Review-Monkeys, Motorcycles, and Misadventures- Harsha

Blurb: "After having recurring dreams, a man considers retracing Lord Hanuman's epic journey from India to Sri Lanka. While rationality argues against the pursuit, the dream appeals to something deeper and he sets out with two friends on a 1200 kilometre trek across South India. The journey however, doesn't turn out to be quite what they expected. Along the way, through encounters with evil cans of pepper spray, wise men, pimps, hellhounds, and manic elephants, they are forced to confront their personal demons. At one of their lowest moments, plagued by doubt, they lose all hope. That's when they experience a sign, the first of many, which renews their spirits and helps them push forward. Monkeys, Motorcycles, and Misadventures, provides a candid account of the trio's incredible journey - their misgivings, sufferings, and triumphs, all in search of faith." 

A fun-filled travelogue, written with disarming candor and with liberal doses of humor, is hard to come b in India. When everybody else is writing college romances and trying desperately to become the next Duroy Dutta, Harsha has done a fabulous job by writing about something more relatable than dudes in India's premier institutes trying to get laid and get a job. 
The protagonist, a single, working male, undergoes upheavals, including the loss of a loved one, subsequent alcoholism and depression. So after he has what he considers a prophetic dream, he decides to set out on a pilgrimage of South India and Sri Lanka with his best buddies Sam and Sri. This is a real life humorous account of a journey the author himself undertook.

What follows is a hilarious account of faith regained and lost and regained again by the author and his friends. Their belief in God and Humanity is wavering and unpredictable, and their vacillations between theism and agnosticism are ridiculously funny. 
Also laughter-inducing is the banter, the arguments and the lectures the three friends give each other, replete with liberal amounts of cuss words. 
It is also as interesting, as the author describes staying in dirt, dingy hotel rooms with suspicious stains on the bed mattresses, following raids by the police. More than once, the author and his friends are mistaken for gay dudes having a threesome ( one of the major LOL moments). 

But the real ROFL moments are when they are joined on their journey by animals. Goats, monkeys, mad elephants and mood mongrels, who guide, scare and pillage from the three friends. 
Humor apart, this book also has a lot of info on what to do and what not do, what to watch out for and how to survive on a pilgrimage. Also, the author manages to narrate the mythical story behind ever temple and cave they visit. 

Except for a few typos, the language is of high quality and the grammar is perfect.

Anyone who fancies journeying through South India and experiencing religion, faith, mythology and architecture should read this book. Anyone looking for a humor filled travelogue should also read this book. 

You can buy a copy here: Monkeys, Motorcycles, and Misadventures 

PG Fresher's Party: A Fish Out of Water

I have always felt like an outcast in general. Whether it is among relatives or the social circles my parents move within, I have always known that I'm different. I don't care of what others think of me, I follow my heart, I'm stubbornly independent, progressive and liberal. I do my own thing, even if it makes me stand out, or people think I'm a freak.
That's what happened when I had to go to the belated Fresher's we were getting from our seniors in the Master of Pharmacy course, in my department of specialization.
These Freshers', for some reason, always have a theme, and a dress code.
This time, the theme was Retro. I supposed that we were expected to wear clothes fashionable in the 70s or something.

I decided to go. But, thing is, I am very simple when it comes to clothes. I don't like flashy or trendy outfits, or even accessories. My style is jeans plus a shirt or designer blouses, which I wear to college, to parties and everywhere else. I'm too lazy especially when it comes to having to buy clothes for a theme party.

So I decided, like always, to unfollow the rules. I put on mt favorite designer kurti, jeans, and Nike loafers and got my hair trimmed. It took me less than fifteen minutes to get dressed.

Au contraire, all five of my female batchmates took ages to get ready. While I waited for them to turn up and got bitten by mosquitoes on that hot, February evening in Manipal ( we don't have winter here). I ended up having to go along with one batchmate, who turned up wearing a shiny kurta with chudidar and a rose in her hair. The rest of the girls came separately.

Finally, when we reached the party venue at 7.30 p.m. ( instead of 6.15 as specified), I found out why they were so late. They were all dressed in 70s style dresses and had got their hair straightened etc.

And I was the odd man ( or woman) out. As usual.

On the one hand, I felt good to be the one to stand out. On the other hand, I wondered if I would stick out like a sore thumb and get laughed at- and become an even bigger pariah among my classmates than I already was ( because I always spend my free time reading or writing), I'd never felt this mixture of apprehension and consternation.

Once inside, I felt like a fish out of water, in the literal sense.

All the girl seniors were dressed in trendy clothes- one-piece and heels. All the boys were dressed in shirt and jeans, including my batchmates.

I was the only girl- and person- in jeans and a kurti. And the only one sans make up.

At first, we had simple, fun activities, so I gladly took part.

But my relief was short-lived. As it happens, I'm overweight and self-conscious about my body- I have body-image issues. As much as I value intellect and personality to be successful, I still feel uncomfortable about my physique.

So the first embarrassment came when we had to perform a catwalk, like models, to the title track from Fashion. I couldn't bear to think of how much like a joker I would look, so I walked the way I usually do- ramrod straight posture and chest out and big steps, like a man. Everybody cheered, but I'm not sure it was because I was doing a good job or I looked like a clown.

The second embarrassment came when the music came on. The party venue was a discotheque, so they had hired a DJ for the evening. Imagine my horror at the prospect of having to shake my ungainly physique in a room full of people.

Thankfully, they turned the lights off and brought on the psychedelic strobe lights. Some people kept asking me to join in the dancing, so I stood in the throng and clapped my hands in tandem to the music. Everybody else was throwing their limbs about in the most humungous manner possible, and yet, I was afraid of looking like an idiot.

There were few others who felt as socially inept as me- they resorted to alcohol to overcome their shyness, and let loose a little too much. I don't drink- am dead set against it, so I waited till the party was over and I could go back to the hostel.

But I learnt something that evening- it's okay to be myself at social dos. There are people who respect individuality and originality. I overcame my fears of being a social pariah and a freak.


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Review- 1000 kilograms of Goa- Rohan Govenkar

Okay, before I begin with the review, I have a confession to make. I am simply fascinated by Goa. The churches, the temples, the Portuguese-cum-Konkani heritage, the names, the sartorial sense, the history, the heritage, the beaches, the tourists and of course, the food. I have been there only once, for a very brief period, but want to go there again and explore the state.
That's one of the reasons I agreed to read and review this book for Rohan- I had to see Goa through the eyes off someone who grew up there. And since his book was a thriller, it made the book all that more enticing.

That's one of the first merits, and one of the biggest ones, of this novel- it doesn't just tell you a story, it serves you Goa on a platter. It takes you on a merry roller-coaster through the cities, the casinos and the exotic dancers and the parties and the drugs. It captures the very essence of Goa very well.

The second big merit of this book is the plot. Thrillers are usually more plot-based than character-based, and this book has an intriguing plot with the right mixture of mystery, thrills and adventure.

Four friends from college reunite in Panaji, where the protagonist lives. The characters are also well-written- boorish Bhavesh, Ifti who struts about like a peacock, the sensuous, independent and feisty Priya and her sensible but often-irritating brother Pratik.

The protagonist's own problem, which crops up when he is supposed to be enjoying with his friends, gives the plot and Ashwin himself some depth, and also characterizes his attitude for most of the book.

The plot becomes interesting when, on their reunion, Pratik unveils a secret plan he hhas had, the real purpose of his trip to Goa. That plan takes the five friends on a wild goose chase and brings them in contact with rave parties, goons and drug lords and cranky old men who shoot anyone who they don't like.

There are some comic moments, bound to happen when multiple players are chasing after the same destination.

I also liked the twister of a love story between Ifti and his Uzbek girlfriend Maya. That was actual thriller material, as was the crux that drives the plot.
I liked the women characters- they're strong and have a mind of their own.

The writing is of good quality. The prose is eloquent and flows well. The editing is good, but could have been better.

My only nitpicks with the book are minor typo errors, tiny grammar mistakes and wrong use of words. Not that they hampered my reading experience, which was great. But since the book scores on all other fronts, better editing will make it even better and complete the package. I also would have  liked to know what happened to Ekaterina.

Rohan is one of the next big names in the thriller genre. I wish him all the best for his future work and await his next book.

If you are a thriller aficionado and have a thing for Goa, go buy your copy here: 1000 kilograms of Goa

Review- Varchasva: The Mythos of Jaladhi- Nishant Shailajan

"Varchasva – signifying absolute dominance – is the first in the Trilogy of The Mythos of Jaladhi. It is a tale of grit, determination and valour of five princes, handpicked and tutored by Maharishi Devang, their spiritually endowed mentor, in the inhospitable and treacherous terrain of Mount Anshuman. Their innate talents fostered by rigorous discipline and harsh training, their body and mind honed to perfection and exceptional prowess, the princes develop into an invincible Five Man Army of redoubtable warriors. Worthy wielders of divine weapons, their mission is to overcome the occult power of Himsa, abominable master of Seven Deadly Sins and the mighty rakshasa generals. Varchasva is the seedling that sprouts into the episodic saga of The Mythos of Jaladhi – a saga that draws its sustenance from the righteous yet vanquished heroes of lore – the illustrious antagonists from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata; who now lend their phenomenal powers to the just cause of the princes, in a different age and world and in completely different avatars altogether! This indeed is heady old wine in sparklingly new bottle – the super-human drama of an epic struggle that culminates in triumph of good over evil, of love over hate, of hope over despair! A gripping fantasy with the evocative power to transport today's readers into a world of epic déjà vu!! " 


Mythological fantasy gets a new outlook, scope and from with Nishant Shailajan's first book. 
The novel starts of with a drastic and dramatic prologue which gives the reader a glimpse into what is coming in the next page. 
In the next few chapters, an interesting story unfolds as a brave king faces an enemy which seems not just invisible but also invincible. Tradegy follows as the dark forces of evil take over kingdoms. This happens as Maharishi Devang trains five young princes under him- five brave princes whose families and kingdoms are under seige by Himsaa and the seven sins, and who form each other's 
backbone in times of stress and grief.
The story loses pace for the first few chapter- even though the premise is intriguing. There is more telling and less showing. Excessive descriptions make the pace slow and drag the story along- scenes with less description would have been better. 

But then the story picks pace. Elements of political intrigue, horror and adventure come in as the action increases the feverish pace of the book. The brave warriors battle demons, rakshasas, the seven sins and other dark creatures from the darkest places imaginable. 

The writing is of high quality and the prose is flowing and eloquent. The editing is thorough and typos are less. Grammar is also perfect. 

The world-building is imaginative and original. The characters are rich and complex- good people do the most terrible things and bad people act with honor. The conflict is shown well- and the denoument matches the pace of the book. 

Nishant Shailajan is a promising writer to watch out for. I wish the author all the best for his future work and await his next book. 

If you like mythological fantasy with a dash of horror and politics and adventure, go buy this book here: 
The Mythos of Jaladhi

Books I read in 2015

2015 was the year in which I discovered many new authors and genres. While my reading experience was mostly good- most books took me on a literary roller-coaster from which I came out refreshed and inspired, some books disappointed too. Here is a list of all the books I read in 2015 ( all I can remember, that is):

1. Such a Long Journey- Rohinton Mistry
2. Maya's New Husband- Neil De Silva
3. Brutal- Uday Satapathy
4. Of Mice and Men- John Steinbeck
5. Half a Life- VS Naipaul
6. The Palace of Illusions- Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
7. The Old Man and The Sea- Ernest Hemingway
8. The Narrow Road to the Deep North- Richard Flanagan
9. Catcher in the Rye- JD Salinger
10. 1000 kilograms of Goa- Rohan Govenkar
11. Sula- Toni Morrison
12. The Radiance of Ashes- Cyrus Mistry
13. Chronicles of a Corpse Bearer- Cyrus Mistry
14. Passion Flower: 7 Stories of Derangement- Cyrus Mistry
15. Aarushi- Avirook Sen
16. Hannibal Rising- Thomas Harris
17. Outliers- Malcolm Gladwell
18. A Minute to Death- Ganga Bharani
19. Just You, Me and a Secret- Ganga Bharani
20. First Love Matters, so does the Second- Vishal Sah
21. The One That Got Away- Priyanka Menon
22. Sleeping on Jupiter- Anuradha Roy
23. Vanity Bagh- Anees Salim
24. The Da Vinci Code- Dan Brown
25. Books of Blood- Clive Barker
26. The Krishna Key- Ashwin Sanghi
27. The Best of Manto- Compiled by Aatish Taseer
28. The Evil Eye and the Charm- Neil De Silva
29. The Mythos of Jaladhi- Nishant Shailajan
30. Faith of the Nine- Sachin Dev
31. The Scion of Ikshvaku- Amish
32. Women- Charles Bukowski
33. Shibumi- Trevanian
34. Satori- Don Winslow

As far as I can remember, these are the books I read in 2015. I hope I can read at least 50 in 2016.

Review- Brutal- Uday Satapathy

Two journalists find themselves in grave danger when they uncover links between a present day massacre and an incident which had occurred eight years ago. summary

‘you are in real, real danger’ – a school teacher gets a creepy warning in his mailbox. Seven days later, he massacres eleven of his own students. Two months later, he is gunned down in broad daylight by an obscure militant outfit.

Justice served. The nation pacified. Case closed –-- the police say. But, two crime reporters think otherwise.

Seeking redemption through this case are Prakash and Seema, ace journalists in their professional lives, but broken individuals in the darkness of their personal hells. As they dig deeper into the mystery, they are led into the ominous forests of Bandhavgarh where an eerily similar massacre had occurred eight years ago.

They never see it coming what hits them next.

One by one their leads start turning up in body bags and they are chased by assassins at every corner. Soon they would realize that they are pitted against evil powers pervading the business and political dna of the country, with an unbelievably sinister agenda.

Always one step ahead of them, there is no place to hide for the two journalists. The only way is to fight back. But, to do that, Prakash and Seema will first have to survive. 

First of all, Uday deserves a huge round of applause for going against the grain and writing a thriller. 

In a scenario where writers can't get past mushy college romances, Brutal comes as a monolith, as a rebuttal of current trends in literature in India, as a reminder that aspiring authors in India must look beyond Chetan Bhagat, Ravinder Singh and bestselling formulas. 

I have been an avid reader of crime thrillers since I was a kid- so books of this genre are my first preference over oter genres. I expect every crime novel to take me on a roller coaster ride- make me bite my nails, sit on the edge-of-my-seat and imagine the worst and feel the adrenaline rush in my blood vessels.

And Uday's debut book doesn't disappoint. It is a mad but memorable roller-coaster ride of a book- and in that madness lies Brutal's excellence. 

The book starts with an intriguing prologue which immediately draws the reader into the story. 

After that, for a few pages the story moves very slowly- there is much telling and less showing- my only grouse with the book. The main protagonists, Prakash and Seema are introduced to us in the first chapter- which, towards its end, bursts into action. That is where the book picks up pace. 

And once it picks up pace, Brutal takes you on a wild goose chase ride through India's corridors of power, the underbelly of its cities infested with crime and sleaze, psychopathic individuals like Tejeshwar Kushwaha who suffer from the God Complex and make deals with international terrorists for money, mercenaries like Raman who are also psychopathic cold-blooded murderers who love the thrill of the kill, dirty cops and RAW and IB agents, dirty agents from Mossad and other intelligence agencies, journalists who leave ethics behind to chase a story, but also put their lives on the line, unethical pharmaceutical scientists who carry out clinical trials without permission and endanger lives etc. etc.

As an incident of sudden violence transpires by the end of the first chapter, Seema and Prakash go on a goose-chase to uncover the horrible truth behind why a school teacher murdered eleven of his own students in cold blood. The truth is much more bigger than they could ever imagine. 

As Seema and Prakash travel around the country, dodging bullets and knives and bloodthirsty killers, the reader travels with them. The characters are so well-written that the reader can feel their pain, fear, courage and anguish. The reader can relate to their pain and empathize with them. 

Mrinal and Raman are also well wriiten supporting characters.

The plot is, of course, excellently formulated. The author's knowledge of how mercenaries operate and how journalists function lend an authenticity to both the story and the characters. He doesn't waste time on sub-plots or hyperbole, but comes straight to the point. The writing is of a good quality

That is another thing I like about Uday's writing- no sweeping generalizations, no creeping biases, no other jingoistic nonsense. Just a story of human beings and their humanness and inhumane sides.

The only other nitpick I have is a few typo errors and wrong usage of words/phraseology- but that is something the author can smoothen out in later books.

Uday gets 5/5 on all counts- plot, chharacterization, language, grammar and punctuation etc. 

I wish the author good luck for his future work and eagerly await his next book. 

Uday Satpathy is the one to watch out for. 

Go grab your copy of the book here: Brutal

Review- Faith of the Nine by Sachin Dev

Blurb: “The Third Yuga is slowly drawing to a close. Nam – the greatest Empire on Janani – is going to face some fierce winds of change. Seers foresee omens of death and destruction in the return of the Banished One – A God who will claim the ashes of this world as revenge. While out in the streets, rumours abound – of older forgotten powers stirring.
Caught in this maelstrom of a power struggle between Gods are three ordinary lives: General Fateh, the most celebrated soldier in Nam who starts to question his faith, Ishan – a gifted orphan who struggles to comprehend his destiny and Abhaya – a young monk in search of truths about this world. Their choices and actions will shape the destiny of this scarred world that becomes the playground for vindictive Gods. In a world where Rakshasas arise out of left-over traces of Maaya and twilight forms the portal to countless worlds around us for Daityas and Yakshis to dance through, a God is only as powerful as those who believe.And when Gods rise, faith of men will be tested…And broken.” 

It is hard to come across well-written books these days...especially from a debut author. Therefore, Sachin Dev is a breath of fresh air in this scenario. 
For a debutante in fantasy fiction, a genre still not understood by many in India or chosen by budding authors as a genre to write in, Dev has done a fantastic job. 

The world-building, starting from the Nam empire itself, is amazing in both the imagination and the detailing. Namakaal, Nam-Ehrilitaan, Nam-Ching...and all other places described in the book- capture the imagination. 

The prologue details a well written fight scene, coupled with a gruesome death in Sumeria, capital of Namakaal. This draws the reader in immediately, making them want to proceed. 

From there on, the plot moves at a steady pace, and the author maintains the intrigue very well. Three stories- that of the boy Ishaan, the child prodigy, Seer Abhaya and General Fateh- move parallel to each other to come to a jaw-dropping conclusion. The central city of Nam is under an insidious threat from the old Gods, who were overthrown by the ruling empire. Anyone who worships the old Gods or follows the old ways gets hanged. 

The protagonists are very well-written. The author doesn't shy away from  putting his darlings through a lot of struggle and torture- but their ordeal and the way they fight adversity makes the character arc interesting, and the characters multi-dimensional and rich and memorable. 

What I liked most, apart from the scintillating plot, is the way the author has mixed elements from various mythologies of various faiths to formulate a unique blend of his own world, the Nam empire. He uses references from Hindu, Christian and Assyrian mythology which lend an aura of refreshing multi-culturism to the story. I also liked the sub-text of social evils and prejudice embedded in the plot and characters.

He also adds a lot of horror to the fantasy- supernatural entities bleeding from realm into realm, ancient Gods coming in the protagonists' dreams and also murdering enemies, Yakshis which look like the local version of a succubus ( and are very frightening, BTW), Rakshasaas and an Enchanted Garden which flowers on the bodies of humans and animals it consumes . The horror adds a dash of intrigue and suspense to the mystery of the plot.

On top of everything- the author writes very well. It shows how much work he put in before jumping into publication. There are a few errors in spelling and sentence structure- but otherwise, the writing is original, refreshing and inspiring. The language is excellent- readable without being pedestrian, high-quality without being flowery. 

To summarize, the great imagination, the brilliant characterization and world-building, the multicultural references, the fascinating mix of mystery, horror, supernatural and fantasy make Faith of the Nine an excellent read. 

Full marks to the author for being so good. I wish the author all the best for his future books and eagerly await his next book in the series. 

Sachin Dev is one to watch out for.

You can buy the book here: Faith of the Nine