Courtesy of Westland Ltd. Publisher of the Shiva Trilogy

Tripathi has created a story around one of the most revered gods in Hindu mythology - Lord Shiva, who is portrayed as a simple human being – and who, by the end of the series becomes a friend to the readers because they can identify with his humanity.

The characters in the series are semi-based on true mythological figures, with twists on what these characters may have been like as mere mortals. The trilogy focuses on religion, truth and the constant battle between the good and evil. The language of the books is modern, everyday and very simple English, which makes it easy for any reader to relate to.

The entire series engages the reader in such a way that one cannot help but get involved with Shiva and Sati’s entourage as they set sail on their quest to banish all evil.

Courtesy of Westland Ltd. Publisher of the Shiva Trilogy

The first book, ‘The Immortals of Meluha’, begins with introducing Shiva, who has been portrayed as a Tibetan Barbarian hailing from the warrior tribe (known in the book as the Gunas). He arrives in the fictional city of Meluha on the request of  King Daksha, whose land has been faced by terrorist attacks from the Chandravanshi tribe which he believes has allied with the Nagas – considered a lowly race - anyone from Meluha with a physical deformity is sent to be a Naga. While in Meluha, Shiva is recognized as the Neelkanth – an incarnation of the Mahadev, after he drinks the Somras – a healing potion, which makes his throat turns blue.

Then follows the love story of Sati, daughter of King Daksha, and Shiva, which is undoubtedly one of my favorite parts in the entire series. Sati is a ‘Vikarma’ – an untouchable – and when she rejects Shiva’s advances, he challenges the law of Vikrama. In the book the word denotes an ‘untouchable’ who has to suffer in the present life due to the actions performed in the previous life.

Courtesy of Westland Ltd. Publisher of the Shiva Trilogy

In the second book the ‘Secret of the Nagas’, Shiva plays the role of being the savior who has left his homeland to fight evil. He and Sati are happily married. Along this path, Shiva learns that the Nagas are not evil, and that he had misjudged. The story explains how he realizes that metaphorically, a book cannot be judged by its cover. The cover of the book shows Shiva holding a snake which symbolizes evil, which he thought the Nagas represented. Evil is finally revealed in the third book, ‘The Oath of the Vayuputras’. 

Shiva takes it upon himself to fight against the fiercest of warriors, thereby leading the people away from what they believed to be good. And then, well, you can guess how it all ends!

The series encapsulates the author’s imagination into an ordered, comprehensible melodrama that is both absurd and yet rings true. It also brings to light certain key topics like loyalty, companionship and the battle to banish evil from our minds.