The Beast Hunters-Christer Lende

Book: The Beast Hunters
Author: Christer Lende
Publisher: Hashtag Press

Do you believe in the existence of supernatural beings?

The Beast Hunters by Christer Lende explores the story of what happens when a monster brutally kills Ara’s parents, and she is saved by two beast hunters. Becoming their apprentice, she discovers serums, secret bestiary knowledge, and remarkable abilities—all to save unsuspecting souls from the same fate her parents suffered. But terrifying creatures lurk everywhere, and Ara must master the art of beast hunting quickly if she is to uncover the elusive creature plaguing the village of Cornstead.

The plot of the book is quite interesting and as we explore the world of various beasts through the eyes if our beast hunters, the author continuously hints at a beast greater than all the ones they encounter through their journey. The storytelling is vivid and visual and there are times when you can visualize the scenes as they unfold. The descriptions of the beasts are graphic, and I loved how they are introduced into the plot and become a part of it. The language is easy to comprehend, and it helps that the author uses the story teeing to clarify any doubts that might lurk in the readers’ minds. The climax is well planned and well executed. Bringing the story to a natural close and leaving the just a wee bit hanging to continue the story later.

The character sketches are detailed, and I loved the way Topper’s character plays out. I, like Ara, was confused by the mystery surrounding the Beast Hunters and I was happy with the surprise that comes up in the latter part of the story. Another interesting aspect for me is that of Khendric, and I would love to see his origin story come up sometime later in the series.

Overall, a book I would recommend if you like reading about otherworldly creatures. The book scores a 4.63/5 for me.

Thank you Team Literally PR for adding me to the Online Book Tour!

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Vultures of Paradise-Atulya Misra

Book: Vultures of Paradise
Author: Atulya Misra
Publisher: Rupa Publications

Do you think that waste generation is an issue worth pondering?

Vultures of Paradise by Atulya Misra is a story of greed, love and sacrifice narrated in the backdrop of a crippling human tragedy. The story follows the life of Neha, who, at first, is driven by blind ambition. The heights she achieves in business dissipate once she starts spiraling in the opposite direction. Just when she appears to be an abysmal failure in the eyes of everyone, Neha creates a corporation to counter the biggest threat to the planet—the human propensity to consume endlessly and create more and more waste. Her enterprise becomes so large and successful that it becomes a danger to the very people who created it. Humanity has been a parasite for long enough on this planet. It’s time we become vultures and clean up our habitat.

The plot of the book has an interesting premise, and the concept of the story is well thought of. The author has taken up an issue of importance and uses the story to highlight the issue of waste generation and waste management in the world. The storytelling is nice, however there are some elements of the story that seemed redundant. The story moves at an erratic pace because of the details, and the initial part of the story was quite long that takes time to set the plot. There were instances where the author digressed into a long knowledge sharing session which seemed irrelevant to the story at hand. The last part of the story draws inspiration from the epics but goes to lengths that seem improbable and impractical. While the story has a good intent, the execution could have been a bit better.

The characters are well sketched, and they propel the story forward. The author has taken his time to set the characters and make sure the backstory holds till the end. The story of a self-made tycoon is nicely sketched, and it sets a nice tone for the story. The character of Chaudhary baba is interesting, and I would have loved to see more of him.

Overall, a good book that I would recommend for its message. The book scores a 3.94/5 for me.

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Thakurmar Jhuli: Princesses, Monsters and Magical Creatures-Dakshinaranjan Mitra Majumdar & Sutapa Basu

Book: Thakurmar Jhuli: Princesses, Monsters and Magical Creatures
Author: Dakshinaranjan Mitra Majumdar
Translator: Sutapa Basu
Publisher: Reado Junior

Have you read the folktales in your mother tongue?

Thakurmar Jhuli: Princesses, Monsters and Magical Creatures is a translation of the folktales collected by Dakshinaranjan Mitra Majumdar from across Bengal and rendered them into a unique collection of children’s fiction, titled Thakumar Jhuli. Enjoyed by children over the ages, the anthology became synonymous with the cultural heritage of the region. This translation, Princesses, Monsters and Magical Creatures promises to take readers to an enchanting land sprinkled with flying horses, speaking birds, cunning foxes, indestructible monsters, bold princes, and even bolder, beautiful princesses. To sail on a grand peacock boat holding Black Serpent’s diamond with a friendly midget who is only a finger and half tall is exactly the stuff that dreams are made of. So, are you ready to step into this fantastic book and fly to the Moon Lady to watch her magic work on you?

The book has an excellent collection of stories that would enthrall you, and while focused on the younger crowd, it would interest the people across ages. The stories are wonderfully selected and the storytelling is such that it keeps you turning the pages. The stories are engaging and carry interesting messages that double up as a nice learning experience. While I haven’t read the original, the translation seems very close to the original with its auditory support in terms of sound words. The poetry is a wonderful part of each story and the verse adds a wonderful level of amazement to it. From ogres to princesses and from envy to love, the stories encompass a range of emotions and characters, and while some stories might seem to have a common plot, each of them are unique and carry a wonderful message for the reader.

Overall, I would recommend the book to anyone looking for a collection of stories for young readers, one that might sow the seed of reading at an early age. The book scores a 4.75/5 for me.

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Meet Me in the Middle-Vani Mahesh

Book: Meet Me in the Middle
Author: Vani Mahesh
Publisher: HarperCollins India

What would you do if you had to uproot your life and move to an unknown space?

Meet Me in the Middle by Vani Mahesh is the story of Anu, who is a thirty-year-old woman, a mother to a four-year-old and a teacher. She lives in Bengaluru, surrounded by friends and family, and her life seems to be perfect, until one day her husband suddenly develops a taste for luxury and forces Anu to move to the plush neighborhood of Verdant Green. The sudden jump from a middle-class life to a super-luxurious one that they can barely afford, lands Anu in one mess after another. Faced with everything from casual classism to extravagant yoga classes, she must now tackle this new life in her own inimitable style even as her marriage crumbles. Funny and candid, this is a story of aspirations and desires, and being careful about what you wish for.

The concept of the book is interesting as it focuses on the series of events that form a part of Anu’s life and how a series of events threaten to derail her life. The narrative focuses on the before and after the move to Verdant Green, and while the premise is interesting, the narration seems to drag on for longer than necessary in the first half of the book. There are moments on the book which are funny and make you smile, but the incidents seem to repeat after a while. The storytelling is good and keeps you turning the pages, but something to keep the reader hooked was missing from the story. The climax is well crafted, but the build up to the drama ends on a pretty flat note.

The book, however, stands on strong character descriptions. Anu’s character as a classic middle-class woman is well crafted and there are some witty one-liners that elevate her character. Sameer’s character is interesting in providing perspective to the actions of other characters and his advice is something that I would probably dish out. Sanju’s character was a bit underrepresented, and I would have loved to see his side of things in the story as well.

Overall, a good story that I would recommend, and it scores a 4.19/5 for me.

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The Tenth Riddle-Sapan Saxena

Book: The Tenth Riddle
Author: Sapan Saxena
Publisher: Locksley Hall Publishing

Have you encountered an interesting mythological mystery?

The Tenth Riddle by Sapan Saxena starts when the princess of Goner dies under mysterious circumstances, and her killer is on the run. A Local politician, a bestselling author and an investigating officer make an unlikely trio as they set on a course to solve one of the biggest historical secrets of all times and unlock an ancient secret. A Prophecy made up of 10 riddles is the key to unlocking this secret, and subsequently solving the murder. Will they be able to solve the ten riddles and unravel the ancient secrets of Adishakti?

The plot of the story is quite unique and the concept that went behind the ideation is well researched. The idea to keep Adishakti as the centre of the plot is something I would commend him on telling the unique tales that he found out about each of the mahavidyas. The storytelling is interesting and fast-paced. The use of mythology to power the story and its narration is well done, and the way the things pan out is quite amazing. The twists in the tale are quite interesting and keep the reader hooked on to it. The one thing that didn’t work out for me was the fact that the mystery solving was a bit too fast and had there been a few more roadblocks and some false trails, that would have made the plot even more interesting. Secondly, the book needs a second round of edits as there are some grammatical issues that hamper the reading experience.

The characters in the book are well plotted and their backstories well established. The character arc of Shoumik is well explored and I loved how each of the character brought some aspect of the story into perspective. The twisty nature of the some of the characters was a surprise and I liked how it played out to be crucial in the climax.

Overall, a good book that I would recommend to fans of mythology and mystery. The book scores a 4/5 for me.

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Mind Games-Manasi Singh

Book: Mind Games
Author: Manasi Singh
Publisher: Self Published

Do you believe in the existence of ghosts?

Mind Games by Manasi Singh is a collection of 3 tales that tell you about those who walk amongst us, may not always be who they seem to be. Tales about people who may have gone a little too far, those for whom there is no coming. What lurks in the depths of the mind of a boy who has been weighed down by his twin all his life, to suddenly know that it was all a ruse? When a best friend chooses to become a self-declared protector of yours, how long would it be before you decide whether you are being guarded, or held captive? A man who murdered his wife, claims that she is not who she says she is. A court trial finds him guilty and declares him insane. But is he really? Tales that are sure to keep you up all night, wondering what reality is, and what is fiction.

Manasi’s storytelling style is quite unique in the aspect that she keeps an ace up her sleeve until the last part of the story comes into play. As a reader, one might hazard a few guesses about the end of the story, but often, it is something that unfolds. In Mind Games, she takes up 3 interesting aspects of the human psyche and weaves stories that are terrifying on the surface, but as you start experiencing them, you would realize the true nature of the events that are unfolding. The storytelling is crisp and keeps the reader turning the pages. The language is simple to understand and fits the bill of the characters perfectly. The Imposter as a story stood out for me for its raw emotion and how smoothly the narrative moves.

Each of the three stories have characters that are well sketched and as a reader, you would connect with them as they tell their story, and when the twist comes, you would feel for them as if you know them personally. The character sketches are spot on and visualizing them is an easy task.

Overall, this is a book I would definitely recommend if you love a well-cooked psychological thriller story. The book scores a 4.88/5 for me.

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