Manu S. Pillai

The book promised much, but failed to deliver. The most interesting part of the book was the introduction. From there onwards, the quality of the narrative declined, as it contains too much detail. I wonder who the target audience is - someone who knows the background, maybe. Or, a historian. If you are unfamiliar with the subject, I suggest starting with an overview of Kerala's history and then reading this book. This book is not a good introduction to Kerala's fascinating history.

I do have a quibble with Mr Pillai, and this lies in the fact that he omitted writing about Begum Hazrat Mahal and, possibly, Nur Jahan. They are both absolutely fascinating women.

It's a pity he did not delve into that period before the Mughals, but maybe there will be a follow-up book.

Having said that, this is a fascinating book. It's evidently well-researched. There is a cast of characters, from the well known to the forgotten. There are many that I am "familiar" with, and many that I am show more not. His writing about them presents them as real humans, and the writing is good. It's good to have a book about the many people who have made up our history, and not just the kings and queens (though, most kings and queens have also been forgotten). show less

As someone completely unaware of the history of Kerala, this book gave me a wonderful in-depth picture of the culture and the monarchy in the past. Although this book is about the Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi's reign, the author manages to explain the context, the rise of the Kingdom of Travancore and that of the Zamorins in Calicut.
It also gave me a great picture of how the matrilinial systmen in Kerala worked - a system very different from that of the rest of the world. At a time where show more women were behind closed doors and shut down from the rest of society, it was interesting to hear of women in Kerala who were allowed to be with whoever they pleased, making decisions and living their lives without being under the boxes of purity. It is unfortunate to see how things have changed today.
Of course, this book is over-dramatised and puts the Maharani on a pedestal I dont really think she deserves. It was quite lengthy, owing to the dramatisation - but definitely was enjoyable! show less

The book is good, following the trail of kingdoms and sultans of the Deccan, ending with Shivaji. The most fascinating chapter was that on Malik Ambar, clearly demonstrating his influence on the later Marathas.
However, the book's narrative is confusing, and this is a drawback.