Madhumati by Anshuman Rai – Book Review

Book Name: Madhumati

Author: Anshuman Rai

Publisher: Invincible Publishers

Blurb: 

In pre-colonial India, a land of empires ruled by the Simhas, the Ashwas, the Chandras, the Suryas and the Meenas, a beautiful young girl Madhumati blossoms and learns music, dance and various other arts from her gurus. She is not alone in her journey, for she is blessed with learned sisters who are skilled in the various arts of magic, illusions and lovemaking. When Sibu, the charismatic dancer, dances his way into their hearts, a battle ensues to win over his love. Will Madhumati succeed in winning her love? As the story unfolds, a parallel tale entwines with the saga, the story of the majestic Pashupati, his passion for Ritu and her sisters, and their trials and tribulations as they try to placate the enigmatic Prakriti. Lose yourself in the torrents of antiquity, on an enigmatic epic journey into the past to witness how creation itself unwinds, time ages and love germinates.

Review:

Writing a story in the form of poem is something that not many authors can do. Narrating a mythological story in the form of a poem is worth all praises. The author has to consider all aspects when writing one. And I think the author of Madhumati has done a commendable work by writing this novel, Madhumati.

The story narration, as it is narrated in the form of a poem, is done very well. The vivid descriptions of the places, the manner in which the characters are portrayed and the way the story has been developed in the form of a poem is exemplary.  The author makes you paint a faint picture of the scenes in the story and makes your reading an interesting experience.

The book is rich in vocabulary. The poetry has been written excellently.

This book is surely a treat for al mythology lovers. 

I rate:

Cover: 3/5

Characters: 4/5

Story: 4/5

My overall rating for ‘Madhumati’ is 4/5 stars.

You can book your copies of this book on Amazon.

It happens only in love by Amit Singh – Book Review

Book Name: It happens only in love

Author: Amit Singh

Publisher: Invincible Publishers

Blurb: 

Love makes you smile, Love makes you cry, Love drives you crazy.
But, Do you believe that love could be inspiring too?
Something that gives you strength to do the impossible.
A spoiled and aimless person, Aditya, suffers from suicidal instincts due to his failures in life.
Ananya is a beautiful, bold and courageous girl. She is a successful journalist with a striking personality.
What happens when Aditya meets Ananya?
"It Happens Only In Love" is an inspiring story of success with love by its side.

Story in a nutshell:

Love is something that motivates you to be a better person. It is something that makes you look forward to success.

‘It happens only in love’ is a story of Aditya, a boy without any aim in life. He wanders around doing nothing and thinks that life is a piece of cake until the day reality hits him hard. He realizes that he is good for nothing and decides to do something worth appreciating in his life. It is during the same time that he sees Ananya, a reporter on his television. He falls in love with her at the first sight. Does Aditya succeed in telling Ananya about the feelings he has for her? Does he make something out of his life? Will Aditya’s love story have a happy end?

Review:

‘It happens only in love’ is a simple and sweet love story of Aditya and Ananya. Plain and clear stories are turning extinct these days for everyone loves to read stories that have masala in them. This book can be very well compared to Rajshri Productions films. It is a simple story which has a twist towards the end. You go all ga-ga over the good things and feel super emotional towards the end.  The story isn’t something very interesting but is good enough to keep the readers hooked on to it until the end. The story isn’t predictable either. I love reading books of such kind. It makes me look forward to read the next page.

Aditya and Ananya are the main characters. There are many others but their role in the story is limited. I believe that the author could have done more justice to those characters as well. He has developed the characters of Aditya and Ananya well. There’s a saying that opposites attract. Well, it proves true in the case of this story.

The story is being narrated in first person narrative. The simple and casual language makes this book an easy read. The story has been plotted well. The incidents do not seem out-of-place at any instance.

This story tells you that love can overcome any obstacles. It is your true love which gives you strength that makes you face all problems with determination and confidence.

I rate:

Cover: 2.5/5

Characters: 3/5

Story: 3.5/5

My overall rating for ‘It happens only in love’ is 3.5/5 stars.

You can book your copies of this book on Amazon.

Rooh se rooh tak by Vineet Bansal – Book Review

Book Name: Rooh se rooh tak

Author: Vineet Bansal

Publisher: Nine Books

Blurb: 

गर ना समझें तो यह महज़ एक कहानी है, एक किताब है... बाकी और किताबों की तरह, जिसे आप पढ़ते हैं और भूल जाते हैं। समझें तो एक कोशिश... उस शय के सबसे सच्चे और सुच्चे स्वरूप को जानने की जिसे हम सभी प्रेम कहते हैं। कहानी की शुरुआत होती है नील से। किस तरह से एक छोटे से शहर का सीधा-सादा सा लड़का यूनिवर्सिटी में आता है और उसकी चकाचौंध में खो जाता है। पहले ही दिन उसकी मुलाकात होती है रणदीप से- यूनिवर्सिटी का सबसे रुआबदार लड़का। दोनों दोस्ती से कुछ आगे बढ़कर एक-दूसरे को भाई समझने लगते हैं। इसी बीच नील को प्यार हो जाता है- सच्चा प्यार, अदिति से। प्यार रणदीप को भी होता है- रिया से, लेकिन एकतरफ़ा प्यार। परिस्थितियाँ कुछ यूँ करवट लेती हैं कि रिया आत्महत्या कर लेती है और जाने से पहले अपनी हत्या का इल्जाम लगा जाती है नील पर। क्या नील रणदीप को अपने बेगुनाह होने का यक़ीन दिलवा पाता है? क्या होता है जब आपका सबसे अच्छा दोस्त आपका सबसे बड़ा दुश्मन बन जाता है? क्या होता है जब प्यार सनकपन की सभी हदें पार कर जाता है? क्या होता है जब आपको प्यार और ज़िन्दगी में से किसी एक को चुनना पड़ता है? क्या नील और अदिति प्यार की उस ऊँचाई को हासिल कर पाते हैं? क्या दोनों एक हो पाते हैं? जवाब आपके हाथों में है- 'रूह से रूह तक''।

Review:

Rooh se rooh tak by Vineet Bansal is the first Hindi novel that I’ve ever read. I was a little skeptical about reading a Hindi book as I had stopped reading and writing Hindi since 2008. I was doubtful whether I would be able to finish reading this book on time and review it.

I would say I had a pleasant time reading this book. The typesetting and overall presentation of this book is awesome. Not even for once did I feel any visual difficulty. The book is presented well.

This story is about love, friendship and deceit. It is about what you can do for your partner. It teaches you the value of true friendship and love. True love always has to stand out in an acid test and that is what exactly happens with the characters of this story. The author has nicely penned down this tale of love.

The book has been written in Hindi. It is written well. The characters aren’t many and the author has done included all the characters in most of the part of the book. He has given a proper place for every character. You do not wonder as to what a particular character is doing in the story.

I found the story to be a bit predictable at many places. The story teaches you many lessons for life. I enjoyed reading this novel.

I rate:

Cover: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

Story: 3.5/5

My overall rating for Rooh se rooh tak is 3.5/5 stars.

You can book your copies of this book on Amazon.

The Aravan Head by Arvind Narsima – Book Review

The book is provided by Arudhaa Club in exchange for a genuine review.

Book Name: The Aravan Head

Author: Arvind Narsima

Publisher: Inspire India Publishers

Blurb: 

A politically driven criminal syndicate tries to steal a valuable ancient artifact, The Aravan Head, from a very old temple of the transgenders in Hijravan. Police officer Arya foils the well planned attempt. The incident unfolds a deadly secret that connects to a series of mind-boggling crimes which points to an unlikely person of tremendous authority in the political & business circles of Mumbai. With his friends kidnapped, his own people involved with the criminals and himself facing departmental enquiry, Arya is strangulated from all sides. Meanwhile in Delhi, 4 college girls, fed-up with the canteen food, hire a cook. While they expect an old, typically professional person, they are in for a great surprise that leaves them sweetly shocked. But the surprise is short lived after a beautiful transgender arrives at their bungalow revealing secrets that baffle them. Unfortunately the lives of the 4 girls become a nightmare along with that of the transgender. Did Arya arrest the main perpetrator behind all the crimes? What dangers did the Transgender bring to the girls? Did they survive the deadly situation they were pushed into? What price did Arya pay to win?

Review:

There was a time when I would read only love stories. And today, I am intrigued with crime thrillers. Mystery, suspense bring in the adrenaline rush and try my best to finish reading such books in a day or two. However, this particular book took a long time. Reason – deadlines at work and my mini vacation. I feel very happy to post my review.

The story revolves around Arya, the inspector and his quest on finding the person who attempted the theft of the Aravan Head. I had never heard about the Aravan Head so the first thing I did was a little bit of research about it. 

The story has been narrated in different manner. One moment it talks about the happenings in one city while the next about some other. It was a bit confusing to me at first but then I got used to the kind of narration. The story has been well plotted. The author reveals the story bit after bit and so the mystery. The story keeps you hooked on to this book. The characters are plotted well.

The Aravan Head is one such book which you would want to finish in one sitting.

I rate:

Cover: 3/5

Characters: 4/5

Story: 4/5

My overall rating for The Aravan Head is 4/5 stars.

You can book your copies of this book on Amazon