“Everything, in all the worlds, stood somewhere in a rippling base that constantly spread out and contracted; if you were attentive, you could see how, sometimes, things that were at the merging of two ripples were shifted by its force from one, and joined into another ripple.”

Mahasena, part one of the Murugan Trilogy by Kala Krishnan, is a book that explores, as well as, creates new myths and legends of Murugan, the son of Shiva and Parvati.
Having grown up listening to many stories about Ganesha, I was surprised to realise that I didn’t know any stories about Murugan, or Kartikeya, as I’ve known him. Krishnan creates a beautifully intricate world full of Gods & Goddesses, Suras & Asuras, star women, demi-gods & demi-goddessess… We also encounter mythical creatures like Anantha, the wise serpent of infinity who holds up the world on his ten thousand hoods.

The book begins around the birth of Murugan and it captivates you from the first page. I found myself blissfully lost in Kala’s magical world. My absolute favourite part was where we encounter the Krittikas, the six star women who nurse, educate and raise Murugun. He is named Kartikeya in their honour, which means ‘of the Krittikas’. The book progresses as Murugan grows up and faces different trials and tribulations before he can become worthy of his quest.

Some parts were written so exquisitely that I just couldn’t put them down! The stories about gods quibbling over petty issues and an unborn baby burning the God of Fire because he was singing out of tune were delightful and humourous! However, the writing style of the other parts didn’t quite resonate with me and many of it felt overscrupulous. Although I am still curious to read the other parts of the trilogy, I would have enjoyed it a lot more if the writing had focused more on the plot without going overboard with unnecessary details.