Book Review: Love, Long Ago by Shreyasi R. Phukon

 

Title: Love, Long Ago
Author: Shreyasi R. Phukon
Publisher: Locksley Hall Publishers LLP

Love, Long Ago is a contemporary romance novel, which is both an emotional and a realistic story that deals with the themes of heartbreak, betrayal, forgiveness, and destiny.

The book follows the story of Rhea Barua, who lives in the US with her aunt Maya and cousin Hilda for her higher studies. There she meets Aarav, a bestselling author whom she admires. Her strict aunt makes life a little difficult for Rhea initially but soon realises her follies and lets her live her life on her terms.

Aarav and Rhea come closer but Rhea’s happiness doesn’t last longer. Out of the blue, her aunt is murdered and Rhea’s world is disrupted. Aarav takes care of Rhea during this time and Rhea inevitably falls in love with him. However, he rejects her and breaks her heart. Rhea returns to India, broken and bitter, and agrees to marry Abhinav, a man she barely knows. However, fate has other plans for her and she meets Aarav again in India. Will she be able to forget her past and move on with Abhinav? Or will she give Aarav another chance?

The book is well-written, with engaging dialogue and believable characters.

The author, Shreyasi Phukon, has a flair for writing engaging and realistic characters that make the readers empathise with their emotions and dilemmas. The plot is well-paced and has some twists and turns that keep the readers hooked till the end. The language is simple and lucid, making the book easy to read and enjoy.

The book is a perfect choice for romance lovers who like stories that are sweet, emotional, and relatable.

A satisfying love story about people who grow into being right for each other.

Shreyasi Rhittika Phukon is an author and has contributed her writings to a few anthologies and e-magazines. She has initiated and also co-authored an anthology ‘A Phase Unknown Woman- A Tribute Series’ and also published her debut solo short story book '18 Via Teen -Be Yourself.'

'A Phase Unknown Woman- A Tribute' is a venture initiated by Shreyasi R.  with a collection of short stories and poems contributed by various authors/poets pan India. This book makes a strengthening call by questioning, poeticizing, and narrating various social stigmas revolving around in the social air regarding the identity of women. The book is a tribute to all women who somehow mark a change in everybody's life. The first part of this book has been awarded the ‘Best Anthology Award 2014’ by Sanmati Publication.

'18 Via Teen- Be yourself’ the name says it all. It's a collection of short stories which enumerates the various phases of a teen and the hopes, aspirations, apprehensions, ambiguity, insecurity, dilemma, restlessness and sensitiveness, associated with each phase. Each story vividly depicts the psychological aspects of a teenage girl/boy and how intuition helps her/his to overcome the hurdles one after another, which in teens makes her/him mature.

Shreyasi was also awarded the 'Special Jury Award 2016' conferred upon her by Sanmati Publication.

Her new release, 'Love, Long Ago,' is her debut novel which has been published by Locksley Hall Publishing.

She now works as language editor for SAGE Journals at TNQ Technologies.

Amazon

I'd like to thank the author for letting me review the book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading!

Cover Reveal: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

** Cover Reveal **

Title: Children of Blood and Bone
Author: Tomi Adeyemi
Publisher: Pan Macmillan India

They killed my mother. They took our magic. They tried to bury us. 

Now we rise.

Zélie remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. When different clans ruled – Burners igniting flames, Tiders beckoning waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoning forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, anyone with powers was targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope. Only a few people remain with the power to use magic, and they must remain hidden.

Zélie is one such person. Now she has a chance to bring back magic to her people and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must learn to harness her powers and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where strange creatures prowl, and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to come to terms with the strength of her magic – and her growing feelings for an enemy.

Tomi Adeyemi is a Nigerian-American writer and creative writing coach based in San Diego, California. After graduating Harvard University with an honors degree in English literature, she studied West African mythology and culture in Salvador, Brazil. When not writing novels or watching Scandal, Tomi teaches and blogs about creative writing on her website, named one of the 101 best websites for writers by Writer's Digest. Children of Blood and Bone is her debut novel.

‘Infused with rich mythology of west Africa, Adeyemi’s lush world-building and consummate plotting breathes new life into a YA fantasy epic. Themes of oppression and racism resonate all too strongly in today’s political climate. The cliffhanger ending may leave some readers reeling but, rest assured, this is first in a trilogy.’ Fiona Noble, Observer

Book Review: The Liar's Weave by Tashan Mehta

Title: The Liar's Weave

Author: Tashan Mehta

Publisher: Juggernaut Books

Review

Tashan Mehta’s debut is about a Parsi boy who’s born without a future. What’s that, you ask? Let me break it down for you. The protagonist of the novel, Zahan Merchant, is a naïve boy from the Parsi community of 1920 India whose future is uncertain and unpredictable. What’s new here? Well, Zahan’s world is different from ours and not knowing one’s future there is unheard of.

Mehta spins an alternate history of our world as we know. In her version, birth charts are real and one’s life is mapped out in the stars. Except — of course — for the protagonist, whose future couldn’t be determined as the most noted astrologist of that time couldn’t read his birth chart. It’s a cosmic mistake, so the gods compensate for it by giving Zahan an unusual power: the ability to change reality with his lies. Is it then a blessing or a curse? That you’ll need to find out on your own for if Zahan lies, he creates reality.

As seasoned readers, we all know that the consequences of magic can be wondrous, yet heartbreaking. So when Zahan sets out on his adventures armed with his unique ability along with his friend Porthos, he is drawn into a secret forest full of ill-fated people and his power becomes more dangerous to him and those he loves.

While reading Mehta I couldn’t stop myself from drawing parallels between her novel and that of Salman Rushdie’s ‘Midnight’s Children.’ For one, both the novels have been written against the backdrop of India’s struggle for independence. Then there’s the shadowy and talismanic tone with perfect pacing and alluring imagery that is employed in both the books which simply can’t be ignored. Whether this is Mehta’s conscious choice or not will become clear with her subsequent works. But for now she has done a decent job.

Mehta’s language is stylised, giving her work a refreshing flavour. However, at times it becomes cumbersome and is confusing. The novel ultimately challenges both patience and comprehension with events and characters taking too long to come together. But if one can overcome this tiny bump, the story itself has something novel to offer.

Buy Link

Amazon

About the Author

Tashan Mehta was awarded the Sangam House Writer’s Residency in 2015, and has been longlisted for the TFA prize for fiction for two years. Her writing has appeared in literary journals such as OUT OF PRINT and NOTES, an Oxbridge publication. The Liar’s Weave is her first novel.

I'd like to thank the author for letting me review the book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading! 

* I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

** Picture courtesy: Amazon.in  and Juggernaut.in

Book Review: The Princess of a Whore House by Mayank Sharma

Title: The Princess of a Whore House
Author: Mayank Sharma
Publisher: Notion Press

Review

This slender but nimble fiction is a well-meaning story of a girl trying to make it in the mainstream society. Though chased by the shadows of her melancholy life, Aparajita is destined to rise above her hardscrabble life to pursue the dream that her dead father cherished for her.

The story starts with Aparajita trying to get into one of the most reputed schools in Delhi. This tiny event brings forth Ramya’s past. We get to know how, after Ramya’s husband died in an unfortunate incident, she had nobody in the whole wide world to turn to. The only person, on whom she had pinned all her hopes, cheated her of her trust and dignity. Eventually, she ended up in a brothel along with her daughter. Even though reduced to the worst possible fate, Ramya had only one dream — to give her daughter a quality life. Her ardent prayers were answered when she met Raj, a man who is at the opposite spectrum of Anjum. As such, two men define the fate of a woman and the destiny of a girl. 

Sharma sets the stage for a collision of events and characters that are already connected. Just what this collision will bring forth makes up the heart of the book, which also explores the choices that people make in life and their opportunities to overcome circumstances. The story also mildly touches upon the stigma and the conditions that exist for sex workers in our country.

Written in the first person, the narrative swings between the perspectives of Ramya and Aparajita. This switch in point of view is a bone of contention for it leaves the readers flailing for a sense of time and place. The story’s grammar is less assured though, and the dialogue can sometimes feel forced. Nevertheless, once readers get caught up in the tale itself, they’ll likely enjoy the ride. 

The story gets its lasting power from the qualities of its main characters’ personalities — people who may find themselves caught up in dire conditions but who ultimately find ways to look for light at the end of the tunnel.

Buy Link

Amazon

About the Author

Mayank Sharma is a ‘left-brained’ professional with over twenty years of global experience in leading multinational companies. His interest in writing intensified when one of his articles was featured in the May 2014 edition of Better Software magazine published in Florida, USA.

As Mayank travelled across continents and associated with people with diverse beliefs and values, he became more curious about the social riddles that curtailed liberties across civilizations. 

He is transforming into a 'right-brained' writer with his debut book, The Princess of a Whorehouse. Besides writing, he is passionate about painting and making sculptures. 

Mayank lives in the National Capital Region of Delhi with his wife, Sonali, daughter, Myra, and son, Aarav. 

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I'd like to thank the author for letting me review the book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading! 

* I received a review copy from Writersmelon in exchange for an honest review.

** Picture courtesy: Amazon.in 

Author Interview: Pavithra Ramesh, Author of No Time To Pause

About the Author

Pavithra Ramesh is a graduate from Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru, looking ahead to pursue her MBA in International Business and Finance. She has been an excellent academic performer emerging as the second topper in school (Commerce Stream) in her CBSE Board exams. Commitment and perseverance is her basic mantra. Based in Dubai, she has written many articles for a Sharjah Daily newspaper. She has been the PR Event head of the Commerce Core Team in College and an active participant in cultural programmes in the field of dance. She has been a part of the entrepreneurship cell in college and was involved in the editorial team of Bangalore e-cell. Writing is her passion. She now ventures with her first book ‘Too young to regret’.  She believes that desire is the best driving force to success and trusts her instincts to find her goals and aspirations.

Interview

When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer/ a storyteller?

There was no sudden realisation as such. I always had a passion for writing and wrote small articles. As I developed a story and wanted it to reach out to the young adults, I decided to pen it down and get it published.

What are your current/future projects?

I will soon start working on my next venture. Trying to finalise the genre and set a plot.

Do you believe there is value in a review? Do you believe they are under rated, over rated, or don’t matter at all?

I completely believe that there is immense value in reviews. Any rating or review gives a clear feedback on the piece of work. It helps renew and refresh one’s thought process and acts as a learning guide. The ratings are subjective to each person but gives an idea to the artist as to how each one perceives the work done. After all, when one reaches out to the public, it becomes important to gauge their response and work towards better quality.

What is your biggest fear about having a book published?

There is no fear as such. But as an author, the only thought that revolves is if the book would be able to achieve its aim and reach out to the target audience with the right acceptance.

What is the intended audience for you book?

The intended audience for my book ‘No time to Pause’ is youth. The story revolves around a young adult living alone, away from her family and the experiences she encounters. It aims to inspire the young adults on how life keeps moving on and there is no time to waste on stumbling blocks.

Give us a fun fact about your book?

The book has a lot of incidents which involves the college life of the protagonist. It also includes fun moments with her roommates, the typical young girls’ drama and the highs and lows of love and friendship.

It makes it easy for the young ones to connect and relate to the book.

Were your characters based off real life people/events or did you make it all up?

Many characters are based on real life people but the main character is fictional, the girl with unique thoughts and perceptions having a true impact on the protagonist.

What is the best piece of advice you have received, as a writer, till date?

The best advice I have received is to take criticism as an opportunity to learn. Not only as a writer, but in any field of work, the courage to accept negative feedback and find ways to improve and sharpen one’s talent is very important.

Did any of your characters inherit some of your own quirks?

Yes. The character Aditi reflects my thoughts and views to an extent. Any book for that matter echoes the perceptions of the author.

What makes a good story, why?

I feel any story is good if the reader finds it easy to connect to what has been illuminated. When the reader can relate and has the urge to continue reading till the end, somewhere down the line, the story has achieved its purpose.

What question do you wish that someone would ask about your book(s), but nobody has? Write it out here, and then answer it.

I’m so glad to have been asked this. Yes, I wish someone asked me if my roommates were really as crazy as they were portrayed in the book.

And the answer is yes. Many of the incidents mirror the fun and frolic of our life in the Paying Guest and that was something real.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with your readers?

Yes. I would like to say that ‘No time to Pause’ is a simple book of a young girl.  Please do read the book and send in your feedback to rpavithra1@gmail.com. I would like to sharpen my writing skills with the help of your reviews. And trust me, the book is fun. I’m sure you would love it!

Buy Link

Amazon

 Flipkart

Praise for the Author

Thank you, Pavithra for this amazing interview! I wish you success for all your future works. Keep writing!