Book Review 

Title of the Book: The Empress of Indraprastha- Building an empire

Author's Name:    Sonali Raje  

Available on:     Amazon   

Format-           Paperback

About the Author :

Sonali Raje works as an associate professor of Chemistry at Towson University. An alumnus of IIT, Mumbai, and a US Fullbright Scholar, she lives in Maryland with her husband and two kids.” The Empress of Indraprastha- Building an Empire is a sequel to her debut novel, “The Empress of Indraprastha- Entering Kuruvansh”. I had reviewed the first book and also had the honor of interviewing her earlier which was an amazing experience for me as well!

If you want to know more about her interview and review of her debut novel, please click here.

Now let us look at the current book that has been recently launched.

Book Cover & Title:

Just like her first book, I was blown away when I opened my parcel to receive the second book of the series titled “The Empress of Indraprastha- Building an Empire! It was so aesthetically designed that, I stared at it for a few moments! So, undoubtedly, the book cover is a winner and is sure to enthrall anyone who picks it up. The title complements the picture and invites the readers to a world of a brave and bold woman who changed the course of her own times!

Content :

This book is a mythological fiction and is a sequel to the debut novel by author Sonali Raje, which has been highly acclaimed. The detailed storytelling makes it an engaging read for the reader. The story is narrated by the main protagonist, Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas and hence it feels like seeing a new perspective of the very famous, Mahabharata which is the longest-written epic poem!

Draupadi’s portrayal is so beautiful that I could actually visualize her emotions when she deals with immense hostility to set up a new empire at Khandavprastha with the five Pandava brothers. We all have heard stories from Mahabharata but welcome to a world where you see Draupadi in action mode where she sets examples for the women of her era; She is fearless when she asks uncomfortable questions to Krishna for not protecting the local inhabitants of new land, she does not think twice before questioning even her husbands where they go wrong, she sacrifices her personal desires to keep the unity of her family, the glimpses of her unconventional marriage and her bonding with her children makes it a compelling story. What I loved the most was the way her delicate relationship was described with the other wives of the Pandavas! The very intelligent Devika, the culinary maestro Valandhara, the sublime Subhadra, the cultural enthusiast Karenumati, and the financial analyst, Vijaya gradually not only have a positive relationship with Draupadi but also hail her as their leader and play their vital roles in building the empire as one team!

Sonali takes the reader on an emotional journey when Draupadi hears about Arjun’s marriage with Shubhadra, Krishna’s sister and he brings her into the palace! The author depicted vividly the pain and anguish of a woman who has to when the love of her life gets married to someone else! Draupadi is far from being a woman who surrenders at the whims of her husband, rather she ensures that she speaks her mind ( below is a dialogue between Draupadi and her soul mate Arjun which showcases this aspect ).

” I cannot handle it either, but I just can’t get over what you have done to us. Would you prefer that I pretend that everything was okay? I asked him, as I looked at him in despair.”

Author: Sonali Raje

Sonali has successfully weaved together multiple characters in her novel and yet managed to keep the spotlight on the protagonist, Draupadi who shines from start to finish. It is difficult to put the book down as the protagonist asks pertinent questions and makes the reader curious enough to turn to the next page. Apart from superb characterization, I applaud the focus that Sonali has given to the architectural description of the new empire and the Mayasabha in particular. The book ends with a very interesting plot and personally, I am looking forward to the release of the third book eagerly.

I am sure, with her marvelous charm, Sonali will be back to impress her readers when she exhibits a fresh, unique, and unforgettable narrative of this age-old classic tale of Mahabharata in her next book! I wish her all the best in her future endeavors.

If you love mythological fiction, you just can not miss this book! So why wait ?

You can grab your copy here!

Love,

Chinmayee