The Last Hun-Ashwin Razdan

Book: The Last Hun

Author: Ashwin Razdan

Publisher: Platinum Press/ Leadstart Corp

Set during the period of the Gupta ruler Baladitya, The Last Hun is the story of the rise and fall of the Hun ruler-Mahira. The story opens with him having nightmares, which make him irritable and prone to rash decisions. As the byline of the title says,” The most brutal man who ever lived” , Mahira is depicted as being moody,  brutal and gullible. The book highlights his exploits across the country on his whims and fancies. There are instances in the story where executions are explicitly described, thus giving a deeper shadow to his animal-like nature.

The story moves ahead when he starts getting visions of Shiva and how he manipulates him in order to create chaos by destroying the monasteries, which to him seem as if are a part of a larger plan of Shiva. The story moves on to Baladitya planning a war with Mahira to save Buddhism and what transpires after that.\

With the focus of the story on the brutality of Mahira the White Hun, Ashwin also brings out his human part of the nature subtly. His affection towards his Queen, Sitoi, and his daughter, seems almost out of character, yet blends in beautifully.

The characters of the book are beautifully written, with the descriptions detailed enough to create a virtual world where the reader can imagine the story taking place. The characters of Mahira, Sitoi, Baladitya and Jasbir are especially notable for their depth.

The plot seems to be a little weak as the story jumps from one point to another very quickly, thus making the links between the plotlines a bit weak.

The ending, though is a completer unexpected and amazing.

All in all, I would rate it 3.5/5.

Wake Up, Life is Calling-Preeti Shenoy

Book: Wake Up, Life is Calling

Author: Preeti Shenoy

Publisher: Srishti Publishers & Distributors

Wake Up, Life is Calling is the sequel to Preeti’s earlier book Life is What You Make It. It picks up the storyline where the prequel ended and is the story of Ankita’s life after her ordeals and the long recovery stint at the NMHI.

The story is based in Mumbai, where Ankita has the life where she gets to pursue her dream course in a college she adores and is surrounded by friends and family. It is the story of how things that seem perfectly calm can have trouble brewing under the surface. Her past comes calling in various ways and how she deals with them is the crux of the plot. Detailing about the plot would be a spoiler, so I’ll move onto the analysis of the plot right away.

The best part about the book is the underlying message about the human psyche and how our thoughts affect our lives and those around us. The author has masterfully detailed the issues and symptoms and that we tend to move into an unending cycle of pessimism and self doubt. But though it brings out the storm that brews inside of the characters, each one of them gives out a positive outlook that we ought to have in our lives.

Ankita’s Journal entries are a wonderful source of inspiration and should be read with complete focus and attention.

All in all, Wake Up, Life is Calling is a must-read.

I would rate the book 4/5.

P.S. The Epilogue has a surprise. Do give it a read……

The Golden Record-Naimesha Thakur

Book: The Golden Record

Authors: Naimesha Thakur

Publisher: Inkstate Books/Leadstart Corp

The Golden Record is a refreshing fantasy-adventure genre book. The author has outlined the plot beautifully with the details being presented as and when they are required. It moves at a smooth pace, with a good climax.

The Golden Record is a story that takes place in the Fantasy place called the The Island of Writers. It is s story of how the leader of the people of the Island weave stories that affect the lives of the people. The Golden Record is an important part of the people of the Island of Writers, and due to some unfortunate events, a Black Mistake occurs in the record. It is now upto the protagonists to undo the mistake and ensure that the legacy of Tina Dev Spekoe is not tarnished.

It is a wonderful book, touching upon subjects like importance of family ties, breaking the ceiling of patriarchy and importance of trust and friendship. The book is refreshingly nice and is a light read.

What works for me is the simple yet captivating language and the manner in which the fantasy world is constructed. Each aspect of the society is described in detail and the terms used in the book are defined wonderfully. The parallels drawn to the current society are amazing and are easy to pick up.

The thing that did not work for me was the discontinuity between events. The chapters change and connection to the previous events break. It becomes bit tedious to keep track of what has happened till now. Maybe a better planning of the timeline of the events could have made the book even better.

For me, the book is a good read.

My Rating: 3.5/5

The days By the Ganges- Urvesh Bhatt and Hanisha Galani

Book: The days By the Ganges

Authors: Urvesh Bhatt and Hanisha Galani

Publisher: Blue Rose Publications

“The Days by the Ganges” is a travelogue, written in first person by the author, who is deeply mesmerized by the beauty of the place. The 170-page ride takes the reader through the lanes of Hrishikesh and introduces us to the well-known & some not so well-known places of the Himalayan paradise.

What works in the book is the account of the places as they are discovered and how the narrator perceives them. The snippets of the interaction with the localites are a wonderful way of relating to the places and it brings out the stories that are told about those places wonderfully. The part where he starts his journey from Delhi in the bus is wonderfully described and is well written. Another part of the book which is captivating the feeling that the visits to each of the places brought out, be it the chaurasi kutiya or the river rafting activity. The reader gets immersed in the sight seeing and it is almost as if you are seeing the place with the narrator’s eyes. The descriptions of the places are accurate and help in creating a word picture of the places.

Though most of it is good, there are somethings that take a bit of the charm away. One of those is the excessive use of thesaurus. There are word substitutions that should not have happened. The literal meaning of those words is correct but the sentences do not make sense. The later part of the book where he was only focusing going back to Hrishikesh is a tad bit long.

And not to sound like a grammar Nazi, but there are multiple grammatical mistakes in the book that could have been done with in the editorial stage.

All in all, a decent read. 

I would rate the book 3.5/5.

Bestseller-Ahmed Faiyaz

Book: Bestseller

Author: Ahmed Faiyaz

Publisher: Rupa Publications

Bestseller is a quirky take on the publishing industry in India. It introduces us to Akshay Mathur, an out-of-work editor from UK, who has been given the charge of turnaround a derelict publishing House in Mumbai. The book introduces us to various twisted characters who come to the publishing house with their stories and hopes. Each wannabe author lends a different angle to the story. The struggles of Akshay in keeping things afloat amid a bossy boss, a too-close-to-comfort friend and juggling manuscripts are funny yet relatable. It is a tale of how a person can use the resources available to him to produce the best.

There are multiple things that work in the book’s favour. The story is short, simple and easy to understand. The quirks of each character, be it a movie star, or a best selling author or even a politician, are captured wonderfully. The moments where Akshay is flustered or is mad can be understood and even related to the events in one’s life.

In short, Bestseller is bound to be a bestseller.

My review, definite read. It will make you smile at each turn.

I would rate it 4.5/5.  

Ba’az of the Bengal Lancers-Uttiyo Bhattacharya

Book: Ba’az of the Bengal Lancers

Publisher: Juggernaut

Author: Uttiyo Bhattacharya

The book opens with a scene set in 1857, during the time of the fall of the Mughal Empire. This scene introduces us to the context of the story, though that connection comes to light at the perfect time in the book.

Cut to present times, an unwilling architect, who suffers a personal tragedy, comes back to his hostel and comes to know that his roommate’s village has an old connection with history. Deep down, our protagonist is interested in history and off they go to his village near Ambala. It is there that events are spun into motion, events that form the crux of the storyline.

There is an old village’s tale that our roommate’s grandfather tells and has been telling for a long time, every day. The next day, he decides to roam around the village and it is then he discovers something that connects the dots in the tale. When this is brought to the notice of the grandfather, he handovers some letters to him to read and make out the rest of the story.

Spanning from Haider Kalan to Delhi, Udaipur and finally Delhi, Ba’az of the Bengal Tigers is full of twists and turns. A story that seems to be a straightforward hunt for remnants of history turns out to be a maze of wordplay and cunningly placed clues. It is a well-researched book which comes out in the details of places and historical events. The style of writing is simple and relatable and the story moves effortlessly, forcing you to turn page-after-page until you read the climax.

And believe me, the twist in the tale would leave every reader gasping……

My Review, 4/5.

P.S. A special mention to the last line on the "A Note on the Author".

The Accidental Prime Minister-Sanjaya Baru

Book: The Accidental Prime Minister

Publisher: Penguin India

Author: Sanjaya Baru

Meaning to read this for a long time, I finally laid my hands on it during this year’s world book fair.

A non-fiction book by genre, but the writing by Mr. Baru is deeply engaging with equal parts of wit and humour. It is an inside account of Dr Manmohan Singh’s term as the Prime Minister of India and the twists and turns that took place during that time. A different take of what was portrayed in the media about Dr Singh, this book brings out the other side of personality of him, a side which can be attributed to his deeply academic background. It also gives an account of the incidents that defined UPA 1 government and how those decisions came into being.

Talking about the book, it is an engaging read and it keeps you hooked with its style of writing and the manner which is almost as if the author is telling a story. A person who has a keen interest in politics and follows Indian politics will find it interesting and an engaging read.

The title of the book is apt as the book basically enumerates how Dr. Singh came to be chosen as the Prime Minister the first time. It tells his story, his feelings, his emotions.

Over all, a decent read.