Author: Kevin Missal
Publisher: Penguin India
Have you read the story of Sinbad the Sailor?
Sinbad and the Trumpet of Israfil is the first book in the Sinbad
series by Kevin Missal which is a reimagination of Sinbad-the fabled sailor
from the classic One Thousand and One who faces a myriad of mythological creatures.
This book introduces us to the young Sinbad as a young hunter who fell in love.
Like all stories, Sinbad had his share of troubles, and to top it up Armageddon
is round the corner, and Sinbad has only seven days to save the world, and to
kill the only girl he ever loved. As Sinbad sets sail to do the impossible, he
has to hoodwink a Greek God, crash a vampire wedding, mollycoddle a giant and
face a fallen Angel. Can he save the world, or would emotions overtake him in the
decisive moment?
The story has been told exceptionally well
with parallel storylines, set 4 years apart as we meet Sinbad as an apprentice,
and as a master hunter. Setting the stage for the reveal towards the middle of
the book, Kevin maintains the suspense of the cat-eyed girl. The language is
simple, and apt for the story as it is told. The author has also taken his time
to set the stage for the main plot of the book to unfold and reveal the Trumpet
of Israfil and I loved the scene when that happens, and I could almost visualize
Ja’far. The description of places and people is quite vivid, and the author is
successful in painting a picture of events as they unfold. From the runes on
Sinbad’s tunic to the sword, and the “dancing captain”, each of the moments has
been beautifully described. Each of the trials that Sinbad and his motley of
followers face has been well crafted and well executed, so much so that there
is breathing space between events and a reader is able to process the same.
Kevin, in his signature style, has added some interesting elements that make
the story fun like the scene between the Greek God, or the Baron. The climax,
however, was something I did not expect, and specially from Idris.
Coming
to the characters, Sinbad as a character is a wonderfully crafted one, and with
his origin story in place, I am now excited to see how he develops over the
series. His arc is very well crafted, with proper time being given to events that
preceded the book to establish the story and the character. Another character I
loved was that of Safeena, and the message the Kevin portrays through her
character is very powerful and magnetic. Husayn is another character that
surprised me, specially with the events that unfold on the island, given his starting
point. Overall, the characters are the essence of this book, and they have been
their time in the book to express themselves and tell their story.
The review of the book cannot be complete
without due credit going to the team behind the team who designed the cover and
the artwork inside the book. The essence of the Arabian Nights, and the idea of
Sinbad just jumps out from it.
Overall, a definite recommendation to go and
read this tale of a hunter who becomes a sailor!
The book gets a 4.38/5 from me.
Grab a copy of the book here.
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