Author: Radhika Srinath

A simple love story set in the picturesque back drop of Darjeeling. The protagonist Nanditha is cynical when it comes down to tying the knot. She is an interior designer by profession and is on a visit to Darjeeling with her friend where she encounters the enigmatic Ajay. In the process of helping him design a Star hotel’s hall she falls for him. But back home she is faced with the dilemma of bowing down to her parents’ wishes of marrying a boy of their choice while she is still trepid about Ajay’s feelings for her….

What attracted me to go for the book was the cover. Its one of the best book covers I have seen in recent times and suits the story in every manner. The USP of the book is the very simple use of language making it easy even for someone who is not proficient with English. The Author is from South India and the flavors are evident in her write-up.. The book leaves you with a smile!

Available in both paperback and kindle editions.

Author: Sahana Ahmed

If i have to summate the entire book in a couple or words it would be ‘Syntactical brilliance’. The author has a flair for an amazing play of words titillating your senses as you read and live through the book. To top it all… her amazing sense of humor leaves you with a smile for a long time even after you are done.

This book is a must read for those who have grown up in the 90s… Personally it also hit home because I have lived n a hostel too. the story is about a ‘fauji’ kid Saba Minhas who gets enrolled in an Army hostel to study law. The author has intricately taken us through the myriad of emotions Saba faces as she is torn between her duty towards her parents, her loyalty towards her friends and her new found freedom. Saba represents the confusion every kid in the 90s encountered where we were caught between age-old social stereotypes and the progression towards the new millennium. Saba is further baffled when she has to make a choice between prospective suitors.

The author has built the story in a lovely framework of hostel life. The play of emotions is also excellent with the right choice of synecdoche and other figures of speech. Overall its a simple story yet very deep…

Available in both paperback and digital format (juggernaut app)

Author: Sidharth Kanattil

This amazing historical takes you back by about 170 years. the author had diligently constructed plots in the opulent township of Shahajanabad, where the John company official Henry Haines schemes meticulously for the course of his future. An Indian spy for Mr. Haines, Amar Chaudhry makes a wrong decision which causes the snowballing of misfortunes for many of the characters in the story. As a result young Ratan is pushed into an alien world where he had to struggle for survival whereas the love of his life Radha has her heart broken ruthlessly and trampled upon. The story revolves around misplaced ambition and greed running deep into our morals which made the East India Company spread its roots deeper into our society.

The second volume opens throws light on how slavery held prominence including subjecting the ‘coolies’ to worst possible barbarism while they craved for death to escape the realms of torture by the French, actually indirectly the British colonies which had spread their tentacles far and wide. they had destroyed countries for filling their own coffers and every head raised in protest was uprooted. Ratan now seasoned by what life taught him seeks retribution for betrayal and yearns to meet Radha someday. Some of those who have joined hands to raise up against the English atrocities have now a long and a tough journey to reclaim what was once theirs.

The author takes us through a picturesque journey of the colonial times which are in tandem with what history has recorded. The research and linking of the plots to converge together and the parallel running of history is splendid. Highly recommended, especially if one likes to read a historical. I particularly loved the language lucidity and the flow which as a fast reader, didn’t result in any breaks for me. The language and dialectal variations have been aptly been played with to suit the times and the author has been careful not to over do it as it is usually seen in such genres.

I am looking forward for a Volume III where the plots can be finally tied up. In short the author has made me want for more.

Available on Amazon in both paperback and kindle formats.

Author: Ashwin Sanghi

Just one word for the book…. Masterpiece!

I am in awe of this Author now. this is my second book of his and the best in this genre by an Indie writer.

The author has brilliantly vacillated between two timelines which are about 2300 years apart. The first being 340BC the period of Chanakya and the second was todays times the protagonist now being a brahmin named Ganagasagar Mishra.

Chanakya was known to be cold, calculated, cruel, ruthless and without any morals when it came down to political and economic strategizing manipulations. He had succeeded in uniting the entire Bharat against the invasion of the might Macedonian Alexander the great. Brilliant planning for years and magnificently sensational execution saw Chanakya’s protégé Chandragupta Mourya occupy the mighty throne of Magadha and the mighty Mouryan empire. He eventually retired to write the ‘Arthshastra‘ which is a beacon of financial strategies even centuries later.

History repeats itself and in what way!! in a stark metaphorical reoccurrence, Ganagasar Mishra plays a vital role to propel the rise of his protégé, a certain slum-child. She plays by his books and sees a meteorical rise to become the most powerful woman in Indian politics.

The author has brilliantly covered the unadulterated and palpable but eerie similarities in Indian politics between the two timelines. Be it caste system, hatred, corruption, greed, sexual deviance, venality, betrayal, or the divisive strategies these are the breeding grounds of the ambitious and precociously talented species like Chanakya or Gangasagar Mishra. The novel is gripping and fast paced with conspiracy theories firmly holding the intrigue in place. It promises to scatter the reader emotions all over the place but at the same time converges them to make you like the protagonist irrespective of all his flaws. A look indirectly into the bizarre Indian politics!!!

Available in both Paperback and kindle format.

author: Atul Anand

the book is a non -fiction and chronicles the author’s journey from the corporate corridor to someone seeking the true meaning of life!

I don’t prefer no-fiction reads but being a yoga enthusiast the title intrigued me. And I am not at all dissapointed. I have learnt quite a few lessons and the biggest being…to live in the moment. the book itself was an exploration journey with an aim to find life answers INWARDS i.e within yourself. We individuals are often plagued the a perennial question, “who am i…?” The author attempts to throw light on the same via theoretical, spiritual and practical mediums frequently garnishing the trio with anecdotes and short stories.

Being practicing yoga myself, it was an extension to my learning experience to get further more into the various levels of discipline. I find meditation extremely challenging but now i am definitely going to give it a try. I will re-read those parts again later to corroborate my findings!!

Kudos to the author for his extensive research and for sharing it with the world by engulfing it in his personal experience. A recommended read…

Available on amazon in paperback and kindle formats.

Author: Harshwardhan Padole

Historical mythology embedded in a fine craft of fiction and woven into an appealing chronicle series. This is part I.

The story begins where our knowledge of Mahabharata ends. The book talks about five native tribes living together in harmony in Gondwana. The Khidmatgars attack each of the tribes individually and they are now a force to reckon with in Gondwana. However the Aaryans, who are known for their valor and might as well as strategic war planning are a tough nut to crack. The Khidmatgar commander Bakht Khan is relentless in pursual of the mighty tribe and isn’t ready to rest until he conquers the Aaryans. However a genius prince of Indraprastha has vowed to disseminate the Khidmatgars from Gondwana using a secret that had been in the Aaryans’ possession since Mahabharata days. Ironically, the commander too has laid his hands on a similar secret. The story continues on the basis of the brilliance of the prince in tackling the mighty Khidmatgars.

I was in awe of the story-line as it was different form what I had read previously. I liked the flow of the plots though there were moments where I was a little confused. However given the delicate stringing of the topics and keeping in tandem with the historical significance forming the very crux of the story, I would overlook that as a reader. I would have loved to read more about the genius prince and his interpersonal relationships right from the beginning and I think there may be more mention of him in the series to come. Overall I was impressed with the way the author had treated the subject and it held my interest throughout. I also would suggest to do away with the colloquialism in the upcoming series to make it more believable and a complete masterpiece.

The book is available on Amazon in both paperback and kindle formats.