The Secret of the Nagas
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| Author | Amish Tripathi |
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| Cover artist | Rashmi Pusalkar |
| Country | India |
| Language | English |
| Series | Shiva trilogy |
| Subject | Shiva, Myth, Fantasy |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Publisher | Westland Press |
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Publication date
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12 August 2011 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 396 |
| ISBN | |
| Preceded by | The Immortals of Meluha |
| Followed by | The Oath of the Vayuputras |
The Secret of the Nagas is the second novel of the Shiva trilogy series by the Indian author Amish Tripathi. The story takes place in the imaginary land of Meluha and narrates how the inhabitants of that land are saved from their wars by a nomad named Shiva. It begins from where its predecessor, The Immortals of Meluha, left off, with Shiva trying to save Sati from the invading Naga. Later Shiva takes his troop of soldiers and travels far east to the land of Branga, where he wishes to find a clue to reach the Naga people. Shiva also learns that Sati's first child is still alive, as well as her twin sister. His journey ultimately leads him to the Naga capital of Panchavati, where he finds a surprise waiting for him.
Tripathi started writing The Secret of the Nagas while the first part of the trilogy was being released. He relied on his knowledge of geography and history to expand the locations visited in the story. The book was released on 12 August 2011, and was published by Westland Press. Before its release, the author confessed that many revelations would be present in the book, including the true nature of many characters. Two theatrical trailers were created for showing in multiplex cinema halls, as Tripathi believed that the film-going audience also reads his books, and that would create publicity.
The Secret of the Nagas was in high demand before its release, with 80,000 copies pre-ordered. The book quickly reached the top of best-seller listings, selling 95,000 copies the first month, before going for a re-print. As of June 2015, over 2.5 million copies of the Shiva Trilogy have been sold at gross retail sales of over ₹60 crore (US$9.4 million). Although the book was commercially successful, The Secret of the Nagas received mixed reviews from critics. While it received praise for its "impressive conception" and story development, it also received criticism for Tripathi's usage of non-literary language.
The story begins where The Immortals of Meluha ended. Shiva, the fabled savior of the land of Meluha, rushes to save his wife Sati from the Naga, the supposed killer of Shiva's friend Brahaspati. The Naga escapes, leaving behind coins with strange engravings. After consulting with Sati's father Daksha and Dilipa, the king of Ayodhya, they come to know that the coin belongs to King Chandraketu, the ruler of the land of Branga in eastern India. Shiva and Sati travel to Kashi, where a community of Brangas inhabit, in order to get more information on the Nagas. They are accompanied in their journey by Shiva's General Parvateshwar, his associates Nandi and Veerbhadra, Ayurvati the doctor, and Bhagirath and Anandamayi, the prince and princess of Ayodhya. At Kashi, Parvateshwar gets mortally injured while trying to pacify a riot at the Branga community. The Branga leader Divodas administers a medicine on Parvateshwar; it works and the General is healed, but Shiva comes to know from Ayurvati that it contains herbs which is only available at Panchavati, the capital of the Nagas. He consults with Divodas and comes to know that Branga suffers from a mortal plague, which has led them to ally with the Nagas, in return for benefits. Shiva decides to travel to Branga but Divodas informs him that to reach there special ships need to be made, which would take about six months.
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