This is a brilliant start to the four-part historic novel on the life and times of Ashoka the great. This first part ‘Elavenil’ starts with sixteen year old Ashoka travelling to northwest frontier with his brother Charudatta to quell the political unrest. The fast tempo of the novel set in the initial chapters is never lost till the end. Sticking to the known historic facts and adding fiction seamlessly around it is not an easy job. Author Siddarthan has done a commendable job intertwining suspense, humour and love around known historic facts and historic characters. This book is both a great fiction and an authentic record of historic events 2300 year ago.