A JOURNEY TO THE HEART OF KUMARI: BLOODLINES & BETRAYALS
by K.A. Nayampalli
In Nayampalli’s YA novel, the second in a trilogy, family members struggle to trust their allies as they search for a sacred artifact.
Sixteen-year-old Harrison Sharma, his parents, his grandparents, and his younger brothers have traveled to Nepal for vacation, soon learning that Harrison is the prophesied Seeker of a red diamond (the Heart of Kumari) that maintains the world’s balance. All the Sharmas are now on the hunt, with help from local twin brothers Raju and Siddharth. Based on a previously discovered clue, they plan to explore a particular “bat cave” and check in at a nearby hotel. But can the Sharmas trust the brothers? Raju and Siddharth belong to a centuries-old guild whose purpose is to guard the Heart, but the guild has slowly been corrupted. The brothers undoubtedly have their own agenda and have been withholding pertinent info from the Sharmas. Meanwhile, Harrison and his family unearth more clues and scour various places (not just that cave) in their search for the ancient relic. Nayampalli’s sophomore installment gives this YA trilogy a boost of energy, opening with the hunt already underway. Suspense drives the narrative: The Sharmas spot strangers watching them, become increasingly wary of the brothers, and go on a late-night trek through a dark tunnel. Assorted cryptic clues can sometimes be disorienting, even to the cast; Sophie remembers seeing a picture of the Kumari Talisman but isn’t sure in which book (among at least four) it appeared. Harrison and his family grow even more focused in the novel’s latter half as they decipher riddles and make headway in their quest. Once again, the Nepali backdrop shines as the author provides glimpses of the country’s landscape and culture while weaving its history into the plot: “The hull, cutting through [Phewa Lake’s] still waters, created ripples that shimmered with the mirrored reflections of the majestic foothills.”
A vibrant real-world setting and an unwavering pace enliven this diverting adventure.