Twisted Tales and Turns-Smita Das Jain

Book: Twisted Tales and Turns
Author: Smita Das Jain
Publisher: Readomania

I was provided an Advanced Reader’s Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Do you think twists add a good flavour to short stories?

What if reality was a carefully crafted illusion, and every truth you thought you knew was a mirage? Get ready to experience a roller coaster of emotions. Just when you think you have it figured out, the unexpected will leap at you from a page, leaving you stunned and breathless. A daughter waiting for her father to return from war. An artist struggling to create a masterpiece. A scientist having her own definition of a better world. A friend who loves without being loved back. A man who has eyes only for another woman on his wedding night. Twisted Tales and Turns is a captivating collection of short stories where nothing is as it seems. Are you prepared for the buried truths and shocking revelations that lurk beneath the surface?

There are very few short story collections that keep you hooked so much that you keep turning the pages, one story after the other. Smita’s book manages to do this with each story that this book has. Divided into 4 sections with 5 stories each, the author explores 4 distinct genres through her stories. Switching comfortably from paranormal to science fiction to melancholy and finally to love, Smita’s stories touch the various emotions that a person feels. What I loved about the book were the twists that are a part of each tale and how they are presented to you at the most unexpected moments. Keeping the stories crisp, yet delivering the message she wants to send across is truly the mark of a good storyteller and that is what we get in the book. The storytelling is simple and effective and keeps you wanting more as you move ahead. One thing that stands out about the book is the fact that Smita has used contemporary themes in her stories touching base with some of the very crucial questions that we are facing today as well as exploring some important subjects as well.

My favorites from the book would be “The Figure in the Charpoy”, “Guided Missiles, Misguided Men”, “My Knight in White” and “The Wedding Dance”. These stories stood out for me because of the emotions each of them bring out and how Smita presents a commentary on the present times through these, specially with “Guided Missiles, Misguided Men” and how fact, fiction and fantasy can blend together to weave such a wonderful story.

A highly recommended read which gives you a taste of various ways in which a story can go. The book scores a 4.88/5 for me!

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The Kamin’s Daughter-Nithya Sashi

Book: The Kamin’s Daughter
Author: Nithya Sashi
Publisher: Vishwakarma Publications

I was provided a Media Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do if your past comes calling?

Two seemingly unrelated deadly incidents. A deadly methane blast kills several workers in the Chirimiri coal mines. A suicide bomber attacks the Delhi CM's house and blows it up. Both cases land on Koena's lap, a journalist at the TNN network. Sharp as a whip, clever, and with an eye on the top job at her network, Koena decides to get to the bottom of both the cases. Married to a celebrity chef, Shom, Koena has the world at her feet. Along with her colleague, Sagar, she hurries to unravel the truth behind the two cases. Will Koena find answers before it is too late?

The Kamin’s Daughter explores a good concept that tries to explore multiple topics such as media sensationalism, the Naxal Movement and the identity of individual people. Nithya uses the plot to explore the fact that there are different shades to people, and sometimes, even if you have spent years with them, there might be a facet to their personality completely unknown to you. This has been the theme that runs throughout the book, and is what holds the reader. What worked for me in the book was the idea to use timelines to explain events happening so as to keep the reader on track, however it could not be executed completely because there are moments where the timelines do not match with the events taking place and as a reader you are forced to go back to the previous chapter to understand the turn of events. Another aspect of the story that didn’t work for me was the long-drawn tale of Koena, Sagar and Tim. While some part of it was important to set the context, almost half the book is spent exploring Koena’s office and Sagar’s antics without contributing much to the plot. The second half of the book does pick up some pace, and the events in the book start making sense to the reader. The climax is emotional, but feels rushed as too many things start happening which seem rushed and undercooked.

Coming to the characters in the book, Koena’s character has been written in quite some detail and I liked how shades of her are shown in the book. Sagar is another character who adds a good flavor to the story, and I would have loved to see a bit more of him in the plot. Shom’s character is another one who is a crucial one, but doesn’t get his due in the story.

Overall, a good plot which could have delivered with another round of editing and proofreading. The book scores a 3.25/5 for me.

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It Waits-Andaleeb Wajid

Book: It Waits
Author: Andaleeb Wajid
Publisher: Self Published

As an eighteen-year-old, Trishna's world was shattered when she encountered a pair of haunting, luminous eyes in the depths of her family's basement, only to stumble upon the lifeless body of her father. Filled with terror, she fled her home, vowing never to return. Now, two decades later, Trishna finds herself compelled to make the journey back to her hometown of Dakhara following the passing of her mother. Accompanied by her two teenagers, Varun and Jia, she must confront the ghosts of her past while rediscovering the familiar walls of the home she once escaped. Unexpectedly, her ex-boyfriend, Dr. Inder, reenters her life, offering both solace and intrigue. However, unknown to Trishna, a malevolent force has silently lurked in the basement all these years, patiently waiting for its moment to strike. With each passing day, its presence grows stronger, biding its time for a reckoning. Prepare for an electrifying journey as Trishna unravels the mysteries that have haunted her family for generations. Will she uncover the truth behind her father's demise and the sinister entity lurking in the shadows? Or will she succumb to the darkness that threatens to consume her?

It Waits has been written beautifully which captures not just the horror of a sinister force but the power of love and emotions. The story has been told in quite a fast-paced manner and at no point does the reader get bored or feels the story getting dragged. The buildup to the central plot was imaginative, and I loved the use of a classic basement for the terror to unfold. Another interesting aspect about the story was the backstory Andaleeb provided to the force and how it came into being and into Trishna’s basement. While the book explores the spine-chilling presence of the entity, Andaleeb presents a parallel story, one that of motherhood and how that becomes a powerful force, both in Trishna’s past and the present. Through the story, she explores various aspects of love and emotions, and how they can make us behave in ways which might seem irrational to an outsider. Andaleeb hasn’t held back in adding gore to the book, and the scenes in the basement are quite descriptive, both visually and olfactory. When I started the book, I was expecting the run-of-the-mill ghosts scaring the daylights out of the occupants with some tricks, however what we meet in the book is something I would never wish upon the worst of enemies as well. The climax, however, does make you sit on the edge just because of the way Andaleeb has set the scene up.

Coming to the characters, I loved Varun and Jia quite a bit because they have been created just like the current generation, and their reactions throughout the story keep you interested in the outcomes. Dr. Inder is another intriguing character who has been created with quite some depth, and there are moments when you are not entirely sure of his motives in doing what he does.

Overall, this is a book definitely recommended to the lovers of horror. The book scores a 4.63/5 for me.

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In Your Blood I Run-Sonia Bhatnagar

Book: In Your Blood I Run
Author: Sonia Bhatnagar
Publisher: HarperCollins India

I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do if your best friend was incriminated in a crime and you were asked to assist in the case?

On a cold, wet night, Ratan, a wandering law-college dropout, is called to pick up his employer, Sara Davenport, from a party at the Governor's residence. As he arrives, he sees a figure running through the trees in the dark. The next second, he spots Sara in the thicket, just as she stumbles and falls. He rushes to her, but she dies in his arms. Her throat has been slashed. Sara was his employer, his lover, his friend, and now Ratan has her blood on his hands. He decides to flee. Little does he know that when her body is discovered the next day, the police will find alongside it a book of erotic stories written by Ratan's childhood friend, Lavanya Shriram. And with the book will be a note - addressed to Ratan. The police trace Lavanya in Bombay and threaten to ban her book unless she can help them find Ratan. Can the two childhood friends come together to track down the real killer and absolve themselves before it's too late? Set in a time when India is grappling with colonial rule, this is a thrilling tale about secrets uncovered, and freedoms lost and found.

The book is a wonderful story of murder, intrigue and whodunnit set in the pre-independence era. The book opens in Shimla where we find Sara dead in Ratan’s arms and thus starts a cat-and-mouse game. The story, on the one hand, explores the investigation into Sara’s death by the police and how it shapes up, and on the other hand explores how cultural sensibilities of the time affect people’s notions and their treatment of people. The storytelling is interesting, specially where we have Sitara’s track running parallel to the primary storyline. What I liked about the book was the fact that Sonia has kept the character of the time intact and the divide between the natives and the British has been captured beautifully. The plot of the book has been paced well, and the author has given each scene due time to get processed. As the book progresses and new facts come to light, the concept of the story does too. As a reader you keep guessing who killed Sara, and as you guess the name, something in the story would force you to rethink your choice. The climax of the book, while explaining the incidents, got a bit too complex and I would have preferred things unfolding a bit before the climax so that the reader could have had some time to process things, however the reveal is quite something.

The characters in the book are well crafted and quite apt for the story. I loved the chemistry that Ratan brought into the story, both with Sara and Lavanya. The way his character evolves throughout the story is quite good, and I loved how it comes a full circle in the end. Lavanya’s character as a fiery writer, standing up for herself is extremely well written and adds quite a bit of flavor to the story, specially when facing off with the police.

Overall, this is a good thriller that explores a well-crafted plot that enthralls, excites and entertains you. The book scores a 4.25/5 for me.

Get a copy of the book on Amazon India or your nearest bookstore!

Cursed Bunny-Bora Chung (Tr. Anton Hur)

Book: Cursed Bunny
Author: Bora Chung
Translator: Anton Hur
Publisher: Hachette India

I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Cursed Bunny is a genre-defying collection of short stories by Korean author Bora Chung. Blurring the lines between magical realism, horror, and science-fiction, Chung uses elements of the fantastic and surreal to address the very real horrors and cruelties of patriarchy and capitalism in modern society. Anton Hur's translation skillfully captures the way Chung's prose effortlessly glides from being terrifying to wryly humorous.

The book tells us 10 short stories that range from the supernatural to unimaginable beings walking among us. The stories are quite unique in themselves and while there is an element of horror in them, they are not the conventional spine-chilling stories one would expect. Each story has its own unique setting and characters with their individualities that propel the story forward. What stood out for me was that the intent of the story is built up one page at a time and the reveal happens when you least expect it to happen. Another interesting aspect about the stories was the fact that you might feel like taking a break after each one of them as you are so engrossed in the story that a breather becomes important. Science fiction is another interesting genre Bora has written and “Goodbye, My Love” was truly terrifying, especially the last few sentences and honestly the highlight in the entire book because I never thought that Sci-Fi could be explored in the manner which is done in this story.

The USP of the book is its similarity to a tasting menu where various genres are presented to you to savor. There is a bit of horror, science fiction, magic and other worldly beings in the stories being told and as a reader, you can explore how each genre can be treated and presented in such a fine form. Another reason why the book was such a good read was the impeccable translation and the essence of the stories could come out, rather than a soul-less changing of language.

Overall, the book is highly recommended for readers who prefer their magical realism and horror. The book scores a 4.94/5 for me.

Get a copy of the book on Amazon India or your nearest bookstore.