What do you think?
Rate this book
Age Of Hiblisk
It is the journey of Prince William and Princess Sara, the protagonists,through the magical and spiritual worlds of Pantolis, Hiblisk, and Ikra. As their voyage unfolds, they realize the true motive behind the terror employed by the dark forces of Dushtt to claim supremacy over the lands of Pantolis and beyond. Every new revelation brings to light the methodical madness employed by the dark forces and secrets of Mother Nature, which have been safely guarded for ages by the various civilizations of the secret worlds.
Their journey also introduces them to the divine forces that monitor the functions of the world and gives them access to legendary, mystical weapons and advanced spiritual knowledge which illuminates the flow of their understanding and actions towards various aspects of life. They use the knowledge gained, to try and bring peace, to their war ravaged lands and fight the ever-growing might and influence of the mysterious dark forces that haunt their kingdoms. Will the light of all that is divine, fighting under the banner of Prince William and Princess Sara, flicker away into oblivion against the might of the dark forces under Dushtt, or will they survive? ……..Only time in her womb holds the answer, potent enough to change the outlook of the very world we live in.
Their journey also introduces them to the divine forces that monitor the functions of the world and gives them access to legendary, mystical weapons and advanced spiritual knowledge which illuminates the flow of their understanding and actions towards various aspects of life. They use the knowledge gained, to try and bring peace, to their war ravaged lands and fight the ever-growing might and influence of the mysterious dark forces that haunt their kingdoms. Will the light of all that is divine, fighting under the banner of Prince William and Princess Sara, flicker away into oblivion against the might of the dark forces under Dushtt, or will they survive? ……..Only time in her womb holds the answer, potent enough to change the outlook of the very world we live in.
- GenresFantasyFictionPhilosophy
400 pages, Paperback
First published August 22, 2012
2 people are currently reading
575 people want to read
About the author
Sumukh Naik
1 book5 followersHey friends, Namaste! Greetings from India! I am author of 'Age Of Hiblisk', voracious reader & Human Resources professional. I like to keep things simple, very down to earth and believes in the message of spreading love and peace. My blogs are a reflection of the world around me.
Please visit www.facebook.com/AgeOfHiblisk for more details.
Age Of Hiblisk can be purchased at DISCOUNTED rates from:
www.amazon.com
www.indiaplaza.com
www.apkpublishers.com (For Indian and Non Indian residents)
www.flipkart.com
www.homeshop18.com
Blog Address : www.storieswithasoul.wordpress.com
Email Address :
storieswithasoul@gmail.com
Please visit www.facebook.com/AgeOfHiblisk for more details.
Age Of Hiblisk can be purchased at DISCOUNTED rates from:
www.amazon.com
www.indiaplaza.com
www.apkpublishers.com (For Indian and Non Indian residents)
www.flipkart.com
www.homeshop18.com
Blog Address : www.storieswithasoul.wordpress.com
Email Address :
storieswithasoul@gmail.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 5, 2013
“Age Of Hiblisk: A Story with a Soul” is a fascinating and thought provoking novel that is difficult to classify in any one genre. That is because this read has an eclectic mix of fiction, fantasy, adventure, magic, spirituality and philosophy – all blended in together. Set in the magical and illusionary worlds of Pantolis, Hiblisk and Ikra, this read charts the magical & spiritual voyage of a prince and a princess who set out to reclaim the balance of nature which has been perturbed due to rise of evil forces and which is threatening the very existence of their world.
The story commences with mysterious & grisly occurrences taking place in the Himra forest of Zyren village which resides on the border of the two disputing kingdoms - Jaguar and Ivory. Naturally, the peace loving villagers are terrorized and after futile attempts at trying to get to the root of the problem, they turn to seek the help of the prince of Jaguar as a last resort. Prince William, being the kind & fair ruler that he is, decides to help the villagers to relocate. However, in an unfortunate turn of events he himself gets trapped by the soldiers of Ivory and has to surrender. What seems as unfortunate at first glance, turns out to be destiny’s play later as the Princess of Ivory – Princess Sara joins hands with Prince Williams to ward off the evil forces. Helping them on their quest is the mysterious 11th Master of the “Order” – this Order is responsible to maintain the equilibrium in Pantolis & ensure its smooth functioning. The 11th Master who is the most powerful master in the Order recognizes William and Sara for the pure souls that they are and bestows them with magical powers. He then sends them on the expedition of setting the balance of good & evil right in order to save Pantolis. Thus, begins their journey in the magical land of Hiblisk where they go through various adventures and learn the valuable lessons of life & gain advanced spiritual knowledge from the various encounters in the magical land.
The most striking part of the read was the point that the author has put across which is quite different than the usual “good-always-beats evil-and-turns triumphant” tales that are abundant. In this read the author has explained that it always takes the balance between the good and the evil to maintain a state of tranquillity in the world and in its beings. Excessiveness of even one thing will ruin the order and create chaos. Another highlight of the read was the author’s imagination – Sumukh has without any effort created the worlds of Hiblisk, Pantolis & Ikra in its finest details and has blended them together seamlessly. The portrayal of the different characters, beings and scenarios make a major part of the read an engaging one inspite of it being based in a land of magic and illusion. Also, through William and Sara’s journey, the author has made an attempt to explain various philosophical as well as spiritual aspects of life. The maps provided at the end of the read prove to be helpful aids while reading the novel.
Coming to the drawbacks, the major sore point was the connect. The author has followed a rather weird pattern in naming the characters & places throughout the read. While he started off with western names, as the read proceeded, the names turned Indian and the mix of Indian & non-Indian names didn’t really blend well. Secondly, the initial pace of the read is a bit slow and it takes a patience on the part of the reader to move over to the more interesting part of the read. The major focus of this read is philosophy and hence, the plot consisting of almost no suspense has turned predictable. Also, the novel could do with better editing for a more more crispier and tighter plot.
To give the debut author credit, the reader gets much more than they bargained for. The language is simple which makes it an easy read. The read is packed with subtle yet beautiful messages on spirituality and philosophy. Kudos to the author for following the unconventional path and experimenting with a new genre for a debut work.
Reviewed at: Through The Reading Glass - http://poojareviewer.blogspot.in/
January 19, 2013
Valiant effort with few glitches , still victorious.
Note: Before going ahead with this review, I would like to say that this may be one of the longest reviews that I have written till day because of the nature in which I wanted to analyze the book and also cause I got this book through first reads and wanted to justify myself for further readers who would be interested in the book. The book has its own positives and negatives. But in the end the book prevails on its positives than the shortcomings. A further advice to the readers is to go on till the end even if you find dull moments in the middle because the book holds a better part towards the end.
Age of Hiblisk – A brave effort from an Indian author in the least explored area (fantasy / Fiction) by Authors from India.
Story: The story is set in a fantasy world (Hiblisk , Pantolis and Ikra ) where the good and evil forces balances the nature . When evil tries to dominate the world of fantasy, the protagonists (Prince Williams and Princess Sara) set their voyage to tame the forces of evil with the help from the forces on the good side to maintain the balance in nature and to ensure peace in their land.
Language: Simple and intriguing.
Audience: The book will not disappoint the voracious readers with interest in Fantasy and Spirituality , They will find the book enjoyable over others. This book can also be a good start for the ones who are willing to experiment the genre of fantasy / Fiction scene by an Indian author. Initially my comparison of the book was with Immortals of Meluha and Secret of the Nagas , But found Hiblisk to be different ,though they share a few traits.
What I liked:
The book had loads of spirituality and positive energy packed inside. The message of compassion to fellow human beings , Qualities required by a leader , Ability to remain humble despite being powerful , Power of evolution when confronted with challenges , ugly face of greed are imbibed in the story all along through the mode of storytelling set in the fantasy world . The characters of Kikoker, Vimanikars , People of pantolis and Ivory , Indravatikars and every other group represented in the story can be mapped to the real life world . The messages of spirituality and philosophy are subtly inserted inside the story and are explicitly mentioned in the second half of the book through the conversation between the protagonists and Prince meru.
The book had occasional dip in the interest while reading but then it bounced back with the contents that made up for the dip.
Sumukh have taken effort to logically bind the various scenarios that gel the story together. The book is easy to read but would require considerable effort to slow in few places to actually understand the nuance of the message that is conveyed indirectly. The book in detail is discussed below under a separate paragraph for those who have already read the book and may throw some light on what the book holds for a prospective reader.
What fell short :
The author though have taken so much of effort in putting up so much of hard work ,logic and imagination disappoints in a trivial yet important aspect of the naming of the characters in the book . There has been a mix up of names ranging from English, Spanish, American and Indian names through ought . In a fantasy novel like this, the author could have stuck to even Indian / mythological names rather than occasionally roping in names from various parts of the world. I felt this to be very important because the diverse nature of the names possibly can confuse the reader rather than sticking to a single theme. Even consistent logic can be stumbled sometimes by a few insignificant things. Sara, one of the protagonists from the novel does not substantiate her stand of joining hands with Williams and Sage, though she follows her heart to avert the unknown danger that surround their people and her father, there could have provided a further concrete reasoning through few explanations. In a few places the dialogues have been dramatic in similar to that of English plays that I felt little out of way in the normal flow of the novel . Also Sara who joins hands with forces of Good does not show consideration about her land and father once they start their journey , the mention of King Aaron and their subjects seems to have been disappeared in the later part.
From the Book : Below are few the things that I actually liked in the book and those I dint . This is not a spoiler but you are requested to read at your discretion.
In the Chapter Unexpected Development, Prince William enters the tower of Drago and he is surrounded by soldiers of Ivory . The buildup could have been intense and I felt an opportunity has been missed to create an impact on the readers.
In the Chapter The sage of Yamunea pass, The introduction of Sage / 11th master happening in the chapter again missed the buildup of the character who has lot of impact deep in the story. This could have been capitalized. The description of the yamunea pass happens after a few scenes in the chapter , the yamunea pass could have been described earlier , which would have enabled the reader to etch the scenes clearly .
The Chapter Court hall of ivory is personally one of my least favorite . Princess sara shortly joins hands with Sage and Williams that would mark the beginning of the chapter
In the Chapter First verse , The general of Jaguar on his way to convey the message to the king was narrated in a logical way and the scenes of procuring new horses in the intermediate stops shows the brilliance of the author that he had thought deep into the story while developing a scene rather than leaving it blunt.
The Ratraa and the sage, The chapter reminded me of the Lord of the rings when explained about a head gear that is worn by the master, the powers of it was found to be in similar lines to that of the ring from LOTR, though it was not so significant in the later part of the story .
In the Chapter The great gathering, The Generals of the good side meets the lead characters where they acquire various powers. The names derived from various Hindu and Sanskrit gods appear here. The consistency in the names spelt could have been done from the beginning, it was more consistent from this point on.
Bagada explaining about the kikokers about their humble and compassionate nature is a positive. In the Chapter Princess of Valley Tanya mesmerizing Williams and Sara, and Williams trying to deduce the surrounding and the happenings is a logical brilliance.
The riddle in the Chapter of Code of the white eyes was really enjoyable. Though the answer was imminent, yet interesting.
The chapter Indravati city is my favourite where Prince Williams and Princess Sara engage themselves in a pretty lengthy conversation with Prince Meru from Indravathi city . Though the conversation and the chapter are pretty lengthy, the philosophy and the spirituality explained was a recollection of teachings of Osho and Jakki Vasudev for me.
The final chapter Evil speaks carried on the momentum of suspense and I found the end really interesting, The twist in the plot was perfectly logical (Which I will not reveal here ) . The author in the hopes of writing a sequel has ended the book in a rather conventional way for a sequel.
Note: Before going ahead with this review, I would like to say that this may be one of the longest reviews that I have written till day because of the nature in which I wanted to analyze the book and also cause I got this book through first reads and wanted to justify myself for further readers who would be interested in the book. The book has its own positives and negatives. But in the end the book prevails on its positives than the shortcomings. A further advice to the readers is to go on till the end even if you find dull moments in the middle because the book holds a better part towards the end.
Age of Hiblisk – A brave effort from an Indian author in the least explored area (fantasy / Fiction) by Authors from India.
Story: The story is set in a fantasy world (Hiblisk , Pantolis and Ikra ) where the good and evil forces balances the nature . When evil tries to dominate the world of fantasy, the protagonists (Prince Williams and Princess Sara) set their voyage to tame the forces of evil with the help from the forces on the good side to maintain the balance in nature and to ensure peace in their land.
Language: Simple and intriguing.
Audience: The book will not disappoint the voracious readers with interest in Fantasy and Spirituality , They will find the book enjoyable over others. This book can also be a good start for the ones who are willing to experiment the genre of fantasy / Fiction scene by an Indian author. Initially my comparison of the book was with Immortals of Meluha and Secret of the Nagas , But found Hiblisk to be different ,though they share a few traits.
What I liked:
The book had loads of spirituality and positive energy packed inside. The message of compassion to fellow human beings , Qualities required by a leader , Ability to remain humble despite being powerful , Power of evolution when confronted with challenges , ugly face of greed are imbibed in the story all along through the mode of storytelling set in the fantasy world . The characters of Kikoker, Vimanikars , People of pantolis and Ivory , Indravatikars and every other group represented in the story can be mapped to the real life world . The messages of spirituality and philosophy are subtly inserted inside the story and are explicitly mentioned in the second half of the book through the conversation between the protagonists and Prince meru. The book had occasional dip in the interest while reading but then it bounced back with the contents that made up for the dip.
Sumukh have taken effort to logically bind the various scenarios that gel the story together. The book is easy to read but would require considerable effort to slow in few places to actually understand the nuance of the message that is conveyed indirectly. The book in detail is discussed below under a separate paragraph for those who have already read the book and may throw some light on what the book holds for a prospective reader.
What fell short :
The author though have taken so much of effort in putting up so much of hard work ,logic and imagination disappoints in a trivial yet important aspect of the naming of the characters in the book . There has been a mix up of names ranging from English, Spanish, American and Indian names through ought . In a fantasy novel like this, the author could have stuck to even Indian / mythological names rather than occasionally roping in names from various parts of the world. I felt this to be very important because the diverse nature of the names possibly can confuse the reader rather than sticking to a single theme. Even consistent logic can be stumbled sometimes by a few insignificant things. Sara, one of the protagonists from the novel does not substantiate her stand of joining hands with Williams and Sage, though she follows her heart to avert the unknown danger that surround their people and her father, there could have provided a further concrete reasoning through few explanations. In a few places the dialogues have been dramatic in similar to that of English plays that I felt little out of way in the normal flow of the novel . Also Sara who joins hands with forces of Good does not show consideration about her land and father once they start their journey , the mention of King Aaron and their subjects seems to have been disappeared in the later part.From the Book : Below are few the things that I actually liked in the book and those I dint . This is not a spoiler but you are requested to read at your discretion.
In the Chapter Unexpected Development, Prince William enters the tower of Drago and he is surrounded by soldiers of Ivory . The buildup could have been intense and I felt an opportunity has been missed to create an impact on the readers.
In the Chapter The sage of Yamunea pass, The introduction of Sage / 11th master happening in the chapter again missed the buildup of the character who has lot of impact deep in the story. This could have been capitalized. The description of the yamunea pass happens after a few scenes in the chapter , the yamunea pass could have been described earlier , which would have enabled the reader to etch the scenes clearly .
The Chapter Court hall of ivory is personally one of my least favorite . Princess sara shortly joins hands with Sage and Williams that would mark the beginning of the chapter
In the Chapter First verse , The general of Jaguar on his way to convey the message to the king was narrated in a logical way and the scenes of procuring new horses in the intermediate stops shows the brilliance of the author that he had thought deep into the story while developing a scene rather than leaving it blunt.
The Ratraa and the sage, The chapter reminded me of the Lord of the rings when explained about a head gear that is worn by the master, the powers of it was found to be in similar lines to that of the ring from LOTR, though it was not so significant in the later part of the story .
In the Chapter The great gathering, The Generals of the good side meets the lead characters where they acquire various powers. The names derived from various Hindu and Sanskrit gods appear here. The consistency in the names spelt could have been done from the beginning, it was more consistent from this point on.
Bagada explaining about the kikokers about their humble and compassionate nature is a positive. In the Chapter Princess of Valley Tanya mesmerizing Williams and Sara, and Williams trying to deduce the surrounding and the happenings is a logical brilliance.
The riddle in the Chapter of Code of the white eyes was really enjoyable. Though the answer was imminent, yet interesting.
The chapter Indravati city is my favourite where Prince Williams and Princess Sara engage themselves in a pretty lengthy conversation with Prince Meru from Indravathi city . Though the conversation and the chapter are pretty lengthy, the philosophy and the spirituality explained was a recollection of teachings of Osho and Jakki Vasudev for me.
The final chapter Evil speaks carried on the momentum of suspense and I found the end really interesting, The twist in the plot was perfectly logical (Which I will not reveal here ) . The author in the hopes of writing a sequel has ended the book in a rather conventional way for a sequel.
July 20, 2013
I recieved a goodreads give away book and am glad for that, because if it was not for that I would have never purchased this book and that would have been the biggest mistake.
It's a common trend among us Indians that we like the overseas author much better then the indian authors, well theirs no need for the reasons for this but i must say once you read this book you will surely change your view.
First for
I would like to say
[image error]
to the world of narration,though I guaranty no body reading the book can even guess that this is a debute novel.You surely know how to write and how to hit the nail and for that hat's off
to begin the story let's first meet the charming Prince William
[image error]
This charming young man has everything that makes a prince, a warrior with a golden heart, a man with compation and conviction.
You will just love him as soon as he enters with his powerfull aura and gentel touch a warrior with diplomacy and chalvory
and now let's meet Princess Sara
[image error]
Don't be fooled by her beauty,this young girl has guts and at the same time simplicity and heart of lioness, her goodness knows no boundry and her courage crosses the heavens.
You will love her for her beauty will mesmerize you and her attitude will freze time
at the end lets meet the evil one for no story ends without one
[image error]
name is DUSHT and he is much more evil then it's look, for his evilness comes not only from his nature but also his wisdom and knowledge.
Fear can not even touch the feeling you will get after knowing this and definately you will never want to be at his wrong side.But hisw knowledge and wisdom will make you to bow to him and salute him
and now about the book
well to say honestly plot is very childish and simple my nephew writes better and he is only 7,then why I gave it 5 star?(initially it was 4 but after reading it for second time i decided it deservs 5)
that's 'coz sometimes plot is not everything and in this case it's nothing (litterally)
in one line
[image error]
so as you can see the story just has nothing in it and just by the story I would have given it negative 5.
but we just do not read the book for the story do we? what we read is the adventure naration thrill and ofcourse the turn of events and romance for that
[image error]
if it was on me I would have kept this one not in fantasy but in phylosphy as that's the thing this book is full of, once you read this one it will change your life forever, it will change your very soul and the way you apreciate things around you.
there's an old saying" there is great value in dissaster as you can start all over again " once you read this book you will understand how.
well as you start reading at first you will be
[image error]
but may I suggest at that time be patient and continue for their is diamond in mine of coal and you will certainly find it and once you find it you will be
[image error]
The world of Hiblisk is just
[image error]
That's what make it a must vist place and for that all you have to do is read.
to the author I would say
[image error]
this is definately a best seller
and for the readers
[image error]
otherwise you will miss something very important your very soul 'coz this story has it
and now I would like to share my emotions during the book
[image error]
In The end
Age of hiblisk is a complete pack to drama, emotion, action, romance, fun, phylosphy, adventure, adventure, and adventure...........
It's a common trend among us Indians that we like the overseas author much better then the indian authors, well theirs no need for the reasons for this but i must say once you read this book you will surely change your view.
First for
I would like to say[image error]
to the world of narration,though I guaranty no body reading the book can even guess that this is a debute novel.You surely know how to write and how to hit the nail and for that hat's off
to begin the story let's first meet the charming Prince William
[image error]
This charming young man has everything that makes a prince, a warrior with a golden heart, a man with compation and conviction.
You will just love him as soon as he enters with his powerfull aura and gentel touch a warrior with diplomacy and chalvory
and now let's meet Princess Sara
[image error]
Don't be fooled by her beauty,this young girl has guts and at the same time simplicity and heart of lioness, her goodness knows no boundry and her courage crosses the heavens.
You will love her for her beauty will mesmerize you and her attitude will freze time
at the end lets meet the evil one for no story ends without one
[image error]
name is DUSHT and he is much more evil then it's look, for his evilness comes not only from his nature but also his wisdom and knowledge.
Fear can not even touch the feeling you will get after knowing this and definately you will never want to be at his wrong side.But hisw knowledge and wisdom will make you to bow to him and salute him
and now about the book
well to say honestly plot is very childish and simple my nephew writes better and he is only 7,then why I gave it 5 star?(initially it was 4 but after reading it for second time i decided it deservs 5)
that's 'coz sometimes plot is not everything and in this case it's nothing (litterally)
in one line
[image error]
so as you can see the story just has nothing in it and just by the story I would have given it negative 5.
but we just do not read the book for the story do we? what we read is the adventure naration thrill and ofcourse the turn of events and romance for that
[image error]
if it was on me I would have kept this one not in fantasy but in phylosphy as that's the thing this book is full of, once you read this one it will change your life forever, it will change your very soul and the way you apreciate things around you.
there's an old saying" there is great value in dissaster as you can start all over again " once you read this book you will understand how.
well as you start reading at first you will be
[image error]
but may I suggest at that time be patient and continue for their is diamond in mine of coal and you will certainly find it and once you find it you will be
[image error]
The world of Hiblisk is just
[image error]
That's what make it a must vist place and for that all you have to do is read.
to the author I would say
[image error]
this is definately a best seller
and for the readers
[image error]
otherwise you will miss something very important your very soul 'coz this story has it
and now I would like to share my emotions during the book
[image error]
In The end
Age of hiblisk is a complete pack to drama, emotion, action, romance, fun, phylosphy, adventure, adventure, and adventure...........
November 7, 2013
First, Thanks to the Author and Goodreads for choosing me as a Firstreads winner.
Now coming to the review, we will have a true and unbiased review.
Story is of a Fantasyworld named Pantolis with kingdoms, kings, prince, princess, wars etc.
The magic of 3 worlds, Good-Evil, Mantras and Tantras all capture your attention and bind you to the book.
Prince William and Princess Sara get on a quest to gain knowledge and prove themselves worthy of fighting against and destroying the rising evil in the three worlds.
They travel in the World of Hiblisk and gain what they were looking for, came back to their lands to fight the Evil
and suddenly the face of the Evil has changed.
The story unfolds to reveal that their mentor is the one hiding away his evil intentions and imbalanced nature.
Now the things which I found are a major point where reader lost the interest.
The Author has tried to preach spirituality and Mother Nature Balance, which inspite of being eye-opener and acceptable gets too long for the reader to go on with.
When I am looking for a twist in the story or lives of Prince-Princess, I was unable to concentrate on all the knowledge being imparted, and truthfully saying(Skpped some paragraphs myself)
Secondly, the Couple gained all the knowledge to face the Evil but when the Evil was revealed, why they didnt even face it. All the time wasted just went for toss, just because the person was thier Mentor.
Rest the story binds in a very capable way in 70% of the book, and reader actually seeks for the twist and turns in the story. I felt connected to the Couple in their quest.
Would like to congratulate Author on his way of writing as well. The attention to detail actually helped visualize the Fantasy world, and almost transported the reader in the world of Pantolis, Hiblisk, and Ikra, face to face with Dussht, Bagada and Tanya.
All in all the book starts out great but loses some of its charm in the mid. A nice read for those who love to roam in fantasy-world and have a spell cast on themselves ;)
Now coming to the review, we will have a true and unbiased review.
Story is of a Fantasyworld named Pantolis with kingdoms, kings, prince, princess, wars etc.
The magic of 3 worlds, Good-Evil, Mantras and Tantras all capture your attention and bind you to the book.
Prince William and Princess Sara get on a quest to gain knowledge and prove themselves worthy of fighting against and destroying the rising evil in the three worlds.
They travel in the World of Hiblisk and gain what they were looking for, came back to their lands to fight the Evil
and suddenly the face of the Evil has changed.
The story unfolds to reveal that their mentor is the one hiding away his evil intentions and imbalanced nature.
Now the things which I found are a major point where reader lost the interest.
The Author has tried to preach spirituality and Mother Nature Balance, which inspite of being eye-opener and acceptable gets too long for the reader to go on with.
When I am looking for a twist in the story or lives of Prince-Princess, I was unable to concentrate on all the knowledge being imparted, and truthfully saying(Skpped some paragraphs myself)
Secondly, the Couple gained all the knowledge to face the Evil but when the Evil was revealed, why they didnt even face it. All the time wasted just went for toss, just because the person was thier Mentor.
Rest the story binds in a very capable way in 70% of the book, and reader actually seeks for the twist and turns in the story. I felt connected to the Couple in their quest.
Would like to congratulate Author on his way of writing as well. The attention to detail actually helped visualize the Fantasy world, and almost transported the reader in the world of Pantolis, Hiblisk, and Ikra, face to face with Dussht, Bagada and Tanya.
All in all the book starts out great but loses some of its charm in the mid. A nice read for those who love to roam in fantasy-world and have a spell cast on themselves ;)
June 13, 2013
Editorial Disaster, Vernacular English and Mediocre Plot
An Indian book on Fantasy genre should have lot of scopes and plots to explore. But the author here stuck to the age old Good vs Evil plot. Its more like an Amar Chitra Katha or Panchatantra in English with a few odd Spanish/Mexican names strewn over the characters.
The editors of this book have done a terrible job. There are typos at pages 15, 20, 31, 35...and then I lost interest even to note them down. The English is very vernacular, feels like a poor translation from Hindi or any Indian language. There are innumerable editorial errors in grammar, syntax, punctuation and sentence construction which become a sore to the eyes of the readers.
The story line is linear and doesn't have much scope of imagination. Picking up this book for review, I was thoroughly disappointed with the odd 372 pages to read.
Please read the entire review here: http://oneandahalfminutes.wordpress.c...
An Indian book on Fantasy genre should have lot of scopes and plots to explore. But the author here stuck to the age old Good vs Evil plot. Its more like an Amar Chitra Katha or Panchatantra in English with a few odd Spanish/Mexican names strewn over the characters.
The editors of this book have done a terrible job. There are typos at pages 15, 20, 31, 35...and then I lost interest even to note them down. The English is very vernacular, feels like a poor translation from Hindi or any Indian language. There are innumerable editorial errors in grammar, syntax, punctuation and sentence construction which become a sore to the eyes of the readers.
The story line is linear and doesn't have much scope of imagination. Picking up this book for review, I was thoroughly disappointed with the odd 372 pages to read.
Please read the entire review here: http://oneandahalfminutes.wordpress.c...
February 4, 2013
A fantasy novel leaning too much on philosophy...Start was a bit slow, kept comparing the early parts with some other works. Story only took off to an interesting pace when both "protagonist" - Prince William and Princess Sara enters the world of 'Hiblisk'. This was the phase where both were trying to understand each other and make a bond of full trust. One more thing that truly gave the story some life were Kikokers, especially Bagada. Author also kept on with his mixed use of western and eastern terms and names through out the book. Maybe his aim was to present a joined one world through his creation. Bur to me it stood out as a sour thumb during the whole reading period.
October 5, 2012
Age of Hiblish: A Story with a Soul is a novel written by the Sumukh Naik, a HR professional turned author. This is his first novel although it might come as a surprise to some who have read the book without knowing that as the book hardly showed any characteristics similar to that of one written by a callow author.
To say something about this book in a few words is, it is nearly a standard fantasy novel with a good mix of adventure and philosophy, a prince and princess fighting against an evil plot threatening the very existence of their world, well written along with nicely constructed dialogues.
The story revolves around three worlds; Pantolis, Hiblisk and Ikra with Pantolis being the land inhabited by normal humans but for a few shamans and members of the order who ensure the smooth functioning of Pantolis whereas Hiblisk is a world of diverse magical creatures with unknown secrets and several unexplored lands and Ikra is an illusionary world.
The story begins in the world of Pantolis where in the border of the two quarrelling kingdoms of Jaguar and Ivory, weird incidents are taking place, trees turning black, a plague spreading and houses along with the people in it vanishing without a trace. The matter is brought to the prince of Jaguar, William who decides to help the village but in turn, gets trapped by the forces of Ivory while evacuating the villagers and gets forced into an unconditional surrender.
It was found out by the Eleventh Master, the chief of the Order that the person who was helping the Kingdom of Ivory was in fact, Dushtt, the son of his close friend Ratraa, the lord of the underworld. The Eleventh Master helps the prince escape the dungeons of Ivory along with his subjects and also, Princess Sara, the princess of the Kingdom of Ivory, a member of the Ivorian royalty against the conflict on Jaguar.
The Eleventh Master understands that William and Sara are two people with a pure heart and noble intentions and are people whom he can trust and blesses them with magical powers for their battle against the evil forces of Dushtt and sends them to the world of Hiblisk, in order to prepare them for the battle which would decide the future of Pantolis.
A really good thing that I liked about the way in which the author presented the story was that it was to the point, with hardly any digressions from the main plot although there was a lot of scope for it, such as, although there was a prince and princess carrying on a task together, no pages or chapters were wasted on romance, something for which the author ought to be appreciated. Elaborating on my other point about the perfect mix, there was an adventure, like in the case of any fantasy novel but with it, philosophy was also involved, and on several occasions, the author sounded like a philosopher more than a story teller, very interesting philosophies on nature and the balance between good and evil, on women, the duties of good people, etcetera, indeed making it a story with a soul; although, personally I may not agree with some of them regarding the limits which science shouldn't cross but it would be best if I refrain from bringing in my personal beliefs into a review. The history of Pantolis and Hiblisk was also well narrated and to help the reader to keep track of the places, the publisher has so generously provided the maps of both Hiblisk and Pantolis and not to mention, the most important aspect of any book, the plot or the story too, was really good, although some might feel that the philosophical element to it was rather boring, I felt it was very much necessary (though I hardly felt that it was boring). A good plot when it is written well would be add more flavour to it and that is the case with this book, barring a few errors some of them caused due to oversight and some inexcusable phrases such as using few with the meaning of some and without using an article and also, very frequent usage of the phrase 'comprises of'. It was also rather different, rather than focussing on the conventional battles of 'goodies vs baddies', it approached the whole task in a different manner with a lot of twists and turns; certainly a combination which any reader would look forward to.
The author constantly reiterates that the good aspects and evil aspects go hand in hand although the degree may vary and that happens to be the case even in the real world, including his book. To start off, the names were weird, really weird. Probably, at first the author planned a global audience for the book initially and the initial names were all sounding European (Pantolis sounded Greek to me) and if not, not Indian, to say the least, with names such as William, Sara, Philip, Aaron, etcetera but eventually, distances were being measured in yojanas (ancient Indian unit of measuring distance, approximately equal to 5-8 miles) and suddenly a 'Captain Sharma' popping in and after around the 50th page, most names appearing were Indian. However, there is nothing so negative about this as it doesn't affect the story in anyway and after all, what is in a name? The end too was rather abrupt but the way in which ended, I could only assume that the author is probably only planning a sequel. Another problem is, personally, I'm unable to categorise the novel, although I'm not sure whether it is because of my incompetence or by virtue of its nature since I'd certainly not say that it would appeal to all the young adults because of the excessive amount philosophy involved although it wouldn't be seen as a hindrance to anyone who is interested in it or looks forward to learning such things and at the same time, being a fantasy, I'm not sure how this could be termed as a fully adult novel but if I've to choose one, I'd go for the former.
I think I can close this review here with the comment that it was really an enjoyable experience reading it and with all eyes being on the Shiva Trilogy right now in India for fantasy, I feel this too, deserves some attention. Since I felt that this book was really more than just good, I'd gladly award a rating of four.
Rating: 4/5
Have a nice day,
Andy
To say something about this book in a few words is, it is nearly a standard fantasy novel with a good mix of adventure and philosophy, a prince and princess fighting against an evil plot threatening the very existence of their world, well written along with nicely constructed dialogues.
The story revolves around three worlds; Pantolis, Hiblisk and Ikra with Pantolis being the land inhabited by normal humans but for a few shamans and members of the order who ensure the smooth functioning of Pantolis whereas Hiblisk is a world of diverse magical creatures with unknown secrets and several unexplored lands and Ikra is an illusionary world.
The story begins in the world of Pantolis where in the border of the two quarrelling kingdoms of Jaguar and Ivory, weird incidents are taking place, trees turning black, a plague spreading and houses along with the people in it vanishing without a trace. The matter is brought to the prince of Jaguar, William who decides to help the village but in turn, gets trapped by the forces of Ivory while evacuating the villagers and gets forced into an unconditional surrender.
It was found out by the Eleventh Master, the chief of the Order that the person who was helping the Kingdom of Ivory was in fact, Dushtt, the son of his close friend Ratraa, the lord of the underworld. The Eleventh Master helps the prince escape the dungeons of Ivory along with his subjects and also, Princess Sara, the princess of the Kingdom of Ivory, a member of the Ivorian royalty against the conflict on Jaguar.
The Eleventh Master understands that William and Sara are two people with a pure heart and noble intentions and are people whom he can trust and blesses them with magical powers for their battle against the evil forces of Dushtt and sends them to the world of Hiblisk, in order to prepare them for the battle which would decide the future of Pantolis.
A really good thing that I liked about the way in which the author presented the story was that it was to the point, with hardly any digressions from the main plot although there was a lot of scope for it, such as, although there was a prince and princess carrying on a task together, no pages or chapters were wasted on romance, something for which the author ought to be appreciated. Elaborating on my other point about the perfect mix, there was an adventure, like in the case of any fantasy novel but with it, philosophy was also involved, and on several occasions, the author sounded like a philosopher more than a story teller, very interesting philosophies on nature and the balance between good and evil, on women, the duties of good people, etcetera, indeed making it a story with a soul; although, personally I may not agree with some of them regarding the limits which science shouldn't cross but it would be best if I refrain from bringing in my personal beliefs into a review. The history of Pantolis and Hiblisk was also well narrated and to help the reader to keep track of the places, the publisher has so generously provided the maps of both Hiblisk and Pantolis and not to mention, the most important aspect of any book, the plot or the story too, was really good, although some might feel that the philosophical element to it was rather boring, I felt it was very much necessary (though I hardly felt that it was boring). A good plot when it is written well would be add more flavour to it and that is the case with this book, barring a few errors some of them caused due to oversight and some inexcusable phrases such as using few with the meaning of some and without using an article and also, very frequent usage of the phrase 'comprises of'. It was also rather different, rather than focussing on the conventional battles of 'goodies vs baddies', it approached the whole task in a different manner with a lot of twists and turns; certainly a combination which any reader would look forward to.
The author constantly reiterates that the good aspects and evil aspects go hand in hand although the degree may vary and that happens to be the case even in the real world, including his book. To start off, the names were weird, really weird. Probably, at first the author planned a global audience for the book initially and the initial names were all sounding European (Pantolis sounded Greek to me) and if not, not Indian, to say the least, with names such as William, Sara, Philip, Aaron, etcetera but eventually, distances were being measured in yojanas (ancient Indian unit of measuring distance, approximately equal to 5-8 miles) and suddenly a 'Captain Sharma' popping in and after around the 50th page, most names appearing were Indian. However, there is nothing so negative about this as it doesn't affect the story in anyway and after all, what is in a name? The end too was rather abrupt but the way in which ended, I could only assume that the author is probably only planning a sequel. Another problem is, personally, I'm unable to categorise the novel, although I'm not sure whether it is because of my incompetence or by virtue of its nature since I'd certainly not say that it would appeal to all the young adults because of the excessive amount philosophy involved although it wouldn't be seen as a hindrance to anyone who is interested in it or looks forward to learning such things and at the same time, being a fantasy, I'm not sure how this could be termed as a fully adult novel but if I've to choose one, I'd go for the former.
I think I can close this review here with the comment that it was really an enjoyable experience reading it and with all eyes being on the Shiva Trilogy right now in India for fantasy, I feel this too, deserves some attention. Since I felt that this book was really more than just good, I'd gladly award a rating of four.
Rating: 4/5
Have a nice day,
Andy
December 21, 2013
The blurb of the book says, “is the journey of Prince William and Princess Sara, the protagonists, through the magical and spiritual worlds of Pantolis, Hiblisk, and Ikra. As their voyage unfolds, they realize the true motive behind the terror employed by the dark forces of Dushtt to claim supremacy over the lands of Pantolis and beyond. Every new revelation brings to light the methodical madness employed by the dark forces and secrets of Mother Nature, which have been safely guarded for ages by the various civilizations of the secret worlds. Their journey also introduces them to the divine forces that monitor the functions of the world and gives them access to legendary, mystical weapons and advanced spiritual knowledge which illuminates the flow of their understanding and actions towards various aspects of life. They use the knowledge gained, to try and bring peace, to their war ravaged lands and fight the ever growing might and influence of the mysterious dark forces that haunt their kingdoms. Will the light of all that is divine, fighting under the banner of Prince William and Princess Sara, flicker away into oblivion against the might of the dark forces under Dushtt, or will they survive?...Only time in her womb holds the answer, potent enough to change the outlook of the very world we live in.”
The story begins in the peaceful vicinity of Himra forest in the sleepy village of Zyren where an entire settlement of 10-15 houses had disappeared without a trace. The villagers form a team of four young boys who will go into the forest and determine the reasons for the same. From there, the story moves into a magical world of fantasy where kings, princes, princesses and sages reside.
The story takes a long time to unfold and one needs to be really patient to go beyond the first 50 pages before it starts gathering pace. However, the author has undertaken a bold experimenting with such a genre, which is not very well-established in the Indian context at least.
Towards the end, the book starts getting philosophical and loads of nuggets on how to lead your life are sprinkled about. It could get a little abstract as well for those who do not enjoy this kind of writing – about Mother Earth knowing what’s best and planning events accordingly.
The author’s writing style takes a while getting used to specially because many pieces of information are strewn through the book; you need to be 100% clued in to make sense of it all.
On the whole, it’s a book that did not hold my interest much though I can’t say I have read come across any book of this genre so far. I am going with 2.5/5 for this book for the detailed storyline that the author has managed to write; the various kingdoms that he takes us through and the several characters to which he introduces us in the course of the journey.
This review first appeared on my blog www.pallosworld.blogspot.com
The story begins in the peaceful vicinity of Himra forest in the sleepy village of Zyren where an entire settlement of 10-15 houses had disappeared without a trace. The villagers form a team of four young boys who will go into the forest and determine the reasons for the same. From there, the story moves into a magical world of fantasy where kings, princes, princesses and sages reside.
The story takes a long time to unfold and one needs to be really patient to go beyond the first 50 pages before it starts gathering pace. However, the author has undertaken a bold experimenting with such a genre, which is not very well-established in the Indian context at least.
Towards the end, the book starts getting philosophical and loads of nuggets on how to lead your life are sprinkled about. It could get a little abstract as well for those who do not enjoy this kind of writing – about Mother Earth knowing what’s best and planning events accordingly.
The author’s writing style takes a while getting used to specially because many pieces of information are strewn through the book; you need to be 100% clued in to make sense of it all.
On the whole, it’s a book that did not hold my interest much though I can’t say I have read come across any book of this genre so far. I am going with 2.5/5 for this book for the detailed storyline that the author has managed to write; the various kingdoms that he takes us through and the several characters to which he introduces us in the course of the journey.
This review first appeared on my blog www.pallosworld.blogspot.com
July 19, 2014
http://njkinny.blogspot.in/2014/07/bo...
Age of Hiblisk is the debut work of Sumukh Naik and he takes the readers on a journey to the fantasy worlds of Pantolis, Hiblisk and Ikra. Something strange is going on and it is upto the two young protagonists to solve the riddles and save their world.
The cover art is nothing special and could have been made better. The blurb is also mediocre with scope of improvement to make it more catchy and interesting.
The story starts slow and it takes patience to keep going until it takes pace which happens almost after fifty odd pages! I am not a very big fan of fantasy so you will ask me why I went on reading the book if it was slow? The answer lies in the opening of the story which makes the reader inquisitive. The descriptions of places, people and events is elaborately sketched and meticulously planned but could have been made more concise and crisp while writing it on paper! I loved reading about the settings and the mysterious aura of the story appealed to me but all this was marred with excessive description of the same thing.
Sumukh does a promising job of conceiving and planning a fantasy saga with all flavors to appeal to a reader like action, mystery, adventure, the thrill of the unknown and the urgency to save the world before it is too late; but still the story lags and the pace is erratic which does make the reader feel bored at times. The writing style has potential but needs practice and lacks polish. There are several mistakes in the book that could have been handled with more time spent on editing.
I was interested in the book in the first half but the second half went off track pretty quickly. The end when it came was very weak and didnt appeal to me in the least. The villain Dustt is also not given his due share of the spotlight and although he should have been a major character in the story instead he comes out as a guest character with nothing very remarkable about him.
While I applaud the author on his effort to write a complex fantasy, I was not invested in the book. I give Age Of Hiblisk a 3 out of 5 just because the plot had potential, the author has the gift of imagination and he did well in creating his world, sketching the places and characters and because I loved the two maps included in the book which give a beautiful picture of the fantastical worlds of the story.
I received the book from the author and I am very thankful to him. The above review is my honest and unbiased opinion and in no way influenced.
Age of Hiblisk is the debut work of Sumukh Naik and he takes the readers on a journey to the fantasy worlds of Pantolis, Hiblisk and Ikra. Something strange is going on and it is upto the two young protagonists to solve the riddles and save their world.
The cover art is nothing special and could have been made better. The blurb is also mediocre with scope of improvement to make it more catchy and interesting.
The story starts slow and it takes patience to keep going until it takes pace which happens almost after fifty odd pages! I am not a very big fan of fantasy so you will ask me why I went on reading the book if it was slow? The answer lies in the opening of the story which makes the reader inquisitive. The descriptions of places, people and events is elaborately sketched and meticulously planned but could have been made more concise and crisp while writing it on paper! I loved reading about the settings and the mysterious aura of the story appealed to me but all this was marred with excessive description of the same thing.
Sumukh does a promising job of conceiving and planning a fantasy saga with all flavors to appeal to a reader like action, mystery, adventure, the thrill of the unknown and the urgency to save the world before it is too late; but still the story lags and the pace is erratic which does make the reader feel bored at times. The writing style has potential but needs practice and lacks polish. There are several mistakes in the book that could have been handled with more time spent on editing.
I was interested in the book in the first half but the second half went off track pretty quickly. The end when it came was very weak and didnt appeal to me in the least. The villain Dustt is also not given his due share of the spotlight and although he should have been a major character in the story instead he comes out as a guest character with nothing very remarkable about him.
While I applaud the author on his effort to write a complex fantasy, I was not invested in the book. I give Age Of Hiblisk a 3 out of 5 just because the plot had potential, the author has the gift of imagination and he did well in creating his world, sketching the places and characters and because I loved the two maps included in the book which give a beautiful picture of the fantastical worlds of the story.
I received the book from the author and I am very thankful to him. The above review is my honest and unbiased opinion and in no way influenced.
March 26, 2014
'Age Of Hiblisk', primarily a thriller, is set in the worlds of Pantolis, Hiblisk and Ikra. Pantolis is basically a hybrid of our Eastern and Western worlds; Hiblisk, an intelligent blend of the old and new world of technologies and Ikra, a world of illusion. Henceforth the worlds, even though new has something familiar for all, giving us no feeling of being in an alien land. We are only strangers in a partially familiar world. The plot centres on Prince William and Princes Sara in the land of Hiblisk. Though the quest is to acquire enough might and knowledge to retaliate the evil powers of Dushtt, we are hinted right from the onset that the quest is for truth rather than might.
The writer has done an amazing work in hiding within the thread works of this tale the very basic truths of life that we all have to realise and recognise in reality. A philosopher lurks in the lines and at times makes a strong presence in advocating the truths regardless of the good and evil, but at all times aware of the reader's interests.No hard nut philosophies slows our pace and no thorns of boredom pricks our mind; but in simple effective vocabulary a truth is presented.
Even though at the beginning we find an Utopia in Pantolis, the idea smudges away as better pictures of Utopia starts emerging in every new land the "royal couple" sets foot on, which makes things a bit odd, and everything seems to come their way. But that is what a quest is all about.
The book, in simple words focuses on the basic rule of Nature which is the perfect balance between the negative and the positive forces. It is a book fit for all ages : a thriller or adventure or fantasy for some, and a book of philosophy for others. There is something for everyone.
The writer has done an amazing work in hiding within the thread works of this tale the very basic truths of life that we all have to realise and recognise in reality. A philosopher lurks in the lines and at times makes a strong presence in advocating the truths regardless of the good and evil, but at all times aware of the reader's interests.No hard nut philosophies slows our pace and no thorns of boredom pricks our mind; but in simple effective vocabulary a truth is presented.
Even though at the beginning we find an Utopia in Pantolis, the idea smudges away as better pictures of Utopia starts emerging in every new land the "royal couple" sets foot on, which makes things a bit odd, and everything seems to come their way. But that is what a quest is all about.
The book, in simple words focuses on the basic rule of Nature which is the perfect balance between the negative and the positive forces. It is a book fit for all ages : a thriller or adventure or fantasy for some, and a book of philosophy for others. There is something for everyone.
August 4, 2016
Age of Hiblisk, a fantasy tale, appears to the first novel of a new writer. The writing style is markedly vernacular Indian, and the influence of spoken English is apparent. It resembles casual conversation at times, and borrows from formal business writing on occasion. Choice of words and usage is often awkward. Grammar and punctuation are sometimes inappropriate. The novel needs language editing by a genuine fiction editor who knows the language well. Overall, the language is the primary stumbling block in enjoying the novel.
The fantasy world is simple and there is a raft of creatures and elite beings. The diversity is interesting, but it could have done with a little more depth. The story is single-threaded and basic. The first few chapters stoke interest and the final one gives a twist. The intervening chapters meander as the protagonists travel, listening to generous doses of philosophy. The characters follow the monochrome Amar Chitra Katha model.
Overall, a good attempt by a first-time (I think) writer that falls short in some respects. However, that should be overly disheartening, as most successful novelists have succeeded only with their third of fourth book. Age of Hiblisk this is therefore an essential step in the maturing of the writer.
Overall rating: 1.5 on 5
The fantasy world is simple and there is a raft of creatures and elite beings. The diversity is interesting, but it could have done with a little more depth. The story is single-threaded and basic. The first few chapters stoke interest and the final one gives a twist. The intervening chapters meander as the protagonists travel, listening to generous doses of philosophy. The characters follow the monochrome Amar Chitra Katha model.
Overall, a good attempt by a first-time (I think) writer that falls short in some respects. However, that should be overly disheartening, as most successful novelists have succeeded only with their third of fourth book. Age of Hiblisk this is therefore an essential step in the maturing of the writer.
Overall rating: 1.5 on 5
December 8, 2013
Amazing imagination and packed with suspenses and twist.
I would say Sumukh Naik is a person with immense prospects and resources. I really loved the book even though it took me a long span to finish the book because of the busy days. The book was packed with wonders and magic and has every essense of a fantasy book.
I deducted one star for the book in my rating because I felt the author really needed to give more importance to the events happening, by giving some more importance to them. The narration goes well in certain areas; however, in the areas where there is needed some more narration, the author just keeps with the type he follows overall in the book. Also I felt there was considerable lag to the start of the book to uncover the events. I felt that the author had the story of hiblisk in mind and tried to reach the particular area by simply telling the story of pantolis, which, i felt, at the start does not hve a soul. The end also came soo. But with more events to come, it seems okay.
All the best Sumukh Naik.. Waiting for the second part with more exciting events.
I would say Sumukh Naik is a person with immense prospects and resources. I really loved the book even though it took me a long span to finish the book because of the busy days. The book was packed with wonders and magic and has every essense of a fantasy book.
I deducted one star for the book in my rating because I felt the author really needed to give more importance to the events happening, by giving some more importance to them. The narration goes well in certain areas; however, in the areas where there is needed some more narration, the author just keeps with the type he follows overall in the book. Also I felt there was considerable lag to the start of the book to uncover the events. I felt that the author had the story of hiblisk in mind and tried to reach the particular area by simply telling the story of pantolis, which, i felt, at the start does not hve a soul. The end also came soo. But with more events to come, it seems okay.
All the best Sumukh Naik.. Waiting for the second part with more exciting events.
October 1, 2013
Age of Hiblisk Review
I won this book in Goodreads giveaway and if not for such a blessing would have probably never come upon this book.This book is a fresh change from recent Indian novels having a bollywood rom-com kind of style which is something that I'm averse to.
Now coming to this book,it has its ups and down.It appears to be work of a new writer.There are several typos in the book which I hope will not appear in later editions.At times it has a nice pace and sometimes it gets tedious and boring.The main characters are not mind-bogglingly brilliant, but you see their particular genius at certain moments.This novel has a mixture of Indian and Western name which somehow made it unpalatable.One thing that I like about this book is its fresh takes on life,peace and war.The need of balance between positive and negative has been explained clearly and with a fresh take.
Age of Hiblisk is a fine specimen for a debut author and breaks away from the conventional path.
I won this book in Goodreads giveaway and if not for such a blessing would have probably never come upon this book.This book is a fresh change from recent Indian novels having a bollywood rom-com kind of style which is something that I'm averse to.
Now coming to this book,it has its ups and down.It appears to be work of a new writer.There are several typos in the book which I hope will not appear in later editions.At times it has a nice pace and sometimes it gets tedious and boring.The main characters are not mind-bogglingly brilliant, but you see their particular genius at certain moments.This novel has a mixture of Indian and Western name which somehow made it unpalatable.One thing that I like about this book is its fresh takes on life,peace and war.The need of balance between positive and negative has been explained clearly and with a fresh take.
Age of Hiblisk is a fine specimen for a debut author and breaks away from the conventional path.
November 29, 2013
Age of Hiblisk in a very simple written language is entertaining.I finished it in half a day.Sometimes you feel like you are reading a meditation book or listening to those sort of cd's.There is nothing really new in the book and is tedious sometimes.The climax could also be guessed very easily and sometimes it looks like moral science and silly like the naming of the characters.Neverthless it's a good book.For those who have read enough Indian mythology stuff, this doesn't impress much.Though the ending is as expected I liked Dusht(The way at the end he patiently describes everything to william & sara who thought themselves as the hero & heroine but were merely pawns of the game of 11th master, his knowledgde, intelligence and revenge he has wanted to avenge the injustice done to his father and being the wisest of them all) , I really want him.:p Well, the book also seems like it will have a sequel, waiting for it.:) Waiting for a more macho description of dusht and a girl for him.;)
September 3, 2014
AGE OF HIBLISK
The plot is easy to understand and follow. It might even be real, if you think of it. Two disputing kingdoms, the village bewilderingly caught between them. The villagers appeal to one kingdom, the king rises to their aid, only to be caught by the other kingdom. That in turn leads to nemeses becoming allies against the darkness, helped in their efforts by a “master”. It is not very confusing, but it’s not something on unexpected lines either. The message that the author conveys is nice, it felt like the yin-yang concept to me. The twist toward the end was nice, but the reaction to the twist felt out of place. The character names , On one hand you have these names like Jickson and Prede, William and Sara, which feel like Western names, and then you have names like Shalaka and Dussht which feel Indian. The best part of the book was the map at the end perhaps. That was something that got a smile.
The plot is easy to understand and follow. It might even be real, if you think of it. Two disputing kingdoms, the village bewilderingly caught between them. The villagers appeal to one kingdom, the king rises to their aid, only to be caught by the other kingdom. That in turn leads to nemeses becoming allies against the darkness, helped in their efforts by a “master”. It is not very confusing, but it’s not something on unexpected lines either. The message that the author conveys is nice, it felt like the yin-yang concept to me. The twist toward the end was nice, but the reaction to the twist felt out of place. The character names , On one hand you have these names like Jickson and Prede, William and Sara, which feel like Western names, and then you have names like Shalaka and Dussht which feel Indian. The best part of the book was the map at the end perhaps. That was something that got a smile.
July 20, 2013
I was lucky enough to win a copy of "Age Of Hiblisk" via the goodreads giveaway and I must say it is what it says - "A Story with a Soul".
In this review of mine I would like to emphasize on the content of the book which follows the adventures of a Prince and a Princess through a mystic and spiritual land.
The Story doesn't only lays down the magic and triumph of the land where it takes place but also involves elements of Spirituality and moral conscience. Age of Hiblisk like the stories of Panchtantra lays down some principals and teachings for life in a very lucid manner by mingling it with the story itself.
In a gist, "Age Of Hiblisk" is a refreshing read which gives you almost the best of both worlds - Adventure and Spirituality, kudos to the author Mr. Sunmukh Naik for the choosing of underlying story and then embroidering it with elements of spirituality
In this review of mine I would like to emphasize on the content of the book which follows the adventures of a Prince and a Princess through a mystic and spiritual land.
The Story doesn't only lays down the magic and triumph of the land where it takes place but also involves elements of Spirituality and moral conscience. Age of Hiblisk like the stories of Panchtantra lays down some principals and teachings for life in a very lucid manner by mingling it with the story itself.
In a gist, "Age Of Hiblisk" is a refreshing read which gives you almost the best of both worlds - Adventure and Spirituality, kudos to the author Mr. Sunmukh Naik for the choosing of underlying story and then embroidering it with elements of spirituality
January 2, 2014
Read the full review
Fantasy is probably the most arduous of all the genres for an author to write because he/she does not have the luxury of using an already existing place/location. The entire world, entire geography, entire landscapes have to be built from scratch, and in a way that is easy for the readers to see and visualize. Names of places and characters have to be thought of, and they have to be exotic like Dumbledore or Narnia or Hogwarts, to catch the attention of the reader. New spells and magic potions have to be brewed. And, the strengths and weaknesses of each character have to be developed in-line with the plot. ‘Age of Hiblisk’ is a new fantasy novel written by Sumukh Naik. It is about the fight of a young prince and princess in order to protect humanity from a power hungry monster.
Fantasy is probably the most arduous of all the genres for an author to write because he/she does not have the luxury of using an already existing place/location. The entire world, entire geography, entire landscapes have to be built from scratch, and in a way that is easy for the readers to see and visualize. Names of places and characters have to be thought of, and they have to be exotic like Dumbledore or Narnia or Hogwarts, to catch the attention of the reader. New spells and magic potions have to be brewed. And, the strengths and weaknesses of each character have to be developed in-line with the plot. ‘Age of Hiblisk’ is a new fantasy novel written by Sumukh Naik. It is about the fight of a young prince and princess in order to protect humanity from a power hungry monster.
July 17, 2013
A brave attempt by the author to write a Fantasy Fiction novel with a spiritual element attached to it.
The latter half of the novel won't impress the readers much and the end is mediocre in terms of the promise shown by the book when the reader starts reading it.
The initial half is good and the two worlds namely Pantolis & Hiblisk have been depicted beautifully. The spiritual conversations at some places are good but they make it boring in the last half of the story.
The villain Dushtt is left out for a very long part. The other characters have been designed well.
A nice plot with a similar moral like other books in this genre but nice detailing to it and extended and over imaginative latter half will leave readers in a lurch.
The latter half of the novel won't impress the readers much and the end is mediocre in terms of the promise shown by the book when the reader starts reading it.
The initial half is good and the two worlds namely Pantolis & Hiblisk have been depicted beautifully. The spiritual conversations at some places are good but they make it boring in the last half of the story.
The villain Dushtt is left out for a very long part. The other characters have been designed well.
A nice plot with a similar moral like other books in this genre but nice detailing to it and extended and over imaginative latter half will leave readers in a lurch.
December 8, 2016
I recieved it as a Goodreads Giveaway.
'Age of Hiblisk' makes for an interesting read. The plot has an unassuming start, but makes up for it in the middle with subplots integrated beautifully and then ends, as you expected it to be.
'Age of Hiblisk' makes for an interesting read. The plot has an unassuming start, but makes up for it in the middle with subplots integrated beautifully and then ends, as you expected it to be.
June 30, 2013
Review:
I have received this book from Reshmy Pillai (of thetalespensieve.com) for reviewing this book. She had given me 10 days to review this book from the day I received it, which I have broken a week back. For that I want to apologize to Pillai and whoever she is responsible to.
Anyway, I am not going to further bore you stating around about my time spend in vacations and all. Let me hop back to the review of this book.
Before I move on, for the final time in this review, I want to apologize again for the delay.
Plot (from the jacket):
It is the journey of Prince William and Princess Sara, the protagonists,through the magical and spiritual worlds of Pantolis, Hiblisk, and Ikra. As their voyage unfolds, they realize the true motive behind the terror employed by the dark forces of Dushtt to claim supremacy over the lands of Pantolis and beyond. Every new revelation brings to light the methodical madness employed by the dark forces and secrets of Mother Nature, which have been safely guarded for ages by the various civilizations of the secret worlds.
Their journey also introduces them to the divine forces that monitor the functions of the world and gives them access to legendary, mystical weapons and advanced spiritual knowledge which illuminates the flow of their understanding and actions towards various aspects of life. They use the knowledge gained, to try and bring peace, to their war ravaged lands and fight the ever-growing might and influence of the mysterious dark forces that haunt their kingdoms.
Will the light of all that is divine, fighting under the banner of Prince William and Princess Sara, flicker away into oblivion against the might of the dark forces under Dushtt, or will they survive? ...Only time in her womb holds the answer, potent enough to change the outlook of the very world we live in.
About the author (from the jacket):
Sumukh Naik is a Hotel Management graduate (B.Sc. Hospitality and Hotel Administration) from IHM - Goa. He also holds diploma in IATA and PGDBA. He is human resources professional and stays in Mumbai.
My take on the book:
Cover design:
The very first impression I grasped when I first saw the cover design of this book is it perhaps is a self-help book. The pyramid and the glowing circle in the middle of it depicts one of enlighten or illumination. Also here, in Hyderabad, there is a new field of meditation in rounds, known as Pyramid Meditation. It was like the typical meditation, but in this case, they meditated under a pyramid-shaped object..................
To read the whole review, click here...
I have received this book from Reshmy Pillai (of thetalespensieve.com) for reviewing this book. She had given me 10 days to review this book from the day I received it, which I have broken a week back. For that I want to apologize to Pillai and whoever she is responsible to.
Anyway, I am not going to further bore you stating around about my time spend in vacations and all. Let me hop back to the review of this book.
Before I move on, for the final time in this review, I want to apologize again for the delay.
Plot (from the jacket):
It is the journey of Prince William and Princess Sara, the protagonists,through the magical and spiritual worlds of Pantolis, Hiblisk, and Ikra. As their voyage unfolds, they realize the true motive behind the terror employed by the dark forces of Dushtt to claim supremacy over the lands of Pantolis and beyond. Every new revelation brings to light the methodical madness employed by the dark forces and secrets of Mother Nature, which have been safely guarded for ages by the various civilizations of the secret worlds.
Their journey also introduces them to the divine forces that monitor the functions of the world and gives them access to legendary, mystical weapons and advanced spiritual knowledge which illuminates the flow of their understanding and actions towards various aspects of life. They use the knowledge gained, to try and bring peace, to their war ravaged lands and fight the ever-growing might and influence of the mysterious dark forces that haunt their kingdoms.
Will the light of all that is divine, fighting under the banner of Prince William and Princess Sara, flicker away into oblivion against the might of the dark forces under Dushtt, or will they survive? ...Only time in her womb holds the answer, potent enough to change the outlook of the very world we live in.
About the author (from the jacket):
Sumukh Naik is a Hotel Management graduate (B.Sc. Hospitality and Hotel Administration) from IHM - Goa. He also holds diploma in IATA and PGDBA. He is human resources professional and stays in Mumbai.
My take on the book:
Cover design:
The very first impression I grasped when I first saw the cover design of this book is it perhaps is a self-help book. The pyramid and the glowing circle in the middle of it depicts one of enlighten or illumination. Also here, in Hyderabad, there is a new field of meditation in rounds, known as Pyramid Meditation. It was like the typical meditation, but in this case, they meditated under a pyramid-shaped object..................
To read the whole review, click here...
December 24, 2016
First things first. I received this book as a goodreads giveaway. The cover on the book said 2 maps inside, but there were none. However it would not matter!
The style of narration is in a manner of folk tale. If you have read any folk tale it would be something like this: Some king was there, something happened, then something magical from nowhere came and protected him because he was good!
If you are a 90's kid, then you would remember the mega serial Chandrakanta which had lots of magic, numerous people but no logic! This book is exactly like that.
Reading this book made me remember a game I played at office as part of team building activity. In the game all participants stand in a circular fashion and the game starts with one person holding a ball and starting a story by telling the 1st sentence of it and throwing the ball to some participant of his/her choice. That partipant would continue the story by telling 2nd statement of the story and then throwing the ball to some partipant of his/her choice. The game continues till the partipants get bored and decide to end the story.
This book seems to be a result of one of those kind of game.
A note to author:
Do read some of the good fantancies like the lord of the rings to understand how the fantacies are written. Some of the basic stuffs to remember while writing a fantasy are:
1. It's true that you can make your own rules in the fantancy world you create, but you need to lay them down before hand to the reader and not while you are narrating. It makes the reader feel WTF!
2. When there is magic involved, then you should clearly state what all can be achieved with it and what can't. It feels stupid when someone raises hand something happens etc! As a reader we feel why couldn't he do something other which could have ended all problem at once!
3. The characters needs to be explained properly to tell why some character acted the way they acted! Not much explanation about King Aaron! You could have told about him as to how much ambitious he was etc! So that later in the book when you tell dusht preferred him over philp would have made much more sense.
4. It seems like you didn't edit the book after the first draft. The naivety is all over the book. One such example is that you forgot to tell about the General Nara and about Genda city while telling the consequences of the battle at the river of spirit! You only tell when the character appeared in the end! I exclaimed WTF at that! Just don't introduce a character out of thin air!
I would advise you to read more fantancies and understand the intricacies in writing a fantacy and then rewrite this book before writing the next part.
The style of narration is in a manner of folk tale. If you have read any folk tale it would be something like this: Some king was there, something happened, then something magical from nowhere came and protected him because he was good!
If you are a 90's kid, then you would remember the mega serial Chandrakanta which had lots of magic, numerous people but no logic! This book is exactly like that.
Reading this book made me remember a game I played at office as part of team building activity. In the game all participants stand in a circular fashion and the game starts with one person holding a ball and starting a story by telling the 1st sentence of it and throwing the ball to some participant of his/her choice. That partipant would continue the story by telling 2nd statement of the story and then throwing the ball to some partipant of his/her choice. The game continues till the partipants get bored and decide to end the story.
This book seems to be a result of one of those kind of game.
A note to author:
Do read some of the good fantancies like the lord of the rings to understand how the fantacies are written. Some of the basic stuffs to remember while writing a fantasy are:
1. It's true that you can make your own rules in the fantancy world you create, but you need to lay them down before hand to the reader and not while you are narrating. It makes the reader feel WTF!
2. When there is magic involved, then you should clearly state what all can be achieved with it and what can't. It feels stupid when someone raises hand something happens etc! As a reader we feel why couldn't he do something other which could have ended all problem at once!
3. The characters needs to be explained properly to tell why some character acted the way they acted! Not much explanation about King Aaron! You could have told about him as to how much ambitious he was etc! So that later in the book when you tell dusht preferred him over philp would have made much more sense.
4. It seems like you didn't edit the book after the first draft. The naivety is all over the book. One such example is that you forgot to tell about the General Nara and about Genda city while telling the consequences of the battle at the river of spirit! You only tell when the character appeared in the end! I exclaimed WTF at that! Just don't introduce a character out of thin air!
I would advise you to read more fantancies and understand the intricacies in writing a fantacy and then rewrite this book before writing the next part.
December 9, 2014
Firstly, thanks to GoodReads for this FirstReads book. Secondly, but most importantly, thanks to Sumukh Naik for his patience in dealing with my delayed review.
Fantasy has been a genre populated by famous authors from the West for quite some time now. The age of Hiblisk provides for a refreshing entry in this Genre. Sumukh's writing, though requiring minor edits in grammar and sentence constructions in the early chapters of the book, progresses steadily and reaches the level of writing, that of a mature writer. On reaching the end of the book (and hopefully not the end of the series if planned by the author), I was in a state of utter disbelief that there were no more pages to read.
To talk about the content in the book, the philosophical wisdom mentioned in the final 100 pages may fuel the work to success. However, to the philosophically oriented reader, the author may seem to have borrowed concepts heavily from various scriptural sources. Hence, it would seem interesting to also have some knowledge of his sources of inspiration.
An interesting observation about this book may be the various names used throughout the book. The initially used names suggested to me a heavy influence from the West. Succeeding parts of the book showcase some names, such as those of the Generals of Jaguar, have common Indian surnames as their first-names. This inconsistency in naming made it difficult for me to visualise the people being described. It would be wise, in my humble opinion as a reader and supporter of Indian fantasy-fiction, to stick to Indian names in future works. The use of several Indian names for various places and mystical items is also interesting and appropriate. There are some minor inconsistencies in the interchanging usage of proper nouns and common nouns and it would be appreciated if these are taken care of in the next edition of the book.
On the whole, this is a good book. I hope that Sumukh doesn't keep me waiting for the next book in this probable series...
Fantasy has been a genre populated by famous authors from the West for quite some time now. The age of Hiblisk provides for a refreshing entry in this Genre. Sumukh's writing, though requiring minor edits in grammar and sentence constructions in the early chapters of the book, progresses steadily and reaches the level of writing, that of a mature writer. On reaching the end of the book (and hopefully not the end of the series if planned by the author), I was in a state of utter disbelief that there were no more pages to read.
To talk about the content in the book, the philosophical wisdom mentioned in the final 100 pages may fuel the work to success. However, to the philosophically oriented reader, the author may seem to have borrowed concepts heavily from various scriptural sources. Hence, it would seem interesting to also have some knowledge of his sources of inspiration.
An interesting observation about this book may be the various names used throughout the book. The initially used names suggested to me a heavy influence from the West. Succeeding parts of the book showcase some names, such as those of the Generals of Jaguar, have common Indian surnames as their first-names. This inconsistency in naming made it difficult for me to visualise the people being described. It would be wise, in my humble opinion as a reader and supporter of Indian fantasy-fiction, to stick to Indian names in future works. The use of several Indian names for various places and mystical items is also interesting and appropriate. There are some minor inconsistencies in the interchanging usage of proper nouns and common nouns and it would be appreciated if these are taken care of in the next edition of the book.
On the whole, this is a good book. I hope that Sumukh doesn't keep me waiting for the next book in this probable series...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2014
I received this book for free as a part of Goodreads Giveaway programme.
Age of Hiblisk is a nice attempt by the first time author in the fantasy genre. The language of the book is simple but first 50-60 pages are marred by shoddy editing with many grammatical errors. Punctuation marks are used unnecessarily which break the flow of the story. The situation improves after 60 pages and then very few mistakes are noticed.
The plot is interesting, though some ideas are borrowed from bestsellers like The Shiva Trilogy, Lord of the Rings etc. The adventures of William and Sara in the world of Hiblisk make an interesting read. One problem is that in the world of Pantolis the names of places and people are inconsistent with a same region having Hindi as well as English names for its places and inhabitants. This does not occur in Hiblisk. Also the philosophical lectures in the last chapters, which form the soul of the story, are a bit lengthy and repeating sometimes. These lectures could have been shortened a bit to maintain the pace of the story.
Still the author deserves credit for using his imagination while dealing with the adventures of William and Sara in the world of Hiblisk. They visited many unique places and had many adventures there, learning about the secrets of Mother Nature in the process.
The ending leaves the scope of a sequel and if the author is able to correct some of his mistakes with the help of proper editing, it would sure become a bestseller.
Age of Hiblisk is a nice attempt by the first time author in the fantasy genre. The language of the book is simple but first 50-60 pages are marred by shoddy editing with many grammatical errors. Punctuation marks are used unnecessarily which break the flow of the story. The situation improves after 60 pages and then very few mistakes are noticed.
The plot is interesting, though some ideas are borrowed from bestsellers like The Shiva Trilogy, Lord of the Rings etc. The adventures of William and Sara in the world of Hiblisk make an interesting read. One problem is that in the world of Pantolis the names of places and people are inconsistent with a same region having Hindi as well as English names for its places and inhabitants. This does not occur in Hiblisk. Also the philosophical lectures in the last chapters, which form the soul of the story, are a bit lengthy and repeating sometimes. These lectures could have been shortened a bit to maintain the pace of the story.
Still the author deserves credit for using his imagination while dealing with the adventures of William and Sara in the world of Hiblisk. They visited many unique places and had many adventures there, learning about the secrets of Mother Nature in the process.
The ending leaves the scope of a sequel and if the author is able to correct some of his mistakes with the help of proper editing, it would sure become a bestseller.
November 24, 2013
The author has written the first part of the story relatively well. So I was immediately hooked to it the day I received it. Ofcourse I am judging this by writing standards of young authors published by new publishers. However, as I went a few chapters into the story there were some great editing flaws apart from the general spelling and grammatical errors that it felt like a huge task completing the story. I did it only because the author has requested a genuine review personally. A few of them are:
1. Repetition of words in consecutive lines.
2. Description of nature is repetitive and un-interesting (reading Kiran Desai's books can help here).
3. The names of character and places - some of them are in Hindi some in English (though essentially it doesnt matter but the deviation towards one side is a better idea).
4.The place where the author describes the alien language he could have been more innovative and invented one like J.K. Rowling or could have got some ideas from ancient languages and used them. It really engages the reader when ones brain gets these challenges. A very important tactic used by Dan Brown and Ashwin Sanghi. This would have raised the level of the book, immensely.
The story is good however as I said before the author should have got professional editing done and this manuscript would have turned out very well.
for a detailed review chec http://thereaderscosmos.blogspot.in/2...
1. Repetition of words in consecutive lines.
2. Description of nature is repetitive and un-interesting (reading Kiran Desai's books can help here).
3. The names of character and places - some of them are in Hindi some in English (though essentially it doesnt matter but the deviation towards one side is a better idea).
4.The place where the author describes the alien language he could have been more innovative and invented one like J.K. Rowling or could have got some ideas from ancient languages and used them. It really engages the reader when ones brain gets these challenges. A very important tactic used by Dan Brown and Ashwin Sanghi. This would have raised the level of the book, immensely.
The story is good however as I said before the author should have got professional editing done and this manuscript would have turned out very well.
for a detailed review chec http://thereaderscosmos.blogspot.in/2...
October 7, 2012
It is always thrilling to be a one of the first reader of the book and I was very much thrilled when I got that book. But as I started reading it, my thrill turned to utter disappointment. The author failed to create a suspense factor of the story. Everything in the story was so predictable. Sometimes the stories became too descriptive, in the beginning of the story that style is ok but after some time the incidents should not be that much descriptive. I don’t want to make the author too much disappointing, he may write some good in future. I think this is one of his first one. As the first venture it is ok. But for a reader, I don’t think this is something that he can enjoy. I don’t understand why I took this much time to finish a novel. I think I don’t want to read that novel at all. If anyone ask me if I like this novel , what I say is that “no I don’t like it. It is a boring stuff’
November 30, 2013
Age of Hiblisk: A Story with a Soul, a highly entertaining and enriching fantasy tale, filled with beautiful secrets of Mother Nature and advanced spiritual knowledge is the journey of Prince William and Princess Sara, the central characters, through the magical and spiritual worlds of Pantolis, Hiblisk, and Ikra in a mythological landscape with corresponding characters which have been securely fortified for eras by the people of the secret planets at the back the alarm by the sinister services of Dushtt to assert primacy over the domain of Pantolis.
November 25, 2014
Thanks sumukh for giving me this book
The book has a very good plot and story line
The flow is nice and does not look slow at any point.
The characters could have been build better though.
So many things being nice the only thing which spoils the book for me is the language. The book is written in a comic book sort of way.
The author has tried to make things obvious and also the English is not too great.
grammar errors and lots of mistakes (I guess the writer should sue the editor :))
Overall a good story line , could have been an awesome book if the presentation was nicer
The book has a very good plot and story line
The flow is nice and does not look slow at any point.
The characters could have been build better though.
So many things being nice the only thing which spoils the book for me is the language. The book is written in a comic book sort of way.
The author has tried to make things obvious and also the English is not too great.
grammar errors and lots of mistakes (I guess the writer should sue the editor :))
Overall a good story line , could have been an awesome book if the presentation was nicer
February 11, 2014
Age of Hiblish: A Story with a Soul
I actually won this book in Goodreads giveaway and I must admit that I was lucky to win this because if I hadnot, I surely would have missed a wonderful story.
I know there are a lot of people out there doing a lengthy and in depth review but I am going to keep it simple. If I am to review this book in a word, I would go with "Fantastic".
Author Sumukh Naik has done an excellent work. I would definitely recommend you to read it. It is worth your time.
I actually won this book in Goodreads giveaway and I must admit that I was lucky to win this because if I hadnot, I surely would have missed a wonderful story.
I know there are a lot of people out there doing a lengthy and in depth review but I am going to keep it simple. If I am to review this book in a word, I would go with "Fantastic".
Author Sumukh Naik has done an excellent work. I would definitely recommend you to read it. It is worth your time.
March 30, 2014
While reading Age of Hiblisk by Sumukh Naik you could feel that this is an Indian version of Star Trek, Lord of The Rings. Though author has used his original imagination. Imagination is the key to good writing. Author has used lots of it. Maps along with book really help in understanding the story. Story gets bit tedious occasionally but overall a good read.
I received this book as giveaway by goodreads. I thank goodreads, author and publisher for it.
I received this book as giveaway by goodreads. I thank goodreads, author and publisher for it.
April 6, 2014
The book is nice and I like it... It has taken me to a new journey of a fantasy world... a well written plot with awesome characters... there is an unique approach for naming of the characters with both Indian and Western names... The Maps provided at the end of the book is pretty helpful during the reading... Overall a very good effort by the author.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews