Review of "Nine (Book Two): Vengeance of the Warrior" by 'Shobha Nihalani'

Blurb:All future is defined by the past.

And therefore, the end is only the beginning.

After burying the vicious Kalingan warrior, Akash, Tara and Zubin are continuing their lives as before, hiding the fact that they are a part of King Ashokas exalted Nine and that each of them has powers meant to be used for the benefit of mankind, when needed.

Except, things are not as quiet as they seem to be.

The Kalingan warrior has risen once again angrier and more vengeful. And this time he knows each one of them. If they dont destroy him now, they will be hunted down and the world will be battling its worst, most terrifying chemical warfare yet.

This second book in the Nine trilogy will change the way you look at time and space.

Verdict: ‘Vengeance of the warrior’ is the second instalment of the NINE trilogy by Shobha Nihalani. This book starts where the previous one ended, not plot wise but the feel wise. Being a fantasy-fiction, this book is undoubtedly one of the best of its series because of the imagination and narrative power of the author.

The name itself sends a chill down the spine and I feel that the book will be known more as the second book of the NINE Trilogy than by the name. If I have to judge the significance of the name NINE, then I would say no other name would suit this series better. The cover looks catchy and would definitely drag onlooker’s attention. The book is very reader friendly and will raise an urge among the readers that this book is going to be good. Overall I loved the first impression of the book.

The Nine series is a fantasy fiction but can easily be compared with any thriller in the market. The enthralling narrating style of the author will keep the readers hooked till the end and will force them to complete the book in one go. I appreciate the author for distributing the story in short and crisp chapters which helps to maintain the flow. The readers will love the way the author has narrated the whole story by showing different scenes in different chapters. The choosing of words suits the atmosphere of the book and will take the readers into an edgy journey.

The characterization was wonderful as the previous instalment and the author has very efficiently named her characters which suits their personality best. The Three who are already introduced to the readers in the first installment, are very well presented in this book too and in a more improvised version. At few places I felt that the author has deliberately removed the lime light from a few characters to keep the suspense and that is very much visible which can be marked as a flaw of the book.

The plot of the book is wonderful and framed in an efficient way. Just as the blurb says, The Kalingan has risen again and possessed a body of a willing woman name Tejwashi and ready to take the revenge from The Nine, the Mauryan guards, the servant of the great king Ashoka and take the Chintamani, the divine and powerful crystal. Again the responsibility to save the human kind was given on the shoulders of The Three, who are now more experienced and more powerful. The plot is such intriguing and interesting that at the end I, along with The Three shout aloud, ‘To hell with Kalingan’. The war sequence is described in such a way that the readers will feel that they are standing at the war field and witnessing The Three fighting with the mighty.

This book is so good that any flaw would hardly register in the readers’ mind. But I felt there are a few unanswered questions, there are a few scenes where the readers can feel that ‘Shit, why Akash is not doing this,’ or ‘Zubin, has the power, why is he not using it’. Though maximum of the time the author manages to clear the doubt but still there are some loose ends.

Final Words: This book has an unmistakable speed which will grow an urge among the readers to turn the page. The second instalment of the series has done proper justice to its name and readers will eagerly wait for the final installment.

Title: Nine (Book Two) – Vengeance of the Warrior
Author: Shobha Nihalani
Publisher: Penguin
Page Count: 338
My Rating: 4.75/5

Available At –

Flipkart - http://www.flipkart.com/nine-vengeance-warrior-english/p/itmdzkcymxhxja2f?pid=9780143418832&otracker=from-search&srno=t_3&query=shobha+nihalani&ref=a8cffdd5-4ce7-4f6b-9744-0d868c762a8a

Amazon - http://www.amazon.in/Nine-Vengeance-Warrior-Shobha-Nihalani/dp/0143418831/ref=sr_1_2_bnp_1_pap?ie=UTF8&qid=1409906499&sr=8-2&keywords=shobha+nihalani

Note:
Book Review in Association with "TheBookaholics"         
Here is the Author's website link - http://shobhanihalani.com/