Book Review: Karna’s Celestial Armor by Surendra Nath

Karna’s Celestial Armor
Author: Surendra Nath
Sold By: Amazon Asia-Pacific Holdings Private Limited
Rating: 3.5/5

Personally, Karna is my favourite character from mythology. And the foremost reason why this book caught my attention in a jiffy was that I had already read its first part. The author has chosen a subject that is seldom dealt with. Unlike other mythological books, this story revolves around a boy (Vasu) who is intrigued by the calibre and persona of Karna. In the first part, he sets on a quest to discover his true self. In this part, inspired and motivated by Karna’s alter ego, he decides to go on an expedition to find the Kavach-Kundal of Karna that was hidden by Lord Indra.

Trying his luck in every nook and corner, Vasu becomes the new Harry Potter (Deathly Hallows), who makes an attempt to find the missing parts of the armour that had been hidden wittily by Indra. While reading, one might feel like reading the chase for Horcrux (like in Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows). With lucid narration, the plot moves smoothly. The author’s prowess to showcase the marvel of nature through mere words is worth appreciation. With the help of the protagonist, he virtually takes the readers to some of the most magnificent locations in India. However, the simplicity of the language did not quite match my expectations. The vocabulary could have been better.

For the first book, Ruskin Bond had said that the genre of the book was still a question for him. And yet again, I would not refrain from highlighting the difficulty in classifying the genre appropriately. There is mythology, there is fiction, there is mystery and there is spiritual aspect associated as well. The character sketch of Vasu, as the alter ego of Karna, has been done beautifully and successfully. Not only does this book provides an insight into his life but also gives a sneak peek into the great Mahabharata.

The cover of the book was disappointing; it could have been better.

Overall an entertaining read with all the essential elements of a good story!

Drawbacks
There are some printing errors in the book.

Buying Link: Amazon