Rakhi Jayashankar's Blog, page 60

Empire by Devi Yesodharan

Book Name         - EmpireAuthor                  -Devi YesodharanPublisher              - Juggernaut BooksNumber of Pages - 328Publishing Year   - 2017Edition                  - HardcoverPrice                     - 599Buy books from Amazon
Rating : 3.5

My Review

Mythological and historical fiction is the new trend in Indian Literature. There has been a surge of books with several definitions and versions of Ramayana, Mahabharata, Freedom Struggle, and India's wars but little has been written these days about the forgotten reign of kings of one of the longest ruling empire in the Southern India, The Chola Dynasty. Ms. Yasodharan has unveiled the era with a fictional element of Aremis.



The girls Aremis, grows in the Indian soil, trained by Shrey, to b sculpted as a fine warrior. Slowly, she makes her weakness her strength and starts fighting with brain. However talented she proves her to be, she is treated as a useless foreigner by her peers even after her emperor trusts her to guard his person. 

The plot is unique and it is to be encouraged that the protagonist is a woman, contrary to the male dominated character build up seen off late in the similar genres. Author shows how a woman uses her weaknesses smartly and make them her strength. It is not easy for a girls to survive in the male world. Aremis's determination and focus is too good to be true. The story is solely about Aremis. It is also about a dynasty ruled by a king who is never satisfied with the conquest, for whom war is an intoxication. The story is not just about Rajendra Chola, Chola Dynasty and Aremis, it is also about the fights wars, Srivijayans and Song China.
The book seems to be a bit longer than required. One more round of developmental edit is required.
This review is in return of a free book from the publisher  
About the author

Devi Yesodharan was a speech-writer for Infosys chairman N.R. Narayana Murthy. Now, when she isn’t obsessively reading up on the Cholas, she works as a co-founder on Trendlyne, a financial investing platform. Empire is her first novel.

Harappa- Curse of the blood river by Vineet Bajpai

Book Name         - Harappa- Curse of the blood riverAuthor                  - Vineet BajpaiPublisher              - VB Performance LLCNumber of Pages - 316Publishing Year   -2017Edition                  -PaperbackPrice                     -200
Buy books from Amazon
Rating : 4.5

My Review
In a land of immense cultural heritage tales are plenty. History is created by those who are powerful at that point, twisted in their favor. Since the release of Immortals of Meluha, there had been a torrent of mythological fiction novels, with mythology and history twisted and deformed to such an extend that I had given up on the genre as such.
Nevertheless Harappa is a fresh change from the trend.

Vidyut is summoned by his Great Grandfather who is on death bed. Leaving his city-life behind, Vidyut moves to Banaras to be by the side of his Grandfather. On reaching the divine Kashi soil, Vidyut realizes that he was living a life of oblivion. Least did he know that his clan bears a curse which is centuries old and Vidyut is tha last one in the bloodline. All his historical knowledge of Harappa proves insignificant after his discussion with Grandfather. 

In 1700 BCE, Vivasvan Shastri , Vidyut's ancestor, starts the tale of curse. A devta himself, Vivasvan is unbeatable till the evil spirit takes control of the Harappans which in turn leads them to unfortunate fate. While Vidyut is with his grandfather listening to the tale of Harappa, a conspiracy against his life takes place in another part of the world.

How did the Devta become the curse bearer? what happens to prosperous city of Harappa apart from what is mentioned in the pages of history? What is the secret that Vidyut's Great Grandfather bears? Why are unknown people after Vidyut's life? What is the secret they want to hide? The suspense elements are plenty and maintained throughout the book.

The plot switches from 21st century to 1700 BCE through 16th Century. The switch is smooth and seamless. Author has taken immense care in making sure that the flow is not affected. Author's talent in hooking the readers to the book is impeccable. With numerous characters and story-line which time travels time and again, readers are not confused, which in itself is the major positive of the book. 

Theme wise women characters are important yet they take a back seat when it comes to space. Thankfully there are no unnecessary making out sequences or eerie love making scenes. For the readers who are unaware of Harappa, there is a brief description of what is written and taught in history. The details are abstract and crisp that everything is explained but without boredom. In an urge to know what happens next, what is the curse and who is the betrayer, I ditched my sleep. But the climax disappointed me, like Bahubali 1's climax. I can't wait to get hold of the second part. Overall the book is definitely a win-win creation. I recommend the book to all mythological fiction lovers. 

This Book Review/Interview is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program and Book Promotions" to know more log on to http://thereaderscosmos.blogspot.in/."
About the author

Vineet is a first-generation entrepreneur. At age 22 he started his company Magnon from a small shed. Today Magnon is among the largest digital agencies in the subcontinent and part of the Fortune 500 Omnicom Group.

He has led the global top-ten advertising agency TBWA as its India CEO. This made him perhaps the youngest ever CEO of a multinational advertising network in the country. He has won several entrepreneurship and corporate excellence awards, including the Entrepreneur of the Year 2016. He was recently listed among the 100 Most Influential People in India’s Digital Ecosystem. 

Vineet’s second company talentrack is disrupting the media, entertainment and creative industry in India. It is the fastest-growing online hiring and networking platform for the sector. He has written three bestselling management and inspirational books – Build From Scratch, The Street to the Highway and The 30 Something CEO.He is an avid swimmer, a gaming enthusiast, a bonfire guitarist and a road-trip junkie. He is 39.

In conversation with Subhashish Dev, author of Fate's Design

Meeting New people is always an experience.  We get to learn  a lot. But  never did I expect that a 14 year old teenager would teach me life's lessons . Meet the author of Fate's Design - Subhashish Dev
Hi and welcome to my virtualtète a tete

Please give an intro of your book to the readers.

Fate’s Design is about the protagonist, a socialite, who is the wife of a rich man in Moscow. She finds herself in a struggle to establish her identity while fulfilling her responsibilities towards her family. Fate has her two year old daughter snatched brutally from her. The kidnapping and murder of her daughter act as a catalyst for her to take some difficult decisions.
As it turns out, these decisions not only give her the identity that she had longed for, but also entwine the lives of all the characters around her into a song through struggles of conscience and identity, through the deepest lows and greatest highs, and through the flame of madness and the stings of survival.     
I believe that readers would love the easy flow of events, with delicately constructed scenes that explore deeper themes such as familial love, separation from loved ones, growing up to face the harsh realities of the world, among others. The emphasis has been to explore the raw emotions felt by the humans which portray the characters of my book.

How did you train yourself to write such a complicated theme at this young age.

I am a voracious reader, and firmly believe that books are the best medium of getting to know about beautiful insights of life. The trigger for the book came from a casual conversation that I had with one of my friends one day. He spoke about a girl who gets bullied every day in the school, apparently for reasons that had nothing to do with her. Her father is a famous composer. I started developing the character of Asterope around the father of this girl, and thus she has been shown as a singer in the story. However, I realized that I needed to work on a compelling plot, the other characters, situations and locations. It took me more than a month to prepare the sketch. I then realised that I have to develop a character with shades of a person with unfulfilled desires, and a strong will to establish her own identity, and thus the flow of the story started. 

I watched videos on how to write good stories, I read a lot of books, and of course at every stage wherever I needed help on finer understanding of complexities of life, I consulted my parents, who I must admit have taken a lot of pains to explain things which I could then understand. Beyond this there was no special training that I took. 

Tell us about your background

I am a 14 year old student of Chinmaya Vidyalaya Anna Nagar in Chennai. I have been regularly contributing short stories to my school magazine. I am inquisitive by nature, and love to explore different places and spend time trying to understand the culture of the people there. 

I live in Chennai along with my parents and grandmother. Both my parents are academicians. My father is the Director of RSB Chennai, and my mother is a PGT Mathematics at Dawn School Chennai. This is my first attempt at writing a novel. I also play the piano, and am a Grade 8 student of Trinity College of Music. My musical background was also instrumental in music forming the backbone of the story of Fate’s Design. 

Which genre is your favourite

I like reading dystopian fantasy novels.


Did you maintain a time table or pattern in writing books?

I do not know whether to call it fortuity, but the chanced discussion about the girl who used to be bullied somehow created an impression in my mind. I was in Kolkata then. We shifted to Chennai in 2015. When the entire city of Chennai was struggling with floods in November-December 2015, I had a lot of free time as my school was closed for more than a month. I utilised that time to complete the first draft of my novel. However, I soon realised that the first draft needed a lot of work. I then started devoting as much time as possible, whenever I could, towards fine tuning the first draft. It took me about a year to come up with the revised draft. Thereafter, I worked on it again for the next two to three months with renewed vigour to come up with the final draft that could be sent to the publisher.    

How was the cooperation from your school?

I informed my school only after the book got published. My Principal, teachers, and my classmates were very happy to know about my book.

How was your publishing experience?

As a young boy, I did not have any idea about publishing. I wrote the book, and then left it to my father to talk to publishers and get it published. From him I have come to know about Good Times Books Pvt. Ltd. and am thankful to them for seeing the spark in my writing and accepting my manuscript. I am very happy with the way the proof reading, typesetting, cover page designing and post publication promotions have been and are being done by the publisher.    

How are you planning to promote your book?

Apart from the promotional activities undertaken by Good Times Books Pvt. Ltd., I wish to conduct Book reading sessions in select schools and bookstores in Chennai and Kolkata. The digital marketing platform will also be used for creating awareness and generating interest. 

I hope that readers will like my story telling. I strongly feel that this book could be an inspiration for those who want to live their dreams. Many people today, more than ever before, are going through an existential crisis. However, if one is willing to step out of the confines of their daily lives, and try and pursue their ambition, good things will happen to them in the long run. They should also be willing to face challenges and hardships in the near future, but continue showing resilience to keep moving forward. 

Are there more books in your pipeline

I have a plot to a subsequent book in my mind centred on the lives of two of the main characters of Fate’s Design. The subsequent books will see some dapples of different genres and not remain strictly in the genre of family drama. I have not yet started writing these books, but I most definitely will, in the near future.

How can the readers reach you?

I may be reached through my mail id subhashishdey03@gmail.com. My Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/Subhashish-D... through which all events surrounding my life can be tracked.

I would love to get inputs from the readers, which I believe will help me grow as a writer.

Unlawful Justice by Vish Dhamija- Review

Book Name         - Unlawful JusticeAuthor                  - Vish DhamijaPublisher              - Harper CollinsNumber of Pages - 308Publishing Year   - 2017Edition                  -PaperbackPrice                     -250
Buy books from Amazon
Rating : 3.0

My Review


From the author of Deja Karma and Bhendi Bazar, expectations would be sky high. Termed as Indian John Grisham, Vish Dhamija has opened a whole new genre for Indian readers. Has his new book succeded in keeping up with the expectations? I leave the decision to the readers. As for now, I will share what I felt.


Under the influence of alcohol, as it is stated again and again, Maheep rapes Baby brutally, which ends up in lethal injuries and flees the spot. It doesn't take much work for ASP Kapoor to come up with the skethces of the culprit, whom Vansh recognizes and decides to support in order to avoid losing an important client. Heartbroken by her husband's unethical decision, Priti Diwan, approaches Akash Hingorani, a close friend of both Priti and Vansh. As Akash indulges himself into the case, his role of assisting the public prosecutor for the rape victim switches to be a defending lawyer of Gayatri who is accused of murdering Maheep.

Has justice been done? Will Akash and Vansh be on the opposite side of the legal battle for the first time? Will the case be a revenge story or is there more into it? 

Suspense is the highlight of the book, so is the pace. The events happen one after the other so rapidly that the readers forget when they reached the second half of the book. The character build up did not take much space, yet each character has its own characteristics and personality. The plot is definitely not a unique one. I was reminded of the book The time to kill by John Grisham after whom the author is named but that can be brushed of as a mere inspiration. The courtroom sequences are as realistic as possible and without much histrionics, author dwelved into the legal battle. But there has been a deliberate attempt to reinforce how spoiled rotten Maheep Singh is, which at some point became over the top and hence a cliche. The scenario could have been a different one, or it might be because of the high level of expectations that the readers have from the author, as he mentioned in the author's note. Well, the twist in the climax was predictable, atleast for me. 
This review is in return of a free book from Writers Melon  
About the author

Vish Dhamija is the bestselling author of five crime fiction books. He is frequently referred to in the press as the ‘master of legal crime and courtroom drama’ in India. In August 2015, at the release of his first legal fiction, Déjà Karma, Glimpse magazine called him, ‘India’s John Grisham’ for stimulating the genre of legal fiction in India, which was almost non-existent before his arrival on the scene. Unlawful Justice, a legal thriller, is his sixth novel. Vish lives in London with his wife, Nidhi.

10 Essentials to the blueprint of happiness by Bhanu Arora

Book Name         - 10 Essentials to the blueprint of happinessAuthor                  - Bhanu AroraPublisher              - Power PublishersNumber of Pages - 140Publishing Year   - 2017Edition                  - PaperbackPrice                     - 225
Buy books from Amazon
Rating : 4.0

My Review

I am not quite keen to use the word self-help while referring to a book. If you can help yourself what is the role of book. Well, it depends on the how one perceives the whole concept. What I was insinuating was that I would not like to term this as a self-help book.This is more like a friend telling us the blueprints of happiness from his experiences.



Happiness is not something that can be served in a golden platter. It is something that lies within. We need to realize it and explore. A great help on that front from the author. One cannot expect a highly philosophical literature with deep metaphors. This book is like a friend who patients tells you life's lessons from his own life, so is the author.

This review is in return of a free book from the publisher  

Cover release- A Column of fire

Cover release- A Column of fire 

Stay tuned for the cover release

RETURN TO KINGSBRIDGE WITHKEN FOLLETTThe saga that has enthralled the millions of readers of The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End continues with Ken Follett's magnificent, gripping A Column of Fire.

Releasing 12 September 2017                                                                    


‘Follett is a master’ —The Washington Post

Description of the book:
Christmas 1558, and young Ned Willard returns home to Kingsbridge to find his world has changed.
The ancient stones of Kingsbridge Cathedral look down on a city torn by religious hatred. Europe is in turmoil as high principles clash bloodily with friendship, loyalty and love, and Ned soon finds himself on the opposite side from the girl he longs to marry, Margery Fitzgerald.
Then Elizabeth Tudor becomes queen and all of Europe turns against England. The shrewd, determined young monarch sets up the country’s first secret service to give her early warning of assassination plots, rebellions and invasion plans.
Elizabeth knows that alluring, headstrong Mary Queen of Scots lies in wait in Paris. Part of a brutally ambitious French family, Mary has been proclaimed the rightful ruler of England, with her own supporters scheming to get rid of the new queen.
Over a turbulent half-century, the love between Ned and Margery seems doomed, as extremism sparks violence from Edinburgh to Geneva. With Elizabeth clinging precariously to her throne and her principles, protected by a small, dedicated group of resourceful spies and courageous secret agents, it becomes clear that the real enemies – then as now – are not the rival religions.
The true battle pitches those who believe in tolerance and compromise against the tyrants who would impose their ideas on everyone else – no matter the cost.
Rs 499 | Paperback │ Pages: 768

KEN FOLLETT was twenty-seven when he wrote Eye of the Needle, an award-winning thriller that became an international bestseller. He then surprised everyone with The Pillars of the Earth, about the building of a cathedral in the Middle Ages, which continues to captivate millions of readers all over the world and its long-awaited sequel, World Without End, was a number one bestseller in the US, UK and Europe. Recently, he has written the bestselling Century trilogy, which comprises of Fall of Giants, Winter of the World andEdge of Eternity. This is the third novel in the Kingsbridge sequence.

The Weary Generations by Abdullah Hussein- Review

Book Name         -  The Weary GenerationsAuthor                  -Abdullah HusseinPublisher              - Harper PerennialNumber of Pages - 448Publishing Year   - 1963(2016-Latest)Edition                  - PaperbackPrice                     - 499
Buy books from Amazon
Rating : 5.0

My Review

Who is a lucky reviewer. It is that person who gets a classic to review. We get a free copy of the same and a chance to dvelve through finest literature. I am one among them to get this book to review.



Starting with the history of Roshan Mahal, author introduces us to Naim, the farmer's son and Azra, landowner's daughter. Their love is platonic yet deep. It develops slowly and strongly. Author left me wondering if love is all the more same after almost a century. Naim leaves to meet his father, heartbroken with Azra's refusal to accompany him. At his father's Naim has to toil like a bullock. Troubled with his father's two wives and their fights, Naim slowly pushes his days forward. The singhs whom Naim meets is a fresh deviation from his monotonous life. Author has portrayed their tete a tete in a crude and raw fashion. 

From his father's house, Naim is recruited to Army to fight the world war. Thenceforth a different scenario unveils. The days before war and their boredom in anticipating some action, the days spent amidst the action and the days spent in the concentrations camp and further spent after losing his arms are shown without a tinge of lag. Coming back home, Naim joins the freedom struggle. The new turn brings new ideals in his life. 

The book is the fictional adaptation of pre- and post- independence India and India after separations and formation of Pakistan. 
This review is in return of a free book from the publisher  
About the author

Abdullah Hussein (1931-2015) became famous for his novel Udaas Naslein, which won the Adamjee Award. His English novel Émigré Journeys was adapted into a feature film by BBC as Brothers in Trouble and it established him as a fiction writer of international recognition.

Cover Release- Awaken by Ashok.K.Banker

RELEASING 1ST SEPTEMBER


Present-day avatars of mythic heroes defending the world against an alien invasion#girlpower#superhero#scifi#fantasy#alieninvasion
AWAKEN
Ashok K. BankerTHE SHAKTI TRILOGY BOOK I


[image error]9789386215161 | Paperback | Rs 299
The Haters are coming to destroy all life on Earth. It is not a question of if, but when. 

The Brahmaand has already rung the warning bell and the awakening of the Preservers has begun. Kiara unexpectedly finds her skin covered with golden fur and her sense of smell extraordinarily enhanced; Saumya is suddenly able to go from Ahmedabad to New York in just a step; and Sia’s songs have the power to do things she had never imagined possible.

First in the thrilling Shakti Trilogy set in contemporary India, Ashok Banker’s action-packed and brilliantly imagined Awaken introduces our unlikely heroes who must discover and harness their superpowers before they can protect and preserve the Earth from the wrath of a menacing alien invasion.
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.

The Shakti Trilogy continues with Book II ASSEMBLE (November 2017) and Book III ARISE(January 2018).

Winning Like Virat: Think and Succeed like Kohli by Abhirup Bhattacharya- Review

Book Name         - Winning Like Virat: Think and Succeed like KohliAuthor                  - Abhirup BhattacharyaPublisher              - Rupa PublicationsNumber of Pages -141Publishing Year   -2017Edition                  - PaperbackPrice                     -195
Buy books from Amazon
Rating : 3.0

My Review

After Sachinn not even Dhoni would have received the acceptance that Virat Kohli got. Through perfect technique, hardwork and a coach who could mould his student into diamond, Virat Kohli developed from a low scorer to record maker.

Prime priority should be given to his coach and his relation with the coach. Virat never forgot his ground and the humility is what made him comparable to Sachin. Virat's modus operandi is analysed in detail. All in all the book can be counted as a self help book as well as a biography. The book can be enjoyed by non-cricket lovers as well, since author has not unnecessarily squeezed in unwanted technical details, unless other cricket based books.

Nevertheless what acts as a downside is the Online reference. The data were procured from msn.com, ndtv.com and other online media, which makes the book, nothing more than a management project. The question that arises is that while internet is at the fingertips of practically everyone, why spend money on something that could be available with a simple google search. If not for the stupendous analytical qualities of the author the book could have been a deal-breaker.


This review is in return of a free book from the publisher  
About the author

Abhirup Bhattacharya is a graduate in fashion technology from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Kolkata and has earned his MBA in finance from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), Mumbai. He started his career in the apparel sector in Egypt and has a diverse experience serving in IT consulting, payment system and risk advisory. He has his own management blog (Ideasmakemarket.com) which focuses on guiding B-school aspirants and students. Abhirup hails from the city of joy, Kolkata and presently lives in Mumbai.