📖 Book : Karna’s Wife – The Outcast’s Queen

📖 Author: Kavita Kanè

📖 Genre: Mythological Fiction

📖 Pages: 308

📖 Publication: 2014, Rupa Publication

📖 Book cost: ₹151 (MRP 295)

Blogpost by Dhanu

4.9⭐️/5

Bringing the overshadowed female characters from ancient Indian epics to the limelight can be done with the ultimantum in the writings of Kavita Kané. She has a vast basket to be filled with such unvoiced female characters as her work of art.

Here, the protagonist chosen by our author is Uruvi, the princess of the Pukeya kingdom. She is the first ever-found pearl of the author, who intends to announce her immeasurable presence in the legendary story of all time. The presence of Uruvi has immense impact as the main story grows. We all know about the story of the Mahabharata about the family feuds between the famous cousins of Pandavas and Kauravas.

Among them is Karna, the mighty and fallen warrior king, who lived in society with the constant denial of his outstanding talent as an archer or even a king for his low-born status as Sutraputra. But the hidden truth was that he was the firstborn son of Kunti, the queen mother of Pandavas.

Even though the novel narrates the story of Uruvi, it has revolved around Karna. Unlike the other novels of Kanè, Uruvi’s story slightly leans along the side of Karna’s life. The story begins with the first meeting of Karna at the arena to telecast the might of the Kuru princes, where Uruvi sees him from the spectator gallery.

And the time revolves along as Uruvi encourages her passionate love for Karna while her mother wishes to give her daughter’s hand to her friend’s son, Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers. As her wish, she marries Karna over Arjuna, and there begin the new turns of consequences in the life of Uruvi as the main course of the story develops in parallel.

In this story, the readers can admire the passion and determination of Uruvi towards her husband, as she acted as Karna’s conscience as he was siding with adharma. Even though Karna is the most reputed king and human being for his wellness and charitable accountancy, his loyalty towards his friend, Duryodhana, made him vulnerable to his destruction.

This novel captures most of Karna’s part in the story of the epic from the perspective of Uruvi and how she supports and stands against his husband’s will towards his rationality towards his friend’s behavior. Even though the novel showcases most of the characters from the epic, Kunti is one prominent character in the limelight to be locked for disowning her son, Karna, and being the major cause of the humiliations faced by him in this society.

The writing style of the novel has a grab for its readers and gives a lucid reading experience throughout the novel. The course of the events aligns exquisitely and paves the narration towards a translucent path. As the narration holds the third-person point of view, the story could be experienced from the voice of each character as well.

However, sometimes I get the eeriness of the familiarity and compilation of all the events that took place. Though this hasn’t brought down the essence of the storyline, it has only made Uruvi the voice, not only for her presence in the story but also for Karna and his denial of authority in this society.

The book is an amazing ride for me to brush up on my love for mythological fiction. I suggest this book for all mythological fiction lovers as well as other readers, as it is beginner-friendly to read.

x Dhanu