“Abhaya the novel allows us to delve into the world of our ancestors and Gods through the route of great storytelling and a brilliant narrative. A thoroughly enjoyable read” – is what popular novelist Amish Tripathi had said about Saiswaroopa Iyer’s maiden fantasy novel, which was published to rave reviews in late 2015.

Saiswaroopa (32) has tackled the Diwali legend and the killing of the demon Narakasura in her debut novel with enormous finesse. “Indian fantasy novel, a sub-genre in its own right, has come of age,” she says.

Fascinated by Indian mythology and the ancient classics since childhood, the young novelist went back to Mahabharata to plot her maiden novel. “Early prompting from my teacher-mom helped me cultivate that one life-sustaining habit of reading; I started devouring book after book. My mom would thrust books in to my arms and I retired to my study to finish it. Eventually the abiding love for reading was transformed into what it is now, love for writing. I started to pen characters and plot their destinies and thus was born my first novel,” Saiswaroopa said of her writer’s journey, while speaking from London to Covai Post.

For the uninitiated, Abhaya is set in the time of Mahabharata. The protagonist Abhaya, an assertive and idealistic princess, meets the enigmatic Krishna Vaasudeva. A bereaved Dhatri, pursued by her own family, is saved by Lord Bhauma. When subverted religion becomes a tool in the hands of the power-thirsty and strikes Bharatavarsha, the land of Aryas, Abhaya finds herself face-to-face with impending doom.

Born in small town Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh, Saiswaroopa completed her MBA in Finance in IIT Kharagpur. “But my calling seems to be writing from the beginning, as I felt that the writer’s world is more fascinating than anything else.

“I published Abhaya as an e-book first and later opted for a print edition by an independent publisher, encouraged by the good response that the e-book evoked. The Indian writer community lent immense moral support. Every Indian writer worth his name had only good words to tell about my novel, which has spurred me to take on my next project, which is a Vedic fantasy.

“Telling a story requires intertwining characters of various shades with rigorous research and a compelling plotline. I believe that good stories tell themselves when authors believe in their characters. It has been quite a journey of challenging beliefs and exploring the ancient past. I believe the fun is in the journey,” she says.

Saiswaroopa firmly believes in the future of the great Indian novel, “We all love stories, so novels are here to stay. But Indian storytellers, especially those in the fantasy genre, need to carve out their own niche. We draw from legends that are alive and not from dead myths. While western fantasy is squarely about other worlds, post-apocalyptic worlds and super humans, we need to work and forge out an independent Indian fantasy that draws from ancient past combined with our creativity.”