Return of the Brahmin - Ravi Shankar Etteth

The stakes are higher, the shadow deeper. Return to ancient India in this high-octane historical sequel, set in the immediate, blood-soaked aftermath of Emperor Ashoka’s devastating conquest of Kalinga.

After successfully thwarting the malicious Kalingan general Lord Suma and cementing his rule over the Magadha Empire, Ashoka sits upon a throne forged in blood. But peace is a fragile illusion. A terrifying new threat has emerged from the ashes of war—a faceless, merciless foe whose singular, burning ambition is to topple the empire and bring the Mauryan dynasty to its knees.

Operating from the deepest shadows, this mysterious mastermind orchestrates the brutal assassinations of high-ranking Magadhan officials, executes high-stakes kidnappings of royal prisoners, and successfully infiltrates the heavily guarded royal palace of Tamralipti. He weaves an intricate web of hatred, political intrigue, and pure menace. No one knows his true identity, yet he strikes such absolute terror into his fanatical network of followers that even a dying man fears uttering his name. He is known only as the Khandapati.

Faced with a conspiracy that threatens to spill across international borders, Emperor Ashoka has only one man left to turn to. Spurred by a lifetime of friendship and sworn loyalty, the Brahmin—Magadha's legendary spymaster—returns to the capital. Plunged into a lethal game of wits, blades, and secrets, the protector of the empire faces his most formidable adversary yet. Will the Brahmin's incomparable intellect be enough to save the throne, or is the merciless Khandapati more than a match for him?