Recently, I was asked to conduct a workshop on exploring new perspectives in fantasy writing. As usual, I started by asking students what they’d read. All the usual names cropped up – Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, Dog Man …
We went on to discuss Indian fantasy, and the fact that publishers so often tell us that Indian fantasy doesn’t sell. What a blanket term that is – Indian fantasy! What is “Indian fantasy”? Can stories inspired by Hindu mythology be compared with those inspired by Greek or Roman mythology?
These conversations lead to other important ones – about all the crossovers between myth and fantasy, science fiction and fantasy … and, in the context of The Vaidyar’s School of Medicine and Magic, history and fantasy.
Kathir, the narrator and protagonist, believes that the Siddhars belong to folklore–until he is apprenticed to the Hill Vaidyar. What follows is an adventure that brings together history, lore, and magic. With Kathir and his fellow students–Nakulan, Atreya and Sundari–we step into a world where forests can enchant you, and your fate is written on the walls of a cave.
What made The Vaidyar’s School of Medicine and Magic work for me is Kathir’s own scepticism. Fumbling and stumbling along, Kathir, Nakul and Atreya find out how much they do not know, even as they get trapped in one man’s hunger for power.
This middle-grade work of fantasy weaves together timeless tropes of sacrifice and finding courage within yourself. With Kathir, we experience confusion and fear, even as we are swept into a world that reveals without explaining.
Why does something happen?
We have no idea.
How do we deal with it?
That, really, is the question.
While the idea of fulfilling your destiny–one that is already written out for you–didn’t entirely work for me, I did enjoy the pace and sense of urgency. The Vaidyar’s School of Medicine and Magic forces us to suspend disbelief and step into a whirlwind of adventure, anticipation and mystery.
| Title | The Vaidyar’s School of Medicine and Magic |
| Author | Gayathri Ponvannan |
| Tags | Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade |
| Ages | 10+ |
| Rating (out of 5) | 4 |
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