Sons of Darkness has everything a fantasy reader could want. Immersion, action, epic conflicts, warring factions, fluid prose and so, much more. Amazing I couldn’t but it down and can’t wait to see what the author writes next.

Thank to the Author, Publisher and NetGalley for the ARC

Song of Ice and Fire is not amongst my favourite fantasy series but I love Indian epics and 'Mahabharata is fav.
This is a brilliant, original and intriguing story featuring a complex world, well rounded characters and a mix of Indian mythology and grimdark fantasy.
The mix works and it's a well written book
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book is my favourite read of the year so far and likely earns a place in my all-time top 5.
I love books that get creative with their structure, and this one does just that. Creating sections to introduce the main players before bringing them all together. Which makes it both interesting and easier to follow
That being said, this is not a book for everyone. It requires the reader to juggle multiple nations with their own intrigues and characters, then how they relate to each other.
I love political fantasy, and this book clearly delivers on that front, being complex and full of turns. The characters in this are all well-defined individuals and actually active, their choices truly making a difference and driving the plot forward, even if they themselves don´t realize it
The only flaw this book has for me is that I have to wait years for the sequel

Possible Triggers:
Death | Torture | Gore | Rape | Child (abuse/murder/torture)

Summary:
The first book in the “Raag of Rta” series. This is an alternate reality story that is inspired by the Mahabharata.

Positives:
+ Holy crap. Just. wow. That prelude to the story really grips you by the wrist and drags you forward into the story. Talk about a strong strong incentive to get MORE of what you just had a sampling for.
+ I love how HUMAN the characters are. More specifically I mean to say, that no matter how smart and scheming, or heroic and noble, there isn't a single character that doesn't have some foibles. Bored and mind wandering during important meetings, fed up or angry with their lovers/siblings, annoyed and just wanting something to eat, or simply delighted by drama. The author does the most fantastic job of making characters really come to life (and death) on the page.
+ These fight scenes…. There are two duels in particular that really had me at the edge of my seat reading them. Then later on ranting to my mates about how epic they were and insisting that they read them.
+ That ending promises SO much. Hooooooooly crap, when does the next book come out again?

Negatives:
- This is more of a warning for those reading that are very sensitive to gore/violence (especially against children). This IS an extremely violent book. I can’t even say it's only the atrocities of war, as it's more the atrocities of people. The author does not shy away from writing them. Squeamish be aware, this book may not be for you. Keep in mind this is a grimdark fantasy, leave your hope at the door.

Final Thoughts:
I saw a lot of reviews and comments about how this is like Steven Eriksons’ “The Book of the Malazan” series, which I don't think is necessarily a bad reference, but I do think that this book (series) is MUCH more accessible. You get that fantastic huge SCOPE of what is going on in a very large area of the world, across multiple perspectives; at times for long periods of and others just for a single dip of a moment. This book is just the most epic of grimdark stories. Epic duels, conniving political plots, betrayal, love, lust - so much coming at you from every chapter. And then the ending comes, and holy crap... What is going to happen to the characters that remain?! What about the alliances?! How about the state of some countries? And most pressingly, when does the next book come out?!! I will be preordering the heck out of the next book, and already have this book in a shopping cart and am anxiously waiting to place it on my favorites shelf.

This is an epic book based around the epic Indian tale of the Mahabharata. Its an Indian version of Game of Thrones so if you are a fan you will eat this up. I could not put this book down, the world building is fantastic and detailed, the characters are brought to live with his in depth prose. I lived in this world whilst immersed in the reading experience. The battles were epic and it felt like I was actually there taking part. A great debut from this author who I hope will become a bestseller as I cannot wait to read more.

I'm extremely sad but after giving this book a 85% chance I'm sadly done with it. It was one of my most anticipated releases since I tried to read when it first was published and then it was impossible till now but sadly maybe is the book maybe is me, but right now there's nothing bringing me back to read it and it has become a chore.

When I saw it was tag as grimdark my expectations were already over the roof since I'm a huge fan of dark fantasy, but even though it was kind of dark fantasy it had nothing to do with grimdark, in my humble opinion. I also love Hindu mythology and was somewhat familiar with the Mahabharata which was what was keeping me from quitting but alas the climax did not deliver enough for me and we’ve come to an end. And I think that's the main problem, the plot is nowhere for a large portion of the book (and I'm a huge plot centred reader), we have characters going around with a lot of empty conversations that just seems to be filling out pages, and at least for me I just couldn't connect with any of them. I believe that Mohanty was so focus on the end of the story that it did not focus enough on little things that would make the journey more enjoyable.
It makes so sad because the prologue of this book is absolute fire, but the rest of it could not replicate that sensation for me.

I don't think Sons of Darkness is a bad book by any means and I'm sure it will find a strong fan base but sadly it did not work for me, maybe in the future I'll pick it up again, since it definitely fits de epic fantasy category that I love but for now I'll just stay as the one book that make sad this year. I did not want to give it a rating but since I'm kinda forced on Netgalley I'll put it in the middle with a 2.5 stars.

It has become all too common in fantasy book marketing to describe a book as "random thing" meets Game of Thrones. It is so prevalent that the marketing ploy has become meaningless; saying that your book is like Game of Thrones could mean that it is grimdark or political or multi-POV or epic fantasy or low magic or one of any myriad other small pieces of George RR Martin's work that can be co-opted to get readers to check out a new book.

So, I have to admit that I gave quite the bombastic side-eye to Sons of Darkness when it was described as an Indian-inspired Game of Thrones, and another when the author spent the author's note talking about all of the inspiration he took from Martin.

But oh boy did I judge too quickly. Sons of Darkness is exactly what you are looking for if you want that Game of Thrones feeling again. Sons of Darkness absolutely crackles with kinetic energy that throws you into the personal and political games in a South Asian fantasy world, a world that enters your ears or eyes and envelopes you in a way that few other epic fantasy books are capable of. This is the closest thing that I have ever read that feels like an heir apparent to the Song of Ice and Fire throne, all while introducing a world that feels fresh and unexplored.

In drawing inspiration from Martin, Mohanty is also able to sidestep several of the problems that plagued (and still plague) A Song of Ice and Fire. While still being a big, sprawling, multi-POV epic, Sons of Darkness is much more contained and directed piece of fiction. The world still feels massive and the politics of still complexly nuanced, but Mohanty ensures that his characters are both physically and mentally in each other's orbits. As the reader I was never left thinking "but how does this contribute to the central conflict?", which made for a tighter reading experience that felt more immediately satisfying. The beginning of the books moves a bit slowly as Mohanty establishes his world, but then he wastes no time in bringing his disparate POV characters together, which was so refreshing after reading numerous epic fantasies that seem only want to drive their characters apart. While Sons of Darkness definitely promises more to come, I never once felt like I was just reading a 700 page prologue to the actual story that Mohanty wanted to tell. He jumps in and never lets go.

In addition to A Song of Ice and Fire, Mohanty does not hide that Sons of Darkness is directly inspired the ancient Indian epic poem, the Mahabharata. I am assuming that many Western readers are like me, and have little to no experience with the Mahabharata; I had no idea about the characters, plot, etc. that Mohanty was deriving this work from. While I am sure that I missed some of the cultural nuance because I didn't have this background, and likely missing out on some of Mohanty's commentary and criticism that I am sure adds nuance and layers to the story, I can assuage readers that the story works entirely on its own merits. I am assuming it is kind of like reading Song of Achilles without knowing anything about Greek mythology; you'd miss Miller's queer commentary, but it is still a beautifully tragic gay love story. Despite having no previous experience with these characters or the broad outlines of the story, Mohanty's writing transports you to a grimdark fantasy world full of action, politics, and magic.

Mohanty immerses his characters and readers in a beautifully constructed South Asian world marinated in the cosmologies and worldviews Hinduism and Indian cultures. It wears these more philosophical inspirations a bit less explicitly than Kritika Rao's The Surviving Sky, but like that Hindu-inspired science fantasy, Sons of Darkness feels both familiar (in some of its tropes and its grimdark setting) while also feeling fresh and original as it completely avoids overplayed settings and magic systems. It often feels weird to celebrate an author for writing a non-European inspired fantasy because diverse settings and stories should be the norm, but it is wonderful to see so many South Asian inspired fantasies coming out this summer that are rooted in specifically non-Western views of the world around us.

I was also intrigued by the way that Mohanty constructed Sons of Darkness. The book is divided into discrete sections that are further divided into chapters, which are of the traditional "named after the POV character" variety made famous by A Game of Thrones. However, Mohanty doesn't bounce between all of his POV characters at first; each section only jumps between 2-3 POV characters before a later section bounces between all of them (when all of the character are physically in the same place). This gave the narrative and character arcs sufficient time to breathe and grow before the reader is expected to meet even more characters, both major and minor. This again allowed the book to have that epic feeling without feeling so overwhelming in its characters and worldbuilding.

The entirety of Sons of Darkness is so polished and so confidently built, despite being a chonky epic with a lot of moving pieces, that I was actually surprised that this was a debut novel. As the reader I always felt like I was in good hands and, despite just too small quibbles I have (I'll get to those in just a second), this may be the absolute best epic, political fantasy that I have read this year!

If I had to identify any minor flaws, I would point to two:

The first is that this is a very "man-forward" book. There is really only one significant POV from a woman in the novel, and she has less agency that I think that some readers would like to see. There are several other women in positions of power, but they are narratively and politically on the margins. Mohanty writes his women characters well, but I definitely wanted to see more have bigger and more central roles in the actual story itself. Readers looking for several women to populate the world might want to look elsewhere. In addition, this is a grimdark book, but Mohanty never crosses the line in terms of sexual assault, violence, etc. These are all very much present in the book, and are often alluded to throughout, but Mohanty keeps in all from feeling salacious just for the shock value.

The second (very minor) flaw in Sons of Darkness is one that impacts most epic fantasies - the characters don't quite "pop" as much as they could. At times the characters feel like chess pieces on a board, being moved around in order to serve the larger political narrative rather than feeling like real, three-dimensional people. Not to keep drawing the comparison (but, hey, the author invited it!), if Martin's characters in A Game of Thrones worked for you, you'll find Mohanty is just a bit less effective at building character than Martin. I want to give a special shoutout to Shakuni, by new favorite devious character who is like the ideal mashup of Littlefinger and Joe Abercrombie's San dan Glotka! In sum, Mohanty demonstrates a real knack for building character, especially his side characters, and I can only expect that his characters will get even stronger as he becomes a more experienced writer.

If you are a fan of big, epic, political fantasies, but maybe have become a bit disillusioned by how "same-y" or underdeveloped the subgenre has become, give Sons of Darkness a glance. Not only will it draw you into its political games of power and ambition, but it will reignite a flame within you; it will remind you why you loved epic political fantasies in the first place, and it will leave you eagerly anticipating more.

Concluding Thoughts: An epic political fantasy directly inspired by the Mahabharata and A Song of Ice and Fire, Sons of Darkness is an exciting new fantasy from a debut author that has already earned its place in the epic grimdark fantasy canon. Brilliantly constructed with some new sure to be fan favorite characters (though there could be more women!) will draw you out of any reading slump and reignite your passion for dark, political, epics. Pick this one up immediately!

An epic fantasy tale that everyone needs to keep an eye on! Sons of Darkness has everything a fantasy reader could want. Immersion, action, epic conflicts, warring factions, fluid prose and so, so much more.

Overall is a very enjoyable book, well paced, as is expected is the introduction of a universe so it may be a slow pace at the beginning but we need give it a chance since is the first contact with the autor and is well deserve. I like the characters creation the plot and the structure of the book. Was a book I wanted to finish and see what happened. Read the CW before you read it because it can become a bit gory. I like thar I could sense GOt as a inspiration so yes is a good book to give a chance and enjoy. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher to the access to this arc

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for this eARC.

I can certainly see why Sons of Darkness has received so much positive hype but I just couldn't get into it and I don't know why. The cover is stunning, the synopsis was intriguing and is something I would usually read and there was nothing wrong with the writing. I am genuinely perplexed as to why I didn't love it. Maybe it is a timing thing, don't know but I will try it again at a later date.

An epic fantasy tale that everyone needs to keep an eye on! Sons of Darkness has everything a fantasy reader could want. Immersion, action, epic conflicts, warring factions, fluid prose and so, so much more.

Excellent debut! This grimdark fantasy had a wide array of compelling characters that were inspired by Indian mythology and more modern books like Game of Thrones. I thought the prose was accessible and atmospheric, and I never wanted to stop reading. Highly recommend!

Do you love Hindu mythology? Do you love mythology retellings? Well then this will keep you immersed into this magic world. I want more of this!

What a book! I will admit the first bit was super info dumpy and slow but once it started going, it was a wild ride! The characters and POVs did start to become a little much but I'm glad I pushed through. The ending was so good and I cannot wait for the next book!

Really found it hard to understand who was who and what was happening at times.
Only really got into it in the last quarter of the book and won't be continuing the series

I know others really enjoyed it too so may just not have been for me

This was such an amazing read!! I'm so glad I received an ARC I was DYING to read this before it's release. If you haven't read it already grab it NOW!

4.5 stars (rounded up)

If you, like me, were hesitant about Sons of Darkness because you don’t know anything about the Mahabharata, then I am here to tell you that you can throw those concerns out the window right now. This book stands completely on its own and it will sweep you off your feet, no matter your background or prior knowledge. It’s a sprawling character-driven grimdark fantasy like you’ve never seen before, and I have no doubts that it will entrance both eastern and western readers alike.

As soon as I read this absolute banger of a prologue, I knew I was in for something special. Whereas most grimdark fantasies have dirty and bleak settings, here Mohanty welcomes you into a rich, vibrant and honestly just all-round breathtaking world. However, that beauty soon proves to be quite deceptive, as this world is no less brutal than any other grimdark world you’ve encountered before. Right from the get-go, you will realise that the stakes are high, and absolutely nothing and no one can be trusted at face value.

Now, this is a truly sprawling epic with a multi-layered plot following a large and diverse cast of characters spread out over all corners of the map. And while I realise that it might sound overwhelming, there honestly wasn’t a single moment that I personally felt confused or lost.
The book is divided up into 8 parts that each focus on only two or three of the POV characters at a time, which made the story a lot more approachable to me. The first 25-30% definitely require some trust and patience from the reader, but if there was ever a book where the pay-off is worth it, then it’s here.
Each new part of the book only got more and more exciting for me as new characters were introduced and storylines started to converge in exciting yet often cataclysmic ways. There’s a sense of anticipatory dread that just permeates every aspect of this story from the very first page and I loved how the tension kept building, all leading up to one of the most thrilling final battle sequences I have ever read. Mohanty juggles all the disparate story threads with effortless grace and weaves them all together into a truly magnificent tapestry.

Add to all of this the fact that the character work is simply out of this world, and this quickly proved to be an incredibly compelling and gripping grimdark fantasy.
Both the main cast and the numerous secondary and tertiary characters just leapt off the page with their strong and vibrant personalities, which made it so easy to latch onto them and distinguish them all in my mind. These are Abercrombie-level complex characters with their quick wit, dry observations, and sharp minds, but here they are also deliciously desi!
There were definitely some that I was more emotionally invested in than others, but there truly wasn’t a single POV character that I didn’t enjoy reading about. I think the more intimate and grounded storylines worked better for me as a character-driven reader, but there’s no denying that all the geopolitical scheming and grand scope war sequences were also brilliantly written.

I particularly enjoyed seeing how the prominent themes of vengeance and ambition manifested in unique ways in every single character’s personal journey. Because especially when you follow such morally grey characters, that fiery ambition and quest for vengeance can result in some truly shocking actions and brutal back stabbings and betrayals, which I absolutely loved.
Other difficult themes of classism, oppression, disability, and sexism were also seamlessly woven into the narrative and handled with a lot of sensitivity and care, which added so much depth to the story and characters. I always love a good underdog story and the way that some characters use their perceived weaknesses to their own gain was super fascinating to explore. There is some great character growth that we get to witness and some of the character arcs were surprising and unexpected in the most satisfying way possible.

Also, a very big round of applause to the author for creating some of the best female characters in the entire SFF genre, and in a deeply patriarchal world at that!
Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely some brutal scenes that showcase the deep sexism and devastating violence against women, but they are clearly not included for the sake of shock-value and I think they were handled in a delicate and tactful manner.
Satyabhama the war mistress with her warrior band of Silver Wolves, Mati the rebellious pirate princess, Draupadi the trophee princess who takes back her own agency, and Masha the Oracle whose prophecy lies at the heart of this story all just absolutely stole the show for me, even though we see them for only a couple of sections of this book. Truly, if there was one quibble I had with this entire book, it’s that I just wanted more of these kick-ass female characters on page. Though, I have a feeling that we will get more of that in the rest of the series, so I am very excited to see where some of their stories go.

Speaking of things that I want to see more of… this story features chakra and mandala magic that absolutely entranced me. As someone who practises yoga and meditation every single day, I loved this spiritual type of magic and I desperately want to see more of it! Much like in Martin's ASOIAF, magic is viewed more as something of the distant past and it’s treated with a lot of superstition, though there are certain races/groups of people who have held onto the ancient knowledge and practices.
It's really no surprise that Nala’s storyline quickly became one of my favourites, as that one came closest to fulfilling the magic apprentice in a sort of magical school setting trope, though in a way you’ve never seen before!

How Mohanty retells an ancient epic while wearing his modern influences on his sleeve without the story ever feeling unoriginal or like a rip-off is just completely beyond me.
After finishing this book, I was already deeply impressed by what he pulled off here, but then I watched some author interviews and that only made me appreciate the bold and unique storytelling even more. Again, you don't have to know anything about The Mahabharata to appreciate and adore this story, but when you realise how cleverly Mohanty reinvented familiar characters and how deftly he wove Indian mythology into his own unique narrative, I will guarantee you that you will be left completely awe-struck.

Deadly political intrigue, exhilarating battles, thrilling duels, ethereal magic, ominous prophecies, meddling gods, mythological beings, utterly immersive world building, and a cast of deliciously dark and desi characters; this book truly has it all.
Sons of Darkness is truly a breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre and it will undoubtedly leave you hungering for more in the best way possible.

Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This one just failed to capture my attention. I thought I was going to like it but alas it just wasn't for me.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an arc!

Sons of Darkness is a fantastic historical fantasy that combines magic with mythology in a truly unique way.

It’s my understanding this book was inspired by Mahabharata but the novel was written in such a way that you can have no former experience with the Mahabharata and still enjoy this fantastic novel.

Gourav prose is fantastic and the way he blends together history, mythology, magic and war was truly delightful. I know the author has made reference to Game of Thrones inspiring this book and it definitely shows throughout.

As someone who is generally more of a character driven reader I can confidently say that Gourav delivers in this aspect. It didn’t take long for me to get invested in all six of our main characters. Honestly I don’t want to say too much because I’m afraid I will spoil this book so I’ll end this with saying this should be a must read for any fantasy fan and especially those who prefer more dark/grim dark fantasy. I promise you won’t regret picking this one up.

This book is super dense. It took me a bit to get into it but as a fan of George R.R. Martin's writing, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The number of POVs work so well at providing a picture of the complexities of this world. It is original in its conceptualisation but it also feels familiar in the best way.
The writing is mostly beautifully executed, but there is some wording that is slightly convoluted. The pacing is cleverly done through providing entire chapters for each character for the slower parts and separating the POVs through paragraphs in the more action-filled parts. Overall, I enjoyed this read and when I got into the story I could not put it down.