Summary:
It is 326 BC and Alexander, the barbarian king of Macedonia, has descended upon Bharatvarsha with a multi-national horde of Yavanas, Pahlavas, Shakas and Bahlikas.As the invader advances relentlessly and wins bloody battles in quick succession, as local rulers fall over each other to shake hands with the enemy and as the students of Takshashila University break into open revolt, one young man is faced with a terrifying choice, a choice that threatens to tear his carefully constructed world apart. for Aditya is the boy from Pataliputra, the boy who was once a reckless and carefree aristocrat, but who has now been forced to become a man with a purpose to fight for honour and love.
With a sweeping narrative and interesting everyday characters like the smelly old dhaba owner Tanku, Philotas the unlucky Greek soldier, the no-nonsense medical student Radha, Pandi the hard-drinking mercenary and the lovely Devika, the Boy from Pataliputra is the mesmerizing story of a young man’s growth to maturity, but also, equally, a story about the rise of a nation.
Review:
The story revolves around Aditya’s life. The challenges he faced, how he lost his love, meeting new people and how his life totally changed when he leaves Magadha and heads to Takshashila. His growth to maturity, dealing with life’s challenges. He used to live in Magadha with his brother Ajeet who was worried about Aditya’s Future because of his immaturity and bad company. One day Aditya dies in Political dodge. Aditya was sent away from Magadha to face challenges of life by Ajeet’s best friend Navinda. Aditya then meets many new people who become an important part of his life. Pandi, Rishbha, Radha, Tanku and much more.
Well, the book is lil slow but worth a read if you love History. The plot created by the author is clean, narrative and interesting. How mature a person becomes when life challenges them and many things are well described by the author. Description of Characters to great Ruler Alexander waiting to invade Bharatvarsha. From the college life fun to love of his life. everything is written in simple and detailed manner. Use of words like Shreeman, Acharya, Chandals and many more gave historic feeling. It was like imagining every scene that has been written.
Overall it’s a good, interesting read with lots of fun, mystery and battles. If you love reading History this book is definitely for you.not forgetting the beautiful cover of the book which is really attractive describing Aditya’s character. This book was quite different from the genre I read but I loved it.
Author: Rahul Mitra
Publisher: FingerPrint publishers.
Rating: 3.5/5
** I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review**
You can get your copy here.
Blog by Vidhya Thakkar
