Usha Alexander
Author
The Legend of Virinara
A lone woman travels fearlessly into the jungle to confront the enemy. She holds the fate of an entire world in her hands.
The year is 120 CE. The Ashwamedha Yagna has established young Vijay the ruler of Virinara, a mighty city-state of south India. Soon after the kingdom starts to expand into the surrounding forests, its glittering capital, Dandavrut, is attacked in a brazen act of terror. Even as Raja Vijay unleashes his forces against the nomadic forest dwellers, his beloved sister Shanti treks secretly into the wilderness—and falls in love with the handsome warrior Narun. Will love triumph over hubris, and Shanti forge a new destiny for her people?
A thrilling tale of adventure and political intrigue, The Legend of Virinara stirs up timeless questions about war and peace. This is a powerful parable of our times.
Praise for The Legend of Virinara
‘Told with skill and consummate detail, a tale that mixes myth and memory, journeying through ancient philosophies and forgotten truths, taking us back to the Old Times, when the world was young.’ —Namita Gokhale, author of the bestselling Paro: Dreams of Passion
‘Usha Alexander’s novel The Legend of Virinara is that rare gift—a beautifully written story about love and war, set in an elegant world of lotuses and arrows. This is historical fiction done right.’ —Anil Menon, author of the acclaimed Half of What I Say
The Legend of Virinara is available for purchase from Amazon, in paperback or for Kindle e-readers.
What Others Are Saying about The Legend of Virinara
The Free Press Journal says, "This book triggers your thought process and compels you into revisiting your ethics and philosophies thereby making you bring about a change in your perspective towards internal and external conflicts…. This book is not just a story for us, but is an indirect reflection of our lives and hence as a reader we get instantly connected with the characters and their stories."
Hans India Sunday Magazine says, 'The setup is simple and speaks volumes about the capacity of the author…. Well fleshed out characters and distinct identities set in detailed environments make the world of Virinara come to life.'
SheThePeople.TV converses with Usha Alexander about how all these elements came together to form the vivid tapestry of the dynamic, political and multifarious world in her epic novel The Legend of Virinara
BookedforLife says: 'The fast paced story moves towards its conclusion with twists and turns that keep the reader anticipating what the next turn of events would be. The politics of the royalty, the basic difference between the lives of the modern settled folk and the nomads, the hierarchical nature of society, the corrupting nature of power, putting individual animosities above common good- all these are the factors that come in the way of ‘diplomatic conversations’ and peaceful solutions to the problem.'
eShe selected it as a Top 3 Book of the Month for May, 2018: 'Questions of love, purpose and individuality find difficult answers in morality, loyalty and family.'
Vagabomb selected it as a Cool New Summer Read, at launch in April 2018.
Amazon India selected it as a ‘Best of the Month’ pick in June, 2018: 'The must-read books to add to your library, hand-picked by Amazon Editors.'
Additional Writing about The Legend of Virinara
To learn more about the inspiration for the book, check out these short essays by Usha Alexander:
On Writing: Discovering Virinara in The Punch Magazine
Storytelling as Life and Art in the Penguin India Blog
Speaking about The Legend of Virinara
Usha Alexander sat down with Richa Burman, her editor at Penguin India, to discuss The Legend of Virinara. They discussed the setting, themes, and characters in the book, as well as a bit about Usha's own life. [30 minutes]
© Usha Sri Charyulu Alexander 2022