I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The style that this novel was written in reminded me of old myths and legends. Removed from the characters but still involved enough in the plot that you care about what happens to them. The length was perfect and I appreciated that it was very succinct. I really enjoyed it. It was a great story about how one lowly born man manages to turn the world upside down. There are important life lessons scattered through the novel dealing with equality, religion, war, love, and many others.

Nice quick read. I'd recommend especially if you're into myths and legends.

Historical Indian fantasy / fable with themes of breaking systems of caste, religion, politics and power.
Sparse writing style with concise chapters and some profound insights, but could be a much more powerful story with some critical editing.

I have been meaning to post this review for a long time now but life got in the way.

I read this book in almost a single sitting and it's such a fresh take on fantasy. I am not saying it's never been done before but to read it in today's time is a good thing, you know. It is a fantasy, and it's fast moving. The characters are all varied and with their own voices. I loved the way the main character grew as the time passed. From a shunned young man to the heights of glory and his journey there.

If there's one thing I have against it, it's the lack of connection with some of the characters that were supposedly close to the main character. I never really saw the relationship develop between Tasvak and his wife, yes, they fell in love as the time passed but where were the important moments, the ones that make a relationship worthwhile? Those tender moments were sorely missed and I wish there had been at least a few of them.

The author's writing is good, I think with the way the characters acted in their lives and the way the plot evolved, it could be directed at a younger audience than I? Or maybe that's just my feeling of the book. in general. However, all of this does not negate the fact that it is a really good book to read, something new in a way. For one, it is not a typical high fantasy, it's not set in an eerily similar 'Western-minded' world. For once, the set up and the people seemed familiar and I loved that. The lack of magic made it even more tempting to me, if I am being honest. I love reading about magic, trust me but sometimes, it's also such a pleasure to read something without it.

I loved the fact that the main character wasn't a proper, traditional hero. He might have started out that way but during the journey of life, some things happened and the character wasn't all glowy and righteous. He was flawed and was manipulated and manipulative. He grew and maybe not for the best but he wasn't the worst either. I really liked that. The supporting characters were all equally awesome, some that seemed good were good and some weren't quite there yet. 

Overall, a lovely book that should appeal to those who want to read something different, something that has a fast pace and at times, odd developments that leave you wondering.

This book is... odd.

It is a story of conquest and betrayal set in a fantasy-India, but it doesn't read at all like any kind of a modern fiction novel. It feels like a fairy tale, with the way things are baldly written ("He was falling in love with his wife.") and massive jumps happen between both character relationships ("we've met each other twice, we should get married") and time periods ("last chapter he had just conquered a city, now five years have passed since then.")

For the first several chapters I was at a complete loss, mostly just wondering, <i>What in the world is happening? What kind of book even IS this?</i> Eventually, though, you catch on to the unusual rhythm of the story and the overall effect is charming and smoothly engrossing. Half of what happens seems to happen for almost no reason because of how sparsely written the book is and yet, like in fairy tales, you can see where it was obviously foreshadowed the whole time. Though always plain, sometimes the language and syntax is antiquated, and then sometimes it becomes almost jarringly modern. An example that made me snort my soda:

<i>"Sometimes I wonder if Soumil is my nephew, or I am his."

"I agree," said Tasvak. "Soumil is mature for his age. He has taken so much responsibility. Once the war is over, I am going to promote him."

"If you give him a position in the court," Viraj said, "I am going to kill myself."</i>

It is was an unusual experiece, but I very much enjoyed reading <i>The Timingila</i>.

I liked the premise of the story, but it was written very simply. The language used was quite basic, and I felt that there should have been more world building and character development.

I really liked the idea of this book from the description. However I found the story lacked any depth. It read like a really detailed synopsis as there was hardly any details given throughout.