Book Review — Saroh: The Rise

Book: Saroh: The Rise

Author: Mani Kumar R
Publisher: Self-Published (2026)

Genre: Dark Animal Epic
Total Pages: 624

This incredibly remarkable title, “Saroh – The Rise” by author Mani Kumar R is a fierce and unflinching dark animal epic that strips the idea of heroism down to its rawest instincts and rebuilds it through blood, ambition, and loss. Set against the unforgiving vastness of the Serengeti, the novel does not romanticise the animal kingdom; instead, it presents it as a brutal arena where legacy is inherited, power is enforced, and survival demands sacrifice. From its opening moments, the book establishes a somber, heavy atmosphere in which rule is maintained not by affection but by fear and order, and where the crown weighs heavily on both the king who wears it and the heir who must one day claim it.  

At the heart of the narrative stands Ragnar, a formidable lion king whose reign is defined by strength, discipline, and an unyielding belief in hierarchy. He is respected, feared, and unquestioned—but also emotionally distant, a ruler who understands authority better than tenderness. His son Saroh is born into this rigid world as a symbol of continuity, yet never as a child allowed to be vulnerable. Raised beneath crushing expectations and relentless discipline, Saroh’s emotional isolation becomes the novel’s quiet tragedy long before it turns into open violence. The author masterfully shows how neglect, when disguised as preparation, can rot the soul. Saroh’s distance from compassion and kinship is not sudden; it is cultivated, shaped by a world that values dominance over empathy.   

When tragedy fractures the pride, the story pivots from simmering tension to irreversible consequence. Saroh’s suppressed cruelty and obsession with power surface in full force, exposing the danger he poses not just to rivals, but to his own blood. Ragnar’s decision to exile his son is one of the most emotionally devastating moments in the novel, precisely because it is rooted in duty rather than hatred. This act transforms “Saroh – The Rise” from a story of inheritance into one of exile and becoming. The rogue lands Saroh is cast into are merciless, populated by outcast lions and hyenas who respect only fear and brutality. Here, Saroh does not soften, rather he sharpens. He learns that violence commands loyalty faster than honour ever could, and that chaos can be moulded into power.  

As Saroh rises among rogues and predators, the novel evolves into a chilling study of how resentment can fuel empire-building. His leadership is not built on unity, but on intimidation, and his charisma is laced with destruction. Mani Kumar R excels in portraying Saroh not as a one-dimensional villain, but as a product of his upbringing and choices — a character whose ambition feels inevitable yet horrifying. The Serengeti, once a symbol of home and heritage, becomes Saroh’s target, turning the land itself into a battlefield scarred by old wounds and new bloodshed. The gathering of rogue lions and hyenas under his banner signals the collapse of balance, where order and savagery collide. 

The inevitable confrontation between father and son is handled with devastating restraint and intensity. Their clash is not merely physical; it is ideological — a final reckoning between the order and the unchecked ambition, between legacy preserved and legacy corrupted. The fall of Ragnar marks more than the death of a king; it signifies the end of an era and the triumph of a darker, more merciless rule. The climax leaves the reader unsettled, not triumphant, reinforcing the novel’s central truth: power gained through fear devours everything, including the meaning it once sought to protect.

Ultimately, “Saroh – The Rise” is a tragic, haunting exploration of how the pursuit of dominance can transform inheritance into ruin. Interestingly, author Mani Kumar R crafts a gripping animal saga that resonates deeply with the human flaws — parental failure, emotional neglect, ambition, and the cost of leadership. Rich in atmosphere, morally complex, and unafraid of bleak outcomes, the book stands as a powerful entry in dark animal fantasy. It does not ask readers to choose sides; it asks them to witness how easily greatness can curdle into monstrosity when compassion is stripped from power. This is not a tale of redemption — it is a warning, written in claw marks and blood, about the price of becoming king at any cost.

Book's Link: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0GJZDSTY2