What if a soul accrues no karma?
What if a soul accrues no karma?
An epic historical fantasy novel, set in the distant past, in ancient India.
Our actions have consequences—but what if it did not? A man rescued from the depths of the nether worlds discovers his soul does not accrue karma. An emissary of Death, plots revenge on the Gods. An empire is overthrown. Human virtue ebbs to its lowest. Strange alliances are made. The age of malice and war has dawned. What shall prevail?
Project Fable—a working title—is an epic fantasy with karma as its central theme, and this story has been on my mind for quite a few years now, albeit in a very different format.
I wanted to explore karma as a concept and its consequences—pun very much intended—and since its fairly central to Hindu mythos, I wanted to weave a story that’s deeply rooted in our stories and legends.
A reader says—
“My one complaint is that we never had Indian historical and mythological fiction that adults could enjoy but was also very interesting and unique. Project Fable is exactly what I was looking for. While most other writing in that category tends to be too cliché, with characters and plots that have sappy and noble protagonists, and your typical wicked antagonists, this chronicle has the best of both worlds, with gripping, out-of-the-ordinary storytelling, while also relying on Indian mythology. It’s fresh, its suspenseful and what I like to call mythology-noir. Do not miss this!”
—Atreya Arun
Author’s note
Project Fable has a nuanced plot. It is not a quick read—in this age of instant gratification and shortening attention spans, I wanted to write something that makes the read pause and think. It is not meant to be passing entertainment.
This story follows a non-linear narrative, jumping between different points on the 12,000 year-long timeline, as and when pertinent. It slowly unveils the complexities of the characters, and their apparent, and not-so-apparent motivations as the story progresses. Think of it as the fog-of-war in a strategy game.
Character’s actions start to make sense over chapters, and the reasons become clearer, or are completely shattered. I love the minor epiphanies readers get as the plot unfolds. Small details connect across chapters, and across timelines.
“Almost nothing is what it seems”—I’m obsessed with this, and have weaved this concept into the novel. So, keep an eye out, and enjoy the ride!
Start here—
Or, here’s the table of contents—
