A Drop of Venom by Sajni Patel tells the story of Manisha and Pratyush. Manisha, forced to separate from her family years ago, lives as a revered temple priestess on the floating mountains. Unable to trust anyone, she must hide her past and wait for the day she might be reunited with her family. Pratyush is a slayer, the last of his kind, and his only purpose is to kill monsters. After years of servitude to the King, Pratyush wants to retire and live a peaceful life. Perhaps start a family—with Manisha. But when Manisha is sexually assaulted and pushed into a pit of vipers, she emerges with newfound powers that allow her to protect the vulnerable and fight injustice against women. Once Pratyush is sent to kill this dangerous monster, both he and Manisha must ponder the question: "What does it truly mean to be a monster?"
I had high hopes for this book. The story of Medusa in Greek mythology is so nuanced, and I love seeing interpretations of Medusa as the victim instead of the villain. Weaving her story into a world full of Indian folklore is exciting and original, and I was very interested to see how it would work together. While I did have some issues with the book, none of it concerns the mythology. All of that was brilliant. My concerns were more with the characters and the writing itself.
Firstly, the book alternates between Manisha and Pratyush's POVs. Pratyush's story occurs in the present day, while Manisha's starts a year in the past and slowly works up to the present. I expected their stories to come together much sooner—while they do interact in Manisha's chapters plenty, she doesn't meet Pratysuh in the present day until the last quarter of the book. I kept waiting for her story to catch up, too focused on wondering when it would happen to appreciate the story more.
I also had a hard time grasping Pratyush's character. At times, he was a seasoned, no-nonsense soldier, but he was also a teenage boy joking around with his friends. The two personalities can coexist when executed properly, but it felt like I could see the seams where Patel tried to put them together. Every chapter of his felt off to me, so it was hard to sink into the story and enjoy it. Part of the issue is that Pratyush's narration and dialogue sometimes felt too modern for the setting. The book takes place in a mythical world with monsters, primitive weapons, and straw-and-mud huts, but Pratyush said things like, "Do what you want, my man, since apparently soldiers deserve whatever they desire. So, yeah, have at it, I guess" (99) and "What in the actual hell!" (344)
Lastly, I thought the world-building was a little scarce at times. The world's mythology was sprawling and unique, but the actual world and its systems were vague enough to belong to any fantasy novel. The King is never given a name, and neither is his kingdom. It isn't entirely clear what religion Manisha serves as a priestess on the floating mountains or what the people believe.
All of that being said, the story itself was good. Manisha learns to protect and stand up for herself, and Pratyush questions all he's been used for and how he wants to live his life. Their adventures along the way give meaning to their discoveries and arcs, and it's satisfying to see how they come together in the end.
I rate A Drop of Venom by Sajni Patel 3/5 stars. Despite my issues, it was a good read. Mythology fans will enjoy this book.
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