The Shiva Trilogy
#2894.06 in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 3 books Status Complete 2010–2013 Reading commitment Medium Amish Tripathi Last reviewed 2026-08-26
Overview
The Shiva Trilogy reimagines the Hindu deity Shiva as a mortal tribal chieftain in a richly reconstructed ancient India, who is gradually recognised by the people of Meluha as the prophesied hero, the Neelkanth, who will save them from their enemies, the Nagas, after his throat turns blue from drinking the ritual drink Somras. The trilogy, set across the fictionalized kingdoms of Meluha and Swadweep, blends mythology, political intrigue and an extended mystery about who the Nagas really are and why they are feared, while reimagining Hindu myth as reconstructed history. Published between 2010 and 2013 by Amish Tripathi, it became one of the best-selling Indian fiction series of its decade: the completed trilogy was reported in 2013 as the fastest-selling book series in the history of Indian publishing, with 2.5 million copies sold.
Mythic fantasy, Epic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (3 works) counts toward ranking
The Shiva Trilogy Amish Tripathi
| Work | Year | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Immortals of Meluha | 2010 | core | 4.14 (129,436 ratings) |
 | The Secret of the Nagas | 2011 | core | 4.11 (95,184 ratings) |
 | The Oath of the Vayuputras | 2013 | core | 3.85 (74,005 ratings) |
A completed trilogy.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Shiva Trilogy? The Shiva Trilogy's Core Canon is 3 books.
- What is the reading order for The Shiva Trilogy? Publication order, starting with The Immortals of Meluha. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is The Shiva Trilogy finished? Complete (2010–2013).
- How much reading does The Shiva Trilogy take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 3 Core Canon books · ~989 pages).
- How is The Shiva Trilogy ranked? #289 in this site's official ranking, based on 298,625 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #289?
Ranked #289 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.06 across 3 core books.
- Backed by 299k reader ratings.
- 0.01 behind #288, The Wounded Kingdom.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Well rated · 3 books · Complete · 299k ratings · Ranks #289 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length mythic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (3 Core Canon books)
- The Immortals of Meluha (2010)
- The Secret of the Nagas (2011)
- The Oath of the Vayuputras (2013)
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.06 across 298,625 ratings on 3 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Admit The Shiva Trilogy (Amish Tripathi) accepted 2026-08-26
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-26
Rule: Core Canon is all three novels of the completed trilogy.