Kavithri by Aman J Bedi

Absolutely loved this one! An action-packed visceral examination of casteism and colonialism in the backdrop of a bloody siege through the eyes of an underdog, who discovers herself and comes into her own. Kavithri by Aman J Bedi marks the beginning of a fascinating new epic fantasy headlined by a firecracker of a heroine, Kavi aka Kavithri Taemu, a young woman, broken by the unfair ruthless world around her, who finds a purpose worth fighting and killing for, a dream she lives for.

The Taemus are a shunted lot, a diminished set of people who have been systematically hunted down, eradicated over years by the rulers (be it the current Raayan Empire or the erstwhile colonial oppressors from the Kraelish empire – almost drawing parallel to the British East India company) for having taken up arms and led a rebellion ages ago. The lowest dregs in a stratified society that takes its caste system very seriously, the Taemus are treated to daily degradations and humiliations by the rest of the castes. And in some extreme case of wanton violence, bullied castrated, and even left to die on the streets. (Yeah – the level of violence in this book is unflinching and extreme, so readers be warned! But given the subject we are dealing with, I felt it justified in most cases.) Meet Kavi – currently employed as a “coolie” at the busy railway station, dealing not just with the strain of having to lift back-breaking luggage but also relegated to be the last one allowed to even approach the alighting passengers. Kavi lucks out when she saves a “sahib” ( the richer lords with their private bungalows away from the seedier parts of town) who, for reasons she cannot fully fathom, agrees to sponsor Kavi’s life-long dream; To sign up for the “Test” that would be her golden ticket out of this miserable life, to become a one blessed by and bonded to a ‘Jinn’ [ one of the three ones still alive that would bestow upon a person, the magical abilities to be a healer, a war-mage or an artificer depending on your bond ] – The story takes off from here as we follow Kavi and her dreams, with multiple twists and turns thrown into the narrative, and some massively suspenseful reveals later, heading into a chaotic, frenetic breathless climax that will have you clamoring for more of Kavi.

Kavi is full heart, raging emotions and an absolute firecracker of an underdog, whom you cannot but cheer, as she takes on the Goliaths of her world, eventually finding her purpose and dreams in life. Her story is just getting started and I, for one, am buying ringside tickets to watch the feisty little fighter take on the entire world.     

Set in a ruthless world reminiscent of a pre-independent India (Which of course is blanket-rolled here as the South Asian Fantasy world!) full of steam-powered railway-trains and rickshaws, “dharavi” styled colonies of beggars and misfits from the fringes of an apathetic society, rich street food redolent with spices and flavors of a forgotten era and the opulent havelis and bungalows from an achingly familiar Indian metropolis, maybe from a bygone era. I am possibly just biased by my own memories and readings of history but everything Aman painted on the pages (And what masterstrokes!) came alive for me. The world-building is massive, majestic and I loved how organically Aman inserts magical elements into an everyday setting in Kavi’s world. The action is brutal, gritty and sometimes, can get very exhausting. But trust the author’s vision, as he takes you along this visceral gut-punch of a ride. Kavi’s world is broken, filthy and unfair to the extreme, but through Kavi’s eyes, you also see the beauty left over in this world. Kavi’s transformation story arc is the story of the underdog carving her space in that world.

So is it old wine served in a spanking new bottle? Nope. This is more like flaming shot-glasses full of chili-pepper mixed with absinthe and shaken and stirred up with liquid TNT. And it is so good that you cannot help but down shot after shot till your head explodes by the end of this book. It is quite the roller-coaster and paced like a runaway steam-powered freight-train. I couldn’t honestly put the book down once it started. It maybe flags a bit towards the latter half of the story closer to the end but the reveals are so astounding and mind-blowing, that you power through to get to that fantastic ending.    

Kavithri is raw and relentless, an astonishing debut that I personally enjoyed so much because of the parallels and similarities of this world to my culture, but also because of the characterization of the tour-de-force that is Kavithri. If you like your action gritty and frenetic, and your world expansive and colorful, a narrative that takes no prisoners, a story about oppression and colonialism but also about hope and redemption, then look no further. Kavithri by Aman J Bedi is the real deal.