Shreya Nanda

Discovered this book at in Indie bookstore. As an Odia one is quick to recognise the theme- Konarka, the well known journeys of Odia's to the seas. While this is a fictional creation, polished but rough and truthful with the intricacies of human interaction, it sprinkles at you the names of kings and proteges you had read about in story books or heard about from your grandparents. The book is slow paced at first, but once you're familiar with the doing of the characters and want to see their fate it's a beautiful read, almost like a movie coming to life. If you've Konarka and have heard about it's now depleted grandeur, if you've wondered what artisians could have created a scripture of a temple so delicate yet withstanding, this book it for you.