First Flood: Ponniyin Selvan 1 (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780670099924)

As the emperor of the Chozha kingdom, Sundara Chozha, lies unwell in Tanjavur fort, a sinister plot is being hatched--a plot to wrest the throne from Crown Prince Aditta Karikalan. Senior minister Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar is powerful and could well succeed in his plan to seat Madhurantakan, son of Sundara Chozha's elder brother, on the throne, after Sundara Chozha's death.
Aware of the rumblings, Aditta Karikalan entrusts his confidant Vallavaraiyan Vandiyatevan to deliver a message to the emperor and his beloved sister Kundavai Devi. Will the intrepid Vandiyatevan succeed? Or will he fall victim to the machinations? What role does the elder Pazhuvettaiyar's wife have to play in all this? Will Kundavai Devi be able to protect her brothers' interests?
Delving into politics, betrayal, desires and ambition in tenth-century Tamil Nadu, Ponniyin Selvan is Kalki's magnum opus, a gripping tale that has remained popular and beloved for decades. Beautifully translated by Gowri Ramnarayan, Kalki's granddaughter, Fresh Floods is the first in a series that is unputdownable.