PLOT: 4.5/5 CHARACTERS: 3.5/5 ENTERTAINMENT: 4/5 OVERALL: 4/5
We have all heard about Durga Maa, her power, and how she brings down the demon Mahishasur. Indian mythology is so fascinating, and from generation to generation, these tales are told and Goddess Durga is worshipped with great fanfare, especially during the vibrant festival of Navratri. So when I came across Kevin Missal’s Devi series and came to know that Book 1 in the duology was titled Durga, I simply couldn’t resist and jumped at the chance to read this one.
The plot of Durga
Mahisha is a demon king who comes to rule the land of Jambudvipa according to his cruel ways. He not only has the strength of a bull but also wears the horns of a buffalo. Under his reign, people are scared of him. But though there is a lot of crime and greed underway, the way he rules the kingdom is making it prosperous.
However, due to his cruel and violent ways, he has angered a lot of people and hence he must be stopped now. Maybe destiny has decided that his time has come.
But there is only one person who can stop him and that’s DURGA, a young girl who was mistreated many years ago. But to bring down a man of his stature, Durga needs all the help and support that she can get.
Since she isn’t the only woman who was wronged, she gets support from other women from various backgrounds including a maid, a cook, a Princess companion, a mercenary, and even a pirate. Together, they make an elaborate plan to bring the mighty Mahisha down and they have nine nights to do so.
But will a meticulous and well-thought plan, which took years of planning, will see the demise of Mahisha?
Or is he too powerful to be destroyed?
My thoughts
I only recently started enjoying mythological fiction and this retelling was conceptualized very well.
This was a quick and very binge-able read which once you start you won’t be able to stop. The highlight for me in this book was feminism, particularly the strength which women from all walks of life possess, which makes them a formidable force to reckon with.
I loved how Kevin has written all these women characters and their backstories, intricately weaving them together, all leading to the nine nights where each plan has to succeed. I was in awe of reading about these women, their planning, their strengths, and their determination. They not only strategized their effort meticulously but also planned the sacrifice that went into it. Reading the entire thing gave me goosebumps, especially during the climax.
The writing capitalized on the fact that Mahisha underestimated Durga, never imagining that a woman of all people could bring him down. But it was this overconfidence and ego of Mahisha which brought down such a formidable force.
I liked the aspect where his backstories have been touched upon to show why he is the way he is now.
Now what I didn’t enjoy or rather what I wanted was to have some more insight into all the supporting women – their backstories, their emotions, motives, and motivation to do what they did to help Durga eventually. We could have had a little more character development about them, thus making the book more fulfilling to read.
There were times, especially in the beginning when characters were jumping from one to another, but halfway through they all come together, all the while leading to the excitement and hype surrounding the identity of Durga.
The writing style as well as the language and narration are lucid and with around 250 pages, the book makes for a quick read.
For fans of Indian mythology with a touch of fictional retelling, and woman’s fiction themes esp. about feminism and strength, this one would make a compelling read.
Seeing as this one is Book 1 of the Devi series. Next comes Kali after Durga, and Kevin just about hints that these powerful women join forces to bring down another evil force, giving us a sneak peek into what lies ahead and leaving me along with other readers eagerly waiting for book 2 of this duology.
Can’t wait to read it? Buy your copy of Durga using the link below.
