166. In Defense of the Realm by Sanjay Deshpande

In Defense of the Realm by Sanjay Deshpande. Illustrated by Lalit Kumar Sharma (Canada) - (US)
Campfire Originals

Pages: 103
Ages: 12+
Finished: Jul. 25, 2011
First Published: Jun. 14, 2011
Publisher: Campfire
Genre: graphic novel, YA, Historical fiction, ancient history
Rating: 5/5


First sentence:

At Torana's ashram near Varanasi. 150BC


I wonder what Master Torana is going to teach us today?

Acquired: Received a review copy from Steerforth Press.

Reason for Reading: I enjoy ancient historical fiction and am a fan of this India-based publisher.

An epic historical tale told within the frame of an ancient (150BC) children's study class.  The book starts off with a two page spread of text explaining that very little is known of the actual people who lived in the Indus Valley in ancient times, but that much *is* known about how they lived and their way of life.  This story takes place in 2310BC in the Indus Valley with one real historically known person, Sargon, an Akkadian king.  Sargon was a conqueror who sought to expand his lands and conquered much of the area at this time in history.  This story supposes he tries to conquer the Indus Valley and by having the 5 small empires join together as one they are able to defeat his mighty army.  But it is also the personal story of two people, Prince Meluha, heir to one kingdom and his betrothed, Princess Kundalini, heir to another kingdom.  This is an exciting story which I read through in one sitting involving treason, treachery, loyalty, battles of might and battles of wit.  Also, of course, a minor love story as the two main characters were betrothed as young teens and now meet again for the first time in five years.  A very realistic portrayal of the times, good graphics, and an exciting story make for an exhilarating read.