The Krishna Key – Book Review
I have got something that will make you people jealous – ‘The Krishna Key’ book by Ashwin Sanghi was sent to me by BlogAdda and I have finished reading it 🙂 Yes, I finished all the 464 pages within 24 hours!
You know that I read only non-fiction these days. My guess about this book was right – ‘The Krishna Key’ is mostly about history and mythology (even though the author explicitly says otherwise) and a thriller of a story is woven around these facts. But I am not sure how much of the historical information presented in the book is actually true.
Each of the 108 chapters starts with Krishna (The 8th Avatar of God Vishnu) narrating a short snippet of the Mahabharata story (a Hindu Epic). By the time we finish the book, we also finish reading a concise version of Mahabharata! I was expecting to read some verses from Bhagavad Gita, but instead, the author has quoted verses from Vedas, our ancient text.
If you think this book is about religion, you are highly mistaken. Even though references have been made to many religious concepts and practices around the world and to a lot of historical events, this book is still fiction – A Thriller.
There are five people, experts in their respective fields in the modern times, trying to unlock a mystery left behind by Krishna before 5000 years. This mystery will lead them to glory and perhaps answer many questions in their respective fields.
But there is another group, determined to kill these five people and recover important historical artifacts from them. These artifacts hold important clues to reaching the Krishna Key. Will either of the groups be able to reach the Krishna Key and solve the mystery? That’s the story.
First I should congratulate the author for the amount of research he has done to write the book. Just by reading this book, one can get to know a lot of historical/mythological information. Second, this book is un-put-down-able! I started reading it yesterday thinking that I can gradually finish it during the weekend, but the story was gripping enough and I was forced to read it fully. That’s the hallmark of a good thriller!
I can easily compare this book to a Micheal Creighton thriller. The research and scientific information presented in the book is exhaustive and most of it sounds true! Only, the scientific information is combined with historical and religious concepts to give the readers a wholesome education cum entertainment!
Like an icing on the cake, the author gets philosophical in the end. I was expecting the author to justify the murders, but unlike the movies… No, I don’t want to give away too much info 🙂
On the negative side, for all the expectations built earlier on a certain Krishna Key, the last one page (the way it is solved in the end) doesn’t do justice to the story. I mean, the mystery is solved, but not in the way the reader would have expected to. We are left wanting more (Note to the author: Why not write a sequel?). I had a strange habit of reading the last page first (before starting any novel), but fortunately I didn’t do it for this book.
I was earlier thinking if I need to buy the other book by this author, ‘Chanakya’s Chant’. The question now is not if, but when. No wonder Ashwin Sanghi is a household name today!
- You could buy ‘The Krishna Key’ by Ashwin Sanghi from Flipkart or Amazon.in in India. [Disclaimer: These are affiliate links. If you click on them and buy the product, I may get a small commission. Your price will not change.]
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This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!
nice review Rajesh.. Now, this book joins my wish list.. exactly, i like these kind of books, fiction+ history+mythology, perfect combo 🙂
Add science too in that list… Frankly, I wish all the things said in the book was true. Most of the them should be… That makes it all the more interesting.
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name of the book is good
attracts lot
havent read book, but must be good book as you gave it a positive review
It is good. In fact, the combination of science/history/facts with fiction is something new for Indian authors. We can see this in western novels, but not so much with Indian authors. This author has done it exceedingly well. I guess a lot of research went into this.
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This seems to be interesting 🙂
Yes. That’s why I read this book in spite of reading (mostly) Non-Fiction books these days. When facts combine with fiction, the facts become even more interesting!
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@ your comment on my post: I’m not sure about what I wanted to convey either. Maybe just about someone who is very lost in her life and does not know what she is supposed to do, and has no body to turn to.
Guess I messed up the meaning 😛
Now I really want to read this book!
Liked your review DI..
The possibilities that this book opens up is very exciting. What if most of the information presented in the book was true? I also like the idea of story woven around historical facts. It’s definitely a good book to read.
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Wow, finishing almost a 500 page book in 24 hours! That’s the rate one would go through a book if it were a thriller! To have a fact ridden book which is also a thriller, is it a Dan Brown type of book?
I have not read the book by Dan Brown, but it is very much a fact ridden book which is also a thriller. Well, almost.
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Completing one book a day is great. Only very few books can make us to read forgetting all other things…
I remember something similar happened with Micheal Creighton books and a few other authors. Oh, those days… 🙂 But its always special to read a thriller that is set in the Indian context. The story could have been more gripping at the end.
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Seems to be very interesting book. Thanks for suggestion.
Also read the name Michael Creighton. Must be good author. Shall try to read these.
I am currently into Advanced .NET books.
Micheal Creighton’s books were made into movies like Jurassic Park, Congo, etc. Now you should get an idea of how good the books must have been! They are extraordinary not only for the scientific info contained in them, but also for the gripping storyline.
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Interesting! This booking is catching steam…… theres quite a buzz around it!
I think it deserves all the buzz 🙂
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Yes, i am big time Jealous…
You got Krishna Key and could read it within 24 hours!!! it seems like a distant dream for me with Zini around…
Thanks for the review, i am going to buy this one now 🙂
Zini goes for play-school no, read it at that time. I know its a little time and you might have so much work, but once you start this you might find it difficult to read it in installments!
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I think having that book and having the time to read it in 24 hours is making me really jealous right now, but on the same not, you review is good as always.
Why so many people are jealous? 🙂 You can always buy it and read it. Simple 🙂
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sounds like an indian (desi) dan brown novel .. something like da vinci code …which almost had everything .. mythology + thriller !
OK. So, Dan Brown was the author of Da Vinci Code, right? I almost forgot this! Thanks for reminding…
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Thanks for a useful review, Rajesh. I don’t like history, but this book seems to be much more than that. There is a story woven around historical facts and that would make it interesting.
YOU comparing this book to Michael Crighton’s novel is the ultimate !! Now I really need to read this book…
Ok, that was done partly due to the hangover of reading the book and partly because it was sent free to me 😛
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I have not read it but I have heard that it is a hopeless Indian version of Da vinci code. friends who have read this book said they were hugely disappointed. will try it myself
If you are expecting a thriller from this book, you might be disappointed. Even though the first half is racy, the second half is too slow and the story gets diluted as the book ends.
But, if you are interested in knowing some interesting historical information about India, this book could be very useful. This is the reason I got this book, even though I don’t read fiction any longer.
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