Deathly Sword

About the Book

PART FIVE OF A SCINTILLATING NEW TRANSLATION OF THE CLASSIC TAMIL NOVEL.

Prince Arulmozhi Varman, the beloved Ponniyin Selvan, has vanished after a devastating shipwreck off the coast of Lanka. Or, has he? What is his connection to the Buddhist monastery in Nagapattinam? And who stands to gain the most from his mysterious disappearance surrounding his fate?

Meanwhile, his friend Vandiyadevan tries to figure out the dark game the Pazhuvoor Rani Nandini seems to be playing, even as he feels helplessly sorry for her. This scion of a clan that has lost its wealth, titles and influence, Vandiyadevan stands at a crossroads: he must decide between the offers two women make to him. Both may lead him back to his lost kingdom, but only one will give him true happiness.

In the Chozha court, through all this, treasonous forces are still at play-so-called loyal allies of the throne are moving swiftly to crown the puppet prince Madurantaka Devar. Is there anyone who can put an end to this rising treacherous tide?

When Ponniyin Selvan was first serialised in Kalki, no one could have imagined the impact it would have on the circulation of the magazine. The novel invented a distinct style, in which slang alternates with erudition, wordplay with euphoric prose and vivid imagery-a style that critics came to call 'Kalki Tamil'. Today, this pioneering work is considered one of the great classics of Tamil literature.

About the Author

'Kalki' is the pen name of Ramaswamy Krishnamurthy (1899-1954), whose career in writing and journalism began as activism during the struggle for Indian independence. He served as editor of the popular Tamil magazine Ananda Vikatan before launching Kalki. The magazine-and eventually its founder-was named for the mythological tenth avatar of Vishnu to symbolise a vision to 'destroy regressive regimes, express radical thoughts, take readers into new directions, and create a new era'. Kalki wrote several novels, including Parthiban Kanavu and Sivakamiyin Sabadam, as well as political essays, film reviews, dance and music critiques and scholarly work.