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Love and Other Enchantments
Short stories are magical. They take you on a walk through the liveliest of alleys, a few resplendent, while others torn between the subdued shades of white and black, to finally melt away, leaving your mind smeared with the most vibrant of hues, like a richly flavoured delicacy dissolving into the hidden recesses of one's senses, all in a matter of few minutes. The beauty is enhanced further if the theme reflected upon is love, for no feeling has conquered human minds like love in its multifarious forms.
Here we, a group of five writers, knit together by the bond of creativity and a passion for writing, present before you 'Love And Other Enchantments' a short story anthology, showcasing fifteen stories that depict, with much ardour, the depth and sheer poignancy of unrequited love.
Here we, a group of five writers, knit together by the bond of creativity and a passion for writing, present before you 'Love And Other Enchantments' a short story anthology, showcasing fifteen stories that depict, with much ardour, the depth and sheer poignancy of unrequited love.
186 pages, Paperback
Published October 22, 2015
26 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 5, 2015
Each story has been penned with a very different aspect of love. Love has many ascepts which we haven't thought of, has been successfully portrayed in Love and Other Enchantments. A fabulous work done each writer. Every story resembles different emotions and life. One of unique ascepts of the novel is each author has mentioned his thought about love in a one liner, which I haven't see in any other book. This actually portrays the Author's philosophy. Great Job Done!
November 26, 2015
Every piece of prose is based on some or the other emotion. Sometimes, there’s even multiple emotions that form the concept of a book. Therefore, many a times, cliches are created that turn off readership from a particular concept.
One of the concepts that has suffered the most is love. Almost every book season, we see several love stories churned out by well meaning writers who come up with newer and better love stories that are unfortunately nothing but the same old wine in a new bottle.
But then, there comes a book that changes the mindset of people about a particular genre, if not revolutionizes the genre and the readership. And if there’d ever such a book for love stories, Love and Other Enchantments by the Fictitious Five, would be one.
Love and Other Enchantments is a collection of stories that look at love in a new light. Traditionally, love stories are about ownership and we have been brainwashed into thinking that love doesn’t win as long as the lovers aren’t together and with one another. It is this concept that the authors of Love and Other Enchantments have tried to changed via their book.
This is not the first time that we read a story of a young couple who decide to call it a day on their relationship because of parental or fraternal pressure but it definitely something that has not been discussed – at least on a positive note – for a long, long time.
And that’s not just the only one story that’s a token for a newer face of love. Every story in the book deals with loss as much as it does love. Don’t they two go hand in hand anyway?
In this time of ‘what the heart wants, the heart wants’ and blatant hedonism going around in the guise of personal choices, Love and Other Enchantments gives out a specific, strong message to everyone who would care to read the book.
Love is eternal and surpasses all other elements in the world. It is much more than two minds or two bodies spending the rest of their lives together. There is no victory or defeat when it comes to love. Love was, is and will always be. The lovers don’t decide how much time they will be spending together. It is providence that does so.
All five writers prove their mettle when it comes to character creation and storytelling. It would be interesting to see how they’d fare writing a full fledged book. Going by the book, you’d say that none of these would be found wanting when the big leagues come calling.
The writing style of each writer is impeccable and of particular interest is the first story, Till Death Do Us Part, by Tanima Kedar, which has it in itself to take the reader in a trance like situation. She handles a very difficult love story and the writing style succeeds in creating the right kind of enigma and mystique that would keep a reader hooked.
In the era of love stories being more or less about internal strife that people go through to finally achieve what they think is their true love, this is the one book that the younger generation should read.
One of the concepts that has suffered the most is love. Almost every book season, we see several love stories churned out by well meaning writers who come up with newer and better love stories that are unfortunately nothing but the same old wine in a new bottle.
But then, there comes a book that changes the mindset of people about a particular genre, if not revolutionizes the genre and the readership. And if there’d ever such a book for love stories, Love and Other Enchantments by the Fictitious Five, would be one.
Love and Other Enchantments is a collection of stories that look at love in a new light. Traditionally, love stories are about ownership and we have been brainwashed into thinking that love doesn’t win as long as the lovers aren’t together and with one another. It is this concept that the authors of Love and Other Enchantments have tried to changed via their book.
This is not the first time that we read a story of a young couple who decide to call it a day on their relationship because of parental or fraternal pressure but it definitely something that has not been discussed – at least on a positive note – for a long, long time.
And that’s not just the only one story that’s a token for a newer face of love. Every story in the book deals with loss as much as it does love. Don’t they two go hand in hand anyway?
In this time of ‘what the heart wants, the heart wants’ and blatant hedonism going around in the guise of personal choices, Love and Other Enchantments gives out a specific, strong message to everyone who would care to read the book.
Love is eternal and surpasses all other elements in the world. It is much more than two minds or two bodies spending the rest of their lives together. There is no victory or defeat when it comes to love. Love was, is and will always be. The lovers don’t decide how much time they will be spending together. It is providence that does so.
All five writers prove their mettle when it comes to character creation and storytelling. It would be interesting to see how they’d fare writing a full fledged book. Going by the book, you’d say that none of these would be found wanting when the big leagues come calling.
The writing style of each writer is impeccable and of particular interest is the first story, Till Death Do Us Part, by Tanima Kedar, which has it in itself to take the reader in a trance like situation. She handles a very difficult love story and the writing style succeeds in creating the right kind of enigma and mystique that would keep a reader hooked.
In the era of love stories being more or less about internal strife that people go through to finally achieve what they think is their true love, this is the one book that the younger generation should read.
December 2, 2015
Love and Other Enchantments is an anthology of short stories compiled by five authors from varied backgrounds. The first short story ’Till Death Do Us Part’ is heart-rending in the extreme with death splitting apart the protagonists Neha and Prateek. One only wishes the editors had taken greater care over the editing. Witness the sentence, “ ‘...Now Neha, can you summarize the history of patient 105?’, the Chief said, shifting his focus to another intern, from among the group of interns that (sic!) stood surrounding the hospital bed, on which lay the body of patient 105...”
The language of these stories is bold, raw and naive for that reason. The second story, for instance, contains the following lines that vibrate with youth, “I do not know the cause of this, I do not know what brings this on. Is it the sweet song of the gushing winds, as they tickle the young leaves of evergreen trees? Or is it the cheerful chirpings of little birds, out to gather food to nurture their little ones?” The story by Tanima Kedar is about an old man reminiscing. That he is also a dreamer emerges when he utters the words: “I wonder if the birds that inhabit the trees wonder, discuss among themselves and ponder over the fact that a man has been visiting this God forsaken place for the last fifty years, occupying the same old bench every time, laughing or sometimes crying, all by himself. I wonder if they laugh at my lonely pathetic self, because I do.” The story is narrated in a raw fashion yet it brings a lump to your throat.
Each story highlights a different shade of love. ‘The Diary’, for instance, is about pessimism in love while ‘Closure’ by Ishan Dafaria is about unrequited love. ‘So Mad in Love’ by Anuj Kumar is about danger in love and it lack of fulfilment and frustration. Another story, Hatred, crime & love is quite dark and somewhat reminiscent of Five Iron Spikes, Anurag Mathur’s first short story that he had penned as a student at St. Stephen’s College in Delhi.
The language of these stories is bold, raw and naive for that reason. The second story, for instance, contains the following lines that vibrate with youth, “I do not know the cause of this, I do not know what brings this on. Is it the sweet song of the gushing winds, as they tickle the young leaves of evergreen trees? Or is it the cheerful chirpings of little birds, out to gather food to nurture their little ones?” The story by Tanima Kedar is about an old man reminiscing. That he is also a dreamer emerges when he utters the words: “I wonder if the birds that inhabit the trees wonder, discuss among themselves and ponder over the fact that a man has been visiting this God forsaken place for the last fifty years, occupying the same old bench every time, laughing or sometimes crying, all by himself. I wonder if they laugh at my lonely pathetic self, because I do.” The story is narrated in a raw fashion yet it brings a lump to your throat.
Each story highlights a different shade of love. ‘The Diary’, for instance, is about pessimism in love while ‘Closure’ by Ishan Dafaria is about unrequited love. ‘So Mad in Love’ by Anuj Kumar is about danger in love and it lack of fulfilment and frustration. Another story, Hatred, crime & love is quite dark and somewhat reminiscent of Five Iron Spikes, Anurag Mathur’s first short story that he had penned as a student at St. Stephen’s College in Delhi.
December 25, 2015
Synopsis –
Short stories are magical. They take you on a walk through the liveliest of alleys, a few resplendent, while others torn between the subdued shades of white and black, to finally melt away, leaving your mind smeared with the most vibrant of hues, like a richly flavored delicacy dissolving into the hidden recesses of one’s senses, all in a matter of few minutes. The beauty is enhanced further if the theme reflected upon is love, for no feeling has conquered human minds like love in its multifarious forms. Here we, a group of five writers, knit together by the bond of creativity and passion for writing, present before you ‘Love And Other Enchantments’ a short story anthology, showcasing fifteen stories that depict, with much ardor, the depth and sheer poignancy of unrequited love.
About the book –
This book is an anthology which showcases beautiful fifteen stories written by five authors. Each author has contributed five stories with different flavor and genre. You will find horror, love, separation and heartbreak kind of emotions in it.
My verdict –
A nice blend of stories. I liked Ishan Dafaria’s way of writing. The way he has described words is commendable and interesting. Akash Deep’s The Lake of Love is a heartwarming and touching story. I liked every bit of it. Anuj Kumar’s its Not Soothing Everytime, has the tendency to give you goose bumps. A nice story with a tinge of horror.
And rest of the stories from rest of the authors is too really appreciating. Just give it a try people.
Short stories are magical. They take you on a walk through the liveliest of alleys, a few resplendent, while others torn between the subdued shades of white and black, to finally melt away, leaving your mind smeared with the most vibrant of hues, like a richly flavored delicacy dissolving into the hidden recesses of one’s senses, all in a matter of few minutes. The beauty is enhanced further if the theme reflected upon is love, for no feeling has conquered human minds like love in its multifarious forms. Here we, a group of five writers, knit together by the bond of creativity and passion for writing, present before you ‘Love And Other Enchantments’ a short story anthology, showcasing fifteen stories that depict, with much ardor, the depth and sheer poignancy of unrequited love.
About the book –
This book is an anthology which showcases beautiful fifteen stories written by five authors. Each author has contributed five stories with different flavor and genre. You will find horror, love, separation and heartbreak kind of emotions in it.
My verdict –
A nice blend of stories. I liked Ishan Dafaria’s way of writing. The way he has described words is commendable and interesting. Akash Deep’s The Lake of Love is a heartwarming and touching story. I liked every bit of it. Anuj Kumar’s its Not Soothing Everytime, has the tendency to give you goose bumps. A nice story with a tinge of horror.
And rest of the stories from rest of the authors is too really appreciating. Just give it a try people.
February 22, 2016
I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Love and Other Enchantments is an anthology written by five authors:- Ishan Dafaria,Tanima Kedar, Maliny Mohan,Akash Deep Gupta and Anuj Kumar.
The sweet poems in the book were also beautifully written.
Its a blend of emotions, feelings, love,romance.All the story are engaging and will grab the attention of readers
Till Death Do Us Apart by Tanima Kedar :- is an inspiring story, when you are about to give in to
the enclosing darkness and you see a ray of light, a faint trail of hope, finding in a brightly lit space.
Neha is the doctor. who is examining the case Patient 105, Mr.Prateek Arora met with an accident on 26th July 2013.
Together Forever by Tanima Kedar :- is story of two naive souls, professing their love for each other, dreaming of eons together.
The Diary by Tanima Kedar :- is story which revolves around Varun and Riya, Varun was an average looking guy, in his mid twenties, with average height and a lean body. This story made me cry, is a sad story . This world is full of people who will do anything to stop two lovers from uniting.Varun was an average looking guy, in his mid twenties, with average height and a lean body. Priya died because of Varun because she loved her and Varun betrayed her, he destroyed her.
Closure by Ishan Dafaria :- Love is the only necessity,
rest everything is optional.
Yet another love story when a boy falls in love with a girl, get rejected and see her with someone else... at least she should bid a goodbye... that would have been better... a closure would have been better...
Different Things by Ishan Dafaria :- is an emotional story of boy
He was a loner by nature, at least that’s what people around him said... He seemed perfectly calm, normal and friendly, but he wasn’t ever seen mingling with anyone or having even a simple unprofessional conversation.
People did try talking to him, he was polite... but he was also detached, and uninterested in everyone.
Love isn’t complicated... Love is simple, love is pure... love is the most fascinating experience for a human soul.
I LIKED THIS STORY, THE AUTHOR HAS GONE INTO DEPTH OF MAKING THE READERS UNDERSTAND ABOUT LOVE.
Hatred, Crime and Love by Ishan Dafaria :- as it is clear from the title of the story, its all about love,hatred, and when jealousy comes in between the relationship it can take shape of crime.
The Poem by Akash Deep Gupta :-
Love is something that can start a battle as
well as end it,
what can be more powerful?
Charm of Those eyes by Akash Deep Gupta :- is beautifully written . The author grabs you right off the bat and keeps you tuning pages until you can't believe you've hit the end.The writing was really superb, it totally gets and holds your attention.
The Lake of Love by Akash Deep Gupta :- is the story of searching for love, dreaming and sadness,aloneness. I was surprised to first see a beautiful poem
‘Why am I walking alone?
On this road,
Before, the approaching Christmas.'
At the Bus Stop by Maliny Mohan :- journey of love ,which claims your souls as much as it sets you free.
The Revival by Maliny Mohan :- is the story of Abhay ,Priya Naina ,when Abhay's father was hospitalized & was in ICU. it is a story of stength, comeback.
A nugget, that life was indeed the best love story.It offered people smiles, made them cry, poured gallons of surprises.
He Loves Me Not by Maliny Mohan :- is a sad ,emotinonal story,heartbreaker.The ending left me crying, full of tears.
So Mad In Love by Anuj Kumar :- is story of Geeta, who is in a quest for the existence of Gods on Earth in today’stime, the “Age of Downfall”.She spend her whole life in the search for it.
It’s Not Soothing Everytime by Anuj Kumar :- ohhh myyy... i thought i am watching a movie.The story reminds me of hindi film. How bad and cruel can your one sided lover be?
Known Unknown by Anuj Kumar :- Another love story of Amit and Araadhna, How can one wait for such long time in love. Childhood memories are most precious , innocent past of two little kids, and when one reminds of it, when they shared some cute moments
The best part of these stories are the sweet poems and the love quotes written in the beginning of the story, when the story starts. That is the main headlight,cream, cheery on the icecream.
I would certainly recommend it to people who enjoy reading short stories in this genre.Keeps you hooked from page one. This book is worth a read, then do grab a copy of this book now. I would rate this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Love and Other Enchantments is an anthology written by five authors:- Ishan Dafaria,Tanima Kedar, Maliny Mohan,Akash Deep Gupta and Anuj Kumar.
The sweet poems in the book were also beautifully written.
Its a blend of emotions, feelings, love,romance.All the story are engaging and will grab the attention of readers
Till Death Do Us Apart by Tanima Kedar :- is an inspiring story, when you are about to give in to
the enclosing darkness and you see a ray of light, a faint trail of hope, finding in a brightly lit space.
Neha is the doctor. who is examining the case Patient 105, Mr.Prateek Arora met with an accident on 26th July 2013.
Together Forever by Tanima Kedar :- is story of two naive souls, professing their love for each other, dreaming of eons together.
The Diary by Tanima Kedar :- is story which revolves around Varun and Riya, Varun was an average looking guy, in his mid twenties, with average height and a lean body. This story made me cry, is a sad story . This world is full of people who will do anything to stop two lovers from uniting.Varun was an average looking guy, in his mid twenties, with average height and a lean body. Priya died because of Varun because she loved her and Varun betrayed her, he destroyed her.
Closure by Ishan Dafaria :- Love is the only necessity,
rest everything is optional.
Yet another love story when a boy falls in love with a girl, get rejected and see her with someone else... at least she should bid a goodbye... that would have been better... a closure would have been better...
Different Things by Ishan Dafaria :- is an emotional story of boy
He was a loner by nature, at least that’s what people around him said... He seemed perfectly calm, normal and friendly, but he wasn’t ever seen mingling with anyone or having even a simple unprofessional conversation.
People did try talking to him, he was polite... but he was also detached, and uninterested in everyone.
Love isn’t complicated... Love is simple, love is pure... love is the most fascinating experience for a human soul.
I LIKED THIS STORY, THE AUTHOR HAS GONE INTO DEPTH OF MAKING THE READERS UNDERSTAND ABOUT LOVE.
Hatred, Crime and Love by Ishan Dafaria :- as it is clear from the title of the story, its all about love,hatred, and when jealousy comes in between the relationship it can take shape of crime.
The Poem by Akash Deep Gupta :-
Love is something that can start a battle as
well as end it,
what can be more powerful?
Charm of Those eyes by Akash Deep Gupta :- is beautifully written . The author grabs you right off the bat and keeps you tuning pages until you can't believe you've hit the end.The writing was really superb, it totally gets and holds your attention.
The Lake of Love by Akash Deep Gupta :- is the story of searching for love, dreaming and sadness,aloneness. I was surprised to first see a beautiful poem
‘Why am I walking alone?
On this road,
Before, the approaching Christmas.'
At the Bus Stop by Maliny Mohan :- journey of love ,which claims your souls as much as it sets you free.
The Revival by Maliny Mohan :- is the story of Abhay ,Priya Naina ,when Abhay's father was hospitalized & was in ICU. it is a story of stength, comeback.
A nugget, that life was indeed the best love story.It offered people smiles, made them cry, poured gallons of surprises.
He Loves Me Not by Maliny Mohan :- is a sad ,emotinonal story,heartbreaker.The ending left me crying, full of tears.
So Mad In Love by Anuj Kumar :- is story of Geeta, who is in a quest for the existence of Gods on Earth in today’stime, the “Age of Downfall”.She spend her whole life in the search for it.
It’s Not Soothing Everytime by Anuj Kumar :- ohhh myyy... i thought i am watching a movie.The story reminds me of hindi film. How bad and cruel can your one sided lover be?
Known Unknown by Anuj Kumar :- Another love story of Amit and Araadhna, How can one wait for such long time in love. Childhood memories are most precious , innocent past of two little kids, and when one reminds of it, when they shared some cute moments
The best part of these stories are the sweet poems and the love quotes written in the beginning of the story, when the story starts. That is the main headlight,cream, cheery on the icecream.
I would certainly recommend it to people who enjoy reading short stories in this genre.Keeps you hooked from page one. This book is worth a read, then do grab a copy of this book now. I would rate this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.
October 24, 2015
Short stories are magical. They take you on a walk through the liveliest of alleys, a few resplendent, while others torn between the subdued shades of white and black, to finally melt away, leaving your mind smeared with the most vibrant of hues, like a richly flavoured delicacy dissolving into the hidden recesses of one's senses, all in a matter of few minutes. The beauty is enhanced further if the theme reflected upon is love, for no feeling has conquered human minds like love in its multifarious forms.
'Love And Other Enchantments'is a short story anthology, showcasing fifteen stories that depict, with much ardour, the depth and sheer poignancy of unrequited love. It has been penned by 'The Fictitious Five',a group of writers, knit together by the bond of creativity and passion.
The Blurb of the book:-
**
Drag, it can, from the splendours of dawn to the gloomy even-fall; sooner or later, but, it touches us all – LOVE.. indeed. "Love and Other Enchantments" is a collection of fifteen heart-rending love stories where in each will reveal a new facet of love and will arouse a new set of emotions and even newer perceptions of relationship, sacrifice, devotion, depression, hurt, lust and madness.
Loose yourself in a whirlwind of emotions, only to be rescued by that thing called love. The Fictitious Five is a group of five writers.
Maliny Mohan
Ishan Dafaria
Tanima Kedar
Anuj Kumar
Akash Deep Gupta
all united by their unabating passion for writing.
They believe in the power of words and aspire to keep weaving them to create delightful stories that touch the hearts of the readers.
**
Being a contributing author, I hope the tales gathered in this book satiate the yearning heart of every reader out there, which would, inturn, be the most treasured reward for us.
'Love And Other Enchantments'is a short story anthology, showcasing fifteen stories that depict, with much ardour, the depth and sheer poignancy of unrequited love. It has been penned by 'The Fictitious Five',a group of writers, knit together by the bond of creativity and passion.
The Blurb of the book:-
**
Drag, it can, from the splendours of dawn to the gloomy even-fall; sooner or later, but, it touches us all – LOVE.. indeed. "Love and Other Enchantments" is a collection of fifteen heart-rending love stories where in each will reveal a new facet of love and will arouse a new set of emotions and even newer perceptions of relationship, sacrifice, devotion, depression, hurt, lust and madness.
Loose yourself in a whirlwind of emotions, only to be rescued by that thing called love. The Fictitious Five is a group of five writers.
Maliny Mohan
Ishan Dafaria
Tanima Kedar
Anuj Kumar
Akash Deep Gupta
all united by their unabating passion for writing.
They believe in the power of words and aspire to keep weaving them to create delightful stories that touch the hearts of the readers.
**
Being a contributing author, I hope the tales gathered in this book satiate the yearning heart of every reader out there, which would, inturn, be the most treasured reward for us.
December 16, 2015
Love and other enchantments
Surprisingly, an anthology that is worth reading. I was surprised to see great reviews from known honest reviewers and the ratings which kindled my interest on this book when Anuj approached.
Genre – As the title says! All about Love
First Impression – I had no clue until I scrolled to the first story. All I knew was ‘anthology of love stories’ and this is in fact 3 best stories based on Love and emotions that rule Love by 5 awesome writers.
Overall Impression – The stories are twinned with emotions such that it makes you read every line rather than skimming through. Especially, the first three stories by Tanima Kedar exceeded my expectations by multifolds.
The stories are not new but the way it is penned is fresh and flavored with beautiful words. The Emotions that every phrase and word carries is beyond compare. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
What did I love about the book? – The theme focused. The emotions carried throughout the stories and the unique difference between each writer and the way of writing. Par Excellence! All 5 writers show great potential.
Rating: 3.5 / 5
Wow Factors: 1) Simple theme but powerful stories 2) Emotions played
Frown Factors: Pretty much, slight grammar and punctuation errors. Else perfect!
Grab a copy of the book here -
Surprisingly, an anthology that is worth reading. I was surprised to see great reviews from known honest reviewers and the ratings which kindled my interest on this book when Anuj approached.
Genre – As the title says! All about Love
First Impression – I had no clue until I scrolled to the first story. All I knew was ‘anthology of love stories’ and this is in fact 3 best stories based on Love and emotions that rule Love by 5 awesome writers.
Overall Impression – The stories are twinned with emotions such that it makes you read every line rather than skimming through. Especially, the first three stories by Tanima Kedar exceeded my expectations by multifolds.
The stories are not new but the way it is penned is fresh and flavored with beautiful words. The Emotions that every phrase and word carries is beyond compare. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
What did I love about the book? – The theme focused. The emotions carried throughout the stories and the unique difference between each writer and the way of writing. Par Excellence! All 5 writers show great potential.
Rating: 3.5 / 5
Wow Factors: 1) Simple theme but powerful stories 2) Emotions played
Frown Factors: Pretty much, slight grammar and punctuation errors. Else perfect!
Grab a copy of the book here -
February 19, 2016
Here's my take on LOVE and other enchantments.
Love and other enchantments presents short stories by the fictitious five writers.
In the stories by Tamina Kedar, we can feel the pure love felt by the characters. It also shows us their sacrifice, care towards their lovers.
While the stories by Ishan Dafaria have a common concept as the male character is left alone forever due to destiny, mistake or sacrifice.
Same goes with the stories by Akash Deep Gupta, the lover is alone due to not be able to accompany their love and are in search of the time when they will be with their love.
Stories by Maliny Mohan have twists how the characters turn out for their action. While reading I had some confusion regarding their thoughts running in their mind.
Last but not the least, stories by Anuj Kumar are based on one sided love which resulted in violence.
3/5 stars from my side
Well to sum up, each story has its own essence, being dedicated to the lovers. But, the stories don’t bear a strong essence of intrigue. Somewhere those go slow-paced and amidst the fast read, and that make the stories a forceful read.
Overall, a good read.
Love and other enchantments presents short stories by the fictitious five writers.
In the stories by Tamina Kedar, we can feel the pure love felt by the characters. It also shows us their sacrifice, care towards their lovers.
While the stories by Ishan Dafaria have a common concept as the male character is left alone forever due to destiny, mistake or sacrifice.
Same goes with the stories by Akash Deep Gupta, the lover is alone due to not be able to accompany their love and are in search of the time when they will be with their love.
Stories by Maliny Mohan have twists how the characters turn out for their action. While reading I had some confusion regarding their thoughts running in their mind.
Last but not the least, stories by Anuj Kumar are based on one sided love which resulted in violence.
3/5 stars from my side
Well to sum up, each story has its own essence, being dedicated to the lovers. But, the stories don’t bear a strong essence of intrigue. Somewhere those go slow-paced and amidst the fast read, and that make the stories a forceful read.
Overall, a good read.
March 23, 2016
Reviewed on A Bookworm’s Musing: http://wp.me/p2J8yh-30Q
Favorite stories:
• At the Bus Stop, by Maliny Mohan
• Closure, by Ishan Dafaria
• The Lake of Love, by Akash Deep Gupta
• Till Death Do Us Part by Tanima Kedar
• So Mad in Love by Anuj Kumar
Positive aspects:
+ Not the usual kind of love stories, very unique in plots
+ Beautiful cover art
+ Simple narration that helps to keep it engaging
Negative aspects:
- Needs a lot of editing
- Some stories weren’t to my liking
Actual rating: 3 stars
Favorite stories:
• At the Bus Stop, by Maliny Mohan
• Closure, by Ishan Dafaria
• The Lake of Love, by Akash Deep Gupta
• Till Death Do Us Part by Tanima Kedar
• So Mad in Love by Anuj Kumar
Positive aspects:
+ Not the usual kind of love stories, very unique in plots
+ Beautiful cover art
+ Simple narration that helps to keep it engaging
Negative aspects:
- Needs a lot of editing
- Some stories weren’t to my liking
Actual rating: 3 stars
April 17, 2016
Love and other enchantments is a book coined by various fantastic authors ;TanimaKedar , IshanDafaria , Akash Deep Gupta , MalinyMohan and Anuj Kumar. The authors has beautifully penned down their each story and all reflects different shades of love ; the stories will take you high as well as low ; the stories will let you know love can happen anytime , it didn’t inform you by knocking and even let you encounter with the harsh veracity about lives .
TanimaKedar : Falling in love and loosing it forever , struggle not always will make you win the battle of love and when the obsession leads to self destruction ; all these feelings are perfectly reflected by the author in her stories – Till Death DoUs Part, Together Forever and The Dairy . Each story was heart warming and the endings will leave you ponder into a land of love .The author stories were right start for the book .
IshanDafaria:‘Pain demands to be felt ‘the quote from of my favorite author John Green, flashed into my mind as soon as I complete reading the stories – Closure , Different Things and Hatred , Crime and Love ; until you feel pain and agony in love then you have not known the love completely , its another side of a coin . The stories are about when love become lacerating wound and it tends to last forever , you’ll look for answers but again you will find the same question is thrown back to you again . When you least needed the love it will vanish into the thin air , when you wanted other to know they will simply walk out of your life and when you only have to leave your love of life for their own goodness sake. The best part about the stories were endings and the way they were delivered .
Akash Deep Gupta : Tales penned by author were not less than any magical spells and mystery , each one were written in a lyrical way which keeps me hooked in all three stories more over the author holds an accent while scribbling the poems ; they actually touched my hearts .
The Poem , a story of a geek who falls for a beauty with brain , the story is more like a conundrum which gets solved at the end , the ending is something which awestruck me . Charm of Those Eyes , a story of an army man who develops feelings for a girl who is full of mystery and end up being loner in search of those twinkling eyes . It reminds that we human sometimes need someone around us .The Lake of Love , what will happen when you both love each other completely but yet you wish to be part of each other in other world , it’s a story about love , compassion , death and wait . A must read story of the book .
Maliny Mohan- Author has represents emblematic view in all stories , the style of writing was something catchy and eye soothing for me . A mature piece .
At the Bus Stop ,love will make you feel content and that’s all one desire in life , a few good words and it can make your heart bloom . At the bus stop is a story about ‘ being loved even little means a lot ‘ . The Revival , story about friendship and love , but the protagonist realized it when she looses everything , never feel chugged when you know its already present . He Loves Me Not ,a simple story where one shelved to get over with love and when needed the most its gone .
Anuj Kumar–The author attempted to present different view about love but this part could have been done better I strongly feel .
So Mad in Love , a story which reflects the current scenario where a devotee who is a strong believer of Almighty but then she found herself under spell bounded of a imposter , people believe these people are actually sent by God but in reality it’s a big myth . Its not Soothing Everytime ,a story of a guy who is obsessed of being loved , when rejected turned out a psychopath , the story was quiet unreal because who a criminal can stay out of reach of cops . Known Unknow ,story about a boy who was madly in love but looses it love when his love of life realizes . Yet another my favorite story .
The overall the book was good and each segments were perfectly written . I rate this book 3.5/5 , the book is recommended to those who enjoy reading love stories .
Reviewed by : Aditi Srivastava
TanimaKedar : Falling in love and loosing it forever , struggle not always will make you win the battle of love and when the obsession leads to self destruction ; all these feelings are perfectly reflected by the author in her stories – Till Death DoUs Part, Together Forever and The Dairy . Each story was heart warming and the endings will leave you ponder into a land of love .The author stories were right start for the book .
IshanDafaria:‘Pain demands to be felt ‘the quote from of my favorite author John Green, flashed into my mind as soon as I complete reading the stories – Closure , Different Things and Hatred , Crime and Love ; until you feel pain and agony in love then you have not known the love completely , its another side of a coin . The stories are about when love become lacerating wound and it tends to last forever , you’ll look for answers but again you will find the same question is thrown back to you again . When you least needed the love it will vanish into the thin air , when you wanted other to know they will simply walk out of your life and when you only have to leave your love of life for their own goodness sake. The best part about the stories were endings and the way they were delivered .
Akash Deep Gupta : Tales penned by author were not less than any magical spells and mystery , each one were written in a lyrical way which keeps me hooked in all three stories more over the author holds an accent while scribbling the poems ; they actually touched my hearts .
The Poem , a story of a geek who falls for a beauty with brain , the story is more like a conundrum which gets solved at the end , the ending is something which awestruck me . Charm of Those Eyes , a story of an army man who develops feelings for a girl who is full of mystery and end up being loner in search of those twinkling eyes . It reminds that we human sometimes need someone around us .The Lake of Love , what will happen when you both love each other completely but yet you wish to be part of each other in other world , it’s a story about love , compassion , death and wait . A must read story of the book .
Maliny Mohan- Author has represents emblematic view in all stories , the style of writing was something catchy and eye soothing for me . A mature piece .
At the Bus Stop ,love will make you feel content and that’s all one desire in life , a few good words and it can make your heart bloom . At the bus stop is a story about ‘ being loved even little means a lot ‘ . The Revival , story about friendship and love , but the protagonist realized it when she looses everything , never feel chugged when you know its already present . He Loves Me Not ,a simple story where one shelved to get over with love and when needed the most its gone .
Anuj Kumar–The author attempted to present different view about love but this part could have been done better I strongly feel .
So Mad in Love , a story which reflects the current scenario where a devotee who is a strong believer of Almighty but then she found herself under spell bounded of a imposter , people believe these people are actually sent by God but in reality it’s a big myth . Its not Soothing Everytime ,a story of a guy who is obsessed of being loved , when rejected turned out a psychopath , the story was quiet unreal because who a criminal can stay out of reach of cops . Known Unknow ,story about a boy who was madly in love but looses it love when his love of life realizes . Yet another my favorite story .
The overall the book was good and each segments were perfectly written . I rate this book 3.5/5 , the book is recommended to those who enjoy reading love stories .
Reviewed by : Aditi Srivastava
January 4, 2016
My Take:
Till Death Do Us Apart by Tanima Kedar
This is a story of relationship between a doctor and a patient. The emotions are very well expressed. It takes the reader on a tour to that place in the story. The reader can feel it to be happening for real. Awesome read!
Rating: 4/5
Together Forever by Tanima Kedar
This story reminded me of Emraan Hashmi and Esha Gupta’s “Main rahoon ya na rahoon…” song. Beautifully written.
Rating: 3.5/5
The Diary by Tanima Kedar
Love is good when it is simple, sweet and plain. The day it grows in to obsession, it can ruin lives. Thi is what ‘The Diary’ is all about. For any relationship, trust forms the main foundation. Varun and Riya have got it very strong and hence, their relationship remained strong during the blues.
Rating: 3.5/5
Closure by Ishan Dafaria
Unsaid Goodbyes hurt a lot. The author has portrayed the emotions very well. This story has that loving, realistic touch which will surely make your heart ache.
Rating: 4/5
Different Things by Ishan Dafaria
Loneliness is a kind of disease that has the potential to kill you slowly and steadily. Misunderstandings crop up in relationships. All you need is to deal with them maturely. It’s no use pondering over what would happen if things were different.
Rating: 3/5
Hatred, Crime and Love by Ishan Dafaria
Love requires a lot of courage. Was the narrator brave enough to confess his love? No! He wasn’t. He was afraid to risk her life. He was afraid to lie to her. Why was it this way for him? Who was he?
Rating: 3/5
The Poem by Akash Deep Gupta
I just have one word for this story- lovely. Emotions have been very very well portrayed. There are many incidents which makes the reader go ‘Awww!’ True love happens just once. Rest is just compromise.
Rating: 4/5
Charm of Those eyes by Akash Deep Gupta
A suspense story? Paranormal? I cannot categorize this one. Beautifully written. This story has left me in awe.
Rating: 4/5
The Lake of Love by Akash Deep Gupta
Incredible! I felt as if I was seeing everything in this story happen for real. Soul-stirring story, indeed!
Rating: 4.5/5
At the Bus Stop by Maliny Mohan
Excellent narration. I found this story very much different from the rest. I had a smiling face throughout the reading session.
Rating: 3.5/5
The Revival by Maliny Mohan
A tale of second chances. Nicely written. It is the end of the story that will surprise you.
Rating: 3/5
He Loves Me Not by Maliny Mohan
This story will surely leave you shocked. I wouldn’t reveal much detail. I enjoyed reading it.
Rating: 3.5/5
So Mad In Love by Anuj Kumar
This story has 2 aspects that have been very well portrayed. The first is love for God and the second is ‘The Dhongi Baba’. These Babas put on the grab of ascetic and fool people. They must never be believed.
Rating: 3.5/5
It’s Not Soothing Everytime by Anuj Kumar
Oh My God! A story that made a chill run through my spine. Do such maniacs exist in real world? Awesome story! Reminded me of the movie Murder 2!
Rating: 4/5
Known Unknown by Anuj Kumar
Another lovely creation! Love can come to you in any form and at any times. You just need a will to accept it.
Rating: 3/5
I rate:
Cover: 3.5/5
My overall rating for Love and Other Enchantments is 4/5 stars.
Till Death Do Us Apart by Tanima Kedar
This is a story of relationship between a doctor and a patient. The emotions are very well expressed. It takes the reader on a tour to that place in the story. The reader can feel it to be happening for real. Awesome read!
Rating: 4/5
Together Forever by Tanima Kedar
This story reminded me of Emraan Hashmi and Esha Gupta’s “Main rahoon ya na rahoon…” song. Beautifully written.
Rating: 3.5/5
The Diary by Tanima Kedar
Love is good when it is simple, sweet and plain. The day it grows in to obsession, it can ruin lives. Thi is what ‘The Diary’ is all about. For any relationship, trust forms the main foundation. Varun and Riya have got it very strong and hence, their relationship remained strong during the blues.
Rating: 3.5/5
Closure by Ishan Dafaria
Unsaid Goodbyes hurt a lot. The author has portrayed the emotions very well. This story has that loving, realistic touch which will surely make your heart ache.
Rating: 4/5
Different Things by Ishan Dafaria
Loneliness is a kind of disease that has the potential to kill you slowly and steadily. Misunderstandings crop up in relationships. All you need is to deal with them maturely. It’s no use pondering over what would happen if things were different.
Rating: 3/5
Hatred, Crime and Love by Ishan Dafaria
Love requires a lot of courage. Was the narrator brave enough to confess his love? No! He wasn’t. He was afraid to risk her life. He was afraid to lie to her. Why was it this way for him? Who was he?
Rating: 3/5
The Poem by Akash Deep Gupta
I just have one word for this story- lovely. Emotions have been very very well portrayed. There are many incidents which makes the reader go ‘Awww!’ True love happens just once. Rest is just compromise.
Rating: 4/5
Charm of Those eyes by Akash Deep Gupta
A suspense story? Paranormal? I cannot categorize this one. Beautifully written. This story has left me in awe.
Rating: 4/5
The Lake of Love by Akash Deep Gupta
Incredible! I felt as if I was seeing everything in this story happen for real. Soul-stirring story, indeed!
Rating: 4.5/5
At the Bus Stop by Maliny Mohan
Excellent narration. I found this story very much different from the rest. I had a smiling face throughout the reading session.
Rating: 3.5/5
The Revival by Maliny Mohan
A tale of second chances. Nicely written. It is the end of the story that will surprise you.
Rating: 3/5
He Loves Me Not by Maliny Mohan
This story will surely leave you shocked. I wouldn’t reveal much detail. I enjoyed reading it.
Rating: 3.5/5
So Mad In Love by Anuj Kumar
This story has 2 aspects that have been very well portrayed. The first is love for God and the second is ‘The Dhongi Baba’. These Babas put on the grab of ascetic and fool people. They must never be believed.
Rating: 3.5/5
It’s Not Soothing Everytime by Anuj Kumar
Oh My God! A story that made a chill run through my spine. Do such maniacs exist in real world? Awesome story! Reminded me of the movie Murder 2!
Rating: 4/5
Known Unknown by Anuj Kumar
Another lovely creation! Love can come to you in any form and at any times. You just need a will to accept it.
Rating: 3/5
I rate:
Cover: 3.5/5
My overall rating for Love and Other Enchantments is 4/5 stars.
April 10, 2016
What do you expect when you see an anthology based on the theme of love? Do you imagine teens venturing into the realm of love and passion for the first time? Typical stories of two people who couldn’t even bear seeing each other for a second, falling in never ending love the next second? Or stories of how friends developed a bond beyond that of friendship? Or love at first sights?
But don’t be fooled by those stereotypes because this book offers you much more than stereotyped versions of love, or tales of running hormones. And despite this, it manages to be a page-turner, giving you a food for thought with every type of love and expressions of love it tries to present through a collection of short stories.
Be it love for God, or love which can never be relived. Love that was never expressed, or love that could never be expressed. Love separated by Death or Love separated by time. Be it one sided love or two sided, but forbidden love. The pages of this book bear it all.
The authors- the Fictitious Five as they call themselves, never managed to bore their readers even once. Fast paced stories, with picturesque descriptions; the only seeming flaw for this novel was the careless editing!
Akash Deep Gupta delights his readers charmingly with deep philosophical thoughts (every lover’s paradise) intertwined with sweet tinges of longing, expressed craftily through his story accompanied by poems. “But when these tears and smiles ask me the cause of this failure, I realize
that Miss. Science, we were like asymptotes that could come closer and
closer but could never be one. And that pains.” Beautiful lines from his story titled ‘The Poem’.
Malini Mohan on the other hand gives us the powerful message on promises and forced us to think deeper on whether lovers can keep a promise to be together for eternity in her story ‘The Revival’.
Tanima Kedar does a heartbreakingly great job in her story and also the first one to appear in the novel ‘Till Death do us apart’ where love struggles to exist even after mortal parting.
Ishan Dafaria does a stupendous job on how a heartbreak changes a person in and out in the story 'Different Things'.
Anuj Kumar explains the tortures of one sided love very powerfully in his rendition 'It's Not Soothing Everytime.
For anyone who wants to melt into varied flavors of love can embark on the psychedelic journey of this affectionately crafted anthropology and lose themselves in the tides of time!
----- Read more at www.mindpickles.wordpress.com
But don’t be fooled by those stereotypes because this book offers you much more than stereotyped versions of love, or tales of running hormones. And despite this, it manages to be a page-turner, giving you a food for thought with every type of love and expressions of love it tries to present through a collection of short stories.
Be it love for God, or love which can never be relived. Love that was never expressed, or love that could never be expressed. Love separated by Death or Love separated by time. Be it one sided love or two sided, but forbidden love. The pages of this book bear it all.
The authors- the Fictitious Five as they call themselves, never managed to bore their readers even once. Fast paced stories, with picturesque descriptions; the only seeming flaw for this novel was the careless editing!
Akash Deep Gupta delights his readers charmingly with deep philosophical thoughts (every lover’s paradise) intertwined with sweet tinges of longing, expressed craftily through his story accompanied by poems. “But when these tears and smiles ask me the cause of this failure, I realize
that Miss. Science, we were like asymptotes that could come closer and
closer but could never be one. And that pains.” Beautiful lines from his story titled ‘The Poem’.
Malini Mohan on the other hand gives us the powerful message on promises and forced us to think deeper on whether lovers can keep a promise to be together for eternity in her story ‘The Revival’.
Tanima Kedar does a heartbreakingly great job in her story and also the first one to appear in the novel ‘Till Death do us apart’ where love struggles to exist even after mortal parting.
Ishan Dafaria does a stupendous job on how a heartbreak changes a person in and out in the story 'Different Things'.
Anuj Kumar explains the tortures of one sided love very powerfully in his rendition 'It's Not Soothing Everytime.
For anyone who wants to melt into varied flavors of love can embark on the psychedelic journey of this affectionately crafted anthropology and lose themselves in the tides of time!
----- Read more at www.mindpickles.wordpress.com
May 14, 2016
Now I don't read anthologies often, but when I do, I make sure the stories are not clichéd.
Love and Other Enchantments consists of 15 short stories, three from each of the Authors. And All of them are definitely very engaging.
Personally, I loved the stories soo so much, I can't tell you how much. Ofcourse, this is NOT a biased review.
All the stories are different from one another. Not a single one is clichéd. Flawless editing. Writing skills are good too. The plots are intriguing and the pace is neither too fast nor too slow. Exactly how I like it.
Brilliantly written. You can clearly see the hard work behind the making.
Also, I would highly recommend this book to everyone of you who wants to read something different than the usual clichéd Love stories.
Love and Other Enchantments consists of 15 short stories, three from each of the Authors. And All of them are definitely very engaging.
Personally, I loved the stories soo so much, I can't tell you how much. Ofcourse, this is NOT a biased review.
All the stories are different from one another. Not a single one is clichéd. Flawless editing. Writing skills are good too. The plots are intriguing and the pace is neither too fast nor too slow. Exactly how I like it.
Brilliantly written. You can clearly see the hard work behind the making.
Also, I would highly recommend this book to everyone of you who wants to read something different than the usual clichéd Love stories.
May 23, 2016
I will only review the work of Anuj Kumar in the book. The author has stories – So Mad in Love. In the short story the author talks about faith in God. What happens when you lose your trust? Its Not Soothing Every Time is about a psycho lover. The author tried to show the gruesome torture. Known Unknown a one sided affair. In all the stories the author played with the dark side of the character. Somewhere he even succeeded in raising the expectation.
Read the full review here https://rollingstonepictureproduction...
Read the full review here https://rollingstonepictureproduction...
January 29, 2016
Love and other enchantment as its name suggests will give you 15 hues of love from the hands of 5 brilliant writers. I don’t think it is giving you tales but incidents and scenes of life which will prompt reader to weave the story of love in its essential shade! The ride with the book was a wave with its ups and down, stumbles and surprises. Each story will take you to a land of love of its kind! It’s a mixed collection which will please all types of readers. for more .... https://arudhasoul.wordpress.com/2016...
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