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Saturday, 2 March 2024

Midaash & Maitreyi’s Magical Mayhem-Shobhita Narayan

Book: Midaash & Maitreyi’s Magical Mayhem
Author: Shobhita Narayan
Publisher: Scholastic India

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

Are there any fairytales from your childhood that you remember?

There is no magic in the village of Gol Gumbad or that is what everyone believes. That is until an old mage appears and grants magical wishes to little children. Midaash falls for the words of the mage and sets off a chain of events which change the lives of all the children in Gol Gumbad. Together with his sister, Maitreyi, and friend, Chittaa, Midaash sets out to make things right. But magic is never so simple, is it? A delightful read with six magical stories and lively characters inspired from your favorite fairytales.

My first introduction to reading was through fairy tales and comics that used to accompany me on the train journeys. Shobhita’s book brings back memories of those stories which we have all heard growing up. Shobhita has created this wonderful world in which these six-interlinked stories take place. Each story has been inspired from a popular fairy tale to which Shobhita has given a wonderful spin. With magic and mayhem running amok in Saluka and Taluka, Midaash and Maitreyi form the protagonists who start off the book. As we journey through the stories, we encounter the triplets-Rohini, Bharani and Ashwini, Shatranj and Queen Sheeth who tell us their stories. What I loved about the stories was their freshness and how the author’s writing keeps you interested in the stories, and after you read the first story, you have a sense of familiarity and you rack your brains to find out what was the thing you recognize, and that becomes quite a game in the other 5 stories. Another thing that I loved was how the links between the stories are present and despite these being short stories, Shobhita manages to create an entire story arc and backstories of the characters that help you relate to them. What stood out for me in her writing, specifically, was the last story and the call back that ties the stories beautifully.

The characters who inhabit this magical world have been beautifully crafted. I liked the quirkiness and the mischief that she builds into all the characters. My favorite of the lot was Shatranj because of 2 reasons. The first being his adeptness at chess and the second being the backstory and the reveal we get towards the end of his story. The triplets were another set of characters who impressed me with the mischief and the trouble they get into.

Overall, while this is a book targeted at a much younger audience, I would highly recommend it to people in the 20-30 years age group for the nostalgia and to enjoy the experience that the book brings. The book gets a 4.94/5 for me.

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

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