Picking up right where Volume 1 left us hanging, 'The Curse of Kehama, Volume 2' launches us into the heart of the conflict. The tyrant Kehama, having murdered his way to earthly power, now sets his sights on the heavens. His goal? To become the supreme ruler of gods and men. Armed with terrible curses and an unshakeable ego, he challenges the very fabric of the universe.

The Story

Our guides through this chaos are Ladurlad and his daughter Kailyal. Ladurlad is cursed with immortality but also with an eternal, burning agony. Kailyal is pursued by Kehama's cruel son. Their journey is one of desperate survival and quiet resistance. They're not classic warriors; their power lies in their endurance and their bond. As Kehama's ambition spirals, forcing confrontations with divine beings like the majestic goddess Seeva and other celestial powers, Ladurlad and Kailyal find themselves at the center of a metaphysical war. The plot follows this colossal clash of wills: the infinite pride of a mortal king against the ancient laws of the cosmos.

Why You Should Read It

This isn't a fast-paced modern fantasy. It's a slow burn, a grandiose poem that demands your attention. The real magic isn't just in the curses and divine battles, but in Southey's creation of Kehama himself. He's a fascinating villain—not mustache-twirling evil, but cold, logical, and utterly convinced of his own right to dominate everything. His downfall becomes a compelling study of hubris. Meanwhile, Kailyal's quiet strength and Ladurlad's suffering make the human cost of this cosmic struggle painfully real. Reading it feels like uncovering a lost epic.

Final Verdict

This book is perfect for readers who love to get lost in a deep, imaginative world. If you enjoy the epic scope of Milton's Paradise Lost or the mythological richness of older stories, and you don't mind the formal language of early 19th-century poetry, you'll find a treasure here. It's a challenging but rewarding ride for patient readers who appreciate themes of tyranny, resistance, and the idea that some forms of power—like love and sacrifice—operate on a different, deeper level than force alone.