Kevin Missal Biography and Kalki Series Summary
Biography of Kevin Missal
Kevin Missal is a young full-time author who is an alumnus of St. Stephen’s College. He has authored novels in crime, mythology, and horror. When he was 14 years old, the Delhi Chief Minister published the first book he had written.
He wrote his second book at 16, and a British independent publisher released it. He was a trailblazer in creating the first Insta-read and is a top seller in the horror genre on Amazon. Prahlad: book 3 of the Narasimha Trilogy is one of his most recent books.
Apart from his passion for creating and writing adventure and fantasy novels, Kevin Missal has other interests too. He is a part-time gamer, a TED-X speaker and the founder of a company that helps authors at various levels of book production and marketing.
Kevin’s Instagram handle says he is the CEO of HubHawks, a company that helps aspiring authors gain recognition in the literary world. Currently, you can find him in Delhi.
Personal life Kevin Missal
Kevin Missal is married, his wife’s name is Kiran. He is a Christian while she is a Hindu hence they had a Hindu wedding as well as a white Christian wedding.
Also read: Why do we like to read crime stories
Kalki Series Summary
The Kalki Purana serves as an inspiring starting point for Kevin Missal’s series imagining the life and adventures of Kalki in a land called Illavarti, similar to India but at a different time. It’s a series that follows the journey of Kalki, the last avatar of Vishnu, who is destined to free the world from the Adharma of Kaliyuga.
Dharmayoddha Kalki: Avatar of Vishnu (Kalki Series, Book 1)
- Title: Dharmayoddha Kalki: Avatar of Vishnu
- Author: Kevin Missal
- Publisher: Fingerprint Publishing
- Pages: 464
- Year of Publishing: 2018
- Genre: Mythology Fiction/Fantasy Fiction
- Stars: 4.5 out of 5
Though this novel is a take-off bounced from Kalki Puranas, Ramayana and Mahabharata, you will be reminded of Bahubali and Game of Thrones. Kevin announces a disclaimer in the novel that readers should not mistake this story as straight from the original or a retelling of the original.
Rather, it is an imaginative and creative output of the author as an endeavour to produce an adventure/fantasy thriller for Indian readers. However, fundamentally the story is based on destroying evil and the triumph of righteousness.
Kalki Hari is the innocent son of Vishnuyath and Sumati, together they live in a quiet village named Shambala. However, Kalki Hari has to leave his quiet protected life in Shambala and be surrounded by tragedies, death and battles in Keekatpur which is ruled by Lord Kali.
Even though Kalki was unaware of his heritage and his powers, he learns that the purpose of his birth is to cleanse the evil. In this story, Lord Kali is a young charismatic leader who has control of the tribals and unites them in the land of Illavarti.
Kali endeavours to include the outcast tribals in the Indragarh capital city. However, Lord Kali falls sick and his sister Durukti has to find a remedy for his illness.
Soma, the remedy for Lord Kali, is supposedly in Shambala village, where Kalki resides. Durukti goes to Shambala with her team of rakshasas
The book has two sections; the battle of Shambala and the rise of Kali. This book became a national bestseller.
Satyayoddha Kalki: Eye of Brahma (Kalki Series, Book 2)
- Title: Satyayoddha Kalki
- Publisher: Fingerprint Publishing
- Year of Publication: 2018
- Pages: 440
- Genre: Fantasy/ mythological Fiction
- Stars: 4.4 out of 5
This is a sequel to Dharmayoddha Kalki which became a national bestseller. In book 2 of the Kalki series, Kalki Hari gets defeated by Lord Kali and subsequently proceeds to Mahendragiri with Kripa, Padma and Shuko.
They encounter the Simhas and are taken captive by the cannibalistic Pisachas. The book follows three different tracks; Kalki’s adventures, events in Indragarh with Kali, and the story of Manasa in the Naga kingdom.
Manasa seeks revenge for her brother’s murder and faces challenges in rallying allies. Kali’s madness brings gladiator like fights to Indragarh until Urvashi overthrows him and becomes the youngest queen in history.
Kali and Durukti escape with the help of an old man named Shukra, leading them to the lost Asura kingdom of Pataal. General Taar is leading a rebellion against Lord Bajrang. Hanuman must fight to save his Vanars
Kalki Hari needs to reach Mahendragiri for the upcoming war, will he make it in time? Storytelling in Satyayoddha is better compared to Dharmayoddha, there are new characters and plot twists that keep the story engaging
Avatars Narasimha and Varaha provide different philosophical viewpoints, they have both good and bad traits in this fictitious story. The struggle within the Vanar tribe is because ideological struggle leads to civil war. Isolation and differing ideologies cause destruction.
There’s drama, action-packed narrative with humorous, short and quick dialogues laced with sarcasm. Motivational quotes and contradicting views highlight the importance of failures and self-belief while some quotes are self-contradictory in meaning.
The battle of ideologies denotes the clash between dharma vs adharma.
Mahayoddha Kalki: Sword of Shiva (Kalki Series, Book 3)
- Title: Mahayoddha Kalki: Sword of Shiva
- Publisher: Fingerprint Publishing
- Year of Publication: 2019
- Pages: 368
- Genre: Fantasy/Mythological Fiction Thriller
- Stars: 4.5 out of 5
Mahayoddha Kalki continues from the multiple storylines of the previous books in the Kalki series. Kalki’s brother is imprisoned while his love interest could be killed.
The Naga queen and the Dakshini king are engaged in a terrible war, so the city atmosphere is disturbed. The ruler of the land, Kali has evil plans. So, Kalki Hari fights with Kali using the mighty blessed sword.
Kalki’s journey is far from over as he faces unforeseen threats. Kalki remains a strong and admirable protagonist, with strong allies like Padma.
In this book, the dynamics of avatars and the clash of Dharma and Adharma are the main topics. As Kalki fights against adharma, he comes to know a terrible truth accidentally.
The concept of the Eye of Brahma is intriguing and the Sword of Shiva to annihilate all evil is thrilling. Mahayoddha Kalki explores the complex world created by the author, with entertaining battle scenes and surprising twists.
Even though the story takes place in 3000 B.C., it has a “modern” feel. The characters grow and change quickly, especially, the time between Kalki getting wiser and Kali’s rise is enjoyable.
Also read: Anand Neelekantan Books inspired by Indian mythology
Conclusion
The Kalki series is perfect for young adult readers, but people of all ages can enjoy it too! You’ll like the constant excitement and drama in the story from start to finish!
The Kalki series is a blend of Hindu mythology, fantasy and philosophy. Those who enjoy reading this genre will find this series captivating.
Also read
Kavita Kane Biography and Books