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Kalki Trilogy #1
Dharmayoddha Kalki: Avatar Of Vishnu
Whenever there is a decline in righteousness and an upsurge in unrighteousness, at that time, I take birth again.
- LORD GOVIND.
Born in the quiet village of Shambala, Kalki Hari, son of Vishnuyath and Sumati, has no idea about his heritage until he is pitted against tragedies and battles.
Whisked into the province of Keekatpur, which is under the fist of Lord Kali, Kalki sees the ignominy of death trumping life all around him. He learns that he has been born to cleanse the world he lives in, for which he must journey to the North and learn the ways of Lord Vishnu’s Avatar; from an immortal who wields an axe.
But trapped in the midst of betrayals, political intrigue and forces that seek to decimate him, will he be able to follow his destiny before the Kaliyug begins?
- LORD GOVIND.
Born in the quiet village of Shambala, Kalki Hari, son of Vishnuyath and Sumati, has no idea about his heritage until he is pitted against tragedies and battles.
Whisked into the province of Keekatpur, which is under the fist of Lord Kali, Kalki sees the ignominy of death trumping life all around him. He learns that he has been born to cleanse the world he lives in, for which he must journey to the North and learn the ways of Lord Vishnu’s Avatar; from an immortal who wields an axe.
But trapped in the midst of betrayals, political intrigue and forces that seek to decimate him, will he be able to follow his destiny before the Kaliyug begins?
464 pages, Paperback
Published October 14, 2017
579 people are currently reading
4102 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Missal
33 books509 followersKevin Missal wrote his first book at the age of 14, and at 22, the St Stephens graduate was a bestselling author with the first two books in his Kalki series which were runaway successes. Kevin loves fantasy fiction and has always been a fan of mythology. His books have been featured in publications like the Sunday Guardian, The New Indian Express and Millennium Post. He lives in Gurugram and he can be contacted at Kevin.s.missal@gmail.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 342 reviews
November 29, 2017
Mythological books are my weakness I cannot resist them no matter how many books in that genre I collect. All credit goes to Amish Tripathi. But a few authors were able to match his work of Shiva Trilogy. Kalki is one of those works, which you can say you loved it as much as Meluha. As the title suggested it is the fictional story of Kalki avatar.
The main characters of our stories are Kalki, Kali, Arjun, Kripacharya, Padma. Kalki was having steady and happy life in his village Shambhala. He has immense physical power and he didn’t know the reason for such power or reason for his existence. When his father was killed by mlecchas, he came to know from Kripa, a strange drunkard, about the secret of his power. The kingdom of Kiratpur in which Shambhala lies was recently taken over by tribals under the leadership of Kali. Deteriorating health of Kali, led his sister to Shambhala where the sacred caves of Soma existed. Durukti wanted to give miraculous Soma to her brother to cure him. But Kripa asked Kalki to make sure no one should take soma as it can give birth to Adharma. Kalki was set on a mission to stop Durukti. But things took an interesting turn. Check out the copy to know more.
Some books require just story part, other description bore out readers. But series like Klaki need a proprer story and characters building. Author has created not just a main character but supporting characters as well. A book with 478 pages is not at all slowing down in between. You will keep turning pages one after another. Though the book is about Kalki, the author has taken the liberty of changing the time of Klaki and even mythological timeline and names of great wars. The author has mentioned the same thing in the preface.
Things I liked about
1. Characterization
2. Role of Kripa and Durukti
3. Fights and wars
4. Tribal politics
Well, the map of world and name of kingdom gave a feeling of fantasy book than myth fiction but that’s okay considering all positive point.
Detailed Review Link - http://chevusread.blogspot.com/2017/1...
The main characters of our stories are Kalki, Kali, Arjun, Kripacharya, Padma. Kalki was having steady and happy life in his village Shambhala. He has immense physical power and he didn’t know the reason for such power or reason for his existence. When his father was killed by mlecchas, he came to know from Kripa, a strange drunkard, about the secret of his power. The kingdom of Kiratpur in which Shambhala lies was recently taken over by tribals under the leadership of Kali. Deteriorating health of Kali, led his sister to Shambhala where the sacred caves of Soma existed. Durukti wanted to give miraculous Soma to her brother to cure him. But Kripa asked Kalki to make sure no one should take soma as it can give birth to Adharma. Kalki was set on a mission to stop Durukti. But things took an interesting turn. Check out the copy to know more.
Some books require just story part, other description bore out readers. But series like Klaki need a proprer story and characters building. Author has created not just a main character but supporting characters as well. A book with 478 pages is not at all slowing down in between. You will keep turning pages one after another. Though the book is about Kalki, the author has taken the liberty of changing the time of Klaki and even mythological timeline and names of great wars. The author has mentioned the same thing in the preface.
Things I liked about
1. Characterization
2. Role of Kripa and Durukti
3. Fights and wars
4. Tribal politics
Well, the map of world and name of kingdom gave a feeling of fantasy book than myth fiction but that’s okay considering all positive point.
Detailed Review Link - http://chevusread.blogspot.com/2017/1...
May 31, 2018
I have never disliked a book as much as this. Bad English and deplorable grammar coupled with poor framing of sentences made reading the first 10 chapters a task, until sense prevailed and I put it down.
I don’t know about those who’ve given this book 5 stars (!!!) but doing the language justice is of primary importance to me when meandering a story.
Not recommended. At all.
I don’t know about those who’ve given this book 5 stars (!!!) but doing the language justice is of primary importance to me when meandering a story.
Not recommended. At all.
February 22, 2018
First a big thank you to author who provided me the copy of this book. I am glad to have this book.
Below are the rating.
Plot - 4 🌟
Characters - 3.5 🌟
Narration -4 🌟
Book cover - 4.5 🌟
Over all - 4 🌟
So the book is as it suggests is an Indian mythology.
Where an upcoming Avatar (saviour) named Kalki has a huge responsibility to serve as Dharma (Good) and destroy the Adharma (evil).
Plot starts with the war which is exciting. Of course who don't like books which starts with bang?
Many things happened after it, acknowledge of dharma, rise of adharma and face off between dharma and adharma.
In book there are different tribes and each tribal are represented some mythological creatures or people, even the names of character are inspired from all the different mythologies.
Few are my favourite character from book.
Kalki - The hero
Arjan - his brother
Kripa - the drunken guru full name kripachary
Lakshmi - close friend and lost love of Kalki (spoiler)
Vishnu Hari - father of Kalki
Bala - a very good friend of Kalki.
Ratri - aunty of Lakshmi
Kali - the adharma (evil)
Durukti - wise sister of Kali
Vedanta - loser king of illavrti
Koko and vikoko - brother and sister general's of Kali
There are few other characters as well which I don't think much about.
Book is fast paced and always taking twist and turns, sometimes it becomes unpredictable as well. When I have started reading it, i was not so sure how i will feel about it but after just few pages i can't let it down!
I would like to congratulate the author for writing such a wonderful book at such young age.
There are few flows about the books like it's not as descriptive when it comes to background and surrounding, characters has mythological names but haven't discribed as expected. And sometimes the writing don't have the pinch of emotions as well.
But overall the plot, story and narration is up to expectations. And you will enjoy it very much.
There are few deaths, some are expected some are unexpected. But I must say when it come to killing characters author is not shy at all!
I would suggest if you love mythology and fantasy, you must try this book who has it all with pinch of Indian flavour.
Once again thank you so much to Kevin missal (author) to providing me such a good opportunity and wonderful reading treat!
I am expecting the second book to be out soon!!
Below are the rating.
Plot - 4 🌟
Characters - 3.5 🌟
Narration -4 🌟
Book cover - 4.5 🌟
Over all - 4 🌟
So the book is as it suggests is an Indian mythology.
Where an upcoming Avatar (saviour) named Kalki has a huge responsibility to serve as Dharma (Good) and destroy the Adharma (evil).
Plot starts with the war which is exciting. Of course who don't like books which starts with bang?
Many things happened after it, acknowledge of dharma, rise of adharma and face off between dharma and adharma.
In book there are different tribes and each tribal are represented some mythological creatures or people, even the names of character are inspired from all the different mythologies.
Few are my favourite character from book.
Kalki - The hero
Arjan - his brother
Kripa - the drunken guru full name kripachary
Lakshmi - close friend and lost love of Kalki (spoiler)
Vishnu Hari - father of Kalki
Bala - a very good friend of Kalki.
Ratri - aunty of Lakshmi
Kali - the adharma (evil)
Durukti - wise sister of Kali
Vedanta - loser king of illavrti
Koko and vikoko - brother and sister general's of Kali
There are few other characters as well which I don't think much about.
Book is fast paced and always taking twist and turns, sometimes it becomes unpredictable as well. When I have started reading it, i was not so sure how i will feel about it but after just few pages i can't let it down!
I would like to congratulate the author for writing such a wonderful book at such young age.
There are few flows about the books like it's not as descriptive when it comes to background and surrounding, characters has mythological names but haven't discribed as expected. And sometimes the writing don't have the pinch of emotions as well.
But overall the plot, story and narration is up to expectations. And you will enjoy it very much.
There are few deaths, some are expected some are unexpected. But I must say when it come to killing characters author is not shy at all!
I would suggest if you love mythology and fantasy, you must try this book who has it all with pinch of Indian flavour.
Once again thank you so much to Kevin missal (author) to providing me such a good opportunity and wonderful reading treat!
I am expecting the second book to be out soon!!
December 31, 2018
This is a Book Review for Dharmayoddha Kalki by Kevin Missal.
.
The blurb:
Born in the quiet village of Shambala, Kalki Hari, son of Vishnuyath and Sumati, has no idea about his heritage until he is pitted against tragedies and battles.
Whisked into the province of Keekatpur, which is under the fist of Lord Kali, Kalki sees the ignominy of death trumping life all around him. He learns that he has been born to cleanse the world he lives in, for which he must journey to the North and learn the ways of Lord Vishnu’s Avatar; from an immortal who wields an axe.
But trapped in the midst of betrayals, political intrigue and forces that seek to decimate him, will he be able to follow his destiny before the Kaliyug begins?
.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review so let's start.
.
But first read the following excerpt from DBC Pierre's book Release the Bats:
A story travels, a reader will set out as we did to see where it goes. They won’t tolerate drowning. It needs markers or they won’t dip a toe into the book again. And not just chapter markers, something has to happen to our characters in the story. Creative freedom and originality aside, what we’re up against is that people are not only taught to read but to expect; not only the spelling but the shape has to work; we’re trained to hunt the curves of a classical story, and anything too weird defeats that programming. It’s as if we’re free to play whatever tune we like, but on an existing piano. It seems strange because we love the unexpected, we want to be surprised when we read, but in ways we can grasp. Otherwise it’s too hard. Plus, if everything were surprising there would be no surprise. Anyway, we don’t have readers, forget about them. This is still for us (writers)
.
The review:
This was Scion of Ikshvaku all over again. This book has a map but I didn't feel like looking at it even once!
.
The book has pace but it isn't a page-turner at all. The characters were blurry and at times unnecessarily cocky. I couldn't relate to any of them and the third person narrative is a major letdown. 1/5 stars.
.
The blurb:
Born in the quiet village of Shambala, Kalki Hari, son of Vishnuyath and Sumati, has no idea about his heritage until he is pitted against tragedies and battles.
Whisked into the province of Keekatpur, which is under the fist of Lord Kali, Kalki sees the ignominy of death trumping life all around him. He learns that he has been born to cleanse the world he lives in, for which he must journey to the North and learn the ways of Lord Vishnu’s Avatar; from an immortal who wields an axe.
But trapped in the midst of betrayals, political intrigue and forces that seek to decimate him, will he be able to follow his destiny before the Kaliyug begins?
.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review so let's start.
.
But first read the following excerpt from DBC Pierre's book Release the Bats:
A story travels, a reader will set out as we did to see where it goes. They won’t tolerate drowning. It needs markers or they won’t dip a toe into the book again. And not just chapter markers, something has to happen to our characters in the story. Creative freedom and originality aside, what we’re up against is that people are not only taught to read but to expect; not only the spelling but the shape has to work; we’re trained to hunt the curves of a classical story, and anything too weird defeats that programming. It’s as if we’re free to play whatever tune we like, but on an existing piano. It seems strange because we love the unexpected, we want to be surprised when we read, but in ways we can grasp. Otherwise it’s too hard. Plus, if everything were surprising there would be no surprise. Anyway, we don’t have readers, forget about them. This is still for us (writers)
.
The review:
This was Scion of Ikshvaku all over again. This book has a map but I didn't feel like looking at it even once!
.
The book has pace but it isn't a page-turner at all. The characters were blurry and at times unnecessarily cocky. I couldn't relate to any of them and the third person narrative is a major letdown. 1/5 stars.
March 14, 2021
Interesting book. Great plot with a perfect blend of politics and the struggles of the commoners. Sometimes seemed too filmy.
December 14, 2018
Hope dashed and dreams crashed.
Dharmayoddha Kalki:Avatar Of Vishnu is a book based on Hindu mythology and is written by an Indian youth- Mr. Kevin Missal.Now we can count Indian writers' fantasy or mythology books on our fingers, hence this book had an irresistable allure.
I knew naught I was in for a disappointment.
The charming parts:
1. The irresistable cover: They say not to judge a book by it's cover(and with this book I learned my lesson) but come-on' who doesn't? A beautifully carved and shinning sword, a chishelled warrior, marching enemies, gleaming sun and a stamp of national best seller; it has it all.
2. Characters' names: I am a sucker of beautifull but pronounceable names in books. This one has a bunch of traditional Hindu names that have a pleasent ring to them.
3. World Building: Some books with great premise, characters, setting and writing fail to have a wholesome and solid background which this book certainly aces.
The unpleasent parts(where to start?):
1.The prologue: Let's start from the start. Prologue is the prelude that a story might or might not need. This story clearly
didn't.
2. The characters: I call them cardboard cutouts. I didn't feel them, it felt as if the author was trying to push the persona, qualities and quirks of the characters directly down the throat. I didn't love them, I didn't hate them. I was apathetic towards them, I didn't care. They didn't invoke emotions in me whatsoever.
Worse, the 'good' were inherently good with some swagger and the 'evil' were inherently evil with having some loser like qualities in them. No grey parts. No in-between. None.
Most unlikable character: Kalki. Its a shame that I found the main protagonist unlikable.
In the first few chapters the author tries to potray Kalki as the hero with all the heroic characterisics - a great warrior, unbeatable, invincible, street-smart, sassy but can get away with anything with some charm and sweet-talk. And it backfires. He comes out as too cocky, unkind, immature, demeaning, crass and cruel with a shallow personality.
He fits perfectly into the shoes of the wattpad badboy.
3. The dialgoues: The dialogues were forced and a bit cringey. I felt as though they were rough patches on a crooked wall.
4. The writing: I would have ignored all the three above metioned parts if I had found the writing lush and smooth. Sadly not in this case. I felt that the writing was rugged and was all over the place. If the emotions and characteristics and other abstractness had not been blatantly stated but shown and material nouns simply stated and not described in the rich words, it would have been a smoother read. The writing was a little repetative and a little inconsistent and abrupt.
In all I think the idea was good but the book needed more revision and polishing to become a wholesome read. I would like to read Kevin Missal's other books in the future
but sadly not one from this series.
Dharmayoddha Kalki:Avatar Of Vishnu is a book based on Hindu mythology and is written by an Indian youth- Mr. Kevin Missal.Now we can count Indian writers' fantasy or mythology books on our fingers, hence this book had an irresistable allure.
I knew naught I was in for a disappointment.
The charming parts:
1. The irresistable cover: They say not to judge a book by it's cover(and with this book I learned my lesson) but come-on' who doesn't? A beautifully carved and shinning sword, a chishelled warrior, marching enemies, gleaming sun and a stamp of national best seller; it has it all.
2. Characters' names: I am a sucker of beautifull but pronounceable names in books. This one has a bunch of traditional Hindu names that have a pleasent ring to them.
3. World Building: Some books with great premise, characters, setting and writing fail to have a wholesome and solid background which this book certainly aces.
The unpleasent parts(where to start?):
1.The prologue: Let's start from the start. Prologue is the prelude that a story might or might not need. This story clearly
didn't.
2. The characters: I call them cardboard cutouts. I didn't feel them, it felt as if the author was trying to push the persona, qualities and quirks of the characters directly down the throat. I didn't love them, I didn't hate them. I was apathetic towards them, I didn't care. They didn't invoke emotions in me whatsoever.
Worse, the 'good' were inherently good with some swagger and the 'evil' were inherently evil with having some loser like qualities in them. No grey parts. No in-between. None.
Most unlikable character: Kalki. Its a shame that I found the main protagonist unlikable.
In the first few chapters the author tries to potray Kalki as the hero with all the heroic characterisics - a great warrior, unbeatable, invincible, street-smart, sassy but can get away with anything with some charm and sweet-talk. And it backfires. He comes out as too cocky, unkind, immature, demeaning, crass and cruel with a shallow personality.
He fits perfectly into the shoes of the wattpad badboy.
3. The dialgoues: The dialogues were forced and a bit cringey. I felt as though they were rough patches on a crooked wall.
4. The writing: I would have ignored all the three above metioned parts if I had found the writing lush and smooth. Sadly not in this case. I felt that the writing was rugged and was all over the place. If the emotions and characteristics and other abstractness had not been blatantly stated but shown and material nouns simply stated and not described in the rich words, it would have been a smoother read. The writing was a little repetative and a little inconsistent and abrupt.
In all I think the idea was good but the book needed more revision and polishing to become a wholesome read. I would like to read Kevin Missal's other books in the future
but sadly not one from this series.
August 30, 2019
Dislikes:
• It’s not a novel. It is a Bollywood movie script.
• Oh. The horrible writing style. Extremely pretentious.
• The dialect used was totally inappropriate.
• Lakshmi teaching Kalki about consent was one of the most cringe worthy moment I’ve ever read in any book. Ever.
Likes:
• The book is fast paced. Moves pretty fast but covers a bad story line.
• It’s not a novel. It is a Bollywood movie script.
• Oh. The horrible writing style. Extremely pretentious.
• The dialect used was totally inappropriate.
• Lakshmi teaching Kalki about consent was one of the most cringe worthy moment I’ve ever read in any book. Ever.
Likes:
• The book is fast paced. Moves pretty fast but covers a bad story line.
December 9, 2017
Kalki by Kevin Missal is an mythological fiction, nothing is do with original kalki nor ramayanam/mahabharatham. The story is based on the sayings from Lord Govind, avatar of vishnu “Whenever there is a decline in righteousness and an upsurge in unrighteousness, at that time, I take birth again.”
Before the kaliyug getting started the adharm was getting its way higher. Its the time for Lord Vishnu, Gods of gods take his avatar to downfall the adharm and bringing back peace and dharm.
Lord Kali is a leader of a clan which is known for its evilness, clan consists of Pisacha, Asur, Rakshahsa, Nagas. This clan have recently captured the Keekatpur. And still trying to establish their empire but due to the illness of their leader kali stayed back in keekatpur, his Drukuti decides to search for soma stones which can cure anything.
In mean parallel at the village of shambala situated on the outskirts of keekatpur capital of Indragargh where the Vishnu's 10th incarnate to takes place. One day when Vishnuyath hari's pregnant wife get sick and it can't get curable vishnuyath hear from oldagers that it is curable with the help of soma stones only gettable in the mountains of shambala. He gives soma's to her wife it get the sickness cured and she delivers the baby where they naming the boy as Kalki hari. The boy growing up normal but not as his age kids. He is more stronger, active and smart. When this boy grown up his father vishnuyath hari is kidnapped by Mleechas, tribals in the mountains.
During the time of trying to rescue his father he meeting kripacharya, an chiranjeevi who is living from the period of previous avatar and taken part in the Mahayudh. But he can't able to rescue his father but he comes to know his purpose towards this avatar.
When the adharm kali and dharm kalki meets each other battle of shambala occurs, good and evil faces each other before that kali gets betrayed by his own troops and kalvi gets training from acharya Kripa.
Battle of Shambala and Rise of kali is two major parts. Language is so simple in the way of understanding by all. Also I can see the influence of bahubali, Meluha trilogy by Amish Tripathi. But its more interesting and adventurous more fantasy oriented then history. I can see the writer's concern towards culture and rituals of Manavs an good sign.
Also author has created his own world of imagination beautifully with timeline and map. Characters and places where also easily gettable without any complications.
Overall, Kalvi by Kevin Missal is an good book to read for all GOT, Lord of rings, Bahubali sort of lovers. I liked the editing which is flawless and narration of author he carried out the 470 pages without boring and irritating.
Before the kaliyug getting started the adharm was getting its way higher. Its the time for Lord Vishnu, Gods of gods take his avatar to downfall the adharm and bringing back peace and dharm.
Lord Kali is a leader of a clan which is known for its evilness, clan consists of Pisacha, Asur, Rakshahsa, Nagas. This clan have recently captured the Keekatpur. And still trying to establish their empire but due to the illness of their leader kali stayed back in keekatpur, his Drukuti decides to search for soma stones which can cure anything.
In mean parallel at the village of shambala situated on the outskirts of keekatpur capital of Indragargh where the Vishnu's 10th incarnate to takes place. One day when Vishnuyath hari's pregnant wife get sick and it can't get curable vishnuyath hear from oldagers that it is curable with the help of soma stones only gettable in the mountains of shambala. He gives soma's to her wife it get the sickness cured and she delivers the baby where they naming the boy as Kalki hari. The boy growing up normal but not as his age kids. He is more stronger, active and smart. When this boy grown up his father vishnuyath hari is kidnapped by Mleechas, tribals in the mountains.
During the time of trying to rescue his father he meeting kripacharya, an chiranjeevi who is living from the period of previous avatar and taken part in the Mahayudh. But he can't able to rescue his father but he comes to know his purpose towards this avatar.
When the adharm kali and dharm kalki meets each other battle of shambala occurs, good and evil faces each other before that kali gets betrayed by his own troops and kalvi gets training from acharya Kripa.
Battle of Shambala and Rise of kali is two major parts. Language is so simple in the way of understanding by all. Also I can see the influence of bahubali, Meluha trilogy by Amish Tripathi. But its more interesting and adventurous more fantasy oriented then history. I can see the writer's concern towards culture and rituals of Manavs an good sign.
Also author has created his own world of imagination beautifully with timeline and map. Characters and places where also easily gettable without any complications.
Overall, Kalvi by Kevin Missal is an good book to read for all GOT, Lord of rings, Bahubali sort of lovers. I liked the editing which is flawless and narration of author he carried out the 470 pages without boring and irritating.
April 2, 2025
Would only appeal to amateur readers or people who don't mind lack of character depth, world building, scene creation and interested only in spiced up storyline
February 16, 2018
Rating: 3.5/5
Kalki is about a fiction about a chosen one who has "The" unwanted responsibility upon his shoulders to save the world from The Big Bad Villain. (Sounds Harry Potter much?) Though it sounds cliché, it was really not. Kalki turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
✴Plot✴
This books is not a retelling. Only a few components of they mythology are used in the book, and repather brilliantly. I like that the plot is not very cliche and predictable.the storywas grand in every sense of the world. The pace of the 0 story was perfect too.
✴What I liked about the book✴
The concept, though kind of generic was very nicely drawn out and brought up. The world building draws inspiration from pop culture, but is nevertheless imaginative. Illavarti wonderfully comes to life in the readers mind. The characters too hold major resemblances to other famous characters, but we're well written. The attention to detail in terms of character building and development is praise worthy. And the book has a map! I love books with maps. If there's a map, I'm sold.
✴What I don't like about the book✴
When I started off with the book, I wasn't really hooked. The writing wasn't pathetic but it wasn't great either. It's somewhere in between and I don't particularly enjoy that. The editing could've been better. (The grammar Nazi inside me says hello) At times the book is unnecessarily dragged. A shorter book would've worked well enough. The protagonist, to me, was generic. (But I think it's on me, because I have problems with most protagonists. It's mostly out of jealousy. XD)
Overall it's a pretty decent book. I'd recommend it to people who liked Immortals of Meluha and similar books.
Kalki is about a fiction about a chosen one who has "The" unwanted responsibility upon his shoulders to save the world from The Big Bad Villain. (Sounds Harry Potter much?) Though it sounds cliché, it was really not. Kalki turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
✴Plot✴
This books is not a retelling. Only a few components of they mythology are used in the book, and repather brilliantly. I like that the plot is not very cliche and predictable.the storywas grand in every sense of the world. The pace of the 0 story was perfect too.
✴What I liked about the book✴
The concept, though kind of generic was very nicely drawn out and brought up. The world building draws inspiration from pop culture, but is nevertheless imaginative. Illavarti wonderfully comes to life in the readers mind. The characters too hold major resemblances to other famous characters, but we're well written. The attention to detail in terms of character building and development is praise worthy. And the book has a map! I love books with maps. If there's a map, I'm sold.
✴What I don't like about the book✴
When I started off with the book, I wasn't really hooked. The writing wasn't pathetic but it wasn't great either. It's somewhere in between and I don't particularly enjoy that. The editing could've been better. (The grammar Nazi inside me says hello) At times the book is unnecessarily dragged. A shorter book would've worked well enough. The protagonist, to me, was generic. (But I think it's on me, because I have problems with most protagonists. It's mostly out of jealousy. XD)
Overall it's a pretty decent book. I'd recommend it to people who liked Immortals of Meluha and similar books.
February 22, 2018
I bought the book because I kept seeing it everywhere, it had an awesome rating and as I am going through a,"Oh it is mythology! Don't even read the blurb, just pick it up" phase.
It took quite a while for me to finish. But once I crossed the halfway mark it was a home stretch.
The good things first:
1. The story is slow at first.If you persevere through it, it picks up pace after the halfway mark and it becomes hard to put down the book.
2. The character development is pretty good.
3. The cover is an eye catcher.
The Not so good stuff:
1. The language was a big turn off for me. There are so many grammatical mistakes. I am shocked as to how so many grammatical mistakes and incorrectly formed sentences can make it to the published version.I mean, I will put more effort into my journal entry, which no one is ever going to read.
It feels as though the book was written in a hurry without much attention to the finer details.
2. The dialect: Somehow I can never imagine mythological characters speaking dialogues like these, "What's up, mate? ".
3. Too many characters and too many killings.
All in all, Kalki is an entertaining read, which would have been wonderful if it paid more attention to detail and grammar.
It took quite a while for me to finish. But once I crossed the halfway mark it was a home stretch.
The good things first:
1. The story is slow at first.If you persevere through it, it picks up pace after the halfway mark and it becomes hard to put down the book.
2. The character development is pretty good.
3. The cover is an eye catcher.
The Not so good stuff:
1. The language was a big turn off for me. There are so many grammatical mistakes. I am shocked as to how so many grammatical mistakes and incorrectly formed sentences can make it to the published version.I mean, I will put more effort into my journal entry, which no one is ever going to read.
It feels as though the book was written in a hurry without much attention to the finer details.
2. The dialect: Somehow I can never imagine mythological characters speaking dialogues like these, "What's up, mate? ".
3. Too many characters and too many killings.
All in all, Kalki is an entertaining read, which would have been wonderful if it paid more attention to detail and grammar.
December 9, 2020
Absolutely TERRIBLE. This book honestly is a very poorly written copycat of the Amish style trilogy books releasing and it’s so unengaging and Kalki is described as such a hotheaded hunk with no flaws and Lakshmi as the beauty with brains but these characters have no depth and no real reason to be rooted for. Definitely disappointed, I couldn’t even come to finishing.
November 28, 2017
I was really interested to pick this particular book as I'd heard some great things about it. I finally got my hands on the book, with great expectations from it.
I was not particularly impressed when I started reading it. To make myself clear, I would say that I've read other mythology fiction and fantasy books, which had a very strong premise. It is what was lacking in the beginning.
But when halfway through the book, the premise started getting stronger, and the story finally started making sense to me. And after that, I think I could barely keep the book down. That is what I was waiting for: even though it came a little late, I'm glad it happened.
The story and the characters, when fully developed, were very interesting. Even though the writing was not bad, I wouldn't say it was flawless, either. Maybe it was me, taking time to get the hold of it in the beginning. But I feel the writing became more gripping and stronger in the second half. I would have given it 5 stars, but the factor that 'I was blown away by the book' was missing.
Otherwise, it did justice to the 'mythological fiction' tag. The grandeur of the book had reached a level till the last page that now I can't wait to read the second book!
I was not particularly impressed when I started reading it. To make myself clear, I would say that I've read other mythology fiction and fantasy books, which had a very strong premise. It is what was lacking in the beginning.
But when halfway through the book, the premise started getting stronger, and the story finally started making sense to me. And after that, I think I could barely keep the book down. That is what I was waiting for: even though it came a little late, I'm glad it happened.
The story and the characters, when fully developed, were very interesting. Even though the writing was not bad, I wouldn't say it was flawless, either. Maybe it was me, taking time to get the hold of it in the beginning. But I feel the writing became more gripping and stronger in the second half. I would have given it 5 stars, but the factor that 'I was blown away by the book' was missing.
Otherwise, it did justice to the 'mythological fiction' tag. The grandeur of the book had reached a level till the last page that now I can't wait to read the second book!
October 8, 2017
Kalki Hari, a simple village boy with extraordinary powers learns that he has a bigger purpose to serve in the universe. Lord Kali has taken over the province of Keekatpur. Kalki along with his brother Arjun, friend Bala and a mysterious man Kripa constantly fights for his family and his people. With betrayals, plots, and battles, Kalki by Kevin Missal gives us a captivating and complex plot.
I have read a few mythological fantasy books over the last two years. While I still haven't read Amish Tripathi's books, I know this book will stand out for me among the ones I have read.
The book starts very interestingly. Lord Kali uses his wits to win a war and takes over Keekatpur. In the village of Shambala, we meet a young man called Kalki Hari. The book drew me in right from the start.
The book is very action-packed. There was not a single dull moment and exciting things were happening one by one. The plot was not too predictable and there were many moments of surprises. There are multiple violent scenes as well and at first, they weren't delivered properly since there was no building up to them. They felt very sudden and out of the blue. But they got much better later on in the book.
The writing of this book is excellent. The pace was just right- not too fast and not too slow. It was also quite funny to see the characters using modern dialogue in contrast to the setting of the plot.
There are many unique characters in the book and the plot shifts between their perspectives. It's a very good combination of a hero, amazing side characters, and villains. Kalki was charming and brave. He was the typical hero- humble and brave with a responsibility that he didn't ask for. An ordinary boy with extraordinary powers that I hope will be explored more in the upcoming sequel. I loved seeing his character build. He becomes more brave and intelligent as the book progresses and he has to deal with difficult situations. I liked his parts in the book a lot and wish there was more focus on him.
It was nice to read an Indian fantasy book which was not completely based on mythology. It was a brilliant balance of the two elements. The author mentions in the beginning that the characters of a book should be epic but I think plot-wise this series can be epic too. The only criticism I have is that the book could have been shorter and at times I couldn't see at all where the plot was going. In the last few pages, there was one shock after another and the ending was brutal.
I can honestly say that this is the most enjoyable fantasy book I have read in a long time. With a beautiful cover, this book is a perfect mix of a captivating plot, characters that we care about and flawless writing. This book is also an amazing start to a series.
I absolutely loved Kalki and it is no doubt, one of the best books I have read this year. I can't wait for the sequel and I'm very excited to see what the author has in store for us next.
If you're looking for an exciting adventure with all the gore and fun of a good fantasy novel, then pick up this book.
Thanks to the author for a copy of this book. All opinions are honest and unbiased.
I have read a few mythological fantasy books over the last two years. While I still haven't read Amish Tripathi's books, I know this book will stand out for me among the ones I have read.
The book starts very interestingly. Lord Kali uses his wits to win a war and takes over Keekatpur. In the village of Shambala, we meet a young man called Kalki Hari. The book drew me in right from the start.
The book is very action-packed. There was not a single dull moment and exciting things were happening one by one. The plot was not too predictable and there were many moments of surprises. There are multiple violent scenes as well and at first, they weren't delivered properly since there was no building up to them. They felt very sudden and out of the blue. But they got much better later on in the book.
The writing of this book is excellent. The pace was just right- not too fast and not too slow. It was also quite funny to see the characters using modern dialogue in contrast to the setting of the plot.
There are many unique characters in the book and the plot shifts between their perspectives. It's a very good combination of a hero, amazing side characters, and villains. Kalki was charming and brave. He was the typical hero- humble and brave with a responsibility that he didn't ask for. An ordinary boy with extraordinary powers that I hope will be explored more in the upcoming sequel. I loved seeing his character build. He becomes more brave and intelligent as the book progresses and he has to deal with difficult situations. I liked his parts in the book a lot and wish there was more focus on him.
It was nice to read an Indian fantasy book which was not completely based on mythology. It was a brilliant balance of the two elements. The author mentions in the beginning that the characters of a book should be epic but I think plot-wise this series can be epic too. The only criticism I have is that the book could have been shorter and at times I couldn't see at all where the plot was going. In the last few pages, there was one shock after another and the ending was brutal.
I can honestly say that this is the most enjoyable fantasy book I have read in a long time. With a beautiful cover, this book is a perfect mix of a captivating plot, characters that we care about and flawless writing. This book is also an amazing start to a series.
I absolutely loved Kalki and it is no doubt, one of the best books I have read this year. I can't wait for the sequel and I'm very excited to see what the author has in store for us next.
If you're looking for an exciting adventure with all the gore and fun of a good fantasy novel, then pick up this book.
Thanks to the author for a copy of this book. All opinions are honest and unbiased.
December 2, 2017
Lord Vishnu is the operator of universes. He comes to earth in human form when there is extreme evil to finish it off. There are four Yugs. Lord Vishnu incarnated as Ram in Treata Yug and Krishna in Dwapar. It is prophesied that he will be born as Kalki in Kaliyuga i.e. the present age.
This is story of eternal battle between good and evil represented by Kalki and Kali respectively. Kalki is son of Vishnuyath and younger brother of Arjan. He is a simple village boy having amazing strength. Kali along with his sister Drukuti wants to establish an empire. Only hurdle in his path is Kalki.
The author has given a note in the beginning itself that this is a fantasy and not a modern retelling of Kalki Purana (I didn’t know there was a book like that Wikipedia link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalki_P... ). The influences are many from GOT, star wars, LOTR and Bahubali. He wanted to create epic characters and not epic story. Fair enough.
The book is long and this is just book one. I liked the format of very short chapters and crisp clear dialogues. There are numerous characters and tribes, details of which are given in end. Subtle but significant difference between Pisacha, Asur, Rakshahsa, Nagas etc is told. All these details were difficult to assimilate and confused me at times.
I can see the influence of Amish Triptahi’s Meluha trilogy clearly. The Soma and Nagas are mentioned in that too. Amish also takes puranic characters and weaves a imaginary fantasy around them. However Amish kept the plot tight and story interesting, here the plot went sideways many a times and story slackens. But it is too early to pass judgement as this is book one. I will wait and watch.
3.5/ 5 stars.
This is story of eternal battle between good and evil represented by Kalki and Kali respectively. Kalki is son of Vishnuyath and younger brother of Arjan. He is a simple village boy having amazing strength. Kali along with his sister Drukuti wants to establish an empire. Only hurdle in his path is Kalki.
The author has given a note in the beginning itself that this is a fantasy and not a modern retelling of Kalki Purana (I didn’t know there was a book like that Wikipedia link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalki_P... ). The influences are many from GOT, star wars, LOTR and Bahubali. He wanted to create epic characters and not epic story. Fair enough.
The book is long and this is just book one. I liked the format of very short chapters and crisp clear dialogues. There are numerous characters and tribes, details of which are given in end. Subtle but significant difference between Pisacha, Asur, Rakshahsa, Nagas etc is told. All these details were difficult to assimilate and confused me at times.
I can see the influence of Amish Triptahi’s Meluha trilogy clearly. The Soma and Nagas are mentioned in that too. Amish also takes puranic characters and weaves a imaginary fantasy around them. However Amish kept the plot tight and story interesting, here the plot went sideways many a times and story slackens. But it is too early to pass judgement as this is book one. I will wait and watch.
3.5/ 5 stars.
September 1, 2018
Rating = 3.5
Well i picked it from my shelf cause previously i read "Shiva Trilogy", which amazingly made me love Mytho books. But after reading Kevin's KALKI, am little disappointed. I felt the characters weak (except Kali n Arjan) and plot a little bit predictable. The protagonist "KALKI" occupied only few chapters, contrary to "ARJAN", who played well. The best part which i liked was the inclusion of women characters and their indomitable spirit to fight.
I missed the element of secrets and concealment which i think mythological book does have it in them. But am sure the next sequel of KALKI would be a fantastic read.
Well i picked it from my shelf cause previously i read "Shiva Trilogy", which amazingly made me love Mytho books. But after reading Kevin's KALKI, am little disappointed. I felt the characters weak (except Kali n Arjan) and plot a little bit predictable. The protagonist "KALKI" occupied only few chapters, contrary to "ARJAN", who played well. The best part which i liked was the inclusion of women characters and their indomitable spirit to fight.
I missed the element of secrets and concealment which i think mythological book does have it in them. But am sure the next sequel of KALKI would be a fantastic read.
November 12, 2021
Fantasy inspired by Hindu mythology and characters. What it lacks in world building it makes up for in violence. Decent read.
October 31, 2017
Most mythological stories revolve around the idea of a fight between good and evil, with good winning most of the times, except for a few that try to explore other aspects of it like equality and emotions. The book Kalki offers no exception.
Summary:
It is based on the 10th incarnate of Lord Vishnu, Kalki, who is born as the face of Dharma to fight Adharma, represented by Kali, the evil Asura. The setting for this first book in the series is Indragarh, the capital city of Keekatpur, one of the many kingdoms in Illavarti. Shambhala is a small quiet village outside Indragarh.
It is here that our hero, Kalki, lives a simple and calm life with his parents and a brother. He is naive and untrained but possesses extraordinary strength. His life is turned upside down when his father is kidnapped by the Mlecchas, goons from the surrounding forest, and the cruel wheel of destiny is put into motion. Amidst the chaos, he meets Kripa, an acharya who claims to hold the key to all his questions. Kripa tells Kalki about the mysterious properties of Soma and that how it was Kalki's destiny to be the world savior when Adharm raises its ugly head.
Kali, on the other hand, is a seasoned warrior. He starts with the aim of bringing the Manavas and the Tribals(people with different physical and sociological characteristics and who were exiled from the kingdoms to live as lesser races) together but when he partakes the Soma, that his sister Durukti arranges for him to cure his illness, he is overcome with madness and uncontrollable power.
The story of Kalki is the learning curve a mere man has to follow to fulfill his duty as the Avatar of Vishnu and to save the world.
World formation:
Kevin has done a wonderful job of creating and bringing to life the world of Illavarti in his debut work. One can easily lose oneself in the vivid imagery offered. The amalgamation of myth, science, and fantasy is brilliant. Soma is not just represented as some miraculous healing liquid, it is also represented as a source of energy that is later well used in the story.
Characterization:
All the characters, major or otherwise, are well defined in terms of their looks and habits. I was keeping notes to remember who was who before I could get a hang of it. I found huge similarities here with the characters from famous fantasies. Kali, for example, reminded me a lot about Voldemort from Harry Potter with the similar slitted nose, hairless head, and scaly skin. They both used to be handsome before they turned evil. Also, a huge penchant for killing off characters like in GoT. This makes the whole point of spending too much time to develop those characters moot.
One thing I liked best is how the author has used physical characteristics to separate different tribes and at the same time to humanize them. Looking different and praying to different deities does not make you evil by default, is one of the best messages from the book.
Female characters are represented as strong and independent. I especially liked Laxmi as a fierce girl who has her priorities right and makes decisions that suit her.
Writing:
The books, that are made into series and are huge, need to have a gripping writing style. While the plot is good, the storyline is interesting, and details abound, the book could not hook me up as a reader. There are indeed multiple elements of surprise but it is very predictable on the whole. It could be multiple typos in the text or repeated words like 'Lass' and 'Improvise' that put me off, I am not sure, something just didn't work for me.
But this should not keep readers from going ahead and trying it out for themselves. When I read Immortals of Meluha, I fell in love with it and I still recommend it to people but I could never connect with the laster parts especially the third one which I found draggy. And still, there are huge fans of the series out there.
Recommendations:
The point I am trying to make here is that people who like reading mythological fiction must give it a try. It is a pretty good read overall. I'll also recommend it to people who want to start with the genre because they'll read it with a fresher perspective.
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
It is based on the 10th incarnate of Lord Vishnu, Kalki, who is born as the face of Dharma to fight Adharma, represented by Kali, the evil Asura. The setting for this first book in the series is Indragarh, the capital city of Keekatpur, one of the many kingdoms in Illavarti. Shambhala is a small quiet village outside Indragarh.
It is here that our hero, Kalki, lives a simple and calm life with his parents and a brother. He is naive and untrained but possesses extraordinary strength. His life is turned upside down when his father is kidnapped by the Mlecchas, goons from the surrounding forest, and the cruel wheel of destiny is put into motion. Amidst the chaos, he meets Kripa, an acharya who claims to hold the key to all his questions. Kripa tells Kalki about the mysterious properties of Soma and that how it was Kalki's destiny to be the world savior when Adharm raises its ugly head.
Kali, on the other hand, is a seasoned warrior. He starts with the aim of bringing the Manavas and the Tribals(people with different physical and sociological characteristics and who were exiled from the kingdoms to live as lesser races) together but when he partakes the Soma, that his sister Durukti arranges for him to cure his illness, he is overcome with madness and uncontrollable power.
The story of Kalki is the learning curve a mere man has to follow to fulfill his duty as the Avatar of Vishnu and to save the world.
World formation:
Kevin has done a wonderful job of creating and bringing to life the world of Illavarti in his debut work. One can easily lose oneself in the vivid imagery offered. The amalgamation of myth, science, and fantasy is brilliant. Soma is not just represented as some miraculous healing liquid, it is also represented as a source of energy that is later well used in the story.
Characterization:
All the characters, major or otherwise, are well defined in terms of their looks and habits. I was keeping notes to remember who was who before I could get a hang of it. I found huge similarities here with the characters from famous fantasies. Kali, for example, reminded me a lot about Voldemort from Harry Potter with the similar slitted nose, hairless head, and scaly skin. They both used to be handsome before they turned evil. Also, a huge penchant for killing off characters like in GoT. This makes the whole point of spending too much time to develop those characters moot.
One thing I liked best is how the author has used physical characteristics to separate different tribes and at the same time to humanize them. Looking different and praying to different deities does not make you evil by default, is one of the best messages from the book.
Female characters are represented as strong and independent. I especially liked Laxmi as a fierce girl who has her priorities right and makes decisions that suit her.
Writing:
The books, that are made into series and are huge, need to have a gripping writing style. While the plot is good, the storyline is interesting, and details abound, the book could not hook me up as a reader. There are indeed multiple elements of surprise but it is very predictable on the whole. It could be multiple typos in the text or repeated words like 'Lass' and 'Improvise' that put me off, I am not sure, something just didn't work for me.
But this should not keep readers from going ahead and trying it out for themselves. When I read Immortals of Meluha, I fell in love with it and I still recommend it to people but I could never connect with the laster parts especially the third one which I found draggy. And still, there are huge fans of the series out there.
Recommendations:
The point I am trying to make here is that people who like reading mythological fiction must give it a try. It is a pretty good read overall. I'll also recommend it to people who want to start with the genre because they'll read it with a fresher perspective.
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
February 18, 2020
Watch my video review of Dharmayoddha Kalki here: https://youtu.be/SQvnQsHyzQo
When I picked up this book, I initially gave up reading as the plot felt unbelievable. How do you disguise horses to resemble elephants? How does a bull not feel the fire burning on him? The author throws the reader into the plot directly and introduces a plethora of characters. I had no idea what was happening and felt it was all over the place! But I forced myself to continue and I am so glad that I did! Because, after the first 50 or so pages, once I adjusted to the pacing and the characters, I really started loving this book! I really got absorbed in the story once Kalki fights the Mlecchas and Kripa tells hims who he really is after Battle of Shambala.
One thing which I feel really works for this book is the length of the chapters. There are around 80 chapters in this book, but each of them are just 4-5 pages and short to read. Moreover, each chapter alternates between the plot and the characters that makes it exciting. The pacing was fast and consistent and did not drag at any moment. Each of the chapters ends in a cliffhanger where you don’t know what is going to happen. One scene that stands out is when Kalki is being executed, and how someone comes in a grand manner to save him.
Even though Kalki is the main character, I loved all the other characters. In fact, there are some scenes where I didn’t even like Kalki. I loved Durukti and the lengths she goes through to save her brother. Kali is a very interesting villain with many layers. I love how he turns so evil once the cure starts working and he becomes crazy with power. Padma is also a fascinating character and I cannot wait to see what happens with her. Arjan is my favorite character and I loved how he steps away from his comfort zone to save Kalki. Bala, Lakshmi, Ratri are all interesting but didn’t really have that memorable impact on me like the others. I am also keen to know what happens to Symrin, Manasa, and Urvashi in the sequel.
The story really did end with a bang! I think the author must be a fan of Game of Thrones, because he kills off many of the pivotal characters on the way. I loved this because it because brought a shocking element to the plot that stepped away from the norm.
On the downside, I felt like the book could have started off in a more gradual way. Like I mentioned, I had to force myself to get past the first few chapters to really start liking it. There are also quite a lot of grammatical errors that I wish the publishing company had fixed as it made this book look a bit unprofessional and tardy.
Overall, I LOVED reading this book, and I really feel it is one of those books that you need to sit patiently through for the first few chapters before things start falling into place. Kevin Missal has now become one of my favorite authors and I cannot wait to read some of his other works.
When I picked up this book, I initially gave up reading as the plot felt unbelievable. How do you disguise horses to resemble elephants? How does a bull not feel the fire burning on him? The author throws the reader into the plot directly and introduces a plethora of characters. I had no idea what was happening and felt it was all over the place! But I forced myself to continue and I am so glad that I did! Because, after the first 50 or so pages, once I adjusted to the pacing and the characters, I really started loving this book! I really got absorbed in the story once Kalki fights the Mlecchas and Kripa tells hims who he really is after Battle of Shambala.
One thing which I feel really works for this book is the length of the chapters. There are around 80 chapters in this book, but each of them are just 4-5 pages and short to read. Moreover, each chapter alternates between the plot and the characters that makes it exciting. The pacing was fast and consistent and did not drag at any moment. Each of the chapters ends in a cliffhanger where you don’t know what is going to happen. One scene that stands out is when Kalki is being executed, and how someone comes in a grand manner to save him.
Even though Kalki is the main character, I loved all the other characters. In fact, there are some scenes where I didn’t even like Kalki. I loved Durukti and the lengths she goes through to save her brother. Kali is a very interesting villain with many layers. I love how he turns so evil once the cure starts working and he becomes crazy with power. Padma is also a fascinating character and I cannot wait to see what happens with her. Arjan is my favorite character and I loved how he steps away from his comfort zone to save Kalki. Bala, Lakshmi, Ratri are all interesting but didn’t really have that memorable impact on me like the others. I am also keen to know what happens to Symrin, Manasa, and Urvashi in the sequel.
The story really did end with a bang! I think the author must be a fan of Game of Thrones, because he kills off many of the pivotal characters on the way. I loved this because it because brought a shocking element to the plot that stepped away from the norm.
On the downside, I felt like the book could have started off in a more gradual way. Like I mentioned, I had to force myself to get past the first few chapters to really start liking it. There are also quite a lot of grammatical errors that I wish the publishing company had fixed as it made this book look a bit unprofessional and tardy.
Overall, I LOVED reading this book, and I really feel it is one of those books that you need to sit patiently through for the first few chapters before things start falling into place. Kevin Missal has now become one of my favorite authors and I cannot wait to read some of his other works.
May 13, 2021
[Review of all three books]
*SPOILER FREE*
Genre: Indian mythological fiction, romance, thriller
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐ 💫(3.5/5)
Age: 14/15+
💥 I read this book series under recommendation and was not quite satisfied. Eventually, the frustration wore me off and I was tempted to leave it as a DNF, but at the end I decided to get over with it for my sanity. The plot line of the complete series is - cliché. There are a number of grammatical mistakes that were a bit too obvious. Although, it was very well executed and the Indian Mythology parts are admittedly very interesting and is one of the reasons that I stayed true to the books. I also appreciate the fact that the author, Kevin Missal, has written a book of such bookish high class and literature while being so young (twenty-two). This should provide encouragement to all budding authors and readers all over the world, as it did for me.
💥 About: Kalki Hari, a young but trained warrior from the quaint village of Shambala, has assumed the avatar of the preserver God Vishnu and has presumably been chosen as the destroyer of the terrible fate, Kaliyug. He is trapped amongst political rivalry of nearby districts, treachery, confusion and, distraught love. He attempts to fight his way out of everything and finds himself in the province of Keekatpur, ruled over by the ruthless Lord Kali. The trilogy describes our protagonist's journey, as he wades through fearsome battles, just to face his destiny.
💥 Age: The book series, altogether, has few nudity scenes and intimate actions that would seem unsuitable for tweens. Also, there are a few grotesque deaths, that in my defense, I found intriguing and should be suitable for the age limit and above.
💥 I enjoyed the fun while it lasted but hoped for more. The book gave me insight on the culture and maniacal beliefs in that era. I had the chance to explore through deeper Indian aspects and traditions, that were alien to me. Overall, an "interesting" read but, if you happen to be trying out Indian Mythology for the first time, I'd recommend you to read The Shiva Trilogy.
By #RenéePereira
*SPOILER FREE*
Genre: Indian mythological fiction, romance, thriller
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐ 💫(3.5/5)
Age: 14/15+
💥 I read this book series under recommendation and was not quite satisfied. Eventually, the frustration wore me off and I was tempted to leave it as a DNF, but at the end I decided to get over with it for my sanity. The plot line of the complete series is - cliché. There are a number of grammatical mistakes that were a bit too obvious. Although, it was very well executed and the Indian Mythology parts are admittedly very interesting and is one of the reasons that I stayed true to the books. I also appreciate the fact that the author, Kevin Missal, has written a book of such bookish high class and literature while being so young (twenty-two). This should provide encouragement to all budding authors and readers all over the world, as it did for me.
💥 About: Kalki Hari, a young but trained warrior from the quaint village of Shambala, has assumed the avatar of the preserver God Vishnu and has presumably been chosen as the destroyer of the terrible fate, Kaliyug. He is trapped amongst political rivalry of nearby districts, treachery, confusion and, distraught love. He attempts to fight his way out of everything and finds himself in the province of Keekatpur, ruled over by the ruthless Lord Kali. The trilogy describes our protagonist's journey, as he wades through fearsome battles, just to face his destiny.
💥 Age: The book series, altogether, has few nudity scenes and intimate actions that would seem unsuitable for tweens. Also, there are a few grotesque deaths, that in my defense, I found intriguing and should be suitable for the age limit and above.
💥 I enjoyed the fun while it lasted but hoped for more. The book gave me insight on the culture and maniacal beliefs in that era. I had the chance to explore through deeper Indian aspects and traditions, that were alien to me. Overall, an "interesting" read but, if you happen to be trying out Indian Mythology for the first time, I'd recommend you to read The Shiva Trilogy.
By #RenéePereira
November 11, 2017
Ever happened that you are so engrossed in reading a book that you even carry it with you while going to the market because you don't want those 15 minutes ride of a rickshaw wasted. This is that kind of the book which can keep a reader hooked up till the end without losing interest for a single minute.
Kalki is a fictional mythological tale of the tenth avatar of Lord Vishnu. Kalki hari born as a son of a farmer grows to be a man with extraordinary powers which can not be explained. He is the savior if the mankind and enemy of the Adharm or evil. He has to endure a lot of pain and loss to become what he was really born for. He loses everyone dear to him and he chooses the path to become "DHARMA". There are many characters in the story and I want to write about them without giving any spoilers so here you go.
Arjan brother of Kalki who would do anything for him, Bala a friend who loves him more than anything else, Kripa who will be the companion of Kalki on his path to becoming an Avatar, Kali whom I suppose will be our villain or you can say Adharm, Durukti who is sister of Kali who loves his brother so much that he could do anything for him. There are many other characters but the author has portrayed them so significantly that you won't get confused, rather you will enjoy them.
Author has amazing storytelling skills and he has surely written a novel which deserves to be a best-seller. The narration is good, the plot is the one thing you won't get bored of, but the thing which can make you buy this novel instantly is its cover. The book has a beautiful cover which perfectly suits the theme of the book.
I can't wait to get my hands on the second part of the book. Needless to say, the author has increased my expectations for novels.
Kalki is a fictional mythological tale of the tenth avatar of Lord Vishnu. Kalki hari born as a son of a farmer grows to be a man with extraordinary powers which can not be explained. He is the savior if the mankind and enemy of the Adharm or evil. He has to endure a lot of pain and loss to become what he was really born for. He loses everyone dear to him and he chooses the path to become "DHARMA". There are many characters in the story and I want to write about them without giving any spoilers so here you go.
Arjan brother of Kalki who would do anything for him, Bala a friend who loves him more than anything else, Kripa who will be the companion of Kalki on his path to becoming an Avatar, Kali whom I suppose will be our villain or you can say Adharm, Durukti who is sister of Kali who loves his brother so much that he could do anything for him. There are many other characters but the author has portrayed them so significantly that you won't get confused, rather you will enjoy them.
Author has amazing storytelling skills and he has surely written a novel which deserves to be a best-seller. The narration is good, the plot is the one thing you won't get bored of, but the thing which can make you buy this novel instantly is its cover. The book has a beautiful cover which perfectly suits the theme of the book.
I can't wait to get my hands on the second part of the book. Needless to say, the author has increased my expectations for novels.
October 17, 2021
Couldn't go beyond 10 chapters.
Avoid.
Avoid.
June 3, 2025
review - https://booksteacupreviews.com/2025/0...
Dharmayoddha Kalki is a mythology-inspired fantasy that explores the eternal battle of Dharma (good) vs. Adharma (evil), a familiar theme in Indian mythology. As the legends say, when Adharma starts to dominate the world, Dharma incarnates to restore balance—and in this tale, Kalki is Dharma’s chosen avatar, while Kali represents Adharma.
The setting is Illavarti—a kingdom ruled by the Manavs (regular humans) who look down on the tribal communities, treating them as inferior species. These tribes include Nagas, Rakshasas, Yakshas, Suparna (technologically advanced), ,Vanars (lives in seclusion), Danavs (extinct), and the Asuras (nearly extinct). This species-based hierarchy and discrimination is a major source of tension in the story.
Kali, one of the central figures, is an Asura. He and his sister Durukti are the only survivors of a brutal attack on their tribe. His difficult childhood left him scarred, cynical, and with a singular life goal: to unite the marginalized tribes and bring peace to the world by standing up to the oppressive Manav rulers.
He begins by rallying the tribal forces scattered across Illavarti, defeating major regions like Agnigarh and Suryagarh, and ultimately bringing the capital city of Indragarh to its knees. At first, Kali seems like a revolutionary with noble intentions—but things unravel fast. He falls gravely ill, tribal leaders start feuding, and an assassination attempt nearly kills him. That’s when Durukti learns about a magical healing stone,Soma Stones, hidden deep in the Shambala forests.
Meanwhile, in peaceful Shambala, we meet Kalki—a boy born with superhuman strength (think: strength of three rakshasas in one body) and rapid healing. Kalki’s father urges him to hide his powers, but when his father is kidnapped by local thugs, he’s forced to reveal his strength to save himself and others.
This leads to the introduction of Guru Kripa, an immortal who once aided the previous Vishnu avatar during a legendary war. Kripa explains that Kalki’s powers come from Soma, very stones Durukti seeks. Fearing the destruction Soma stones could unleash if exposed to the world, Kalki tries to stop Durukti. The attempt fails, and he ends up imprisoned.
Kali is revived by Soma, gaining similar powers. But unlike Kalki, the extract warps him physically and mentally, turning him into a more dangerous, unhinged version of himself. His arc from visionary to villain is slow, unsettling, and honestly, one of the better-written aspects of the book.
Dharmayoddha Kalki is a plot-driven fantasy rooted in classic themes of good vs. evil layered with social hierarchy, rebellion, and destiny, political intrigue, and tribal warfare. The short chapters and multiple perspectives keep the story moving at a fast clip. However, I agree with many reviews on Goodreads: the writing is not great. It’s simplistic, heavy on telling instead of showing, and filled with cliché dialogue. It almost reads like a rough movie script—which might explain why the movie adaptation seems more promising.
The characters didn’t really hit home. A bunch of people die, and I felt… nothing. No emotional connection. Not even when Kalki’s father died or when friends perished. Kalki’s growth from clueless boy to “chosen one” happens too suddenly and without much emotional groundwork. We’re told he changes during his imprisonment, I still don’t feel it (and I’m about to finish 2nd book).
Kali, on the other hand, is the exception. His moral grayness, growing darkness, and psychological unraveling are well-handled. His transformation is believable and grim.
Durukti also stands out. She’s sharp, pragmatic, and fiercely loyal to her brother, but she’s not blind to the cost of their actions. She’s torn between love and morality, which makes her arc more complex. She even tries to help Kalki, showing she isn’t devoid of conscience.
Kalki’s brother Arjan is another character I liked. He’s smart, brave, and clearly set up for something bigger.
Then there’s Kripa, guiding Kalki north to Mahendragiri for training. He’s shady in that classic “wise old mentor with secrets” way. He��s linked to another immortal, Bhargav Ram, who helps Kalki during his meditations and in his channeling. There’s a larger history between these immortals that I’m looking forward to uncovering.
The action scenes are surprisingly good (of course not all of them). Twists are also interesting but they are predictable. The final rescue was fun and dramatic but what follows was tragic. There is no end, the book continues to second book.
Overall, Dharmayoddha Kalki is a fast-paced, mythology-inspired fantasy brimming with political tension, tribal rebellion, and action-packed chaos. While the writing didn’t wow me, the world-building, plot, and sheer potential of the story kept me invested. So, I’ll be continuing the trilogy just to see where it all leads.
Dharmayoddha Kalki is a mythology-inspired fantasy that explores the eternal battle of Dharma (good) vs. Adharma (evil), a familiar theme in Indian mythology. As the legends say, when Adharma starts to dominate the world, Dharma incarnates to restore balance—and in this tale, Kalki is Dharma’s chosen avatar, while Kali represents Adharma.
The setting is Illavarti—a kingdom ruled by the Manavs (regular humans) who look down on the tribal communities, treating them as inferior species. These tribes include Nagas, Rakshasas, Yakshas, Suparna (technologically advanced), ,Vanars (lives in seclusion), Danavs (extinct), and the Asuras (nearly extinct). This species-based hierarchy and discrimination is a major source of tension in the story.
Kali, one of the central figures, is an Asura. He and his sister Durukti are the only survivors of a brutal attack on their tribe. His difficult childhood left him scarred, cynical, and with a singular life goal: to unite the marginalized tribes and bring peace to the world by standing up to the oppressive Manav rulers.
He begins by rallying the tribal forces scattered across Illavarti, defeating major regions like Agnigarh and Suryagarh, and ultimately bringing the capital city of Indragarh to its knees. At first, Kali seems like a revolutionary with noble intentions—but things unravel fast. He falls gravely ill, tribal leaders start feuding, and an assassination attempt nearly kills him. That’s when Durukti learns about a magical healing stone,Soma Stones, hidden deep in the Shambala forests.
Meanwhile, in peaceful Shambala, we meet Kalki—a boy born with superhuman strength (think: strength of three rakshasas in one body) and rapid healing. Kalki’s father urges him to hide his powers, but when his father is kidnapped by local thugs, he’s forced to reveal his strength to save himself and others.
This leads to the introduction of Guru Kripa, an immortal who once aided the previous Vishnu avatar during a legendary war. Kripa explains that Kalki’s powers come from Soma, very stones Durukti seeks. Fearing the destruction Soma stones could unleash if exposed to the world, Kalki tries to stop Durukti. The attempt fails, and he ends up imprisoned.
Kali is revived by Soma, gaining similar powers. But unlike Kalki, the extract warps him physically and mentally, turning him into a more dangerous, unhinged version of himself. His arc from visionary to villain is slow, unsettling, and honestly, one of the better-written aspects of the book.
Dharmayoddha Kalki is a plot-driven fantasy rooted in classic themes of good vs. evil layered with social hierarchy, rebellion, and destiny, political intrigue, and tribal warfare. The short chapters and multiple perspectives keep the story moving at a fast clip. However, I agree with many reviews on Goodreads: the writing is not great. It’s simplistic, heavy on telling instead of showing, and filled with cliché dialogue. It almost reads like a rough movie script—which might explain why the movie adaptation seems more promising.
The characters didn’t really hit home. A bunch of people die, and I felt… nothing. No emotional connection. Not even when Kalki’s father died or when friends perished. Kalki’s growth from clueless boy to “chosen one” happens too suddenly and without much emotional groundwork. We’re told he changes during his imprisonment, I still don’t feel it (and I’m about to finish 2nd book).
Kali, on the other hand, is the exception. His moral grayness, growing darkness, and psychological unraveling are well-handled. His transformation is believable and grim.
Durukti also stands out. She’s sharp, pragmatic, and fiercely loyal to her brother, but she’s not blind to the cost of their actions. She’s torn between love and morality, which makes her arc more complex. She even tries to help Kalki, showing she isn’t devoid of conscience.
Kalki’s brother Arjan is another character I liked. He’s smart, brave, and clearly set up for something bigger.
Then there’s Kripa, guiding Kalki north to Mahendragiri for training. He’s shady in that classic “wise old mentor with secrets” way. He��s linked to another immortal, Bhargav Ram, who helps Kalki during his meditations and in his channeling. There’s a larger history between these immortals that I’m looking forward to uncovering.
The action scenes are surprisingly good (of course not all of them). Twists are also interesting but they are predictable. The final rescue was fun and dramatic but what follows was tragic. There is no end, the book continues to second book.
Overall, Dharmayoddha Kalki is a fast-paced, mythology-inspired fantasy brimming with political tension, tribal rebellion, and action-packed chaos. While the writing didn’t wow me, the world-building, plot, and sheer potential of the story kept me invested. So, I’ll be continuing the trilogy just to see where it all leads.
August 17, 2018
Before penning down this review I have a guilty confession to make and that is it took two weeks to finish reading book but took months to share with you all my views with you. Less than a week was left for my exams when this book arrived at my door and for me it was the most euphoric moment to read it and I finished it somewhere between the exams. And I really loved it. I have been following author since he first wrote his book “Yama” and I just can’t find myself reading his books published after them.
Kevin has notch in mythological fantasy and drama that he create something out of the box every time. He highlights some of rare mythological characters and presents them so beautifully that they leave impact on its readers. The same case is with me also, look it took so long for me to share my views on Kakli.
It is belived that every human life moves from kaal charkara and this chakara consists of four yugs. In every yug a lord is born to vanish the wrongdoers and helped the humanity sail to different yugs. With every passing yug the world gets polluted more so does the lord appeared. So considering the yugas, we are on the last phase of kaal charkra which is Kalyug. This yug is misery driven and when the world is on verge of brinking Lord Kalki is born and we will punish the evil. Here in book also we follow Lord Kalki but from a whole new perspective.
Kalki who is an ordinary boy who is no naïve that he in unknown to his hidden abilities of performing extraordinary. A boy who when born believe to be a farmer’s son and never ponder about his existence and why he was born. He is loved child not only of his parents but his brother loved and his childhood friend they too loved him like anything. On a stranger encounter with mysterious hidden chaos and crime in his state he walked to find the truth and eventually end up losing many loved one and discovering his inner powers and intellect.
Book talk about so many clans which were present in ancient time and how they were at loggerhead with each other in order to attain optimum powers, soma. The book has so many action packed fights and strategies that will make its reader hook till the end. Story is fast paced and indeed gripping. The cover is so magnificent and stunning. Author has perfectly blended so much hard work in this that it really makes it worth reading for.
I would not recommend it particularly but to everyone. Truly an amazing read.
Kevin has notch in mythological fantasy and drama that he create something out of the box every time. He highlights some of rare mythological characters and presents them so beautifully that they leave impact on its readers. The same case is with me also, look it took so long for me to share my views on Kakli.
It is belived that every human life moves from kaal charkara and this chakara consists of four yugs. In every yug a lord is born to vanish the wrongdoers and helped the humanity sail to different yugs. With every passing yug the world gets polluted more so does the lord appeared. So considering the yugas, we are on the last phase of kaal charkra which is Kalyug. This yug is misery driven and when the world is on verge of brinking Lord Kalki is born and we will punish the evil. Here in book also we follow Lord Kalki but from a whole new perspective.
Kalki who is an ordinary boy who is no naïve that he in unknown to his hidden abilities of performing extraordinary. A boy who when born believe to be a farmer’s son and never ponder about his existence and why he was born. He is loved child not only of his parents but his brother loved and his childhood friend they too loved him like anything. On a stranger encounter with mysterious hidden chaos and crime in his state he walked to find the truth and eventually end up losing many loved one and discovering his inner powers and intellect.
Book talk about so many clans which were present in ancient time and how they were at loggerhead with each other in order to attain optimum powers, soma. The book has so many action packed fights and strategies that will make its reader hook till the end. Story is fast paced and indeed gripping. The cover is so magnificent and stunning. Author has perfectly blended so much hard work in this that it really makes it worth reading for.
I would not recommend it particularly but to everyone. Truly an amazing read.
October 23, 2018
You know you have read a good Mythology when multiple twist and turns don’t distort the story of the book, but instead gives the story a gripping edge.
I didn’t set any expectations for this book before I opened the first page. Nope, Mostly because I didn’t want to be disappointed at all. Also, because I had read so many Books on Kalki, that the charm of reading yet another Kalki book wore off. However, I didn’t expect this book to be this good. I loved this book, in fact, I dreamt, I talked and I devoured the whole book in no time. It’s probably due to the story which turned to be the complete opposite of what I was expecting it to be or because the storyline and the characters were simply mind numbing.
Publication Date: October 14th, 2017
Publisher: Fingerprint Publishing
Page Count: 464 pages
“Dharmayoddha Kalki” is the story of Lord Govind Avatar – Kalki, one of the most written Characters of 2018 or so I think. Author Kevin has used his magical brush to repaint the Book 1 of Kalki Saga. This book is not a retelling of Mythology but a totally imaginary world woven around Kalki by the Author Kevin.
The book has 3 ‘E’ factors in it, Engaging-Enthralling-Entertaining, A potent mixture for a bestseller. The book is almost 400 pages but the narration is so smooth, that you don’t even realize when the beginning turned to the end.
This was indeed an irresistible read. I swam through the pages, enjoying the various shades of waves coming at me. It wasn’t that it was suspenseful or anything, the book was so engrossing, it just fell like sand through your fingers without you really noticing. It did get a bit heavy in the middle, but probably appropriately so, given events. That was the only time it dragged a little.
What I loved most about the characters was their personality each with their different unique shade, yet they blended smoothly onto the canvas. Transformation of Kali from the savior to the Mad Man destroyer was amazing. The only thing I didn’t like was that Author killing my favorite characters. I’m still reeling from the death!!!
Was the climax good? Oh yes, it was. The climax totally justified the whole story of Book 1 and in the process paving the way for Book 2.
It’s definitely a recommended read for all the Mythology Fans and also Fantasy fiction lovers. It’s truly an amazingly written book with an essence of history into it. Couldn’t wait for book 2 to release soon enough.
I give it 4.5/5 stars
I didn’t set any expectations for this book before I opened the first page. Nope, Mostly because I didn’t want to be disappointed at all. Also, because I had read so many Books on Kalki, that the charm of reading yet another Kalki book wore off. However, I didn’t expect this book to be this good. I loved this book, in fact, I dreamt, I talked and I devoured the whole book in no time. It’s probably due to the story which turned to be the complete opposite of what I was expecting it to be or because the storyline and the characters were simply mind numbing.
Publication Date: October 14th, 2017
Publisher: Fingerprint Publishing
Page Count: 464 pages
“Dharmayoddha Kalki” is the story of Lord Govind Avatar – Kalki, one of the most written Characters of 2018 or so I think. Author Kevin has used his magical brush to repaint the Book 1 of Kalki Saga. This book is not a retelling of Mythology but a totally imaginary world woven around Kalki by the Author Kevin.
The book has 3 ‘E’ factors in it, Engaging-Enthralling-Entertaining, A potent mixture for a bestseller. The book is almost 400 pages but the narration is so smooth, that you don’t even realize when the beginning turned to the end.
This was indeed an irresistible read. I swam through the pages, enjoying the various shades of waves coming at me. It wasn’t that it was suspenseful or anything, the book was so engrossing, it just fell like sand through your fingers without you really noticing. It did get a bit heavy in the middle, but probably appropriately so, given events. That was the only time it dragged a little.
What I loved most about the characters was their personality each with their different unique shade, yet they blended smoothly onto the canvas. Transformation of Kali from the savior to the Mad Man destroyer was amazing. The only thing I didn’t like was that Author killing my favorite characters. I’m still reeling from the death!!!
Was the climax good? Oh yes, it was. The climax totally justified the whole story of Book 1 and in the process paving the way for Book 2.
It’s definitely a recommended read for all the Mythology Fans and also Fantasy fiction lovers. It’s truly an amazingly written book with an essence of history into it. Couldn’t wait for book 2 to release soon enough.
I give it 4.5/5 stars
February 18, 2018
What can I say about this book!Dharmayodha Kalki receives 10000 stars from me! I just couldn’t keep it down. Once I started, I knew I had to finish it. Oh my god, the detailing, the characters, the cover, writing, everything. I just couldn’t find a single fault. I am so, so, so happy with this book. When I started reading the book I had some other story going on in my mind but the moment I started getting into it, I was totally blown away. I could never think the story would turn up in that way. Woah!
Kevin has written down a beautiful novel, a retelling of the avatar of Lord Govinda, Kalki, in a not so “mythological” manner. He has immense strength, which has been proved time an again by events like defeating enemies twice his size, faster healing of wounds and very sharp fighting skills. He doesn’t have a decent explanation about the skills he possesses until he meets Kripa aka Kripacharya- a guru who had been a part of the biggest battle against evil- the Mahayudh.
Kali is the descendant of a clan known for their evil and cunning nature. He has sacrificed innumerable things to rise to the position of ‘Lord Kali’ – a position that demands respect and effuses fear. The author has introduced clans similar to Asuras, Nagas, and Rakshas with their own charm and characteristics. The backdrop of the entire story gives you a feel of the ancient yet modern Vedic structure. There are details about machinery that have been mentioned in the Mahabharata times, this shows that the author has done a good amount of research before writing down the book. One of the beautiful part for me was the miraculously woven storyline which involved both the epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana and also Purana.
I don’t really think I can point out any flaws. The vivid imagination of the author with the grandeur fits perfectly. When I started reading the book, I didn’t feel that I was reading a book, I felt I was watching a Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie. I always thought that such genre could only be written by Amish Tripathi but after reading this book, Kevin Missal, I don’t have words anymore. This book is a must-read, very intelligently written with no harsh or fancy words, the story just flows in a smooth manner.
Kevin has written down a beautiful novel, a retelling of the avatar of Lord Govinda, Kalki, in a not so “mythological” manner. He has immense strength, which has been proved time an again by events like defeating enemies twice his size, faster healing of wounds and very sharp fighting skills. He doesn’t have a decent explanation about the skills he possesses until he meets Kripa aka Kripacharya- a guru who had been a part of the biggest battle against evil- the Mahayudh.
Kali is the descendant of a clan known for their evil and cunning nature. He has sacrificed innumerable things to rise to the position of ‘Lord Kali’ – a position that demands respect and effuses fear. The author has introduced clans similar to Asuras, Nagas, and Rakshas with their own charm and characteristics. The backdrop of the entire story gives you a feel of the ancient yet modern Vedic structure. There are details about machinery that have been mentioned in the Mahabharata times, this shows that the author has done a good amount of research before writing down the book. One of the beautiful part for me was the miraculously woven storyline which involved both the epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana and also Purana.
I don’t really think I can point out any flaws. The vivid imagination of the author with the grandeur fits perfectly. When I started reading the book, I didn’t feel that I was reading a book, I felt I was watching a Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie. I always thought that such genre could only be written by Amish Tripathi but after reading this book, Kevin Missal, I don’t have words anymore. This book is a must-read, very intelligently written with no harsh or fancy words, the story just flows in a smooth manner.
March 2, 2018
I am a mere reader when it comes to adventures, mythologies, histories… but then, Kalki is an exceptional case; a plot and writing that has kept me stoned with the book, till the turn of the last page. As said by our young author, the book is of complete fantasy and of pure fiction, has got nothing to do with the Purana.
From my point of view. The plot idea is rather simple and clean.
‘A hero is born only with a price;
Here, Kalki, the saviour of world, is born with the price of deaths of his near and dear ones.’
With Mythological elements, concept of rebirth, Dharma and Adharm, battles and wars, and a slight crisp of love being encompassed, in reference over historical tales, the book is made to look more realistic.
The justification of characters and settings, the way each chapter holding importance to the overall story, the narration of events, the concept of politics, crime, fight, war, bloodshed, love, revenge together plays an important role and is implied in each important character of the plot, which has added the credits.
The book is sure to give the reader all sort of emotions, starting from love to humour and will also has a light of wisdom. Though Kalki is the protagonist, Kripa is my favourite character, who always have made me bound with the story. An inkling of suspense is rooted in the middle and it find its way at the end, but the author challenges us to hold for the next novel.
On the whole, Kalki is a must read and I am glad to have read such a wonderful tale from a young and an aspiring author.
P.S. The cover pic is just wow!!
From my point of view. The plot idea is rather simple and clean.
‘A hero is born only with a price;
Here, Kalki, the saviour of world, is born with the price of deaths of his near and dear ones.’
With Mythological elements, concept of rebirth, Dharma and Adharm, battles and wars, and a slight crisp of love being encompassed, in reference over historical tales, the book is made to look more realistic.
The justification of characters and settings, the way each chapter holding importance to the overall story, the narration of events, the concept of politics, crime, fight, war, bloodshed, love, revenge together plays an important role and is implied in each important character of the plot, which has added the credits.
The book is sure to give the reader all sort of emotions, starting from love to humour and will also has a light of wisdom. Though Kalki is the protagonist, Kripa is my favourite character, who always have made me bound with the story. An inkling of suspense is rooted in the middle and it find its way at the end, but the author challenges us to hold for the next novel.
On the whole, Kalki is a must read and I am glad to have read such a wonderful tale from a young and an aspiring author.
P.S. The cover pic is just wow!!
February 15, 2018
" A hero isn't born. He's made. Through people, through journeys and most of all through tragedy."
This book is based on the much awaited Vishnu avatar Kalki who is expected to be the savior of the world. The story begins with a war where Kali cleverly signs a pact with King Vedantta and takes over Keekatpur. Kali is shrewd and his greed for power is rising day by day. He is insensitive towards people of his kingdom. On the other hand, we meet a simple village boy Kalki Hari from Shambala. Kalki is unaware of the extraordinary powers he possess until one day he gets to know that he is the 10th Avatar of Vishnu and is born in order to fight the evil.
I was intrigued by the turn of events after every chapter. At one time, Shambala is full of happiness and peace and the other moment there is a grotesque war killing almost all the residents of the village. Amidst the chaos, Kalki meets Kripa, an acharya who claims to hold the key to all his questions. Kripa tells him about the mysterious properties of Soma and that how it was Kalki’s destiny to be the world savior when Adharm raises its ugly head. Being naive and lacking warfare skills, Kalki is assured by Kripa that he'll help him getting ready for the fight of good over evil. Thus follows the further story of Kalki moving on the path of righteousness in order to revenge the deaths of his close ones and killing the evil, Adharm Kali.
" A man born in riches can be corrupted easily. Humility is what makes a hero."
The story is full of emotions, action, drama, magic, fantasy elements and moral lessons too. I was really fascinated from the very first page of the book. The author's writing style is simple and will keep you hooked throughout. The character building is strong and the way the author describes the various scenes is commendable, I actually imagined all of it. The book is well paced and an enjoyable read.
This book is the first part in the Kalki trilogy and I am eagerly waiting for the other two parts. I recommend it to those who love reading mythological fiction.
This book is based on the much awaited Vishnu avatar Kalki who is expected to be the savior of the world. The story begins with a war where Kali cleverly signs a pact with King Vedantta and takes over Keekatpur. Kali is shrewd and his greed for power is rising day by day. He is insensitive towards people of his kingdom. On the other hand, we meet a simple village boy Kalki Hari from Shambala. Kalki is unaware of the extraordinary powers he possess until one day he gets to know that he is the 10th Avatar of Vishnu and is born in order to fight the evil.
I was intrigued by the turn of events after every chapter. At one time, Shambala is full of happiness and peace and the other moment there is a grotesque war killing almost all the residents of the village. Amidst the chaos, Kalki meets Kripa, an acharya who claims to hold the key to all his questions. Kripa tells him about the mysterious properties of Soma and that how it was Kalki’s destiny to be the world savior when Adharm raises its ugly head. Being naive and lacking warfare skills, Kalki is assured by Kripa that he'll help him getting ready for the fight of good over evil. Thus follows the further story of Kalki moving on the path of righteousness in order to revenge the deaths of his close ones and killing the evil, Adharm Kali.
" A man born in riches can be corrupted easily. Humility is what makes a hero."
The story is full of emotions, action, drama, magic, fantasy elements and moral lessons too. I was really fascinated from the very first page of the book. The author's writing style is simple and will keep you hooked throughout. The character building is strong and the way the author describes the various scenes is commendable, I actually imagined all of it. The book is well paced and an enjoyable read.
This book is the first part in the Kalki trilogy and I am eagerly waiting for the other two parts. I recommend it to those who love reading mythological fiction.
May 15, 2019
This book has everything - action, suspense, emotions, planning, war and a myriad of characters you will love or hate. A refreshing writing style and a must-read for all mythology lovers.!!
March 2, 2018
Dharmayoddha Kalki: Avatar Of Vishnu is a mythological fiction penned by Kevin Missal. The story surrounds the life of Kalki Hari , a village boy who lives in Shambala with his family. Kalki is born with enormous abilities to serve a bigger purpose. In the other part of the world , Lord Kali has taken over Keekatpur and his vile games and cunning nature plans on captivating everything and everyone. Kalki’s father has been kidnapped and he along with his brother Arjan , a friend Bala , childhood friend Laxmi and a mysterious man Kripa are out to save his father.
The first detail is the cover. It’s vivid and attractive and makes you pick it up. So if not a review copy , this would have been an impulsive cover buy for me. Needless to say , the book has a lot of action and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. They were properly planned and not into your face kind. The story was going on a smooth and fast page , no dull moment at all throughout. This was something I was worried seeing the length of the book , but I wasm’t disappointed. The writing style of the author is plain and simple and that is the need of a mythological fiction. You can’t really add a rich vocabulary , less it makes the book feel more long.
Now the book is not in a single person format. It has multiple story tellers, from the characters point of view which is very nice. Each character had a perspective and the author has done justice to the characters mentioned. The blend between mythology and fiction was intact throughout the book and this is actually what made mythology bearable for me.
A few flaws that I could find. The characters are too many to remember. I often had to check my notepad to see who the character is or what is his role. In the beginning I was even confused between Kali and Kalki but that got better post 100 pages. Next , the book needs a little hand at editing and grammatical errors. They can be ignored but they break the continuity in the reading. The book got tedious in the middle but then picked up pace again and I was hooked till the end thereafter. Some events were elaborated and some completely left hanging which the author should have noticed. I felt like skipping a few pages when the events were unnecessarily dragged but I didn’t in the fear that i’ll miss something vital.
All in all , the book is brilliant. Kevin Missal’s imagination is completely amazing and while reading you can actually feel the story flashing in front of your eyes.This is the first book of the trilogy and I can’t wait to read the next book.
The first detail is the cover. It’s vivid and attractive and makes you pick it up. So if not a review copy , this would have been an impulsive cover buy for me. Needless to say , the book has a lot of action and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. They were properly planned and not into your face kind. The story was going on a smooth and fast page , no dull moment at all throughout. This was something I was worried seeing the length of the book , but I wasm’t disappointed. The writing style of the author is plain and simple and that is the need of a mythological fiction. You can’t really add a rich vocabulary , less it makes the book feel more long.
Now the book is not in a single person format. It has multiple story tellers, from the characters point of view which is very nice. Each character had a perspective and the author has done justice to the characters mentioned. The blend between mythology and fiction was intact throughout the book and this is actually what made mythology bearable for me.
A few flaws that I could find. The characters are too many to remember. I often had to check my notepad to see who the character is or what is his role. In the beginning I was even confused between Kali and Kalki but that got better post 100 pages. Next , the book needs a little hand at editing and grammatical errors. They can be ignored but they break the continuity in the reading. The book got tedious in the middle but then picked up pace again and I was hooked till the end thereafter. Some events were elaborated and some completely left hanging which the author should have noticed. I felt like skipping a few pages when the events were unnecessarily dragged but I didn’t in the fear that i’ll miss something vital.
All in all , the book is brilliant. Kevin Missal’s imagination is completely amazing and while reading you can actually feel the story flashing in front of your eyes.This is the first book of the trilogy and I can’t wait to read the next book.
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