Reader Reviews
Akhil Sachi
“ I finally finished reading it all. It was genuinely such a journey reading through this every day. I can honestly say the story stayed in my head even after I stopped reading.
The biggest thing that worked for me was how the old king’s story slowly started reflecting Devaraya’s own emotional state. It didn’t feel like the story was trying to “heal” him directly. It just slowly pulled him, and me as a reader, deeper into it until everything connected emotionally. That was really powerful.
And honestly, the whole idea of a god being born from compromise instead of perfection was brilliant. A god created from human pain, impossible choices, love for people, failure, and emotional conflict... that concept hit very hard. It felt very human and spiritual at the same time. I think that’s the part I’ll remember the most from the novel.
A lot of scenes were insanely vivid too. The return to Vijayanagara, Annapurna Devi in the wedding chamber, the discovery of the goddess, Shankaracharya seeing the Jathara, and Devaraya finally breaking down at the temple all felt cinematic in my head while reading.
What I also liked is that the story keeps becoming bigger naturally. It starts feeling personal and intimate, but slowly opens into something about faith, identity, kingdoms, devotion, and history itself. That progression felt very smooth.
Most importantly, the novel feels sincere. It never felt like you were showing off mythology or philosophy. It felt like you genuinely believed in the emotional truth of the story, and that comes through strongly while reading. Honestly, this was a very memorable read, and it took a month of journey for me to read this. Excellent work.”
“Mythology meets imagination in this epic. Absolutely captivated by this amazing novel by S.S. Krishna Kiriti. I can’t wait for its release so more people can experience the book. The way it is narrated takes you into a completely different world.”
“👑The story is set in the 11-12th century in South India. The whole region is distributed into religious sects based on Shaivism and Vaishnavism. It is here that we find the protagonist of our story taking the reins of the throne and creating his own legacy.
👑The central characters of the story are King Ugra Narasimha and Siddendra , a Kuchipudi dancer from the village sharing its name with the art. These two are joined by destiny and separated by human actions. Their fates bring them together in an unexpected way, making a story worth reading.
👑The storyline of Ugra Narasimha is impressive. His political and religious policies and his entire persona has been crafted intricately making him an unforgettable character. The critical situations he faces and his stances in those circumstances, make the story engaging. The political dynamics in the backdrop of the religious conflict is the central plot of the story which has been brought forth brilliantly.
👑The story of Siddendra is about finding one’s identity and belonging. His entire life is a search, for meaning, for family. His connection with his craft and loyalty towards those he loves stands out in the story.
👑The narration of the tale is detailed and the world building is vivid. The descriptions of the events bring life to the scenes and connect the reader deeply with the story. The events mentioning the plight of common people caught between ideologies have been portrayed in a nuanced manner, The inclusion of an actual song enhances the effect of the story telling.
👑The story has the grand aura and intensity of a south Indian movie providing a glimpse into the culture and society of ancient India as well as providing a mesmerizing, evocative tale with remarkable characters.”
“I thought I was reading a story about gods… until I realised it was actually a story about humans.”
@s.s.krishna_kiriti Shiva Rupaya Vishnave: The Warhorse and the Dancer is the kind of book that slowly gets under your skin.
Set against a world of kingdoms, wars, temples and deeply rooted beliefs, the story explores something much bigger than the conflict between ideology. It explores what happens when faith becomes identity—and when identity becomes a reason to hate.
What stayed with me most was the story of the stone and the birth of Ammavaru. A broken man, a forgotten cave, an unfinished stone—and somehow, from all that darkness, something beautiful emerges. That part genuinely made me pause.
I also loved the mysterious dancer who enters the story when a king has seemingly lost everything. He doesn't bring medicine or a grand solution.
He brings a story.
And that story takes us backwards through generations, slowly revealing that the people we judge today are often carrying wounds created long before they were born. The trilogy's reverse chronology makes this even more intriguing.
There are wars, betrayals, politics and moments of heartbreak, but underneath all of it is one question that kept coming back to me:
What if the divine is not something we create to divide ourselves, but something that brings us back together?
This book isn't a quick, light read. It asks you to pay attention—to the characters, their choices, their beliefs and the consequences of those choices.
And honestly, that's what made it memorable for me.
A story of gods, kings and wars—but ultimately, a story about people searching for something to believe in.
⭐ 4.5/5
If you're someone who enjoys Indian mythology + historical fiction + political intrigue + philosophy + emotionally layered characters, definitely add this one to your TBR.
I went into Shiva Rupaya Vishnave expecting a mythological-historical story, but what I found was something much more layered. It brings together history, mythology, politics, faith, dance, war and human choices in a way that makes the story feel much bigger than its central conflict.
What I particularly liked is how the book doesn't treat its characters as simply good or evil. Their beliefs, loyalties, and choices have consequences, and even small details—such as the importance of dance, temple traditions, weapons, rituals, and the stories passed down through generations—add depth to the world.
One line that really stayed with me was:
“The beginning is darker than you expect. It is also more human than you expect.”
And another thought from the book that I loved was the idea that “Most historical fiction tells you where the fire started and then shows you the ashes.” That pretty much captures what makes this story interesting—it is concerned not just with what happened, but with the people and choices behind it.
I did feel that the sheer number of names, references, mythology and historical details can be a little overwhelming in places. It asks you to slow down and pay attention. But if you enjoy books that make you piece together a larger world rather than simply rushing through the plot, that's part of the experience.
Expect an ambitious blend of mythology, history, spirituality, politics and human emotion, with a story that clearly has a much larger journey ahead.
I'd recommend it to readers who enjoy Indian mythology, historical fiction, epic storytelling, temple history, philosophical themes and stories rooted in Sanatan traditions.
A fascinating blend of mythology, history, spirituality, politics, war, and human emotions. The rich world-building, temple traditions, dance, and historical details make the story feel immersive and grand.
At times, the many names and references can feel overwhelming, but if you enjoy Indian mythology and historical fiction, this is definitely worth exploring.
Book Name:- Shiva Rupaya Vishnave - The warhourse and the Dancer
Author Name:- @s.s.krishna_kiriti
Extracts from the book 📚
" 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝, 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝. 𝐈𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬."
My Thoughts ✍🏻
This book is a historical and emotional tale that beautifully explores war, duty, identity, belief, friendship, faith and the scars that remain long after a war is over.
King Krishna Devaraya returns to his kingdom victorious after three years of war. But behind the victorious king is a man who is silently suffering. The memories of bloodshed, violence, and the horrors he witnessed during the war have left him broken from within. He may have won the war, but internally, he feels defeated.
When all attempts to treat the king fail, an announcement is made throughout the kingdom that whoever can cure him will receive a huge reward. Many people try to help him in their own ways, but nothing seems to work. Then a Kuchipudi dancer arrives and claims that he can heal the king by telling him a story.
There are two scenes that I liked the most. The first was the encounter between king Ugra Narasimha and Siddendra. It was an emotional and powerful moment that stayed with me. The second was when the Rajguru apologised to Siddendra for what he did to him when he was born because of the prophecy. That scene carried a lot of emotional weight.
Siddendra is another character who left a strong impression on me. I could feel his struggles throughout the story, and his friendship with Bhadra plays an important role in helping him accept himself. I especially admired Siddendra's reaction after learning the truth about his identity.His response was surprisingly mature and showed how much he had grown as a person.
The backstories of the King Ugra Narasimha and Siddendra are also beautifully woven into the narrative. As their stories unfold, we understand their fears, struggles, choices, and the circumstances that shaped them. I also enjoyed the way history, spirituality, dance and human emotions come together in the narrative.
It’s a completely different and beautifully developed story. The book is fast-paced, with a well-crafted narrative that kept me hooked throughout. I could literally visualise the scenes as I was reading, which made the experience even more immersive. It is definitely a book I would recommend to everyone.
Set in 11th–12th century South India, the book takes us into a world shaped by kingdoms, wars, temples and the growing divide between Shaivism and Vaishnavism. But beneath all these larger conflicts are people—people trying to protect what they believe in, searching for where they belong, and sometimes paying the price for choices they didn't make.
👑 Ugra Narasimha was one of the characters who stayed with me. His political decisions, his beliefs and the way he responds when placed in difficult situations make him a fascinating and layered character. I particularly enjoyed watching how his personal choices intersect with the larger political and religious conflict.
💃 Siddendra's journey brings a completely different emotional dimension to the story. His relationship with dance, his search for identity and belonging, and his loyalty towards the people he loves make his story deeply human.
What I loved most was the way mythology and history are woven together with faith, politics, art and human emotions. The story of the stone and the birth of Ammavaru was particularly memorable for me. There was something beautiful about how darkness, loss and brokenness could eventually give rise to something meaningful.
The detailed world-building also deserves a mention. Temples, traditions, rituals, weapons, dance and the lives of ordinary people caught between larger ideological conflicts make the setting feel vivid.
That said, this isn't a book I'd recommend rushing through. There are plenty of names, historical references and layers of mythology, so it demands your attention. But if you enjoy books that make you pause, connect the dots and think beyond the story itself, that's exactly what makes this one worth reading.
For me, the biggest takeaway was this:
Perhaps the divine was never meant to divide us. Perhaps it is human beings who created the divisions.
A fascinating blend of historical fiction, Indian mythology, spirituality, political intrigue and human emotion.
⭐ 4.5/5
📖 Book - Shiva Rupaya Vishnave (Pt. 1) - The Warhorse and the Dancer
🖊 Author - @s.s.krishna_kiriti
"This one is about a king who won every war and lost himself in the winning. A man who gave people something precious and had to take it back with his own hands. Aman who watched those he loved die for his choices, and kept living after."
Shiva Rupaya Vishnave: Part 1 – The Warhorse and the Dancer by S. S. Krishna Kiriti is the kind of historical epic that asks big questions without losing sight of the people living through them. At its heart is Krishna Devaraya, a king who returns to Vijayanagara after a long war expecting victory to bring him peace, only to find himself more lost than before. When a dancer offers him a story instead of another cure, the narrative opens into the intertwined lives of Ugra Narasimha and Siddendra, twins separated at birth whose choices continue to shape each other’s destinies.
"Hope is worse than no hope at all! What are we supposed to do with a hope that has been broken?"
What I enjoyed most was how naturally the book brings together history, mythology, politics and philosophy. The Shaiva–Vaishnava conflict is not treated simply as a battle between two beliefs; it becomes a larger exploration of how humans understand, shape and sometimes divide the idea of God. The thought that the divine may be one, while its forms are moulded by the people who worship it, gives the story an interesting philosophical layer.
The writing is descriptive and cinematic, particularly when it moves across kingdoms, battlefields and changing landscapes. The first 20% felt slow to me, but in hindsight, that groundwork was important. It gives the characters room to develop and establishes the emotional stakes before the larger historical narrative takes over.
Ugra Narasimha was easily one of my favourite characters. He is powerful, intelligent and strategically sharp, and his journey makes his position as a king feel earned rather than simply inherited.
I also loved how the book brings North and South India into the same historical canvas. The struggles around Prithviraj Chauhan and the Ghurid invasion add another dimension to the story: while kingdoms were busy fighting over faith, power and territory among themselves, an external force was changing the course of Indian history.
There is a lot happening here, but it never feels like history has been added merely for grandeur. The characters carry the history, and their choices give it consequence.
A thoughtful, ambitious and immersive beginning to what feels like a much larger story.
"Shivaya Vishnu Rupaya,
Shiva Rupaya Vishnave,
Shivasya Hrudayam Vishnuhu
Vishnosya Hrudayam Shivaha!"
P.s. the book also has a song written by the author, sung by S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, music by Mani sharma.