October 16

Actual rating- 3.5

*This review was initially published at The Readdicts Book Blog. For more reviews, go here .

It had been a long time since I read a fantasy novel, so when the publishing house TCK Publishing contacted me about The Rules of Enchant Actual rating- 3.5

*This review was initially published at The Readdicts Book Blog. For more reviews, go here .

It had been a long time since I read a fantasy novel, so when the publishing house TCK Publishing contacted me about The Rules of Enchantment, I knew I had to pick it up because the summary sounded quite interesting. While I've been on a break from fiction for quite some time now, I thought it would be difficult for me to get into the book and while it did take me longer than usual to finish it, I must say that the minute I started reading this book, I was immediately drawn into a new world full of magic and madness.

The Rules of Enchantment at its heart is a teacher student romance where Kyler, a scribe, is sent to change the fate of magic under her Master, the sorcerer Leith. While the tension between the two was quite obvious, the romance seemed to be ever so slightly sprinkled here and there. I wouldn't really call this a romance as other than a few sensual scenes, there really wasn't much of a romantic development between Kyler and Leith.

Coming to the plot of the book, it was quite well thought of and written. Author Wendy Tardieu's writing is easy to follow and her storytelling has a very intriguing charm to it. A short read that'll keep the reader wanting to know more, this book is of the perfect length- not too long, not too short, it's just enough to keep the reader curious and solve all their doubts and problems.

Overall, this book was a refreshing change from the books I have been reading recently. I did find it hard to stick to it, and at times, even keep a track of what's going on, but overall, the joy of getting into a new world provided an escape to reality, which pretty much fulfils the purpose of a fictional story. I would recommend this book to someone who wants to get into fantasy. A die hard fan of the genre has definitely read better, but this is a great one for a beginner! ...more

*This review was initially published on The Readdicts Book Blog. For more reviews, go here .

Actual rating: 4.5

When my dear friend and brilliant writer Aniesha Brahma contacted me to read and review an ARC of her latest novel, The Backyard Tales, I *This review was initially published on The Readdicts Book Blog. For more reviews, go here .

Actual rating: 4.5

When my dear friend and brilliant writer Aniesha Brahma contacted me to read and review an ARC of her latest novel, The Backyard Tales, I was quite excited for two main reasons: 1) Aniesha finally had a new book to add to her list of masterpieces and I'm always happy to see all the people I know and look up to do well and succeed in their fields. 2) The Backyard Tales is about animals, another topic Aniesha and I bond over all the time, mainly focusing on cats and dogs. It seemed like a win-win situation in many ways, so I jumped at the opportunity to read another- what I knew before getting to it- was going to be another marvel by Aniesha.

The Backyard Tales is the story of Mia, who rescues cute little Pippo who goes on to become her beloved cat. Pippo is a very smart cat, so even though the street cats keep taunting and troubling him, he stays strong and ventures out once to find out on his own what's going on in his neighbourhood. What Pippo comes across changes the lives of everyone in the story. It's literally a roller coaster ride involving mysterious connections, magical adventures and lots of fun. Pippo's mini owner Mia is just like him, fierce, curious, smart and someone the reader will grow to admire. Together, Mia and Pippo take up the mission of saving the street animals in their neighbourhood.

While I would have loved a more in depth glimpse into the other, magical world portrayed in the book, and I'm hoping a sequel with the same is on its way (hint hint, Aniesha), the way the writer created the normal world was spectacular. Each and every character was meticulously explained and made part of the story. I always tell Aniesha how her characters are the most relatable because they're just like you and me. From the typical Indian home and everything that comes with it to the simple yet strong characters to the magical and amazing story and how all the dots get connected in the end- everything about this book was great.

I would highly recommend The Backyard Tales to young and beginner readers because the book is easy to read and has practically everything that goes into making a good story- great characters, an interesting plot, wonderful storytelling and the best part- talking animals! Above anything else, Aniesha writes really good stories, and that's what we need in the end of the day, always. So do pick this one up- you will not regret it. ...more

June 02

This Heartbreak: A collection of poems by Aditi Mathur Kumar (Goodreads Author)

April 23