Review: The Peshwa: The Lion and the Stallion

The Peshwa: The Lion and the Stallion by Ram Sivasankaran
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Apart from the fact that this is a historical fiction, one thing that attracted me to this book is its brilliant cover and the line - The Lion and the Stallion. ‘Badass’ they yelled at me and I was into this book.

The story is set in a time of Indian History when the Marathas and the Mughals were at loggerheads with each other. It tells us the tale of the Peshwa, Bajirao Bhat, who rises to the position of Peshwa despite the state of turmoil in the Maratha Confederacy owing to both internal and external adversaries. The story is intense and engaging throughout and you’ll find it difficult to put the book down. There are various emotions throughout the story that strike a chord with you and these emotions do not feel out of place, not even once. There was one chapter in particular - The First Kill - where I had goosebumps while reading it. I have to say I felt like I was watching all the events unfold and kudos to the author for being able to do so with ease. At no point in the book did I feel bored and it was great until the end.

All the characters have been written really well. Right from Balaji Vishwanath Bhat to Bangash, I couldn’t help but admire the way these characters were written. Every single one of them has been given their fair share of limelight and this is one of those things that differentiate between a normal book and a great book. The protagonist, of course, is the main man but it’s the other characters that make him the man that he is. Of course, Nizam-ul-Mulk and Bajirao are the best characters and when you read this book, you’ll know why.

The writing style is impressive especially the simple language the author stuck to. Made the narrative easy as well as engaging. Editing has been perfect and I thought of writing about the cons as well but I found none. Can’t wait to read the sequel!

                                             This was me after I finished reading the book

This is one book I wouldn’t mind reading again and I’d recommend this book to anyone. Not a long read but an engrossing one. Trust me, you’ll love it.

* I received a review copy of the book from Writersmelon in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. *


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