Kalki makes one theme very strong in this part 1 , which is the burning passion of the chola king. Initially it is shown as helplessness which he expresses to his wife the queen Arulmozhi. I Felt that pain in him not seeing him as a king but as a father or as a husband, how much this could have impacted the opposite person close to him. Kalki always makes this name ' Arulmozhi ' a special one, so in this novel too it was made memorable. The queen choosing parthiban over pallava King, the lovely bond they share between each other, the angst of their much needed separation was just well flushed out. The king being guilty as to whether he is worthy of the queen's sacrifice of choosing him over a king from bigger dynasty gives us a perspective of his insecurities too. This made him so close & relatable. The valiance shown in the war, stepping into it knowing the end, biding farewell to his son engraving his desires in Vikraman's heart adds a strong spine to the story. The cute romance & understanding between the couple " ponnan & valli" adds colour to the beautiful setting by kalki.