Book Review : Alchemist of the East by Aporva Kala

Book- Alchemist of the East “A timeless tale of love and adventure”

Author- Aporva Kala

Genre- Fiction

Publisher- Musk Deer Publishing

Blurb-

Sushyo’s life is completely changed after the demise of his mother, whom he loved above all. But then it felt that somehow things were destined that way.

Sushyo a toy maker is on a thrilling journey, where he finds immense talents residing in him. He finds a whole new world in different forms.

But there is a need for complete realization of peace, duty and love. What lies ahead? How things will become hard for him? Where he is headed and where he ends his quest?

Title-

The title is an important part of the novel and the mainframe always suits the title. So it’s an apt one and no substitute works here for it. It gives a one way direction to the readers and the weight of the name can make people curious for the story.

Cover-

The cover is equally magnificent as the title. It shows rage and blood. It shows the correct proportions of story, in a balanced way. The contrast is perfect and so are the two figures, a knight and a horse. What better combination could have been drawn for the front?

Characters-

Oh there are so many characters in the novel that one really thinks of an epic saga, told in a fewer pages. Every stage that the main lead crosses has new faces. Some people are with him and some are against him. That’s what needed, isn’t it? The best part of the novel is the end. And that is the phase where the characters are explained with much vigour and responsibility.

No character is confused and thus everything remains clear.
The best part were the hidden characters. The way everything opens up and the reality comes in front is really chilling. There was no such person whose importance was exaggerated or lowered.
Out of all, Sushyo, Yatrayamini, Queen Kassandrra were penned the best. Especially the queen, she was the real mixture of two sides of coins.

Narration-

The third person narration was well suited for this book. There were so many turns that anything else wouldn’t have produced desired output. On one hand, when the shifts in scene are sudden, the narration didn’t help much to enhance the story. And on the other hand, when the story was going down, it was the description, images and conversation that did wonders in making things so wonderful.

When an author is showing a battlefield, where there is not much conversation, the real test is carried. And this is what this book excelled in. The war that happened between people was one great masterpiece.

Reviews-

The story starts at an unusual turn. Such grief of loneliness in the life of Sushyo is quite sad. The venture is on the toes and thus he pops up in the middle of some boat-men. The way the descriptions are given seems highly complex. What one needs to interpret is really hard. But that didn’t stay for long.

As soon as the setting change, the whole face of novel gets delightful. The introduction of Yatrayamini and Guru Kalarth marks excitement. There are some instances where the author has penned such beautiful lessons that one gets carried off. The meaning of sentences is very deep. Yatrayamini is a really interesting character in the novel. She has so much to do and so much to say that every hint of her tells something new about her. She is the one who catches attention the most just because she has so much to deliver.

Story moves ahead and when Sushyo understands that what his worth is, he starts getting excited about everything new he learns. It’s such a nice part of novel, teaching the reader that when one has certain responsibilities, he/she needs to notice the minute details to carry on with the work they are assigned, because the best teachers for us can be us. There comes a time when Sushyo has to answer some questions and if one reads it carefully then they can be of great use. The author has used all his experience from life to tell the readers things which are so easy yet not so general.

Battlefield is always bloody but sometimes it teaches a lot more then required. Sushyo and Yatrayamini are together in the whole battle. There comes a time when Sushyo is bleak. It's then when the lady guides him. The whole scene was very alluring. It was so alike the tale of Mahabharata where Arjun is getting lessons from Sri Krishna. Yatrayamini is a figure of strength and virtue. Everything she says to Sushyo makes sense and it has helped Sushyo to come out of trouble.

The final knockdown is breathtaking just like the previous chapter. There are just ten pages left and the results are still due. The blood is boiling and at the same time mind is praying for a happy end.

Alchemist of the east did wonders in explaining the truths about life. It helps in understanding ones value. It explains the role of destiny and it makes the faith on God stronger than ever. The book was a nice treat and a different plot added cherry on the top.

Eye-catchers-

· “It is important to be in tune with the happiness within.”

· “You all have learnt to laugh at your misery, my friends, that is the first step towards repairing anything.”

· “Thinking doesn’t take anyone anywhere. Action does”

· “If we are to work with people, we should be good listeners.”

· “...love is the soul and hence Immortal.”

Turn-on’s-

The ending chapters were the saviour of the book. There were some places in the book that can stay back in your memory forever. The best one's- the Vimaan, the appearance of Shivling and the epic battle between the two armies. They had real passion hidden in them.

It happens very less that the story teaches.

Turn-off’s-

There were some editing errors in the book. And the major flaw was in such confusing starting. The story often switches in between and so many details might sound irrational. But that just happens in the start.

Recommendation-

Need a different story to read? Alchemist of the East can be your answer.

Connect with the author-

· aporvakala@ymail.com

· Twitter handle- @aporvakala1