Book Excerpt: 'The Timingila' by Shon Mehta

Who is the hero of a story? The one who is brave and honorable, or the one who survives to tell the story?

Which is the more powerful weapon? The one that wins battles, or the one that wins the minds of people?

Set in the ancient land of Jivavarta, 'The Timingila' is the story of Trishala, a weak kingdom at the mercy of its neighbors, and Tasvak, the unwanted child of its king.

When a series of unexpected events put Trishala under a tyrant's control, Tasvak is forced into a web of deception a...