“And so she had trained for many years in the art of combat, had learnt the many ways to fight evil. To the gifts she had been given at birth, such as the ability to understand the speech of demons, and even birds and animals, and communicate with them, she added the deadly art of fighting with weapons. When the demons came now, she no longer merely watched like the defenceless child she had once been. She knew now how to slay the demons, to expel them so they never came back.”
This is a review I’ve been wanting to post for a while, but I kept holding it off because I wanted to post it during the Hindu festival of Navaratri (literally, nine nights) which celebrates the Goddess.
The book itself is a unique take on the temple legend of the Goddess who battles demons –the Chottanikkara Bhagavathy, which is a real temple in Kerala. It is a temple I have visited many times, and which has always fascinated me. The temple is famous for its exorcisms, with a huge tree in the temple premises, its trunk riddled with huge nails, which are supposed to ‘trap’ the offending demons in the tree. Honestly, if one wanted to write a book about a demon-hunting girl, what better place than Chottanikkara to set it in?
Devi, (a name, as well the word for Goddess in many Indian languages), is the protector of the village of Chottanikkara. She along with her lion, Ugra, hunts demons in the neighbouring forests, and performs exorcisms in the local temple. But when a new demon that is resistant to all her efforts to control it starts plaguing the village, Devi faces a challenge that threatens to defeat her.
In its use of the rich mythological traditions of Kerala, the book excels. There is an authenticity about it that is refreshing. It is not the same old, tired retelling, but nor does it reinterpret the mythology for a modern world. It manages to retain the charm of the stories that grandmothers have been telling us, but is a new story after all. I especially loved reading the description of the exorcism that Devi conducts–I’ve never witnessed one myself, but I can certainly imagine that this is exactly how it would happen. Other than the temple of Chottanikkara, the book also references some other Kerala-based Hindu temples- like Guruvayur and Mannarasala.
The language of the book is simple enough, making it a good read for teenagers. There are some Malayalam and Tamil words sprinkled through the narrative, but not so much that they will be a deterrent to those who do not know the languages.
The book could have done a better job with the pacing–it takes a while before the reader begins to get really invested in the story. But just as one wonders how the author is planning to tie all the threads together, the narrative picks up. Most adult readers will be able to guess quite easily how the mysteries in the plot will be resolved, but it doesn’t take away from the thrilling reading experience. I did have an issue with how the mystery of Devi’s past was resolved–I thought it was the one cliched part of a book that was otherwise off the beaten path–but that’s just me.
For young girls everywhere, Devi, and the other girls in this book–Ela and Miricha, are an inspiration. I wish I had them as heroines to emulate when I was growing up! I certainly would like to see more of these characters.
FTC disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for this honest review.
Author Bio: http://www.alephbookcompany.com/authors/s-v-sujatha/
Other Reviews:
http://www.thebooksatchel.com/demon-hunter-chottanikkara-s-v-sujatha/
https://booksandstrips.wordpress.com/2017/09/13/the-demon-hunter-of-chottanikkara/
thereadingdesk 