The Dawn at Dusk by Sandeep NayyarMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Whats more, the courier service delivered the book on 16th May, my birthday, which made me even more delighted to get the book.
Now coming to the review of the book, this is a historical fiction. The time period is post-Vedic era. A rough sketch-map of India is also given at the last page of the book for reference purpose. The story is very engaging right from the beginning. Two parallel stories go on from the beginning and at the end, the author beautifully merges the two. There's the strong female protagonist of the story, Shatvari, who dares to defy the societal norms of her time and go by her own decision. Readers are bound to fall in love with the character of Shatvari. Then there is Mekal king Neel, a brave warrior, who won the hands of the beautiful princess Pallavi, but then refused to marry her. This character, with his bravery, honesty and intelligence, will surely etch a mark in the readers mind. The novel being a historical fiction, clearly shows the meticulous research done by the author on the socio-political conditions, customs, rituals etc. of that time. All the characters are described vividly. Like when the author describes the scene when princess Pallavi emerges from the boat, the description is so vivid that it seems to be happening right in front of my eyes, in a giant movie screen. The description of the scenes of war has also been done with remarkable clarity. The story is fast-paced and captures readers attention from the very beginning. Though it's a novel of 238 pages, the twists and turns of the plot sustain the curiosity of the readers till the last page. It was a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience for me. The story is so engrossing that it drifted me away to an era bygone, an era when kings, princes, princesses, sages and warriors inhabited our country.
Lastly, I would like to share some quotes from the book which I found worth-remembering:
"Even gods can't foretell anybody's future. You yourself write your future by your present karma. Whatever you sow in the wide arable land of events today, you will have to reap their harvest tomorrow."
"The Vedic philosophy... ...believes the universe as a manifestation of Brahma. They are one and the same. Hence, the universe is as joyful and ecstatic as the Brahma. Life is like an eternal festival."
"...one has to fill his inner void himself. More we try to fill it with the help of someone else the bigger it becomes, because everyone of us is carrying the same void within. We need to fulfil ourselves by finding our purpose in life and accomplishing it by our own deeds."
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