Colorblind by Aditya Chowdhury - Book Review

There are few genres where Indian authors seldom venture. Dystopian is one of them. I have read and seen only a single digit of such books to date. Maybe my knowledge of the field is limited but if such books didn't get my attention means they were not tried with proper efforts. That's why I always give a chance to such books by an Indian author. "Colorblind" by Aditya Chowdhury was provided to me in exchange for an honest review. I plunged into the book within 5 days of adding to my shelf. 

I would like to start my review with this line I got from the book. 

"Sometimes, to get some real insight, you need to risk a complete change in your perspective.”

I am not aware of how many of you know about the book blurb. But the book brings us a world where color blindness is a norm. A person can see three colors black, white, and one more color. The last color decides everything for a person. People are divided as per their color. Also, an ability to see more than one color is considered an illness and it is a capital crime to hide this fact. In such a world, the above line makes a good context whether you are willing to get real insights or not. 

The protagonist of our story is Lohit. He belonged to the red community. All his life he was connected with only red people. But one fine day he found an interesting girl who was not red but applied red lipstick, which was rarest of the rare. When he met that girl she told him something which I found true even for our normal world. She said

"We become the lies we tell ourselves daily, it won’t be too late for us to change.” 

She gave him a strange spectacle which had changed Lohit's life forever. Anything more from my side and it may spoil your reading experiences. Read the book to know more.

Coming to writing style, the author has used simple language and kept content engaging for readers. With its medium pace, the book provides a sweet read that won't bore you out. A book which you can take on your short trip. Though the book is dystopian in the genre, it is different for the normal dystopian category which usually goes around action and thriller sequences. Instead, the author has delivered a good message. The author's intention of telling people to venture out and experience something new is very well delivered. 

I will give 3.75 it of 5 to the book. 

Book links - Goodreads & Amazon

Book Review - 13 Worlds by J.J. Hair

The author J. J. Hair approached me 15 days back to have my feedback about his latest book "13 World's". As the book was available on Amazon Kindle Unlimited, I checked cover, blurb, and a few chapters, I found details interesting. So here I am sharing my feedback after finishing it.

"13 Worlds" is a sci-fi story written around the destruction of 13 planets in different galaxies by a super-intelligent character called Guide & his aid Emperor Malek. These 13 planets' people were about to discover a unique technology of DNA editing which was currently known to Genius. Though the book is merely 100 pages, the story is written in multiple segments. The author has shown 4-5 subplots in such a short storyline connecting the central theme. I don't want to share more about the story to give away spoilers. So to know more do read it.

13 Worlds by J J Hair

Coming to story development, I found the development bit jumpy, and before a character is matured it was changing. I have read some books where such jumping plots are used, but in the long run, those books give more information. But due to the length of this book that justification was missing. The most interesting subplot I found was actual action in the spaceship crew. I found the ending interesting. It left me thinking about what will happen next, I'll be waiting for the next part.

On an overall note, simple language usage, and fluid writing. Recommended for any age group. 

I found pace extremely fast, which ended up missing information here or there, which regularly sticks the reader till the last page. Another thing that I found lacking is the cover design, it could have been better.

I'll give 3.5 out of 5 to the book.

Book links Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review - The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty

I have heard a lot about "The City of Brass" and I also knew about the release of the sequel "Kingdom of Copper". But I was not aware that the review copy of the same will reach to us. I would like to thank Harper Collins India for the same. Frankly speaking, I had my reservations for this book, when I was offered a review copy in exchange for an honest review. There were two reasons for my reservations

1. I haven't read the first part. Many reviewers recommended to read it.
2. I have relatively fewer books on reading shelf by a foreign author. This was more of a personal phobia which anyway I wanted to get away from.

The chance of not having/reading any part didn't look good. And nobody was/is going to stop me if I want to read part-1 with/before/after part 2. So, at last, I said yes.

When I received the copy in my hand, I knew I didn't get any normal book, it was a special one. With 650+ pages the book is longest in my 2019 portfolio. And not a single slow page.

Many reviewers and bloggers have given plot details so I won't focus much on that. But I cannot just ignore it as well. The story started around 5 years after the first part. By then Nahri was married to Muntadhir (Ali's brother), heir to the kingdom. Her marriage was more of a political alliance. Her power as a magical healer had given her some hope. She wanted to redevelop a hospital where she can bring non-magical healers as well. Together she wanted to work for the betterment of the citizens. Otherwise, Ali banished prince, who was constantly under radar of assassin, started utilizing his new power of locating water. He again got in the mission of Nahri. Lastly, Dara, a Djinn, who was shown killed in part one, was brought back to world/life. He was forced to assist Manizheh to reclaim the throne of Daevabad. Read the book to know more.

You may say this is a short plot then why 650+ pages? Well, my friends, great stories won't go alone, it is a group of multiple small-big stories written with a central theme and direction that makes it great. Same way book is covering so many aspects that its usage of 650+ pages is justified.

My observations

1. Hazzy cover. I thought I got a misprinted cover book. But this edition cover (checked online) are the same hazzy. I am not sure about the reason behind it.
2. For me, the language was obstruction initially not due to heavy or too much literary prowess. But due to my habit of reading Indian authors majorly.
3. A medium paced story.
4. A wonderful way of showing the characters' journey through the oppressive environment.
5. Language usage is adequate for seasonal & light readers.
6. Details full with the violent and abusive scene, not recommended for 16 below.
7. Wonderful conceptualization of magic, djinn, tribe and all.
8. Though shown as a fictional story, many things can be related to today's world scenario perfect. Like racism, oppression, caste/tribe conflicts.

Overall a must read for seasonals. Recommended read for occasional as well. Ratings

1. Cover - 3.5/5
2. Concept - 4.5/5
3. Character - 4.5/5
4. Content - 4.5/5
5. Overall - 4.25/5

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Young Adult Book's Review - Kingdom Cold by Brittni Chenelle

Attractive cover and YA genre, these two things caught my attention when "Kingdom Cold" book's reached my mailbox. I checked the blurb of the book, which seems good enough. So I took the chance and said yes for the review copy. Don't worry that doesn't mean our review is biased, we are here to give our honest feedback.

Book Blurb

Attempted murder, that's how sixteen-year-old Princess Charlotte's engagement starts. It seems like the only thing she has in common with Prince Young of Vires is their mutual discontent.

When her kingdom's attacked, Charlotte's parents renegotiate her hand in marriage to a handsome stranger with a sinister plan. With the people Charlotte loves dying around her, and her kingdom's future at stake, the only person she can turn to is the prince she betrayed. But, should she save her kingdom or her heart?

One must fall. 

The protagonist of our story is Princess Charlotte of Besmium and Prince Young of Vires. Charlotte was kind of an immature character (when the story started). Prone to her stature, she was somewhat unkind as well. Her kingdom and family has reached to a line where her parents found only hope to save them would be the marriage of Charlotte to another royal & rich family. So they chose Prince Young of Vires. Charlotte was not sure whether she should marry or not. On the other end, Young was a mature and kind personality, who actually cared. On their marriage day, Besimium was attached and then it was up to Charlotte to decide the destiny of her Kingdom. Read the book to know more.

Good points about the book

• Fast pace. 
• To the point narration
• Easy to follow language usage
• Good choice for beginners
• Light read. Just 270 pages.
• Good plot creation and imagination
• A standalone book. No prequel, no sequel

Brittni, the author, has used multiple POV concept, which was great as far as Charlotte or Young is concerned. But using it for side characters was kind of over-usage. I got confused at some places due to that. Apart from that, a stand-alone 270 pages were lacking at depth of characterization at certain places.

Overall a nice read. I would give 3.5/5 to the book. 

Book can be found at - Amazon India & Amazon USA

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

A Book Review - The Curse - A Dystopian Thriller by Randeep Wadehra

I found the details about this book in the mail by TheBookClub. They were conducting book tour for "The Curse - A Dystopian Thriller" by Randeep Wadehra, and that made me check the book in depth. Well, I didn't find many reviews as the book was recently released, but the description was eye-catching. Though genre, dystopia, and blurb were looking out of sync, I decided to take a chance. And finally, here I am discussing it. (Though I am 1-2  weeks late by the schedule, I think it's better late than never)

Book Blurb

Through peace, it’s justice we seek!

The hunter will meet the fate of the hunted

And the mighty will serve the meek!

Twenty years ago, a corrupt President, a greedy industrialist, and a sycophant policeman uprooted the tribal people from their own land and burned their houses. Twenty years later, the Republic of Bodh is in danger from a similar evil troika.

The curse uttered by a frail tribal woman during the carnage twenty years ago has inspired Jwaala, the only female leader in the senate, to reform the Republic of Bodh.

But the same curse has turned Saaya, once an innocent victim of the massacre, into a relentless killing machine with a mission to prey on the predators.

Even when the Republic spirals into a storm of scandals, the greedy and corrupt President Chaupat is torn between his lust for a dancer and his unrequited passion for his wife Kaamini.

Will Saaya succeed in his mission or will Chaupat thwart his efforts?

Will Jwaala, orphaned in a violent attack, be able to turn the curse for the greedy into a blessing for the poor? Will she succeed to save the Republic from another ensuing bloodshed?

The Curse is a gritty political thriller about people who have lost much to greed but want to transform their nation. 

As per blurb, the book was more of a political thriller. So words like corruption, politics confused me. Once I started reading the book, I got cleared. Though the author has used today's India's burning issues in the plot, he had shown them as a part of an imaginary country. A country where the system was in complete jeopardy, where corruption had reached to its roots, where money and power spoke and ruled with ironclad. Amidst that system, rose a savior (for common people) known as Saaya. His ways were extreme, and he claimed that the need of the hour was violence. Then there was a greedy ruling couple (Kind and Queen) and his minister (the most corrupted one). Read the book to know more.

Though the language used is in control, I would recommend that 16+ should read the book. The story is fueled with emotions, it shows how personal gain of few is fulfilled by sacrificing thousands. Saaya in many terms shows those ignored people who needed proper attention. The story is a bit dark and bold, you will find less number of such content, especially in Indian literature. One should read this book if he or she would like to understand human behavior and political dramas.

I would give 4 out of 5 stars to this bold story of love, lust, and greed.

Book can be found at Amazon India & Amazon USA

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Enter into the World of Tantric - Anantya Tantrist Mystery - Cult of Chaos by Shweta Taneja - Book Review

The Matsya Curse (Anantya Tantrist Mystery #2) by Shweta Taneja was reviewed by us almost a year back. Later on, we got the copy of "Cult of Chaos (Anantya Tantrist Mystery)". Yes, you heard me correct, we read & reviewed part-2 without reading previous one. There is 95% of independence between two volumes. Unfortunately, we were not able to take part-1 on priority, which made book the victim of bug called "Shelved" just like the 2nd page of Google. But we cannot do that injustice for a long time, so this Diwali we renamed that 2nd page as the 1st page and all those pending books became our priority.

Book Blurb

The tantriks are now overground. They have their own council, police and justice systems. The White clan, Kaula, has emerged as the most powerful: their men are recognized tantriks, women intimate collaborators.

Then there is Anantya Tantrist, who has rejected the Kaula path. She is powerful and lives life by her own strict moral code. Who needs official seals anyway? When the world goes to hell in a handcart, badges and honours aren't going to save the day.

Incidentally, hell and chaos is just where the world is headed. In Delhi, little girls are being sacrificed in a tantrik ritual. A desperate daeva is trying to blackmail Anantya. Someone is trying to call up the God of Chaos. A three-headed giant cobra turns up in old Delhi. The White and Red tantriks are facing off, and there is one or more Black tantric brewing some dangerous shakti. As Anantya struggles to stop the madness, the supernatural underworld - peopled with creatures humanoid, barely human and inhuman - comes alive in all its bloody, gory glory

 

As this is the first part of the series, the book started with an introduction (not plain paragraph & paragraph of details, it is in story format only) of the separate underground world of tantric. The world of Tantric was divided into 3 sects, who prefer & follow their own rituals. A governing body was in place to make sure things would be in control. Then there were all mythic creatures like Dasyus, Danava, Ghost, Rakshasas and what not. Among that world our protagonist, Anantya, lived life on her own terms. She was living away from her clan reasons known to her. To survive she started working as a Tantric Detective & helps CBI to solve cases associated with black magic. This is where our story starts when she was working on the case. Things started revealing gory truth that can destroy the human world. It was linked to her past so deep that she needed to fight on emotional front as well as the physical front. Read the book to know more.

Coming to our take from the book, it has the potential to start "Cult of Anantya" among readers. It is sad that Indian film/tv industry is not able to take benefits of such wonderfully written books. Yes, you heard me right, the book is capable enough for adaption for the screen. Characters, plot & visualization shows deep research rather than just another bedtime-story or on-the-spot-made-up-story. As I have already read 2nd part, I cannot say waiting for it but yes 3rd part may be equally interesting. The best part is the way storytelling merged with a fictional description of people & places. The cover art is also interesting enough to leave an impression for a long time.

The only issue is a little bit slow paced at multiple places.

Ratings

1. Cover - 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

Ascendance by Sadhna Shanker

A simple but wavy work of art cover depicting man and woman in front of a purple advanced city and a colophon having a dialog just enough to get you interested; it had been some time since I read sci-fi and "Ascendance" seemed like an ideal candidate.

Book Blurb

The location is a planet in outer space inhabited by antagonistic species.

The night Seeni died, the fault line reappeared. The existing equilibrium between men and women, the antagonistic species that inhabit Elone began to crumble. If a clash happens, how long would it last? What would remain? Who? How many? Were they heading for a time like the last days on Earth?

As each side regroups along the Fence, Maya, a woman’s consciousness from twenty-third century Earth, reveals the past intertwined existence of men and women. Would knowledge of their shared past change the course for the future?

Delving into ideas of divergence, immortality and consequent new social constructs, Ascendance is set in a world that represents a possible and not a dystopian future.

“Ascendance” is a futuristic tale that speaks of a possible scenario where Men and Women no longer need each other and have left Earth to live on another planet Elone. They live separately on different sides of a wall which has been erected as a result of two major battles, ignoring each others’ existence, till one woman goes missing near the wall and Men become target of suspicion, which leads to war like chaos on both the sides.

The novel is written in third person narrative and in switching perspective of Men and Women in alternate chapters. Be it cloning, AI systems, advanced medical science, mode of travel or even the houses, the author has seamlessly captured the lifestyle of the characters. Use of alternate terms like ‘Zac’ for planet years or ‘nex’ for death sets the proper tone of a science fiction, as to how the world transitioned from one planet/perspective to other. However, too much time is taken to set the plot, and there are times when it drags. Men seem more like dwarves, more advanced in weaponry and a little aggressive by nature. Women are more like as elves, comparatively more technically advanced in rest of the fields than men, less aggressive of the two, but more mature in taking decisions. Every now and then its highlighted that men and women are essentially the same, but it fails to be properly captured in essence of this book.

As far as characters go, Maya plays her part flawlessly as a woman’s consciousness. But alas, the same cannot be said for rest of the characters, who fail to leave a lasting impression. Aryan has limited presence and executes his role aptly. Ime and Iwe stick around but again do not leave the desired impact as they could had. By the time Radul and Ultor start to make an impact, its nearly the end of the book leaving a huge gap for their potential. Personally, I felt no characters except these two had traits that set them unique other than their circumstances (with the exception of Maya and Aryan).

The story line has a lot of potential but lacks the gripping element. “Maya’s story” is a well written chapter. The world of Women is captured superbly, but personally I felt that more effort could had been made on getting insight of the Men’s world.

For Sadhna Shanker’s well attempted sci-fi which imbibes some well-thought philosophy as well, my overall rating would be 3/5.

Overall Verdict:- Good concept but lacks the gripping element

The book can be found at Amazon and Flipkart

Reviews from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Book Review - Skyblind by J R Fehr

I have read "Magicians' Workshop" by J. R. Fehr and liked it much. He has mastery over dystopian cum fantasy world. He creates a fantastical concept that can give a good reading experience.

Book Blurb

Corwin Medisto is turning 16 and becoming a man, but that’s the furthest thing from his mind. He and his twin sister Taylee have discovered an ancient relic fueled by dark magic that has a mysterious link to their long dead mother. Worse yet, they’ve accidentally activated it. 

Desperate to learn the truth of its origins and to break free of its curse, the twins leave home with their childhood friend and embark on a quest that leads them to come face to face with Syyris Sagrado, the god of Day, and discover a forbidden power greater than the forces of Day … and Night

Skyblind is the story of Anancia. A country which was ruled by God Syrris and his caretakers who were known as Elders. Corwin and Taylee were siblings living with their uncle Jael in outskirts. Things were normal and filled with hard work. They were okay with life. But on their 16th birthday, they received a relic which belonged to their mother. Taylee being naughty and enthusiast forced her brother to open relic. Unknown to them relic got activated. Soon after the incident, they found their uncle sick. Even before they can think of something, they were attacked by dark ones and locura. They were captured in the struggle. Taylee was saved by an Exile named Skyblind. With help of Skyblind, people got rescued but they were taken to the Lightsphere. Things became difficult as siblings got separated. Various characters and society itself was on the verge of breaking due to chaos. Check out the book to know more about the story.

J. R. Fehr has a unique style of starting chapters as each chapter starts with a relevant quote or line from fantasy world literature. The story was kept to the point keeping audience interest in mind. Characters were given good space to be matured through the story only. The author need not go into the emotional part just to explain it, which I liked.

Though it's a fantasy story, I didn't find it as grand as "Magician's Workshop". I can recommend the book to millennials.

Talking about ratings

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

Book can be found at Amazon India and Amazon USA

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Eldritch Chronicles - A New Beginning By Vimanika Comics

I have read around 7-8 comics by Vimanika Comics till now, except Kaged Muscles, others were based on Hindu mythology. Kaged Muscles was not able to impress me as good as mythological ones. Their mythological series are far better. But I was proven wrong when I read Chronicles of Eldritch by them.

Chronicles of Eldritch is the story of a dystopian world, where the war between countries is common. Most of the world is ruled by local warlords. Antagonist organization called Scarlet Syndicates rule these nations by provoking wars & supplying weapons. You can consider GIJoe kind of situation. In that harsh world, there are some magicians who have superhuman powers. Scarlet Syndicate is on a continuous mission to hunt these mages. These mages are the only hope for the world. There are some young mages who join this mage organization know as 'Eldritch Chronicles". To know more check out comic.

Now considering writing style it is written for middle grade4rs & YA. Language is simple & proper (no abusive language). The concept is a mixture of Hary Potter, G. I. Joe & X-men but I didn't mean it is stolen. The plot is still different.

The artwork is always plus point of Vimanika so I don't need to give emphasis on that. Also, the quality of books is also awesome. A sure show recommendation for kids. I would like to know what will happen in next part.

Talking about ratings

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

Book can be found at Amazon

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Book Review - Warjuna Book 1: Mrithasu Rising

A video-game like cover and not so descriptive colophon, these were the first impressions that the book gave me before I opened it. I was expecting another one of those Mahabharata tales that were being told from a different perspective (The title had Arjuna after all!!).

That’s where I was wrong, gladly I might add.

"Warjuna" by Krishnaraj HK is a well-narrated story where Krishnaraj engages us with familiar Mahabharata characters but in a lusher Mother Nature’s picturesque description. 

Book Blurb

Civilizations have once again emerged from the ruins of Pralaya, and with a new dawn arrive new ambitions. Ordained by fate, several legions of a ruthless clan have been reported to be seen marching into the boundaries of Bharata. The origins of the Hayacree are unknown, yet their intent is evident: to create a new world order.

The tides of war will bring forth valiant men and women of great fortitude and a divine force to unite them all against the strong will of the enemy. While the matters of kings and kingdoms are to be shouldered by a young prince of Wagharr, a supernatural alliance of Mahayogis and Suparnas will need to travel beyond the realm of man to discover the architect behind the Hayacree invasion.

The hunt for the real enemy will lead them to an expanse invisible to the human eye.

In its depth lies an evil waiting to be discovered, waiting to rise

We have a mysterious/intriguing Sauron like villain Mrithasu who wants to capture, destroy and rule by channeling Hayacree forces to do his bidding. There’s chaos amongst the Indian Kings as they have been promised immortality if they join. Arjuna is a mercenary prince of Wagharr who is going with-the-flow and fighting the Hayacree in whatever kingdom he finds himself in. Kanha,  the prince of Dwarka, who also happens to be a Mahayogi provides him the not-so-direct but helpful guidance he requires whilst he himself is engaged in a bigger proxy battle with Mithrasu in other realms as well to prevent his rise; trusting Arjuna will take care of this one.

The book is written in a third person narrative. The flow of the story is good where the scenes are described in extraordinary detail capturing the reader's imagination. But yes, there are times especially in the first half of the book where it feels that the scenic description is way too much, leaving a limited space for the plot. The chapters are short and well arranged which provides a relief for people to take a breather or two and keeping them interested in what comes next.

Kanha as a character is well narrated. But, alas, the same cannot be said Arjuna whose name the novel bears. He feels lost most of the time, but Krishnaraj uses this to his advantage to channel the same in the readers as well. The character of Draupadi seems better narrated but less used as compared to Arjuna. The other numerous supportive characters have been tried to give justice as well which sometimes makes it difficult to maintain the plot.

It's amidst such confusion that we reach the ending, which feels a little bit disconnected and rushed. A lot of questions feel unanswered, but we let it slide as more is yet to come.

I personally felt that the humor content was less throughout the book. However, 

Krishnaraj successfully creates an ancient India which is mesmerizing, magical and filled with the mysterious. 

For Krishnaraj’s well-imagined maiden effort, my rating for “Warjuna” would be 3.5/5. Wishing him a best of luck for his book two.

Book can be found at Amazon

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Overall Verdict:- Engaging one time read

BookReview - Curse of the Kalingan - Nine Trilogy - Shobha Nihalani

During our author interaction week, I got a chance to interview Shobha Nihlani. Though during that time she didn't have any recent book release, she participated in the event looking at our enthusiasm. She also rewarded us with a complete set of "Nine" trilogy. A series which was part of our wishlist for more than two years. I would like to apologize to Shobha for delaying review of this wonderful book series.

Book Blurb

For thousands of years, the wisdom of the NINE has protected mankind from destroying itself. But a vengeful ancient spirit has returned to shatter the peace. With the help of magical powers, he has possessed a young man and mobilised black yogis to destroy the NINE. Plucked from their ordinary lives, empowered with special abilities, Tara, Akash and Zubin are swept into an occult world of kala yogis and siddhis to fight an ancient warrior spirit...NINE will take you on a riveting journey from Europe to India to America and a deadly climax in Cambodia.

The trilogy is based on mytho-historical fiction about Nine treasured knowledgeable scientists. After the great war of Kalinga, Ashoka left violence and started following Buddhism. Though he left violence, scars of the great war were serious. A loyal Kalingan took auth to destroy Mauryan dynasty and its knowledge. This loyal Kalingan spirit is our main antagonist. The first part of the trilogy, "Curse of Kalingan" is beginning of dark forces stronghold over the world.

This Kalingan spirit entered into the body of dying Vayu. Apart from the antagonist, our protagonists are obviously Nine scientists in current time, keeper of ancient powerful knowledge. Each keeper holds specific area of science and special power of the area. Vayu was able to track and kill three of these scientists and now he is after new recruits. To know more you have to read the book.

I hope I haven't given any secrets. The book is written in a proper flow and with good conceptualization. A comparable work with famous books in this genre. The flow of the story is medium paced which has bound me to the last page. Use of historical and mythological facts was proper. Book would be a great read for

• Mytho - Historical Fantasy lover
• Superpower / Heroes Genre Readers
• Fan of thriller and action book

The only reason for 40 days to finish this book is other paid projects and new location-job. Otherwise one can devour this 380 pages book in 3-4 sittings. Surely recommendable work. Talking about rating

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

Book can be found at - Amazon and Flipkart 
Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Dvarca - Enter into the world of Dystopia - A Book by Madhav Mathur

I added Dvarca to my wishlist considering it as mythological fiction, but when I interviewed (link to interview post) Madhav Mathur two months back on our blog I read few reviews and blurb. To my surprise, Dvarca was a dystopian book. I consider myself lucky that I got a copy of the book from the author in exchange for honest review. It was my first read in the dystopian genre, yes you heard me right I haven't read 1984 yet and I call myself an avid reader / bookworm. :)

Book blurb

ONE NATION | ONE RELIGION | ONE WAY OF LIFE Welcome to a land called Dvarca. At the turn of the 22nd century, the world is a mess of warring factions (surprise!). The powers-that-be have fought insanity with an equal and opposite insanity. India has been remodelled under a new bicolour flag, and a State religion called Navmarg. Anyone who does not belong, is a threat. Madhav Mathur's Dvarca is a dark and humorous satire that follows the life of an ordinary family, struggling to get by, in this totalitarian regime. Gandharva, is a patriotic and pious low-level bureaucrat at the Ministry of Finance and Salvation, working hard on his status and overdue promotion. His dutiful and curious wife, Jyoti, works at Dvarca Mills and witnesses a ghastly act of terror, leading to perilous flirtations with dissent. Their two little children, Nakul and Mira, are model students in their predestined streams, indoctrinated and well on their way to becoming faithful and productive citizens. The State religion and cutting-edge science combine to create new ways to make citizens safe, and to hound and hunt those who do not conform. Everything is 'perfect' in this controlled and policed system, until one fateful night, a man happens to break routine.

The 22nd century of Dvarca is 1970th USSR communism with 1400th-century Christianity. It is a country in the digital age where every citizen is a forced believer of state defined gods. The only freedom he gets in his life is the early death. Otherwise starting from his name (one from 10-20 selected Hindu names), his last name (block code), school, profession, life partner (I repeat life partner), kids (you are not allowed to have sex, govt send doctors to your wife for IMP) everything will be decided by government. With added help of digital aids, government controls everything starting from at what time you should wake up to what time to sleep. Sensors are placed in bedroom, hall, kitchen and bathroom. It is actually a black satire for those who want to support only one belief. The family of Gandharva was stuck in this state with each family member with different issues at hand. Their initial struggle was portrayed in this first part. I am eagerly waiting for the sequel.

If you check back cover of the book you will find the comment of Shovon Chowdhury "1984 meets the Meluha series. If you like either, you'll love this." My point is if you have read Meluha series or the first part of Ramchandra Series you would be able to relate this story with muscularity of religious or kingdom's dominion. When we try to bring "zero entropy" system, we ourselves add multiple problems. It feels so perfect when you read how people should be governed. At the macro level, things look wonderful, but at the micro level, things were so frustrating that people are forced to do almost everything. I can start a GD or Debate on the book, but writing about it is quite difficult. I have less space and many things are coming in mind to write about. Let me keep some points for next part as well. :)

The only thing I disliked about the book is the paper quality of pages. It has hampered my overall reading experience. Otherwise, a must read. Talking about rating:

1. Cover Page : 4 / 5
2. Concept : 4.5 / 5
3. Characters : 4 / 5
4. Storyline : 4.5 / 5
5. Overall : 4.5 / 5

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Reviews from other readers can be found at Goodreads

Book Review - Exposure by Simron Gill

When I checked this book cover, title, and blurb; I got a completely different impression. Frankly speaking, it is true "Never judge the book by its cover". "Exposure" is a mixture of Sci-fi, Fantasy & Dystopian genre by Simron Gill.

Book blurb

"I guess I don't really understand why I am writing this; but, I feel that if I don't I might just lose whatever hope I have left - and then I will truly lose myself!"The world is being destroyed, people are being slaughtered on the street, and newly abandoned Sarah has to fight if she wants to survive. But after being abandoned by her family can she really accept the help of a new one, and if she doesn't then will she be able to live through the fight?

Exposure is the story of Sarah, who had spent all her life on the Earth with her family. But one fine day, an unknown species called Gymps attacked earth and started killing people. Gymps raided Sarah's house and to Sarah's surprise, all his family members abandoned her to survive on her own. Sarah survived 4 months 10 days on her own, but then she met James who claimed himself as another species alpha. Alpha had special powers and they lived on Earth only but on clouds. From James, Sarah came to know that she had another family on the cloud. She went to cloud with James and learned much shocking truth.

Things that I liked about book

• Author's imagination about alpha or cloud people's world
• Deep psychological thought process of four main characters Sarah, Her mother, James & Kai

Things that author missed to give explanation

• The time lapse between Alpha & Human. I found multiple instances where characters mentioned being friend with the known figure from the past (as far as Cleopatra). 
• Sarah checked documents of all people killed by Gymps in multiple universes, each person has an individual paper copy. Can you imagine how big that room could be just for people of earth with 7 billion people? 

Well, considering age group for which book was written one can ignore those flaws. Consider it as a light read for the young generation.

Talking about ratings:

1. Cover: 3 / 5 (Not able to gauge what book is about)
2. Storyline: 3.5 / 5 (Fast paced)
3. Characters:4 / 5
4. Concept: 4 / 5 (Something new)
5. Overall: 3.25 / 5

Book can be found at Amazon UK, Amazon US & Amazon India

Reviews from other readers can be found at Goodreads