Sivakami’s Vow by Kalki (Set Of 4 Books)

Product Description

Books 1: Paranjyothi’s Journey

A young man trudges from a tiny Chola village to Kanchi, the great city of art and learning, hoping to discover his destiny. A bikshu wanders around the Pallava empire, befriending lonely souls. Spies lurk in the shadows, and even statues of the Lord Buddha conceal secrets. Emperor Mahendra Pallava, connoisseur beyond compare, rules with compassion and justice, while his son, Kumara Chakravarthy Narasimhar, falls deeply in love with the greatest dancer of the empire, Sivakami.
Somewhere in the distance can be heard the drums of war. The fearsome Chalukyas are planning an invasion: their war elephants, horses and infantry sweep towards the Pallava empire. Emperor Pulikesi eyes Kanchi as the crowning glory to his martial achievements.
Paranjyothi’s Journey, the first in the four-volume Sivakami’s Vow series, is a riveting tale of war, betrayal, secret passages, guarded forts, passions and a Pallava emperor who will do anything to save his kingdom. It was written by Kalki, a master storyteller who raised Tamil literature and history to new heights almost single-handedly.

Book 2: The Siege of Kanchi

The political stature of the Pallava crown prince, Narasimha Varmar, has grown considerably after defeating the king of Ganga Nadu at the historic Pullalur battle. But he has more obstacles to overcome. Emperor Mahendra Pallavar, after restraining the Chalukya forces for nine months at the northern border of the Pallava kingdom, is on his way back to Kanchi and continues to oppose the crown prince’s relationship with the dancer, Sivakami.
Meanwhile, the Machiavellian Naganandi adigal has convinced Sivakami and Aayanar to leave their home in the forest against Narasimha Varmar wishes. And the Chalukya army marches towards Kanchi, causing destruction and damage across the countryside. Yet, the emperor remains unwilling to cross swords with them. Expecting the enemy to lay siege to the Kanchi fort, Mamallar must find a way to balance his duties as crown prince and his love for Sivakami.
Expertly weaving suspense, romance and drama, Kalki’s gripping narrative describes the tremendous efforts of the Pallavas to counter the Chalukya invasion and the growing intimacy between Mamallar and Sivakami in the action-packed second volume of Sivakami’s Vow: The Siege of Kanchi.

Book 3: The Bikshu’s Love

After successfully fending off the Chalukya’s siege of Kanchi the Pallava emperor Mahendra Varmar drives the enemy king Pulikesi to call for a truce. The statesman in Pallavar is keen to convert a foe into a friend but a vengeful Pulikesi reneges on his commitment. While the Pallavas are successful in chasing the Chalukyas away Pallava Nadu bears the brunt of Pulikesi’s wrath. Fate wields its unpredictable hand further. A rash decision by the sculptor Aayanar and his daughter Sivakami results in her being abducted by the Chalukyas. Sivakami takes a momentous vow little realizing how far-reaching the consequences will be. How will the Pallava crown prince Narasimha Varmar who is in love with Sivakami act? Will Mahendra Varmar shape his son’s future in a manner he had always envisaged? And what role will the Machiavellian bikshu play in Sivakami’s life as a captive? The Bikshu’s Love the action-packed third volume of Sivakami’s Vow is unputdownable and sets the stage for the startling climax of this magnum opus in the fourth and final book in the series.

Book 4: Shattered Dream

To meditate lifelong at the feet of our lord-Kalki’s choice of Thirunavukkarasar’s words to end his magnum opus, Sivakami’s Vow, is indicative of the shift from romance to reflection, from the mundane to the spiritual.

Nine years have passed since Narasimha Varmar has ascended the throne to the Pallava kingdom … nine years that the dancer Sivakami has spent as a captive of the Chalukya emperor, Pulikesi. In that time, the Pallava emperor has been preparing to wage a bloody war against the Chalukyas-to fulfil his promise to Sivakami and his father. But the duties of a sovereign have driven him to make difficult choices in his personal life. Will friendships and allegiances change on account of this? With the passage of so much time, does Sivakami still yearn for vengeance? And what have the last nine years meant for the Pallava commander-in-chief, Paranjyothi, and the conniving bikshu, Naganandi?
As Kalki expertly weaves together various strands of honour, love and friendship in this fourth and final volume of Sivakami’s Vow, he takes the reader through a gamut of emotions. It is no surprise that this novel is considered a classic.