Book Review: The Alpha Yeti by Sum

Book: The Alpha Yeti

Author: Sum

Publisher: Authorhouse UK

Genre: Fiction/Fantasy/Folklore

Blurb:

Every tribal land has its own tribulations and the Kasis were way beyond any hope or help, for what they were undergoing was terrifyingly unspeakable. It wasnt any myth or taboo. This one was true. The One God was as real as the White Giants. But, all the suffering and trepidation came from the impossibly aggressive Grey Giants. They were a deformity: a fallen imprecation on the Kasis. Somehow, a sensible Bhirendi, the elderly last of the Kasis, addresses the tragedy and rushes his people into the underground chambers of Ravaial before they are forced to face the wrath of the monstrosities that lately have begun to roll down from the White Mountain. With the situation only getting worse by the moment, the tribes hire a pack of ace hunters from the West. But, one of them freaks out and abducts the daughter of an estranged but once-upon-a-time famous hunter to only earn his ire. The hunters are drawn together into a strangely unwelcome land of doom with their fates sealed under the White Mountain. They soon realise that time is all they have left in the entire world when the Grey Giants begin their vicious play. SUM brings to you, The Alpha Yeti!

Review:

A thriller with a good narrative is always an enjoyable treat. The book is great in terms of execution, the pacing is good, the movement in the story is well done. For a book with such a great topic I thought the book was a bit short and the characters did nothing extra to adjoin in the greatness of the book.

The tale is intriguing from the very start and the same is maintained throughout, though it was a good and interesting read I found it hard to connect with it at times.

I love stories that has some different touch and this book certainly had one. The author did a great job in producing something to the readers at every twist and turn.

I felt the cover of the book could have been story driven, it says nothing to me and is not appealing.

Recommending this to all the book lovers who love fast paced books with edgy topics and narration. This is a sure shot weekend escapade.

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Book Review: Aashiqui by Callre

Book: Aashiqui -Where there is love, there is life...

Author: Callre

Publisher: Blue Rose Publishers

Genre: Fiction(Romance)

Blurb:

Rahul Bedi's college dreams include an education, meeting new friends and hopefully launching a successful music career. With the notes in his soul, he feels the rhythm in his rhymes and the beat of the instruments even when he closes his eyes. When he meets Sia Lennox, her voice and her form inspire that music and shine through every interaction they have. There is something about her that pulls him and calls to him... an underlying feeling that maybe she is the one who will complete him and be the partner he need. However, sorority princess Priya walks and talks as if Rahul is already hers, a fact that seems surer by the day. While Sia is not exactly looking for a relationship, there is something about Rahul that makes her catch her breath - and ensures that a confrontation with Priya is inevitable.

Review:

This book I read after I finished a very hefty plot driven book and it really relaxed me a bit. The story is not anything unusual, but it has something to it which can’t be pointed out in general.

This is the story of two people who fall in love, but things are not that easy going for them. I read this book back in July, but I am still not sure how I felt about it. The main concern I had with the book is the length, the story had so much to say but things wrapped way too soon than needed.

The reader is getting connected to the characters and suddenly the ambience changes and characters are in a different reality. I felt a smooth realtionship was missing between the characters and the reader.

Also, I felt that the character of Priya was under done. She had a lot of potential as a character and the story could have been a little interesting, but the narration kept revolving around the struggles of the two main characters which really didn’t allow the book to breathe as much it needed to.

Keeping the comments short I would like to mention the fact that the book was enjoyable but not in a way an avid reader would want it to be. I enjoyed it at some point when the story was going somewhere but every time I saw a peak the downhill was not far.

The book can be a good pick for those who love reading contemporaries which light plot.

You can buy the book here:

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Book Review: Tarikshir- The Awakening by Khayaal Patel

Book: Tarikshir: The Awakening

Author: Khayaal Patel

Publisher: Westland

Genre: Fiction(Fantasy)

Blurb:

A small princely state in Rajasthan is the last bastion of resistance against the might of the British Empire. While unrest surrounding the sudden death of the king of Devangarh grows, young prince Rudra Pratap Chauhan prepares to ascend the throne.

But the kingdom is in turmoil. The Devangarh army is outnumbered and the British forces are closing in. To make matters worse, Rudra discovers the king’s death may not have been accidental after all. The strange appearance and disappearance of a mysterious hooded stranger and a series of ritualistic murders in which the bodies have been drained of blood, spread panic across the realm.

As Rudra struggles to manage his new responsibilities and investigate his father’s death, dark secrets will be uncovered that will disrupt life as he knows it.

Review:

Tarikshir: The awakening is an easy read but not an easy story to pen. It has elements of love, bravery, history and folklore. From the very start the story takes you on a ride which you want to and don’t want to end at the same time.

The story has various characters supernatural or otherwise which makes the story more gleeful and noteworthy. The characters have hidden traits and stories behind their existence which make the things more interesting.

Best thing about the book is that the pace of the story is well maintained by the author and all that he covered in the story seemed relevant and well thought of. Many a times in fantasy books things happen just for the sake of connectivity between two points but here things were drawn together keeping in mind the bigger picture.

All that I would have wanted to see in the book was a clearer and more refined picture of how the supernatural things worked. Things in the book happened in background and we get to know about them together in one go. If things could have unfolded at various points, I might have felt more connected and superbly engrossed in the tale.

I liked the end, but I thought the premise was much better than the outcome. I am surely looking forward to continuing this series and read all the author has left to be said.

About the author:

Khayaal Patel is working on newer stories set in Rudra’s exciting universe, and when he is not, you can find him reading comic books, watching movies, trying to figure out the secrets of the universe and indulging in his incredibly unheakthy addiction to anything chocolate. This is his first novel.

You can buy the book here:

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Book Review: Into the Great Heart by Kamla K. Kapur

Book: Into the Great Heart

Author: Kamla K. Kapur

Publisher: Jaico Publishing House

Blurb:

Legends and Adventures of Guru Angad the second Sikh Guru.

From the bestselling author of Classic Tales from Mystic India, The Singing Guru and Rumi: Tales to Live By, comes the second book in the Sikh saga series about Bhai Lehna’s journey from being Guru Nanak’s constant disciple to becoming Guru Angad (1504 – 1552), his successor and the second Sikh Guru.

Into the Great Heart carries forward and concludes the stories of Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana, his favourite minstrel, from the first volume of the Sikh saga, The Singing Guru. History, legend and fiction merge to populate this book with fascinating personalities from Sikh history. Pivotal to this narrative are forgotten female luminaries such as Guru Nanak’s wife, Mata Sulakhni, his sister, Bebe Nanaki, Bhai Lehna’s wife, Khivi and daughter Amro. Brought to the foreground, their wisdom and insights as they overcome obstacles to spiritual growth embody the basic tenets of Sikhism in everyday living. They enhance Guru Nanak and Bhai Lehna’s tale with their diverse approach to life.

Filled with captivating characters that enrich the tapestry of this compelling narrative, Into the Great Heart is a must-read for anyone who loves a rich story about human nature in its search for spiritual awareness.

Review:

It isn’t easy to write religion drawn books, they can create chaos and lack of clarity but this book succeeded in making the whole reading experience a beautiful one. The book not only tells about all the aspects of Sikh History, it also connects lots of dots in order to clear the bigger picture.

I thoroughly enjoyed the complete book. Being a little different from what we read generally the book take its time to get on your nerves, making you habitual of a different world, of a different reality.

The whole book had some points which being a Sikh child even I haven’t heard. I should give credit to the author for going deep in the subject and researching every nook and corner in order to present a book which can be really helpful to understand the culture and aura of that time.

The narration and language of the book helps a big time in getting to the core of the book.

This is a must read for all people who wants to go deep in the subject. I can’t wait to read the first book in the series now after reading this one.

The author has done a great job in doing what is not common and standing on top of the ladder.

About the author:

Kamla K Kapur’s previous books include Classic Tales from Mystic India and Pilgrimage to Paradise. She is also a poet (As a Fountain in a Garden, Radha Speaks), a short story writer and an award winning playwright. She and her husband, Payson R. Stevens, live half the year in the Kullu Valley in the Himalayas and the other half in Southern California, USA.

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Book Review : Rakshasas: The Shadow Warriors by Rajiv G. Menon

Book: Rakshasas: The Shadow Warriors

Author: Rajiv G. Menon

Publisher: Westland

Genre: FIction(Mythology)

Blurb:

Rise, o mighty Rakshasas! The time has come for us to give these warriors of Light a reason to fear the Dark.’

The world is in turmoil. Naraka and his formidable Asura war machine march unhindered across it bringing once great nations to their knees. They have now set their eyes on the ultimate prize — Bharata, the land of the seven rivers. Indra and his Devas struggle to contain this threat, even as they battle their own differences and the temptations of Swarga.

In Bharata, Jayanta, the son of Indra, is the new ruler. Even as he prepares for the Asura invasion, a potent threat is rising in the vast forests of Dandaka. Vidyutkesa — the only survivor of a genocide perpetrated by Jayanta — has journeyed into its heart and made contact with the Order of the Sarpa. An ancient and powerful secret society headed by Queen Manasa. With the blessings of Raksha, the Earth Spirit, the Sarpas transform Vidyutkesa and his companions into supernatural beings called Rakshasas. Their mission: to protect their land, forests, and way of life.

In this second installment of his Vedic Trilogy, Rajiv G. Menon weaves a rich and vibrant tapestry of the epic struggle between earth-worshipping feminine cultures that live in harmony with nature, and the patriarchal forces that seek to tame her.

Review:

Mythology interests me all the times, because it creates a deeper and more profound impact than any other cliché love story. This book held me captive for so long I couldn’t believe. Some books transport you into a different world in a mere few hundred pages.

I couldn’t click with the book easily to be honest because this is a second instalment of a series but I could connect with the words. The pace of the novel is fantastic and also the narration. The book seems to be both entertaining and giving you an edge on this journey.

I love novels where the anti-hero schema works, it gives you a break from all the usual things you hear or read about the particular time period or dynasty. A lot of different characters is always a treat.

The realistic approach and ground level topics that the author tried to touch really worked well in the bigger picture. There were no sugar coated things there was reality, there was violence, there was blood, there were schemes and everything came out beautifully.

There were many twists and turns some unexpected ones too that always keeps you on the edge of your seat and this made my reading experience even more ecstatic. There are also inside stories and explanations that work in between the whole fiasco. A lot is happening and it was not easy to grasp erverything at once.

This book is not easy to read, it needs time and patience because a lot is going on. It is not easy to digest all the battles and hidden aspects of things but at the end it seems totally worth it. It was definitely a one-time read for me.

I won’t recommend this book to people who reads to pass time, I won’t recommend this book to people who can’t handle wars and I also won’t recommend this book to those who can’t stand fantasy.

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Book Review: Mango People in Banana Republic by Vishak Shakti

Book: Mango people in Banana republic

Author: Vishak Shakti

Blurb:

Ravi Bhalerao is a top of the rung business strategy consultant struggling with two disquiets in life – a festering career disillusionment and a festering wound in his posterior. Stung by an unfair performance appraisal, he pulls off an outrageous stunt at his workplace, drops off the urban map and reaches his ancestral land, a village in drought-prone Vidarbha. There he encounters India in its elemental form. Convinced that his destiny is somehow entwined with that of his country, he sets off on a truth-seeking mission. On that mission, he finds love, revolution and most importantly, a redemption for the disquiet in his rear.

Anand is a former physicist on a spiritual quest through esoteric India. He realizes that the path to realization is beset on all sides by gurus, their cults and their boundless quirks. As he hops from one ashram to the other, he grows convinced that liberation does not come with a user manual in a neat little box.

Wrapped in light-hearted, almost tongue-in-cheek prose, 'Mango People In Banana Republic' is a tale of an Indian’s search for personal identity, against the backdrop of a country divided along fault lines of countless social identities. Teeming with a cast of characters and ideas that encapsulate modern India, the tale ascends from the gross to the sublime, much like the Kundalini powers some aspire to acquire. With a steady pace, and gentle mocking humour, this book is an absorbing read and a laugh.

Review:

There are not a lot of books which force you to think and think about what you just finished reading. This book was different. At first I thought this is going to be another suspense corporate book but it was much more and much beyond that.

I loved how different kind of genres came together in this book. There was madness, self-help, spiritualism and every other kind of transition a book can get in itself.

The main character was very nicely crafted, he can make many people see themselves in him. The frustration, the want to find the bigger meaning and the never ending fight from yourself. His viewpoint is really commendable. This made the book funny and sarcastic at various turns.

The rediscovering part in the book is my favourite. I got lost in it from time to time. The book is not an easy read. It needs your patience and time and that really pays off.

The writing was mediocre but the narration and execution of the book was good. The pace was easy going and flowy. It made the whole reading venture great.

I can recommend this book to anyone who love books which are genre-less.

About the author:

Vishak Shakti is a writer by compulsion. He writes to vent, to purge, to indulge, and sometimes just for the heck of it. He has written for publications such as MSN India, The Hindu, and Clean Bowled. He thinks that a good book has three essential ingredients – entertainment, artistry and relevance, in that order. 

Buy the book here

Book Review: The Bitter Pill Social Club by Rohan Dahiya

Book: The Bitter Pill Social Club

Author: Rohan Dahiya

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 314

Price: 399

Blurb:

Witness the private life of the world’s most beautiful animals.

You know exactly who they are. The ones who walk right past club lines, who get what they want before they ask for it. It’s a familiar cast: the centre of attention, the shameless flirt, the loudmouth, the narcissistic writer. You’ve seen them all. You’ve felt their Gucci-anointed aura. Laughing and dancing. Kissing the wrong people at the wrong time. Swaying to their own beat. Going out every night they’re sad. Finding solace in the crowd in a city paved with mildly good intentions and cocaine lines. A city of smooth talkers, armchair activists, and the rich brats of Instagram. A place to talk pop spirituality and purple prose in connoisseur-only jazz clubs.

The Bitter Pill Social Club takes a look at the lives of the Kochhar family, who find themselves drifting apart in the city of djinns, gins, and fake friends wrapped up in cigarette smoke. As one of their own gears up to tie the knot, three siblings come home to the neurotic parents who raised them. Meanwhile the parents face the family patriarch’s constant judgment. Divorce, disappointment, and disasters ensue as the entitled Kochhar brood dodges old lovers and marriage proposals.

Review:

This book can take you on a ride to a rich household where every life is tangled in the net so badly that it would need a lot of time and patience to solve the riddle. The book is centered around the life of Sana who goes through different phases of her life in the need to explore and find herself; while going through her life we enter the passageway to take a sneak peek into other people lives too, which are in no way less interesting.

I had a love-hate relationship with the book. I loved the transparency of the book but I didn’t like a lot of other things.

Talking about the transparency I think the author did a good job with it. I could taste every flavor of a rich lifestyle. Without taking the help of lot of brand names and expensive stuff, the author made it possible for the reader to dive in the right corners to experience the shimmery life of the characters. This was mainly a family saga where every life is on fire and every heart is in pain.

If I talk about other things then I found major drawbacks. As a reader I don’t want the book to put me in slump, this book did just that; why, well I think it was because of the execution of the story. There was no timeframe maintained or the sceneries differentiated. We shoot one basket in London and one in Tokyo. It was a mess at one point and it was crystal clear the other moment and in between these phases I lost the interest.

The story line was itself not very strong. I loved the idea of the book but the story was weak, it was bits and pieces of a puzzle but it never came together to achieve the grand result of completion.

Characters were good but not extraordinary. I couldn’t fall for anyone; maybe that was the motive of the author; maybe he needed to form such a chaos where you can’t focus on one person and their life. If that was his prime agenda then I think he was successful. I couldn’t love anyone but I liked everyone. Hassan, Asim, Kama, Geetu, Gayatri, I liked them the most. They had a lot to show us. I didn’t like Sana or Lakshman or Ankit or Surya or Dhiraj; they were annoying.

All in all, I enjoyed the book and I am sure I lay somewhere in the middle of liking and not liking this book. But I would recommend this book to those who needs some inside story of all the happens in the big mansions. It fits perfectly with the background of Delhi; something I could relate to.

Eye-Catchers:

·        “Do you want some uncle chips?” He beamed at her, “That’s the best thing anyone’s ever said to me in my life.”

·         “…memories echoing with the faded glamour of old photographs – some nights he’d open the heaviest photo albums.”

·         “She turned back to face the now cavernous foyer that in its silence had become the staying place of all her fears.”

You can buy the book here

Book Review: Pretty Vile Girl by Rickie Khosla

Book: Pretty Vile Girl

Author: Rickie Khosla

Pages: 448

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Blurb:

Everything she touched turned to gold, everything she said turned to scandal, everyone she wanted out of the way...died.

Beautiful, talented and wildly sexy, Jazmeen is Bollywood's most in-demand starlet, and in a relationship with to one of the country's most powerful politicians. Even though she's known for her outrageous candour in interviews, no one could guess at the dark secret she's carried for years. And no one will escape her vengeance, not even the prime minster.

Following her journey from her loving family to an orphanage run by a sadistic matron, from the fringes of the Mumbai underworld to the casting couches of Bollywood and beyond, Rickie Khosla crafts a racy, pacey and explosive debut about a woman who'll do anything to settle scores and get what she wants

Review:

Pretty Vile Girl is a normal story of stardom, love and betrayal. But normalcy is not that normal. The book shocks you with every turn of page, with every new character and surrounding that how grand this tour is going to be.

The narration of the book juggles between past and present which is a very common narrative style but works well with every genre and story. I loved how things progressed, one at a time, slowly yet at a good pace which can make a reader fly through the book.

At some places I felt the book drooled over, there was no need for such length. The whole idea and aspect was very much evident from few incidents, within the sphere of few people but bigger character sketch is like a big party, you get more options to choose your favorite from.

From all the characters I liked Jazmeen a lot. It has been after a very long time that I have liked the main character so much. She was a true picture of softness, fragility and a badass attitude. Her glory was magnified with every phase she crossed in her life and the author was very open minded while penning this character of his.

Apart from her I liked Jazmeen’s brother and all the men who came in the life of Jazmeen. They all were great, vivid and colourful.

What could have gone wrong with so much running in the book was the portrayal of everything at the right time; the author has truly laid out his true potential to the maximum height.

With such a good plot some flaws were there too, I found it a bit dragged at times, the language was easy, way too easy. There was no literary high point in the book which I could bookmark or wait for a second to grasp in.

Summing up- The book was a great read, a very smooth and fast one. I can recommend it to anyone who love mystery and good intertwined plots. Also if you like high profile stories this book can be your next pick.

About the author:

Rickie Khosla is a marketing executive and film buff who has recently moved to New Delhi from New York. This is his first novel.

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Book Review: 8 Hours by Upendra Namburi

Book: 8 Hours

Author: Upendra Namburi

Publisher: Westland Books

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 282

Blurb:

Aratrika Reddy, the charismatic CEO of ARYA Holdings Ltd., has just 8 Hours to save her company from certain bankruptcy.

The multi-billion dollar hotels to steel conglomerate, founded by her mercurial father, liquor baron Madhusudhan Reddy, has many suitors, all of them plotting a hostile takeover. Aratrika’s estranged husband, Siddhartha is one of them. His inside knowledge is the real ace up his sleeve. The Rathores, the Reddys’ arch-rivals are looking to buy ARYA too and thereby settle old scores.

Aratrika has to weave her way through a litany of lawyers, politicians, bankers, bureaucrats, investors, power brokers and her dreaded family. Behind the scenes, Jagannath Rao, her wily uncle, is playing a dangerous double game of manipulation. Her father Madhusudan is furiously pulling the strings from behind the scenes. To add to the confusion, overseeing the whole sale process is her old flame, Peter.

Over the course of a single night, 8 Hours to be precise, Aratrika must fight the demons at the gates of her company and those within. It’s a fight to the bitter end.

A fight that Aratrika does not want to lose…

Review:

Often times you come across a book which you carry everywhere. Because you need to know what happens next; 8 hours is one such beauty.

The story is of posh people, staying at a posh place and taking big; also doing big. It takes some time to get in the skin of the tale, it takes time to understand where all this is heading to but when you are into it there is no turning back.

If I talk in brief without giving any spoilers, the story is about a firm which needs some repairs in the next 8 hours and by repairs I mean some serious ones. How the tale twists and turns, who plot against whom and who come clean is worth seeing, it’s a glamorous show of power.

Characters were in abundance ranging from mere pawns to the real big showman’s. There were villains and villains, some bad for someone and some very bad for someone. I didn’t love any of them because not much was told about them, it was there story not there real selves which was projected. I liked Siddhartha, Aratrika, Aratrika’s father, Prince Said and some more people who come and go in jiffy.

Now I don’t like these characters for who they were but how much potential they had. They were always growing, showing something more, giving something extra to the book. It was a good parade of people

The plot was amazing. It was the one thing that held the book together, there were so many minute details so many pickup points that a great execution was must and the author was able to show the same. The placing of events around the 8 hours through which the story moves is commendable. I never missed a beat or felt off radar.

The environment of the book could have been better, the background setting too. I felt the story just started and ended, there could have been some bridging gaps. The little flashbacks were good but weren’t enough.

Externally too the book is appealing, the blurb, title, cover, font, quality, editing; everything was taken care off with precision.

There was no flaw in the writing but there was also no extra punch. There was a lack of something quirky, something edgy which could have helped the book to become unforgettable.

Summing up- The book was a great surprise, an extremely quick read and a page turner in true sense. It can be a great weekend escapade. There was but something off beat. The story started and finished. There was no spark. But all in all a good read. I can recommend it to those who are into suspense and thriller novels.

About the author:

A digital & marketing professional by day, an engineer & MBA by accident. Upendra is married and has a son. Upendra was first bitten by the writing bug when he was invited to write for one of India’s leading finance dailies. It soon turned into a love affair that turned him into an avid blogger and finally made him take the plunge into the unchartered waters of the Novel. Upendra now takes complex subjects like banking, consumer goods, mergers and acquisitions and turns them into nail-biting thrillers, making those dull and dreary numbers come alive. But he really hasn’t shifted his focus as such, for he still thinks of his books as numbers: 31, 60 and 8. 8 Hours is the third book in the Numbers series.

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Book Review: Prem Purana by Usha Narayanan

Book: Prem Purana- Mythological Love Stories

Author: Usha Narayanan

Genre: Fiction (Mythology)

Publisher: Penguin Books

Pages: 286

Blurb:

Stories of love and extraordinary devotion

No one is untouched by love, not even devas (gods) and asuras (demons), kings and nymphs. And when they face life’s unexpected tribulations, their love also undergoes trials. Read how Ganesha took myriad forms to please Riddhi, Siddhi and Buddhi, how Ravana shared an unbreakable bond with his true love, Mandodari and how Nal and Damayanti’s relationship was tested till nothing remained.

Tormented by passion, wracked by betrayal, torn by the agony of separation, love in its many splendored forms is the origin of these incredibly endearing stories of Prem Purana.

Review:

Prem-purana is one of a kind book which can transport you to a world which is so unusual and divine that you don’t want to step out. The book has three stories, three magnificent stories which can make you see different forms and feelings of love and reading it in the month of love made it extra special and revived the spirit of love in a new way.

From all the three stories there is something to learn, something to grasp and adapt in your life. Though the book can put you in a tight spot at times due to varied tales entangled in between the main story that is going on. This happened with me mainly with the first story which was not very engrossing and was wavering at times.

The first story is of Ganesh and his love life. The story was new for me as I have never read anything about Ganesh in any mythological book till now. So everything was way too much for me. So many names, so many details, so many things to take in. I liked the atmosphere but I didn’t connect to it as much as I connected to the rest of the two stories.

If I have to pick any character I would pick Siddhi, she was amazing, so confident yet so tender. She was perfect.

The second story was so amazing that I read all the way in just few hours without wanting to stop. It was so engrossing and the characters so well explained and interesting that it transported me straight to the world it was set in. I loved the aura of power and knowledge the story carried. It was enticing and I couldn’t like it any less.

I loved the character of Mandodari and Ravana. They were so powerful and their love was so pure and radiant that it made me fell in love with love. They had a different kind of bond and that is why I was attracted to it.

The final story of Nala and Damayanti expressed immense sacrifice and an everlasting love. The story was good but short. I wanted to know more about their hardships and blossoming of love. I think it was wrapped up a bit too fast then needed. But it was engrossing.

Summing up- The book is very different and unique. It surely has the power to attract a reader who likes the kind of genre it falls in. It does justice to its title but taking the reader on a journey of such varied love stories which are not very famous but are still present and are powerful enough to take ones breath away.

About the author:

Usha Narayanan had a successful career in advertising, radio and corporate communications before becoming a full-time author. She has written several books, including the suspense thriller The Madras Mangler and the fun office romance Love, Lies and Layoffs. Her books Pradyumna: Son of Krishna and The Secret of God’s Son have been praised as ‘Indian mythology at its fiercest and finest’. 
When she is not travelling, writing or editing, Usha reads everything from thrillers to the puranas.

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Book Review: When Love Happens by Manish Kumar

Book: When Love Happens

Author: Manish Kumar

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 138

Publisher: Srishti Publishers 

Blurb:

True love never dies. It is redefined every time you feel it.

When Nish falls in love, little does he know the impact it is going to

have on his life. Hailing from conservative backgrounds, love is

nothing less than war with the world for the lover and his beloved.

Albeit limited communication, they still dare to dream of a life

together. But with the pressure of attaining stability in life, he finds it

impossible to chase his dreams endlessly.

An unassuming man from a modest background, he fights helplessness

and challenges thrown at him by life, only to learn precious life lessons.

His faith in God gives him the strength to move on and find his calling

in writing and poetry.

When Love Happens... is a tale of shattered dreams and redemption, of

fear and fortitude, and above all, of the indomitable human will.

Review:

When Love happens is a short love story with elements of spirituality used here and there to uplift the story from the black hole it often fell in due to dark and a never ending struggle.

The story is about a boy Nish hailing from a small place. Like any other boy his story touches the realm of life when he realizes that he has fallen in love and it is not what it seems like. His story is different. It is sour, it is ecstatic and it is dull, all in one, shown at different angles at different times.

The characters in this book were weak and very limited in their scope of attaining richness. I found the main character okayish. He was what was expected from him. He was good, obedient, charming but not rebellious which I would have loved to see in him. I couldn’t follow the female lead with any appreciative eyes. She came and passed in my happy zone like a small beam of light, leaving very minor impact or to be precise negligible impact.

The supporting characters were so shallow, I felt I am reading just one name throughout the book. There was no newness anywhere in terms of a support crew.

If I talk about the plot then I would say it was simple, to the point and soft. It lacked a little edginess and crispness but sometimes you need a break from intricate tales and enjoy a book like this with a very plain approach, just to inhale the old freshness which is sometimes lost in the midst of new patterns and varied aspects.

Being from a small town myself I could understand a lot of things much better than they were even expressed. I could understand the conservatism, the hidden love blooming and a never ending need to be at peace in between the running chaos. It was a good brush up.

Coming to the story, I felt the phases of Nish’s life were fine, there was nothing extra-ordinary in it. There was no juice in his life because as I said earlier it was very natural. It happens to every next door kid you encounter these days, a never ending struggle to join the biggest run.

I felt the story could have been a little more informative and better, there were problems in the execution of the story because there were a lot of missing links. The story jumped from here and there but there was a missing essence which could have brought up with a little more time and thinking. There were no background images, no atmosphere, it was just a story and that didn’t allow the book to become a proper comforting tale which you can remember for decades.

Summing up- The book was a good real life picture of today’s race in which kids participate out of peer pressure or family pressure and sometimes due to their own want too. The tale was simple and quick but wasn’t quirky and edgy. It had some flaws, like extremely quick wrap ups of situations which didn’t allow me to indulge in the bigger picture.  The book was good but certainly could have been much better.

About the author:

An IT-guy living in Bangalore, Manish Kumar has been working with IBM for the past five years. Keen about writing true stories inspired from one’s own life, he always aspired to write about his observations on nature and its creations. He likes travelling to natural destinations and is fond of riding bikes. This is his first published book.

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Book Review: The woman who saw the future by Amit Sharma

Book: The woman who saw the future

Author: Amit Sharma

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Readomania

Pages: 272

Blurb:

Sapna Vaid has lived with a unique power for a decade; a power that turned her from a timid, wide-eyed, college-going girl into the most influential and powerful Goddess on Earth. Sapna can see the future and saves thousands of people around the world every year through her record-breaking, popular show ‘Lucky People’. The show had given Sapna’s life a meaning and gives her the courage to sleep every night, where death and blood await her in her dreams. Even though the world is at her feet, the power costs Sapna her personal life. Broken relationships and separation from her son bring her unbearable pain. Her parents and the thousands of prayers that come her way every year are her only solace, her only reason to live. When a blinding hatred leads to a desperate act of revenge, a single misuse of her great power triggers a reversal of her fortunes. Sapna begins to lose her ability to see the future.

Review:

The woman who saw the future is full of high profile lifestyle, luxuries, over the top incidents and some very cruel and dark phases. It is a mixture of love, revenge, maliciousness, lust and hunger for power. This book takes you on a very different kind of journey something which can churn your brain and crush your heart.

Abundant characters rule the book, from major to minor, negative to weak, everything can be seen as the tale progresses. I loved Kabir, Om and Anupama. They were the best three for me in the whole book. Their point of view and presence made the mood of the story more powerful and sought after. I also liked Sapna but not loved her. I can’t digest too many changes in a person but here the changes were psychological and it made my whole idea of not liking a character based on its evolution change. I felt that Sapna’s part could have been elaborated a bit more to make readers understand the reality behind her doings. There people can go wary and misunderstand her.

From the minor characters I loved Angad. He was everything a side character needs to be. His presence was sharp, edgy and important.

Talking about the plot I think it was new and fresh but a bit naïve too. I have read author’s other book too (which I thoroughly enjoyed) that one had a magical aura around it but this one lacked finesse and bit of background setting in front of that book. Comparisons are not good but it came naturally. I also loved the narrative style. It gave the book a unique touch and it made the story more open and wise in its nature.

Now coming to the story, I think the story line and the execution was praiseworthy. It was the brilliance of author due to which such easy plot could get a nice shape. The story was very moderate in the starting and it was easy to sail through it. There were no complications for a very long time. I liked the middle portion of the book as the major changes were shown well and it made the tale crispy and kept me hooked. I adored the ending because it was much unexpected. It filled all the gaps which I felt the starting had created towards the greatness of the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed the showdown and how things were woven in an intricate pattern to reach the final outcome. I believe there was no need of the last few pages as it was clear what would have happened. It would have created more serene ending.

Summing up- The book was a great treat all in all. It was fast paced at some points and was extremely gripping. I can recommend it to all those who needs a story with suspense and mystery in it. It do have a fantasy element in it or you can say supernatural element in it. There are love stories as well so there is something for every kind of reader in it.

About the author:

Amit Sharma is an IT slave (read professional) since the last twelve years. He lives with his family in NCR but his work does take him to foreign lands. His wife was a teacher till she gave it up because of sheer exhaustion of answering questions of their four-year-old daughter all day. 

His first fiction book, False Ceilings, a family saga spanning one hundred and thirty years, was published by Lifi Publications in 2016. The book garnered many good reviews on Amazon and Goodreads and critical acclaim. Amit’s hobbies include reading, watching world cinema, travelling, digging into various cuisines, cooking, listening to music, painting, blogging, making his daughter laugh and helping his wife with her unnecessary and prolonged shopping.

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Book Review: A Home For Urvashi by Sanchali Bhattacharya

Book: A Home for Urvashi

Author: Sanchali Bhattacharya

Publisher: Harper Collins

Genre: Fiction/Fantasy

Pages: 345

Blurb:

Death separates Dulari from her beloved twin sister, Ujjwala. Forlorn, her spirit remains on Earth as a powerless but constant companion to Ujjwala. Like the apsara Urvashi, she has the power to travel between worlds but no family, no one to love.
Dulari has a dream: she hopes to be reborn as Ujjwala s daughter and find a home for herself. Twenty-nine years have gone by, but her dream remains unfulfilled. There is hope, though, for Ujjwala has a son and now longs for a daughter.
Then arrives a man from Ujjwala s past. His presence upsets her life and sets into motion a series of events that threaten to destroy her completely. Only Dulari can save her sister, but to do that, she must relinquish her dream. Will Dulari intervene and protect Ujjwala, or will she wait and watch? Will her endless longing for life and belonging overpower the love she has for her sister?
Sensitively written and evocative, A Home for Urvashi depicts the bond of sisterhood that goes beyond life and death. 

Review:

A Home for Urvashi is a story of different colors. It has fun, grief, magical aspects and a long journey towards ones dream. The author has penned a lot of emotions in this simplistic version of a highly fantasy prone book.

When the books have a flashback narrative element in it half of the work of a whimsical aura is done. I really loved how the story began. It gave me the want to read more and know about the weird things one of the main characters went on babbling about. From the very start it was clear that this is not going to be a plain and naïve read.

As we progress new characters hits us and it’s amazing to see so many different characters which particular traits, so very different from each other. It makes it a huge party. From the whole lot I loved Ujjwala, for her focused and one way mind which didn’t wavered throughout the book. I also loved Yash though he came out to be more of a side character even though he was majorly included in the book but still he didn't emerged as a strong character for me.

I also loved Rituraj for his way of dealing with things. There was a charm in his actions, I liked him as a character and not a person to be precise. I thought it was well constructed. I am somewhat in middle of my liking for Dulari and Sooraj. They were okayish for me.

The story started off great but couldn’t maintain the same pace for long. The book was fast paced due to the easy and flowy writing style of the author and negligible editing blunders. But the story was slow and it didn’t gave me any chills or excitement for a long-long time.

After about some 100 plus pages the story start getting its real tempo. When things starts happening and secrets starts revealing it becomes really exciting to see where the things will go. I can say easily that the middle portion of the book was my favorite.

I couldn’t connect at all with the ending of the book though. I thought it could have been so much better. It just felt it ended because stories are meant to end. If the tale could have a more different approach towards the wrap up, things could have touched another tangent.

Special mentions to the book cover; it is really pretty and can attract a reader way too much; because it speaks of freedom of womanhood and of despair in some ways.

Summing up- I enjoyed the novel. I was flying through it after I managed to read the first fifty or so pages. The writing style was good, very fluent and was easily connecting with my taste. If and only if there could have been a grand wrap up to this unique story, the book could have done wonders. Still it is a very enjoyable read. I think it is a genre free book and any sort of reader can pick it up.

About the author:

An electrical engineer from Jadavpur University, Sanchali Bhattacharya is a director in her own engineering and manufacturing company. Sanchali's short stories have featured in The Statesman. She is married and has a son. She lives in Kolkata.

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