Book Review : The Shadow of the Dark Soul by Sukhmani Gandhi

Book- The Shadow of the Dark Soul

Author- Sukhmani Gandhi

Genre- Fiction

Publisher- Cypher Publishers

Blurb-

Zayesha is moved by the current hot topic of Nirbhaya case. Being a journalist she is on her toes to submit her research. Despite of all the efforts, she can’t set her mind. Things doesn’t seem right to her. The profession she is in makes her feel responsible towards everything, which she is going to present.

What reference does shadow of dark soul has? How does it relate to Zayesha’s life? Will she be able to see beyond the natural wavelength?

Title-

You don’t need to over-think after seeing the title. You won’t get any hints that as to what it relates to. It is an apt title without any second options. An intelligent one to relate some images beyond.

Characters-

We have balanced characters, without any extra spice. The story revolves around Zayesha. There are some supporting characters that move around her. The main lead gets to reveal all the information. And it doesn’t seem bad or conflicting.

Narration-

Zayesha do all the honours of narration. It is not that gripping. It seems the fluency loses control after a certain point of time and it’s just the story which holds things intact. There is no breakpoint anywhere, making it a smooth ride.

Review-

Sukhmani Gandhi has stood beyond the present race tracks. There are not much writers who break their egg and shine with freshness. The shadow of the dark soul has something very vivid to say. The story starts with the very famous Nirbhaya case. Zayesha is in-charge and there is where the things start evolving.

She researches and her mind conflict between the right and the wrong.
The love story gives you a break from all the heavy things. The care Armaan has for his love, the way they respect each other. Everything is very casual yet scintillates your mind, with its preciseness and compactness.

The message of Nirbhaya is not all the story has. The vision is way beyond. Zayesha gets a shake after interacting with the real life survivors. Seeing and experiencing are two different things. And that’s what helped Zayesha to know what it really meant. The book surprises you at every corner. It is not any other feminised blabbering tale. It has more delicacies from different fragile bubbles, made up by the society.

Everything wraps up in the Epilogue. Zayesha gets what she desires in some other form. The whole motive of the book is achieved, that change is within. You need to be fearless to accept what you are ignoring with opened eyes.

Eye-catchers-

· “It's not that there is a need of women like me. Actually we don’t need men like them.”

· “Despite years of growing up, love could make one a child.”

· “...the shadow of the dark soul is one that scares you of your own existence.”

· “I could see change when I saw my daughter.”

Turn-on’s-

The book itself is a big turn on. Everything in the book touches you. Let it be the story, or the characters. The story is new and refreshing. There are lot of places where you could miss a beat. The best part is the Epilogue. Who could have thought that the main cause of trouble for Zayesha, would give her such a strong feeling of completeness. Very well thought.

Turn-off’s-

There are a lot of errors in the book, which hinder the reading from time to time. The start of the book is also very lengthy. Its omission wouldn't have spoiled anything much. 

Recommendation-

This book is meant for every gender. It is a must read for all those who care for the deteriorating environment.