The Elephant Girl By Chitta Ranjan

Amidst the foothills of the Himalayas, somewhere between Bengal and Assam, people claim to have seen a mythical maiden who rules and rides wild elephants.  When Raj Narayan, the crown prince of Paschim Behar hears about this, he is unable to resist going in search of the Elephant girl despite his very pregnant wife Divya needing him. 

Dodging two attempts of murder, the Prince still continues on his quest.  Even as dark forces take over the Palace, Raj cannot seem to get away from the Enigma of the Jungle.  Needless to say what follows is deceit, treachery, murder and mayhem.

Recommendation: A nicely written book that showcased the various characters with grace.  One could actually envision the period of Maharajas, Gora sahebs and tribals of Assam.  Chitta Ranjan had me entranced right from the beginning as she transported me straight to the lush green jungles of the North East, where I could vividly visualize the surprises awaiting the Prince.  It felt like almost stepping back or should I say falling back in time. 

Furthermore, the author has done a wonderful job of addressing the complex relationships and power games whilst keeping the mystery alive right till the very end.  Just as I would head towards a conclusion, Chitta would subtly nudge me to ponder upon something else along with Raj.

Has his brother truly gone mad?  Did their step mother and step siblings orchestrate the whole thing?  Are there some other darker forces at play here?  Question is who can the young King trust and consider family amongst all these subtle power games?

In this game of royal subterfuge, Raj Narayan is kept guessing as he desperately tries his best to figure out the secrets of the royal family while constantly being pulled by the thoughts of the magnetic Elephant Girl.  This complex story unfolds with plenty of change in dynamics as finally all the loose threads are neatly tied up.  If you enjoy History with a bit of Mystery like me, this one is definitely for you.

Rating: 5/5