I cannot resist myself from the fantasy genre. Because the same genre which made me a book reader. I owe this genre big time. No matter how old I become, no matter how realistic books I read, I can never deny a fantasy book. And if I get my hands on a fantasy books thought from basics like a map, country, belief system; saying no is not an option. I liked Inkredia - Luwan of Brida by Sarang Mahajan the moment I saw the cover page, and the picture of the map made me believe that it would be an adventurous ride not to be missed.
Book blurb
In Fal Doram, also called as the great empire of Inkredia, a conspiracy begins to unfold. The first step is an easy one – kill a simple, villager named Luwan. When Luwan suddenly faces an enemy straight out of the folklore, he is left dumbfounded by the mystery why they are after him. As he makes a daring run to survive, journeying through the unknown world outside his village, new mysteries emerge, some closely concerning him. Riddled with questions and hunted by legendary assassins, and by the nonhumans made of the darkest element in the nature, Luwan makes a dangerous journey through the incredible empire of Inkredia.
The story started with two dark scenes, a sorcerer wanted to catch a guy and another guy wanted to send a message to someone. Things became light as focus shifted to Luwan a youngster from the mountain village of Brida. Brida was ruled by a greedy and wicked Gruwak a vassal lord of the region. His greed had made the life of people in all surrounding regions miserable. One fine day Luwan denied monthly tax of 10 browns (coin). Gruwak was known for his cruelty, Luwan knew the meaning of denial. Hearing this bad news his elder sister Meg also came to his aid. But Luwan knew dices are rolled, nothing can be done now. His life was on the verge of death if he stayed back in Brida. He was given a mysterious book by his mother as a family possession. To his shock, except 101st page, he could not check any other page. On the day of unfortunate event book suddenly started giving hints to Luwan. The same evening they left for the city Narla, which Brida people called as the City.
The road to Narla passed through Maktra where Gruwak lived in his fortress. Their hunter friend Narjo helped them to leave the village unharmed. But actual threat came to them on the way to Maktra. They came to know about evil assassins called Ghork Riders chasing Luwan. The quest became impossible for them and they found themselves in near death situations. But their luck helped them and they met a merchant named Kiliarn, who agreed to take them to the City in exchange for silver coins. From that point onwards, it was impossible to just put down the book.
I hope I haven't given more details than I should. This is my first read in Indian Fantasy genre where I felt that it was competent of considering as a proper fantasy book. Though story somewhat resembles the Fellowship of the Rings, once you start reading the book you will start finding the differences. Book has everything that a fantasy genre should need, talismans, beasts, magic, ghosts, mysterious lands, etc. Author has kept suspense and thrill intact with pace. Sarang knew the importance of book series, while a single book can concentrate only on the main story line or subject, series should build a plot around the subject. Considering vast map given on the 2nd page, the story covered only 5% of geography, which made me more interested in sequels. One can only guess what will happen next. Apart from fantasy part, the author has equally maintained other aspects like humour, emotions, and action.
I finished ~400 pages book in 3 sittings. I am sure a pure fantasy lover will finish it in 1 or 2 sittings. Talking about ratings:
- Cover Page : 5 / 5 (No need to say why)
- Concept : 4.5 / 5 (That is main aspect of fantasy genre, and he nailed it)
- Characters : 4.5 / 5
- Storyline : 4.5 / 5
- Overall : 5 / 5
Reviews from other readers can be found at Goodreads
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