The Onus of Karma by Krishna Rudra

Swashbuckling adventure meets mythological fable in this hugely entertaining debut Eighteenth-century Madras. The collection of kingdoms that will soon be India is in turmoil. The East India Company controls much of the north and has ambitions to take over the entire subcontinent. In the south, Haider Ali and his son Tipu Sultan furiously resist the advances of the British. In these desperate times, Ramaswami Aiyar, scion of the family which has for generations been the temple priests of an obscure little village near Kanchipuram, decides that the pious life is not for him and joins the police force. He soon discovers that the temple—and the family—he rejected protect the srichakra, the divine wheel given to man by Lord Shiva himself. The srichakra, symbol of Dharma on earth, is an instrument of tremendous power, with potential for great good or great evil, and both the British and Haider Ali want it. And even as Ramaswami finds himself cast as protector of the chakra, he understands the role of destiny in his life and the inevitability of fate. Seamlessly blending adventure, history and mythology, The Onus of Karma is a gripping, exhilarating read.