Must-read books by Amish Tripathi

Write India author Amish Tripathi, the banker turned award-winning Indian writer is best known for his debut novel, ‘The Immortals of Meluha’. A riveting mash-up of Indian mythology and fiction, the novel was an instant hit. Its record-breaking sale within a few weeks of its launch, established Amish not just as an Indian bestselling author, but as an internationally recogmised one too!

There is no doubt that Amish is the most prominent contemporary fiction writer. His popularity reflects in the 5 million copies sold in 19 different Indian and international languages. His Shiva Trilogy ranks as the fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history followed by his Ram Chandra series as the second fastest-selling book series. Anyone who is fascinated with mythology and history would find his books an amazing read. Interestingly, Amish was also the first Write India author for the debut season of India’s biggest short-story writing contest. And, the bestselling author is once again a part of Write India in its third season. Here we list down all of Amish Tripathi’s works till date, most of which are bestselling novels.

‘The Immortals of Meluha’, the first book of Shiva Trilogy achieved a runaway success soon after its publication in February 2010. The novel is a re-imagination of the legend of Shiva set in the land of Meluha popularly known as the Indus Valley Civilization. The story unfolds the odyssey of Lord Shiva, a patriarch whose arrival in Meluha starts his journey of becoming Neelkanth or the man with ‘blue throat’. Shiva’s throat turns azure as soon as he drinks Somras, an elixir which kept the Meluhas aka Suryavanshis immortals. The plot takes new twists and turns with the introduction of Sati. The plot is undoubtedly brilliant with each scene carrying a subtle message. The author has done a fabulous job interlacing Hindu mythology with the Indus valley civilization.
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After the huge success of ‘The Immortals of Meluha’, its sequel ‘The Secret of the Nagas’ was released in August 2011. In this book, Shiva’s quest to vanquish the Nagas is set on motion. The book undertakes from where its predecessor, the immortals of Meluha left off with Shiva trying to save Sati from the Nagas. Vengeance here becomes the only motto of Shiva. His journey compels him to ally with enemies and bandits and ultimately lands him on the gates of the serpent kingdom of Panchavati. The book takes the reader in a swinging tale of adventure. The novel is a reflection Amish’s deep-rooted passion for mythology and philosophy.
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‘The Oath of the Vayuputras’, the third and last book of Shiva Trilogy is an answer to the much-anticipated climax. With two impeccable publications, the third instalment was perhaps the most awaited book by an Indian author. The book starts off an interesting pace and continues with a series of revelations and conspiracies. Few new characters are unveiled; each of them is gripping and is carved to perfection. Amish’s gripping tale and immaculate story-telling are commendable. The book is a page-turner. To deliver a sequel of finesse is challenging but this one is worthy of being the last part in the fascinating trilogy.
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After a two-year-long hiatus in the Shiva Trilogy, the Ram Chandra Series is yet another honest effort by author Amish Tripathi in Indian mythology. The series is a retelling of the epic Ramayana to be told in five books. The Scion of Ikshvaku published in 2015 is the first in a series of five books which explore the tale of Ram. The story is set in the Sapta Sindhu, tracing the generations of the Raghuvanshis, of which Ikshvaku was the first, with Ram being his descendant. The author doesn’t change the story arc from the original Ramayana except for a few subtle changes in the presentation of the characters.
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‘Sita: Warrior of Mithila’ is not just another sequel of Ram Chandra series but it tries to retell Ramayana from the feminist perspective. Published in 2017, Amish’s novel unlike most conventional portrayal of Sita as choiceless narrates Sita as the shaper of destiny. The feminist tone of the novel gives Sita an identity of her own and is represented not as a fragile character but a fearless and stick-wielding woman. She is no demure bride to be of a prince, but a woman who picks a strategic alliance most suited to her mission. This book is an inquiry into the feminine principle of statesmanship.
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The third book in Amish’s Ram Chandra series, ‘Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta’ is a love story following Raavan’s life until the time he abducts Sita. Instead of a villain as in Ramayana, Raavan is depicted as a strong personality, quite a genius but a flawed human. The novel is about the choices of a person that determine the course of his life. ‘Raavan: The Enemy of Aryavarta’ is a quick and breezy read. The readers are eagerly waiting for conspiracies to get unravelled in the next instalment of the Ram Chandra series.
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After a long stint in mythological fiction, Amish tried his hands in the non-fiction genre. Through a series of nuanced speeches and sharp articles, Amish’s ‘Immortal India’ throws light on subjects like religion and mythology, history, social issues and musing. The compilation induces thinking and provokes one to look at the society beyond conventions.

His Shiva Trilogy and Ram Chandra series have no doubt catapulted him to the list of the most popular contemporary mythological fiction writers, but his effort at writing non-fiction is no less. Amish's simplistic writing style pretty much resonates with today’s generation and his books are a must-read.
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