Book Review: Maya: Seed Takes Root by Anand Gandhi & Zain Memon (audiobook narrated by Hugo Weaving)


5/5 stars. Hugo Weaving is the narrator of this audiobook, which releases on Aug 25 2026, and does an absolutely fantastic job with the voices and depicting the action throughout the tale, as one would expect from such a talented actor. In all honesty, I was unsure about this story at first, particularly if I would mesh with it as a reader/listener. I remember it being immensely popular on Kickstarter a few months ago and debated with myself at the time whether to back it or not. I decided not to back the Kickstarter, but regret that decision now. After listening to this first installment, I am excited to see more of these novels published and I look forward to continuing the story. I have no doubt the physical copy is beautiful!

This fantasy story uses some traditional tropes, but the fresh setting for the story expands the narrative in beautiful ways. The novel has vibes of the world building from James Cameron’s Avatar series without the conflict between cultures. This story does have a conflict between godlike beings (Divyas) controlling the world and humans, with the humans acting as puppets for the gods, simply fulfilling their assigned tasks and roles given to them by the Divyas. Characters like Kshar, Yachay, Daddu, Ayn, Tarkash, and so many others fill this story with unique perspectives and creative species. I absolutely loved learning about the pasts of these characters, what drives each of them in their journeys, and how they interact with one another.

I highly recommend this novel if you like unique world building, beautiful descriptions, a quick-paced story, and fantastic characters! Plus, Hugo Weaving on audiobook!! #NetGalley #MayaSeedTakesRoot

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