#Review: The Undead Ghoul and the Clever Raja by Meena Nayak

Meena Arora Nayak’s The Undead Ghoul and the Clever Raja is one of those books that manages to feel both old and new at the same time. Having grown up hearing bits and pieces of the Vikram and Vetala tales, I was curious how a modern retelling would hold up—and I have to say, this version doesn’t just revive the stories, it makes them sharper and more layered. The set-up itself is timeless: King Vikramaditya is tasked with carrying a corpse possessed by a vetala, who insists on telling him riddling stories along the way. Each tale tests not just the king’s wit but also his sense of justice, and by extension, ours as readers.

What I appreciated most is how the book balances suspense with moral inquiry. Some of the stories are deliciously eerie, with burning grounds and shadowy tricksters creating a vivid atmosphere. At the same time, the riddles push you to think about right and wrong in ways that feel surprisingly relevant. That said, the prose occasionally gets a bit dense, and I found myself rereading passages to stay with the flow. But perhaps that slowness is part of its charm—forcing you to linger rather than rush. Overall, it’s a smart, atmospheric retelling that makes an old classic feel alive again.

Find this book here.