Book Review - First Installment of The Aryavarta Chronicles - Govinda by Krishna Udayasankar

I think I have shared earlier in the review of Beast by Krishna Udayasankar, but let me share it again. I have bought Govinda by Krishna along with Auth of Vayuputra when Vayuputra was released. But I read Govinda much later (in 2015). And by the time I decided to buy the next two parts of the series they were out of the shelf. So I didn't get a chance to read the 2nd & 3rd part. Recently I saw a post by Krishna that the Govinda series along with Immortal are adopted by Penguin India and they are re-published. And as a Diwali gift, we were provided copies of the first part of Govinda & Immortal in exchange for an honest review. As Govinda is the same as the previous copy I bought, I went through the book to revise important points that can be covered in the review.

Before I go to plot discussion, let me give you a brief comparison of two editions.

• Cover - Though both editions are paperbacks, the first edition cover was more elegant than the latest one. :)
• Page - I think yellowish pages with a golden look of the title was giving regal look to the first edition. The latest edition is having proper paperbacks look.
• Font settings - Here the latest edition has won the race, where the first edition has smaller fonts this edition has adequate sized fonts for the better reading experience.

Well, the first edition is no longer available, so you don't have a choice to select an edition of your likings. But I have both editions, so I gave details as per my experience.

Book Blurb

Aryavarta – the ancient realm of the noble.

For generations, the Firstborn dynasty of scholar-sages, descendants of Vasishta Varuni and protectors of the Divine Order on earth, has dominated here. For just as long, the Angirasa family of Firewrights, weapon-makers to the kings and master inventors, has defied them. In the aftermath of the centuries-long conflict between the two orders, the once-united empire of Aryavarta lies splintered, a shadow of its former glorious self.

Now, the last Secret Keeper of the Firewrights is dead, killed by a violent hand, and the battle for supreme power in the empire is about to begin.

As mighty powers hurtle towards a bloody conflict, Govinda Shauri, cowherd-turned-prince and now Commander of the armies of Dwaraka, must use all his cunning to counter deception and treachery if he is to protect his people and those whom he loves.

But who holds the key to the fantastic and startling knowledge of the Firewrights, which in the wrong hands will bring doom upon the empire? And does Govinda have it in him to confront the dark secrets of his past and discover the true meaning of being Arya, of being noble?

As name suggests the main character of our story is Govinda Saury, a cowherd who became general of Dwarka's military. The next main character is Panchali, princess of Panchala. And as it is the story of Mahabharata all major characters of actual Mahabharata play a major/minor role in this book as well. To bring a unique angle to the story, the author has shown the world with mere mortal without any divine powers. Aryavarta, as we know today, was led by firstborns sages & his followers through kings & lords. But way before that time, another entity had given a tough time to firstborns and they were known as Firewrights, a clan/group of people who work on machines, weaponry & alchemy. But they were almost wiped off by firstborns & kings. The book starts with the death of Ghora Angisara, the last known Firewrites of Mahabharata time. With his death, a bigger plan of powerful people brought into a crumble. On another side, a cowherd Gopala took it on himself to bring Pandava to the front runners of Aryavarta. Pandava, five brothers, who themselves were not sure of their heritage due to mystery behind their birth, were supported by Govinda achieved many unreachable targets which they may not be able to if Govinda was not present with them. They got a marriage alliance with Panchala, Dwarika; they decimated the Khandavprasth forest with its secrets to start a new kingdom, they killed and subdued the mighty Jarasandha & his kingdom Magadha; and finally able to hold Rajsuya Yagya. Panchali witnessed all means Govinda took to achieve this, for which her husband & his brothers didn't protest even once.

As the already mentioned concept is unique and so was the delivery of the content. Unlike Amish Tripath or Anand Neelkanthan, Krishna's writing style is more lavish. You will get a good amount of description to enhance your experience. It is up to you to decide whether you are okay with lengthy narrations or not. Coming to the content part, I have just read part one, but Mahabharata is vast and writing story till Rajsuya in just first part in around 400 pages, which I found a little bit fast. She might have taken it slowly. Having said that, there are places where the pace of the story was medium, and there are places where the pace was fast enough to keep turning pages. I found a few factual things misplaced, apart from that a nice read.

Ratings

1. Cover - 3.5/5 (for latest one)
2. Concept - 4/5
3. Content - 4/5
4. Overall - 4/5

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Retelling of Mahabharata - Heroes of Wars - Men from the Future by Virat Vilas Pawar - A Book Review

I have read many versions of Mahabharata. But Sci-fi was the first of its kind for me. Well, I have read a version where gods were shown as an advanced/technological race but Pandavas from the future, that was a completely new concept for me. So whatever blurb conveyed I was impressed, and I did not let the opportunity go. Here I am to give you a review of "Heroes of War" by Virat Pawar.

Book Blurb

Inspired by the greatest epic the world has ever known comes the dystopian sci-fi thriller "Heroes of War".

Where a God from the past travels to the future, to ask for a favor from its own final incarnation.

Summoning 5 Super Warriors from the future, to win a war that could forever change the course of history.

A War against 100 Princes; Inspired by the greatest epic the world has ever known comes the dystopian sci-fi thriller "Heroes of War".

Where a God from the past travels to the future, to ask for a favor from its own final incarnation.

Summoning 5 Super Warriors from the future, to win a war that could forever change the course of history.

A War against 100 Princes;

A War against Adharma.

It is the beginning of a war; anachronistic-technology against the primitive.

Primitive beings who know more than fighting with just weapons

Before I discuss the plot, let me tell you the author has taken the liberty of his imaginations. He has used the background of Mahabharata but at the same time, he has combined his creativity to bring this saga. To make sure people's feelings don't get hurt, the author has not used the exact lineage concept or even names. He has renamed characters & places, they are close enough to relate though.

So let me tell you how different things are, the story started when Kison (from Dwapara Yuga from Prithvi) observed the disastrous end of the great war. He went to the future and asked the help of Kalki to give her the best five men to his aid. Five best warriors of F.A.T.E. were selected for this mission. These warriors were: Yudhraj, Bheem, Arjun, Deva, Nakul. Each having their unique traits & history. They were under impression that mission would be a small & short one as it belonged to the bronze age era. When they reached their destination (after distance & time travel) they were welcomed by a bluish skinned Kison. They were under impression that they were invincible. But their assumption was proved wrong when Kison checked their capability. With their full strength when they attacked Kison together, they were beater like Kison was playing with dolls. Later on, Kison explained to them their mission, not in detail but just outlined or I would say only partial one. They were to defeat adversaries of that time Diyohana & his 99 brothers, who were born by evil methods. Kison made Yudhraj & his team challenge Diyohan just before Diyohan's ascendance to the throne. It was during these challenges that the traits of each member of Yudhraj's team were shown. When Diyohan & his counsel thought they cannot defeat challengers in a fair fight they took help of Chausar (Dice Game). With their sinister plan of mind game would they be able to counter future warriors. Also, these future warriors found their trainers Bhishmaji & Dronaji in a completely different situation, what were they doing in his pre-historic era? To know more I recommend you grab your copy.

Well, while reading the book the title was in my mind, and there was no indication of whether this is the first installment or single book, so I was confused about how Virat will give justice to the epic Mahabharata in just 250 pages. I was relieved to see "To Be Continued" at the end. And the author has ended a series on a high tone. Coming to personal observations about the book

1. The proper thought process has been given. I didn't find any glitches in the plot.
2. I know we have read /watched Mahabharata, so we usually feel that we know what is going to happen next. And for the author, it is challenging to write something on the same plot and still deliver unexpected twists & turns throughout the book. Virat has done a commendable job.
3. Nice knitting of characters & plots of future & Mahabharata era.
4. Character building - Many authors focus on the plot so much that their main character plays the only role as per plot. But you need to give extra space to the character to build their say in your story. Especially each member of Yudhraj's team was shown with proper background and traits. Again a nice job.
5. Reading experience - You need a fast pace, easy to cope with language & to the point story for a concept like this. If you divert from this you may miss the bus. I feel Virat has done a good job but building excitement at full pace.
6. Wonderful artwork - You may visualize each major-minor character by the description given by the author. Or you can simply check them in drawing given throughout the book. I liked them.
7. Cover of the book - I know I have just praised artwork, but the cover needs more than just character. I feel it could have been better.

Overall a nice read for YA, millennials, Mythology and/or Scifi lovers.

Ratings

1. Cover - 3.5/5
2. Concept - 4.5/5
3. Character - 4/5
4. Content - 4/5
5. Overall - 4/5

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

HDFC Bank 2.0 by Tamal Bandyopadhyay

During one of my electives (corporate strategy) in NITIE Mumbai, we were taught by visiting faculty how technology usage (mind its usage, not availability) had changed two banking entities in the private sector. Faculty told us that government banks had computers way before ICICI & HDFC banks had. But they used IT only for record-keeping. The utilization of computers in Indian banking was done by these two giants which had brought government banks in the current state from their earlier "Jamai babu" attitude. I was fascinated by that fact. And ever since I wanted to read a proper case or book on such transition. And this book gave me that opportunity. So here I am discussing the book on the success story of HDFC 2.0.

I thought the book/story narration might have started from the age-old method driven banks. But it started with Aditya Puri's visit to silicon valley and what he had gauged from the visit. From there book switches between different timelines of bank covering how in the last 25 years Aditya & his team have leveraged technology & innovation to achieve new heights of success. In the Indian market, where people don't trust private banks, it was an extraordinary journey for the bank to give tough competition to public sector banks. If you have an educational & business mind, you will find many important lessons to implement them for your business.

Now coming to the writing style of the book

• Language is easy
• Flow is haphazard. A proper flow could have made the book more interesting
• Every case is supported with proper reasoning & practical implementation by Puri & team
• As the book is nonfiction you will find a certain percentage of writing covering people who helped Aditya achieve the dream bank
• Covers not just IT implementations but marketing, finance, human resource, etc.

The book has an attractive cover & prompt title. If you are a management guy and/or savvy, you should read it.

Ratings

1. Cover - 4/5
2. Content - 3/5
3. Overall - 3.5/5

Book can be found at Amazon

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Book Review - Venus with a P*nis - A Tale of Love, Sacrifice and Betrayal

I don't need a reason to explain why I selected this book. It's the catchy name and attractive cover page was more than enough to add "Venus with a P*nis - A Tale of Love, Sacrifice and Betrayal" by Almas Hussain in my collection. And I am happy that I selected the book. 

Book Blurb

Meet Rajan, the irresponsible younger son in a family of doctors. He’s reckless. He’s rebellious. And he’s dressing up like a woman these days.

No. He’s not a cross-dresser. Nor is he transgender. He thinks he’s a murderer. It all begins with a mother-to-be dying on the young gynaecologist’s watch. And to atone for her death, he banishes himself to the boondocks.

He arrives at the remote village of Kaatgram, where pregnant women have been dying left, right and centre. But the Kaatgrami men are not about to send their women to a male gynaecologist. So Rajan does the next best thing—he disguises himself as a lady doctor.

Rajan feels it is okay to deceive the people about his gender, so long as he gets to save their lives. Damini, the local MLA’s daughter, supports him in his dream of setting up a maternity clinic in their village. Rajan falls for her. But she doesn’t even know he’s a man.

Will Rajan manage to woo his sweetheart and marry her? Or will the villagers tear him to pieces when they find out that their lady doctor is actually a man?

As suggested in the blurb, the story covers problems existing in rural India, where primary medical help is not available. Due to a lack of medical facilities 1 out of 10 pregnancy fails with the death of either mother or child. The protagonist of our story is Rajan, a gynecologist who hailed from a well-known gynecologist family. His careless & womanizer traits had kept him away from his family managed the clinic. An accident or carelessness from the Rajan side resulted in the death of a mother & her child. That lady's two girls were abandoned by her family. Guilty stricken Rajan had taken it seriously and taken two girls under his parenthood. That was just the tip of the iceberg, that incident had changed everything. Rajan has started taking things seriously. He came to know the situation of women in Rural India, how lack of female gynecologists endangering the lives of women. He thought about the solution, and when he cannot find the solution outside, he thought of doing something out of the box. He decided to crossdress and pretend as a woman for a greater cause. But what will happen when this pretending woman met another woman in the village and end up having feelings for her. Read this super funny story to know more.

I have read many comedy styles but this has touched my heart. With social message & comedy sequences, this book has delivered stories that of Ayushman Khurana's movies. Good points about the book

• Full to funny
• Entertaining social story
• Easy language usage
• Straight narration style
• Characters with reasoning
• Cover & title
• New concept

Ratings

1. Cover - 5/5
2. Concept - 4.5/5
3. Characters - 4/5
4. Overall - 4/5

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Book Review - Nobody’s Child by Kanchana Banerjee

I am a Twitter follower of Kanchana Banerjee for the last 2 years. I liked her bookish status and updates. Ever since she has published a scary cover photo of "Nobody’s Child", it has left an imprint on my bookish mind. I would like to thank Writersmelon for giving me a chance to drench my curiosity. 

Book blurb

I’m Asavri Bhattacharya. I won the Indian Koel 3 years ago.’

A young woman, dazed, covered in wounds, mind addled by drugs tells a TV journalist on the streets of Mumbai. Soon she breaks into a song, leaving everyone mesmerized by her melodious voice.

How can she be Asavri? Asavri died in a car accident 3 years ago, soon after her win. Her body was cremated; her death mourned by the whole nation. Is the woman an imposter or is she telling the truth?

News spreads like wildfire, the press and public begin clamouring for answers. If this is indeed the real Asavri, then who was cremated three years ago? And who is responsible for these macabre circumstances? Is it Tanya, the first runner-up who wore the victor’s crown after Asavri was declared dead, or Rudra – Asavri’s ex-husband? Or is it Kamini Devi – the glamorous MP with a sinister plan? Or Avniel – the film journalist – who shot to fame by writing Asavri’s biography soon after her death?

The main characters of our story are

Asavri Bhattacharya - Winner of Indian Koel reality show.

• Avniel - A flop journalist who got into writing and became a bestselling author overnight. 
• Kamini Pratap Singh - A business tycoon turned politician who's daughter was second in Indian Koel and crowned first after Asavri was declared dead.

The story started when Asavri who was declared dead 2 years back suddenly came on the news. The malnourished and abused lady that police and news channel found was in critical condition. But shocking part was her physical and mental condition which made Avinel find out culprit who did this to Asavri and punish them. The person who was most benefited due to Asavri's death was Kamini and her daughter. So are they involved in the case? Check out the book to know more.

Good points

• A unique narration style
• Thriller and suspense are nail-biting.
• A new concept to read
• The amalgamation of multiple facets of human nature
• The complex and dark character of Kamini

Could be better - Lengthy description. Well, the description is needed but certain sections, especially those where interest quotient was building up and description brought it down.

Ratings

1. Cover - 4/5
2. Characters - 4/5
3. Concept - 4.5/5
4. Content - 3.5/5
5. Overall - 3.75/5

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Dark Humor on Stock Market - Dalal's Street by Anurag Tripathi - Book Review

I have read many fiction styles, romance, thrillers, suspense, motivational, even corporate fiction. But they say there is no end of creativity in literature. Two weeks back I stumble upon this wonderful genre which was based on the stock market. The first thought that came to my mind when I saw the title "Dalal Street" by Anurag Tripathi was that the book may be based on Harshad Mehta or Ketan Parekh kind of scam. And that thought gave me a strong reason to check the book. Apart from its genre & title, the eye-catching cover got my attention. I think one way or another I would have taken this book on my shelf for sure.

Book Blurb

A group of young Indian business school graduates are attracted to jobs in a high paying trading company. This batch of hardworking, intelligent and ambitious friends is focused on success in the fast paced, hyper competitive world of stockbroking where greed, use of cunning and wealth are the stepping stones to survival and success,. The survivors are the winners.

A satirical thriller of dark humour in which superfast action to tip the scales of finance and fortunes to one’s favour and achieve quick wins are the order of the day, Dalal’s Street explores the complex interplay of human relationships and etches out the rise of the protagonist through a test by fire.

The protagonist of our story is Varun Agarwal. His friends Pooja, Devika & Anil played a good role in the story. Varun's father had lost substantial money during Harshad Mehta scam. Though strictly forbidden by his father, he saw a good opportunity in the stock market. So when in campus placement a company appeared with the opportunity all 4 joined the company, though each had different reasoning behind so. The company they joined was working on a cut-throat competition model. It was an extream reward & penalty driven company. So their rush to survive made them go through extreme pressure. They made some wrong choices in the process. At a point, Varun lost a good amount of money from his relatives invested in the market. Things became tough and Varun left his parent's place as his relations with his father deteriorated. On the other hand, a business tycoon wanted his company's share price get increased to meet his business objectives. Varun and his friend were entangled in this cycle. Anil was badly impacted due to this turmoil. Can Varun turn the tide & correct things? Read the book to know more.

The book covers some interesting details about exchange & broker houses. Starting from intra-day trading, delivery, future & options to the settlement. Many such informative details were given with the proper context of the story. The story shows how can someone inflate prices of shares without even having any solid financials. It shows how the sentiment of retail investors put them into mostly loosing end of the game. I would say an eye-opener even for a first-timer.

The combination of love, lust & greed made the book/plot a fun read. Each character is portrayed with clarity. You will feel like watching a stock market-based movie. The dark humor covered by the story will keep you engaged. The best part is the climax, that has put the book on my top favorite list. I am not going it to open the secret, you need to read to know that. 

Ratings

1. Cover - 4.5/5
2. Concept - 5/5
3. Characters - 4/5
4. Overall - 4.5/5

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

A Brief Discussion with Roshmi Roy about Climbing the Beanstalk - a Self-help Book

These days it is difficult to spot a self-help book, that can accompany you till the last page. Roshmi Roy did a wonderful job by delivering one such master piece. Three days back we reviewed "Climbing the Beanstalk: It’s Up to You to Reach the Top" by Roshmi. We approached her to know how she has conceptualized the book. And what turned out was a brief interview. So without wasting time, let us take you through points we discussed.

So ma'm can you tell us about your educational background?

I did my schooling in La Martiniere for Girls, Kolkata. This is a school founded by Major-

General Claude Martin, a Frenchman. This accounts for my interest in the French language.In those days we took the Senior Cambridge Examination when passing out of school. I won a Rotary International scholarship to study in the U.S. and my first year in college was spent at the School of Ozarks, Missouri. I returned to India to complete my studies, and went on to do M.A and Ph.D  in English from the University of Calcutta.

What were your other activities during school/college?

I was never much of a sportsperson. But I always participated in the dance and theatrical programmes. I also enjoyed painting. I did not continue my dancing beyond the student years, but taking part in theatre and directing plays has been a lifelong passion.

What are some of the day jobs you have held?

I started my career as an English teacher quite early in life and steadily gained seniority _ from schools to colleges, and lastly I was Professor of English and Business Communication in management institutes. I have also worked as educational co-ordinator and content writer. After I did my certification as a Personality Development and Soft Skills Trainer, I switched over to training.

Do you read much, and if so who are your favourite authors?

I have always been fond of reading. I became a member of the British Council Library and the American Center Library, from where I would borrow books.I was a member of a book club called Bookpeckers, which meets every month to discuss a book that has previously been decided upon. During my schooldays I was fond of P.G. Wodehouse and George Bernard Shaw. Now I read a variety of authors like Paulo Coelho, Margaret Atwood,  Amitav  Ghosh and Arundhati Roy. I found the books of Mitch Albom inspiring.

When did you start writing?

I started writing articles for my college newsletter. I also wrote about my travels and sent them to newspapers along with photographs. I contributed to college magazines wherever I have taught. I also wrote poetry in my spare time, but that was kept strictly private.

When did you decide to become a writer?

The desire to be a writer has always been there, but this book happened recently because I felt I wanted to share my knowledge about personality development and soft skills  with others. I think the best way to share is through a book.

What are your ambitions for your writing career?

I would like to venture into short stories, or maybe a novella. The novel is on the faraway horizon. It is always better to start with achievable goals.

Is this your debut work? If not so, what have you written?

Since I am into theatre, I have mostly written plays. These were not for publication, but were performed by the students of the drama groups in various colleges. I have dramatized two novels_ Right  Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse and Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, which we were going to perform and there was no drama script available. What I have published is my Ph.D  thesis on feminine consciousness, which is entitled ‘Sisterhood of Women’.

In what genre are your books?

They come under different genres. The current book is in the motivational category, and the previous book can be classified as literary criticism.

Can you describe your current book in a few lines? What is it about?

This is a motivational book to make you realize it is within your power to realize your dreams. You must be willing to seize the opportunities that come your way and take the risks involved. You also need to discover where your talent lies, and find the career that you are best suited for.

This book will guide you by showing the ways in which you can improve yourself, and acquire the skills required to shine among your peers.

Where did you get the idea for this book?

This idea came to me while teaching soft skills to students. I found that many students who are brilliant in their subject area are totally lacking when it comes to soft skills, which includes communication skills, interpersonal relations, building self-esteem, leadership skills and others. So I thought a book that sets out everything in a very simple way would be useful for career –seekers and even those who are planning to make a career change in mid-life. Actually, there is no particular age when you can decide to take up the career of your choice.

How much research did you do for this book?

I did read books by the motivational masters like Dale Carnegie and Norman Vincent Peale, and also current authors like Robin Sharma, but I have given my own personal take on the topics.

Have you planned on a book release?

The book launch is planned for the 18th October at Atta Galatta, Koramanagala, Bangalore, 5.30  _ 7pm.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Make a habit of writing _ start with a journal where you jot down your own observations. Remember, the best writing is authentic, based on your own experiences. Read a lot, but write in your own style.

If you have missed the book's review you can check here.

Self-help Book Review - Climbing the Beanstalk : It’s Up to You to Reach the Top by Roshmi Roy

What is the first thing you do when you encounter self-help books? Well, for me self-help is a unique genre which requires manual screening to make sure that I am not going to venture into a wrong book. I check the clarity of the author, Not just pages and pages of long theories, I prefer proper examples, steps & diagrams. I know you might think, how will one know all these before reading the book. Well, I give at least 10-15 minutes for screening before zeroing down a book. When a friend at the publishing house recommended this book to me, the first thing I did was a little research on available reviews. As the book was just published, there were no reviews on Goodreads / Amazon. So the second thing I did was added the book to Kindle shelf (as the book was available free of cost for a limited duration). I checked randomly a few pages. Once I was sure and impressed by the content I started reading it. So here I am going to discuss my take on "Climbing the Beanstalk: It’s Up to You to Reach the Top" by Roshmi Roy.

Book Blurb

Whatever you want to achieve in life, whatever you want to become, the power to do so lies within you. You must be willing to seize the opportunities that come your way and take the risks involved.

Climbing the Beanstalk is the path you need to take to reach the top. This book outlines the changes you need to make to your personality and the skills you have to enhance. Soft skills is a major area to focus on for your career development. You will find here a practical guideline not only on how to develop your personality but also on the soft skills required to make your way in the professional world.

Before I go to the content, let me tell you the author's idea behind the title. She has used a reference to the story ‘Jack and the Beanstalk", where a boy exchanged his cow for 3 magical beans, which led him to the house of a giant. Due to this adventure boy found the hen that laid golden eggs. So the author’s idea is until we explore or go for an adventure to discover our true self how will we know our true value.

The book is not focused on particular traits or habit. Instead, the author has covered many areas and domains. Starting from personality development, leadership, change management, professional etiquette. In short, it is a jack of many soft skills. Again the author has not bored out readers by giving too much technical & philosophical information. Instead, she has divided each topic into mainly three parts.

• Introduction to the topic
• Example, supporting stories, excerpts
• Steps to follow the same in life

The author has touched around 15-20 major topics. Almost on each of them, you will get dozens of books. If you find it boring to read such books, then you may try this one.

I liked the way quotations or lines from various literature & supporting materials were presented. Ample usage of examples and stories has raised the interest quotient. To make the complex procedure simple, at many places advice is given in bullet points and steps. Overall a very useful book.

Ratings

1. Cover - 4/5
2. Content - 4/5
3. Concept - 3/5
4. Overall - 4/5

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads