Taking the story forward from The Sage’s Secret , in the second part of The Kalki Chronicles, Anirudh moves to find the greatest weapon in the universe hidden in the fabled submerged palace of Dwarka. However, the Demon of Time, Kalarakshasa, yearns to possess it as well. In an ultimate showdown, the cloaked sorcerer faces the last avatar of Vishnu on the battlefield.
Will it be long before Kali, the Lord of Evil, takes up the reins of the mortal world? And will the darkness brought upon by the Kali yuga soon eclipse the earth?
Here is a piece from the author on why you should read Kali’s Retribution!
What happens next??!
Well, you would be curious to know what happens next – so that’s definitely reason #1. Kali’s Retribution picks up the right after the events of The Sage’s Secret (literally the next moment!) and takes the story further. A bit more of conversation between Krishna and his confidante… A scene from the battlefield of Kurukshetra… And, whom did Dweepa deliver the message (at the end of ‘The Sage’s Secret’) to??!!
∼
New characters…
If you have read, and are in awe, of legendary characters of Indian mythology, and want to know what happened of them after last mentions in the epics, then this book gives you a glimpse of what they (could) have been up to. And of course, this book features them as characters as well, so there’s that!
P.S.: Yes, Parashuram is one of them!
Also, after The Sage’s Secret hit the shelves, I have been asked if there are any female characters, for all that people saw majorly were male characters – Dweepa, Anirudh, Krishna, Kalarakshasa, Kalanayaka… Since the inception of the trilogy in my mind, I already had a major female character in mind who was to appear in ‘Kali’s Retribution’. And by the time I was done with ‘The Sage’s Secret’, I had in mind another major female character. I will be introducing both these characters in this installment – they are bold, independent and feisty.
∼
A bit more of Anirudh, please?
In the first installment of the Kalki Chronicles, The Sage’s Secret, much about Anirudh wasn’t revealed. And this was on purpose, since I intended to flesh him out in this book. We are nearing the heat of things, and his thoughts and matters would help draw a picture of his character.
∼
Darkness
We are in the Kali Yug, the era of evil and darkness. Keeping apart the enemy on his heels, Anirudh also starts recognizing the darkness looming over the world. He observes the universe around, and he comes to term with his purpose. We see Anirudh grow aware slowly and realize his avatar’s objective.
∼
Kalarakshasa
If you have been wondering/guessing who hides behind the crimson hood of the fear-inspiring and the ancient nemesis of Kalki, Kalarakshasa, then ‘Kali’s Retribution’ will reveal the identity of this immortal sorcerer. You will see more of his prowess, and a bit more of his past…
∼
The Showdown
Yes, I am talking about the battle between the young avatar and the ancient and powerful nemesis, the red-robed Kalarakshasa. Were you waiting for this since the last page of The Sage’s Secret? If you were indeed, then you won’t be disappointed. The showdown sequence is one of my favourite moments in this book, since it unravels more plot points and explodes the universe (metaphorically speaking, or am I?) of the Kalki Chronicles much wider. (BTS Secret: The ‘battle’ chapters contain the revelation of Kalarakshasa’s true identity as well – so it was fun to write these sequences!)
Well, there are many more treats and surprises in the book, but I am not listing everything here. I want you to enjoy the journey of discovering them as you flip through the pages/chapters…
Until Book III of the Kalki Chronicles, happy reading!!!
Will it be long before Kali, the Lord of Evil, takes up the reins of the mortal world? And will the darkness brought upon by the Kali yuga soon eclipse the earth? Find out what happens in Kali’s Retribution
