Turn the first page of Christopher C Doyle’s The Pataala Prophecy: Son of Bhrigu and you enter a world of fantasy and adventure; where the narratives run hand in hand, at tandem with each other. As the plot unfolds, one finds mythological characters facing each other in our times, such as Napoleon Bonaparte who refuses to talk about his eerie experience inside the Great Pyramid in Egypt.
The plot is woven around two teenagers—Maya and Arjun. Their placid world suddenly overturns when their favourite history teacher is found brutally murdered. The death shocks students and baffles the police.
Reappearing in distant Allahabad is Shukracharya—the son of Bhrigu, a wise sage who lived thousands of years ago. As luck has it, he turns out to be the very opposite of his father. Bonding with the asuras, he becomes their guru. But he has received a boon from Shiva—the rare ability to resurrect the dead. Seeking to re-open the gates of pataala lok after 5,000 years, he suddenly reappears.
You wonder if the protagonists can overcome the ancient power and this grips the reader’s interest. At times, the language seems to be walking on stilts. Perhaps the author should have rewritten some portions to avoid clichés.
In a race against time, Arjun and Maya must join forces with the ‘Sangha’ to face an ancient and fiery enemy from the depths of pataala. The storyline is set in present day timeline interwoven with Indian mythology and suspense. Those who want to explore mythological fiction can explore the book’s 358 pages which take you through the narrow lanes with its many twists.
Meanwhile, a mysterious stranger’s reappearance strikes fear into the hearts of powerful members of a secret society—Sangha. Who is he and what is he after? What secrets are Arjun’s uncle and mother seeking to hide and why do they suddenly decide to leave town for an unknown destination?
The Pataala Prophecy has to be decoded even as the world hurtles towards a fate that may doom humanity. In a race against time, Arjun and Maya must join forces with the secret society to face an ageless and terrible enemy from pataala. But can they overcome an ancient power set on wreaking vengeance?
After The Mahabharata Quest series, Doyle creates a world of fantasy and adventure, in which mythology, action and suspense come together to weave a thriller that keeps you spellbound to the very end. Read on.