𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐡𝐚 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢 : 𝐒𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐚 (Kalki Book 3) by @kevin_9695 .

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𝗔 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗼. 𝗛𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳.

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THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE END.

Kalki Hari arrives at Indragarh to find out that his brother has been taken prisoner, his beloved is about to be butchered, and the city is embroiled in a ghastly war with the Naga queen and Dakshini king.

Armed with a mighty sword forged by a god, he fights to take the city back from his nemesis, the evil Kali.

But the Avatar of Vishnu is at a crossroads. It is his destiny to fight the last battle with Adharm and obliterate evil from this world. However, he has stumbled upon a terrible truth over the course of his journey . . . a truth that may change everything.

Will Kalki be able to win against Adharm and fulfil his destiny? Or will the world lose its greatest hero and head towards destruction? .

I was super excited to read the final book in the Kalki series. Sadly, it didn’t live up to my expectations.

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The story starts right from the end of the last book. Kalki is out to finish his journey and Arjan is a prisoner in the city. I can’t really narrate the story because everything is a surprise and a spoiler.

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I feel like the author had very strong points about what might be Dharm and Adharm in the first book but it has kind of become repetitive and predictable in the third one. At this point we kind of know that the Adharm doesn’t know that he/she is Adharm. It’s also very predictable that someone who we believed will help our hero will not and vice versa. I’d like to sometimes see that people are in fact who we think they are.

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𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗔 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆. 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝘀.

I had to talk about this as a theatre artist. Plays are very effective and I appreciate the author for making this point in the book. I just hope people watch more plays.

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All this said and done, I finished the book in one go.

The story and the twists and turns are still very enjoyable and I had to read it because of the cliff hangers in the previous book. The ending broke my heart. I never imagined Kalki will be crying for Adharm in the end.

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Please read the #kalki series!

🌟🌟🌟.2

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Qotd: I’m running out of questions, ask me something 🙈

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Thanks @fingerprint_publishing .

#kalki #mythology #indianmythology #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #books #bookstagramindia

Book: The Carpet Weaver

Author: Nemat Sadat

About the book: Afghanistan, 1977. Kanishka Nurzada, the son of a leading carpet seller, falls in love with his friend Maihan, with whom he shares his first kiss at the age of sixteen. Their romance must be kept secret in a nation where the death penalty is meted out to those deemed to be kuni, a derogatory term for gay men. And when war comes to Afghanistan, it brings even greater challenges-and danger-for the two lovers.

From the cultural melting pot of Kabul to the horrors of an internment camp in Pakistan, Kanishka’s arduous journey finally takes him to the USA in the desperate search for a place to call home-and the fervent hope of reuniting with his beloved Maihan. But destiny seems to have different plans in store for him.

Intimate and powerful, The Carpet Weaver is a sweeping tale of a young gay man’s struggle to come of age and find love in the face of brutal persecution.

Review:

Even though I finished the book a while ago, I didn’t have words to describe this masterpiece.

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“𝙄 𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙪𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙩𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙡𝙮. 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠. 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙭𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙨𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚. 𝙈𝙖𝙞𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙙. 𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙩𝙝 𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡. 𝙎𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙡 𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡, 𝙬𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧’𝙨 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨.”

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The story follows Kanishka Narzuda, son of a leading carpet seller in Afghanistan. He shares his first kiss with his best friend, Maihan at the age of 16. The story is set in 1977 when the punishment for being gay was death.

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“𝐀 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐧, 𝐈 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝. 𝐈𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐧? 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐈 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐦𝐲 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚? 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐬?”

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Kanishka finds himself in a internment camp in Pakistan while trying to escape the horrors of Afghan’s political turmoil. He has no choice but to endure and make sure harm does not come his family’s (widowed mother or sister’s) way all the while longing for his true love, Maihan.

There is so much growth in Kanishka’s character throughout the story. From the naive young teenager in Afghinastan to a man who is finally happy with who he is, the journey is beautiful.

When the young lovers Maihan and Kanishka are told, “Your punishment for sinning against God is death. All kuniha deserve hell.” He wonders if he really is a man.

After all he goes through, he knows what he truly wants, to be himself. ”I had always surrendered my soul to Maihan and felt for now that he was unworthy of me. This was my moment to reclaim the dignity had been robbed from me, ‘Wherever I end up, I will live a righteous life,’ I said, purposely abstract and imperious as a real man on the verge of independence would be.”

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It is a heart wrenching story of love, war, slavery, loss, hope and more. I was in tears by the end of the book and I rarely cry!

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🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

𝐔𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐀 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟐

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐚

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He is poisoning the very heart of hastinaga. And. He. Must. Be. Stopped. The powerful demonlord Jarsun has declared war on the vast burnt empire. Wars, deceit and sorcery wreak havoc, practically shattering the realm. And. He. Must. Be. Stopped.

But how? The odds are unsurmountable.

And then, on one dark night, everything changes. For the worse. Terror is unleashed, dark magic and death ravage Hastinaga and the very meaning of love and longing changes in unimaginable ways. The three ambitious and courageous queens, Karni, Mayla and Geldry, devise tortuous ways of holding on to power as the men they are married to, the princes Adri and shvate, struggle to keep the burning throne which they inherited from their illustrious forefathers. But how and at what cost?

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The book starts off after the attack of Shvate on Reygar. This book is different from the first one. While part 1 gives an overview of kingdoms and rules and the lives of the rulers, part 2 dives deep into the lives and minds of our protagonists, Shvate, Karni, Mayla, Geldry, and Adri.

We see the plight of Adri who is about to be the king but has lost the love of his life. We see Geldry lose her mind in the greed for more power. We see Karni stay strong and continue to support her husband when he commits a terrible crime. We see the wonderful person Mayoa suffer so much in guilt when she accompanied her husband in the crime. We see Shvate give up his throne for the betterment of his kingdom.

Here are so,e things that particularly stood out to me in Thief character development:

1.

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In this part we finally meet the Pandavas. I love the fact that the author made Bheem a girl telling us that power doesn’t mean men!

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The story is weaved wonderfully and each character has so much depth. The narration is quick paced but at times the author goes into some detailing. But I felt the choice of which needed detailed explanation was weird. Some plot points felt incomplete since we knew what was coming. This doesn’t change how I feel about the book because it doesn’t add anything to the story.

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We are all vulnerable to the enemy within, no matter how, when or where we might be.

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🌟🌟🌟🌟.2

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While Ramayana teaches us how a family should be, Mahabharata teaches how it shouldn’t be!

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Qotd: Ramayana/ Mahabharata? I’d love to know why.

In case you don’t know what they’re , they’re great Indian epics and household stories to us.

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Thanks @simonandschusterin .

#mahabharata #bookstagram #environment #trees #green

Right now I’m following a challenge by applying the tips in this book. Last week, I have kept a count of my daily and average of mobile and internet and turns out the app I use the most is Instagram. This week I will try my best to reduce this and stay focused. Check back in next week to see if I’m “Indistractable “?

Book: Indistractable

Author: Nir Eyal

About the book:

“Indistractable provides a framework that will deliver the focus you need to get results.” (James Clear, author of Atomic Habits)

You sit down at your desk to work on an important project, but a notification on your phone interrupts your morning. Later, as you’re about to get back to work, a colleague taps you on the shoulder to chat. At home, screens get in the way of quality time with your family. Another day goes by, and once again, your most important personal and professional goals are put on hold.  

What would be possible if you followed through on your best intentions? What could you accomplish if you could stay focused and overcome distractions? What if you “”had the power to become “indistractable”?  

International best-selling author, former Stanford lecturer, and behavioral design expert, Nir Eyal, wrote Silicon Valley’s handbook for making technology habit-forming. Five years after publishing Hooked, Eyal reveals distraction’s Achilles’ heel in his groundbreaking new book.  

In Indistractable, Eyal reveals the hidden psychology driving us to distraction. He describes why solving the problem is not as simple as swearing off our devices: Abstinence is impractical and often makes us want more.  

Eyal lays bare the secret of finally doing what you say you will do with a four-step, research-backed model. Indistractable reveals the key to getting the best out of technology, without letting it get the best of us.  

Inside, Eyal overturns conventional wisdom and reveals: 

Why distraction at work is a symptom of a dysfunctional company culture – and how to fix it  

What really drives human behavior and why “time management is pain management”  

Why your relationships (and your sex life) depend on you becoming indistractable  

How to raise indistractable children in an increasingly distracting world 

Empowering and optimistic, Indistractable provides practical, novel techniques to control your time and attention – helping you live the life you really want.

Review:

This book first caught my attention by its colour. I find the cover of the book really attractive.

Indistractable is all about the focus in your life, not only towards your work or your career but each and every part of your life, from using your phone to spending time with your family, this book focuses on everything. The language was simple yet attractive. I don’t read many self development books but here’s what I think,the author included his own life experiences(I am sure many other self development book authors do it) which convinced me that I can apply some points in my life.

This book is mainly for those who are handling work and relationships and children and find it hard to do well in all the aspects, and if there’s someone out there in a similar situation then this book will help you a lot. And the major distraction mentioned was the technology and the author did a very well job in coveying us the ways to not get distracted by the modern technology. I, as a teenager, found time management, dealing with distractions and handling relationships (with my family, : ofcourse) very helpful because I find many flaws in my daily routine, so I hope these tips or lessons help me to be more satisfied with my lifestyle by the end of the day.

This seems like the shortest review I’ve written but honestly there isn’t much to say. I’m hoping you’ll make this book a part of your life too.

🌟🌟🌟🌟.5

Recommended: Go READ Nowww

[Don’t just read, use it]

Don’t forget to check back on me.

Thanks for the copy @bloomsburyindia.

Book: The man that got away

Author: Lynne Truss

About the book:

In the second instalment of Lynne Truss’s joyfully quirky crime series, our trio of detectives must investigate the murder of a hapless romantic; an aristocratic con man on the prowl; and a dodgy Brighton nightspot…

It is summer in Brighton and the Brighton Belles are on hand to answer any holidaymaker’s queries, no matter how big or small. The quickest way to the station, how many pebbles are on the beach and what exactly has happened to that young man lying in the deckchair with blood dripping from him?

Constable Twitten has a hunch that the fiendish murder may be connected to a notorious Brighton nightspot and the family that run it, but Inspector Steine is – as ever – distracted by other issues, not least having his own waxwork model made and an unexpected arrival, while Sergeant Brunswick is just delighted to have spied an opportunity to finally be allowed to go undercover.

Our incomparable team of detectives are back for another outing in the new instalment of Lynne Truss’s joyfully quirky crime series.

Review:

I love crime thrillers especially the ones with the most complex plots. This book is set in Brighton in 1957. The character of Constable Twitten was very amusing. After the events of last book Twitten is trying to convince everyone that Mrs Groynes, the police station charlady, is a master criminal.

I don’t want to spoil anything but the amount of people that die and they way they were all connected was horrifying! If you must know, bodies / parts of bodies were discovered in the luggage. You will come across a secret door, wax statues, mysterious underground, an heir with gold bricks to donate, an inspector who keeps getting shot in the leg, a master con artist, a charlady who is actually a criminal mastermind with lookouts everywhere in Brighton and the list goes on and on. I’m impressed how Lynne could string all this into a comic crime fiction.

Twitten overheard young lovers planning to run away while Inspector Steine is busy getting his wax model done. The very same young man is soon found dead on a beach chair. The main plot follows Twitten trying to solve the case admits all the other problems.

I loved that the whole upper class and middle class comparison of speech that holds the whole story together at the end.

‘𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝗧𝘄𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗠𝗿𝘀 𝗚?’ 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗮 𝗽𝗶𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗯𝘀.

𝗠𝗿𝘀 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘆𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴. ‘𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻?’

‘𝗕𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘆, 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝘂𝗰𝗸𝘆!’ 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗸. ‘𝗛𝗲’𝘀 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘁. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗡𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲 𝗢𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲, 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲.’

‘𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁, 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗿.’

‘𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗮-𝗱𝗶-𝗱𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼-𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 “𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀” 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀.’

‘𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆?’

‘𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹, 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀. 𝗦𝗼 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲, 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹, 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁–’ 𝗕𝗿𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 ‘–𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀.’

‘𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲, 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗿.’

‘𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄!’

‘𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗮𝘆? 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝗳𝘁.’

There were so many things happening simultaneously and sometimes became very hard to keep track (I keep notes). The English was sometimes difficult considering that the story takes place in 1957. You must be from UK to get all the references in the book, sadly I had to look up words on the internet more than once. Other than this I was hooked in the story from the first word. My only other complain is that the ending did not make justice to the plot and the mystery. I wish the story ended on a higher note.

Recommended: YES YES YES!

🌟🌟🌟.8

Disclaimer: Gruesome violence

Book: All lies, says Krishna.

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Author : J. Rajasekharan Nair

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About the book: Its thirty-six years after the Great War of Kurukshetra. The curse of a bereaved mother has deprived Krishna of everything, except his life. And so he journeys to Vrindavan, the village of his innocence, to spend the concluding hours of his life with his childhood friend and lover, Radha.

In her presence, Krishna peels off the layers of myth that portrayed him as the incarnation of God. And at her request, he retells the story of the Mahabharata, like you have never heard before.

All lies, says Krishna is an emotional journey into the tortured inner universe of its central characters, focussing more on their flailings than on their heroism. A charismatic retelling of the Mahabharata, this compellingly told narrative has a distinctive voice which sets it apart from anything you have ever read.

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Review: To be honest I was never fascinated by tales of Mahabharata and Ramayana, even after hearing different versions retold by my ancestors. I didn’t believe in those magical, unproven events. But when I read the title of this book I couldn’t wait to read, this was the rare time when I was actually interested in Mahabharata. And I was not disappointed when I started reading it.

I got a clarity of how things happened. First off, I thank Krishna for clearing the myths. Second, I was so fascinated by the fact that, even after staying apart from each other for years, the love and affection between Radha and Krishna never faded.

This book is not a detailed story of Mahabharata but the details of some events which are missed out while retelling the stories through generations. This is about the feelings, the actions, the thoughts and opinions or the characters present in a particular event. That is what I found the most interesting in this book, everybody got a chance to tell their side of the story. And all this was portrayed so well.

This book is definitely the most different version than you have ever heard. At the end of the book, you’ll be disturbed, you’ll be shaken and fascinated by all the hidden secrets and truths of everything that happened. Nobody is good or bad, each one has their own story to tell. You’ll rethink about all the stories you heard from your parents and grandparents. The Mahabharata is darker in this version.

Any person, theist, atheist or an agnostic must read this book, and you’ll like this version better than any other.

I give it 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

A conversation with Dr Raghavendra, author or Raaghuism, published by Bluerose Publishers

1. Tell us about yourself.

Ans.

I am professionally a Doctor , physician , and an Associate professor in medical college. Also a voracious reader and writer, love music ,art of paint,  movies , travel , politics , spirituality ,fun and humour .

2. If not being an author, what was your dream in life

Ans.

I am a doctor so I live to serve people , poor patients and address their problems .

3. Who do you attribute your success to?

Ans.

success is not the end it’s a step ..

4. Any message you would like to give to your readers?

Ans.

Now a days habit of reading books and newspaper is coming down with the enforcement of social media , mobile and TV. Take time and read books .

5. Who or what inspired you to write the book?

Ans.

My parents, my late father was a great teacher and voracious reader . Mother was also teacher.

 

Book: Upon A Burning Throne (Burnt Empire Saga #1)

Author: Ashok K Banker

About the book:

From international sensation Ashok K. Banker, pioneer of the fantasy genre in India, comes the first book in a ground-breaking, epic fantasy series inspired by the ancient Indian classic, The Mahabharata

In a world where demigods and demons walk among mortals, the Emperor of the vast Burnt Empire has died, leaving a turbulent realm without an emperor. Two young princes, Adri and Shvate, are in line to rule, but birthright does not guarantee inheritance: For any successor must sit upon the legendary Burning Throne and pass The Test of Fire. Imbued with dark sorceries, the throne is a crucible—one that incinerates the unworthy.

Adri and Shvate pass The Test and are declared heirs to the empire but there is another with a claim to power, another who also survives: a girl from an outlying kingdom. When this girl, whose father is the powerful demonlord Jarsun, is denied her claim by the interim leaders, Jarsun declares war, vowing to tear the Burnt Empire apart—leaving the young princes Adri and Shvate to rule a shattered realm embroiled in rebellion and chaos….

Review:

Unlike the game of kings, the game of emperors was not about merely winning a single seat and crown. It was about proving that you were capable of sustaining your position over a hundred, two hundred, a thousand years.

I was hooked to the book from line one. It’s Mahabharatha but it’s not(you know the story but you don’t)! If you like the genre of historical/mythological fiction, you’ll definitely love this. I loved the characterisation of Jilana (Satyavati) and Karni(Kunti, maybe original names would be easier and simpler). I had never actually considered Shvate(Pandu) or his story but I loved it in this book and the insight to Adri’s (Drutarashtra’s) situation is worth mentioning (pun intended).

However terrible the reaity of the situation, imagination can always find a way to make it seem worse.

The best thing was the perspective of the crow and the vulture.

[spoilers in this pic (kind of) ]

Man the narration was on point, I was never once bored! And I loved how abrupt the view points changed but still the story was complete. The description of the wars honestly scared me. My only problem is that the language used was not that simple and I had to use the dictionary more than once. I can’t wait to read the next one.

For those of you don’t know Mahabharatha is a tale as old as time and is considered as a sacred text of Hindus and merges with the story of lord Krishna. Mahabharatha is basically a war between cousins for the crown showing how a family shouldn’t be. I can write an essay about it but you can just read this book.

RECOMMENDED: What are you waiting for? (Especially if you’re looking to peak into the world of Indian mythology [not everything is a myth but yeah] )

🌟🌟🌟🌟🔥/5

Huge thanks to @simonandschusterin for this!

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Qotd: What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when I say India?

#mahabharat #simonandschuster #uponaburningthrone #bookreview #bookstagram

Book: The Good Thieves

Author: Katherine Rundell

About the book:

From award-winning author Katherine Rundell comes a fast-paced, sharp-turning, and utterly thrilling adventure, one driven at its heart by an extraordinarily powerful evocation of the loyalty and love between a grandfather and his granddaughter. 

Fresh off the boat from England, Vita Marlowe has a job to do. Her beloved grandfather Jack has been cheated out of his home and possessions by a notorious conman with Mafia connections. Seeing Jack’s spirit is broken, Vita is desperate to make him happy again, so she devises a plan to outwit his enemies and recover his home. She finds a young pickpocket, working the streets of the city. And, nearby, two boys with highly unusual skills and secrets of their own are about to be pulled into her lawless, death-defying plan.

Katherine Rundell’s fifth novel is a heist as never seen before—the story of a group of children who will do anything to right a wrong.

Review:

Vita set her jaw and nodded at New York City in greeting, as a boxer greets an opponent before a fight.

I love reading a middle grade book for time to time.

I love the concept of stealing back what is ours or stealing from thieves! The story revolves around Vita and her friends who have decided to steal back her late grandmother’s precious jewellery. ‘Justice’, Grandpa (Vita’s Grandpa Jack Welles) wrote in his letter ,’seems to be only for those who can afford it’.

I loved the plot of the story but felt that something was missing in the narration. Vita teams up with I just couldn’t continue reading at one point (which is why I took so much time) and was honestly disappointed with the book.

The plan had brought back her appetite, as often do.

Vita hatches an elaborate plan to steal with her team consisting Silk (a pickpocket), Arkady and Samuel ( two talented kids from the circus) and Vita herself. They all have specific roles to play in the heist but the problem is Vita has a limp and can’t run /walk really fast. The turn of events was good and I loved how friendship develops among the four of them.

I know for a fact that it was aimed at a different age group. Nevertheless the story was interesting and adventurous.

🌟🌟🌟

Huge thanks to @bloomsburyindia for the gorgeous copy and to @hookedonbookz for discussing the book with me.

Qotd: What do you think about “The Good Thieves “?

#review #bookstagram #bookreview #thegoodthieves #bloomsburypublishing

Book: Narasimha (The Mahavatar Trilogy Book 1)

Author: @kevin_9695

About the book:

Narasimha, once a brave soldier, has left the war and lies low as a physician in a village. But a familiar face from his past seeks his help to stop the tyranny of the blind usurper Andhaka. If Narasimha refuses, the world might just end. What will he do? And why did he leave the war in the first place? Prahlad, the interim king of Kashyapuri, is torn between the ideals of his unrighteous father and his love for Lord Vishnu. Whom will he choose? Hiranyakashyap, the ruler of the Asura Empire, wants to avenge the death of his wife. To do that, he must go through the Trials and get the ultimate weapon – the Brahmastra. But the Trials have sent so many others to their death. Can Hiranyakashyap survive?

Review:

“Sometimes evil is borne of tragedy. And that’s the worst kind of evil.”

Narasimha is one of the lesser popular Avatars of Vishnu and I was naturally really excited to read this book. The story was brilliant and I can’t wait to read the next one!

It felt like the author assumed that everyone would’ve read Kalki series and didn’t put effort into developing the world of Narasimha (the tribes for example have been just mentioned with a short description in the very beginning. It would make more sense to intriguing them in the story as required like the Kalki series.)

I loved the characterisation of Holika and Andhaka (villains are perhaps always interesting) but Prahalada’s character needed more depth for us to know where he was coming from. I can’t wait to know where the author is going with Andhaka. Holika’s story was heartwarming, devastating and terrifying all at the same time.

As always the book had a lot of mysteries to uncover and the cliffhanger was brilliant.

I’m amazed at how the author manages to bring current social topics like homosexuality, homophobia, women empowerment and especially the importance of consent to a mythological book like this. It was a good book but Kalki had a different charm.

Recommended? DEFINITELY

🌟🌟🌟.5

Oh and I love maps