Dandkaranya Sangram (Rankshetram #5) by Utkarsh Srivastava

Rankshetram by Utkarsh Shrivastava has covered the longest distance in terms of storyline and characters. I haven't come across any such novel with so many subplots and characters in modern Hindi literature. With its 5 volumes, the series has developed a giant storyline. I think it is an ideal candidate for animation adaption for the younger generation.

Coming to the latest part in the series, that is "Dandkaranya Sangram". Utkarsh has given proper weight to the finale. He has used the stage of the finale to bind all loose ends of the series. As mentioned in the blurb, the war was inevitable, and Durbhiksh decided to support Asura, Danava & Rakshasa. But his good deeds were not washed away completely, merits of his good deeds earned him consideration from mighty Vishwamitra, read the book to know more. 

I have shared already in reviews of the previous 2 parts, how the author and series evolved with each part. The maturity of writing plots, fights, and conversation are visible. The best proofs are conversations of various characters over philosophical and social topics. Weaknesses that I found in numbers initially became rare as the series progressed. 

If you love to read Hindi action series then you should try this one.

Rating for this part 3.75 out of 5

Rating for whole series 3.5 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.

Book Review - Rankshetram Part 3 - Durbhiksh & Durdhara

In India, especially in Hindi or regional languages, you will get fewer options for middle grades or YA readers based on mythological action thriller. Because sometimes it is not that much encouraged by parents. In India parents still, prefer their kids to read syllabus than literature/stories. I feel books that can encourage younger generation should reach them and if that can be done in their preferred language then it's even better.

Rankshetram series by Utkarsh is efforts in bringing a mythological world in front of readers where they can see events unfolds before them like watching a series. Utkarsh has taken the support of existing mythological plots and woven his story around it. Those who have not read the first two parts can check our review here, Part-1 & Part-2. It is recommended to read both parts before you venture into part 3.

Book Blurb

रणक्षेत्रम के पहले भाग में पाँच दिनों के महासमर और दूसरे भाग में इस महागाथा के सबसे मुख्य पात्र ‘दुर्भीक्ष’ की वापसी होने के बाद अब प्रस्तुत है रणक्षेत्रम श्रृंखला का तीसरा भाग जो दुर्भीक्ष के जीवन के सभी भेद खोलकर रख देगा| दुर्भीक्ष और दुर्धरा की प्रेम कथा, रीछराज जामवंत के साथ द्वंद्व, गरूड़ों का श्राप, त्रिगर्ता की यात्रा, और दुर्भीक्ष का एक बार फिर दुर्दांत हत्यारा बन पाँच सहस्त्र गंधर्वों की बर्बर हत्या जैसी अनेक घटनाओं को समेटे यह भाग श्रृंखला का सबसे महत्वपूर्व खण्ड होने जा रहा है| वहीं दूसरी ओर सदियों के उपरांत द्रविड़ प्रजाति अपनी मातृभूमि को वापस प्राप्त करने के लिए लौट आई है| ऐसा कौन सा असत्य था जिसने सुर्जन को फिर से दुर्दांत हत्यारा दुर्भीक्ष बना दिया? क्या रहस्य है

The story of part 3 is solely concentrated on Dubhiksh and Durdhara, as suggested in the title. Durbhiksh is shown as protagonist and antagonist both. The book has two major sections. The first part covers how Durbhiksh & Durdhara met, how in disguise of Surjan he helped Durdhara and her people. This part shows Durbhiksh's war strategy as a normal human. The second part covers how Durbhiksh join Dacoit group (handled by Meghvarna & Chandraketu) on their mission to Singhal-desh. This part covers strategies and cleverness of Meghvarna. Unlike previous parts, this book has limited plots & fights. It is written with more detailing and maturity. You will find out more about Durbhiksh as a great warrior in this part. Read the book to know more. 

As I just mentioned, apart from action, this part covers war strategies and political tactics. Where the first two parts had shown only cunningness of Rakshguru, here other characters have shown their sides. The entry of Jamvan, Garudas & Dravidian has brought new twists to the story. Two characters got the major platforms are Durbhiksh & Meghvarna. By the end of this book, I can visualize where the author is leading the story. I can sense even bigger war than shown in previous parts. Let's see how it will turn out.

Talking about improvement points

1. The author has used limited words vocabulary. Specially words like "Zilla Utha" / "Zillaya", "Nischit Mudra"/ "Nischit Jagha". There are such repetitive words. I feel the author could have taken help, to improve it.
2. Word "Nischit" (means certain) was provided so many times I lost the count. You will find that word after every 3-4 pages. Like, he went to a certain place, he came in a certain position. The author could have elaborated better.
3. Found 5-6 typing mistakes especially in Kindle version. Which I think will be corrected by the time you guys will get your copy.

Overall a super-fast read, which can give you company in your short vacation.

I will give 4/5 stars to Part 3 of Rankshetram.

Book can be found at Amazon Kindle & Paperback

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

If you have Kindle Unlimited Subscription, you can read this book at free.

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 - Aahvan - Only A Hidden Truth Can Remain Free by Saurabh Kudesia

I was just going through my Facebook feed when suddenly facebook showed me Aahvan, an interesting Hindi book. The cover and blurb were promising. I contacted the author and got to know more in detail. Later on, I bought the book's kindle copy, which made it our 8-9th Hindi book in our catalog. Unlike the books we have read till now in Hindi literature, this was well thought, at par with English literature / English authors. 

Book Blurb

Mysterious dead bodies, controversial medical reports, some ancient gears, scattered manuscripts, endless murders, and a simple Will that connects them all with the secret that was doomed to always remain away from the history.

विचित्र लाशें, रहस्यमय संकेत, विवादग्रस्त मेडीकल रिपोर्ट्स, कुछ पुराने यंत्र, बिखरी हुई पुरानी पांडुलिपियाँ, दिल दहलाने वाली हत्याओं का अंतहीन सिलसिला, और उन्हें जोड़ने वाली एक साधारण वसीयत जो इतिहास से दूर रहने को शापित एक रहस्यमय पुरातन सत्य की कुंजी थी।

Consider this book as a collection of at least two full-fledged novels (for me it is 3). The books start with the death of Rohan. Jayant, a family friend of the family was called by Rohan's father. They presented Jayant a will which was sent to them by Rohan before his death. Rohan died in an accident and within a few hours of his accident that Will reached to his family. Also, mysterious details found in his will made his family confused. Jayant with help of his forensic department expert tried to solve the case. 

On top of that, they found another mysterious dead body. When they tried to dig deeper they met a deadly opponent and series of events that connects their investigation with. The parallel story started with the Naga clan and its terror/ nuisance on neighboring nations. Krishna had sent a confidant named Shon with his secret message to save these two nations. The story then takes sharp cuts with treachery, political, and military strategies to link Lord Krishna with some of the unknown facts of Mahabharata. Read the book to know more.

Hindi books we have read till now, except Sangram Sindhu Gatha by Vivek, none of them had uniqueness associated. They were just normal Hindi stories. Saurabh has well conceptualized this plot before putting his words. While reading the chapters related to different topics you will be bombarded with proper information. I have read many crime thrillers where the essence of the scientific background was missing. The cases would be solved by a charming officer just by some of his personal deduction. Where in here every information from Mahabharata and contemporary history was provided with references from researchers.  

Talking about Mahabharata times, it was also well portrayed. It started with the situation of Bharatvarsha just before the Kurukshetra War. At that time nations were in dilemma which party to support and whether to take a neutral stance or not. On the other side, there were manipulative parties who wanted a war to happen so that after the war they can conquer Arya's as they would have lost too much in the war to fight another war. 

Good points about the book

• The amalgamation of multiple genres. Action, thriller, suspense, horror, politics, war, supernatural and what not.
• When I said multi-genre, it's not just a mere touch of those genres. Each genre got proper importance. As I already told you it is a long read. You may make 3-4 novels out of the book
• Those who love pure action, the author has taken great care while describing action scenes. 
• There are places in the book which make you scared, fearful or shocked. Dark patches are actually full with gory descriptions
• Characters of Mahabharata were given full independence to bloom
• A medium pace storyline. It will take time to come into proper action.
• Easy to follow language. If you watch Hindi movies or tv shows regularly and if you can read Hindi, you don't need to fear. The author has used easily to understand words.
• Good pick for 16+ and above (due to violent scenes)
• The idea of signs and hidden messages was also interesting

Ignoring one or two minor weak points, overall a wonderful book. I think it should be translated into English and other languages for better reach.

Talking about ratings

1. Cover - 4/5
2. Concept - 4.5/5
3. Content - 4.5/5 (Too long)
4. Characters - 4/5
5. Overall - 4.25/5

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

A Book Review - Mahakavi Kalidas - Ek Ankahi Katha

After going through a series of countless books, I decided this time to actually checkout something in Hindi. A fresco made in water colour like painting of Kalidas with Vidyotama and Malini behind him and a colophon which sort of gave some perspective over his life and a lot of suspense over his death got me eager and I decided to checkout this book.

Book Blurb

महाकवि कालिदास एक ऐसा नाम, एक ऐसा व्यक्तित्व है, जिनके बारे में सारा विश्व सदियों से जानने-समझने के लिए उत्सुक रहा है। समय-समय पर विद्वानों द्वारा उनके महाकाव्य, उनका जन्म काल, उनके जन्म स्थान एवं उनके व्यक्तित्व के बारे में चिंतन, मनन एवं लेखन किया है। जिस तरह सागर के गहराई में छुपे मोतियों को हर मनुष्य पाना चाहता है, उसी प्रकार महान व्यक्ति के व्यक्तित्व एवं जीवनी जानने की लालसा हर मनुष्य के मन में ज्वार-भाटा की तरह हिलकोरें खाती रहती है। महाकवि कालिदास की जीवनी जानने से पहले उनके जन्म काल एवं जन्म स्थान संबंधित रहस्य का पर्दा उठना अत्यन्त आवश्यक है। विद्वानों द्वारा चिंतन मनन करने के उपरान्त उन्हें अलग-अलग प्रांतों एवं अलग-अलग काल का बताया है। मैंने अपने तीन वर्षों के परिश्रम एवं प्रयास के उपरांत अनेकानेक साक्ष्य के अनुरूप उन्हें गुप्तकाल का एवं मिथिला देशवासी प्रमाणित किया है। मैंने साक्ष्य कल्पना एवं अपने अनुभूतियों के माध्यम से उनकी पूरी जीवनी को उनके व्यक्तित्व के अनुकूल एवं अनुरूप अपनी लेखनी में व्यक्त करने का प्रयास किया है। उनका जन्म-स्थान, जन्म-काल, बाल्य-सखा, माता-पिता, गुरूजन, उनकी मूर्खता विद्योत्तमा संग विवाह, उनका अपमानित होना, माँ काली का वरदान, महाकवि का सम्मान,राजनीति इत्यादि। साथ ही उनके जीवन से जुड़े पात्रों की ममता, स्नेह, आर्शीवाद प्रेम, अहंकार, ईर्ष्या, त्याग, क्रोध इत्यादि ने उनके जीवन में किस प्रकार उथल-पुथल मचा दी, इस पुस्तक में वर्णित है। और आरम्भ से अंत तक वो कौन थी जो दूध में जल की तरह थी और उन्हीं के हाथों महाकवि की हत्या? कब? कहाँ? कैसे? क्यों?

“Mahakavi Kalidas...” is a documentary-cum-biography of one of the greatest poets of India, Kalidas. This books is sort of a cinematic summary of his life, his major works, his achievements and ultimately his untimely death.

The initial part of the book focuses on Kalidas’s birth place. The author researched into Kalidas and others to arrive at a conclusion about his birth and life. The next part focusses on scripts from his major works and a brief history behind them. To some extent, we are able to catch the richness of Kalidas’s creation and marvel at the ease with which the author lays it out for us to enjoy. The next major part of the book is his visual biography which narrates Kalidas’s story using creative liberty to set a good plot and give us a mesmerizing inside-look of this life.

The book’s initial part is written in second person perspective and the biography is written in third person narrative. Kalidas’s journey from his days as the dim-witted Matrugupt to the blessed, talented and famous poet and king is portrayed superbly and is kept in focus for most part of this book. Every character is given sufficient detail in the story. The author successfully captures the beauty and mind-set of Vidyotama and Malini and their every emotion ranging from grief, arrogance, penance, love, suffering is penned superbly.  Hemchandra as a repenting and supportive friend is given proper portrayal. King Kumardas’s attachment to Kalidas is depicted superbly. Other characters such as Varruchi, King Viramaditya have been given sufficient space and depiction. 

Personally, I loved the use of original works from Meghdoot, Raghuvansh and Abhigyan Shakuntalam.  I felt the initial focus on his birthplace felt like a drag, but once the story starts the pace sets and plot moves seamlessly. 

In all, Madhu Jha delivers an engaging work that is rich in research and content

Overall Verdict:- A treat for Kalidas fans

My overall rating would be 4/5

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Book Review - 8 Down from Saharanpur

Kumar L is one of our favorite authors. His futuristic Scifi "Captain Anara" series made us realized that author from Indian literature can also write in that genre. As we were (and we are still) eagerly waiting for the 3rd book in Antriksh series, we were following author's all posts. A few days back while surfing Instagram, we saw this post from Kumar. He was holding a Hindi & English edition of his new book. We did in-depth research about the book and made the decision to get a copy or I would say add in our collection.

Book Blurb

A woman out for revenge. A warrior deep in the jungle about to face a life-changing moment. A corporate executive falling just short of success. An encounter with a revolutionary in British India. And zombies!

Welcome reader to a world of fantasy, mystery and horror. I hope this collection of stories will take you on a journey of exploration, fear and possibly self-discovery. Some of these stories draw inspiration from our everyday experiences but some.

As given in blurb, the book is a collection of short stories. Each story placed in different time and place. There are only 7 stories but each of them narrates completely different styles. You won't believe but starting from mythology to history to zombies to sci-fi, subjects are vast enough. As I have made the goal of reading certain % of books in Hindi and/or Gujarati, I have read Hindi edition. It was a worthy read for me. My favorite stories

1. Zombies - Shaapit
2. Sci-fi - Sitare Ki Chori
3. Cover story - 8 down Saharanpur

The gem on the crown is the cover story. It covers the era of pre-independence. The author has conceptualized side story around legendary Kakori Theft. This story shows how a teenager who hated his father at the beginning of the story ended up being proud of his father. I don't want to reveal much, but you will like the book for sure.

Talking about other good points of the book

• Easy to follow language (both English & Hindi)
• Fast-tracked stories
• Character building
• Short and interesting read

I wish the author has given a few more stories, the ride would be longer. An ideal pick for short trips. I would like to see a full-fledged book (on above mentioned favorite stories).

Ratings

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

Book can be found at Amazon - In Hindi & In English

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Book Review - Bargad Ka Ped - Waqt Ke Pher Se Phere Lekar Kuch Lamhein Talashne Nikla

We have made a resolution to read at least 20% of our books/pages in the regional language/mother tongue. Under this agenda, we always look out for some good books in Gujarati & Hindi languages. Things that made us go for "Bargad Ka Ped".

• Wonderful cover page/artwork
• Collection of poems & short stories
• Short in content

I wanted to take this book in the first week of January itself, but I received the courier late. Still, we are able to take it in the first month of the year and we are happy about it.

As I have mentioned the book is a collection of around 50+ poems & a few short narrations. Even these narrations are poetic & it would be hard not to call them poems. The topic and theme of poems varied. Most of them are based on memories. They are about parents, home town/village, friends, lost time, childhood. A major portion of poems are around love (or I would say lost love)

My personal favorites are

• Jao Tum - Which discussed breakup of a couple
• Gumsum - A lover recalls his last moments with his partner spent in darkness
• Saath Sapne Dekhe The - Discussed harsh reality when some people in friendship or love uses others for their personal goals
• Woh Char Log - A taunt on gossiping nature of society, which pulls us down most of the time

Each poem depicts its story in a different context. Though the book is short in content it is very rich in context. The word usage is also simple if you have studied Hindi in school and if you are keeping track of Hindi shows, you can easily read the book without a dictionary. Yes, you need to read it with full concentration as it is not a story. It is a poetry book.

The only complain would be the last 8-10 2 liners poems, the author could have reframed them and given as full poems.

Talking about ratings

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

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Book Review - Dark Night by Sandeep Nayyar

I was impressed by Sandeep Nayyer’s “Samarsiddha.” So I had a high hope for Dark Night. Ever since I started giving preference to vernacular language books I have started reading Hindi books. Though hardly any of them were able to match the level of English book if we completely ignore them how will they get chance of improvement.

Unlike “Samar Siddha” which was a serious try to portray caste related problems Dark Night is a erotica around a confused boy Kabir. The story covered his life through various friends (sp. Girls) Starting from school time to working life. His life took him through various modes during and after each girl. 1/3 of the book is covering his school life and young life fantasies. I am giving fewer marks due to this section. The second and third part was okay, they gave me feeling of Hindi translation of Chetan Bhagat books. 

There are some improvements that the author can think about:

• If that one fantasy dream of Kabir was not present in the book, it wouldn’t fall under erotica at all.
• You are writing “Hindi Upnyas”, so you need to write non-conversational parts in Hindi only. You forget to put the boundary where you were giving English conversation in Hindi text and English description in Hindi text

Having said that don’t be disheartened. The love triangle between Kabir, Priya and Maya and One sided love story between Kabir and Hikma was good. I liked the book in parts.

Talking about ratings

1. Concept – 2.5/5
2. Cover - 3.5/5
3. Characters – 2.5/5
4. Overall – 2.5/5

Book can be found at Amazon

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Book Review - Arthla - Sangram Sindhu Gatha

I have received "Arthla - Sangram Sindhu Gatha" after a year of patience. Frankly speaking, I just waited to read some Hindi books from my favorite genre. Looking at cover or title I was not able to visualize what should be the story. Though blurb helped me trust the book and I tried it. Again blurb was also not exactly for this book. After reading the book I felt that blurb was written for the whole series.

Book Blurb

मिट्टी से घड़े बनाने वाले मनुष्य ने हजारों वर्षों में अपना भौतिक ज्ञान बढाकर उसी मिट्टी से यूरेनियम छानना भले ही सीख लिया हो, परन्तु उसके मानसिक विकास की अवस्था आज भी आदिकालीन है ।

काल कोई भी रहा हो - त्रेता, द्वापर या कलियुग । मनुष्य के सदगुण और दुर्गुण युगों से उसके व्यवहार को संचालित करते रहे हैं । यह गाथा किसी एक विशिष्ट नायक की नहीं, अपितु सभ्यता, संस्कृति, समाज, देश-काल, निर्माण तथा प्रलय को समेटे हुए एक सम्पूर्ण युग की है । वह युग, जिसमें देव, दानव, असुर एवं दैत्य जातियां अपने वर्चस्व पर थीं । यह वह युग था, जब देवास्त्रों और ब्रह्मास्त्रों की धमक से धरती कम्पित हुआ करती थी ।

शक्ति प्रदर्शन, भोग के उपकरणों को बढ़ाने, नए संसाधनों पर अधिकार तथा सर्वोच्च बनने की होड़ ने देवों, असुरों तथा अन्य जातियों के मध्य ऐसे आर्थिक संघर्ष को जन्म दिया, जिसने सम्पूर्ण जंबूद्वीप को कई बार देवासुर-संग्राम की ओर ढकेला । परन्तु इस बार संग्राम-सिंधु की बारी थी । वह अति विनाशकारी महासंग्राम जो दस देवासुर-संग्रामों से भी अधिक विध्वंसक था ।

संग्राम-सिंधु गाथा का यह खंड देव, दानव, असुर तथा अन्य जातियों के इतिहास के साथ देवों की अलौकिक देवशक्ति के मूल आधार को उदघाटित करेगा ।

Coming to the story part, protagonist of our story is Vidhan. But I feel that Dhananjaya, Sattu, and Vasundhara would be contributing to equal footing incoming parts. The country was under pressure. Manavas (specially Arthala) is under hidden attacks from Danava, Daitya, and Asura. Their previous hero was killed and his legacy came upon Vidhan. Not ready for big scale events, Vidhan followed mighty hero Sinhnaad to Arthala. Life changed for Vidhan once he left his village in pursuit of answers.

I would like to applaud efforts of Vivek for building this plot. Though Indian mythology is rich, he had taken names of clans and prepared story based of his own. So to mythological book lovers, Arthala is not a re-telling Mahabharata or Ramayana or Vedic Stories. Only familiar words you will encounter are Dev, Danava, Asura, and Daitya. Vivek has even conceptualized country names. So in terms of originality, I will give 5 out of 5 to the author.

Talking about characterization, narration style is the third person. And when the story of a person starts you will feel that the current person as a protagonist (be it Sattu, Vasundhara or even Dazan) Fight scenes' narration were also good. Till now I haven't read this nicely written fight scenes in Hindi novels. Description of various places and palaces were apt. You can even visualize them. I have divided book in three part. The begining portion was somewhat slow and it needed slight efforts to continue. The second portion was still slow but started becoming entertaining. And last 120 pages were fast and interesting. Will eagerly wait for next part.

Ratings

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

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Samarsiddha by Sandeep Nayyar

Last Diwali I started taking review request in Hindi language but I was not getting up to the mark book in Hindi. I have review 3-4 books ins last 5 months but Samar Siddha was the only book in Hindi which has provided enough fuel to my reader's engine. The books I read till now were lacking interest portion or seriousness portion. Samar Siddha was able to touch them. And I am happy with the reading experience.

Book Blurb

"Love, betrayal, sword battles, supernatural rituals and enchanting beauty of the courtesans Vaishali and Amodini!"

Samarsiddha is a story of complex social dynamics in the land of enigmatic India in 8th century BC. In a patriarchal society ruled by the king and his men, a woman, exploited and shattered, rises from the ground to counter not only the men and the society but also the underlying ailing ideology. Read how she devoted her life to spiritual practices to gain divine powers to counter the mighty kingdoms. Find out how her razor sharp goal of revenge carries her from being a beautiful Brahmin girl to a Chandaal warrior with bloodthirsty soul.

Samar Siddha started with two different stories. One is about a Brahmin girl Shatvari and another about Nishad King Neel. Shatrvari was the daughter of a well-educated & well-respected "Acharya". Her upbringing was done with proper value system & education. She learned (from her father) that anyone with the hunger for knowledge should be given chance irrespective of his/her cast. She encouraged her ox-cart driver a low cast guy to get knowledge of Vedas from her father and musical training from herself. Her life was changed after her marriage. Neel recently accepted kingship after his the death of his father. His kingdom was frequently attacked by neighboring kingdom of Dakshini Kaushala. He went to the capital of enemies in disguise to learn about them but he was caught by soldiers. his army chief who was handling kingdom in his absence got the message from "Uttara Kaushala" about Neel's kidnapping. They agreed with Uttara Kaushala's strategy to get Neel back.

I like the way the author has maintained pace, interest & storyline. I didn't feel bored even for a minute while reading. Some of the lines were worth quoting for. The author has used burning issue of ancient and modern India and showed a wonderful drama around the same. Author has maintained tempo throughout the story. I personally liked the character of Shatvari & Neel.

Talking about the ratings

1. Cover - 4/5 (I liked the previous cover as well)
2. Characters - 4/5
3. Content - 3.5/5
4. Overall - 4/5

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Book Review - Rankshetram: Asureshwar Durbheeksha Ki Wapsi

I know I have given average ratings to Rankshetram - 1 - Raksh Raj Markesh Ka Ant. That doesn't mean I cannot read next part. The author provided me ARC of the book to get my suggestions as I bombarded with issues in part-1. He wanted critical inputs to improve Asureshwar Durbhiksh Ki Vapsi. And I am glad author has improved a lot compare to part-1.

Book Blurb

चार खण्डों में फैली रणक्षेत्रम महागाथा का दूसरा खण्ड राजकुमार सुर्जन पर केन्द्रित है जो जन्मा तो मानव रूप में किन्तु नायक असुरों का बना। उसके मुख के तेज को देखकर कोई यह अनुमान भी नहीं लगा सकता कि एक दिन वह असुरेश्वर कहलायेगा। किन्तु प्रश्न यह है, कि क्या वह वास्तव में दुष्प्रवृत्ति का है? या फिर यह उन योद्धाओं द्वारा फैलायी गयी एक भ्रांति मात्र है जिन्होंने उस अट्ठारह वर्षीय युवा को छल से पराजित किया था। जब वह लौटकर आया, तो सुर्जन से दुर्भीक्ष बन चुका था परन्तु अब ऐसा कोई जीवित नहीं बचा था जिससे वह अपना प्रतिशोध ले सके। किसी प्रकार उसने अतीत में अपने साथ हुए अन्याय को विस्मृत करने का प्रयास किया। किन्तु परिस्थितियों ने उसे हस्तिनापुर के युवराज सर्वदमन (भरत) के सम्मुख ला खड़ा किया और सर्वदमन से सामना होते ही अतीत के सारे पीड़ादायक दृश्य दुर्भीक्ष के समक्ष आ खड़े हुए और उसकी प्रतिशोध की प्यास फिर जाग उठी। वह सर्वदमन का वध करने दौड़ा, किन्तु एक स्त्री उन दोनों के बीच आ खड़ी हुयी, जिसे देखकर उसे अपने शस्त्रों का त्याग करना पड़ा और एक बार फिर उसका प्रतिशोध अधूरा रह गया। दुर्भीक्ष का सर्वदमन से क्या संबंध है? कौन थी वह स्त्री जिसके पास दुर्भीक्ष के सामने खड़ी होने का हौसला था? क्या होगा आर्यावर्त के सबसे बड़े योद्धा के अपूर्ण प्रतिशोध का परिणाम?

The first part ended with "Mahayudhdh" a great war. The second part started at the beginning of Durbhiksh background. The story also portrayed a good part of Markesh, his wife Shivanya and their love story. The story then switched back to Tejaswi's time, where again things went hay wired due to Bhairavnath's cunningness, which led to another big war. In that deadly war, the return of Durbhiksh was known to the world. After the war, the story advanced and new generation entered into the story. Sons of Akhand and Tejasvi led there on. Another kingdom entered the scene which is Hastinapur. Along with Hastinapur new sets of characters added to the story. To know more read the complete story.

Firstly I would like to apologize to the author as I was not aware book audience last time. If I have known the fact I might have reviewed differently. Well, the book is targetted for young adults and middle grades. Content maturity and writing style is aligned with the audience. Some highlights of writing style & characters.

• To the point story. No extra line apart from the main story.
• No abusive language
• Simple language usage for beginners
• Good linking of characters as story evolves

I had many negative points in mind while reading previous part even halfway through this part but author's style also evolved and improved after Tejaswi's chapter. The impatient behavior of characters steadied in later part. Though some bricks lose here and there but looking at the targetted audience I think content is strong enough. Looking for next part in series.

Talking about ratings

1. Cover -  3.5/5
2. Title - 4/5
3. Characters - 3.5/5
4. Content - 3/5
5. Concept - 3.5/5
6. Overall - 4/5

Book can be found at Amazon

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Enter into the World of Mythological Fantasy - Rankshetram - Demise of the Demon Kind

I have seen the review of Rankshetram on Halo of Books. I inquired Sheetal from Halo of Books to connect me to Utkarsh Shrivastava, the author of the book. And Utkarsh has happily provided me the copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The book was first published in Hindi and then in English. Luckily I have the copy of both editions.

Book Blurb

It is said that after the banishment of Lord Mahabli to Patallok, and demise of the Demon king Ravana by Lord Rama. The Asuras lost their domination over humans. But it was unbearable for the Demons' mentor Bhairavnath. When he noticed that a capable scion of King Bali, has taken over the throne as the Demon king, Bhairavnath played such a machinations due to which the Demon King Markesh,( the scion of Lord MahaBali ) turned against the entire human race. Thereafter, four fierce warriors - Akhand, Tejasvi, Suryam and Yugandhar - took over the responsibility to destroy him. The spirit of vengeance were present equally in both Tejasvi and Markesh. Markesh wanted to avenge his wife's death, who was actually a human lady. And Tejasvi's weapons were eager to blow off Markeshs's head to avenge his close ones. These flames of vengeance lead to the five days war among humans, demons and nagas. 

As mentioned in the blurb, the story covers fight against mighty Rakshasha- the Demon Clan.  The main protagonist of our story are Vikramaditya, Tejasvi, Akhand. The main antagonists are Markesh- his brothers, Bhanusen and Bhairavnath. I cannot and do not want to give a brief of the story as it is filled with the so many adventures and wars that other authors can write more than one series out of this book.

I am providing my feedback considering the book two genres separately. If I consider age group of “10-16” years reading this book, they will like continuous action and secrets being revealed page after page. Kids will like this kind of content.

If an adult 18+ reading this book, he may not find it that interesting due to following flows:

• Though it is an action thriller – not a single action scene properly written. Every fight has 2-3 lines. “They started fighting like this, this, this. They fought for one or two hours. One guy won.” Well, this is not what reader would want from action book.
• Those who have watch Mahabharata can closely relate final fights with Mahabharata. 
• Every now and then characters go for weapon hunting.
• Well, I should not apply logic in fantasy books but in every invasion opposing army appears in battle within few minutes!?
• So many stories and adventures written in one book.

Advice for Utkarsh - Take a breath, spend some time divide it into parts and give some efforts.

Even with all negative points book can be a good read for following reasons:

• Want to learn Hindi/English
• Like Indian fantasy genre
• Likes kids stories

Talking about Ratings:

1. Cover - 4/5 (for new edition)
2. Title – 3/5
3. Content – 2.5/5
4. Characters – 2.5/5
5. Concept – 2.5/5
6. Overall – 2.5/5

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

BookReview - Dansh - Hindi Novel By Laxman Rao

Dansh is my first Hindi read, so it has its own importance. This book was part of my Kindle book for more than a year but I was reluctant to take Hindi books. Last month, I took this book and found it a light read.

Book Blurb

Paramjeet comes to Pune for higher education all the way from Punjab. Here he meets Lata who also belongs to Punjab. Nandini, younger sister of Lata, is partially paralyzed and needs to regularly visit therapy centre. Lata requests Paramjeet to accompany Nandini to therapy centre.

When Paramjeet begins to take Nandini to the therapy centre, she asks the taxi driver to stop in front of a house and gazed towards that house for bit long. She laughed, cried and sometimes went emotional. Then she also stops by in front of a wrecked house situated little far from the previous house and reacted the same way. This continued for several days.

Gradually Paramjeet realized that there must have been a tragic incidence in Nandini’s life due to which she is suffering from paralysis today. That incidence must be the biggest blow of Nandini’s life.

Hence, Paramjeet decides to delve what has happened in the past so that he could help Nandini overcome her ailment.

Blurb may give you the impact of some serious social topic book, but the story is not that serious. :) A guy from Punjab came to Pune for higher studies. Being a poor family fellow he knew he had to work. He found a part-time job. Through his job, he found a group of money lender guys. He joined them to earn extra money. Through that group, he met a girl. He helped the girl and her family. As usual, they fall in love with each other. And then happily lived after.

Though the book was simple, due to its blurb I was expecting some twist/turn of events. Nothing so extraordinary happened throughout the story. The boy was very lucky; where ever he went he earned money and respect. Read it if you like family drama or would like to improve your Hindi.

Talking about ratings

1. Cover - 2.5/5
2. Title - 2/5 (I didn't find strongly related title)
3. Content - 3/5
4. Characters - 3/5
5. Concept - 2/5
6. Overall - 2.5/5

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