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Sons of Darkness

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By Gourav Mohanty

Publisher Description

Game of Thrones meets Mahabharata and Ramayan in India's first epic-grimdark fantasy series

“Through humor, torture, gore, lust, magic, dangerous power games and bloodcurdling battles, Sons of Darkness takes us on an unforgettable wild journey set in re-imagined Vedic India.” –SF Book Review

A brilliantly imaginative talent makes his exciting debut with this epic grimdark fantasy saga inspired by ancient Indian epic Mahabharata and filled with treachery, war and vengeance, in the tradition of Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen Series and George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire Series.

SOME BALLADS ARE INKED IN BLOOD.

Bled dry by violent confrontations with the Magadhan Empire, the Mathuran Republic simmers on the brink of oblivion. Krishna and Satyabhama have put their plans in motion within and beyond the Republic's blood-soaked borders to protect it from annihilation. But they will soon discover that neither gold nor alliances last forever.

They are however not alone in this game.

Mati, Pirate-Princess of Kalinga, has decided to mend her ways to be a good wife. But old habits die hard, especially when one habitually uses murder to settle old scores. Brooding but beautiful Karna hopes to bury his brutal past but finds that destiny is a miser when it comes to giving second chances. The crippled hero-turned-torturer Shakuni limps through the path of daggers that is politics only to find his foes multiply, leaving little time for vengeance.

Their lives are about to become very difficult for a cast of sinister queens, naive kings, pious assassins and ravenous priests are converging where the Son of Darkness is prophesied to rise, even as forgotten Gods prepare to play their hand.

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188 Reviews

3.5

Ali💜

Created 3 days ago

Change and grow Memorable Action-packed Well-structured Dark Beautifully-written Abuse Murder Violence War violence

Akash Kumar Mallick

Created 7 days ago

thee_coolest_bean

Created 15 days ago

Saanvi Makharia

Created 16 days ago

“Sons of Darkness is, without a doubt, one of the most unique fantasy books I’ve read in a long time. The world-building is absolutely phenomenal, creating a rich and immersive atmosphere that lends incredible depth to each character—especially Krishna, Duryodhana, and Karna. The way the story reimagines long-known tales from the Mahabharata is both fascinating and thought-provoking, offering fresh perspectives that challenge conventional narratives. The magical elements, seamlessly woven with intricate political intrigue, create a story so enchanting and layered that I found myself utterly captivated. The tension, the stakes, the emotional weight—it all pulled me in so completely that I couldn’t stop reading. Every twist and turn had my heart pounding in anticipation, and I became particularly invested in Karna’s journey. His character resonates deeply with me, and he remains my absolute favorite so far. His complexity, his struggles, his unwavering spirit—everything about him is so compelling that I’m desperate to see where his path leads next. That being said, I have to acknowledge the aspects that frustrated me. The unnecessarily complex and flowery language often pulled me out of the story rather than immersing me further. While lyrical prose can be beautiful, here it sometimes felt excessive—almost as if it was trying too hard, making certain passages a chore to get through. The battle scenes, in particular, were excruciatingly difficult to follow. They were overly descriptive, dragging on for what felt like forever, to the point where I found myself skipping them just to keep the story moving. The climax, the Battle of Mathura, was the biggest offender—it felt like it would never end, diluting the emotional impact instead of heightening it. Another gripe I had was with the portrayal of female characters. While the book does a phenomenal job of fleshing out its male leads, many of the women felt disappointingly one-dimensional—either too saintly or too ruthless, with little space for nuance in between. It was so irritating to be in the head of Mati in particular, in this respect. This made their arcs feel somewhat reductive, which was frustrating in an otherwise intricate and well-thought-out narrative. Additionally, I had hoped for a stronger emphasis on the mystical elements, particularly regarding chakras and other esoteric knowledge, but the book leans much more heavily into its war and action side, which was slightly vexing. Despite these issues, I can’t deny the sheer brilliance of Sons of Darkness. It is a bold, intelligent, and gripping reimagining of an epic tale, filled with characters that linger long after the last page. The world-building is breathtaking, the political maneuvering is enthralling, and the emotional beats are deeply compelling. If you love intricate fantasy with deep political intrigue and rich mythology, this is absolutely worth picking up. Just be prepared for some dense prose and lengthy battle sequences. For all its flaws, this book remains an unforgettable experience.”

Stan

Created 17 days ago

“The book has a pretty slow start making the first half kind of difficult to read. But once all characters have been properly introduced and the real action starts it is an amazing read.”