The Gatekeeper's Staff (TJ Young & The Orishas #1) by Antoine Bandele

I was listening to too many serious books that I decided to try one YA or middle-grade fantasy book. It was then I came across "The Gatekeeper's Staff" on Netgalley. I liked the cover and description, on top of that I have listened to one more book by the author, so I applied for the review copy. I got it in exchange for an honest review.

The story is written around boy TJ who belonged to a magician family. Magician in the book is known as diviners. TJ's sister was a child prodigy and was working on a secret project. Though he was from a strong line of magicians, his skill as a magician was nothing but a lucky charm and tingling on the top of his fingers. But the demise of her sister changed everything. He was selected for a camp where wizard kids go for training. Read the book to know more.

When I started the book and heard words like Orisha, Diviner, Ashe I thought the author has taken ideas from Tomi Adeyemi. But later on, I searched on the internet and found that Orisha is mythology and no one has their claim on it. The book is a good mixture of fantasy, mythology, a mystery to give you good company. I will wait for the sequel.

The book deserves a good 4.25 out of 5.

Book Review - Bharatvansh ka udai (Rankshetram #4) by Utkarsh Srivastava

I have read around dozen books in Hindi literature, unfortunately, Hindi authors are not vocal and their books are not appearing on social media as much as English authors. On top of that, there are not many series in Hindi series which you will enjoy thoroughly. I am following two series Hindi series seriously, and Rankshetram is one of them.

With the fourth part, the story of Rankshetram comes nearer to the bigger stage of the finale. Our central characters are majorly the same as the last part, Durbhiksh, Durdhala, Mahabali Akhand, Meghvarna, Sarvadaman (Bharat). As mentioned in the blurb, this part starts multiple threads in the story, sooner gets matured and finished in this post, but some create new threads for which we will need to read next part and lucky for me, as I have received 5th part with this post. So no waiting for me. I am not divulging more of the story front as the blurb is good and interesting enough.

Coming to writing style, as I have shared in 3rd part review, Utkarsh's writing style is improving with each new post of this series. If you compare the first part of the series with this one you will feel that 1st one might have been written by someone else. And I think this happened because Utkarsh wholeheartedly accepted feedback and worked upon genuine one. 

When the series started, the story's time seems Pauranic times, but you cannot place it among any mythological incident. As the series progressed author has established its relationship with Puru Kula and Bharat of Paurava Clan (later on known as Kuru clan after his descendant King Kuru). I consider it as a strong point showing the storytelling skill of the author. 

I also found some good philosophical discussions between intellectuals. Which I observed first time in the series (sorry if I have missed one in previous parts but they may not be as good as these parts)

My only complaint from the whole series is hurried storytelling, every event takes place almost immediately. For example, if a warrior had left for a place, in the next line he would reach the place. Sometimes I feel that the previous line was redundant.

Coming to cover art, I liked new covers of the whole series, they are attractive enough to capture the attention of the targeted audience.

By Sea & Sky: An Esowon Story (The Sky Pirate Chronicles #1) by Antoine Bandele

I am reading and following manga since 2008. And my most favorite is "One Piece" a Japanese comic based on a fantasy world where Pirates rule the world. So when I saw "By Sea & Sky: An Esowon Story" I was very excited. I am happy that I got its copy in exchange for an honest review.

"By Sea & Sky" is my second audiobook from Netgalley honest review copies. I was glad that I waited for app updates because, by the time I started this book, the forward/backward option started working.

The book belongs to "The Sky Pirate Chronicles", a fantasy world. Our two major characters are  Karim and Zala. Karim was from the Vaji empire and was stationed on the first-ever sky Shop built by Vaji Empire. They were given tasks to prove the ability of the ship. On their voyage, they apprehended some notorious pirates, one of the key prisoner was Zalani, Zala's husband. Zala and her husband joined pirates to make some quick money so that they can buy the required ingredients for remedies for Zalani's cursed disease. But in that process, they got separated. Zala with 3-4 other members from her crew was stranded on a lone island. Read the book to know whether she was able to reunite with her husband or not.

The plot and storyline have good potential but the portrayal was shallow. The author had sprinkled every bit of things he had in mind for this fantasy. Many of those bits were used or referred to just one time. For the first book in the series, it would be too much for a reader to attach so deeply. I was expecting more details if possible for a few topics. 

Coming to characters, though Zala might be the protagonist of the story, I found Karim more interesting. Zala's character was part selfish and filled with folly. Usually, in this kind of book, the author portrays such that the reader gets attached to one side either pirate or marine. But here the author has used an unbiased approach, when I was listening to Karim's part I wanted marine to win, and when I was listening to Zala I wanted pirate to outsmart.

Coming to the audio book, the narrator has done a good job, voice modulation and tone were proper. In many places, background music is also given.

Overall an okay book still deserves 3 out 5.

Book review - Blood & Ash (The Jezebel Files #1) by Deborah Wilde

I was sincerely waiting for Audiobook review copies by Netgalley. I started checking out books within a month of audiobook launch. But my selective choices have delayed my Netgalley audiobook experience by 2 months. The very first book for which I applied and received a review copy in exchange for an honest review was "Blood & Ash" by Deborah Wilde. I could have reviewed the book within 15 days of approval, but a month was wasted as due to some technical issues in the app, I was unable to download the book. For another month, I waited for a technical bug to get resolved, which I was facing in the app. The bug was about forward and backward buttons, these buttons were kept playing chapter from the beginning. Also, the app was forgetful many times where I left last. One more thing I found was that this issue was with a certain set of audiobooks only, and unfortunately, Blood & Ash was one of them. Anyway, I don't want to downrate books because of technical issues.

As mentioned in the blurb, the story is portrayed in today's world. But magic is added as a fantasy flavor. The world is having two kinds of people mundane the normal humans, and the Nefesh, human with magical powers. There are separate rules and houses for wizards. The protagonist of our story is Ashira Cohen, a mundane private investigator. All she has in her life are her job as an investigator and her roommate/best friend Priya, a cybersecurity expert, and somewhat space for her mother. Things are changed when she discovers a hidden tattoo on the backside of her body, and she realizes that she can do magic. As if these complexities are not enough, she starts seeing mysterious shadows attacking wizards. She also learns that kids are disappearing from different locations. Read the book to know how things are related. 

Coming to writing style, the author has covered multiple aspects in the book, but my favorite are

1. Badass female protagonist

2. Satirical dialogues

3. Action sequences

4. Suspense behind situations

The character of Ashira is unique. She is intelligent, kind-hearted, too much introspective, less friendly, to the point in nature, and last but not least bad mouth at times. Throughout the book, you will see Ashira's way of seeing her surrounding like you are living through it. Suspense creation in the book was good, but I was expecting more in the climax. 

Anyways a good book series to follow.

I will give 3.75 out of 5 to this book.

8 Reasons why a sci-fi lover must read "Rhythm Roger - The Secrets of Electon" by Himanshu Rai

I think during lockdown I saw a post of Himanshu on my timeline mentioning his upcoming book. As Himanshu has published 2-3 books in the romance genre, I presumed it to be a romcom. Later on, I saw an interesting cover reveal post and the title. I was sure that the book would not be a romcom. I kept his handle under notification and then came full cover and the blurb. A sci-fi book for middle grades and above with theme of Telecom Fantasy, a proposition which was unheard of not only in Indian literature but in other geographies as well. I was a bit skeptical initially as previous sci-fi I read by Indian authors were lacking the spark that foreign authors offer. Almost after a month of the release when I was satisfied by reviews from reliable sources I decided to go for the book.

So in brief my reasons for book selection

1) Novel genre 

2) Attractive cover art

3) Blurb

4) Reviews from reliable sources

Coming to the story, our protagonist is Rhythm in the human world and the same person with the name Roger in Electon. Rhythm was living in the human world unknown to the fact that he belonged to a secret world Electon. When he reached the age of 25 he went to Electon and found out that he was the son of Queen Anagol. He was informed that he was the future king of V-slots and Noise & D-slots were their enemies. On the very next day of his arrival, he was included in an assignment that took him to a rollercoaster ride with his teammates. He also explored various technologies and tools used in Electon. I hope I haven't share any spoilers. Read the book to know more.

I can give 8 reasons why middle-graders and sci-fi lover will adore "Rhythm Roger - The Secrets of Electon"

1) Out-of-box conceptualization

2) Good linking with physics, physicists & fantasy

3) Characters built around physics concept used in communication & digital world

4) You will find the time-traveling, multiple timelines and what not

5) Three groups to get you engaged and think who is right and who is wrong

6) Easy language usage ideal for kids

7) Age-appropriate content

8) The artwork was given throughout the book, showing places and characters. It helps the reader to visualize clearly.

There are a few points I found confusing related to time travel, but that's not the author's problem. I always find it difficult to digest why one cannot go back to a time (if one can actually time travel) and change things until he is satisfied with end results. I think the book is good enough to have fans & cult following. If marketed and placed well book is capable to capture large readership. I will congratulate and wish luck to Himanshu for bigger success for the book.

Overall I will give 4.5 out 5 to this good book.

Book links Goodreads and 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.

A Book Review - The Brahmin Warrior by R. Durgadoss

I have read the first 2 books by Dr. Durgadoss in the Indus Valley Series. His books are just like Tollywood movies, which contain action, drama, mystery & super fast storyline. As given in prologue there are predecided numbers of books in the series and in each book the cursed warrior will be born with unique capabilities at the time of great need. 

This book covers the era of the unjust rule of Islamic Kings over India. These were trying times where mass killing or conversions of Hindus to Muslims were common things. The resident Hindus needed a force that can stop these atrocities. That is when our protagonist Aditya was born. In this reincarnation, he was born with powers to control earth. Raised in Muslim rakhi-brother of his mother, Aditya got an education in Hindu & Muslim religion along with solder training from Mughals and Parshurama. He went on a mission to establish a Hindu Rashtra for his maternal Uncle Hemu. Read the book to know how he fought 22 great battles for his uncle.

As usual, Durgadoss's books are super fast-paced. You will find no extra lines in the story. Every word is tightly around the story. Language is easy, ideal for beginners. You will learn multiple historical facts as well, but you need some serious books to know the actual strategies used during wars. The author has tried best to tie knots of history with mythology & fantasy. This multi-genre books can accompany you on your vacations. 

I am not sure which era would be taken in the sequel. Any guess?

- Aurangzeb-Shivaji times

- Bajirao-Nizam times

- Goan Portuguese

- Keralites Portuguese times

- British era. 

Overall I will give 3.5 out of 5 to this book. 

Book links - Goodreads, Amazon & Flipkart

Book Review - Kali Yuga The Ascension

Being a fan of mythification I don't lose the chance of reading or reviewing one, no matter how overloaded I am. In one such week, I got a recommendation from my acquaintance from the publishing industry, the book cover and blurb were interesting enough to accept the book. Three days back I planned to make a schedule for the second half of the month's read when I checked blurb again to decide the exact date of reading for this book. But one thing led to another and I ended up reading 3 chapters in 15 minutes. I put aside the schedule and took "Kali Yuga The Ascension"  under the current read.

"Kaliyuga" is a unique mix of fantasy, mythology & sci-fi. I am not sure in which basket I should put the book. The mace - Gada shown on the cover picture is kind of core theme of the story. This Gada is Mahashakti Gada, last used by Anjaneya, last avatar of Lord Rudra. When Anjaneya left the physical realm he left responsibilities of securing Gada & train next avatar on lord Parshurama. The story started with a celebration of Anjaneyautsav that brings all 5 major clans together where they do a friendly match between warriors. Bheema is one of the central characters who wanted to claim the title of Anjaneya by lifting mighty Gada (though righteously). His father Vajra was also having high expectations from Bheema. But Rangbhoomi was opened for other candidates as well. During this time of celebration, the chances of an attack from the army of Rahu & Ketu posed a bigger threat, which had put Anjaneyasena on high alert. On top of that, Vajra & his wife were expecting another child (Dheeish), and people around had great hope from that child as well. Do read the book to know what happened during Utsav.

I haven't repeated blurb by giving the name of clans & history of Gada. I have given minimal glimpses of the story and concealed spoilers at the best. Coming to the writing style, it is a smooth fast-paced story with easy language usage. An ideal read for fantasy lovers. Even a Beginner can enjoy the book.

Characters of the book are well planned. I would say the author could have used less number of characters or tribes for a short book like this. Having said that, I don't mean you will find unnecessary characters in the story. A mix of mythology, fantasy & sci-fi is unique and will give you full throttle reading experience. Just don't miss it.

I will give 4 out of 5 to this book.

Book links - Goodreads, Amazon

Book Review - The Many Adventures of Peter and Fi

When I had compared my yearly, quarterly & monthly book read logs, I realized that compared to 2017, year on year I was/am reading fewer books. From 70+ in 2017, I am around 40-45 books now. At the same time guilt of not able to read kept increasing, to cover the lost/missed pages I needed an option.

Around that time I came upon a mail by "Kelvyn Fernandes" about his book "The Many Adventures of Peter and Fi Volume I: Homecoming". I had little time and about to decline a request when I saw the audiobook available. So I took that as a sign from stars and downloaded the first chapter. I gave a try during my morning cycling time. I liked the experience so much that after coming back I downloaded all chapters and also worked around audiobooks from other authors. I know I am mixing up my first audiobook experience with this book's review but I cannot separate them as both are linked.

Coming to the actual story, it is about two characters Peter and Fi. The first one is a magician and the later one is from the mystical beast clan. The story started when Peter for his magician qualification took a quest. On the way or I would say to reach his goal he went through various situations. Fi was an orphan raised by Peter. She joined him in his quest in return for the promise that Peter would take her to her hometown. Description & adventure are filled with the fantasy world and its creature. Read the book to know more.

Though written for middle grade, it can give satisfaction fantasy readers as well. There are parts in books which brings smile to your face and there are parts (like condition of prisoner, punishment to people around city wall, attack on Phi's village) will make you feel emotional. The story is divided into multiple short ones, side characters of each stories are well thought of keeping Jack & Phi as mains.

The book is written with simple language for the targeted audience. The plot is simple. Voice artist has done a good job. He has maintained the difference between different characters which has given uniqueness to the narration. Overall a good book/story. I will give 3.75 out of 5 to this book.

Book Link - Amazon & Goodreads

Book Review - Beast by Krishna Udayasankar

I have read & loved the first book in Govinda series by Krishan Udayasankar. By the time I finished it and wanted to buy the next books in the series they were off the shelf. Surprisingly only second-hand books are available currently. Even Kindly version is not available. So this time when the opportunity arose I grabbed it. I know I am a bit late to review Beast, but it is better late than never.

Book Blurb

It was always the same dream, a dream that began with darkness and blood.'

When Assistant Commissioner of Police Aditi Kashyap is called upon to solve a gruesome triple homicide in a Mumbai suburb, she is dragged into the terrifying world of the Saimhas-werelions-who have lived alongside humans, hiding amongst them, since ancient times.

Faced with the unbelievable, Aditi has no choice but to join hands with Prithvi, an Enforcer called in to hunt down this seemingly otherworldly murderer.

But can Prithvi overcome the nightmarish burdens of his dark and violent past to unravel the mystery hidden deep within this secret world of werelions? Can he be trusted to save lives, or will he choose to serve a different, more powerful, master?

Read on, as Aditi and Prithvi race through the dark underbelly of Mumbai-from quiet suburbs to gritty brothels, from forgotten colonial tunnels to the lights and glamour of the inner city-in search of a dangerous truth.

The protagonist of our story is Prithvi. He belonged to a supernatural race called Simhas (or werelions). For a human, they were ordinary persons. And Prithvi was one of the persons who worked around to make their kind hidden. The story started when a mysterious murder took place in Mumbai. Prithvi was called upon to find out the murderer. He found out the person related was linked with his part. This takes the story to his childhood and then his upbringing. Read the book to know more, how is the murderer is associated with Prithvi's past.

The tale is fast-paced in current times, but slow-paced in time during a flashback. The language used is simple. A good read for fantasy, action, thriller lover. I found flashback a little bit boring, it took me more time to finish that part. Overall a good read. I will give 3.5/5 for the book.

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

The Hidden Children: The Lost Grimoire by Reshma K. Barshikar

I was getting The Hidden Children: The Lost Grimoire's reviews on my Twitter, Instagram and Goodreads timeline multiple times. Though I was knee-deep in the commitment of review work, my inner mind was not ready to miss the chance to read the book. I would like to thank AuthorsChannel for providing us a review copy in exchange for an honest review. What made me select this book

• Wonderful cover
• Interesting promising title
• Chance to be the part of another wonderful book series

Book Blurb

Shayamukthy cruises through life: shooting hoops, daydreaming and listening to her favourite books. Even moving from the US to India, to a new school, a new culture, hasn't really rattled her. But something isn't right anymore and it begins when a New Girl joins the school.

She pulls Shui into a world of magic and wonderment, a world she has been hidden from all her life. What starts as a quest to look for a lost book, hurtles Shui into a world where people live in trees, talk to the dead and speak to butterflies.

But like all power, magic comes at a steep price and under all things wondrous lie demons waiting to crawl out. The more Shui learns, the more she doubts everything and everyone around her.

Will she be able to master her powers, or will they devour her and everyone she loves?

The protagonist of the story is Shyamukthy (Shui), a dyslexia girl of early teenage, who had only two friends in class or I would say in her life. The book is divided into two parts. The first one covers her life filled with problems and introduction with Ananya. This part shows how an introvert, shy girl with just 2 friends met new entrant and later on became the point of attraction. The second part covers mystical things where she could listen to animals and insects. This part is really interesting and makes your reading pace fast. I wish I could tell you to jump to this part directly, but how can I, when both are interlinked.

If you read regularly then you must have encounter books being damn interesting after going through first/introductory boring part, just like those movies which become interesting after intermission. That is what happened to me, after reading the first part, I went to Goodreads and checked what others are saying. Review of many people gave me an indication that if I had left it DNF I would have missed the main fun, so I continued.

A good YA concept and a good read. I will give

1. Concept - 4/5
2. Cover - 4/5
3. Character  - 3/5
4. Content - 2/5 (Deducted due to first boring portion)
5. Overall - 3.75/5

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

A Must Read - Malhaar/मल्हार: Sangram Sindhu Gatha - Part 2

A must-read.

Almost one and a half hear back I have read and reviewed "Arthala" by Vivek Kumar. At that time I have read only 3-4 Hindi novels and I found writing of Vivek better than those books I have read. I was thoroughly impressed by the "Arthala" and its complete fantasy world. Today when I have finished the second book in "Sangram Sindu Gatha" - Malhar, I am confident that book can give good competition to Amish Tripathi Meluha's Hindi translation, as no other current Hindi books in this genre are competent enough. I would like to thank Vivek for providing review copy in exchange for an honest review, else I wouldn't have been aware of such a hidden gem. Those who didn't find Hindi novels as good as English must-see/check this book.

Book Blurb

‘मल्हार’ की कहानी ठीक वहीं से प्रारंभ होती है, जहाँ प्रथम भाग की समाप्ति हुई थी। दूसरा भाग असुर देश, मुंद्रा, सौराष्ट्र तथा ऊसर की रोमांचक यात्रा करते हुए आगे बढ़ता है, और कई नई घटनाओं के माध्यम से अर्थला के कल्पनातीत संसार को विस्तारित भी करता जाता है। संग्राम-सिंधु गाथा का यह खंड असुरों के व्यापार, उनकी राजनैतिक स्थिति और आगामी युद्ध में उनकी भूमिका के पीछे के कारणों पर प्रकाश डालेगा। अकल्पित युग की यात्रा जारी है|

The first part Arthala was finished with Vidhan and Dhananjaya successfully obtaining Kundala's from Danava nation (Santhar). From that point, the second part is resumed. Vidhan fainted on the border of Santhar near Danubans patch, from there they were rescued by mysterious Siddhidharak (Super Power). On returning to Arthala Dhananjaya started working on strategies to avoid a clash with Santhar. On the other hand, Dakshan new ruler of Santhar wanted to take control of Bharat Varsha, so he was also working in the line of his goals. These known characters of Arthala makes only 25% of the second part. In Malhar, completely new territory and relations were revealed. Malhar was the part of Kanji Pradesh controlled by Asura clan. Half of the book is written in and around characters that belonged to the Asura nation. This part shows the political and economic situation of the country. The kingdom was in turmoil. It shows how the trading community (mainly two groups) had handled the whole country indirectly. Along with that, this book has also revealed more "Siddhidharak" and created curiosity to know further. The book is finished in such a high tempo that I wish I had read when the next part will be with me.

Coming to writing style, when you are writing a series author has to cultivate multiple characters, plots, and subplots. Without which the series becomes dull. The first part was majorly dedicated to Vidhan but the second shows other important characters as well. There are more than 5-6 subplots and 7-8 important characters in series now. With these complexities, you have multiple fronts to guess what will happen next. 

Good points about the book

• Good narration style. Juggling between plots and characters was optimum
• Balanced suspense and thrill 
• Proper characterization of newly introduced characters
• The mix of super power, war & political fiction
• A light read for the general age group with easy to follow language usage.

Talking about ratings

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

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Book Review - Scepters of Empyrea: A Journey to the Andromeda Galaxy by Vignesh Ravichandran

I have seen this book first time on Amazon in their suggestions. Later on, I saw this book's review by DDS' on b00kreviews and that made me more curious. So the book reached to our wishlist I would like to thank DDS for coordination and arranging the review copy in exchange for an honest review. I have received this book in the first week of April. And I have done reading the book by end of the April, but unfortunately during May vacations (yes we get 21 days of paid vacation in May). I forgot to update the review of the book. So I would like to apologize to the author and DDS for delaying the review.

Book Blurb

Empyrea, an island in the Andromeda galaxy belonging to planet Vathura is serene. Everywhere your eyes turn, you will feast on the lovely birds singing their heart out in the lush green vegetation. Osiris Mysterio ruled the regions of Empyrea with his brother Tyrant Seth and with their children Pitheceus Babi, Kraity Wadjet, and Horus Mysterio.

5000 years ago, the ancient Egyptians were the only humans to receive the invitation to enter Empyrea. They gladly on-boarded into a Pegasus chariot and took their journey to Empyrea. Their journey is indescribable. Empyrea by itself was like a fairy-tale garden, an ocean of flowers and exotic trees. 

Talking about the review, let's take storyline first. The story started with excavator restoring and clearing Pyramids and items within. During which she came upon interesting sets of scrolls. These scrolls talked about the link between ancient Egypt and Planet Vathura (and its island Empyrea). Then the story goes back and past & present. The things excavated from Pyramid were stolen by a thief. This is where action and thriller enter the story when thief solved the puzzle found in stolen materials which open portal to planet Vathura. Things became interesting when this guy found Scepter which can grant unparalleled powers to its wielders. Check out the book to know more.

There are some points of improvements that I would like to discuss first

• Font size - I think if you have written a lengthy book then split it into volumes or publish it as one, but don't decrease font size to this level. I had to literally train my mind to read such small text with little line spacing.
• As long as the story continues with the environment or setting it is okay. But don't overdo it. At some places, I found surrounding information in excess.

Coming to positive points

• You might have seen Ravana movie (Abhishek & Aishwarya starring) which is remembered for its awesome cinematography. The same way you will remember this book for its illustrious surrounding descriptions.
• A true fantasy genre book. It contains aliens, past, future, space travel, black and white magic, animals, dinosaurs, etc.
• Light read and fast-paced story. You will keep turning pages once tempo sets (which is true for 70% of the book)
• Nice colorful cover design.

Overall nice read. Ratings

1. Cover - 4.25/5
2. Concept - 4/5
3. Content - 3/5
4. Characters - 3.5/5
5. Overall - 3.75/5

Book can be found at Amazon

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

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

Tiny Tara and the Tree of Life by Nishika Bajaj

Tiny Tara and the Tree of Life by Nishika Bajaj is one book which made me realized "Don't Judge". When I first saw this book on the internet, from the cover & title I thought it is a bedtime story. That impression changed when I got the copy in hand, at that time I thought the book is "Middle Grade Only" Finally when I read the book, I realized that though written with child-centric characters and story it is written with a greater goal and broader mindset.

Book Blurb

Can trees talk? Rustling leaves and crackling barks apart, doesn’t it sometimes seem as though the trees around us really do have something more to say? What if it’s not the trees talking, but the tiny creatures that live inside them?

Let’s see the world around us through the eyes of Tiny Tara, the princess who lives in the trees with all her friends and her family. The Tiny princess knows more about trees and animals than our mind could possibly absorb, or our imagination encompass. Riding cats and climbing trees are other favorite activities, as Tara would tell you, once you get to know her better. Oh! And she also loves yoga.

Come along with Tara on this amazing adventure, in which mythology and fantasy come together to make your ride on the Tree of Life even more exciting.

Let me start with the book design. The broad width and attractive glossy cover will attract any kid or parent to pick this book. But the book doesn't contain artwork apart from cover and last page, which may dishearten kids. But I am sure parents won't feel the same, once they read it out. I am not sure whether to put this in a point of improvement or positive category.

The story is about a fantasy fairy clan called tinies, who are around 3-5 inches in height, they exist on earth unknown to human (why unknown is discussed in the book) They live with natures harmony, or you may say many times they help nature to keep the harmony. Among these tinies lives our protagonist Tara from a light fairy house. Tinies are divided into 4 houses. Two of Tara's close friends Sameer belongs to Air Fairy & Neera belongs to water fairy. Another important character of the story is Parthiv, an earth fairy. The daring trio had found out that man-made machines are just a block away from their tribe. Their concern for the existence of fairies became their quest for readers. Though it is considered taboo or I would say prohibited for tinies to go close to human, Tara had made a friend with a human child. Read the book to know more. Hope we haven't revealed much.

Coming to our observations

• Wonderful storytelling to glue kids to the book.
• Nice conceptualization of tinies. I think those who have seen Disney's "Tinker Bell" movie series can relate it more.
• The nice naming convention of characters based on the house they belonged
• Good amount of learning & a good message to kids about nature
• Wonderful character description.
• Situational funny lines to lighten read
• A light read, easy language & straight narration style
• The only point I observed could be negative is too much description at some places which has reduced the pace of the story. I am not an expert on Middle-grade genre so I am not sure whether it should be considered a weakness or not.

Ratings

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

Book can be found at - Amazon & Flipkart

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

Time to Read Christmas Fantasy - Alfie the Elf by Shaiju Mathew

We found this little guy (Alfie the Elf by Shaiju Mathew) in old house's neighbor. It seems we missed to get the courier during our house shifting. What could be a better reason than not to read Santa & Elf related book before Christmas? Just look at how adorable cover is? When I clicked the picture to post on our Instagram feed, my 4 years old told me "Did you bought this Character based book for me? I said yes. Unfortunately, it will take 3-4 more years for him to read this book.

Book Blurb

Alfie is a 14-year-old orphaned midget. He has just one wish – to grow tall. He believes that would help him gain lots of adoring friends and even impress Charlene, the girl of his dreams. He tries all tricks and tips to increase his height, but to no avail. Finally, he pins all his hopes on a miracle by writing to Santa and stays ‘good’ through the year. Christmas arrives, but Alfie’s wish doesn’t get fulfilled. Hurt, and deeply disappointed, Alfie runs away from his orphanage to look for Santa. That is only the beginning of a fantastical journey that takes him across mythical lands where he meets creatures straight out of fairy tales. With a wicked wizard out to dominate the universe and a worried Santa with his share of woes, Alfie has his hands full. Will he be able to achieve his dream? With the help of his best friend, Bullet, a pug and Pedro, an owl, he just might!

The story is sweet & simple. Alfie was our protagonist. He was a midget. Being shorter than all his orphanage & schoolmates, he was always being bullied. All he wanted was to get normal like other boys & girls. One day he learned about Santa & Christmas wishes. He wrote the letter & waited for Christmasegerly to get his wish to fulfill. But he was humiliated when his wish was not met. Sadden Alfie met Pedro Owl & Bullet dog, who told Alfie about Santa & how to reach time. Three of them left their city to meet Santa. But accidentally they took the plane of a dark magician. Read the book to know more.

I wish I have read this book a year back when I won it. It would be a best and A sure shot gift material Christmas gift to 7+ age kids. Simplest language usage, straight narration style, proper context (for kids) & full with illustration.

Talking about ratings

1. Cover - 5/5 (for cover as well as other artwork)
2. Concept - 4/5
3. Character - 4/5
4. Overall - 4/5

The book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Reviews from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Mermaids Are Real: The Mystiq Prong by Bo Wu

When I saw "Mermaids Are Real: The Mystiq Prong" by Bo Wu on Vishnu Chevli's account it instantly caught my attention. I was about to ask him to lend me the copy, and I got a message from him whether I can take the book or not.

Book Blurb

“'Crabs talk?' asked Benji. 

'Everything in nature speaks. Not everything in nature listens,' said Octavius nodding Topside." 

Benji Fisher has spent the first twelve years of his life growing up in a small fishing town, Topside. He’s gotten used to the gang of dolphins who follow him on his surfboard and the voices he hears under the water; odd things that have, in their repetition, become part of normal everyday life. 

However, none of that prepares him for the recruitment speech he gets from an octopus named Octavius and three of the dolphins the night before his thirteenth birthday. 

What would you do if your ‘calling’ in life required you to take a leap/dive of faith? Would you take the plunge? 

First, I would like to talk about the cover and the title of this book. When I first read the title, in my head in the background grand drumrolls were going on and I could fantasy an epic mermaid land. After reading this book I can say I was totally satisfied.

The story is about a guy called Benji who lived his normal life with his father Joe. But slowly he realized that he was not so normal as he could talk to animals and fish and could read other people's mind. One day an octopus and two dolphins came telling him that he was an Aquarian which in this book means all the creatures lives in the ocean including mermaids. He was not just any mermaid but last of Mystiq mermaids who could live both on topside ( which is the Book's term for the human world ) and in the acquari. Later he found out that his actual parents died in the fight with Donquarian where Gouguon killed his parents. The fight was about the pollution in the ocean by topsiders. Their thirst didn't stop at Benji's parents' killing but they wanted Benji as well. What will happen to Benji? Read the book to find out.

The book was written neatly. When I was reading the book I felt like I was in another fantasy world, there are many twists and turns in between which makes it more interesting. It felt like I was watching barbie mermaid which is a really cool thing. I love how in this book various aspects are referred to in the book. My only complaint of this book is that the story was a bit predictable for me. Well, the narration style has made it entertaining. What I liked the most about this book is that it holds a social message to control the pollution underwater and the destruction we create for the creatures living inside the ocean.

It was an epic ride to the fantasy world. If you like reading about mystical creatures, mermaids and even like watching barbies this book would be a perfect choice. Ratings

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

The book can be found at Amazon India and Amazon USA

Reviews from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Book Review - Maha Vishnu Trilogy: Part I: The Code of Manavas

"The Code of Manavas" was on my wishlist for almost 3 months and by the time I decided to go for it, I found the book was off-the-shelf. I directly inquired author (Arpit Bakshi) for the same, he told me there was a good reason behind out of stock situation. Actually, the efforts and brilliance of Arpit's work were able to catch notice of well-known publishers. His book was going to be published by them and Arpit had promised me that he would get back once it would be out. Almost after a year, I got July release mail from Rupa publications and I found the book in the list. I instantly inquired Arpit for the same. He confirmed it. The new look of the cover was even more interesting than the previous one. So how could I not go for the book this time? In short, I got my hands on this book after a wait of almost 1 and a half year, so I took the book almost immediately.

Book Blurb

"The earth and the human race as we knew it have ceased to exist.

Bhoomidium, discovered by Krishna, healed the unstable core of Bhoomi during the last apocalypse. It has transformed Man to Manavas and Kali-Yug into Swarnim-Yug.

The year is 2050.2.0000001 and the Manavas are divided into two states, Madhavpur and Ayudhpur.

Krishna sees another apocalypse around the corner and he has a way out – an alternate universe, which can be reached by travelling through Omechta realm.

Can he save his race this time?"

So far I have discussed only my fanatics about the book. So let me give a basic plot of the book. In the year 2050, the earth we know got into oblivion kind of situation. I would say a Pralay. Only a few thousand humans survived. They called themselves as Manavas and they took an oath to follow codes of Manavas. These Manavas were able to defeat aging. They survived million years (same guys not their progeny). But change is always constant in nature. After a million years they are at the edge of next possible Pralay. Krishna is the only ray of hope for the citizen of Madhavpur (one of the two cities exists). Same Krishna saved Manavas and made them practically immortal during last Pralay. The savior Krishna himself was in dilemma and having many questions on top of extinction threat. They were being attacked by some unknown party discretely. Krishna wanted to solve both mysteries, he ventured into a restricted area with an adventurous lady. Read the book to know more. Sorry, Arpit if you think I have shared much but I think no spoilers were touched here.

Let's start with good points

1. To the point narration - Straight narration style. No words out of place. Every event, character, scene is relevant to the story. 
2. Easy to follow language usage.
3. Amalgamation of high-fi sci-fi topics with spirituality
4. Awesome cover art
5. The naming of characters - Found it unique and relevant to the storyline
6. On top of all, kudos to the author's imagination

Coming to point of improvements

• The good point (narration style) is also accountable for too plain narration. It is super-duper fast once any event occurred and normal once things are normal. Maybe people like the reverse. I like to read more about those special events.
• Though the story has twist and turns. The author has started two-three such incidents which have garnered a good amount of eagerness. But it was not able to satisfy my interest after reading. For example entry to another city, invasion of intruders. I would not have mind reading 50-100 pages more if he has elaborated further because I didn't find a single boring page in the book. 

Don't worry, the book is still wonderful even after giving improvement points. Ratings

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

The book can be found at Amazon and Flipkart

Reviews from other readers can be found at GoodReads