Aqson Level I

by Sreejib

Pandora’s Box got stolen from heaven...

She whispered, “How did you get me back?”

“I stole you from heaven,” he replied with a faint smile.

Her answering smile was dazzling.

The oldest game of this world was played for acquisition. It still is.

Lucifer has commenced a game called Aqson, raised the most enigmatic weapon of Nature against Team God and, he has set the Indian Prime Minister’s position as the goal of this game.

Now, a completely unknown species will collide with humans to play a game where losing is not figuratively losing. Angels will rise, politics will surge, identities will perish and familiarities will elude when God raises a counter weapon to try and win Level I of Aqson.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

428 pages, Paperback

Published July 11, 2016

About the author

Sreejib is Koel Ganguli’s pseudonym.

Born and brought up in Kolkata, Koel completed her masters in Mass Communication and got into creative writing.
In spite of being a firm believer in the reality of fantasy, she finds the concept of gods too far fetched and chooses not to believe in it.
She likes to watch videos on carpentry, read fiction, eat rolls and Nutella and fears that religions will cause the ultimate apocalypse, soon.

Reviews

[Archit · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Truth is, THIS IS THE BEST FANTASY BOOK I HAVE ENCOUNTERED THIS YEAR.


Fantasy goes to the stratosphere!

There were many "I-didn't-see-that-coming" moments.

Being a true fan of Greek Mythology, I applaud the author's imagination for putting it up with India's current politics scenarios and making an engaging, delightful and thrilling ride.

India's Prime Minister's seat is the bait for Team Lucifer and Team God that they have to gain in 30 years.

Now, how can a game be played for that long? My questions were the same and they were answered completely.
Concept is incredibly unique and refreshing, something you will not normally see. Each and every character befriends you. You see their journey, their insecurities, feel their power and why they need to win and only win!

I appreciated the fact that how amazingly some students from nowhere, made their name in Indian Student Politics.

The part when Yuvrani visits the mind of her fellow mates! Well, that was something I bet you would not have encountered before.

Sharp, inspiring and to the point language. The moment you read the first few paragraphs, the book starts captivating you, leaving you no options but to complete it, right then, right there.

Soon you face the dilemma of whose side to choose?

Would it be Yuvrani, who has already won your heart and mind since the book took off, being smart and aware of her powers, quality and that she can move mountains or will it be Toya, who is timid, talented yet refuses to accept her identity or not both of them?

Do you really have a choice of not taking sides? What are you to do then?

The ending leaves you with many questions unanswered, with an eagerness of waiting for its second part to publish, that shows the level of thought put up in writing this heartwarming book.

This is a book that Indian lit folks needed!

The best thing you'll like about Aqson Level I is the title of the chapters! (Read the book, Come back to this line and tell me you didn't smile!)

When Toya decides to write someday about her friends, about how things turned up for her, it got me emotional.

Blank Check 5 stars.

[Supratim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank the author’s brother for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The story starts with a meeting in Athens in July 1998. The meeting is not any ordinary one – it is attended by God Almighty and Lucifer Satan along with members of the council. But be advised, in this story God and Lucifer are different from the beliefs in the “human lore” .

Team God and Team Lucifer are engaged in battle, in form of games, to become the guardian of Nature’s creation. Anyway a game, is about to start between the two teams again. The goal of this game is the seat of the Prime Minister of India.

God and Lucifer have selected the angels and their “weapons” who are to be deployed.
Now we come to Delhi, India in 2018. We meet Yuvrani Rathore, the President of NDP, the ruling party of India and her bodyguard Vanraj. Both of them: extraordinary characters.

Then we come to the city of Kolkata and are introduced to four friends: Toya, Ollie, AJ and Goenka- four inseparable friends with very different personalities, who share an apartment and are studying in some of the top universities. A fist-fight with a student union leader escalates into a big trouble and the friends decide to form a student’s political party, PEERS. They are joined by other friends and the party becomes popular enough to come to the notice of powerful political parties. Thus begins the game of politics – schemes, sabotage and whatnot. The friends make enemies – both human and supernatural. But there are angels to watch over them too.

This book is part fantasy and part political thriller. There are thinly veiled references to actual political parties and personalities. The author has also portrayed the social problems and prejudices prevalent India.

I appreciate the author’s imagination, her efforts at creating well fleshed out characters. There are a few cool twists. I enjoyed the humour in the writing too.

The mention of Nonte Phonte and Tenida – two wonderful creations of Bengali children’s literature, was a pleasant surprise. I wonder how many kids nowadays read these.

The cover art and general feel of the book is also nice. Not that it matters much but some publishers often neglect the cover art.

I enjoyed the story, but I found that PEERS rose to popularity a bit too easily. I would have preferred if the author elaborated more on the initial struggles of the party. Some parts or rather events in the book are also too much to digest.

If you want a light read involving elements of fantasy and thriller, then you can give this book a try.

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moments after stumbling across "Aqson Level I" on Goodreads and reading the synopsis I had an uncontrollable urge to find it and purchase a copy right away with the intention of delving into it immediately. It's quite a while since I had these feelings about a book and I then became concerned that due to my eagerness to start it that it would disappoint me - I felt that I had perhaps hyped it up in my mind and the outcome would not be favourable. Ultimately though, it lived up to my extra high expectations and I would even go so far as to say that it is one of my favourite and most engaging reads of the past few years. After searching for a copy to purchase I discovered that it was only available on the Indian version of Amazon and as a result I was kindly provided with a copy by the author.

For some reason a lot of readers fail to give chances to books from smaller indie publishers and self-published authors and stick to the big boys. One of the top reasons I hear repeatedly for this is that the majority of readers presume that the quality will differ massively. Let me tell you, there is nothing farther from the truth - I have found many excellent books this way. I urge more readers to give indie authors/publishers a try as I think many make the decision to just read certain books without trying out the indies at all. They are missing out on so much but the author also misses out because of this and it is usually not related to the quality.

The first big question that arises once the characters have started to develop is - who are you going to support in the game, which team are you? Team God or Team Lucifer? For me, this was a difficult decision as I love all the characters and their traits. The character development takes up a huge part of this first book and meant that long after finishing they were still at the forefront of my mind and in my heart. I adored the Team God members - Dinkey, AJ, Ollie, Goenka and Sky. We meet Sky towards the end of the book and so don't know as much about her as the rest. Dinkey is my favourite. She's an intelligent and forward-thinking individual who means more to her friends than she will ever know. The friendship group including Arpita and Rahul are a close-knit bunch, it's great to see that they are always there for one another. Then there's Yuvrani who is part of Team God. She is tenacious and determined and most importantly, a strong woman. I did like Yuvrani as a character but the group of friends stole my heart early on and they weren't about to let it go!

The book is rather unique in that it is a mix of fantasy and politics. Due to the goal of game these two are intertwined - the goal being to win the seat of Prime Minister of India. I really enjoyed reading a book outside of Western culture and India has always intrigued me. Aqson Level I has made me want to read more by Indian authors and learn more about Indian culture as a whole. I learned a lot about Indian politics which I found extremely interesting and the fantasy aspects combined with the political situation worked perfectly for me. Another aspect that the author was successful with was the humour throughout the book which was universal and broke up some of the more tense scenarios. I laughed out loud a number of times which rarely happens as I am hard to please when it comes to comedy.

One minor issue that I feel inclined to flag up is the overuse of acronyms/initialisms. I had a few problems remembering what they all stood for, it would be easier for the reader to just put each down in full every time or better still, have an index of terms because with an eBook there wasn't a way for me to go back and find that acronym where it was first explained. An index would mean that a reader could check what something stood for if they had a lapse in memory during the book.

So, although it wasn't exactly what I thought it would be like from the synopsis, I loved it just as much, if not more, than I predicted I would. I read the first half in a speedy time but after that I decided to slow down as I realised I didn't want it to end. I know there is a second book planned and all I need to know now is when it's out!

I hope I have been able to do this book justice with my review, It is well worth your time. I recommend it especially to those who like their fantasy with a bit of substance.

I would like to thank Koel Sreejib for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Sidharth Vardhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I believed in the principle of full disclosure, I would have told you that I reviewed this book for the author who is a friend but since I am not a man of principles you will have to figure that out by yourself. To be honest, I was afraid I will lose her friendship as I am not into fantasy novels (Harry Potter, Game of thrones excepted) and would have to rate this book low. Luckily, it became the third exception.

The summary may it look like an uneven circus with mentions of God, Satan (thanks!), angels, politics, students etc but here it is a very entertaining circus. Unlike some of other YA books that screw mythology and call it serious 'retelling'; this one makes no such claims and is just focused on entertaining. The book discusses socio-political issues of its time and place (India towards the end of 2018, yep not-so-distant future). I agree with it on those issues.

One problem with generic fiction is that all characters are supposed to be brilliantly hot, but at least in this case, the author is conscious of the problem and tries to justify it.

My biggest problem with YAish books popular in India these days (Chetan Bhaghat, Durjoy Dutta & co.) Is that their prose is liable to kill one by boredom. This one has no such issues. There is at least one joke in 80% of pages of the book. The characters though not literary-fiction complex are interesting (something else missing in books YA writers).

Anyways all this is technical and intellectual. What I really must tell you is that there is a guy in this book who wears a shirt with caption "68, you owe me one"

Got it?

Of course, you did. The biggest perverts of the world are all my friends.

Anyways, this guy wears this tee-shirt to meet country's prime-minister's daughter and heir-apparent. And, and, and wait for it.... She flirts with him.

If that doesn't get you to read the book, then you might go to heaven for all I care.

*

Some quotes:

" True love will always find its way to a hot weekend in Greece."

"Lucifer doesn’t have any followers. He only has friends." (that is true, I don't believe in hierarchies)

"What?”—Sky looked at AJ in accusation—“You will believe Valmiki ji, whom you have never met, but you will not believe Hollywood, which is right in front of you? If Valmiki ji wrote that monkeys built a bridge of stones on an ocean then, yay, let us all agree that monkeys built a bridge of stones on an ocean. But if Hollywood says that monkeys will take over the world, let’s laugh. Such double standards!”

"As long as I am me, I don’t care who I am"

"I am smart enough to acknowledge that I am not the smartest."

“There is nothing special about being human, Dinkey. Humans are nothing but a measly overpopulated species. They think that the world belongs to them and them alone. They are a species that has no respect for fellow species. A species that has chosen to ignore the fact that they do not own the world, merely share it. A species that could be the very reason why we lose our home, our world, one day."

“Whoever invented marriage was such a romantic,” I said to myself.
“Whoever invented divorce was such a genius,”

"The best thing about power is that it comes with the choice to not exercise it."

[Shaikha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m extremely impressed by this! Wonderfully written, but it’s not my cup of tea.

[Lana *Best left alone with books and snacks* · Rating 4 out of 5]

*The book was generously provided to me by the author's brother in exchange for an honest opinion.*

This would make a great movie! I'd even buy a ticket to the movies to see it. The tug plays between God and Lucifer always fascinated me and the game they're playing in this book is really something else.

So the concept of it is similar to the online games where people are divided in two teams, with team leaders, team colors, missions, rewards and weapons. Many games could be played simultaneously and the ultimate goal is to become the gardian of Nature's creations. The goal for this particular game, Aqson, is for either Team God or team Lucifer to place their player in a chair of the Prime Minister of India and they have 30 years to accomplish that.

It was very interesting to see what kind of political climate rules Indian people as I am not at all familiar with that region's political structure. Student politics playes a massive part in it according to this book and the influences it has on the country as a whole showes a colorful picture.

As for the main characters, I liked them and I didn't. It's like with any group of friends, sometimes you love them but sometimes you want to scream at them in frustration and then it's back to normal. That's how I felt about all of them. Except Sky, she was annoying all the time. I wouldn't mind if each next book was switching POVs because this one was mainly from Toya's perspective and I'd like to know other guys a little better.

The one thing that made me cranky was the overuse of abbreviations. There were too much. I hate when people do that and you have to break your head to figure out what they were talking about. Granted, the author always used the explanation for abbreviations when they were introduced, but still.

I am actually excited to see where the series will go further, it makes me happy that something I was asked to review turned out to actually be good. So, Sreejiib, if you're reading this, I'm game for the next book ;)

Over and out

[Uma | Books.Bags.Burgers · Rating 5 out of 5]

(I received a free print copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.)

BLURB

Pandora's Box got stolen from heaven...
---------------------
She whispered, "How did you get me back?"
"I stole you from heaven," he replied with a faint smile.
Her answering smile was dazzling.
---------------------
The oldest game of this world was played for acquisition. It still is.
Lucifer has commenced a game called Aqson, raised the most enigmatic weapon of Nature against Team God and, he has set the Indian Prime Minister's position as the goal of this game.
Now, a completely unknown species will collide with humans to play a game where losing is not figuratively losing. Angels will rise, politics will surge, identities will perish and familiarities will elude when God raises a counter weapon to try and win Level I of Aqson.

CHARACTERS

Beautifully portrayed well rounded characters! Yuvrani is intelligent, confident and has a presence that is hard to ignore. Like her or hate her but you just cannot ignore her. Toya is my favourite, probably because I can relate well with her. Yuvrani is already there, she's ready and waiting. Toya is just starting out and that makes her relatable to us mortals!

I am completely in love with Goenka, Ollie, AJ and Appy. They are the group of friends any and every girl could ask for. I loved how their personalities mean so much more in the story; how their unique characters gives such a three dimensional look at the plot. Take my word for it, you'll love the characters. It also helps that they are freaking hilarious and can make you look at a serious situation with oodles of humor.

Sky is the absolutely perfect mix of comical, crazy and caring. I personally laughed like a loon at almost every dialogue of hers.

PLOT

It seems so that of late almost all the novels I've been reading have a unique plot-line. Aqson Level 1 is no exception. The plot is brilliant. The author has thought of literally everything. Greek mythology is pretty common with many fantasy novels but this book uses it differently.

There were parts where I wondered OK what does this have to do with the plot? By the end my question had been answered. I loved how everything came together at the end like a jigsaw puzzle. Every single scene in the story plays an important role in the overall plot. Every scene shows the reader something new and vital. But that doesn't mean all the questions are answered at the end! The end leaves you with new questions. It leaves you with wanting to read the next book ASAP.

I believe I looked like this way too many times when I was reading the book-



WRITING

The writing was so much fun. I spent a good amount of time laughing! The seriousness of the story is well mixed with humor. At certain points, Bengali words are used but everything is explained in English.

There were times when I felt there was a tad too much description going on but I think it was mostly because of my impatience of wanting to know what happens next!

The writing is clear and smooth. The story moves at a steady pace; neither skipping stuff nor over-detailing them.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK

- The characters
- The plot
- The humorous take on stuff

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK

-NOTHING (I like everything about this book! )

CONCLUSION

Everyone pick up up the book and read it already! You're missed out on so much. Loved the book and waiting for the sequel!

[♛ Garima ♛]

eBook provided generously by author's brother for review....

[Aishwarya Achu · Rating 5 out of 5]

First thing's first :
This definitely is one of the best book i read in 2016 .. yeay ..

THE PLOT:

The plot is basically set where Team Lucifer and Team God set a game called AQSON, where the goal of the game is set to be the Indian PM’s position. Both team Lucifer and team God has raised weapons to win the game of AQSON. So winning AQSON is the theme of the book.

On the other end there’s politics happening, where a bunch of students from universities join hands to form a student political party called ‘PEERS’ working in unison towards a project called ‘ME’.

Meanwhile team Lucifer makes a counter move and the game AQSON officially begins.

I have kept the plot spoiler free, because the author has taken much effort to make this book a success and by any means I would not spoil that. Adding to that unlike other books people would prefer to read a spoiler free review for such a brilliant plot.

Due to some issues i cannot post the whole review here ... find the link below to the full review ....
Wordpress link

This is the link to my youtube review on Aqson
Youtube Link

In conclusion guys ..... this is a must read, it is so unique and mind blowing

Kuddos to koel for the plot and characterisation, i adore her writing style .

[Faizan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice book.

Read Review: http://www.bookaapi.com/book-review/a...

[Nargis Kalani · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I would like to thank the author for giving me her book to read and write the review for it.

Let me start this review with some positive aspects of this novel. This book was such a different read for me because of its story line and secondly it was based in Bengal which is a part of India. I have never read a book based in India. So naturally this was new for me.
Also, the storyline of this book revolved around politics whether it be human politics or politics between devine beings (angels). All that stuff about student politics was literally intriguing. Again, something new for me read thoroughly and ponder upon while reading.

My feelings while reading this book:
At first when I started reading, I was literally shouting in my head, "What the hell is happening. Its so confusing." The story kept switching between humans and angels. I had difficulty identifying the characters that who was who. So I tried to read patiently because I have this curiosity to read ahead no matter how the story is, i just have to know what happens next.
Then suddenly the story took a drastic turn and I couldn't stop reading. Though in between a voice kept shouting in my head that this story contains so much politics and I don't like politics at all. Oh well, I got double minded as I was hating politics but was curious about it too.
I was a little bit shocked when Job's weapon Life was fully revealed though deep down i suspected the same outcome that was described in the book. I won't give any spoilers. You gotta read the book for uncovering the whole story.

At the end of this review, I just want to say that at some points I felt confused as to when which character was speaking. .
I actually enjoyed reading the book as the story progressed. Kept me so curious until the end.
This story was something new and I am waiting impatiently for the next part to publish.

[Readers Cosmos · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is made more interesting with the political flavoring of some of the lead characters. The book during some phases therefore gives the reader a high like that by Ashwin Sanghi's best book so far "Chanakya's Chant." The writer doesn't stop here and further fuses with it the troubles of youth and the nation as the backdrop, which becomes a great concoction to keep the reader hooked. While retaining her strong hold on the hint of humor that comes flawlessly in her writing she also discusses on the issues prevalent, despite the story being fictional. A lot of her effort goes into character building for this book is just the level one but it serves its purpose, for they remain etched in your memory, a critical component of any series. In summation though the genre is fantasy fiction , the characters are more real and that aids the reader in relating to them instantaneously. The parallel however unlike Sanghi's book is not with past and present of characters and politics but the layers in which the game and the lives of its players effect the outcome. The fate of players in one realm decide the fate of a nation, for the challenge being "who becomes the prime -minster?" has been and will always be of utmost interest in the context of Indian politics.

In summation the writer has chosen a very daring concoction of fantasy base amalgamated with reality and served with a strong political flavor. For any debut writer this is a feat unattainable. The editing though could be better at places but this is superseded by the writers easy flow of language and an effortless addition of humor like icing on top of an already delicious cake. All in all a book series to look forward to from our own nation.
for detailed review refer to
my link text

[Sriti Patra · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of those stories that makes the reader feel as a character of the story itself.
I could read it again and have goosebumps all the same
thankyou @architojha

[Meera Nair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aqson Level 1 is an action packed Indian fantasy fiction that has so many layers to it, it’s a complete feast! God and Lucifer have started a new game, the goal of which is to make their weapon the Prime Minister of India. They launch their angels onto the battlefield to defeat one another and take control of all the weapons that Nature has endowed them with. Toya Mahapatra and her friends were only getting by with their college when an unforeseen incident pulls them into the student politics scene in Kolkata. They soon realize just how influential they have become on a national level. What they fail to realize is that governing humans is but a game to God & Lucifer; unfortunately for them, they’re neck deep in the mess.

FINALLY! An Indian fantasy fiction that has been done right. When I heard about this book, I was extremely enthused at the idea of a fantasy plot being based in India. But this book just blew my expectations away. There’s so much going for it:

~For gamers – The surface level plot being a video game with maps, rules, opponents, weapons etc.
~For fantasy lovers – Mythology, elemental magic, angels.
~For politically inclined – elections, youth politics, strategising.

All of the above are masterfully woven into the multiple plot points that constitute the book. There’s so much more I could list, but I will leave it to you to discover. The author’s writing style is very descriptive, focusing on minute details to give you the complete picture. I liked the fact that some of the speech occurs in Bengali (there’s translation too! so don’t worry about that.) and cultural motifs have been generously sprinkled throughout the novel. In addition to being of fantasy genre, it is also laced with a certain kind of thrill and humor that makes it all the more enjoyable. There were so many mesmerizing moments where I couldn’t believe how intricate and genius the plot points were!! The world building is mind blowing. On the other hand, there were small instances that could have been more convincing. That’s something I felt could have been improved.

Speaking about characters, I downright detested Ollie a.k.a Niyol. He’s a sexist and wouldn’t stop ordering Toya around. The only time I felt remotely proud of him was during a debate (you’ll see what I’m talking about). I was also confused at times by Toya’s personality; she’d have these random outbursts. Arpita and Goenka are the two characters I liked. Arpita is dauntless, open-minded and considerate. Nevertheless, the bond that Toya, Goenka, AJ, Ollie, Rahul and Arpita share is heartwarming to say the least. They are all super protective of each other and find a sense of belonging in their tight knit group, even when things aren’t going right. I would have liked some more scenes with God and Lucifer, the little taste we get in the prologue is just not enough. Overall, I liked this book so so so much. I would recommend it to all of you fiction readers. Just give this one a try, you’ll be left speechless.

Is there a next book? Someone please tell me there’s a second book. I NEED IT ASAP.

What do you get out of it? A very unique outlook on mythology, astral travel and a refreshing glimpse of what youth could contribute to politics.

Thank you Sreejib for sending me a copy of your book in exchange for an honest review.

[Nishita]

First up, I have to state that the author makes politics sound really interesting. I think the trick was in creating some really interesting, unique, and lovable characters. She has a number of protagonists – Yuvrani, Toya, Goenka, Ollie, Appy, AJ, and sundry more characters people her book. But each person is so lovingly described and in such detail that I had no difficulties following their stories, and more importantly, enjoying their political journey.

I especially loved the introduction of a really funny character – Sky late in the novel. Her entry, persona, and dialogues were so unexpected and hilarious, and took the book in such a different and fun direction, that a story that was starting to touch a serious note, suddenly became light and funny again.

So, yes, the author has a real flare for writing excellent characters. She also has a knack of writing humor extremely well. I found myself chortling throughout the story, and even though the main plot – fight between God and Lucifer is deadly serious, the fun was perfectly mixed in to lighten the mood.

Apart from the characters, I also loved the writing. At times, it errs on the side of being too descriptive, making this a rather chunky novel for the story it tells. However, since this book is the first of a series, I think the author was wise in taking the time to set up the plot.

And the plot is pretty good too!

The twists and turns and cunning scheming involved to win the student elections in Kolkata was brilliantly done. And I who don’t really enjoy politics very much, was racing along, really enjoying how this bunch of highly-motivated and brilliant students brought change into the colleges and universities in Kolkata.

Inspiring much?

The book ends with one side winning the first level of the competition (hence the title Aqson Level 1). I am presuming that future books in this series will each deal with a different level of the game. I am also expecting an escalation in the thrills and danger side.

Overall, this book was a fantastically good surprise and I am really looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.

[Vignesh Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this copy from the author for a honest review...

Honestly, I loved this book very much. It is very rare to get a book from Indian authors and with a fantasy element, very very rare. So, I was exhilarated to see how it will be. And damn man! It was so good.

The plot is about a game played by Team God and Team Lucifer with a goal. It was funny to see that the God and Lucifer are not what they seem to be. I really love the characters in it. This is not a plot-driven story. This is a character-driven story told through two POVs, Yuvrani Rathore and Toya Mahapatra predominantly.

I love Yuvrani. She is a powerful character. But my concern is that, her POV is less compared to Toya's. I wanted to read more about her. Other than those two, I love Ollie alias Niyol Bannerjee. He is sweet, caring and sarcastic and funny.

The reason why I docked the last star is that, sometimes, some of the chapters are filler. Just to increase the length of the book and some of the descriptions are lengthy. Other than that, I loved this book.

Can't wait for the sequel!!

[Anirban Ganguly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harry Potter meets Game of Thrones in AQSON LEVEL 1:

Aqson Level 1 was refreshing and amazing at the same time. Refreshing because it dares to tell a story which is so different from the usual stories that we read by Indian authors. Amazing because the author actually pulls it off.
To bring in the concept of angels/ guardianship/ games/ magic and mix it in with real world Indian politics is no mean feat.
The book tells us about a game (AQSON) being played between Team God and Team Lucifer. The goal of this game is to become the Prime Minister of India.
The way Team God raises its counter weapon against Team Lucifer is spell binding. I could not guess that from a mile away.
Have read a of books in my life and this one reminds me of a Harry Potter meets Game of Thrones with a humorous undertone. Buy it folks.
ps: I hope Team Lucifer wins...

[Rishit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this book from the author to review.
It's a book with one of the most decent concept I have read recently. It has got it all-all sorts of funky college students, oldest game of the world, enigmatic weapons, a whole team of God, humanly looking inhumanly creatures, angles, politicians-both good and bad(despite the fact that that in real world there's nothing called 'good' in politics in India).
The main concept is about the world's oldest game which use to be played for acquisition. Today, it has again been started by Lucifer against Team God. The goal is Indian Prime Minister's post. Whoever wins gets his possession on the entire arsenal of weapons. The distribution was not done fairly as Team God got all the weapons while Team Lucifer got only one.
Still, Lucifer was able to steal a weapon from Team God i.e. Pandora box which took the form of Yuvrani in the game on Earth-one of the main character of the story and a young and able leader and politician. She has her father and grand father-two other player of the game in her quest of becoming the Prime Minister.
The concept before the name of the game felt a great deal odd. Something better and logical should have been given as the reason.
God has raised a counter weapon against Lucifer's to win the level one of the game-Life!!
Damn surely, the concept is very fresh and decent. And it was presented equally nicely.
All the characters and events were very amusing. Loved Dinky, her friends and there wonderful college and hostel life. It is equally fun in the real life as well.
The time I started reading the book I was hooked! From the beginning to the end, the story never loses its pace! Its a page turner for sure!! The story never allows the reader's intrest to die!
Overall a must read! Very nice novel!!

[Dipanshu Rawal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was reading Sreejib’s work for the first time. Honestly, I am astounded by her work.

The book is about a game “Aqson”. It’s a fantasy book with a cool plot. First of all, kudos to the author for the plot. God and Satan play the game of Aqson, which is a three decades long game. The game involves weapons. Yes, weapons play an important role, here. Also, politics and mythology are blended wonderfully. The plot is placed in the cities of Delhi and Kolkata. The author has touched a lot of serious issues within the conversations. One particular topic was legalized prostitution.

The characterisation could have been done in a better way. It was okayish, nothing fancy. Apart from this, at times, the details were too much for me. (That’s my personal opinion, though.)

The narration was simple and easy to follow. I am not a fan of fantasy fiction, so I wish the book could’ve been a few pages shorter.

One of the most thought-provoking quotes from the book- “every opposition is a probable alliance.”

[Abhisikta Basu · Rating 5 out of 5]

BRILLIANT!
Read the entire review here👇
https://storyofabooknerd.blogspot.in/...
First of all, kudos to the author for writing this fantasy fiction, that too set in India. I don't remember reading any fantasy fiction book written by an Indian author. Honestly, I couldn't have imagined that any other fantasy fiction books other than 'Harry Potter' and 'The Hunger Games' would be able to create any impact on me. But it did!

Regarding the plot of the story, I would say that the author has woven a mind blowing and amazing plot with an unique and refreshing story line. All the characters are well developed and very much relatable (specially Toya and her group of friends). The novel is very captivating with a lot of twists and turns, making it impossible to put down the book before finishing it.

The writing style of the author is the best part of this book. I spent a good amount of time laughing! It was because of the excellent writing style of the author, that I fell in love with this book so much. Witty dialogues with the right amount of humor was a definite plus point in the book. The author has incorporated many bengali words in the dialogues, and being a bengali myself I could relate so much and couldn't stop laughing. Especially while reading the banter between Ollie and Toya, I couldn't control my laughter. Also, there were many other bengali sentiments that was there in the book with which every residents of kolkata would relate to.

Aqson level 1 is the best fantasy fiction that I have read this year. I didn't even realize how fast I finished this book, and now that the story has ended on such an interesting note with many questions left unanswered, I am eagerly waiting for the second part of the book to release.

All the readers who are a fan of the fantasy fiction genre, would definitely love to read this book.

So what are you waiting for? Grab this book ASAP!

[Dhruv Singhal · Rating 3 out of 5]

For 2018, I have read a fair amount of Indian books. Indian books, not from my TBR, but review copies and trust me, as fun as it seems, it's not. But still, sometimes I find such great, underrated books that surpass my expectations.

One such book for me was Aqson Level 1 by Sreejib which is an action packed Indian fantasy fiction that has so many layers to it, it’s a complete feast! God and Lucifer have started a new game, the goal of which is to make their weapon the Prime Minister of India.

They launch their angels onto the battlefield to defeat one another and take control of all the weapons that Nature has endowed them with. Toya Mahapatra and her friends were only getting by with their college when an unforeseen incident pulls them into the student politics scene in Kolkata. They soon realize just how influential they have become on a national level. What they fail to realize is that governing humans is but a game to God & Lucifer; unfortunately for them, they’re neck deep in the mess.

The story was something different and authentic. The plot has been masterfully woven and well executed but at points, it does get very confusing and frustrating. The story gets rather weak in the middle part and it felt like a filler but still one can overlook that for this is just the first book. Sreejib has taken a fantastic and quite original approach to show Hindu mythology. In addition to being of fantasy genre, it is also laced with a certain kind of thrill and humor that makes it all the more enjoyable. There are thinly veiled references to actual political parties and personalities. The author has also portrayed the social problems and prejudices prevalent India.

There were so many mesmerizing moments where I couldn’t believe how intricate and genius the plot points were! But the world-building aspect stole the entire the show. The world building is mind blowing. On the other hand, there were small instances that could have been more convincing. That’s something I felt could have been improved.

The writing was so much fun. I spent a good amount of time laughing! The seriousness of the story is well mixed with humor. At certain points, Bengali words are used but everything is explained in English. One thing I didn't like was the fact that at some points the author picks up the over-descriptive writing style while at some other points, it gets plain and lucid.

The Characters were a huge disappointment for me. They were not different from other young-adult fantasy books. All of them lacked the basic characteristics, that well developed characters should have. And their appearances and personalities are so similar to each other that sometimes it's hard to tell them apart.

[Bewitchingly Paranoid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a person who loves mythology, politics and in a subtle way drama, this book truly blew my mind. I was so engrossed from the beginning itself, it was physically difficult for me to put down the book. To start with, the book is in a way, a tussle between mythology and politics, and to top it off, it is a fight between God and Lucifer, I loved it. It is one of those action-packed Indian fantasy fiction that has so many layers to it, and at certain points, very hard to believe. Their only goal is to make either of their weapon the next Prime Minister of India.

The author, Sreejib has beautifully written down an interesting as well as a compelling novel which revolves around a game played between God and Lucifer, called Aqson. The way the novel has been put together, Mythology with Politics in the novel is fascinating. The goal of the game is to capture the seat of the Prime Minister of India. Whoever succeeds in capturing it first, wins Aqson. The duration of the game is 30 years. Young and beautiful Yuvrani Rathore from Delhi, who is the president of the ruling party of India, is the human form of Lucifer’s weapon in the game, Pithos. Her guardian angel is Vanraj, who in human form is her body-guard. I mean, could this book be any better!

Talking about the writing style, smooth, plain, simple, fascinating and most importantly, everything goes in a single flow. There were so many minute moments all across the book where I was utterly taken aback by how intricate and genius the plot points could be. This is one of those books that needs to be across every single bookshelf that one can go by. An absolutely brilliant book, I have the Kindle edition but I am definitely getting the paperback edition soon. On my, this is a highly recommended book for every single individual folk!!

[Pratibha Pandey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This.is.awesome.

And that I should have saif in caps !!!
I started this book casually and before I knew I had reached my destination and I hated that I had to stop reading. The plot , the characters , the build up and the twists .. superb !! Can not wait for the next part.

Detailed review on blog : a-lotofpages.com

[Sharanya Misra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yuvrani Rathore. Bold, beautiful, regal, confident and the youngest ever President of NDP, the ruling party of India. Comfortable in her skin and her status, almost as if she were preparing for this her whole life. Toya Mahapatra or ‘Dinkey with an O’ as she is fondly called. Young, quirky, sensitive, caring and intelligent with a great sense of humour. A student in Kolkata who lives to die for her best buddies Ollie, AJ and Goenka. Two very different worlds, one rooted in Indian politics, another simply trying to get through the hiccups of college life. What could possibly make these two worlds collide? A mere coincidence? A simple act of providence? Or are they pawns in a much larger game that threatens to wreak havoc on all their lives?
Aqson (Leve I) is a book that impresses on several fronts. Seemingly categorised as fantasy at the outset, this book gradually evolves into a story with many faces. Swaying between the sobriety of political drama and the wonderfully fun and complicated lives of teenage college goers, Aqson has a little something to please readers of all ages and interests. Author Koel Ganguly, who goes by the pseudonym Sreejib in memory of her late husband, is a superb writer, adept at keeping her reader hooked and intrigued! Her style is impeccable, blending in all the genres almost effortlessly in a story that has subtle hints oozing all over, yet cleverly keeps the bigger surprises just out of reach till the very end!
Toya Mahapatra’s narration is delightfully full of wit and a refreshing, sarcastic sense of humour. The relationships the story harbours – the love these kids have for their parents, their protective instincts as they look out for each other, the night time discussions on the rooftop and the mealtimes at a grandparent’s place – are so lucid that they evoke reminiscence of the days and friends that were, a breeze of wistfulness as it were. Yuvrani on the other hand, is an epitome of grace and power, her words and actions while apparently straightforward on the outside, always leave you with the feeling of something deeper and mystic lurking underneath. The contrast in the characters and their thoughts makes one realise how superbly well-developed the protagonists are.
My personal favourites were what I perceive to be glimpses of the author’s own traits in her story. For example, her love for Bengali food evident in “we were busy gobbling this yummy meal of rice, dal, aloo-posto and pomfret curry”. Or, her (and my) palpable love for books in “Antique carved wooden bookshelves ran along the walls of this very large room. Pristine, leather-bound books stood neatly lined…in their identical leather covers…Royal blur carpet covered the floor”. Her own words of wisdom such as “I advocate financial independence of every human being, irrespective of their sec, but it cannot be a medium to earn respect. What if a person fails to make money for some unavoidable circumstances? That person doesn’t deserve respect?”. And finally, her stomach clutching floor rolling inducing sense of humour – “The way Appy was stuck on that egg. I doubt any of us would ever be able to have one ourselves. I saw this as our official goodbye to egg” or “Oh Jesus! What is this stupid fellow trying to do, Mrs. Demello screeched…Ramnarayan hurriedly scrambled to her feet and grabbd them..Blessh me Ma, Ma-go”!!
All in all, Aqson (Level I) is a brilliant book and a great read! Do grab yourself a copy. I can’t wait for Level II already!!

[Hastha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Aqson level 1
Author: Sreejib
Genre: Urban Fantasy


STORYLINE :

When the two most valiant angels battles for a guardianship it became impossible to decide who was better hence the game was introduced. The goal is to acquire the position of the Indian Prime Minister within the next thirty years. Whoever wins the game becomes the guardian of Nature's creations. The colour Aqua represents team Lucifer and the colour Crimson represents team God, hence arose the name of the game "Aqson".

Both the teams have their respective guardian angels and weapons. The most powerful weapon in the game was EKAM. Pithos (Yuvrani Rathore) was the Ekam of team Lucifer. She's the president of the ruling party NDP (National Democratic Party) and her guardian angel was Vanraj. Life was the EKAM of team God. And it's guardian angel was Zoe Job.

An angel can shape it's a weapon as per its wish. So Job designed it's a weapon in such a way that he can hide it from the game's map Eido-Energeia. Yuvrani Rathore and Vanraj were set on to find out their rival. On the other hand, Toya, Goenka, Niyol, AJ, Appy, Rahul, a group of college students were gaining attention nationally and internationally by establishing their Students Political Party in West Bengal.

Yuvrani sensed something unusual about them and their growing popularity.

Would Life be one among them?

Would Yuvrani and Vanraj be able to find who Life is?

Read the book to know!

MY OPINION:

"Aqson - level 1" by Sreejib is an urban fantasy with a mix of a political thriller. The author had woven such a unique yet intricate plot with utmost excellence. I usually don't prefer fantasy to read as I always found it harder to imagine the scenes, but the vivid descriptions in this book make it way easier to visualise the characters. I was thrilled by the entry of Lucifer and later on by Karna as well as Job. I should say that the character development was at its best. Each and every character portrayed in this book is so real that we could easily connect with. There are a lot and lots of humour-filled in this book and for his hilarious nature, I became a fan of Niyol (ollie). You will enjoy his comical side throughout the book. Though I doubt the practical possibilities of ME (Materializing Education), I really liked the concept.

The language is simple and very easy to understand. However, the book has one con. I found the narration often switch over from the first person to third person narrative and that too in the same chapter. It was very much confusing at the initial stage that it made me go back to the previous chapter to make sure who was narrating. It would have been better if the author had added the name of the narrator at the top of the chapter. Apart from that, it's a great read! I'm eagerly waiting for "Aqson - level 2"

My rating: 4/5

[Siri S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Name: Aqson Level 1
Author: Sreejib is Koel Ganguli’s pseudonym
Publisher: Leadstart Publishing Pvt Ltd
Total Pages: 427 Pages
Edition: First edition
Genre: Fiction- Fantasy, Young Adult, Asia Literature, Humor
Source: Readers Cosmos
Format: Available in both Kindle and Paperback
Book Blurb:

"“Slowly, she sauntered towards Toya, stopped a few feet away, looked into Toya’s eyes, and roared. It was an ear-splitting, feet-numbing, rib-shaking roar that promised death. This was the end of her, Toya knew. This was how she would die. In this unknown museum at the hands of this Olympian lioness, and, she would never be found again.”
***

When it became impossible to choose between God and Satan, angels decided to play games. Games that would help them pick the guardian angel of this world. Every warrior angel got divided into two teams, Team God and Team Lucifer. Strict rules were implemented, an unusual map was designed and a council was set up to administer these games.

Satan has commenced one such game called Aqson, and set the Indian Prime Minister’s position as the goal of this game.
Now, a completely unknown species will collide with humans to play a game where losing is not figurative. Angels will stoop to enter the grunge of Indian politics. A grey eyed lioness will stop at nothing. And, a group of young boys and girls will be forced to rise above their identity to play and win Level 1 of Aqson.
My Take:

First let me tell you what my feelings right now are, I m hell bent shocked like what this is the ending! Oh no no this can’t be it, Please no. This book is going to teach me patients you know how by waiting for Level 2 or second book. And I did not even realise when I was at last page.

Now I will tell you what the book is all about, Aqson is a Indian Fantasy fiction. Where Aqson is the name of the game between team Lucifer and team God, where the goal is to become the Prime Minister of Inida, Yes you read it correct. The story starts with the meeting in Athens in July 1998. The meeting is between God almighty and Lucifer Satan with members of council.

The story takes a leap of 20years, in Delhi, India. We meet Yuvrani Rathore , the president of NDP, and her bodyguard Vanraj. Both are v strong characters.

Then we come to the city of Kolkata and are introduced to the life of Toya Mahapatra and her friends Ollie, AJ and Goenka. Who live together in an apartment and are inseparable, though they are v different personality wise. They all are students in top universities. After certain events they join student politics and their popularity grow nationwide.

And now you may be thinking why am I in the world talking about Yuvrani Rathore and Toya & her friends, When the fight was between God and Lucifer. Because they are the weapons of the game through whom God and Lucifer are playing. I m not going to reveal much here because, that is gonna be a spoiler then, you got to read it by yourself and enjoy it. But I can give you a hint here that they are not what they seem to be- it’s a fantasy guys so keep thinking or go grab the book and read it.

I can see this book becoming a great movie and people dividing into teams of Lucifer and God . And I actually felt like I was watching some great movie like Transformers, Avengers.

And I am sailing ships here, there is no romance but still I m already sailing it. I m not giving you who it is though ;-)

There is so much in this book that have been discussed, topic s like Legalizing prostitution , Human empowerment etc. And it’s not only serious but also humour. I was laughing like a maniac while reading this one. There are many wow moments in the book. The places has been described very beautifully with giving you idea of what’s best there.

India needs such Authors I’ll shout harder, it’s that good you can guess it.
What I loved in this book?

Theme: I just loved the concept of LIFE and its parts, and game or war in such a way that it’s in the favor of nature.

Quotes:- Here comes never ending list

“When your words are significant and limited, people listen to you. Beause anything that is significant and limited is valuable.”

“Support your opposition when they do something right, because every opposition is a probable alliance.”

Their is something I want to tell you. I have meant to say this for a while now, but I guess now is always the right time

I Stammer because I deserve more time and attention from my listeners. And That makes everything I say extremely important

Stammering is not humiliating. Thinking that stammering is humiliating is humiliating.

You don’t know a thing about me or my little life. Do not assume that you know more. In fact, your assumption of your knowledge being more than mine is the very proof of your ignorance!

We were part of a puzzle, and without him, my existence would be useless.

You can never fail as long as you appear for the exam. Appearing for exam by itself is an achievement. Yes, you may or may not clear the exam, but that’s not failing

Privileges have their own dues.

Structure of a mind depended on three factors- composition of the heart, composition of brain, com0pilation of experiences (conscious, sub-conscious and unconscious)

When you start something for others, you lose your choice to stop without seeing through.

Never attack your adversary without knowing its full adequacy.

Never let go of a meek foe; it will return mightier

You are way more precious than you can ever imagine

People who protect are way more precious than the people they protect

The best thing about power is that it comes with the choice to not exercise it.

You are beautiful to look at and refreshing to talk to. An extremely rare combination

Whoever invented marriage was such a romantic

Whoever invented divorce was a such a genius.

The problem with truth, it varies from person to person. Lie on the other hand, is universal

Story:

Its great story where they are fighting for good and I love how it has been narrated. All detailing its wow (places, people and their clothes with surrounding)

Characters: Goenka I wish he was for real. And Politician like Rajesh Kamdar
What I did not like?

That there is so less appearance Lucifer and God. I want to read more about them. Plus I want to see how the face off the weapons will be.

WhatsApp Image 2018-03-27 at 3.12.31 PM
Verdict: I am in Love with the book. Can’t wait for book II. Definite recommendation for fantasy, humour, friends, mythology lovers. Any age group can read this and can enjoy it. She has written it so well that even I understood politics.
My Rating:

Title: 5/5 – Perfect name

Cover: 4/5 Can seriously do better

Blurb: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Presentation: 5/5

Overall Rating: 5/5

[Sumith Chowdhury · Rating 5 out of 5]

First & foremost I've to mention that my review is going to be long. Now now, don't get upset because the things I'm going to mention in detail is definitely gonna help the readers attain perfection, salvation & seek resolution. One thing that comes to my mind after finishing this book is 'Hollywood.' The will definitely turn out to be a good Hollywood movie. Trust me on this, very few books resonate with the experience with gives you a feeling that lingers in your throat & mind the moment you reach midway across the book.
I felt the same way while reading this. Though a fiction, there have been lots of traces that leads to stark reality accompanied with deep research & explanations.

The way it has been written & the climax which gives a feeling that, the story will make a refined series will undoubtedly touch your hearts.
Moreover, the humor content adds exuberance to the overall book.

Cover is enthralling. It's beautiful, refined & well defined with the plot at hand. The lioness picturesque clearly explains the fantasy & dream aspects that are going to be presented in the book. The soft touch adds another feather to the cap.
At first, the title maynot sound appealing to the ears, but trust me folks never judge a book by its title. Just like the folklore goes, 'never judge a book by its cover.'
The similarity goes undefined in this context as well.

The title goes in apt with the story in hand, well defined with the story written in detail, the explanations given across every segment of the book. Even the minutest detail has been explained with the figment of imagination satiating the curiosity of the readers goes in par excellence of the mature writing exhibited in this book. The uniqueness of the book lies in the chapters. The names of the chapters have striking resemblance to Hollywood movies or famous folklores, which makes it all the more interesting & easy to finish.

Theme consists of gameplay, politics, mystery, suspense, copious amount of humour, change in society, friendship, love, happiness, joy, sadness all inhibited with many other aspects making this book a complete surprise to the new readers.

Story consists of a couple of friends who wish to bring change to the society via politics by contesting elections for the students. These friends mean the world to each other. Fate brought them under strange circumstances when never in their wildest dreams they decided to opt for politics. However, reason being the same the never-ending zeel to bring happiness to others, freeing them from the clutches of evil.
Little did they knew their lives are gonna change because they've been living in an illusion. Because things are not always what we perceive themselves to be. What came next was beyond their feeble imagination.

The book talks about a mysterious mystical game. A battle between angels & demons, God & Satan himself, good versus evil, heaven versus hell and so on.
All in the pretext of a common goal to be achieved at a set duration of time. The game may very well change the fate of the world, as it lies in the mere pawns of the game created by nature itself. The embodiment & manifestation of weapons talked about is what makes it all the more interesting to read!

Language is excellent. The choice of words, vocabulary selected in contemporary & in conjunction with the setting. Bengali people are going to love it as its a feast to them, pleasing words of the native dialect have been used (needless to say with proper explanations). Some touches of American, Britain accent has been retained in some places.

Next comes narration, now here I'm succumbed to loss of words. No words can define the amount of depth, perseverance, research, patience has been entailed in this book that compels the readers to go to the very end to know what happens. The plethora of pain that has been taken to narrate such long epic tale is riveting, retelling & making the readers realise the true meaning of life is worth commending upon. No less that I expect from a debut book to make such an impression & leave such foretelling remark on the mind & soul.
A slight warning : the sense of humour added in the form of a pinch of salt is gonna make you cry in tears. Jokes well laid & innovatively presented in gonna make you laugh till the end. The sheer power employed to contain it makes me smile. Well jokes apart, you'll love it. Just go for it. It took me long enough to finish it because its such a vast book.

If you're a fiction lover, sci-fi reader, one who loves being an otaku, watches anime then you're simply in for a treat of a lifetime. For rts (real-time strategy) gamers & role-playing gamers, this is a must.
Procrastination of the sequel is a sheer torture.
It is a sheer pain to be kept waiting for the next one!
The writer should be tortured and jailed for keeping the readers waiting for second part.
The anticlimactic ending was well anticipated for a sequel to come in the distant future.
Just go for it!

[Sonali Dabade · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Honest rating: 3.5]

The reason I found this book absolutely interesting is the title and the book cover. But after finishing the book, I’m split about my thoughts on it.

'Aqson Level 1' has been written by Koel Ganguli under the pseudonym, Sreejib. She uses this name because it is her late husband’s name. And despite my reservations about how the story has been written, I still feel that she has done a commendable job in bringing the story together.

Aqson Level 1 has extensive descriptions, which I usually like to a certain extent. But when the narrative begins to use the mathematical transitive property, it becomes repetitive and too descriptive for its own good. “I liked him. He liked her. So I liked her.” And the like. This sort of description is sprinkled across the book, a little annoying sometimes.

In some places, it sounds like a child wrote this, as if the author forgot a particular detail and decided to add it as an afterthought in the basic descriptions later on. At some other times, it sounds like the author is trying too hard to be cool, be it with the language or the slang used in there. I try not to be judgmental about it because the rest is good and engaging enough.

But come to think of it, the number of things I like about it is a tad higher than the number of things I don’t like. It’s a close call. And maybe because of this, I am so confused about whether or not I actually completely like Aqson Level 1. I either laugh out loud and love the book or shake my head in mild annoyance. There’s no in between.

I like how the name Aqson is born and how it takes precedence to the point where the book is named after it. Of course, since the entire plot is what Aqson is, it shouldn’t be surprising. I also like how the Gods are cleverly woven into the plot. These are all players in the larger perspective – not getting human lore into the picture. After all, human lore is just that – lore that us humans have created to help us feel good about ourselves.

God and Lucifer are actual friends. No enmity between them other than a healthy competitiveness that is evident in their interaction. While God is the silent spectator who occasionally reacts, Lucifer is the naughty one, doling out wisecracks from second to second. When you read through this part, you’ll find it to be too familiar to what you know about them.

The biggest part of the book that I liked was the humor and the sarcasm. It is actually funny in a lot of places. It isn’t rolling-on-the-floor laughter, but short, spasmodic giggles. Kind of like Toya suppresses her laughter. I liked the humorous parts a lot, more than I liked the connect the dots project that the author has played so well in the narrative. Of course, any author who uses the Oxford comma has my full attention. And when it’s an Indian author, my heart just bursts with happiness.

On the whole, I’d been very excited to read 'Aqson Level 1', but despite all the positives and because of the confusion, I feel a little let down. Of course, this could also be because celebrity names were brought into the picture and this didn’t sit well with the narrative to the point where it seemed to seem like a more teenage fangirl type of story. But the best way forward, I recognized, was to go ahead with the overall plot rather than focus on details like this.

All in all, I’d say that 'Aqson Level 1' is an engaging read, thanks to the humor and the truth about the Indian political scene that it shows us. Temper tantrums can’t get us our way with a Chief Minister, but other than that, the political scene it talks about is pretty bang on.

For me, 'Aqson Level 1' is a one-time read, though I know I’m waiting for the next instalment to come out as soon as possible.

[Chetana Thakur Chakraborty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aqson Level 1' by Sreejib is undoubtedly one of the best urban fantasy books I have ever read. As a reader, I was completely blown away by the book. I mean, it's brilliant! The book is a delight to read. I just cannot express in words how much I loved and enjoyed reading the book.

The author has penned an absolutely interesting as well as compelling novel which revolves around a mighty game, Aqson played between God and Lucifer. The way the author has compiled Mythology with Politics in the novel is intriguing. The goal of the game is to capture the seat of the Prime Minister of India. Whoever succeeds in capturing it first, wins Aqson. The duration of the game is 30 years. Young and beautiful Yuvrani Rathore from Delhi, who is the president of the ruling party of India, is the human form of Lucifer's weapon in the game, Pithos. Her guardian angel is Vanraj, who in human form is her body-guard. However, God has not actively participated in the game for the last 20 years. Job is the guardian angel of Life, God's weapon. But Life has not been activated in the game yet. So, who is Life? And where is Life?

Also, simultaneously in the story, the readers are introduced to four 'dear and best buddies' Toya, Ollie, AJ and Goenka in Kolkata. Certain circumstances in their lives lead them to the creation of a students' political organisation, PEERS, along with their two other childhood friends, Appy and Rahul. The beautiful bond between them makes the readers crave for such a bright and tight friendship. Will they be successful in the political field? How will their political journey be? To find out more about them, you have to read the book.

All the characters are well developed and relatable enough. The author has done a commendable job in constructing the plot. She has intricately woven the plot with suspense which makes the book full of surprises. Each twist and turn in the plot is unpredictable. Also, apt use of humour and emotion makes the story all the more interesting. Witty dialogues is another plus point of the novel. The book definitely has a touch of uniqueness in it. It is written in simple and lucid language. The vivid descriptions of each of the events that are taking place in the novel paint a moving picture in front of our eyes. It is as if we can visualize each and every scene. The book is simply unputdownable.

I am totally awed by the greatness of the book and am eagerly waiting to read the next part of it.
I adore the author's excellent writing skills. I felt so good after reading it. We, the Indian readers, need more such books. It is a must-read for everyone. If you haven't yet read this book, you must. Trust me, you will not regret reading it.

P.S.: I loved the cover art. It's so beautiful!

[Sheetal Maurya - Godse (Halo of Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Team Lucifer (Satan) and team god form to play the game of Aqson. Both the team has different weapons and angels to protect them. The goal of this game is to become the prime minister of India within 30 years. Whoever, able to do this earlier will own all the weapons and become the guardian angel of this world.

The game of this rule is very strict and to monitor the progress Eido-energeia map is created.

On the other side, Yuvrani Rathore is the youngest and impressive future leader of the country. She is the beautiful and the most talented girl you have ever seen. His father is already an established politician and she is confident that she is going to be next prime minister of the country.

Apart from these serious talks, there is a story of four roommates cum friends, Aj, Goenka, Ollie, and Toya, who lives together. They all have a very good bond. They have many other friends few among them are Rahul, Arpita, and Sid. They were living a careful life until Goenka, the band leader of regency college caught into the fight with another student political member.

The fight led all the friends to reform the Kolkata student politics and they formed their own party named as ‘PEERS’. All of them did their best to come up with the program named as ‘ME’. Slowly this project gained reputation thus their political party.

However, there is no doubt that the reputation always brings danger. Hence the established political party tried to influence PEERS but they wisely countered them making PEERS more famous.

While all this, Team Lucifer is planning an attack on the weapons of Team God. However, there are many preparations remaining for the Team God.

Without giving any spoilers I request you to read this super adventurous book, to know more about weapons and how this game is going to play.

Writing style:

The author won in it. She has flawlessly written this book. The section written from the POV of Toya is simply creative and hilarious. Many a time, I burst out laughing while reading (even on the train). The language is very simple which hooks you till the last.

My perception:

This book is so alive. The characters of Toya, Aj, Goenka, Ollie, Rahul, Appy and Sid is so amazing that throughout the book I felt connected to them. The concept of this book is novel and the way author has created Aqson game, wins everything. The merging of mythological concept with the fantasy is superbly done by the author. She has taken the current scenario of Indian politics and amusingly shaped it into a game. I loved that part when Yuvrani went in the mind of PEERS members, I bet you must not have read something like that before. Overall, this book is must read for every adventure lover. Do not miss it!