My hindu mythology based novel published!

"Gaya:the Karma Moon"

This is a novel based on Shiva-Sati story and it took me three years to finished it.It will be on shelves on Feb 20th,Maha Shivratri,and it can be pre-ordered from Amazon already:[link]

Cover art by SU [link]



Plot&Characters:
(Note:IT'S A NOVEL.Lots of fictional things.Most characters may be DIFFERENT from the original myth characters.I hope it won't offend people. )

Sati：The youngest daughter of Daksha.She was deceived by Shukra to get in Jayanti's dream to fetch the Sanjivani mantra (a formula that revived the dead)for him.However ,she was lost in Jayanti's dream, and in there,she met her future lover Shiva(Who was trying to get back the mantra too)Later she was kidnapped by Asuras,and was rescured by Shiva again.She fell in love with Shiva.Their relationship was strongly opposed by Daksha and caused the death of Sati in the end.
She had lovely bright eyes and golden complexion,which was much loved by Shiva.She was a kind-hearted and sensitive young girl.However she was also very stubborn in moral issues and self-disciplined for she was educated well by Daksha.

Shiva:The Destroyer of Trimurti.His power knew no limites,but as an great ascetic he was emotionless,"fire without smoke".Once Brahma told him the he was "not completed" for Shiva's very tranquility could stop he from fulfilling his destined role in the universe. The tranquility itself became Shiva's attachment.Brahma argued that Shiva need to accept the love of a woman and experience all kinds of emotion. He got in Sati's adventures,and,even not intentionally,he became Sati's guru and lover. He accepted Sati's love and also fell in love with her,but he was never conscious of that until Sati died for him and reduced to ashes in his arms.Thanks to Sati,Shiva experienced love and happiness,but he also experienced great wrath,pang and sorrow.Now,like a sword forged in fire and cool water, he was completed.
Shiva had long matted hairs,and his complexion was as white as jasmine.He was unruly,powerful and clever,yet simple-hearted and innocent like child.

Daksha:The great Prajapati.Father of Sati.Besides his daughter,Daksha loved nothing but rituals and orthodox rules.Daksha disliked Shiva intensely,because Shiva was so wild and unruly,and never take Daksha's rituals and rules seriously.Daksha was outraged when he found his daughter Sati fell in love with Shiva.However,in the request of Brahma and for the love of Sati,he reluctantly married Sati to Shiva.When Shiva chopped one of Brahma's heads,Daksha's hatred toward Shiva deepened.He announced Shiva got the sin of brahmahatya dosha (the act of killing a Brahmin).Shiva was chased and driven mad by brahmahatya.To get rid from the sin,Shiva left Sati and wondered aimlessly in world.When Sati tried to persuade Daksha to let Shiva attend his yagna,Daksha coldly refused. In desperation,Sati Killed herself.Daksha was shocked and overwhelmed by grief,but it's too late.
Daksha was in fact an upright and respectable man.But he was too stubborn,believing everything should be measured by his moral principles.

Indra:The king of Devas,once the greatest warrior in all worlds, for he had slain the terrible magic dragon Vritra.Both men and women were willing to fight for him and die for him.However,as time went by,he became more and more arrogant,thus became more and more suspicious and foolish.He used despicable means to protect his throne and suppressed anyone he thought as a threat.At last,Indra was no more the great hero,but a pitiful puppet of his own ego.Those who once adored him now began to despise him and renounce him.He was not aware of his mistakes until he was defeated by Bali,and lost all of his friends,especially Soma Chandra and Agni.He tried to get back his own strength and courage,but the only way was to fight against Vritra,who was revived by Tvashta and Shukra(using the Sanjivani mantra)and now much more powerful and hideous.
Indra was tall,strong and very handsome.His bright eagle eyes fascinated women.

Shukra or Shukracharya :Guru or preceptor of Asuras.He was son of Bhrigu. He once was a loyal follower of Indra,but Indra's corruption deeply disappointed him.When Indra secretly murdered Trisiras,son of Tvashta,Shukra fled from Devaloka knowing that Indra would kill anyone who knew his dirty secret.Shukra won the trust of Bali, king of Asuras,and got the Sanjivani mantra from Shiva.To ensure the safety of Sanjivani mantra,Shukra put the mantra in his wife Jayanti's dream.Jayanti was Indra's daughter,so she took the mantra to her father's Devaloka.To get his mantra back,Shukra deceived Sati into Jayanti's dream to fetch the mantra for him.
Shukra was very cunning,bold and cold-blooded,but he was also very attractive and charming.He could cheat and betray anyone in this world ,however,ironically,he was always cheated and betrayed by his beloved ones,like his wife Jayanti and his daughter Devayani.

Soma or Chandra:The moon god.He was both Shiva and Indra's best friend.Shiva used crescent as ornament to honor their friendship.When Indra found Soma was more and more difficult to control,he tried to marry his daughter to Soma.Soma rejected the propose,for he had fallen in love with Tara,the most beautiful woman in Devaloka.This act enraged Indra,and he made Tara marry to Brihaspati.Later Tara and Sati were kidnapped by Asuras,and Soma was believed behind this(in fact,it's Shukra's idea).Soma was pursued by Indra,and he had no choice but called on the Asuras to be his allies(which,of course,was the true purpose of Shukra.) Thus a great war erupted between Devas and Asuras.Because Indra was so arrogant,he was defeated by Bali's army.Meanwhile Soma was under the misapprehension that Tara was killed ruthlessly by Indra.Being driven mad by sadness and anger, Soma tried to kill Indra in battle.At that time,Shiva was asked to protect Indra.When Shiva found Soma had lost all of his senses,he had to kill Soma.
In contrast to the unruly Shiva,Soma was elegant,graceful and had an amorous nature.He was very good-looking(but not in Indra's masculine way)and popular in young girls.

Bali or Mahabali:The King of Asuras,and was considered as the greatest king of Asuras ever.Assisted by Shukra,he defeated Indra and conquered three worlds. He was not only very powerful and wise but also very noble,righteous and generous. However, his virtues became his biggest weakness.Vishnu took advantage of his generosity and got the three worlds back from Bali's hands.
Bali was very tall.Although he was not as handsome as Indra,he had impressing charisma as a king.

Vishnu:The Protector of Trimurti.To protect peace of Devaloka,he incarnated himself as Indra's younger brother,Vamana.Long ago he had incarnated as Narasimha to kill the evil Asura king Hiranyakashipu to protect his protege Prahlada. However, Hiranyakashipu was the father of Prahlada,and Prahlada was very sad for father's death.For compensation,Vishnu took an oath that he would never hurt anyone in Prahlada's family again.So when Indra was being hunted by Bali, Prahlada's grandson,Vishnu had to ask Shiva to save his brother because he can't attack Bali.He fell in love with Lakshmi,daughter of ocean, but he didn't let his secret love out.However, when later he was asked by Lakshmi to stop Bali's Ashwamedha Yagna,Vishnu had no choice,because Lakshmi's penance was giving up her love for Vishnu.It's such a great sacrifice that even Vishnu himself can not reject.He took the form of Vamana and destoried Bali's yagna.In that way,he broke his oath and had to descend as human three times.And he also lost his lover Lakshmi.
Vishnu was a very good-looking young Brahmin when he was Vamana,extremely handsome and dark blue as water filled clouds when he took his normal form.He was very calm and intelligent,and never lost his control.

Lakshmi:Adopted daughter of ocean.She manifested from Kshirsagar (Ocean of Milk) when Devas and Asuras churning the ocean to obtain Amrit.Later Lakshmi was involved in the war when Devas and Asuras fought over Amrit,but Vishnu saved Lakshmi.Lakshmi fell in love with Vishnu immediately without knowing who he was.When Bali defeated Indra and begun the Ashwamedha Yaga to maintain his rule over the three worlds,Lakshmi decided to do penance to help Devas.She gave up her love for the stranger with dark clouds body .