Sons of Darkness

A thousand years ago, a Muchuk Und made a pact: he would help Thorin, king of Daevas, defeat his sworn enemies in exchange for access to powerful magic. However, despite enduring ten years of grueling battles to hold up his end of the deal, Muchuk Und was betrayed.

In the present day, a varied cast of characters from all walks of life—Krishna, the farmer-turned- senator; Mati, the ex-pirate trying to do right by her future husband; Shishupal, the former royal ward who just wants to have a normal life; and more—converge in a desperate struggle over a small but valuable kingdom. Ancient elementals, haggard scholars, and warrior woodsmen all lend their talents to different sides of this of this battle, each with their own dreams, goals, and severely tested morals.

. . . and what actually happened to Muchuk Und, anyway?

The Mahabharata
Sons of Darkness is an epic fantasy retelling of the Mahabharata, a major epic central to Hinduism. The Mahabharata is one of the longest narrative works of all time, and is considered by many scholars to be the longest epic poem ever written.

The story of the Mahabharata primarily focuses on the war of succession between two sets of cousins: the Kauravas and the Pandavas. The Pandavas are five brothers who travel primarily with their mother and their collective wife; the Kauravas are a group of one hundred sons who live a more conventional princely life. The Pandavas are nominally the sons of one man named Pandu, but they were each fathered by different gods. Meanwhile, the Kauravas all share the same father: Pandu’s older brother, Dhritarashtra, who took the throne only after the younger Pandu abdicated.

The Mahabharata is full of conflicting alliances and betrayals, epic friendships and failures, philosophical discussions, gods, marriages, miscommunications, and massacres. It has been told and retold (and translated and retranslated) time and time again, and has as many variations as any historical epic.

As you read Sons of Darkness, think about how it has been influenced not only by modern fantasy, but also by the rich history in and around this incredible epic.

This discussion guide was shared and sponsored in partnership with Bloomsbury Publishing.

Book club questions for Sons of Darkness by Gourav Mohanty

Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.

The world of Sons of Darkness is wide, with many nations and cultures. What are some key differences between the major nations in the book?

The arguably most pivotal nation is the nation-city of Mathura. What are your first impressions of Mathura? Is everything in Mathura as it seems?

Sons of Darkness is a story full of multifaceted characters, each of whom have their own virtues and flaws. For example, Krishna promotes an egalitarian society and recognizes skills in even the lowliest of his peers, but he can also be self-serving and dishonest. On the other hand, Shakuni is willingly cruel, but in service of a rigid set of goals. Do you think there are any “good guys” in the story? If so, who? If not, why?

In the original Mahabharata, Dhritarashtra is originally passed over for rulership due to his blindness—it’s against the rules of his nation to have a disabled king.

a. What forms of disability appear throughout the Sons of Darkness?

b. How do these disabilities shape the characters’ lives?

Talk about Masha’s role in the narrative as both a character and a storytelling device. What purpose do Masha’s Auguries serve?

Bhanumati (Mati) isn’t a prominent character in the original Mahabharata—she isn’t even named in the oldest recorded version of the epic!

a. What does including her perspective add to the narrative?

b. How might our take on the story change if Duryodhana was a perspective character instead of her?

Nala changes a lot over the course of the book. Talk about these changes, from both the reader’s perspective (or how the reader sees the character) and Nala’s own perspective. Are these changes for better or for worse?

There are several women who shape the story in Sons of Darkness, as both perspective characters and supporting characters (e.g. Asha, Satyabhama, Mati, Lady Rasha, Draupadi, the Silver Wolves . . .). How does the narrative treat women who adopt what we might think of as “masculine” roles? What about those who strive toward “feminine” roles?

Many of the characters in Sons of Darkness (for example, Krishna and Parshuram) are based on Hindu gods. How are these characters portrayed? How are they different from characters who aren’t based on gods?

Author Gourav Mohanty openly cites George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series as inspiration for Sons of Darkness. If you’ve read or watched Game of Thrones, talk about the similarities between the two stories. Where do you see Game of Thrones’s influence in Sons of Darkness? What’s brand new?

The Mahabharata is one of the longest stories of all time, at over 200,000 verses and 1.8 million words total. With that in mind, do you find the ending of Sons of Darkness satisfying? What do you think will happen next?

Sons of Darkness Book Club Questions PDF

Click here for a printable PDF of the Sons of Darkness discussion questions

“Through humour, torture, gore, lust, magic, dangerous power games and bloodcurdling battles, Sons of Darkness takes us on an unforgettable wild journey set in re-imagined Vedic India.” —SF BOOK REVIEW

“Remarkable characterization and vivid worldbuilding bolster this riveting epic fantasy.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The sprawling scope of the epics with all the brutal and bleak nature of your favorite grimdarks. Complex geopolitical drama, strife, and military battles to rival the greats of the genre and will have you sitting by the seat of your pants. You're going to want to read this dark South Asian fantasy infused to the brim with Mahabharata and Malazan's DNA.” —R.R. Virdi

“In vivid prose, Mohanty combines ghastly tortures, sly political machinations, throbbing romance, and eerie religious and social rites into a demanding but rewarding epic and sets the stage for even more gasps in a coming sequel. This is an impressive feat” —Publishers Weekly

“Sons of Darkness is outstanding. Brutal, lyrical and imaginative, it is an inspired mix of mythology and grimdark fantasy that I just couldn't put down.” —Shauna Lawless

“An incredible debut that showcases the darkness of human hearts but also the heroic nature that resides within... easily one of the best epic fantasy debuts of the last decade & more” —Fantasy Book Critic

“Like Game of Thrones in an Indian alternative universe, Sons Of Darkness is an exhilarating, imaginative, genre-busting mash-up of high fantasy, timeless myth and ancient history, which heralds the arrival of a special new talent and a gripping new series in historical fantasy.” —Dan Jones

“The author's vision, and the world he has created is breathtaking and fascinating. The Indian Fantasy Fiction genre finally comes of age with this book.” —Anand Neelakantan, bestselling author of Asura and The Bahubali Series

“A stunning debut. Gourav Mohanty is the new voice of dark fantasy” —Michael R. Fletcher

“With bold and gut-wrenching twists, Gourav Mohanty fuses passion for gritty modern fantasy with the greatest epic ever told, delivering a fresh and page-turning spin on the Mahabharata. This is a series to watch!” —Philip Chase

“Mahabharata imbued with A Song of Ice and Fire, The First Law, & Malazan Book of the Fallen, Sons of Darkness is the best fantasy debut of 2022. The unbreached bastion for grimdark fantasy literature in India has been breached with Mohanty as the lead, and nothing can stop the novel from encompassing the entire world now.” —Novel Notions

“Sons of Darkness contains all the trappings of a high adventure. The saga is perfect for fans of Game of Thrones” —Midwest Book Review

“A wild, intriguing work of fantasy that will keep you glued from the beginning till the end.” —Online Book Club

“Sons of Darkness smashes open the fountain of originality, spilling insidious plot, incredible characters, and grim violence. I loved this book.” —Fanfi Addict

“Vast and sweeping in scale, even while it is attentive to the minutia of its characters motivations and inner lives, Sons of Darkness is a fresh new, grimdark fantasy built on old bones and perfect for those who love their stories epic and their worlds unique!” —Reedsy

“Nothing says summer like reading about a bunch of morally dubious people literally stabbing each other in the back!” —Winter is Coming

“House of Dragons meets Succession” —The Debut Digest

“A totally brilliant novel by a new force in historical fantasy… a saga of magic, deadly politics, war and outrageous ambition, superbly written. This is historical fantasy at its very best” —Historical Novel Review