The Unwanted Shadow by Bhaskaryya Deka: A Review

Title: The Unwanted Shadow

Author: Bhaskaryya Deka

Publisher: Half Baked Beans Publishing

Page Count: 167

The back cover says: Leaving home and the memories of his past behind was what Mohan intended to do when he left for Delhi. And he is proven right in his decision, because two years later, he sees his dreams shaping up. For some days, it feels to him like he is in a paradise….marrying the girl of his dreams, becoming a recognized writer. What more can anyone wish for?

But this bliss is destined to end soon. For the darkness is almost upon him, ready to engulf everything he loved in its merciless embrace.

Only one person can save him….A friend, an enemy. An Unwanted Shadow.

On the name & the cover:
The name sounds catchy and after reading the whole story I can very easily say that the author had very appropriately chosen this name for this story.

This is a perfect cover for a thriller. I loved the color combination and those two upside down characters which delightfully represents those two characters in the story. A job well done by the designer Sunil Kaushik. 

On the narrating style:
The author has opted direct narrating style to narrate this story, which is an appreciable effort for a debut author. The story is written in a friendly way and the words are very much familiar which will definitely grab reader’s attention.

On the story-line:
The book starts in a good note that will make readers turn pages to know more. The story starts by narrating the childhood of the protagonist who later leaves the village and comes to Delhi for higher studies. The way the author scripted the first love story within a single chapter is commendable. In the middle I felt the author has dragged the story a bit and that can drop the reader’s attention. But as the story goes on the author is able to keep the tension and I can bet the end will leave readers in complete awe. After completing the book readers will definitely acknowledge the author for the way he has framed the whole plot.

+ Point: Authors wonderful narrating style and the speed of the story.

- Point: The middle portion of the book which is a bit slow compared with the rest of the chapters.

Final Words:
The wonderfully framed plot and the fresh narrating style makes this book a complete page turner. An appreciable effort of a debut author.

A

A+ (Excellent)     A (Very Good)     B+ (Good)      B (Average)      C (Below Average)

The Devil's Gate by Deepak Kripal: A Review

Title: The Devil’s Gate: An Impossible Journey

Author: Deepak Kripal

Publisher: Leadstart Publishing

Page Count: 248

The back cover says: SIDLINED BY MAN, ANIMALS TURNED TO DEMONS.

Plundered by humans of their habitats, animals take a drastic step when they decide to send a team of a cat named as Katy and a dog named as Dug, to an invisible island known as the Island of ‘Five Hundred Graves’. The island becomes visible only for a short time on the night of the full moon.

Legend has it that the island is inhabited by the demons. Katy and Dug are supposed to negotiate a deal with the demons, convincing them to allow the animals inhabit the island. Majority of the animal community believe that tinkering with the other world could bring their wrath to the animals. The team is sent to the island nevertheless.

But can a deal with the dead be materialized?

Are there really demons on the island? Is there any conspiracy involved?

Will Katy and Dug be able to negotiate, or will survival remain their only question in the deadly island?

On the name & the cover:
The Devil’s Gate is an important part of the book or I would rather say important part of the journey, so I must say the name is appropriate. And the tagline also perfectly indicates  the journey readers are going to make while reading the book along with two protagonists, Katy and Dug.

At a glance the cover looks weird, but it is the beauty of the cover. It fits perfectly with the story and the name. The gate on the cover for the name and the black effect and the smoke for the unusual story-line.

On the narrating style:
The narrating style is good and keeps the authors glued till the very last page. The author has very efficiently chosen his words which helps to keep the thrill alive. The way the author has scripted those one-liners, will definitely tickle the funny bones of the readers. I love the names of the characters, a cat is Katy, dog is Dug, rat is Rees. The whole book is like an animations movie playing before the reader's eyes.

On the story-line:
When we say, this story is a work of fiction, we definitely mean something like this story. The main characters of this story are a speaking cat and a dog named Katy and Dug. As soon as they reached the invisible island and Billy, an owl joins their team, the story starts to pick its speed. The whole book is a roller coaster ride, which the readers are going to enjoy from the core of their heart. This story have the elements to make the readers laugh, cry and bit the nail in suspicion. By the voice of his characters, the author has stated a wonderful message to his readers, which leaves the readers admiring the author’s imagination skills. I felt some scenes are bit stretched and sometime the philosophies the author presented by the Character Billy seems to lessen the flow of the book.

+ Point: The unusual story line and the thrilling journey is definitely something to watch out for.

-Point: Few dragged philosophical lectures dropped the regular speed.

Final Words:
This is a wonderful work of fiction divided in the fourteen beautiful characters which will take the readers to a thrilling journey. The outcome of the author’s brilliant imagination.

A

A+ (Excellent)     A (Very Good)      B+ (Good)     B (Average)     C (Below Average)

With a Pinch of Salt by Jas Anand: a review

Name: With A Pinch Of Salt...
Author: Jas Anand
Publisher: Srishti Publishers & Distributors
Page Count: 186

The back cover says: There are some people who can never come straight to a point. If you ask them a simple question like what is the time? They would probably reply, "Time! This is the most horrible time of my life. My father is not sending me money, I can't understand any damn thing in the lectures, no girl ever seems to be interested in me and the hostel food is pathetic. It is the worst time of my life."

In short, this book is like a 'handbook of everyday humor'. It is based on observation on funny tendencies in people and then creating fictional caricatures and anecdotes around them.

The tendency of beating around the mulberry bush has been converted into a fictional characters and anecdotes, served "With a Pinch of Salt..."

On the name & the cover:
The content of the book is as unfamiliar or unique as the title of book. Its good to see the author has concentrated to choose such an appropriate name for this humorous content.

The cover complements the content perfectly. From the funny cartoon to those thought bubbles, everything seems to indicate that this book is going to tickle your funny bones.

On the narrating style:
This book is something I am going to remember for ages. The way the author has presented the book is unique. I can't say that this is the perfect way to write a book, I am sure this imperfect narrating style is going to catch the readers eyes. I liked how the author has described his characters. Wally Wordsworth and Fabio Fibmaster are my favorite characters because I have my own experience of facing them. I can surely say that readers are going to love the creations of the author, which are very much visible in our daily life.

On the story-line:
This would be an understatement if I say this book has a hilarious content. Every chapter of the book have something to make the readers laugh. The book starts with the author describing his readers how to read this book. As soon as the author starts to introduce his characters and their anecdotes, I couldn't stop laughing. Sometime I felt the author has described a bit more to make a clear picture of a character, which looses the interest. But every time I was about to lose interest, the author very efficiently introduced a new character. This book is an outcome of the author's brilliant observation skills. At the end the 'syndromes' are described in such a way that left me laughing after even closing the book. The 'stage-hijack' part was my favorite.

+ Point: The exceptional characters and the way their tendencies are described.

- Point: Few chapters with less element of humor and overstated description.

Final Words:
A wonderful experiment by the author to pen down his observation by creating fictional characters. A unique book in its genre.

A

A+ (Excellent)    A (Very Good)      B+ (Good)        B (Average)     C (Below Average)

The Almond Tree by Michelle Cohen Corasanti: a review

Name: The Almond Tree

Author: Michelle Cohen Corasanti

Publisher: FINGERPRINT

Page Count: 352

Back cover says: Against a background torn from the pages of today’s headlines, The Almond Tree by Michelle Cohen Corasanti recasts the Palestinians in Israel and Gaza, a people frequently in the news but often misrepresented and deeply misunderstood.

This stunning debut conveys a universal story of human courage and resolution. Comparable to Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, this novel delivers an inspirational story of unfathomable pain and incredible perseverance.

Gifted with a mind that continues to impress the elders in his village, Ahmed Hamid struggles with knowing that he can do nothing to save his friends and family. Living on occupied land, his entire village operates in fear of losing their homes, jobs, and belongings. But more importantly, the people fear losing each other.

On Ahmed’s twelfth birthday, that fear becomes reality. With his father imprisoned, his family’s home and possessions confiscated, and his siblings quickly succumbing to hatred in the face of conflict, Ahmed begins an inspiring journey using his intellect to save his poor and dying family. In doing so he reclaims a love for others that was lost through a childhood rife with violence and loss, and discovers a new hope for the future.

The Almond Tree humanizes a culture and brings characters from a distant land to life.

On the name & cover:

The name itself sends a tickling sensation down the spine. After completing the whole book I can very easily say this is the best possible name for this piece of art. The role the tree has conveyed in this book makes the name perfect.
The font in which the title has been printed and the chocolaty shade in the cover makes this book an instant hit among the readers. The cover gives the book an intense feeling which is very much needed for the book. Overall the name and the cover creates a fabulous impression among the readers.

On the narrating style:

While reading the book I forgot that this is a debut work of an author. The narrating style reminds me of the legendary writer KHALED HOSSEINI, very simple way to narrate a story which will definitely force the readers to complete the book in one go. The wonderfully crafted words are the second thing that will catch readers’ eyes after the smooth narrating style. It is added to the credit of the author that I can visualize each and every scene of the book. I loved the way she described each and every character from Amal, Abbas, and Hani to Ahmed and Sara. This is the way a story should be narrated.

On the story-line:

The whole story evolves around the main protagonist Ahmed Hamid, how he lost his land, his sisters and how he saved the rest of his family. The very first chapter starts with the death of Amal (sister of Ahmed), leaving the readers bewildered and making them realize that this book is going to be one wonderful read. As the story goes on and Ahmed’s twelfth birthday comes, the story picks up its speed. Ahmed’s baba was arrested by the police for storing arms illegally on the same date by the militaries, leaving Ahmed struggling with his family. The story will make readers laugh, cry and will take them to a startling journey. The author has very efficiently framed the conflict between Palestine and Israel. At first I was shocked to see an America based author writing a story about the conflict between Palestine and Israel. The story is wonderfully framed without pointing at anyone but showing the actual state of the conflict.

+ Point: The simple yet smooth narrating style and the gripping fast paced storyline.

- Point: I don’t think this work of fiction have anything to point out which can be called as the drawback of the book.

Final Words:

This debut work of Michelle Cohen Corasanti is definitely something which readers are going to cherish for decades. A lovely story of suppleness, faith and compassion which I am going to recommend to all my readers who are in search of a fascinating read.

A+  (Is there any thing more)

A+ (Excellent)    A (Very Good)      B+ (Good)        B (Average)      C (Below Average)

I Will Love Once Again! by Krishna: A Review

Name: I Will Love Once Again! no matter how much I still miss u…

Author: Krishna

Publisher: Srishti Publishers & Distributors

Page Count: 199

The back cover says: Would you fall in love again??? How would you react if someone you love suddenly calls you to convey message of her engagement and moves out of your life?
Even the last thread of hope tears up and they are apart. Priety is gone and HE remains a mere spectator watching the tide of the time rising high against and shattering all his dreams.
Will he be able to fight out this hard situation??
Will he opt for self-destruction, making his life hell????
Or
Will he ever take a chance of searching for love again????????
An exquisite beauty slowly and steadily moves into his life and there begins emotional battle between present and beautiful past.
Will he be able to replace Past with desired Present????
What if the same thing happens again????
Read and get to know how HE narrates ‘I will Love Once Again’.

On the name & cover:

The name is perfect for the book. Especially the bottom line ‘no matter how much I still miss u’ absolutely supports the content of the book which unfolds around the main protagonist continuously missing his past.
The cover looks simple. A broken heart is in the process of filling its voids. I loved the font used in the cover. But I think the cover will fail to catch readers’ eyes with this simple design. It could have been designed in a better way.

On the narrating style:
The author have a commanding grip on the language. The story is narrated in direct narrating style and the way the author had managed to cope up with this style is praiseworthy. The author has very efficiently narrated the whole story without disclosing the name of the main protagonist, which is very much new to me and I think to the readers too. Readers are going to love the distribution of the chapters. But the main flaw of the narrating style is, the author fails to keep up the speed of the book. At times I felt the tempo of the book dropping.

On the story-line:
The story evolves around the main protagonist struggling in the recession and trying to find a job in the corporate world. Priety (the female protagonist) walks out of HIS life to marry the guy her parents have chosen. The story grows with the male protagonist moving to a new city in a new job with new friends and in search of new love. But each time he finds a new girl to try on, he ends up comparing her with her past love Priety. I loved the way the author has scripted those flashbacks. The author will make readers glued from the very first page but at times I feel the story a bit exaggerated. As I was nearing the end the book was becoming predictable. But I must say few chapters were so interesting that I couldn't put down the book.

+Point: The way the author narrated the whole story is like he is conversing with his readers.

-Point: Editing errors and the predictable story line is the main drawback of the book.

The author has very efficiently described how true love can exist even if she leaves him. I will recommend this books to those who are searching for a light read.

B+

A+ (Excellent)    A (Very Good)     B+ (Good)     B (Average)     C (Below Average)

Available at -

HomeShop18
Flipkart
Amazon

The Real Life Goddess

11th May, 2012
At 8.30 a.m.

After they finished the breakfast I served to them, they left for their destination. Meet my son Samudra, an Engineering student and my loving husband Aakash. We are a small family but happy because our dreams are small.


Aakash is the person, whom I’ve liked the most. He is caring, loving and most important he respects me from the bottom of his heart. He always encourages me, and the most incredible thing is his dedication towards our family. He is a perfect gentleman, all girls dream about this kind of person, so I feel proud and lucky for myself. I feel as if I got married just yesterday. I held his hand when he was nothing more than an executive, but now he is an artist.


After 3 years of our marriage we found Samudra. Yes! We found him. But now he is our child. Samudra was from Delhi. We found him on a train. We were returning back from our holiday, we were about to step down at our destination, but we found a boy with dark growing hair, bright complexion - crying. We had launched a complaint to R.P.F.


After 4 months, R.P.F wasn’t able to find his parents, not even his identity. Then we took a big decision of our life, we took his responsibilities, by completing some legal regulations.
Samudra is our child now. He doesn’t know anything about his past. We don’t have that much guts to tell him. Some secrets need to be hidden.


At 12.28 p.m.


The doorbell rang. As soon as I opened the door, I find Samudra there. He gives me a wonderful surprise!!! A bunch of flower and a big sized Cadbury.
And most important he had got a job through his campus selection. I hugged him. Brushed my hand on his head, and … My cell phone rang…



12th May, 2022


The Postmaster asked me why I am spending my last money to send him this letter. I have sent him 120 letters from last 10 years. But still haven’t received any reply from Samudra. I always cursed my fate for all this, why did Aakash leave me? Why did Aakash meet an accident on 11th of May 2012? Why did Samudra get that job? After Aakash left me, it was too tough for me to send Samudra for his internship to Australia; I sold our dream house to complete his studies. I had to spend all of our money for him, to make his career brighter, even I sold my wedding dress only for Samudra.


Now a day, I sleep in the nearby park. Some neighbors give some food to me. They ask why? Why all this?
I only say- ‘I am a mother, he is my son, and this is my love for my child. I can be unhappy, I don’t want him to be, I can cry but my child needs to smile. He shouldn’t stop dreaming. Aakash is in my heart and Samudra is in my breath, how I can stop them?’


Written by

Subhanil Banerjee

The Emperor's Riddles by Satyarth Nayak: A Review

Name: The Emperor’s Riddles

Author: Satyarth Nayak

Publisher: Amaryllis 

Page Count: 406

The back cover says – More terrifying than the savage murder of historian Ram Mathur on the ghats of Ganga, are the questions that follow. The letter carved on his face…the cryptic mail he sends his daughter Sia after he dies…more murders piling up. Desperate for answers, Sia turns to esoteric writer and fiend Om Patnaik. But what begins as a hunt for the killer, becomes an extraordinary trail of riddles strewn across the country, that must end at the gates of an enigma…

An ancient enigma so powerful that even gods would kill for it!!!

In another time and space, rules an Emperor who plays with phenomenal forces that make him supreme…who faces these very forces when they threaten the survival of the human race. An Emperor who must ultimately pay homage to the enigma…

As Patnaik and Sia race from one riddle to another, towards a royal secret that has remained alive for centuries…will the final truth save them or destroy them forever?

The path beckons. Can you solve The Emperor’s Riddles?

On the name and the cover:
The book unfolds around ten riddles which will lead the two main protagonists towards a royal secret. The Emperor’s role in the story is equally effective as well as Patnaik and Sia's. So I think this is the best possible name for the story. This name even matches with the number game the author was playing from the very beginning of the book. Full marks for choosing such an effective and an appropriate name.
The cover looks appealing. The green color gives the book a soothing effect when the sword in the middle perfectly resembles the Emperor mentioned in the book. Any reader can easily understand the cause of the one eye on the front cover when he/she completes the book. I appreciate the effort of the designer Sonia Lal, for this fabulous work.

On the narrating style:
When readers pick this book , the first thing that catches their eyes is the comment of ASHWIN SANGHI and AMISH TRIPATHI. This will create a huge expectation within readers before even reading one page. But I must say this debutant writer have done proper justice to their expectations. Some time its scenes reminds me of ASHWIN SANGHI’s THE KRISHNA KEY but the narrating style is fresh and attractive. The way this author has distributed the chapters and all the last lines of those chapters make this book unputdownable. The stunning narrating style and the command the author had on his words will keep the readers on the edges of their seats.

On the story line:
The story starts when Inspector Suri finds Ram Mathur’s dead body on the ghats of ganga and then the story goes around Sia ( Mathur’s daughter) and esoteric writer Om Patnaik started their journey in search of the the killer and why Ram Mathur brought them together. The story picks up its speed when the riddles started coming. In one side of the story when Sia, Patnaik and Television star Jasodhara are solving those riddles to unlock the royal secret, on the other side the author has very efficiently portrayed the story the Emperor plays with the unparalleled forces that will make him unbeatable. In this wonderfully crafted fiction the author had managed to muddle up history, science-fiction, murder mystery and Imagination. I specially love the way the author narrates the whole part of the Indian olden times and the Buddha’s origin legend. Number Nine had played a very effective role in the whole book, starting for the name of his book from the name of his characters, to find out the real mystery one should read the book. As the author says ‘Open your eyes and see’.

+Point: The way the author framed the whole plot and the wonderfully planned unanticipated ending.

- Point: Sometime I felt the author has concentrated a lot on describing things or scenes, though these scenes can easily be ignored.

Debutant writer Satyarth Nayak joins the league of Ashwin Sanghi by his efficiently written breathtaking, fast-paced, murder mystery. A definite page turner and soon turning out to be the new best seller.

A+

A+ (Excellent)      A (Very Good)      B+ (Good)     B (Average)     C (Below Average)

Available at –

Flipkart
Amazon
Homeshop18