Sitanshu (Guardians of the Blue Lotus, #2) by Anita Shirodkar

Blurb (from the book):

As the divine Blue Lotus Indivara sprouts an ominous red petal, its guardians must do everything in their power to protect it and their kingdom. Aryavir and Sitanshu march to the border of Kalipura for a bloody showdown with the Chandraketu King Divyendu. It seems as if the Kamal Akshi Army with its peerless long-haired Kesakuta warriors cannot lose a war, but the wily enemies of Kamalkund have diabolical plans that are not written in any rule book. Thanks to the evil machinations of the Mayakari Queen Tamasi and wily King Kratu, Aryavir and Sitanshu are facing the battle of their lives.

With hidden ancient secrets that are known only to the revered Maheshwari Masters, the mythological Old World is about to be plunged into intrigue and danger its denizens could never have imagined. Powerful kings face mortality, relationships are tested to their breaking point and the Great War of Sompur will bring completely unexpected repercussions.

Written with the classic Indian ethos, Sitanshu, the second part of the Guardians of the Blue Lotus Trilogy, pays homage to India's magnificent mythological heritage and takes the reader on a journey into the heart of human passions.

My take on the book:

I feel really fortunate to have read the first book, Aryavir, when the second was already out. Lot of stuff happened at the end of the first book. Lot of good things happened. And then, there are few stories in the saga that ended on a very high note, which will leave the reader puzzled and eager for following part. I'm sure, I couldn't have taken the wait.

The very first chapter of the second book deals with the edge-of-the-seat scene that the first book ends on. Though, it was little predictable, this part of the story, the following events makes the story more interesting.

The second part of the saga mostly deals with the internal turmoil of the rival kingdoms involved and the war that ends the rival, one way or the other.

It is really surprising how the author has maintained that unwavering pace since the start of the first book. Not once, since the start, have I felt that the story slacked. The description of each scene is so vivid and realistic, the reader will be engrossed for sure.

Haven chose the third-person narration, author have wonderfully orchestrated the parts of the story like a smooth, soulful symphony. Since its a saga not constricted to one story, there are many parallel plots going on and the talent of the author at not once misplacing the facts of the story instils pure interest.

There are so many folklores and myths about the kingdoms mentioned in this book, the author has built a world of her own.

By the end of the book, everything about the story will lead to the ultimate danger faced by them and you will be left wanting more. I eagerly wait for the third installment of the series,

Overall, the second book keeps up the expectation and carries the reader with the same zeal to the rest of the story. If you haven't read the first book yet, you must go do it.

To read the detailed review of the first book in the series, Aryavir, click here...

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Title: Sitanshu

Author: Anita Shirodkar

Series: Guardians of the Blue Lotus, #2

ISBN (edition I've read): 9789387280113

Rating: 

Read between: 29-08-2018 to 02-09-2018

Publishers: The Write Place and AuthorsUpFront

Pages: 317

MRP: ₹ 349

Aryavir (Guardians of the Blue Lotus, 1) by Anita Shirodkar

Blurb (from the jacket):

Aryavir is not an ordinary prince. Heir to the throne of Kamalkund, Aryavir is a Kamal Akshi - blue-eyed and blessed by the Indivara, a divine Blue Lotus that protects his kingdom. And yet Aryavir harbours a terrible secret about his fate. His family, led by his father, King Chiraksh, is bound by its own web of intrigue and ancient promises.

The complexity of the family's past and present allegiances and the secrets each family member hides are set against the fact that Kamalkund has to fight off covetuous kings from across the borders who will do anything to control the powers of the Lotus.

Meanwhile, as Aryavir, his faithful tiger Kar and friend Sitanshu fight their own battles, the kingdom is faced by clear and present danger. And the past unravels its mysteries unexpectedly.

This classic tale pays homage to India's magnificent mythological heritage and, at its heart, is a story about the eternal human journey.

My take on the book:

I have always been a little skeptical about Indian Fantasy books. There could be a few good ones, but what I've come across were mostly a bad experience. Most of which, I've given up half way. Yeah, so bad!

After reading Aryavir's description, I could guess it is one of those good ones. Though the plot promised to be complex and intriguing, the simplicity of the blurb promised a breeze of a read.

The story started off on a pacy note as there was so many characters, parallel plot-lines, existing. The author had skillfully built and narrated the story in such a way that each character made an impression that lasted long after the book. One reason, I mostly evaded series are because of so many characters. Sometimes, it really gets hard to catch up with them. But in this book, author made sure that nothing of that sorts happens. There were times I had forgotten names of the characters in the book, but their story lines and characteristics were too intriguing to confuse.

Another aspect I loved about the book is that in the start of the book there is a rough map (which, of course, resembles India) stating the whereabouts of the kingdoms of the story. There is also a map of lineage of the key characters in the story, which will come very handy in the later part of the book.

The author has this unique way of story-telling which will have a grip over the reader. The plot line is so pacy, it is hard to divert one's attention.

Overall, Aryavir is on the best Indian books I've read in the recent times. Gripping, fast-paced and with edge-of-the-seat twists, I would recommend this book to everyone.

The review of the second book in the Guardians of the Blue Lotus series 'Sitanshu' is soon to come. Stay tuned...

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Title: Aryavir

Author: Anita Shirodkar

Series: Guardians of the Blue Lotus, #1

ISBN (edition I've read): 9781640078109

Rating: 

Read between: 26-08-2018 to 28-08-2018

Publishers: The Write Place and AuthorsUpFront

Pages: 331

MRP: ₹ 295

Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer by Cyrus Mistry

Blurb (from the jacket):

At the very edge of its many interlocking worlds, the city of Bombay conceals a near invisible community of Parsi corpse bearers, whose job it is to carry bodies of the deceased to the Towers of Silence. Segregated and shunned from society, often wretchedly poor, theirs is a lot that nobody would willingly espouse. Yet thats exactly what Phiroze Elchidana, son of a revered Parsi priest, does when he falls in love with Sepideh, the daughter of an aging corpse bearer...

Derived from a true story, Cyrus Mistrys extraordinary new novel is a moving account of tragic love that, at the same time, brings to vivid and unforgettable life the degradation experienced by those who inhabit the unforgiving margins of history. 

Reef by Romesh Gunesekera

Blurb (from the jacket):

At the age of eleven, Triton goes to work as a houseboy to Mister Salgado, a marine biologist obsessed with the island's disappearing reef. It was the biggest house he had ever seen. People from all over the world came here to sell their wares, to talk, to live, for this was where life took place. Even the sun would rise from the garage and sleep behind the del tree at night. But beyond Mister Salgado's house and their Sri Lankan village, there is a world falling apart and it is in this world that Triton must become a man. An absolute classic, Reef is a luminous coming of age novel.

The Japanese Wife by Kunal Basu

Blurb (from the jacket):

An Indian man writes to a Japanese woman. She writes back. The pen-friends fall in love and exchange their vows over letters, then live as man and wife without ever setting eyes on each other – their intimacy of words tested finally by life’s miraculous upheavals. 

The twelve stories in this collection are about the unexpected. An American professor visits India with the purpose of committing suicide, and goes on a desert journey with the daughter of a snakecharmer. A honeymooning Indian couple is caught up in the Tiananmen Square unrest. A Russian prostitute discovers her roots in the company of Calcutta revolutionaries. A holocaust victim stands tall among strangers in a landscape of hate. 

These are chronicles of memory and dreams born at the crossroads of civilizations. They parade a cast of angels and demons rubbing shoulders with those whose lives are never quite as ordinary as they seem.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Blurb (from the jacket):

'Souls cross ages like clouds cross skies. . .'

Six interlocking lives - one amazing adventure. In a narrative that circles the globe and reaches from the 19th century to a post-apocalyptic future, Cloud Atlas erases the boundaries of time, genre and language to offer an enthralling vision of humanity's will to power, and where it will lead us.

***

Blurb (from GoodReads):

The narrators hear their echoes in history and change their destinies in ways great and small, in a study of humanity's dangerous will to power. A reluctant voyager crosses the Pacific in 1850. A disinherited composer gatecrashes in between-wars Belgium. A vanity publisher flees gangland creditors. Others are a journalist in Governor Reagan’s California, and genetically-modified dinery server on death-row. Finally, a young Pacific Islander witnesses the nightfall of science and civilization.

A Flight of Pigeons by Ruskin Bond

Blurb (from the jacket):

Set in Shahjahanpur during the revolt of 1857, A Flight of Pigeons is Ruskin Bond's classic novella about the twists of fate, history and the human heart. 

When Ruth Labadoor's father, a clerk in the British magistrate's office, is killed in an attack by sepoys, her family seek refuge with their trusted companion, Lala Ramjimal. From here they eventually hope to escape to their relatives in Bareilly. But their plans go awry when Javed Khan, a fiery Pathan opposed to the British, abducts Ruth and her mother and takes them to his haveli. To their surprise, it is not hate that impels him in this time of war, but an almost crippling passion for Ruth. It will be months before the fall of Delhi to British troops brings them freedom—from fear, bafflement and despair, not only their own but also Javed Khan's. 

Based on true events, A Flight of Pigeons is a haunting story, rich in detail and drama, told with simplicity and deep humanity.

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

Blurb (from the jacket):

Saleem Sinai is born at the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, the very moment of India’s independence. Greeted by fireworks displays, cheering crowds, and Prime Minister Nehru himself, Saleem grows up to learn the ominous consequences of this coincidence. His every act is mirrored and magnified in events that sway the course of national affairs; his health and well-being are inextricably bound to those of his nation; his life is inseparable, at times indistinguishable, from the history of his country. Perhaps most remarkable are the telepathic powers linking him with India’s 1,000 other “midnight’s children,” all born in that initial hour and endowed with magical gifts. 

This novel is at once a fascinating family saga and an astonishing evocation of a vast land and its people–a brilliant incarnation of the universal human comedy. Twenty-five years after its publication, Midnight’ s Children stands apart as both an epochal work of fiction and a brilliant performance by one of the great literary voices of our time

The Four Encounters by Osamu Tezuka (Buddha #2)

Blurb (from the jacket):

Osamu Tezuka, the godfather of Japanese graphic art, brings ancient India to life, lavishly retelling the life and times of 'the enlightened one' in his critically acclaimed eight-book masterpiece: BUDDHA. The fates of real and imagined characters are deftly interwoven as they engage in fresh and unexpected adventures, playing out Tezuka's philosophical concern with overcoming fate and the uselessness of voilence.

In book two, The Four Encounters, Prince Siddartha – fated to become the Buddha – is confronted by the harsh penalties of social injustice within his own kingdom, fuelled by selfish warlords and villains like the depraved warrior, Bandaka. The tragic fortunes of his loved-ones, such as Tatta the rogue and Migalia the fierce female bandit, force the Prince to choose between love and destiny; Siddartha must forsake his heart and begin his pilgrimage.

Vengeance Of The Warrior by Shobha Nihalani (NINE Trilogy #2)

                                                 NINE: VENGEANCE OF THE WARRIOR

                                                                          Edited by

                                                       Vaishali Mathur and Arpitha Basu 

                                                   

                                                        Penguin metro reads, New Delhi

                                                             

                                                              Page numbers: pp 1-339

       

                                                                     INTRODUCTION 

AUTHOR: Shobha Nihalani is the author of Nine:Curse of the kalingan warrior,the first book in the NINE trilogy,and The Silent Monument. Her debut novel,Karmic Blues ,was translated and published in Denmark. She lives in Hong Kong with her family.

ESSENCE OF THE BOOK: This book being the second book in the NINE trilogy contains new characters which weren't mentioned in the first one. In the first book the kalingan warrior's  spirit is imprisoned in the temple of Angkor.

                                         And now  the spirit is back with double the vengeance, arrogance, anger and thirst to kill the three members of the secret council of nine- Tara, Aksh ,Zubin and finally destroy the Mauryan era.

                     And this time it is not the spirit but Tejaswi who pestered a witch to invoke an evil spirit in her with the help of her black magic for her personal reasons. The kalingan spirit which is thirsty immediately turns up into tejaswi. A combination of Yan and Yang. Feminine body with a masculine consciousness, warrior's spirit in Tejaswis's body is back to battle against the secret council of Nine.It's few times more stronger, angry and arrogant.

                      This time it is a tough battle for all the three young members of the council to battle against the spirit . They seek the help of the six senior members synchronizing their energies ,honing their physical abilities to tackle the kalingan's spirit

                      Raakin and Anitha are the protectors of the three members of the nine this time, they work hard ,sparing their lives to protect them.

                      

What happens when  Tejeswi along with the kali yogis encounters the young members Tara,akash,Zubin and their protectors Raakin and Anitha at  Dhauli in Orissa ( which is the battle field of the kalingan empire ,The place where the terrible war took place in 261 BC between Mauryans and kalingans ) is best savored by reading the book.

NOTE : The author has very well depicted the second book too ,festooned with a few facts like

              

                  The twenty -three -foot -high Ashoka Pillar in Delhi ,weighing over six tonnes ,built during Gupta era ,is an enigma. Modern metallurgists are still pondering over the quality of the pillar which has shown no signs of corrosion for thousands of years.                                     

      It's an amalgamation of facts and fiction ,together formulating into an objective ,crisp plot. The narrative style is perceptive, captivating and energetic.
   
         Overall the book is great,with a few cliched descriptions ,form the first book.  
                                                                                                                            ISBN:9780143418832 

Review in association with The Bookaholics

                 

Curse of the Kalingan by Shobha Nihalani (NINE Trilogy #1)

                                                     
                                                       
                                                                 
JOT( from the back cover) :

               THE PAST HAS COME TO DESTROY THE PRESENT AND CHANGE THE FUTURE.


 261 BC.
After his bloody battle with kalinga,the Mauryan emperor Ashoka ,overcome with remorse,swore never to wage another war .And to make sure no one else did .His Navarathnas- the NINE-
     Zealously guarded their powers and knowledge, handing them down through millennia and generations to ensure lasting peace.

                                                EXCEPT THAT IT WAS NOT TO BE!
from the corpses of kalingan warriors rose an angry spirit bent upon avenging the kalinga empire ,destroying the NINE and using their hidden knowledge to rule the world and change its destiny.
      
                                                                PRESENT TIME
The bloodthirsty warrior has possessed the body of a young man,making him hunt down and kill the NINE one by one. IT is now up to the chosen Trinity -nurse Tara ,DJ Akash and forensic expert Zubin -to stop him.

MY REVIEW ON THE BOOK:

            The cover page is festooned with a green emerald in the middle, a picture of tomb and a building to the corners.I initially didn't fathom their presence on the cover page, but as I leafed through the book ,they started making sense.
            Firstly I don't have words to describe the author's narrative style. The plot is absolutely terrific.It's a fine tapestry of history, philosophy, science, technology, spirituality and religion. Even though this is a work of fiction few parts of the book are actually objective like:
                                            
             'Everything we experience has a purpose. It might not be what you thought it would be but you know you can handle it. If you were not who you are, if there was the slightest doubt that you were incapable, then you wouldn't have been here. You have a reason to be here..'

These few sentences have a great effect on the reader. I felt, they were written as if to address the reader.

            It's amazing how the author has interwoven the whole plot around spirituality and Buddhism.

'The mind works in two ways: Linear thinking and associated thinking. IQ is associated with the linear thinking and emotions with associative thinking. And a repetition of a chant breaks both these circuits and allows the mind to be in a state of rest and awareness.'
          
          Through these lines the author has given a scientific approach towards chanting mantras (religious) which is very informative to youngsters,who are usually septic towards  rituals and praying.

          All together the book has kept me curious, enthusiastic and surprising through out the read. Once reading the book I learned that there are many thing to explore in the world.

Note: I specially thank the author Mrs. Shobha Nihalini who has written this beautiful Novel which has inspired me and educated me about many things and I am anticipating to read the next book of the trilogy.

                 

Far Beyond The Dead End by Saikat Baksi

Blurb (from the jacket):

They called it the 'mound of dead'. In other words, Mohenjo-Daro!

But beneath those layers of ruin, once flourished a town pulsating with life. There lived Koli with her enigmatic charm, Sindhu with an eyeful of dreams, Girad with his raging passion, the decrepit priest prophesying the doom and many others. They loved, hated and chased their fixations in manic rage. A series of mysterious deaths ensued from such frenetic hunt for lust, riches and glory. Yet, the inexorable game of destruction did not cease to play, until they ventured Far Beyond the Dead End only to be discovered under a heap of rubble four thousand years later.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

Blurb (from the jacket):

What happens when innocence is confronted by monstrous evil?

Nine-year-old Bruno knows nothing of the Final Solution and the Holocaust. He is oblivious to the appalling cruelties being inflicted on the people of Europe by his country. All he knows is that he has been moved from a comfortable home in Berlin to a house in a desolate area where there is nothing to do and no one to play with. Until he meets Shmuel, a boy who lives a strange parallel existence on the other side of the adjoining wire fence and who, like the other people there, wears a uniform of striped pyjamas.

Bruno's friendship with Shmuel will take him from innocence to revelation. And in exploring what he is unwittingly a part of, he will inevitably become subsumed by the terrible process.

400 BC by Lewis Helfand, Lalit Kumar Singh (Illustrator)

Blurb (from the jacket):

Fortune favors the bold...

They were an unstoppable force, hired to take the crown from the King of Persia. They were a fearless army of Greek soldiers, and one hundred thousand men fighting as one. They were led by the finest and most courageous generals in all of Greece. They were being led to unimaginable wealth, but that was days ago.

Now their leaders are dead and their army has scattered. Now their numbers have fallen to ten thousand and nothing remains but fear. Now they are men praying not for victory, but for the slim chance of living one more day.

Cut off by impassable terrain and pursued by an army of one million enemy soldiers; they must stand together to survive. To find their way home, one of their own must lead them. And to live one more day...

...they must fight.

The Wandering Falcon by Jamil Ahmad

Blurb (from the jacket):

Winner of the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize

Shortlisted for the Commonwealth Book Prize and the Man Asian Literary Prize 

‘Superb. The work of a gifted storyteller who has lived in the world of his fiction, and who offers his readers rare insight, wisdom and—above all—pleasure’ - Mohsin Hamid

The Wandering Falcon is the unforgettable story of a boy known as Tor Baz—the black falcon—who wanders between tribes in the remote tribal areas where Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan meet, defying his fate and surviving against all odds. The world he inhabits is fragile, and unforgiving, one that is fast changing as it confronts modernity. In Jamil Ahmed’s award-winning debut, this highly traditional, honour-bound culture is revealed from the inside for the first time with vivid colour and imagination.

The Almond Tree by Michelle Cohen Corasanti

Blurb (from the jacket):

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

On Ichmad’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, Ichmad 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 discovers a new hope for the future.