Redefining ‘Religion’ and ‘God’ for Young Readers by Executing a Groundbreaking Plot in the Synthesis of Contemporary and Mystical Settings

  

Redefining ‘Religion’ and ‘God’ for Young Readers by Executing a Groundbreaking Plot in the Synthesis of Contemporary and Mystical Settings

The Ascendance of Evil by Abhinav (Kalki Chronicles Book #3)

Book Review by Dhiraj Sindhi

The Ascendance of Evil by Abhinav

Author: Abhinav

ISBN: 978-0143454632

Genre: Mythological Fiction for Children and Young Adults (13-17 years)

Length: 336 Pages

Publication Date: 22^nd November 2021

Publisher: Penguin 

Illustrator: Vibhav Singh | Instagram: @_vibhavsingh

Cover Designer: Samar Bansal | Behance: @samarbansal

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/3w4W1Hy

About the author:

Abhinav is a Mumbai-based software developer working for a financial services firm. His debut book The Sage's Secret is the first instalment in the Kalki Chronicles. He has since published a second book in the series, Kali's Retribution.

Instagram: @am_abhinav

Goodreads: @am_abhinav

Disclaimer: This is not a review, it is only intended for initiating discussions. The opinions and views presented in this article are my own and do not reflect anything about the book's author. 

REVIEW

The Ascendance of Evil by Abhinav is the third and concluding part of the Kalki Chronicles series. You can find here the review of the first part, Sage’s Secret that I uploaded earlier on the blog. The second part is Kali’s Retribution, which I had skipped deliberately, seeking relatively more entertainment and suspense than what a normal reading would allow. And sure enough, I found it so. The character list had broadened, the writing style improved, the pace had drastically increased, and the plot became much more exciting with plenty of new elements, complexities and secrets. 

The Ascendance of Evil focuses on the battle between Kali, the lord of evil and the Kalki avatar, which is to decide the future course of the planet and the universe. Kalki is accompanied by EOK (Espionage of Kalki, if I’m not wrong) soldiers and the Immortals. Whereas, Kali has an army of sorcerers and other dead Rakshasas. The great war of Kurukshetra—Mahabharata is the ultimate reference point, the Bhagwad Gita and other events serve as a guide. The book begins with the death of Kalki and the resurrection of Kali. This is just one of the several twists and total 180° shifts the book introduces. 

“Despite having so many places of worship, there is a scarcity of goodness. On the other hand, even though I am not worshipped in any form or at any place, evil is present everywhere. It’s as if gods don’t exist at all.” 

The plotline seems very natural and high-minded, addressing the prevalent issues related to humanity. It takes place in the year 2026 and the epilogue, 2050. Considering that the novel takes a didactic course towards the end, the author is being daringly hopeful with readers, vouching for humanity and degrading it at the same time.

With so many characters, all with unique significance puts a good weight on the storyline. Lord Krishna, his charm and his philosophy plays a key role throughout the book. His mystic personality and the way he sees the world and a soul and ‘being one with the universe’ truly shapes this novel’s heart. The war and combat scenes are complemented by illustrious writing and dark, mysterious settings, exactly opposite to the astral realm which is portrayed as nature’s refuge. 

‘I am of that opinion that…Evil will be removed from this world and humans will be rescued by you, the God.’ To which Kalki replies, ‘You are so learned! Yet you fail to understand a simple truth…that humans are at the mercy of their fellow humans. Not at the mercy of gods…or Evil for that matter.’

I cannot stress enough how relevant the book is for this year in particular. I will tell you why. It smoothly carries out all the broad principles pertaining to spirit, purpose, nature, religions and so on. Some subjects like spirit, nature and the universe are discussed in depth with high morale. Whereas, others are merely abstract and superficial ideas but that is obvious since these are some most complex issues, or should I say, we have made them too complex to fix them. I commend how the author chose to deal with warfare, which is exactly what I found ground-breaking in this very specific genre. Nuclear threats, peace talks, money and power, rampant destruction of nature, wildfires and the appalling state of inaction. What is also unconventional is the redefinition of religion and god through long dialogues from the author’s mouthpiece, Kalki.

There is this chapter solely dedicated to matters of social issues we face daily. Although, for a chapter only, I am glad that this book addresses these issues and tells kids what things are absolutely wrong with individual micro-stories. This includes poverty, domestic violence, LGBTQ+ rights, human rights, caste divisions, and all kinds of divisions, religious hatred, divorce, honour killings, inequality, animal cruelty and more. As the author has forewarned, even after three decades, if the universe and nature still allow us to thrive, we WILL continue to endure these issues while also being part of these issues, jeopardizing the existence of other humans and species. 

“Humankind knows the cost of their advancement. But they are ready to pay it, since it is not their wallet it is coming out of.”

Happy Reading!

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The Sage's Secret by Abhinav | The Kalki Chronicles | Book Review

    

The Sage's Secret by Abhinav (The Kalki Chronicles)

Book Review by Dhiraj Sindhi

The Sage's Secret by Abhinav

Author: Abhinav

ISBN: 978-0143442363

Genre: Children's Action and Adventure

Length: 256 Pages

Publication Date: 31 August 2018

Publisher: Penguin Random House India

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/3gY43Ln

About the author:

Abhinav is a Mumbai-based software developer working for a financial services firm. His debut book The Sage’s Secret is the first instalment in the Kalki Chronicles. He has since published a second book in the series, Kali’s Retribution.

Instagram: @am_abhinav

Goodreads: @am_abhinav

Disclaimer: This review is only intended for initiating discussions. The opinions and views presented in this article are my own and do not reflect anything about the book's author. 

REVIEW

The Sage's Secret by Abhinav is the first instalment in the series The Kalki Chronicles, an Action and Adventure book series for children based on Hindu Mythology. Set in the year 2025 and onwards, the book has several fantastical elements and a set of characters. The premises is far removed from the reality of the novel itself. The Kalki avatar is not 'all-knowing' like Krishna and so Lord Krishna had already arranged for Kalki's training in Kaliyuga before he died. The twenty-year-old protagonist, Anirudha receives communication and instructions from the lord via dreams, God's favourite mode of communication as is evident in Indian folklores. Sage Dweepa is going to teach Anirudha everything that he'll need to defeat his enemies and fulfil his duties as the tenth avatar.

The antagonist for this first book is Kalanayaka who is given the position in the army of Kalabakshakas, led by the lord of time—Kalarakshasa. It is said that the formation of this group can be traced back to Dvapara Yuga, although the author has not provided any explanation of the origins as to how they came to be or why. The Sage's Secret includes the journey of Anirudha from being an ordinary boy to a well-equipped combatant. 

What I liked about the book is the use of sorcery and the fantastical power of controlling energy, though the idea is poorly executed. The writing style is engaging and the narration provides more information than what can be considered adequate. I also appreciate the secret after which the book is titled after. The character development of Kalanayaka and Anirudh is what made me stick to the book till the end. In the last few chapters, the story progresses exponentially which sets a quite dramatic stage for the next book, 'Kali's Retribution'.

I do not understand though that while the story spans over such a vast expanse of time, places and possibilities, the story's focus narrows down to just a few characters and an isolated battlefield. As it is categorised as children's fiction, I think it should have provided something more useful instead of repetitive expositions, making it slower and boring to follow. 

Happy Reading!

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Book Review: The Myth: Prince Chandra and Demon's War by Dr. Piyush Kumar

Book Review

The Myth: Prince Chandra and Demon's War by Dr. Piyush Kumar

The Myth: Prince Chandra and Demon's War by Dr. Piyush Kumar

Author: Dr. Piyush Kumar

ISBN: 978-1644295229

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Length: 287 Pages

Publisher:  NotionPress.com (2018)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/35HY5Y6

About the author: 

Piyush Kumar is a doctor who grew up in the small towns of Bihar and Jharkhand. As a child, he was fond of listening to the stories of kings, kingdoms, demons and hunters. As he grew up, his fascination for stories grew as well. What began as a simple practice of listening to stories turned into a serious habit, as he started reading novels of master storytellers. This inspired Piyush to tell good stories. Soon after his graduation, he started writing stories.

Then there was a time when it became difficult for him to write. Writer's block, perhaps? But soon the story of a boy, a prince-to-be, who had everything taken from him, cropped up in his mind. Thus, began an adventurous and intriguing journey into the mythical world of Aryavart. The journey is an ongoing one.

The author lives in Ranchi where he is a practicing surgeon. During his free time at home, he lives his childhood dream of sharing stories with his parents, wife and friends.

Follow him on Instagram: @themyth_novelseries

Connect with the author on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/piyush2602

REVIEW

It won’t be a long insightful review like usual, rather an average length. I’ll just point out what you need to know about this book.

The Myth: Prince Chandra and Demon’s War is a fictional story set in ancient India, maybe before Medieval India. It can be categorized as a fantasy because it had dark magic aspects also. Talking about the narration, it was third-person point of view and followed many characters throughout the plot.

Along with that comes writing style, it was exhausting. Author has used very simple language, though expositions are divided into many numbers of short sentences which was really tiring to read. There were paragraphs which I thought could be interpreted in one sentence as well. Other than that, this habit resulted in redundancy. Like the same thing was being conveyed through various different sentences. So, according to me, the narration was bit stretched otherwise, the format, sequence of different scenes were good.

Location and setting were great. The portion of Aryavart on which author focused in the book was built just perfect, the Gurukul and Sindhudurg are fine example of that. Talking about the theme, the plot was mysterious and very unpredictable as it was completely concealed from the reader what actually was going on. The secrets indeed were revealed on the go which made sense. The action part of the book is really interesting, as I’m writing this, I remember those scenes. My favorites were the one battle in grassland and the fight in the climax.

Although the end wasn’t much interesting to me because of some reasons but the climax was satisfying. Also, few supporting characters were just strong and amazing like Aditi and a few of Gurus.

Meanwhile, the writing style thing ruined my experience of this book and it became too confusing when the narrator talked about people without addressing them by specific identities, like an old man, the person who did this and that. That’s all. Good plot and exhausting writing style which consumed much more time than it should.

Happy Reading!

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Book Review : Tales from Bengal by Sourish Roy | Short Stories

Book Review

Tales from Bengal by Sourish Roy

Tales from Bengal by Sourish Roy

Author: Sourish Roy

ISBN: 978-8193963982

Genre: Short Stories

Length: 103 Pages

Publisher:  BIGFOOTPUBLICATIONS PVT. LTD. (2019)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/2ngloH5

About the author: 

Sourish Roy, an M.A. in English with distinction in Linguistics from Burdwan University and B.Ed. with specialization in Teaching Methodology from North Bengal University, has been serving as an Assistant Teacher in High Secondary school since 2005. With degrees in Classical Art from Nikhil Bharat Sangeet Parishad, he has also been a frequent practitioner in painting. Having earned professional training in Lead Guitar under the tutelage of Sri. Kaushik Bhattacharya besides being a vocalist himself, he also takes time out to musical ceremonies.

He is also a certificate holder of National Science Society. Alongside enjoying serenity in his multi-faceted life he has had experiences of trekking under the supervision of Himalayan Nature & Adventure Foundation, Siliguri.

From the very beginning, he has been a fond reader of good literary books. He took to writing at an early stage of his life with writing for the wall magazines and annual magazines in school and college. Now, as a writer, he has earned the renown of being dedicated to the daily life problems of the underprivileged class. His stories have been previously published in local English and Bangla magazines and pamphlets. His critical essays have also been provided space in some academic books.

Sourish Roy (right) receiving award for Best Short Story Collection Prize

Follow him on Instagram: @sourishjal

Twitter Handle: @sourishjal
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sourishjal and @sourishjal.TalesFromBengal

REVIEW

Narration

Tales from Bengal is a compilation of nine short stories depicting the serious transformation in the lives of villagers of Bengal in the last few decades of the twentieth century. Some of these short stories are narrated in first person point of view and some in third person point of view. This is the work of fine literature and Sourish Roy has put life in this book. Author narrates these significant stories using profound language and creative writing style. Each and every line says something, holds a meaning. One of the major trait of this book is, the voice which keeps you curious throughout the entire book.

Location and Setting

All stories are set in different lands of Indian state West Bengal. As I mentioned above, these stories take place in the most transformative decades of the twentieth century. Everything was changing in the sense of science, technology, entertainment and politically also. Sourish Roy has portrayed this picture in context of Bengal. All stories have major influence of Bengal and its culture and anything you could imagine. Author has tried to include as many topics as possible and made this book nothing less than a carnival of a sort.

Theme

While these stories are all distinct, they really seemed to me somewhat related but actually, they are not. The first story ‘Absolution’ is about accepting one’s limitations. ‘Anomaly’ is about the flaws come with evolution. ‘Iron irony’ depicts the story of a blacksmith going through the sudden development of marketing strategies. ‘Ratan’s Maa’ shows how, healthcare was made available to a commoner, which once they were deprived of. ‘The abstainer’ sketches the picture of a young, an incompetent descent to the family heritage. ‘The Handyman' tells a story, where a man was robbed of everything because of government’s empty pocket. ‘The Magician’s Plight’ is a story of a magician (a migrant from another country), who discovers the light after a huge loss. ‘The Mail-bearer’ is indeed a story of a mail-bearer and story which serves the message of ‘Perseverance never goes unpaid.’ And the last ‘The Quack’ is the story of a doctor who was denied the dream he had given his all away for, not once but twice.

My Views

If I have to retitle these stories with an adjective, it would be shattering, devastating and what not. While urbanization brought massive transformation, it wasn’t good for everyone. As the author says, these villagers are still waiting for elevation in their wretched living, which would probably take more time and until then would undergo numerous changes as depicted in the book. I really loved each story and devoured them again and again to re-ingest those feelings of pain and acceptance. It also made me reminisce the stories my grandma used to tell and this book had similar vibes, Sourish Roy made each story unforgettable by his literary skills.

Happy Reading!

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Book Review: Ringo and the Yogi by Prasun Roy | Children's Literature

Book Review

Ringo and the Yogi by Prasun Roy

Ringo and the Yogi by Prasun Roy

Author: Prasun Roy

ISBN: 978-9387022621

Genre: Children’s Literature and Fiction

Length: 184 Pages

Publisher: Srishti Publishers & Distributors (10th June 2019)

My Ratings: 4.5/5

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/2Je3uwT

About the author:

Prasun Roy lives with his family in Kolkata and writes stories in genres of adventure, mystery, thrill and young adult fiction. He is the Director of his family-owned business of pharmaceutical manufacturing and marketing. Professionally trained in western classical piano, he is also an active blogger.

Prasun Roy

Follow him on Instagram: @prasun.author.2018

Check out his Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/prasun.roy.581

Twitter Handle: @PrasunRoy1981

REVIEW

Narration

Ringo and the Yogi is a fictional story mainly for children between ages 6 to 12. The story is narrated in the third-person point of view. The story follows a kid named Ringo, who has just turned ten. Ringo and the Yogi mostly contain exposition and there are fewer dialogues and conversations comparatively. Considering the age group, the writing style is great and expositions are very well written that it emotionally connects with you. There are all sorts of experiences we face in our childhood and make us reminisce those memories.

Location and Setting

Ringo lives in Kolkata and is a member of Bharat Scouts and Guides, a boys scout group, in which he would be able to experience adventurous activities like trekking, skating, nature studies and so on after he has turned ten. Ringo gets selected for a ten-day long expedition to a trekking camp at Joshimath, Uttarakhand. So, the book contains all the expositions about the beauty of those hills and Mother Nature. The author Prasun Roy has mentioned every detail about the camp and about trekking.

Theme

Ringo and the Yogi is a children’s literature and fiction book. At first, Ringo is yearning for his parents to spend time with him. His father’s job and the timings don’t allow him to do so. His mother always working at household, doesn’t realize that she’s spending much time with her son. As being parents they love Ringo and when he goes far away for trekking and alone for the first time, they realize it. Whereas Ringo meets his best friend Sambhu, the Yogi. Yogi says he is a hundred years old and carries a lot of stories and experiences with him. Ringo listens to his stories of bravery, Mother Nature and the wrath of God. Also when Ringo was feeling alone, he consoles Ringo and teaches some great life lessons which are worth reading.

Plot

The story begins with Ringo’s birthday and we get to know much about Ringo and his family and friends and what he is suffering from. Later, as he has turned ten, gets selected for the ten days long expedition to trekking camp, where the Yogi resolves his all confusions and leads him towards self-confidence and shows him a direction to follow. Also, there is a big message about Mother Nature and the calamities we are facing, that how we continue to bleed Mother Nature even after facing such wrath of God. Yogi’s character is very very interesting and I loved his character personally. A sudden and unpredicted cloudburst in Uttarakhand causes devastating floods and landslides. At this time to rescue his campmates, Ringo takes a brave step and try to reach the nearby army camp which is two valleys ahead of their base camp with the help of Yogi, but it is an impossible task. So, you will need to read the book to know what happens.

"The path to success and victory needs to be walked alone; only at the end you would find the company of your loved ones to cheer over your triumph."

My Views

The book contains illustrations also that is great for a children’s book like this. The Yogi became my favorite character and his lessons are really worth applying in real life. The book holds a great message about climate change and now at this point in time, we know how things will turn out if we continue to harm Mother Nature. The exposition is the very essence of the book as it directly connects with you without the need for dialogues. In the end, I would say that you need to read this and recite to young kids or children and it will definitely make a positive difference.

Happy Reading!

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