Review: The Treasure of Kafur

Goodreads Description:

‘The fate of an Empire trembles in the balance…’

Hindustan, 1580 AD. The Mughal Emperor Akbar is at the height of his power, seemingly invincible. But twenty years of war have earned him many enemies, and rebellion is brewing, led by Asaf Baig, the tyrannical ruler of Khandesh. Baig has stumbled upon the knowledge that the fabulous lost treasure of Malik Kafur, that will guarantee victory to Akbar’s enemies, is known to an old woman called Ambu.

Baig Kidnaps Ambu to wrest the knowledge of the treasure from her; but her twenty-year-old grandson, Dattatreya, escapes and flees across Hindustan to enlist the help of the one person who has the most reason to stop Baig – the Mughal Emperor himself.

Staying one step ahead of capture and death, Datta is swept up in a world of kings and warrior princesses, of uncommon friendships and an implacable evil; and a desperate race against time to save his grandmother – and the Empire.

My Review:

After what seems like years of reading historical and contemporary romance (six months actually), I was yearning to read a good thriller filled with loads of blood and gore, or an adventure a la Da Vinci Code. Just as the thought crossed my head, I was contacted by Aroon Raman, the author of this book, asking if I would like to read it and review it. I went through the blurb on Goodreads and seeing that the book promised to be a rolling adventure, I obviously jumped at the chance and am I glad I did!

The book is placed in the Mughal Period in India, the late 1500s, when Akbar was in reign. As the title states, it is about a lost treasure. The plot revolves around a rebellion by Asaf Baig, the ruler of Khandesh, who plans to overthrow Akbar, and plans to fund the battle with the Treasure of Kafur. The whereabouts of the treasure are known to Ambu, a Guardian of the forest, who can communicate with animals, and is kidnapped by Baig. The 'Guardian' bit adds a mystical angle to the plot, but luckily, the author has managed to reign it in to a large extent and not let it swallow the plot. The premise of the plot is clearly established in the first few chapters, and what follows is how Datta, Ambu's grandson with the hep if his animal friends, manages to reach Akbar and rescue Ambu with his help. 

I don't know how historically accurate the book is, but that does not bother me as it is not a text book but a work of fiction. The author has a good command on the plot and has not veered too far from it in most instances. The court descriptions were a little boring and I did not like to read about Datta's impressions on ALL the things, and these parts could be shortened a bit. Also, I felt that the romance angle was kind of unnecessary and the ending was a little lame (It would have been great to end on a super high note of battle victory or finding the treasure). But the politics and the strategy part was gripping. I also liked the descriptions of the war and battles. The aside about Maharana Pratap was sooo interesting, it makes me wish Aroon will do a follow-up with the Maharana and Akbar as protagonists. 

In this book, Aroon avoids two of my favorite complaints regarding Indian Authors, extremely loong descriptions of anything and everything and pathetic grammar and language. His language is quite good, unlike most other Indian writers who are on extremes most of the times, either writing exceedingly simplistic language, as if the reader does not understand English at all or writing as if they are Oxford professors or have overused the thesaurus function in Word. The author has managed to run a relatively tight ship, making the book a tolerable length instead of making the reader wish it were over. 

All in all, I enjoyed the book, it is well written and a different subject that what I have read before. I would recommend it for all readers looking for an adventure read.

If not for the ending, I would have rated it a 4/5, however, as I did not like the end, I will rate it 3.5/5 for delivering a quick fun read.

I have received a copy of this book from the author for review, however, it has no effect on my actual review. All the impressions, good and bad. are my own.

P.S : Indian readers like me beware, Like me, you may keep imagining Hritik Roshan as Akbar! Not a problem for me though as I quite like him!!! :) :) :)  

Review: Tea for Two and a Piece of Cake

 Tea for Two and a Piece of Cake by Preeti Shenoy


My very good friend, A, had come down recently, bearing gifts. She gave me a few books, this one amongst them. A few months after her visit, I finally got around to reading this one. Like most books by Indian authors, I found the story line very intriguing. The story is about a plump, not conventially good looking (its the PC word for ugly), girl, Nisha, who out of the blue, finds her dreams turning true. The story follws her life over 8 years, where her dreams shatter and she is forced to pick up the pieces and start all over again.
I have reduced my reading of books written by Indian authors, as I don't find the book actually living up to the expectations set by the introduction on the back. However, I was not really dissapointed with Preeti Shenoy's writing, she writes lucidly, with acceptable grammar and has etched out most of her characters well.

Nisha, has been a neglected only child, who has lost her mother early in life and has also lost her father's attention. This shapes her to be what she is, a woman who is slightly awkward and starved for love and attention. Her life revolves around her work at a small-time travel agency and her colleagues, who while not her friends, provide her with the much needed human contact and acceptance.

Enter: Samir Sharma, the high-flying travel agency director, who seems to have it all. He is good looking, sophisticated and doesn't seem like much of a bad guy. Then follows the case of an opposites attract romance between Samir and Nisha, culminating in marraige. Then the problems start. It seems that Nisha is living in her own bubble, wanting totally different things from her husband, who tolerates her for most part. One day, he finally breaks-up with her, (over the phone!) telling her he is leaving her and their two children for another woman.

 Then, for me, the story takes an intersting turn, with Nisha picking up her life and coming on to her own self. She is helped by Akash, a younger ex-colleague, who has been interested in her all these years. She also gets support from an elderly neighbour, Mrs. Billimora.

The story is good, and I also like the ending. The characters are for most part well etched, however, I failed to connect much with Nisha, not able to understand how she could have lived in her own world for 8 years! How she could have noticed but ignored the fact that her husband did not like or want children and was drifting apart. I do not understand or connect with such woman, but I suppose it must be possible given the plethora of books written about them.

All in all it is a good book, well written, with the author bringing the story to a satisfying conclusion.

I would rate it 3.5/5, reccommending to all who would like to read a good novel about relationships.

Review: The Mistress of Spices

Book: The Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Details: Magical, tantalizing, and sensual, The Mistress of Spices is the story of Tilo, a young woman born in another time, in a faraway place, who is trained in the ancient art of spices and ordained as a mistress charged with special powers. Once fully initiated in a rite of fire, the now immortal Tilo--in the gnarled and arthritic body of an old woman--travels through time to Oakland, California, where she opens a shop from which she administers spices as curatives to her customers. An unexpected romance with a handsome stranger eventually forces her to choose between the supernatural life of an immortal and the vicissitudes of modern life. Spellbinding and hypnotizing, The Mistress of Spices is a tale of joy and sorrow and one special woman's magical powers.




Review: Having seen parts of the movie, I was curious to read the book. The book, written in first person, starts off with the protagonist, Tilo, explaining about her life before she became a spice mistress. She goes on about how she was born special, amassed wealth, became a pirate queen, spoke to serpents and then swam to an island to learn to become a spice mistress. Whew!

The major part of the book concentrates on how Tilo, as a spice mistress is supposed to help Indians (yes, only Indians, as at one place it is clearly said that others have their own people to help) wherever she lands. Tilo lands in USA! Surprise! Surprise! The book goes on and on about the problems faced by the Indian community in the US, about the eternal tug of war between your roots and the culture where you currently reside and about Tilo's lust for an American.

A large part of the book focuses on Tilo's 'love' for an American, who she is first attracted to as he is wearing nice clothes! Also, there is a lot of focus on spice mistress rules; thou shall never leave your store, thou shall live like an old woman, thou shall
not get too involved, thou shall never touch another person.. and on and on.. There is no explanation though of why these rules exist.

What I didn't like about the book was - Tilo. She is portrayed as a very very flawed character who is proud, rebellious, a know-it-all and not really a nice person. She tries to rationalize all the times she breaks rules by the 'it's not for me, its for others' logic. The author was probably trying to show that all of us have a dark side, but i think she went a little overboard, making Tilo thoroughly unlikeable. What I also don't understand is the fairytale type thought process, where despite of all her flaws, everyone loves Tilo a lot and forgives her everything! This really does not happen.

All in all a not so great read with its long-winding prose, but others might enjoy the book as it talks about the "exotic Indian culture"

Rating: 1.5/5

Review: I'm Not Twenty-Four, I've Been Nineteen For Four Years

Book Details:



Author: Sachin Garg
Publisher: Srishti Publishers


Description: I'm not 24.. is story of Saumya, Malappa & Shubhro which should have been a love triangle but wasn't. The three of them,coming from different worlds, are thrown into a fourth world called Karnataka. But it is not virgin beaches or exotic dancers that await them. They are to be welcomed by blood, riots, violet bosses and cut limbs. Will Saumya survive her job in the middle of nowhere? Will Malappa s superiority help him survive or become the cause of his downfall? Will Shubhro prove that a heart of gold can survive through Marijuana smoke and Beer rich blood?


My Review: This coming of age story centers around Saumya, a MDI graduate, who because of her unfortunate unisex name has been given a job in a steel factory in the middle of nowhere. The story is narrated by Saumya and tells us about what happens to her after she leaves the safe confines of college and goes out to the big bad world. It tells us of the experiences of a typical Delhiite who is sent to live in a very small town. The story is also supported by characters like Amit, a nerd who happens to get placed in the same company as Saumya, Malappa, a cool dude who works in the steel factory and Shubro, a nomad with whom Saumya falls in love. 


This is Sachin Garg's second book, his first being 'A Sunny Shady Life' which I have not yet read. Sachin is yet another MBA grad who has discovered his literary powers and has decided to pen down stories revolving around life in colleges. I'm not twenty four...., is a good story and fast paced but, I thought that Sachin did not sound natural writing from the female protagonists' perspective. Saumya is depicted as a man's idea of a typical girl, who is only interested in fashion, dates and her girly pals. Her idea of preparing for a new job is to shop for the highest available stilletoes and tight formal pants. In short, it seems that Sachin has seen Legally Blonde one too many times and decided that all girls are just like Elle Woods! However, he gets points for the fact that he has tried to turn the character around and shows her coming of age as towards the end when she moves towards more important things in life. 


The characters are well-etched, Saumya is the Indian version of a dumb blonde ( however, she manages to land a cushy job with a hefty pay package... a little strange), Malappa is depicted as a rebel, who is so smart, he gives an infereriority complex to his boss, but is unfortunately killed in the latter part of the book( He at times almost gives off gay vibes towards Shubro). Shubro is the nomad who does not stay in any one place for more than 90 days and is soaked in marijuana and alcohol, however, is actually on a mission to improve lives. He is the best character in the book, complex and well-etched, which proves my point that Sachin writes better in a male voice. He is depicted as Saumya's one true love, who leaves her afterwards. However, he leaves a way for her to find him and understand him better.


All in all it is an OK read, something light to read between heavy stuff. I love the cover though! I rate it a 2.5/5.   I read it as a part of my 2011 South Asian Challenge, 100+ Reading Challenge, 2011.


Rating: 2.5/5 

One More Challenge!!

I know that almost half the year has gone by.. but this was one challenge I was looking for.. This year seems the golden year for Indian Authors and I have loads of books by New Authors on my TBR pile and this challenge just seems to blend in...

So, here goes..

2011 South Asian Challenge

The challenge is simple.. we are just required to read books about South Asia or by South Asian authors. For the uninitiated.. South Asia consists of (at least for this challenge), India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and the Maldives.

My potential list of books

1. I'm not nineteen, I'm not twenty four...I've been nineteen for five years.. by Sachin Garg -  Read
2. Single in the City - Sushmita Bose - Read
3. Tales from Firozsha Baag - Rohinton Mistry - Read
4. Chanakya's Chant - Ashwin Sanghi
5. The Diary of a Social Butterfly - Moni Mohsin
6. Balloonists - Rajorshi Chakraborti
7. The All Bengali Crime Detectives - Suparna Chatterjee

will keep adding..

Review: Tales from Firozsha Baag

Book Details:


Author: Rohinton Mistry
Publisher: Penguin Books (1989)

Good Reads Intro: In these eleven intersecting stories, Rohinton Mistry opens our eyes and our hearts to the rich, complex patterns of life inside this Bombay apartment building. The occupants - from Jaakaylee, the ghost-seer, through Najamai, the only owner of a refrigerator in Firozsha Baag, to Rustomji the Curmudgeon and Kersi, the young boy whose life threads through the book - all express the tensions between the past and the present, between the old world and the new.

My Review: This is my first Rohniton Mistry books, and I must say, it was very good. The book is a collection of short stories about occupants living in a Parsi apartment complex (baag) in Bombay. Being a Mumbaiite and having seen the Parsi community at close quarters in school, I could relate to the book. Mistry weaves a compelling story through each of the excerpts, pulling us into the lives of Kersi, Najmai, Nariman Hansotia, Jehangir and the others. Each of the story is based upon an individual occupant or family of the building, but the other characters weave in and out of them.

I'm not much of a fan of short stories, but I really liked the fact that Mistry limited himself to a certain number of characters maintaining a sense of community while giving us a glimpse into each of their lives. The book is a good depiction of Mumbai life in the '80s, especially if you were a child then. Through stories like The Squatter and Swimming Lessons, it also highlights on the experiences of immigrants and their lives. 

I rate the book a 4/5 for the really good writing style and the fact that it took me back to the time when I was a child and things were much simpler. I would recommend it to anyone. I read this as part of the 100+ Reading Challenge 2011.

Rating: 4/5

Review: Johnny Gone Down

Book Details:


 Author: Karan Bajaj
Publisher: Harper Collins (April 2010)

Book Summary:
Nikhil Arya has fallen.

Once, he was an Ivy League scholar with a promising future at NASA; now, at forty, he is broke, homeless, and minutes away from blowing his brains out in a diabolical modern-day joust.
It wasn't meant to be this way. unbelievable An innocent vacation turned into an epic intercontinental journey that saw Nikhil become first a genocide survivor, then a Buddhist monk, a drug lord, a homeless accountant, a software mogul and a deadly game fighter. Now, twenty years later, Nikhil aka Johnny is tired of running. With the Colombian mafia on his trail and his abandoned wife and son ten thousand miles away, he prepares for his final act, aware that he will have lost even if he wins.

Or will he? Is there any greater victory than living a life that knows no limits, a world that has seen no boundaries?

 Review:
 I had read the summary of this book and was intrigued by it. So, when a friend had it on his bookshelf, I grabbed it. Here's my review.

The book charts the fantastic journey of Nikhil Arya, who goes from being an MIT grad to a deadly game fighter. The author has granted Nikhil with almost bizarre luck and cat-like nine lives. He constantly falls into unbelievable situations, and easily manages to come out of them unscathed and successful. The story is told in flashback mode, starting in 1975, with Sam, Nikhil's langotiya yaar, convincing him to take a vacation in Cambodia. Nikhil, despite his misgivings goes along with the plan without checking the current affairs. (Unbelievable situation No. 1: they are MIT grads… you expect us to believe this can really happen!) Anyway, what follows is Nikhil's bout with heroism after which he becomes a genocide victim who manages to escape Pol Pot. He falls into Buddhism (easily) and then takes up company with a drug lord (Shantaram anyone?), sets up a human version of Farmville and then, giving it all up, decides to end his life(huh??)!


What I liked about the book was that it was a very easy read. It was almost like watching a masala Bollywood movie. There is thrill, tragedy, romance, drama… add in a loyal best friend and exotic foreign locations and you have a blockbuster on your hands! The author comes across as highly influenced by Gregory Roberts' Shantaram, and makes sure that the book will appeal to an international audience. His writing style is fast paced and crisp. However, there are certain parts which are repetitive such as the Karma Yogi philosophy. It is the main theme, but doesn't need to be put in your face every time. Also, like I said, most of the story seems unbelievable and the ending didn't live up to the rest of the book.


All in all a decent read nothing extraordinary. I rate it 3/5. Ideally it would be a 2.5/5 but the 0.5 additional rating is due to the cool cover and the absolutely low price (Rs. 60).

 
Rating: 3/5