Fusion of mythology with fiction is never an easy task. And when the epic in question is the Mahabharata, the challenge assumes complex proportions. Replete with characters of varying shades of virtues, skills and diabolic intent, the epic provides ample scope for creative flights of imagination by a writer imbued with the necessary skills. While the exploits of the Pandavas, or the shenanigans of the Kaurava clan are well known and talked about, the story of Karna has remained underplayed in most discourses on the epic. It takes clever thinking to seize upon this aspect as the fulcrum of the book, and to weave it into a fictional masterpiece with subtle deviations from the script of the Mahabharata available in the public domain. Sayantan’s dexterous handling of the subject, with all the skills of a storyteller par excellence, has produced a gem which is not only gripping in its style, but also thought provoking in content.
– Arvind Menon, Editor and Critic
About the Author
Sayantan Gupta, is a Gynaecologist in Malda, West Bengal. Writing is his passion. He is very proficient in writing prose, poetry and drama. Some of the dramas he has written have been successfully performed on stage. Till date, his publications include: a short story collection, The Unclaimed Luggage and Other Stories (LiFi Publications), a historical novel, The Abode of Kings (Authorspress), a mythological novel, The Flames Burnt Dark – The Tale of the Aryasura (LiFi Publications); four collections of poems, Where the Rainbow Ends (Power Publishers), Sayantan Gupta’s Poems on Love, Sayantan Gupta’s Poems on Life and Sayantan Gupta’s Poems on Mythology (all by Authorspress). He is also the co-author of a collection of detective stories, Bombcase and Cleo – Detectives Extraordinaire (YS Books International), recently published.