The curse of Anuganga by Harini Srinivasan

"The curse of Anuganga" by Harini Srinivasan - Whodunnit?

This book is published by TreeShade Books India in 2019 and has 296 pages. This is a historical fiction. 

Nandivardhana, Capital of Vakataka kingdom. Murder of a noble, days before wedding of his daughter. Foreign spies. Sons of a goldsmith who has other talent. A conspiracy. A curse.

Who was murdered? Why are goldsmith's sons involved? What is the plot? What is the curse? Whodunnit?

The story is set in 403 CE and largely takes place in Nandivardhana (Today's Nagardhan, near Ramtek, Maharashtra), capital of Vakataka dynasty. Author says she has tried to be true to the period. Staying close to facts makes the fiction more palatable and appears authentic. Author has done a good job recreating the old times. Feels real. 

The story has multiple interesting characters. Prabhavatigupta, daughter of Chandragupta II and Queen Regent of of Vakataka kingdom. Her two sons Diwakarsena and Damodar. Mahakavi Kalidas, royal poet in Chandragupta's court and Prabhavati's tutor when she was a child. He is a multifaceted personality. Not only a poet and playwright, he is also a spy, a counsellor and ambassador of Magadha. Arya Bharavi, the police chief. Shaunak and Ashwini, sons of Goldsmith, who discover their latent talents. Arya Vinayashura, an arrogant and obnoxious noble, who is murdered. Devi Tanirika, wife of Vinayshura.

The story is slow burn. It's expected of old times. It keeps you interested. In the beginning you think it's about the murder, then you think it's about the conspiracy and finally it's a bit of both with murder outweighing the conspiracy. Reader keeps wondering till the end what the significance of Anuganga and the curse is. It turns out to be almost irrelevant.

Interestingly,  everyone in this book prays and propitiates to Lord Vasudev, not Krishna. 

It's a murder mystery but the end of it is a little bit disappointing because the investigators don't catch the murderer. 

Why did I read this book? Interesting title. 

What I didn't like? Author's indecisiveness about conspiracy or murder. 

What did I like? Old times recreated. 

Read it for a change.