3 out of 4 stars
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Matsyagandha is the mythological history of a warrior princess by author Pooja Gupta. This tale is set in an ancient time where several clans of half-human, half-animal beings battle to reign supreme over all the land and resources. The title character, Matsyagandha, is a young princess of the Matsya clan who are mermaids and mermen capable of walking on land as well. At the age of 10, Matsyagandha witnessed a great battle where her father was killed and the land crumbled into separate islands for the various clans. One clan is half-snake, another is half-bird and the book shares the histories of all the clans’ relationships.
Matsyagandha wants to fulfill her father’s dream of reuniting all the clans and claim her role as protector and Queen of the clans. She abandons a potential marriage to follow her destiny and accepts challenges from each of the clans to prove her merit. She travels to the different islands and learns the customs of the clans to complete these challenges, some of which are incredibly dangerous. Even though her life is at risk, Matsyagandha’s values stay strong and she is committed to protecting those who cannot protect themselves. Her journey includes friendship, fantastical creatures, betrayal, loss and adventure.
My favorite aspect of this book is the focus on strong, independent women. This is intended as a young adult novel and I believe it would show young women that they have the potential to accomplish their dreams despite obstacles. Matsyagandha is an independent, feisty and dedicated young woman, and throughout her adventure, she interacts with several other inspirational women. Her mother Queen Meenakshi has ruled their clan alone since her father’s death, and the Naaga clan of snake people has a group of warrior women. Particularly in a country like India, where I am from, this focus on womanhood is incredibly important.
I also really enjoyed the historical details of each clan. It was clear the author envisioned an entire ancient fantasy world and her descriptions created beautiful visuals of the creatures and islands. The tension between the clans was palpable and the characters’ internal and external conflicts were credible. However, one of the challenges in reading this book was that the transitions from flashbacks to current action did not flow well and it was difficult to keep track of what period or what clan was being described. The backbone for the plot is very strong, but the sequence of events should be refined to seamlessly move between past and present.
Another recommendation to improve the flow of the story would be editing the dialogue to clarify which character is speaking. Throughout the book, dialogue was separated from the paragraph in a back and forth exchange without expected conventions like “Matsyagandha said” or “he asked.” The dialogue was very important to the plot so I often found I had to re-read sections of dialogue to comprehend. I also found several grammatical errors that were enough to impact my reading experience.
I rate Matsyagandha 3 out of 4 stars. The characters were well-developed and engaging, especially Matsyagandha. I truly felt connected to her purpose and values. I also commend author Pooja Gupta for creating such an amazing world, I think this would be a wonderful animated movie. However, I could not rate it 4 stars because of the grammatical errors and the issues with dialogue and flow.
I highly recommend this book to all readers but especially young women. Any fans of fantasy and mythology would particularly enjoy it. Also, though Matsyagandha is by an Indian author, the story is universal and would be enjoyed by people of any culture. The themes of overcoming obstacles, independence and loyalty are relatable to all audiences.
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Matsyagandha
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