The Hawk's Quest: Indian Mythological Fiction, Mahabharata Retelling & Epic Fantasy Exploring the Untold Story of Shakuni
Deepa Agarwal strips away centuries of myth-making to present Shakuni as something far more complex than ancient texts suggested. Here stands a figure shaped by tragedy, loss, and an unshakeable resolve to restore his family's honour. This retelling pivots sharply from convention. Rather than a caricature of cunning, we encounter a multifaceted man, a ruler grappling with brotherhood, fatherhood, and the weight of surviving what should have destroyed him. The narrative crackles with tension as Shakuni pursues a singular purpose with terrifying focus. Yet beneath the calculated moves and political machinations pulses something achingly human: a desperate hunger to retrieve what was torn from his bloodline. Agarwal's prose captures the raw, messy complexity of a man caught between duty and devastation, between the mask he must wear and the wounded soul beneath. This isn't merely another Mahabharata retelling; it's a profound reassessment of one of literature's most misunderstood architects of chaos.
- Author: Deepa Agarwal
- Publisher: India Penguin
- Genre: Historical Fiction
- ISBN: 978-0143480037
- Pages: 424 pages