In this backdrop of turmoil, bitter enemies become friends, and old allies stab each other in the back. Savage Nagas and enigmatic Rakshasas return to the fold. And the sun of humanity begins to set even as the shadows gather to dance.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to begin by thanking George RR Martin for A Song of Ice and Fire. I might not have met him in person (yet), but he inspired a lawyer to steal a few hours every night for half a decade, to turn the stardust of his dreams to paragraphs on paper.

I have already dedicated this book to them, but it is simply not enough – my generous readers, Mahwash and Astha, for cheering me on with relentless enthusiasm and unfailing patience.

I’d like to thank my family: My mother, for her unwavering faith in me, and for buying me Amar Chitra Katha books when I was a boy; my father, for being this book’s foremost marketer, while simultaneously worrying that the book would land me in trouble; and my brother, for inspiring everyone around him to follow their dreams. I also want to thank my friends: Milli, Shravya Ritika and Surbhi. Thank you so much everyone, for believing in me.

In addition, there are dozens of people who spared kind words, words of encouragement, words of awe, and words of support during my years of struggle to get published. I thank you all.

And thanks to the wonderful team at Leadstart: Malini, Trupti and Pooja. The excitement shown by Malini for Sons of Darkness is all the validation an aspiring author needs. Thank you for giving me the chance.

And lastly, yet firstly, I thank my Editor, Chandralekha, for helping me squeeze the fullest potential out of this manuscript. Without her masterful editorial vision, you’d be holding a very different book.

Table of Contents

TITLE

COPYRIGHT

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

AUTHOR’S NOTE

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

PROLOGUE

ADHYAYA I: WINTER OF DISCORD

ADHYAYA II: ALL THAT GLITTERS

ADHYAYA III: BEST SERVED COLD

THE SWAYAMVAR: PART I

THE SWAYAMVAR: PART II

ADHYAYA IV: A FIGHTING CHANCE

BATTLE OF MATHURA: PART I

BATTLE OF MATHURA: PART II

EPILOGUE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS