JO FLETCHER BOOKS BRINGS OUT INDIAN PUBLISHING PHENOMENON IN UNITED KINGDOM

JO FLETCHER BOOKS BRINGS OUT INDIAN PUBLISHING PHENOMENON IN UNITED KINGDOM

 

In a first for her eponymous imprint at Quercus UK, Jo Fletcher has acquired rights to a big fiction bestseller from India, The Shiva Trilogy by Amish, an epic fantasy based on Indian mythology. The first two books in the series, The Immortals of Meluha and The Secret of the Nagas, have become a phenomenon in the Indian market, topping all the charts and selling close to a million copies so far, making it one of the bestselling series of all time in the country.  The third volume of the trilogy, The Oath of the Vayuputras, is due to be released in India in early March, 2013.  Jo Fletcher Books bought the English language rights outside of the Indian sub-continent and has published the first book, The Immortals of Meluha, in the UK in January 2013. The book will be released in the US in Summer 2014.

The sale was made by US agent, Claire Roberts at Trident Media Group, acting on behalf of the author and the author’s Indian agent, Anuj Bahri of Red Ink Literary Agency.

Since publication, The Shiva Trilogy books have attracted a wide and devoted audience, with complimentary reviews from many thinkers, including this from the internationally bestselling author and spiritual guru Deepak Chopra, who said: ‘Amish’s mythical imagination mines the past and taps into the possibilities of the future. His book series, archetypal and stirring, unfold the deepest recesses of the soul as well as our collective consciousness.’

Publisher Jo Fletcher said, ‘I am thrilled to be able to bring this new Indian classic to a wider audience. Amish has done a brilliant job of re-editing the book for a Western audience who might not be so familiar with the legend of Shiva, whilst losing none of the flavour of the text that makes this such a compelling read.’

Amish added, ‘I’m delighted to be partnering with a passionate publisher like Jo Fletcher Books to bring The Immortals of Meluha into the UK market. I hope that all British readers who enjoy fantasy, mythology and historical thrillers will like this grand adventure of one of the most popular Indian Gods, Shiva.’ 

About Amish:

Amish is a 1974-born, IIM (Kolkata)-educated, boring banker turned happy author. The success of his debut book, The Immortals of Meluha (Book 1 of the Shiva Trilogy), encouraged him to give up a fourteen-year-old career in financial services to focus on writing. He is passionate about history, mythology and philosophy, finding beauty and meaning in all world religions.

Amish lives in Mumbai with his wife Preeti and son Neel.

About The Immortals of Meluha: 

1900 BC. In what modern Indians mistakenly call the Indus Valley Civilisation. The inhabitants of that period called it the land of Meluha – a near perfect empire created many centuries earlier by Lord Ram, the greatest monarch that ever lived.

This once proud empire and its Suryavanshi rulers face severe perils as its primary river, the revered Saraswati, is slowly drying to extinction. Its people also face devastating terrorist attacks from the east, the land of the Chandravanshis. To make matters worse, the Chandravanshis appear to have allied with the Nagas, an ostracised and sinister race of deformed humans with astonishing martial skills.

The only hope for the Suryavanshis is an ancient legend: ‘When evil reaches epic proportions, when all seems lost, when it appears that your enemies have triumphed, a hero will emerge.’

Is the rough-hewn Tibetan immigrant, Shiva, really that hero? And does he want to be that hero at all? Drawn suddenly to his destiny, by duty as well as by love, will Shiva lead the Suryavanshi revenge and destroy evil?

This is the first book in a trilogy on Shiva, the simple man whose karma re-cast him as our Mahadev, the God of Gods.

About The Secret of the Nagas:

Today, He is a God. 4000 years ago, He was just a man.

The hunt is on. The sinister Naga warrior has killed his friend Brahaspati and now stalks his wife Sati. Shiva, the Tibetan immigrant who is the prophesied destroyer of evil, will not rest till he finds his demonic adversary. His vengeance and the path to evil will lead him to the door of the Nagas, the serpent people. Of that he is certain.

The evidence of the malevolent rise of evil is everywhere. A kingdom is dying as it is held to ransom for a miracle drug. A crown prince is murdered. The Vasudevs – Shiva’s philosopher guides – betray his unquestioning faith as they take the aid of the dark side. Even the perfect empire, Meluha, is riddled with a terrible secret in Maika, the city of births. Unknown to Shiva, a master puppeteer is playing a grand game. In a journey that will take him across the length and breadth of ancient India, Shiva searches for the truth in a land of deadly mysteries – only to find that nothing is what it seems.

Fierce battles will be fought. Surprising alliances will be forged. Unbelievable secrets will be revealed in this second book of the Shiva Trilogy, the sequel to the #1 national bestseller, The Immortals of Meluha.