who have been mercilessly killed by the witch. He asks for Agni to find out the samaykalas and ask them to send him back in time to stop the witch from becoming what she is today and in the process stop the apocalypse from ever happening. The only problem is no one knows where samaykalas are or how to find them and not only is it forbidden to meet them but the one who meets them has to suffer a terrible fate worse than death. In this seemingly impossible task Agni is joined by his friends Dharami the land spirit, Minothi a kritya who help him get through his difficult times and save his life so that he can complete the job that he has been entrusted.
The book runs Nayima's (the stone witch) and Yama's consort's (Dhumorna) story in parallel to show how the former unleashed her beasts on the world and why Dhumorna ended up the way she was in the first book. The story then takes a sudden turn when Agni and his friends are captured by Nayima who tortures them using different mechanisms to make them amenable to her cause and how they resist and move forward with the task entrusted to them bearing in mind the sacrifices that must be made in order to fulfill the task.
The story although not very gripping is a good read. The script is kept simple and one does not constantly need to go back in the back to remember what had happened earlier when the plots change. The characters have been well described and play an equally important role in the book which prevents them from becoming obsolete all the while keeping the story concentrated on Agni Prakash. The book becomes surprisingly graphic in some parts where the author has managed to put in very accurate descriptions of the act being performed. One innovative thing that I liked about the book was the naming of the characters. Some characters are literally the embodiment of their names. It also gives you a look into Yama's world which is also a first in books.
The book has really long chapters which make it difficult to read at some point. The story doesn't keep pace with the change of chapters and big changes are far and few in the book. The ending of the story is sort of a let down which makes the entire journey till the end seem like a big task with a small output in the end. The story is tightly made with not too many variations from the story line and little or no action at many points which leads to dropping in excitement levels making it difficult to go on.
All in all the book is a good read if you fancy mythology and are a fan of strong action.
December 15, 2017
One of the best I have read.
July 31, 2017
Go for this book.
Simply loved the work. I had read Yama's Lieutenant a few months back.I should say this book, the sequel of Yama's Lieutenant just got better.
Agni Prakash, the hero, or you could say the super hero is again on an adventure to rescue or rather save the world from the "evil". If you have read the prequel, then you would be familiar with some of Agni's friends. But don't worry, the author has taken care to reintroduce the characters for the new readers. The author has also introduced a few new characters which makes the book very moving. Its surely a page turner.
I found it difficult to put it down and read it in one go.
Every kind of emotion is available in this book. Right from happiness, pain, sorrow, and touch of humor here and there. I loved the appropriate words used and its a repertoire of vocabulary. The author has given a multi-dimensional twist to the mythology to blend with the thought process of the today's generation. I believe there is Agini prakash lying dormant in each one of us. All that we require is the courage to fight for the cause.
If you have read the first book, then grab this sequel. Its interesting. If you have not read the first one, I suggest you buy both the copies.
Simply loved the work. I had read Yama's Lieutenant a few months back.I should say this book, the sequel of Yama's Lieutenant just got better.
Agni Prakash, the hero, or you could say the super hero is again on an adventure to rescue or rather save the world from the "evil". If you have read the prequel, then you would be familiar with some of Agni's friends. But don't worry, the author has taken care to reintroduce the characters for the new readers. The author has also introduced a few new characters which makes the book very moving. Its surely a page turner.
I found it difficult to put it down and read it in one go.
Every kind of emotion is available in this book. Right from happiness, pain, sorrow, and touch of humor here and there. I loved the appropriate words used and its a repertoire of vocabulary. The author has given a multi-dimensional twist to the mythology to blend with the thought process of the today's generation. I believe there is Agini prakash lying dormant in each one of us. All that we require is the courage to fight for the cause.
If you have read the first book, then grab this sequel. Its interesting. If you have not read the first one, I suggest you buy both the copies.
December 18, 2017
A story about the 3 worlds, Heaven Hell and Earth. Twin God/Goddess Yama and Yami are a big part of the story, their parents and those around them suspect they are closer then a brother and sister should be, the male being Bi sexual.
The story also revolves around another set of twins, Agni and Varu .Agni is Yama's Lieutenant, he does her bidding, to kill, or whatever the task may be. Agni is in love with the goddess.
Agni fights and kills Demons, I think the goddess may be a little evil.
Agni travels between world. I liked the story nut unfortunately it was very hard for me to follow with a copyright slapped over the front of every page. It was very frustrating , so I don't evn know if my rating did it justice, to read it I had to use audio, and then the copyright was read outloud between every page, ruining my concentration. It could be a 5 star book, but I will never know, and I will never review another book with one imprinted on it. It was frustrating.
The story also revolves around another set of twins, Agni and Varu .Agni is Yama's Lieutenant, he does her bidding, to kill, or whatever the task may be. Agni is in love with the goddess.
Agni fights and kills Demons, I think the goddess may be a little evil.
Agni travels between world. I liked the story nut unfortunately it was very hard for me to follow with a copyright slapped over the front of every page. It was very frustrating , so I don't evn know if my rating did it justice, to read it I had to use audio, and then the copyright was read outloud between every page, ruining my concentration. It could be a 5 star book, but I will never know, and I will never review another book with one imprinted on it. It was frustrating.
July 27, 2017
Special Thanks to The Author for sending Me this book to me
(grateful Again for this chance )
In the second installment of Yama' s Lieutenant,
We travel through the new adventures of Agni Prakash and the task which he wields So
Yama's Lieutenant as per guided by The silver goddess and his very own old friends.
New Pov are introduced according to Time and
Ofcourse Varu's Diary continues to guide Agni throughout the war which is about to happen. Agni's needs to decide around his fate and his friends fate to fight with the scary stone witch who is doing unhumanly task of killing people weak and deceased.
After killing the Beloved Necromancer the fear around Agni's world hadn't yet ended as professed by The Silver Godesss.
Agni and his friends are still around the danger that is threatening around his Mother Earth.
Yet here, Murders are happening in the wick of the Time.
Agni has the task of finding Samayakalas so as to change deeds as the Samayakalas deal with the time.
In this book new characters are introduced and the older characters are also reintroduced and there tasks , that makes ease for the reader to understand that the author wants the reader to seep in this story by not letting them forget what the previous book contained of
and lest i found the new characters both enticing and both overwhelming .
While reading the plots change and about the changed plots , the writing is so improvised it makes us go crazy with the upcoming threats and the war in front of Agni and his friends
and Agni still remains the same kind hero we ought to search in ourselves and yet are unable to find.
3.8 Stars
My most favourite thing is about naming the characters according to our senses like the mythological words about pain, sorrow , happiness and wicked things.
The book in the book part again seeps into and wins my heart as we again get to enter into the world of Yama.
The author's love to mythology makes me want to read more of like this in future. Although this time the readers get to look at the deeper dark side of Yama and his deathly abode and why his abode is called thousand times treacherous.
The price Agni's pays is beyond the usual sacrifices any Human could think of probably
and he wants to be dead for that but he is readying himself to take revenge for the undeadly taks performed by the Stone witch Killing machines .
It is a must read for 2017 and a perfect book to dive when in doubt of finding your next quick read.
Mythological re-tellings like this would surely loved and nurtured to pass on to the Future
(grateful Again for this chance )
In the second installment of Yama' s Lieutenant,
We travel through the new adventures of Agni Prakash and the task which he wields So
Yama's Lieutenant as per guided by The silver goddess and his very own old friends.
New Pov are introduced according to Time and
Ofcourse Varu's Diary continues to guide Agni throughout the war which is about to happen. Agni's needs to decide around his fate and his friends fate to fight with the scary stone witch who is doing unhumanly task of killing people weak and deceased.
After killing the Beloved Necromancer the fear around Agni's world hadn't yet ended as professed by The Silver Godesss.
Agni and his friends are still around the danger that is threatening around his Mother Earth.
Yet here, Murders are happening in the wick of the Time.
Agni has the task of finding Samayakalas so as to change deeds as the Samayakalas deal with the time.
In this book new characters are introduced and the older characters are also reintroduced and there tasks , that makes ease for the reader to understand that the author wants the reader to seep in this story by not letting them forget what the previous book contained of
and lest i found the new characters both enticing and both overwhelming .
While reading the plots change and about the changed plots , the writing is so improvised it makes us go crazy with the upcoming threats and the war in front of Agni and his friends
and Agni still remains the same kind hero we ought to search in ourselves and yet are unable to find.
3.8 Stars
My most favourite thing is about naming the characters according to our senses like the mythological words about pain, sorrow , happiness and wicked things.
The book in the book part again seeps into and wins my heart as we again get to enter into the world of Yama.
The author's love to mythology makes me want to read more of like this in future. Although this time the readers get to look at the deeper dark side of Yama and his deathly abode and why his abode is called thousand times treacherous.
The price Agni's pays is beyond the usual sacrifices any Human could think of probably
and he wants to be dead for that but he is readying himself to take revenge for the undeadly taks performed by the Stone witch Killing machines .
It is a must read for 2017 and a perfect book to dive when in doubt of finding your next quick read.
Mythological re-tellings like this would surely loved and nurtured to pass on to the Future
August 3, 2024
It got a 5 stars as the story was really interesting... but i feel like the ending was kind of hastened and the deaths were very unexpected. I thoroughly enjoyed it anyway, so it doesn't matter. Definitely recommended.
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