"Sons of Darkness" by Gourav Mohanty is an absolute epic! This tome transports readers to a realm brimming with arcane magic, legendary warriors, and dark prophecies. Mohanty weaves a tale as intricate as the most coveted spellweave, drawing upon deep lore that fans of high fantasy will revel in. The characters are masterfully fleshed out, making every mage, rogue, and questing hero resonate with authenticity. The plotlines are a veritable dance of blades—twisty, unpredictable, and utterly engrossing. In the crowded pantheon of epic fantasy, "Sons of Darkness" stands tall, a must-read for every diehard realm-traveler out there.

This was a story I'd been heavily anticipating. It did not deliever on my expecations. I just couldn't get into the world and characters. The cover is absolutely stunning though.

A strong 4 and a half stars!!

This is a solid debut epic fantasy.

Whilst the first quarter of this book is very heavy, I am glad that I took the time and persevered. Before the halfway mark I was fully invested and could not put it down! The range and depth of the characters within the story is a true selling point. The author manages to bring together all the different plotlines together in a seamless way and when they all converge, it is truly a stunning piece of writing. The battlescenes are done in such a way that you get multiple POV's without being clunky. Additionally to all of this, there is humor laced throughout the book that truly made me laugh aloud.

I would highly recommend this book and cannot wait for the next installment in the series to be released.

This book had me screaming!
At first the narration took abit of getting used to, but once I got it, I couldn't but it down.The way it was told was something I hadn't experienced before I don't think the word said was used, and yet, I had a clear picture on who was talking

The book is split into large parts. once I got to the midpoint, the book hooked me and struggled to put it down.,

In true game of thrones fashion, this story gets brutal, dark, but the women in this story shine.
I really love, Krishna, Mati, Satyabhama they shone from the page.
But, the prologue ! I was hooked wanting more
I was on the edge of my seat toward the end. One of the best battles I have read.
I cant wait for book two!

If you like first law, game of thrones you should pick this up.

In Sons of Darkness, Gourav Mohanty re-imagines the Mahabharata in a grimdark fantasy for modern readers. Mohanty's ambitious novel is crafted with multi-dimensional characters and nuanced worldbuilding--much like the epic Indian poem that inspired it--though this is "no modern translation of a mystical epic," says Nic Cheetham, managing director at Head of Zeus. "It is an entry into a world as messy and intricate as our own." Mohanty himself calls the world of the novel "a Narnia of India, if you will." Readers who settle into this elaborate world will delight in the discovery of an expansive work of fantasy as smart and complex as it is dark and violent--sure to live up to comparisons to George R.R. Martin and Joe Abercrombie. --Kerry McHugh

Sons of Darkness has everything a fantasy reader could want. Immersion, action, epic conflicts, warring factions, fluid prose and so, much more. Amazing I couldn’t but it down and can’t wait to see what the author writes next.

Thank to the Author, Publisher and NetGalley for the ARC

Song of Ice and Fire is not amongst my favourite fantasy series but I love Indian epics and 'Mahabharata is fav.
This is a brilliant, original and intriguing story featuring a complex world, well rounded characters and a mix of Indian mythology and grimdark fantasy.
The mix works and it's a well written book
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book is my favourite read of the year so far and likely earns a place in my all-time top 5.
I love books that get creative with their structure, and this one does just that. Creating sections to introduce the main players before bringing them all together. Which makes it both interesting and easier to follow
That being said, this is not a book for everyone. It requires the reader to juggle multiple nations with their own intrigues and characters, then how they relate to each other.
I love political fantasy, and this book clearly delivers on that front, being complex and full of turns. The characters in this are all well-defined individuals and actually active, their choices truly making a difference and driving the plot forward, even if they themselves don´t realize it
The only flaw this book has for me is that I have to wait years for the sequel

Possible Triggers:
Death | Torture | Gore | Rape | Child (abuse/murder/torture)

Summary:
The first book in the “Raag of Rta” series. This is an alternate reality story that is inspired by the Mahabharata.

Positives:
+ Holy crap. Just. wow. That prelude to the story really grips you by the wrist and drags you forward into the story. Talk about a strong strong incentive to get MORE of what you just had a sampling for.
+ I love how HUMAN the characters are. More specifically I mean to say, that no matter how smart and scheming, or heroic and noble, there isn't a single character that doesn't have some foibles. Bored and mind wandering during important meetings, fed up or angry with their lovers/siblings, annoyed and just wanting something to eat, or simply delighted by drama. The author does the most fantastic job of making characters really come to life (and death) on the page.
+ These fight scenes…. There are two duels in particular that really had me at the edge of my seat reading them. Then later on ranting to my mates about how epic they were and insisting that they read them.
+ That ending promises SO much. Hooooooooly crap, when does the next book come out again?

Negatives:
- This is more of a warning for those reading that are very sensitive to gore/violence (especially against children). This IS an extremely violent book. I can’t even say it's only the atrocities of war, as it's more the atrocities of people. The author does not shy away from writing them. Squeamish be aware, this book may not be for you. Keep in mind this is a grimdark fantasy, leave your hope at the door.

Final Thoughts:
I saw a lot of reviews and comments about how this is like Steven Eriksons’ “The Book of the Malazan” series, which I don't think is necessarily a bad reference, but I do think that this book (series) is MUCH more accessible. You get that fantastic huge SCOPE of what is going on in a very large area of the world, across multiple perspectives; at times for long periods of and others just for a single dip of a moment. This book is just the most epic of grimdark stories. Epic duels, conniving political plots, betrayal, love, lust - so much coming at you from every chapter. And then the ending comes, and holy crap... What is going to happen to the characters that remain?! What about the alliances?! How about the state of some countries? And most pressingly, when does the next book come out?!! I will be preordering the heck out of the next book, and already have this book in a shopping cart and am anxiously waiting to place it on my favorites shelf.

This is an epic book based around the epic Indian tale of the Mahabharata. Its an Indian version of Game of Thrones so if you are a fan you will eat this up. I could not put this book down, the world building is fantastic and detailed, the characters are brought to live with his in depth prose. I lived in this world whilst immersed in the reading experience. The battles were epic and it felt like I was actually there taking part. A great debut from this author who I hope will become a bestseller as I cannot wait to read more.

I'm extremely sad but after giving this book a 85% chance I'm sadly done with it. It was one of my most anticipated releases since I tried to read when it first was published and then it was impossible till now but sadly maybe is the book maybe is me, but right now there's nothing bringing me back to read it and it has become a chore.

When I saw it was tag as grimdark my expectations were already over the roof since I'm a huge fan of dark fantasy, but even though it was kind of dark fantasy it had nothing to do with grimdark, in my humble opinion. I also love Hindu mythology and was somewhat familiar with the Mahabharata which was what was keeping me from quitting but alas the climax did not deliver enough for me and we’ve come to an end. And I think that's the main problem, the plot is nowhere for a large portion of the book (and I'm a huge plot centred reader), we have characters going around with a lot of empty conversations that just seems to be filling out pages, and at least for me I just couldn't connect with any of them. I believe that Mohanty was so focus on the end of the story that it did not focus enough on little things that would make the journey more enjoyable.
It makes so sad because the prologue of this book is absolute fire, but the rest of it could not replicate that sensation for me.

I don't think Sons of Darkness is a bad book by any means and I'm sure it will find a strong fan base but sadly it did not work for me, maybe in the future I'll pick it up again, since it definitely fits de epic fantasy category that I love but for now I'll just stay as the one book that make sad this year. I did not want to give it a rating but since I'm kinda forced on Netgalley I'll put it in the middle with a 2.5 stars.

It has become all too common in fantasy book marketing to describe a book as "random thing" meets Game of Thrones. It is so prevalent that the marketing ploy has become meaningless; saying that your book is like Game of Thrones could mean that it is grimdark or political or multi-POV or epic fantasy or low magic or one of any myriad other small pieces of George RR Martin's work that can be co-opted to get readers to check out a new book.

So, I have to admit that I gave quite the bombastic side-eye to Sons of Darkness when it was described as an Indian-inspired Game of Thrones, and another when the author spent the author's note talking about all of the inspiration he took from Martin.

But oh boy did I judge too quickly. Sons of Darkness is exactly what you are looking for if you want that Game of Thrones feeling again. Sons of Darkness absolutely crackles with kinetic energy that throws you into the personal and political games in a South Asian fantasy world, a world that enters your ears or eyes and envelopes you in a way that few other epic fantasy books are capable of. This is the closest thing that I have ever read that feels like an heir apparent to the Song of Ice and Fire throne, all while introducing a world that feels fresh and unexplored.

In drawing inspiration from Martin, Mohanty is also able to sidestep several of the problems that plagued (and still plague) A Song of Ice and Fire. While still being a big, sprawling, multi-POV epic, Sons of Darkness is much more contained and directed piece of fiction. The world still feels massive and the politics of still complexly nuanced, but Mohanty ensures that his characters are both physically and mentally in each other's orbits. As the reader I was never left thinking "but how does this contribute to the central conflict?", which made for a tighter reading experience that felt more immediately satisfying. The beginning of the books moves a bit slowly as Mohanty establishes his world, but then he wastes no time in bringing his disparate POV characters together, which was so refreshing after reading numerous epic fantasies that seem only want to drive their characters apart. While Sons of Darkness definitely promises more to come, I never once felt like I was just reading a 700 page prologue to the actual story that Mohanty wanted to tell. He jumps in and never lets go.

In addition to A Song of Ice and Fire, Mohanty does not hide that Sons of Darkness is directly inspired the ancient Indian epic poem, the Mahabharata. I am assuming that many Western readers are like me, and have little to no experience with the Mahabharata; I had no idea about the characters, plot, etc. that Mohanty was deriving this work from. While I am sure that I missed some of the cultural nuance because I didn't have this background, and likely missing out on some of Mohanty's commentary and criticism that I am sure adds nuance and layers to the story, I can assuage readers that the story works entirely on its own merits. I am assuming it is kind of like reading Song of Achilles without knowing anything about Greek mythology; you'd miss Miller's queer commentary, but it is still a beautifully tragic gay love story. Despite having no previous experience with these characters or the broad outlines of the story, Mohanty's writing transports you to a grimdark fantasy world full of action, politics, and magic.

Mohanty immerses his characters and readers in a beautifully constructed South Asian world marinated in the cosmologies and worldviews Hinduism and Indian cultures. It wears these more philosophical inspirations a bit less explicitly than Kritika Rao's The Surviving Sky, but like that Hindu-inspired science fantasy, Sons of Darkness feels both familiar (in some of its tropes and its grimdark setting) while also feeling fresh and original as it completely avoids overplayed settings and magic systems. It often feels weird to celebrate an author for writing a non-European inspired fantasy because diverse settings and stories should be the norm, but it is wonderful to see so many South Asian inspired fantasies coming out this summer that are rooted in specifically non-Western views of the world around us.

I was also intrigued by the way that Mohanty constructed Sons of Darkness. The book is divided into discrete sections that are further divided into chapters, which are of the traditional "named after the POV character" variety made famous by A Game of Thrones. However, Mohanty doesn't bounce between all of his POV characters at first; each section only jumps between 2-3 POV characters before a later section bounces between all of them (when all of the character are physically in the same place). This gave the narrative and character arcs sufficient time to breathe and grow before the reader is expected to meet even more characters, both major and minor. This again allowed the book to have that epic feeling without feeling so overwhelming in its characters and worldbuilding.

The entirety of Sons of Darkness is so polished and so confidently built, despite being a chonky epic with a lot of moving pieces, that I was actually surprised that this was a debut novel. As the reader I always felt like I was in good hands and, despite just too small quibbles I have (I'll get to those in just a second), this may be the absolute best epic, political fantasy that I have read this year!

If I had to identify any minor flaws, I would point to two:

The first is that this is a very "man-forward" book. There is really only one significant POV from a woman in the novel, and she has less agency that I think that some readers would like to see. There are several other women in positions of power, but they are narratively and politically on the margins. Mohanty writes his women characters well, but I definitely wanted to see more have bigger and more central roles in the actual story itself. Readers looking for several women to populate the world might want to look elsewhere. In addition, this is a grimdark book, but Mohanty never crosses the line in terms of sexual assault, violence, etc. These are all very much present in the book, and are often alluded to throughout, but Mohanty keeps in all from feeling salacious just for the shock value.

The second (very minor) flaw in Sons of Darkness is one that impacts most epic fantasies - the characters don't quite "pop" as much as they could. At times the characters feel like chess pieces on a board, being moved around in order to serve the larger political narrative rather than feeling like real, three-dimensional people. Not to keep drawing the comparison (but, hey, the author invited it!), if Martin's characters in A Game of Thrones worked for you, you'll find Mohanty is just a bit less effective at building character than Martin. I want to give a special shoutout to Shakuni, by new favorite devious character who is like the ideal mashup of Littlefinger and Joe Abercrombie's San dan Glotka! In sum, Mohanty demonstrates a real knack for building character, especially his side characters, and I can only expect that his characters will get even stronger as he becomes a more experienced writer.

If you are a fan of big, epic, political fantasies, but maybe have become a bit disillusioned by how "same-y" or underdeveloped the subgenre has become, give Sons of Darkness a glance. Not only will it draw you into its political games of power and ambition, but it will reignite a flame within you; it will remind you why you loved epic political fantasies in the first place, and it will leave you eagerly anticipating more.

Concluding Thoughts: An epic political fantasy directly inspired by the Mahabharata and A Song of Ice and Fire, Sons of Darkness is an exciting new fantasy from a debut author that has already earned its place in the epic grimdark fantasy canon. Brilliantly constructed with some new sure to be fan favorite characters (though there could be more women!) will draw you out of any reading slump and reignite your passion for dark, political, epics. Pick this one up immediately!

An epic fantasy tale that everyone needs to keep an eye on! Sons of Darkness has everything a fantasy reader could want. Immersion, action, epic conflicts, warring factions, fluid prose and so, so much more.

Overall is a very enjoyable book, well paced, as is expected is the introduction of a universe so it may be a slow pace at the beginning but we need give it a chance since is the first contact with the autor and is well deserve. I like the characters creation the plot and the structure of the book. Was a book I wanted to finish and see what happened. Read the CW before you read it because it can become a bit gory. I like thar I could sense GOt as a inspiration so yes is a good book to give a chance and enjoy. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher to the access to this arc

An epic fantasy tale that everyone needs to keep an eye on! Sons of Darkness has everything a fantasy reader could want. Immersion, action, epic conflicts, warring factions, fluid prose and so, so much more.

Excellent debut! This grimdark fantasy had a wide array of compelling characters that were inspired by Indian mythology and more modern books like Game of Thrones. I thought the prose was accessible and atmospheric, and I never wanted to stop reading. Highly recommend!

Do you love Hindu mythology? Do you love mythology retellings? Well then this will keep you immersed into this magic world. I want more of this!

What a book! I will admit the first bit was super info dumpy and slow but once it started going, it was a wild ride! The characters and POVs did start to become a little much but I'm glad I pushed through. The ending was so good and I cannot wait for the next book!

Really found it hard to understand who was who and what was happening at times.
Only really got into it in the last quarter of the book and won't be continuing the series

I know others really enjoyed it too so may just not have been for me

This was such an amazing read!! I'm so glad I received an ARC I was DYING to read this before it's release. If you haven't read it already grab it NOW!