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Faith of the Nine
The Third Yuga is slowly drawing to a close. Nam – the greatest Empire on Janani – is going to face some fierce winds of change. Seers foresee omens of death and destruction in the return of the Banished One – A God who will claim the ashes of this world as revenge. While out in the streets, rumours abound - of older forgotten powers stirring.
Caught in this maelstrom of a power struggle between Gods are three ordinary lives: General Fateh, the most celebrated soldier in Nam who starts to question his faith, Ishan – a gifted orphan who struggles to comprehend his destiny and Abhaya – a young monk in search of truths about this world. Their choices and actions will shape the destiny of this scarred world that becomes the playground for vindictive Gods.
In a world where Rakshasas arise out of left-over traces of Maaya and twilight forms the portal to countless worlds around us for Daityas and Yakshis to dance through, a God is only as powerful as those who believe.
And when Gods rise, faith of men will be tested...And broken.
Caught in this maelstrom of a power struggle between Gods are three ordinary lives: General Fateh, the most celebrated soldier in Nam who starts to question his faith, Ishan – a gifted orphan who struggles to comprehend his destiny and Abhaya – a young monk in search of truths about this world. Their choices and actions will shape the destiny of this scarred world that becomes the playground for vindictive Gods.
In a world where Rakshasas arise out of left-over traces of Maaya and twilight forms the portal to countless worlds around us for Daityas and Yakshis to dance through, a God is only as powerful as those who believe.
And when Gods rise, faith of men will be tested...And broken.
357 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2015
About the author
Sachin Dev
1 book42 followersSachin discovered Tolkien in his teens, alternative rock as a new adult and digital marketing in pretty much his late twenties. These still form a large wedge in his circle of life. Travel, radio and theatre have also figured in that ever-expanding and diminishing circle.
On perhaps a more prosaic note, he is an engineer from BITS Pilani and holds an MBA from Indian School of Business. Attribute the love for numbers and pie-charts to this. He is currently based in Bangalore. He pretends to be busy most of the time; Dreaming up fantasy worlds full of monsters. And beautiful Yakshis, of course. He can usually be found ranting on twitter under the handle @xenosach, or you can always stalk him online at www. sachindevt.com
On perhaps a more prosaic note, he is an engineer from BITS Pilani and holds an MBA from Indian School of Business. Attribute the love for numbers and pie-charts to this. He is currently based in Bangalore. He pretends to be busy most of the time; Dreaming up fantasy worlds full of monsters. And beautiful Yakshis, of course. He can usually be found ranting on twitter under the handle @xenosach, or you can always stalk him online at www. sachindevt.com
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 5, 2015
So with Faith of the Nine, I wrote a book that I wanted to read.
As simple as that.
Having read Fantasy for the last fifteen years, this book essentially is my paean to this wonderful genre ( Fantasy) that I will love to the end of lifetime and beyond!
Opener to an epic fantasy series that transports you to a world on the brink of an apocalypse filled with yakshis, rakshasas and ordinary mortals caught in the crossfire between Gods on a war-path. A world that seems at once familiar ( filled with references from ancient Indian mythology and your grandmother’s stories ) and tantalizingly new ( the grim dark shadows of a looming apocalypse !) at the same time.
As simple as that.
Having read Fantasy for the last fifteen years, this book essentially is my paean to this wonderful genre ( Fantasy) that I will love to the end of lifetime and beyond!
Opener to an epic fantasy series that transports you to a world on the brink of an apocalypse filled with yakshis, rakshasas and ordinary mortals caught in the crossfire between Gods on a war-path. A world that seems at once familiar ( filled with references from ancient Indian mythology and your grandmother’s stories ) and tantalizingly new ( the grim dark shadows of a looming apocalypse !) at the same time.
December 1, 2015
One heck of a roller coaster ride at the speed of F-22 Raptor
Congratulations to Author Sachin Dev on his debut Novel and Truth be told , I received this book as a review copy and was readiy game 'cause of its jaw-dropping cover .
It'd been prophesied that , when the Sun will hide & spring will turn into the violet , one of the 10 banished god will come back to avenge himself & his lover leading to turning the existing world into the ashes . And the book launched with ' 123 Tithis to Reckoning ' where the Butcher-of-the-South , who claimed to came down from the hills of Kandhar , wiped the whole village named Anokhee on the southern borders of Namaakhal and hence triggering the chain of events that interleaved with the lives of General Fateh , Ishan and the Abhaya whose actions were bound to shape the destiny of the world .
Book stands out from similar work by Shatrujeet Nath and others by virtue of its superbly developed characters, accomplished prose and sheer bloody-mindedness. Fateh , who'd been portrayed as the commander of the fearsome First of the Cohort Batallion and detest politics , had been called into the capital to oversee a special task but found himself caught into the web of something that may had unbalanced his faith in the Gods . Then its Ishan , who'd been living in the chambers of the Inner council whose inhabitants weren't allowed to walk into the free world & felt as a prisoner living there , took the cover of the rain and slip out of the confines of the Seven . Ishan had been raised by his Nanny-ma after the death of his parents . She's well aware of the true natue & aspect behind the birth of Ishan into the mythic world . And finally the third main protagonist , Abhaya Samanna , a Kwah-seer who was supposed to spend his life's energies in solving the puzzle of the world and in pursuit of knowledge but destiny had wrote something more special and adventurous for him . Beside leading protagonist author had also bolted the side characters like Zohan , Mritunjay , Sanket , Nanny-ma , Ruksar in deatil .
I found the plot quite engrossing and complimentary to the plot is its characterization . Detailing a world where Rakshasas arise out of the left-over traces of Maya and Yakshis who wander in the ghost town at odd hours looking for living souls .
Favourite Moments :
# Tale of the forgiven epochs by Acharya is quite riveting one .
# Gale strom ripped when soldier tried to attack Abhaya
# Bajah's encounter with Ruksar
# Fathe's fight with a Yakshi & the shadows in Anokhee
# Awe-inspiring loyalty of Mrithunjay & Sanket for their leader .
# Description of the Enchanted gardens which protect 'emselves .
# Fateh's journey to Adbudha , Grakki's garden , and back to his own world
Situations :
#While reading I found some loopholes in the story when a stance end up with a chapter but the story of the protagonist continued with some very different context like there was no description of how Zohan , Zafar , Ishan and Abhaya left and seperated from Zohan's uncle's place where they had taken asylum when Imperial Guards are sniffing for them in the whole city .
# A map of the Nam Empire should had been there in the book to understand the geography of the place where the plot's setup .
So ' Faith of the Nine " , debut work of Author Sachin Dev, is a pacy and true blooded Fantasy with a hint of mythology at its core and is highly recommended for Mythology lovers .
Congratulations to Author Sachin Dev on his debut Novel and Truth be told , I received this book as a review copy and was readiy game 'cause of its jaw-dropping cover .
It'd been prophesied that , when the Sun will hide & spring will turn into the violet , one of the 10 banished god will come back to avenge himself & his lover leading to turning the existing world into the ashes . And the book launched with ' 123 Tithis to Reckoning ' where the Butcher-of-the-South , who claimed to came down from the hills of Kandhar , wiped the whole village named Anokhee on the southern borders of Namaakhal and hence triggering the chain of events that interleaved with the lives of General Fateh , Ishan and the Abhaya whose actions were bound to shape the destiny of the world .
Book stands out from similar work by Shatrujeet Nath and others by virtue of its superbly developed characters, accomplished prose and sheer bloody-mindedness. Fateh , who'd been portrayed as the commander of the fearsome First of the Cohort Batallion and detest politics , had been called into the capital to oversee a special task but found himself caught into the web of something that may had unbalanced his faith in the Gods . Then its Ishan , who'd been living in the chambers of the Inner council whose inhabitants weren't allowed to walk into the free world & felt as a prisoner living there , took the cover of the rain and slip out of the confines of the Seven . Ishan had been raised by his Nanny-ma after the death of his parents . She's well aware of the true natue & aspect behind the birth of Ishan into the mythic world . And finally the third main protagonist , Abhaya Samanna , a Kwah-seer who was supposed to spend his life's energies in solving the puzzle of the world and in pursuit of knowledge but destiny had wrote something more special and adventurous for him . Beside leading protagonist author had also bolted the side characters like Zohan , Mritunjay , Sanket , Nanny-ma , Ruksar in deatil .
I found the plot quite engrossing and complimentary to the plot is its characterization . Detailing a world where Rakshasas arise out of the left-over traces of Maya and Yakshis who wander in the ghost town at odd hours looking for living souls .
Favourite Moments :
# Tale of the forgiven epochs by Acharya is quite riveting one .
# Gale strom ripped when soldier tried to attack Abhaya
# Bajah's encounter with Ruksar
# Fathe's fight with a Yakshi & the shadows in Anokhee
# Awe-inspiring loyalty of Mrithunjay & Sanket for their leader .
# Description of the Enchanted gardens which protect 'emselves .
# Fateh's journey to Adbudha , Grakki's garden , and back to his own world
Situations :
#While reading I found some loopholes in the story when a stance end up with a chapter but the story of the protagonist continued with some very different context like there was no description of how Zohan , Zafar , Ishan and Abhaya left and seperated from Zohan's uncle's place where they had taken asylum when Imperial Guards are sniffing for them in the whole city .
# A map of the Nam Empire should had been there in the book to understand the geography of the place where the plot's setup .
So ' Faith of the Nine " , debut work of Author Sachin Dev, is a pacy and true blooded Fantasy with a hint of mythology at its core and is highly recommended for Mythology lovers .
December 30, 2015
Having read a ton of fantasy fiction, I have been waiting a long time for a fantasy series to come out of India that draws me in the same way like the biggies like GRRM and Sanderson do. I am delighted that I finally found one in “Faith of the Nine”!
Faith of the Nine has everything that I look for in a great fantasy book – strong character development, an overarching mystery and magic used in the right amounts – not too much, not too less. But most of all, I look for a mythology behind the story we are being taken through right now and this is where Faith of the Nine comes out shining. It builds a robust mythology that casts its shadow over current events in this novel and will undoubtedly play an ever-increasing part in the subsequent books. I found the mythology itself to be fascinating because it manages to walk the fine line between being influenced by traditional Indian myth and directly repeating it(which in my opinion, way too many Indian fantasy books do).
If I had to quibble, I would mention a couple of things that I think would have made the book even better. The first one would be that I felt there could have been a few more secondary characters, who could have served the purpose of being in the gray area, as a majority of the characters in the book right now seem to be coming down explicitly on the side of good or evil. Second quibble is the handling of female characters – I felt that while women certainly appear in and indeed, control some scenes, they could overall have had a more prominent role in the book. The only silver lining to this was that this book was (very refreshingly) not weighed down by hackneyed romantic subplots, which ruin too many fantasy books, in my opinion. I am very glad that the author has not fallen victim to the inexplicable urge of pairing all the central characters off that most fantasy authors seem to have.
To summarize, I would just say that this book took hold of me at the first page and didn't let go till the end. The book itself is relatively short, so it was a quick read and it definitely left me asking for more. I am eagerly awaiting the release of the next book in the series!
Faith of the Nine has everything that I look for in a great fantasy book – strong character development, an overarching mystery and magic used in the right amounts – not too much, not too less. But most of all, I look for a mythology behind the story we are being taken through right now and this is where Faith of the Nine comes out shining. It builds a robust mythology that casts its shadow over current events in this novel and will undoubtedly play an ever-increasing part in the subsequent books. I found the mythology itself to be fascinating because it manages to walk the fine line between being influenced by traditional Indian myth and directly repeating it(which in my opinion, way too many Indian fantasy books do).
If I had to quibble, I would mention a couple of things that I think would have made the book even better. The first one would be that I felt there could have been a few more secondary characters, who could have served the purpose of being in the gray area, as a majority of the characters in the book right now seem to be coming down explicitly on the side of good or evil. Second quibble is the handling of female characters – I felt that while women certainly appear in and indeed, control some scenes, they could overall have had a more prominent role in the book. The only silver lining to this was that this book was (very refreshingly) not weighed down by hackneyed romantic subplots, which ruin too many fantasy books, in my opinion. I am very glad that the author has not fallen victim to the inexplicable urge of pairing all the central characters off that most fantasy authors seem to have.
To summarize, I would just say that this book took hold of me at the first page and didn't let go till the end. The book itself is relatively short, so it was a quick read and it definitely left me asking for more. I am eagerly awaiting the release of the next book in the series!
November 4, 2016
Have been a fantasy buff for as long as I can remember now and in the past few years it has been entertaining to see this genre pick steam with Indian authors; although every "fantasy" book by an Indian author that I have enjoyed was a retelling of the epics or heavily based on Indian mythology.
Which brings me to Faith of the Nine. This is the first book I have read in the fantasy genre written by an Indian author, rooted in an Indian setting and most importantly, an original work that is not a retelling of the epics. Sachin Dev has hit paydirt on his very first book. I picked this book right after I finished Elantris by Sanderson and didn't want to put it down till I finished it.
Sachin builds a enchanting world. Along the way you pause to smell that pleasant whiff of familiarity from all the stories your grandmother told you as yakshis and rakshashas once again make their appearance. I found it delightful. The magic is perfect and created with a lot of thought. The language is rich and colorful and nothing felt forced or out of place. The characters are brilliantly carved out and in somewhat of a first for me, I didn't have a least favorite character. I was invested equally in all the three main characters and didn't have to turn pages faster to get to my favorite one. I also enjoyed the parts where the author makes a subtle tip of the hat to the masters that came before and the nod to Dune warmed me up. And finally the pace of the book was perfect and he truly bought some of those battle scenes to life.
So what would have I liked to see more of or different? Perhaps a key female character and (this is just me) eventually some romantic sub plots (every hero needs some love?)
In all, a brilliant first book from Sachin Dev and I cannot wait to see how he will evolve the world of Janani. My faith in him and the Nine runs strong!
Which brings me to Faith of the Nine. This is the first book I have read in the fantasy genre written by an Indian author, rooted in an Indian setting and most importantly, an original work that is not a retelling of the epics. Sachin Dev has hit paydirt on his very first book. I picked this book right after I finished Elantris by Sanderson and didn't want to put it down till I finished it.
Sachin builds a enchanting world. Along the way you pause to smell that pleasant whiff of familiarity from all the stories your grandmother told you as yakshis and rakshashas once again make their appearance. I found it delightful. The magic is perfect and created with a lot of thought. The language is rich and colorful and nothing felt forced or out of place. The characters are brilliantly carved out and in somewhat of a first for me, I didn't have a least favorite character. I was invested equally in all the three main characters and didn't have to turn pages faster to get to my favorite one. I also enjoyed the parts where the author makes a subtle tip of the hat to the masters that came before and the nod to Dune warmed me up. And finally the pace of the book was perfect and he truly bought some of those battle scenes to life.
So what would have I liked to see more of or different? Perhaps a key female character and (this is just me) eventually some romantic sub plots (every hero needs some love?)
In all, a brilliant first book from Sachin Dev and I cannot wait to see how he will evolve the world of Janani. My faith in him and the Nine runs strong!
December 1, 2015
This review will definitely be biased as I know the author personally and have read everything he dishes out.
The plot follows three characters - Fateh - a soldier, Ishan - a precocious kid and Abhaya - a monk of a secret order as they make their way around a world that is perhaps on the verge of an apocalypse. The older gods have forsaken Janani and a powerful god, Pruksa is protecting the masses. All is not well and though a few can sense it, not everyone is ready to speak out. Each of the characters see their life changing and are forced to come to terms with it and take a few decisions that set the stage really well for the second book.
Faith of the Nine is perhaps the only epic fantasy I have finished without complaining. There is so much of nail biting suspense, action and magic. Janani is a world that has been built with a lot of thought and you cannot help but get transported to that world that is so similar yet so different from yours.
Each character (major or minor) is well crafted. Of the three main ones, I cannot pick one as a favorite and I would love to get to know them even better.
At its heart, Faith of the Nine is a story of rediscovery. The three main characters, who are each very different from each other, embark on a journey to know the world around them and come to terms with it. Whether they manage to change it or not is the question the author leaves us to grapple with.
My only complaint - the book needs stronger women. Bhaya and Ruksar are interesting, but we definitely need a few more.
The plot follows three characters - Fateh - a soldier, Ishan - a precocious kid and Abhaya - a monk of a secret order as they make their way around a world that is perhaps on the verge of an apocalypse. The older gods have forsaken Janani and a powerful god, Pruksa is protecting the masses. All is not well and though a few can sense it, not everyone is ready to speak out. Each of the characters see their life changing and are forced to come to terms with it and take a few decisions that set the stage really well for the second book.
Faith of the Nine is perhaps the only epic fantasy I have finished without complaining. There is so much of nail biting suspense, action and magic. Janani is a world that has been built with a lot of thought and you cannot help but get transported to that world that is so similar yet so different from yours.
Each character (major or minor) is well crafted. Of the three main ones, I cannot pick one as a favorite and I would love to get to know them even better.
At its heart, Faith of the Nine is a story of rediscovery. The three main characters, who are each very different from each other, embark on a journey to know the world around them and come to terms with it. Whether they manage to change it or not is the question the author leaves us to grapple with.
My only complaint - the book needs stronger women. Bhaya and Ruksar are interesting, but we definitely need a few more.
March 25, 2016
Faith of the Nine follows an overall theme of the monotheistic ‘Nam’ Empire where the older, polytheistic religion (the titular Faith of the Nine, an origin myth that is reminiscent of Tolkein’s Ainulindale which in turn draws upon the Bible) has been systematically stamped out. As conspiracies and murders erupt around the capital city, the three main characters – General Fateh, a battle-weary soldier, Abhaya, a young acolyte of the old faith and Ishan, an orphan boy of eleven years being raised in the priesthood, find themselves thrust headlong towards an apocalypse.
The past is fleshed out gradually over the course of the book, through flashbacks and story-telling, as each of the three main character meets or reminisces on their own mentors.
The pace is high throughout, with very limited letting up – something is always happening to the characters, and people, places and concepts are always bubbling over, sometimes more quickly than the mind can grasp.
- See more at: http://percytheslacker.blogspot.in/20...
The past is fleshed out gradually over the course of the book, through flashbacks and story-telling, as each of the three main character meets or reminisces on their own mentors.
The pace is high throughout, with very limited letting up – something is always happening to the characters, and people, places and concepts are always bubbling over, sometimes more quickly than the mind can grasp.
- See more at: http://percytheslacker.blogspot.in/20...
November 30, 2015
It's great to see such a fantasy genre in an Indian context. It had a mixture of ideas from other books I've read and good elements of creativity on its own. The start was slow but after a while I was glued to it. I'm eagerly waiting for the next installment now :)
Some changes I would prefer is more history behind the general landscape and some more detailed character development. I personally found a bit of disconnect after the initial part where Fateh loses his dad and when Ishan is born and the jump to when both of them are grown up.
Then again very well written and hope the next one too continues to impress :)
Some changes I would prefer is more history behind the general landscape and some more detailed character development. I personally found a bit of disconnect after the initial part where Fateh loses his dad and when Ishan is born and the jump to when both of them are grown up.
Then again very well written and hope the next one too continues to impress :)
February 27, 2016
Faith of Nine is a pure work of fiction with references that are sure to make you smile if you are from Indian origin.
Everything is packed in high fictional world - a world that will astonish you as you flip through the pages. I had a bit of hard time grasping the world hence it was more of a slow read initially. But once your mind works with the world building- the rest of the book goes in fast pace and truly an adventure. There are some aspects that need more highlights on and I feel that may be kept in for the next books - which makes me anticipate for next book even more!
P.s. I hope the author justifies the need of female characters in the book series.
Everything is packed in high fictional world - a world that will astonish you as you flip through the pages. I had a bit of hard time grasping the world hence it was more of a slow read initially. But once your mind works with the world building- the rest of the book goes in fast pace and truly an adventure. There are some aspects that need more highlights on and I feel that may be kept in for the next books - which makes me anticipate for next book even more!
P.s. I hope the author justifies the need of female characters in the book series.
December 18, 2015
Any book that you wnt to read the next part ASAP is a good one to remember and reccomend. This one is in same category for me. There is action , drama , emotions and above all there is this hint of stories that make legends and have roota in some of our own. I enjoyed this one !
November 29, 2015
Loved the book.....especially Ishaan.....want to know what happens next now.... my heart goes out to poor Ishaan..
November 27, 2020
The storyline, narrative, characterization is hopeless. Couldn't finish the book despite my best efforts.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews