Arti Chavan.
After spending over two decades building a successful career in Silicon Valley with global companies including Meta, Microsoft, Amazon and HP, author Arti Chavan has turned to fiction with her debut historical adventure novel, Shadow of the Serpent Fort.
Set in 324 BCE, shortly after Alexander the Great's departure from India, the novel explores a lesser-known chapter of Indian history through an original story of political intrigue, adventure and mystery.
The book was recently unveiled at Title Waves, Bandra, in the presence of actor Shanthi Priya as Chief Guest and internationally acclaimed dancer and choreographer Sandip Soparrkar as Guest of Honour. Both praised the novel for bringing an overlooked period of Indian history to contemporary readers.
The story follows Malhar, a young warrior forced into exile after a conspiracy threatens the kingdom's widowed queen and her infant heir. His journey leads him to the mysterious Serpent Fort, where hidden secrets, ancient legends and dangerous truths could alter the fate of an entire kingdom.
Blending sword fights, espionage, political drama, forbidden love and supernatural elements, Shadow of the Serpent Fort is the first title in Chavan's Forgotten Kingdoms of India series.
Speaking about the book, Chavan said, "I wanted to write the kind of adventure that keeps readers hooked while introducing them to a fascinating period of Indian history that has rarely been explored in popular fiction."
Inspired by years of research into India's political landscape following Alexander's invasion, the novel shifts the spotlight from well-known empires to the smaller kingdoms that played a significant role in shaping the subcontinent but have largely disappeared from mainstream historical narratives.
Shadow of the Serpent Fort is now available at leading bookstores across India as well as on Amazon India and Flipkart.
