The Tantric Exorcist by Ashwin Mudigonda - a Book Review

I have not ventured into the realm of horror literature and usually, keep them away. But I was attracted to "The Tantric Exorcist" by Ashwin Mudigonda because as per the blurb the book is based on Vetaal from Vikram-Betaal. I have seen two images of Vetal, one in tv series (which gave me goosebumps) and one a ghoul master from the Vikramaditya series by Shatrujeet. This book gave me the horror face of Vetal. 

Vikrama (Not the king but a college boy) was interested in knowing about Vetal. He got some ancient text and Sanskrit mantras around Vetaala & tantrism. And just like any horror plot,  accidentally he chanted mantra which invoked the demon from other realm and Vetal took control of Vikrama. On request of Vikrama's friend, one of the strongest tantric came to help. That tantric was Chaturvasi. Chatur knew the weight of the task, he was not dealing with normal ghosts but Vetal himself. And on top of that, he smells something else as well. Read the book to know more.

Some of my observations

1) if you are a horror buff, you will find the medieval thrill. The dose is good for new readers of this genre. I would say ideal for first-time horror reader

2) if divided into two parts, the first part was very fast-paced and interesting compared to the second part. Having said that I don't mean the second part is slow it is comparatively less speedy and has too much description. 

3) language is easy for any proficiency level reader

4) the climax was nicely planed. The author was able to tie loose knots up to a certain level here.

Overall this deserves a 3.75 out of 5.

Book links - Goodreads & Amazon

Meet Khalnayaka of Mahabharata - Shakuni - Read the Story of Master of the Game

I know "Shakuni" from Mahabharata and "Manthara" from Ramayana, these two are always portrayed as darkest or the most wicked minds of their time. You will find good and bad of all other characters, be it Duryodhana, Karna, Ashwatthama or Ravana, Kumbhakarna, Vali. I feel even storyteller needed an antagonist for such epics, so 99.99% times you will find these two characters in negative color only. Have you thought what was their thought process behind their actions. I haven't encountered a book on Manthara yet bu in Shakuni this was given in finer details.

Book Blurb

Threatened by the formidable Kuru dynasty, the kingdom of gandhara is forced to marry off its princess to the blind king of Kuru, Dhritarashtra. Enraged by this defeat, shaken, the heir to the gandhara kingdom, vows to seek revenge. He uses the Kauravas and Pandavas as Pawns in a cleverly crafted game of deceit and destruction and watches as the mighty Kuru kingdom crumbles. Told through the gripping perspective of shakti, this retelling of the Mahabharata asks the burning question –was shakuni really the vilest of all villains or the victim of a grave injustice?.

I won't take you through the story, as usual, instead let me give you situations to visualize

• Assume your beloved sister is at the age of marriage. You are looking for a good candidate. But some powerful guys come to your father and forced your father to give your sister's hand in marriage to a blind guy.
• Assume you love your sister's eyes as she sees and tells you how she sees the world. Now she has wrapped the cloth around her eyes for the rest of your eyes.
• After all these sacrifices she is married to a person who lost kingship due to his blindness to a weaker candidate

Can you tell me what would be your reaction? Unless you are a saint or insane you will be disturbed and shocked. So was the case with Shakuni.

If you think he was all evil and coward. Have you ever thought about how he was able to manage his kingdom staying away in Hastinapur. Well, that required good governing policies and implementations. Coming to cowardice he did encourage and plotted the skirmish within the family, but when the time came for the war he didn't run away. He was there with his nephew. Read the book to know the exact character of Shakuni.

The book is written nicely with author's imaginary skill which has capabilities to neutralize one of the sinister characters from Hindu mythology. Language usage is good for regular readers. The pace of the book is medium to fast. A good choice for a long trip. Talking about the ratings

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

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Book Review - Pyjamas are Forgiving by Twinkle Khanna

Though as a couple we are hardcore bookworms, my husband has made a strict rule about book acquisition because of our impulse book buying. The is the reason "Mrs. Funnybones" & "The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad" I had to read from borrowed copies. So this time I was all set to buy a copy of "Pyjamas are Forgiving". But thanks to our star & our consistent blogging we got our own copy of the book during Mega giveaway of Juggernaut.

Book Blurb

There sitting on that porch, that light-eyed man, a pitta like me, was my ex-husband and that woman whose inner element I was unaware of, unless bitch is accepted as an undiscovered fourth dosha, was his young wife.In the serene sanctuary of Kerala’s Shanthamaaya spa where food is rationed, sex forbidden and emotions centred, Anshu meets someone familiar and deeply unsettling – her ex-husband. Bittersweet, funny and wise, Pyjamas Are Forgiving confirms Twinkle Khanna as one of our great storytellers

Unlike first two books by Twinkle Khanna, this book is focused on a single story or I would say a proper novel. The story revolves around a divorced lady (Anshu) in her forties reached to her 28 days of stay at Ayurvedic ashram. She met her ex-husband along with his wife. Determined to stay in Aashram, Aashu decided to fight her emotions. Then followed the emotional turmoil of Anshu whether she would fall for the same guy again or she would forgive & forget him.

Good points about the book

• Simple & straight narration style
• Witty storytelling of author which is her USP
• Light in content & deep in context
• Ideal gift for light readers as well as serious readers

We hope to have many more books from Twinkle Khanna. Once again, Thank you so much Juggernaut for providing us review copy in exchange of an honest review. I cannot give less than 5 stars to my favorite English author.

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads