Book review of The Path of Sushmaloka by Nihar Bhonsule
Book review of The Path of Sushmaloka by Nihar Bhonsule – is a mythological fiction, and believe me when I say, it is one of the best Indian fantasy novel I have read in recent years.
Book review of A Darker Shade of Magic by V E Shwab
Lately I have been wanting to read, rather craving more and more of Fantasy novels that have loads of MAGIC. Book review of A Darker Shade of Magic by V E Shwab
Conduits : The Death of Jinx Jenkins | Book Review
Before I proceed, I thank the author for giving me an opportunity to review such a masterful work of fiction.
Conduits: The Ballad of Jinx Jenkins | Book Review
Conduits : The Ballad of Jinx Jenkins is a wholesome read, full of elements which are magical, witty, adventurous, spooky, and of course enigmatic.
House of Earth and Blood | A Book Review
Okay, where do I start from? My thoughts are scattered here and there, freaking everywhere. And I am so pumped-up. It’s like I am struck with a bolt of Athalar’s lightning; the shockwaves of it have send my emotions on a tizzy so intense that I am still in a daze. And these are all just the aftermaths of reading the most electrical charged book ‘House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas. Just imagine, if the after effects of reading this tome of 796 pages was so potent. How was the entire experience? Let me tell you; it was a roller-coaster, that didn’t stop until the last page. And the last page was a promise for more adventures to come. Weirdly though, despite it being a fascinating read; I had this love and hate relationship with this book. Why, you ask? And I say the beginning of Sarah J. Mass’s book ‘House of Earth and Blood, was torturously slow. It took 200 pages to make sense of the characters and the imagery world building. But once past that biggest hurdle, it was the most exciting fantasy-slash-whodunnit book I read in a long, long time. And what’s more, it had both the genres, I love devouring. So yeah, I slowly started falling in love with this book. Each turn of page brought me closer and closer and closer to characters Ruhn, Hunt and Bryce. But it took time for me to fall in love with them. I found them a bit aloof. Cold, if I may say so. Bryce, especially. A snarky and a snobbish of a person. I seriously did not like her. Everytime she came into the scene, I wanted to bang some sense into her; tell her not to be so heartless. But then there came a moment in the book, that made me realise that she, after all is a human; shaped by the fear and experiences of the past. Thenceforth, I completely and irrevocably fell in love with Bryce and the book. And, and, and did I tell you about Danika? Ooo She is my most favouritest character. Though she had the minutest role, but the impact she had on me was earth shattering. I so wish, she had a bit bigger role. What’s more, cherry to this yummilicious cake is Sarah J Maas’s beautiful,beautiful writing style. I wouldn’t have ploughed further 50 pages in the beginning, if not for her writing style. And thanks the Gods, that I read this epic of a book, or otherwise I would have missed on something so amazing. Sarah J. Maas’s House of Earth and Blood, is a book that should be read slowly with your eyes, heart and soul. It is a heaven for Fantasy and mystery readers.
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
The Starless Sea Publication: Penguin India Page Count: 512 Review: Fantasy Fiction Some books, as they say, are not meant for the faint-hearted. They are meant for the readers, who don’t mind diving into the very depths of the dark Starless sea. Reading Erin’s yet another masterpiece ‘The Starless Sea’ was an experience magnificent, and which, in my opinion, could not be defined, however much I try. It was a dream come true for an insatiable reader like me. A fantasy, which was nothing short of a pilgrimage to me. It was a voyage, I and THE SON OF THE FORTUNE-TELLER took to the honey-shored island of Owl King’s kingdom. You ask us, how did it start? The Journey? And I say, it started with turning of the pages, BUT for THE SON OF THE FORTUNE-TELLER, it started with just a turn of the doorknob. Isn’t it amazing to see, how each reader has a different perspective, and a different story to tell of the same journey? So let’s focus on me, as it’s my story to tell, but we can’t forget the other person too. As it is him ‘THE SON OF THE FORTUNE-TELLER’, who with just a turn of the doorknob, change the direction of the path and threw us into the world, where fate was helpless and bound to the time. Where Time – waiting in an endless limbo for his fate to return back – was the keeper to the place, where stories were kept. And what a remarkable place it was… You could find stories everywhere. On every turn, you will find them Scattered, or stacked neatly on the shelves. And there were stories, one could pop them into their mouth and suck on them for hours at an end like candies. Stories within stories, of love lost in time and left halfway, untold, and in search of endings. However transient the journey to the land of the ‘The Starless Sea’ was, it took its own time to find the ends of the end, meandering in its own pace. It was beautiful. Filled with flawless and sweet as honey narratives and imbued with words that were calm and poetic to my exhausted mind. I fell in love with it. An adventure that I wouldn’t hesitate to take one more time. Maybe soon, or whenever I feel the time is right. It is a 5 star read . . . . . Let us know what you think about The Starless Sea in the comments! No spoilers on this page, please! Love reading Fantasy Fiction? Then, do let us know your favorite fantasy fiction reads in the comments below. Also, don’t forget to read this: The Conspiracy Unknown
Breaking Philosophy by Nishitha Bujala
Breaking Philosophy Publication: Notion Press Page Count: 323 Review: Poor little rich girl Sophie seems to have it all but in reality is one lonely child who yearns for a normal life. This motherless girl who is the daughter of the mayor of the town finds solace in her books and her cat, Smelly. The sudden death of her father finds Sophie in a turmoil when kidnapped and confronted by a secret government organization; the CSES that claims that her dedicated father was a spy and a traitor. Filo Hardy, the daughter of an Indian father and Irish mother is left to fend for herself and her younger brother Sebastian who is her life. Constantly singled out for being different, she finds an unlikely friend in the handsome Phil and a loving mentor in Indigo, who helps her get a job in his Yoga class at the Cen Tournament Training Academy. However, when Sebastian is detected with cancer, a visibly shattered Filo finds herself reluctantly accepting a fatal offer by the CSES. After all, it’s a question of life and death for Seb. The two young girls who are thrust together in an unknown environment find friendship, love, and support in each other. Faced with the humongous task to lead a team of 20 volunteers, Filo and Sophie discover their inner strength when forced to confront their common enemy. One so wily that this is definitely going to be a fight straight to the finish. Do I recommend it? Breaking Philosophy is an interesting book with a Game of Thrones meets Indian mystique feel. The young Author Nishitha manages to keep the whole taut roller coaster ride going right till the very end. The numerous characters and intriguing premises all add to the interesting mix with an additional romantic track for the two main protagonists- Sophie and Filo. Plenty of ups and downs in this book that keep you engage d till the very end. Rating: 5/5 stars . . . . . Don’t miss out: Music Men Also, do let us know in the comments if you want us to review a book or recommend some specific books. To get our bookish updates straight to your Instagram feed, give us a follow at @booxoul.
Music Men Volume 1: Badoga by Pankaj Saini
Music Men Volume 1: Badoga Publication: Notion Press Page Count: 298 Review: Fantasy Fiction As a child, though I enjoyed my comics and onscreen superheroes from He-Man, SpiderMan, SuperMan, Mandrake, Chacha Choudhari, Flash Gordon, Phantom et al; I soon outgrew them moving on to other stuff. Needless to say, when I opened up this one to discover it was a fantasy novel of a superhero named BADOGA, I wasn’t really keen on it. However, I’m so glad that I persisted in reading it. The first book in the Music Men Series introduces us to the Superhero BADOGA. Sartaj, an engineer from Haryana who shows streaks of violence during his teens, moves to Bangalore along with his best buddy, Vishal in a bid to stay out of trouble despite his doting rich dad’s protests. The boys strike up a friendship with Bangalore babe, Ranjana and soon the trio are inseparable. The story builds up further with other situations and characters being introduced until finally, Sartaj transforms into BADOGA, the reluctant vigilante. Question is can he really take on the burden of responsibility after realizing his childhood dream? As they say, be careful what you wish for. Do I recommend it? Pankaj Saini has managed to get to me with the build-up of his slightly flawed yet lovable protagonists Sartaj, Vishal, and Ranjana. I thoroughly enjoyed the back story of our superhero. The music and song lyrics add a nice touch. A promising novel that left me asking for more. I can’t wait to read about the next adventure. Taking inspiration from Clark Kent, Peter Parker, Bruce Wayne, etc. Pankaj Saini’s introduction of our very own desi geek Sartaj aka BADOGA does manage to impress. Behold another Superhero is born. This one has a million questions and doubts about his existence at that. Rating: 5/5 stars . . . . . So, that was our review of Pankaj Saini’s Music Men: Badoga. Love reading Fantasy Fiction? Then, don’t forget to read this: The Conspiracy Unknown What are your favorite fantasy fiction reads? Do let us know in the comments below!
Book Reviews
The Conspiracy Unknown by Abishek Babu
Two stories and two different timelines running on a path of love, betrayals and the conspiracies unknown. Sounds intriguing, right? Abishek Babu’s ‘The Conspiracy Unknown‘, is set in an imaginary world of two different timelines. Spread in various genres: historical, mystery and fantasy, is a book worth spending your time on. Initially, though, the story is a bit confusing, but as you move further, it will start making sense to you. It is remarkable how the author has so minutely detailed each part of the story and merge them into an epic of a story. And kudos to him for penning a story at such a huge level and yet making sure that the readers don’t feel lost. In fact, past the initial, I loved how the story took shape. Abishek’s narrative was a confluence smooth flowing river. Highly engaging and entertaining. Furthermore, I loved how he through his story tackled a sensitive issue of rape. Though it was a very minor part of the story, the impression it left on me was impactful. Amazing Abishek! Characters talk It can be difficult sometimes for readers to connect with the character of the book. Especially those books which deal with two timelines and many characters apart from main characters, who fleet in and fleet out of the story. However, the author Abishek Babu with his pen has done an amazing job of justifying each character in regards to the storyline of this book. What I did not like about the book? ‘The Conspiracy Unknown’ could have been a 5 on 5 reads, had it not been such a huge book. I felt that it was in some places stretched out a bit. Moreover, the language needed editing. I feel that the publishers should do their part honestly while editing so that the hard work authors do, pay off. Overall, the book is a perfect travel companion. And a perfect read for the thriller, time travel, and fantasy fans. For me, it’s a 3.5 out of 5 stars read. . . . . . Do let us know in the comments if you liked the review and if you’ve read this book, then what’s your review of it? Also, read: Traveller Inceptio Happy Reading 🙂
