The Cloud Chariot

It’s 100 years since Kalinga was devastated by Ashoka, and the kingdom is now re-emerging from the dust. Now, under the Mahameghavahanas, a new and able dynasty, the country has not only freed itself from foreign reign but is also experiencing a cultural and patriotic resurgence. But palace politics, internecine rivalries, the external threat of invaders as well as internal threat of traitors keep King Mahameghavahana Kharavela busy and unsettled. Unable to focus on rebuilding the kingdom to its zenith and his dream of returning to Kalinga the looted Jina idol from Magadha. And then a stranger enters the kingdom and becomes an integral part of the court. Rudravarman is a polymath, military strategist and a brilliant warrior. But his antecedents are mysterious, and his objectives unclear. Why does he so jealously guard his past? And does he truly want to not only serve the king, but fulfil his dream of a resurgent Kalinga? A brilliantly researched historical thriller set in the first century BCE.