Saturday 31 October 2015

The Curse of Brahma - Book Review

Title: The Curse of Brahma 
Author: Jagmohan Bhanver
Publisher: Rupa Publishers
ISBN: 978-81-291-3533-9
Number of Pages: 375
Price: 295 [INR]
Genre: Mythological Fiction


The Blurb:

The man who became a Brahmarishi...
The curse that banished him to the hell of hells...
And the revenge that threatens to destroy the three worlds...

When Lord Brahma, the God of Creation, banishes his star pupil from Swarglok in a fit of rage, he does not foresee that his decision will alter the fate of the three worlds. Mortally wounded, and anguished at Brahma's unfair punishment, his pupil struggles to survive in Tamastamah Prabha, the hell of hells. In time, he becomes the Dark Lord, the most feared figure in Pataal Lok, who swears to destroy Brahma.

The power of the Dark Lord soon begins to make its presence felt in the mortal world. Vasudev, the brave prince of Bateshwar, becomes the hunter of Asura assassins; his closest friend, Kansa, almost dies while trying to save his sister from a group of deadly monsters; and the most valiant kings in Mrityulok turn over to the dark side, driven by forces beyond their control.

Only one person threatens the Dark Lord's well-laid plans - Devki, the beautiful princess of Madhuvan, who is destined to give birth to the warrior Krishna.

Will the Dark Lord allow Krishna - the person who has been prophesied to destroy him - to be born?

My Review:

       I love mythological stories and that is what prompted me to read this book. And I must say, I wasn't disappointed. Generally, when we are told the story of Lord Krishna, it is Krishna's glory that is sung all the while. And Kansa will just portrayed as an evil uncle. But what was the story behind his behavior? Why did a person so good as he was, turn out to be so evil? What exactly is the definition of evil and why people turn over to the dark side? The book deals with so many such aspects before coming to a halt at a point just before Krishna's birth.

       There is one more story that runs in parallel with Kansa's story and soon gets interlinked with it - the story of the Dark Lord who once was Brahma's favorite pupil. Banished to the hell of hells, he seeks revenge and he has risen so much in power that even Brahma is somewhat scared of his pupil. The mere mention of his name itself sends chills down the spines of even the deadliest demons but there is one person who has the potential the upsurge all his plan - Devaki. And the dark lord leaves no stone unturned until he gets rid of her. But it isn't that easy. 

       This book is all about The Dark Lord and Kansa. It will reveal many secrets unknown to most of us, which will help us evaluate the story in a different perspective.

Things I Liked:

       I loved the way the author has handled the whole story. The way he has described each and every event, I could visualize what was happening in the book. The horrific details are written to such a perfection that at times you get chills down your spine. The book was unputdownable. The narration was gripping and so was the story. It will leave you asking for more. I am eagerly waiting for the next book in the trilogy.

Things I Disliked:

      At some points, I felt the story was dragged a bit which might make the readers lose interest for a while but the story soon gets back on track, not leaving the reader much disappointed. There were a few typos too which could have been avoided and the book would have been much better.

Verdict:

       I loved reading this book. Recommended for all mythology lovers.

My Rating:



PS: I received this book as a part of b00k r3vi3w Tours.

Until the next review,
Keep Reading :)

Love,
Starry Eyed Reader :)


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Monday 26 October 2015

1st Job and 10 Mistakes - Book Review

Title: 1st Job and 10 Mistakes 
Author: Uttam Kumar
Publisher: Author's Ink Publications
ISBN: 9789385137068
Number of Pages: 45
Price: 100 [INR]
Genre: Non - Fiction


My Review:

First job is always special for everyone. It gives you financial freedom and wings to your dreams. But caught in the euphoria, many people tend to commit some mistakes which will land them in big trouble later on. This book is all about such mistakes and how to avoid them.

This book is a very short read of around 45 pages. This is not a fiction novel. Rather, it is a non-fiction book which lists out the most common mistakes people commit at their first job. The author has listed out 10 common mistakes people make and the ways in which they can be avoided. It is more like a guidebook to the youth who have just landed in their first jobs. Some suggestions in this book can be really helpful as they tell you what to do and also what not to do so that you don't repent later.

While some of them were relevant and realistic, few were less convincing. Like in the story about Loan for Loan where the author has cited example from his own life where he helped a friend overcome from the worst phase of financial instability. It would have been more convincing if the author had shared what was the solution he gave to his friends that helped him recover from such a huge mess.

While this was about one of the few things that seemed unconvincing, there are many good points in the book that is sure to help you. Planning your career path well in advance, keeping yourself up-to-date and many more such tips are bang on!

All in all, the book was a brisk read. While it does have many things which can help you learn, there are few things that needs fine tuning such as making the stories more convincing by giving necessary details when it is needed. Recommended for those who are taking up their first jobs.

My Rating:



Until the next review,
Keep Reading :)

Love,
Starry Eyed Reader :)


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Monday 12 October 2015

The Second Coming - Book Review

Title: The Second Coming 
Author: Shubha Menon
Publisher: Harper Collins India
ISBN: 978-93-5136-370-5
Number of Pages: 202
Price: 250 [INR]
Genre: Humor


The Blurb:

Mini plans fairy-tale weddings, but she knows there are no fairy-tale marriages. The initial magic of her own marriage with Shyam has vanished, leaving behind a hunger that she tries to assuage with chocolates. She fantasizes about a 'dream lover', but she is over the hill, overweight and unconfident. The chances of tumbling into a passionate intrigue with a gorgeous man are bleak, she thinks. Or are they?

For, not so far away, in Mumbai, the glamour capital, the scion of an erstwhile royal family has decided to wed a Bollywood starlet, and Mini is soon on her way to plan this 'no-budget' wedding with the enticing Rustom - head of the city office, handsome, sophisticated, and every bit the ladies' man. It doesn't take Mini long to decide that if Rustom is a skirt-chaser, she is going to shape up and get into the kind of skirts he likes to chase.

Is Rustom the 'dream lover' she has been hunting for, or is Sicko Shyam going to drag her back to the dregs of their marriage? Either way, the Second Coming promises to be steamy and full of trouble and hilarity - not always at her expense.

My Review:

Characters:

       Meet Mrinalini aka Mini, who is in her early forties. A wedding planner with exceptional ideas, M&B romance novel lover, chocolate addict, avid dreamer waiting for Dream Lover (DL) and a plump and unhappy wife - that is Mini Mathur for you.

       Meet Rustom, the person with looks of a Greek God. Soulmates' Mumbai branch head, this Parsi has no lack of girls who drool over him. Skirt chaser, women's man, smooth talker and flirt are the kind of the word that can be associated with Rustom.

Plot:

       Mini Mathur who is a star employee of 'Soulmates' who plan dream weddings is definitely not happy with her personal life. Forty something, she is on the verge of early menopause and there is still that dream of meeting her 'Dream Lover' that remains unfulfilled. An unattentive husband is definitely an added minus. It is during this time that she gets an offer to fly to Mumbai to plan a 'no-budget' wedding. Determined to have fun before menopause kicks in, Mini lands up in Mumbai, anticipating some excitement. And she is more than successful in finding it. What happens next is a totally hilarious read.

Things I Liked:

  • The author has balanced the humor and the emotional trauma of Mini well.
  • The humor inserted at regular intervals makes sure that the reader never gets bored of the story.
  • The story was well articulated and makes a very fine debut.
  • I liked the ending (no I am not giving away anything here) I liked the fact that the author has done justice to the characters here.
  • The Charger incident was my favorite which got me rolling with laughter.

Things I Disliked:

  • There were times when I felt the pace was a bit slow.      

Verdict:

       A light and humorous read that is sure to get you laughing. Do give it a read.

My Rating:


Until the next review,
Keep Reading :)

Love,
Starry Eyed Reader :)

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S. O. A. R. - Book Review

Title: S. O. A. R - Success Over Adversity Reigns
Author: Abir Mukherjee
Publisher: Frog Books
ISBN: 978-93-52013-24-1
Number of Pages: 161
Price: 125 [INR]
Genre: Fiction


The Blurb:

Frustrated with their current jobs, Uday, Adhyayan, and Rajasekaran team up to start an innovative business, non-existent in India until then. Ignoring all pragmatic aspects of life, they chase their dreams with immense pleasure. However, their journey is no cakewalk, as they confront financial crisis and rejections soon. Uday plays a business trick to triumph over that uninfluenced market; it works initially, but soon boomerangs, blowing the team apart. The police arrests Uday accusing him of illegal activity by his organization. 

Were there any blemishes in their plan or was it just a typical Indian market, reluctant to accept an un-experimented concept? Will they be successful in implementing their innovation, staking their hard earned money, stable jobs, relationships, and life?

'S.O.A.R is the story of chasing a dream, quandary between desire and responsibility, friendship and love. 

Join the gutsy journey of three young entrepreneurs.

My Review:

       Uday, an employee who is unhappy with his current job, wants to do something new and exciting in life. The monotonous company life is definitely not what he is looking for in his life. Then one day, a casual mail from a friend gives him an innovative idea which he was looking for. Soon he sets working on his dream project along with his friend Adhyayan and the coding genius Rajasekaran. The project being totally a new concept in India faces a lot of oppositions. But our trio will not back out. Slowly the company flourishes but one wrong decision breaks the group apart.

       When one of them is in danger, will the other two able to come and rescue him? The stakes are high for it is the personal lives of that are on line. Will they be able to save the company and their love lives as well? Will the company flourish again or is t going to shut down forever? Does friendship win over the petty ego issues? Read the book to find out more.

Things I Liked:


  • There is no lack of stories with young entrepreneurs. You will find so many books where the focus is few youngsters join hands to open their dream company. Though this one has the same theme, the concept and the idea behind is totally different and unique. That is what I loved the most about this.
  • The narration was quite good and so was the pace - neither too fast nor too slow.
  • The flow was smooth, mixing up past and present, giving the glimpse of just enough facts at a time to capture readers' interest.
  • I liked the concept of 'Wall of Fame' and the story weaved around it. The pressure exerted by parents on students, the repercussions of it are all expressed well and it leaves you to ponder about what really matters? 'Performing well' or 'Standing first'? It is a discussion that is the need of the hour!
  • Side-by-side narration of personal lives of all three friends makes the story interesting. If not for this, the story would have been monotonous.
  • I liked how Rajasekaran's character was introduced first. It was such a LOL moment. 

Things I Disliked:

      Apart from just a couple of typos, there wasn't anything much to give the book negative points.

Verdict:

       A story about friendship, love, dreams and backstabbing. A unique concept of entrepreneurship and their journey thereafter. It is a one time read but definitely worth reading. Makes a good book to read on a weekend.

My Rating:


Until the next review,
Keep Reading :)

Love,
Starry Eyed Reader :)

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Thursday 8 October 2015

Karna's Alter Ego - Book Review

Title: Karna's Alter Ego 
Author: Surendra Nath
Publisher: Dream House Publications
ISBN: 978-93-84180-11-9
Number of Pages: 249
Price: 175 [INR]
Genre: Fiction


The Blurb:


Karna, the ill-fated hero of Mahabharata. Many feel he deserved to win. If only luck had favoured him... 

5000 years later, we have a man named Vasu, who is much like Karna – born illegitimate, very talented but denied all credits in life, rejected in love, misses a medal in the Asian games, gets caught for telling an innocent lie, overlooked for promotion. He begins to identify himself with Karna, and interestingly Karna appears to him after every debacle to assuage and encourage him. 

It seems Vasu is Karna’s alter ego. 

My Review:

       Vasu's life is never the same once his mother discloses the secret of his illegitimate birth at the tender age of twelve. Instead of losing his cool, Vasu decides to take charge of his life, work hard and change his fate. But it isn't easy for fate seems to take away everything he desires. From small positions in school to the the gold medal in Asian games to the post of Vise president of the company he worked hard for, he misses out everything; not because he isn't good enough but because things were snatched away from him. Vasu feels like giving up every time for nothing seems to go in his favor. But there is someone who soothes his disturbed mind and guides him in the right direction - Karna. Yes, Karna the great charioteer from Mahabharatha.

       Vasu identifies himself with Karna and each time something happens, Karna is there to help Vasu remain focused on his work.

Things I Liked:


  • First of all, I loved the concept. It is unique and completely out of the box.
  • The way the author has co-related Vasu's life incidents with that of Karna's is truly praise worthy. 
  • Vasu's frustrations, his grief and Karna's encouraging words citing his own examples are something that I enjoyed reading.
  • There is a punch of mythology along with Vasu's story. There are also instances where Karna explains why he did few things. It gives a different perspective to Mahabharatha story, the one that justifies many of Karna's actions.
  • The language was simple and fluid. One more plus point was there weren't typos which made reading all more interesting.
  • The flight part (I am not going to say any more about it lest it will spoil the suspense) was my favorite part of the book. The action and thrill had me biting my nails in anticipation while reading.

Things I Disliked:


  • The pace is slow but it surely doesn't hamper the reading. Instead, I enjoyed reading it in a leisurely way.
Verdict:

       This book is one of a kind which mixes fiction with mythology and presents it in a way which the reader is sure to like. You need not be a mythology reader to like this book. It is recommended for everyone who are looking out for something different and interesting to read.

My Rating:



Until the next review,
Keep Reading :)

Love,
Starry Eyed Reader :)


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