Book Review: Awaken by Ashok K Banker

Title: Awaken
Author: Ashok K Banker
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Review

Ashok Banker’s ‘Awaken’ is the first book in a proposed series of three books. The story starts with the perspectives of three teenage girls who realize to their delight, and in one case chagrin, that they carry within them some exceptional qualities that may set them up on the superhuman pedestal.

Kiara, a resident of Delhi, is perplexed by the sudden growth of fur on her body and the heightening of her senses. Not far off, Saumya — in Ahmedabad — is delighted by her newfound ability to teleport anywhere just by visualizing the place. Finally Sia, who hails from Nagaland, hasn’t fully come to terms with just how powerful her singing is. Connected by a common thread of an ancient alien race, these girls find themselves tasked with the responsibility of protecting all of mankind from the Haters, a species hell bent on destroying Earth. The three alternating POVs provide wheels to the plot for a fast-track journey.

For me, Sia’s story was a lot more gripping than that of the other two girls and the least being Kiara’s. Sia even across like a true to life character with her demure yet strong persona. That she is a transgender, yet with such a lovely set of friends, was a constant source of hope for our society’s acceptance of all humans. Perhaps the upcoming generation would not consider it a stigma.

Banker’s characterizations are mostly sharp. Genre fans will find plenty of familiar character types and situations here. The inclusion of characters from Northeast India is a nice touch that adds to the book’s theme of ethnic diversity, which is however never handled in a heavy-handed manner.

However, I didn’t quite like the negative representation of the Indian society and its culture, especially the way the Gujaratis have been portrayed. I also didn’t quite like the way the story started resembling Pittacus Lore’s I Am Number Four by the end of the book. The fight for justice and peace under the direction of a council of disembodied alien brains came across too similar. The Haters could well be the Mogadorians since they have a similar agenda and then there is the case of Cêpan VS Friends. There’s even a dog who reminded me of Bernie Kosar. For those who read and loved/disliked the Lorien Legacies, Banker’s book would not hold a light. For the initiates, it would be fresh and even fascinating.

Buy Link

Amazon

About the Author

Ashok Banker is the internationally acclaimed author of over sixty published books which have sold over three million copies in twenty-one languages and sixty-one countries. He has been credited as the pioneer of Indian crime fiction in English and with launching the genre of mythological retellings, India’s biggest-selling publishing category. As a journalist, he broke front-page news for Times of India, Outlook and The Week. As a screenwriter, he created and wrote India’s first TV series in English, A Mouthful of Sky. 

Ashok is of Irish-Portuguese-Sri Lankan-Indian parentage and lived in India for over fifty-one years before migrating permanently to the United States. Awaken is the first book in the Shakti Trilogy.

I'd like to thank the publisher 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 

Book Review: The Guardians Of The Halahala by Shatrujeet Nath

Title: The Guardians Of The Halahala

Author: Shatrujeet Nath

Publisher: Jaico Publishing House

Review:

In the first installment of a proposed trilogy, Shatrujeet Nath weaves a fabulous tapestry of myth and legend by bringing together two of the oft told stories relating to Lord Shiva and king Vikramaditya. The two stories that I’m referring to include the legend of how Lord Shiva came to be the Neelkanth and king Vikramaditya’s association with the pichasa, Vetaal. As children we all got to hear these two stories.

So what makes Nath’s story stand out? How does he connect two very different stories to make one? ‘The Guardians of the Halahala’ links two legends wherein Lord Shiva hands over a dagger containing a minute portion of the deadly poison Halahala to Vikramaditya for safekeeping. Halahala, as we already know, was churned out of the White Ocean by devas and asuras in the wake of finding the immortal elixir of life, Amrita. It was a potent poison with the capacity to annihilate even gods and demons. To save the universe from a pathetic end, Lord Shiva drank the poison and held it in his throat. Thus far the story is almost known to us. What we don’t know and which Nath fabricates for furthering his plot is that a minute portion of the poison remains in the custody of humans. Here is when Vikramaditya comes into the equation.  

These storylines are not as separate as I am making them sound—in fact, one of the most distinctive things about Nath’s yarn is how it fuses these independent stories as though they are feeding into and from each other. Then there are a few subplots. Of Hunas and Shakas invading the Indian soil. Of internal strife between kings and vassals. A lot happens within the pages of this book. It is a page-turner indeed.

It has everything going for it—prose that beautifully encapsulates both the fantastic and the historic; deft storytelling that folds and combines myth, and legend into one; and a strong focus on relationships between devas, asuras and humans. In addition: a thrilling plot that holds the promise of delivering a wonderful series.

I can only imagine how far high Shatrujeet Nath will inevitably fly within the mythology field in the coming years and I will most definitely be there to follow it.

Buy Link:

Amazon

Flipkart

About the Author:

Door-to-door salesman, copywriter, business journalist and assistant editor at the Economic Times, Shatrujeet Nath was all this before he took to writing fiction full-time. He debuted with the Karachi Deception in 2013, followed by the Guardians of the Halahala and the Conspiracy at Meru, the first two books in the Vikramaditya series. At present, he is writing volume three of the series. Shatrujeet lives in Mumbai, but spends much of his time in the fantasy worlds of his stories. He can also be found at facebook.com/Shatrujeet Nath.

I'd like to thank the author for letting me review his 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