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:

Amazon.in

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:

Amazon.in

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.

Buy the book here Amazon.in

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.

Buy the book here Amazon.in

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