Author: Anuja  Chandramouli 
Release Date: August, 2014
Genre: Mythology | Fantasy | Fiction
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 326
Publisher: Rupa Publications
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon and Flipkart

Blurb

Kamadeva, the charming wielder of the sugarcane bow and the flower-tipped arrows, born out of the wellspring of Brahmas latent passion, has for long remained an enigma. This enthralling story of the God of Desire explores his many wondrous adventures, as well as his heady romance with Rati, his chief consort. Best friends with Indra, the King of the Gods, tutor to the Apsaras in the art of lovemaking, Kamadeva lives a dream life in the magnificent Kingdom of Amaravathi – until danger strikes when he incurs the wrath of Shiva because of a preordained curse. Follow Kama as he hurtles towards his destiny and the Destroyers dreaded third eye. Find out if he will rise from the ashes to reign supreme as the King of Hearts or if he will be doomed to spend an eternity as Ananga – The bodiless one. In Kamadeva – The God of Desire, the author masterfully marries imagination with stellar research to bring to vivid life one of the most intriguing Gods of the Hindu pantheon. Laced with wit and narrated in contemporary flavour, Kamadeva will take you on a rollicking ride into the heart of desire and its tantalizing dark side.

Rating

4half-stars

Review

Plot/Story:

This book is a masterpiece! I really enjoyed reading about the most talked about Indian God (mostly known for Kamasutra) and to know that there is so much more to him than his famous teachings in lovemaking or what we call as sex. I had no clue that he was actually involved in so many famous stories of other Gods that I’ve watched on TV shows on Indian mythology. Inspite of being an atheist I enjoyed this book thoroughly and laughed myself witless. It was one of those reads that’ll leave the reader bubbling with stuff to share with someone after each and every chapter. There is so much more to Kamadeva than the world knows and I really think that each and everyone should read this book (yes, even if you’re not an Indian and have no clue about Indian Gods.) I was really amazed to know that Kamadeva was in fact Krishna’s son. I absolutely enjoyed this re-telling and loved the contemporary take on our otherwise orthodox religious stories. The pace of the book was good and the flow of the story was really good. Even the chapter names were quite interesting. Each and every chapter was well constructed and always ended appropriately. This book was entertaining as well as informative.

Characters:

Though all the characters are from a well established and well researched mythology, Anuja did wonders in making them seem so real and loveable. I really felt a connection with almost all the characters, especially that of Rati. Her jibes made me laugh senseless and I had a wonderful time retelling this story to my husband and mother. The lead character God Kamadeva is shown in his full glory. A lot of people underestimate his personality and upto some extent his powers and it’s usefulness, but this book successfully cleared all my misconceptions about him. After reading about him I’ve actually started feeling that he was far better than more than half of the famous Gods. It’s really weird why Indians don’t worship him like other Gods and quite disgusting that they prefer to name a condom brand after him, who is a God.

Romance:

You kidding me! We are talking about “THE” God of desire… ‘THE’ God of sex and so yea, there was a hell of a lot of romance in this book. Though I’m happy that the author didn’t go in the dirty details of his sex life or for that matter his sex teachings. Though at more than a dozen places, the word “seed really made me laugh my heart out!

Writing:

The writing is a bit complicated and here I’m talking about basic sentence formations. As a lover of ASOIAF series, it was hard to notice that even a book of that level of complexity was written in a very simple language but this one was one hell of a complex bundle of difficult sentences and words. I was siting with my Merriam-Webster the entire time and it was really irritating and yes, it did make my reading experience a tad annoying! Though I guess, the fault here is editor’s (that’s what the editor is for, right?!) Other than this I also found that there were always one sentences where only one was needed. I’m sure a bit of brevity and clarity in sentences would have done wonders for this book. Inspite of these hiccups, I was still absorbed in the story, and for me, that’s really something to consider.

Beginning:

The beginning was so scandalous that it was hard not to be absorbed from the first chapter itself! You need to be a stone to not get intrigued by an “almost” Godly orgy created by none other than the Creator, Brahma! It was more than enough for me to say “WTF!” and dive right into this book. The beginning was really fast-paced and I enjoyed it thoroughly (contrary to the ending.)

Ending:

The ending was a bit of a slog… just a teeny tiny bit, what with the Yadavas getting cursed and killed. As compared to the fast paced beginning and the over all upbeat feel it felt a bit week and to me it seemed a bit too much.

Blurb:

The blurb for this book is perfect. It gives a fair idea about what can be expected from this book is not at all deceiving inane way. I love the lyrical sound of the blurb and it really adds to the overall feel of the book.

Cover Art:

The cover art is pretty simple and bright and I really like the illustration of the God himself. The pink color really stands out and suits as the main theme of the book is the God of desire. It’s really nice. You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: Brahma, the Creator of the Universe, had been known on many an occasion to error a truly grandiose scale. Highlights: Story line. Lowlights: Complicated writing. Final Thoughts: A brilliant read.

Post author:

Heena Rathore P.

My name is Heena and I’m a freelance writer, blogger and a book-reviewer (and soon-to-be author.) I’m an introvert, thinker, neat freak (cleanliness OCD), hardcore idealist, fitness junkie, music fanatic, compulsive reader, self-assertive, opinionated, dog lover and an atheist. The Reading Bud is my brain-child and is a huge part of my life. I love reading and reviewing. What started as a hobby has become my passion. Read more about me here.