Review: Madhuleena

Name -Madhuleena

Author -Dr. Govind Sharma IAS(Retd.)

Pages -144

Publisher -Notion Press

Genre -Crime Fiction, Contemporary romance

Rating -5/5

Review no. -41

Synopsis -

Set in the fictional town of Rajapur, this is a unique unputdownable read.
The more desperate the situation in life, the more one wants an escape into fantasy. Call it a desire of the moth for the star, or the longing of a tormented soul for the drop of honey. Aakash, a bank theft accused, is so smitten by the ravishing beauty of Madhuleena that he forgets that he has to run away from the law. Meanwhile, the police officials get over-worked investigating the complaints that some rich and influential persons are honey-trapped by young and ambitious girls.

Review -

'Madhuleena' is a fast-paced, gripping tale of love, drama, crime and betrayal, set in the fictional town of Rajapur in which two stories run parallel to each other. The first story is of Akash who has been wrongly accused of stealing an humongous sum of money and is on the run to evade the police. Akash has a troubled past in which he used to be a petty criminal. One day, he meets Madhuleena and is immediately smitten by her breathtaking beauty which sets him on a completely different track.

The other story is of Dr. Chawla who was honey-trapped by a girl named Sonali and had to endure three months of jail even after paying her a hefty sum of one crore rupees. These two stories are connected and how they are connected forms the rest of the story.

The plot mainly revolves around the term -"honey-trap". The language is lucid and the plot is realistic despite its unique theme. The unravels in a simple yet elegant manner and is full of unexpected twists & turns and some deep messages too. I especially fell in love with the climax as it was totally unexpected and surprising. I also liked the brother-sister relationship between Akash and Mithi and how Akash at one point of time, had to choose between sister's future and his pure love for Madhuleena.

I highly recommend this novel, especially for fans of contemporary romance. I thank Govind Sharma sir for giving me this amazing opportunity to read and review this spectacular novel. All opinions are my own.

Click here to buy the book from Amazon.

Click here to buy the book from Flipkart.

Click here to buy the book from Notion Press.

Review: The Silver Arrow

Name -The Silver Arrow

Duration -3 hrs 51 mins

Author -Lev Grossman

Narrated by -Simon Vance

Publisher -Hachette Audio

Genre -Children's Fiction, Fantasy

Rating -4.5/5

ISBN -9781549158506

Source -NetGalley

Review no. -40

Synopsis -

From the number-one New York Times best-selling author of The Magicians comes a must-listen, wholly original middle-grade debut perfect for fans of The Chronicles of Narnia and Roald Dahl.

Dear Uncle Herbert,

You've never met me, but I'm your niece Kate, and since it is my birthday tomorrow and you are super-rich could you please send me a present?

Kate and her younger brother, Tom, lead dull, uninteresting lives. And if their dull, uninteresting parents are anything to go by, they don't have much to look forward to. Why can't Kate have thrilling adventures and save the world the way people do in books? Even her 11th birthday is shaping up to be mundane - that is, until her mysterious and highly irresponsible Uncle Herbert, whom she's never even met before, surprises her with the most unexpected, exhilarating, inappropriate birthday present of all time: a colossal steam locomotive called the Silver Arrow. 

Kate and Tom's parents want to send it right back where it came from. But Kate and Tom have other ideas - and so does the Silver Arrow - and soon they're off to distant lands along magical rail lines in the company of an assortment of exotic animals who, it turns out, can talk. With only curiosity, excitement, their own resourcefulness and the thrill of the unknown to guide them, Kate and Tom are on the adventure of a lifetime...and who knows? They just might end up saving the world after all. 

This thrilling fantasy adventure will not only entertain young listeners, but inspire them to see the beautiful, exciting, and precious world around them with new eyes.

Review -

The Silver Arrow is a fun, exhilarating, fast-paced, magical tale narrated wonderfully by Simon Vance. The story follows Kate, who on her eleventh birthday receives a life-sized steam engine named 'The Silver Arrow' as a birthday gift from a crazy rich uncle she barely knows. Soon, Kate and her annoying brother Tom find themselves in a mind-blowing adventure aboard the Silver Arrow with walking-talking animals to keep them company. And on their way, Kate and Tom uncover some bitter truths about life as well.

The narration was gripping and wonderful, especially the 'Click, BING' part which denotes that the train is communicating with Kate and Tom. I used to hate audiobooks. I tried listening to one about a year ago and I had a really bitter experience. But now I feel that they are not so bad after all  (in fact I felt really satisfied with this one) and I have decided to give it another try.

The writing was lucid but also elegant and eye-opening. There is this scene in particular, which was exceptionally well written- in which Kate and the others magically transform into trees. This book would be fabulous for children because its easy-understandable and teaches them certain values such as being responsible and how to get past the sibling-rivalry. I also love the way that the author introduces the reader (or listener) to bitter and sad facts such as climate change/global warming, deforestation, endangering animals and extinction of certain species, change in migration patterns etc., thus inspiring the reader/listener to do something about it.

I highly recommend this book not only for children but for everybody in general because this is the kind of story in which you could get lost but at the end, you would come out with a better understanding of the world around you.

I thank NetGalley and Hachette Audio for giving me this wonderful opportunity to review this book.

Guest Post: Review: The Elementalists

Name - The Elementalists

Author - Chelsa Lauderdale

Publisher – Choices: Stories You Play (Mobile App)

Genre - YA Fantasy

Rating - 5/5

 

In the world of interactive stories that you can enjoy on your smartphone/tablet, ‘The Elementalists’ is probably the best book I have experienced so far. If you are a diehard Harry Potter fan like me, you will surely relish the opportunity to virtually position yourself in the shoes of someone with magical powers. The best thing is that the main character can be a boy or girl, so everyone can indulge in this fantastical tale. You can customize your character physically and even shape their personality with the choices you make as the story proceeds. You get a twin sibling and a bunch of amazing friends on this magical journey. You shall use your powers to vanquish foes, save the world from evil forces, heal personal injuries, spread sunshine, and occasionally for some worldly gains.

 

You are not a witch or wizard in this book. The writer, Chelsa Lauderdale, pens the term ‘Attuned’ for the humans with supernatural capabilities. Every attuned has an ‘attunement’, which is basically the source of their powers. Attunement is linked to different elements around us, namely, Earth, Fire, Air, Water, Wood, Metal, Sun, Moon, and Blood. Sun, Moon, and Blood are the most influential attunements, and playing the lead role you may expect to channel at least one of them. You and your twin were separated at birth, and raised by different foster parents. At the beginning of the story, you know nothing about your real parents, your twin sibling, or the magic within you. You are living the life of an average young adult who just started college.

 

Somehow, you do feel like a misfit and then one day you are abruptly teleported to ‘Penderghast’ i.e. the college for Attuned. At first, you are confused, but later you realize that this was where you were meant to be. Your first interaction at Penderghast is with a guy named Griffin, who is warm and welcoming. He shows you around after introducing you to the alien setting. You also encounter the uptight and snobbish ‘Beckett’, who later becomes part of your clique; he will tend to bring out your competitive side. If you play as a girl, your roommate will be ‘Miss Shreya’, who is among the elite of the Attuned world; she will also repeatedly attempt to become your personal stylist. Then there’s the fun-loving Zeph, the kind hearted Aster, and your rebellious twin, named Atlas. As in other interactive stories of ‘Choices’ you can choose to romance any of your friends, except Zeph who is asexual. On the contrary, you can keep it friendly, or hit it off with all of them if that’s your style.

 

Throughout the chapters, you will be learning different spells; the more spells you know, the better you are prepared to perform in battle and defend yourself during confrontations with the antagonists. The elementalists harness their powers through their mind and soul, i.e. wands are not a fad. You can also select a magical pet, referred to as a ‘Familiar’ who will protect you in dire situations. The choices for a pet include three creatures, resembling a puppy, seahorse, and a toad. Your familiar is useful for ‘companion magic’, and their powers grow alongside yours. Apart from that, you can savor several enchanted college experiences, which are bound to make you smile. I won’t reveal further details, because it will definitely spoil the suspense.

 

Choices has released two books in The Elementalists series to date, and there’s also an additional mini book celebrating the Attuned winter holiday. Hopefully, there will be a third book, but you can make some great memories with the former till then.

 

Author Bio

John Adams loves travelling, reading, and writing. He encourages his readers to improve their quality of life by incorporating positive thoughts and actions. Blogging about personal opinions and life experiences makes him happy, and he is always open to constructive criticism.

Tor Teen's #OwnYourMagic Phone Wallpapers

Tor Teen made a wonderful announcement on Instagram yesterday that they have released wallpaper's inspired from their six new fantasies for the Own Your Magic celebrations. Click here to visit tor teen website and download the amazing wallpapers. I personally downloaded these four:

I had previously reviewed 'A Song Below Water' back in April and I absolutely adored that book Click here to read my review of 'A Song Below Water'.

I also downloaded wallpapers of 'The Princess Will Save You' and 'The Extraordinaries' because they are next up in my TBR.

Review: The Angel of the Crows

Name -The Angel of the Crows

Pages -448

Author -Katherine Addison

Publisher -Macmillan/Tor-Forge

Genre -Historical Fantasy, Mystery

Rating -3.5/5

ISBN -9780765387394

Source -NetGalley

Review no. -39

Synopsis -

This is not the story you think it is. These are not the characters you think they are. This is not the book you are expecting.

In an alternate 1880s London, angels inhabit every public building, and vampires and werewolves walk the streets with human beings in a well-regulated truce. A fantastic utopia, except for a few things: Angels can Fall, and that Fall is like a nuclear bomb in both the physical and metaphysical worlds. And human beings remain human, with all their kindness and greed and passions and murderous intent.

Jack the Ripper stalks the streets of this London too. But this London has an Angel. The Angel of the Crows.

Review -

The Angel of the Crows is a wingfic (fan fiction which imagines one character with wings) of Sherlock Holmes with a supernatural twist where Sherlock (Crow) is an angel and Dr. Watson (Dr. Doyle) is a hell-hound.

Crow is an angel with only a piece of his habitat in his pocket because if angels loose their habitat entirely, they fall. And this fall is like when a dead bird falls off a tree. Instead, it is more like a nuclear bomb.

One such fall of an angel while tending to soldiers in Afghan, injures Dr. Doyle's leg and changes him into a hellhound. So, Dr. J. H. Doyle has no other option than to go back to London and live on his measly pension.

Unlike most of the historical fantasy novels, the language is lucid and easy to understand. The whole story is said through Dr. Doyle's perspective. The novel is divided into nine parts, each of which is based upon a new mystery/case. And some of these cases are pretty well-known, like 'The Hound of Baskerville', 'The Sign of the Four' etc. I love the way that the Whitechapel Murders and Jack the Ripper mystery were added to the story. I also admire the friendship bond between Crow and Dr. Doyle.

One of the major reason for giving this book a 3/5 is that the stories are just too predictable and familiar because storylines are exactly similar the original Sherlock Holmes except for the supernatural twists and Jack the Ripper part. I last read Sherlock Holmes two year ago but I was still able to predict at least seventy per cent of the mysteries. None of the names are changed except for Crow (Sherlock) and Dr. Doyle (Dr. Watson). I also felt that the whole system of the angels was very confusing and blurry.

Overall, the novel is engaging, entertaining and a wonderful retelling of Sherlock Holmes. I strongly recommend this book to all the Sherlock fans because although the novel is heavily based on it, the author has done justice by adding supernatural elements and plot twists here and there.

I thank NetGalley and Macmillan/Tor-Forge for giving me this wonderful opportunity to review this book. Also, this book has added 'The Goblin Emperor' (Katherine Addison's previous book) to my ever-growing list of TBR.

Review: A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians

Name -A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians

Pages -544

Author -H. G. Parry

Publisher -Orbit Books

Genre -Historical Fantasy, Politics

Rating -4/5

ISBN -9780356514703

Source -NetGalley

Review no. -38

Synopsis -

It is the Age of Enlightenment -- of new and magical political movements, from the necromancer Robespierre calling for revolution in France to the weather mage Toussaint L'Ouverture leading the slaves of Haiti in their fight for freedom, to the bold new Prime Minister William Pitt weighing the legalization of magic amongst commoners in Britain and abolition throughout its colonies overseas.

But amidst all of the upheaval of the enlightened world, there is an unknown force inciting all of human civilisation into violent conflict. And it will require the combined efforts of revolutionaries, magicians, and abolitionists to unmask this hidden enemy before the whole world falls to chaos.

Review-

Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, or to be precise, the Age of Enlightenment (1979-1994), 'A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians' is a sweeping, epic tale dripping with politics, history, magic, pain and darkness.

It is set in an alternate history where magic exists but is very strictly controlled, where people are allowed to use magic only for their self defense. Slavery exists and the slaves are spellbound, which means they are compelled to do any job that their masters want and their bodies move automatically to the orders given to them.

 

One such slave is Fina, who was plucked from her home and family and thrown into the horror of slavery. Many things were snatched from her but her strong magic wasn't one of those things because her magic was just too powerful to do so. So, one ordinary night, when she hears a voice inside her head to rise to the rebellion, she sets on a journey to achieve freedom for all the slaves, using her powers.  

France is in the middle of a revolution to achievement their motto of Liberté, égalité, fraternité. But as the revolution continues, it unveils a France that people had only seen in their worst nightmares.

In England, Prime Minister William Pitt is trying his best to legalize magic among commoners and abolish slave trade. But the situation in France and Saint Dominigue makes it not only harder, but almost impossible to pass these laws in the House of Commoners.

What I really liked about this book was that this book is a perfect blend of history and magic, that is, the book included real-life characters and instances but still magic was a very important element to the plot. Also, I highly appreciate the level of research that the author had done before writing this novel which is highly evident in the novel. The setting of the novel alternates between London, France and the Carribean islands. The words were crafted in such a manner that the reader would be able to feel for each and every character.

What I didn't like about this book is that it is really long (544 pages) and some parts felt downright boring and stretched on. I really wish it was edited to be shortened as it took me eons to finally finish reading this book. Also, there instances where I had no idea what was going on.

I recommend this book to history geeks (being a geek is a good thing) and politics lovers.

I thank Orbit books and NetGalley for giving me this wonderful opportunity.

 

Review: Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know

Name -Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know

Pages -320

Author -Samira Ahmed

Publisher -Orbit Books

Genre -Young Adult, Mystery, Feminism

Rating -3.5/5

ISBN -9780349003559

Source -NetGalley

Review no. -37

Synopsis -

It is August in Paris and budding art historian Khayyam should be having the time of her life - but even in the City of Lights she can't stop worrying about the mess she left back home in Chicago. Only when she meets a cute young Parisian - who happens to be a distant relative of the novelist Alexandre Dumas - do things start to get interesting, as she starts to unveil the story of a 19th century Muslim woman whose path may have intersected with Dumas, Eugène Delacroix and Lord Byron.

Two hundred years earlier in the Ottoman empire, Leila is the most favoured woman in the Pasha's harem. Her position is meant to be coveted; but she is struggling to survive as she fights to keep her true love hidden from her jealous captor.

Echoing across centuries, as Khayyam uncovers the scintillating truth of Leila's long-forgotten life, her own destiny is transformed forever.

Review -

Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know is a captivating story of two strong willed women, the first one is Khayyam, a French-Indian-Muslim American and a aspiring art historian and the second one is Leila, a 19th century woman, who was the favorite concubine of the king (Pasha) and whose path seems to mysteriously intersect with three great artists of all time- Byron, Delacroix and Alexandre Dumas.

The story unfolds in a very interesting manner, where the POV alternate between the two women. Leila's narrations are comparatively shorter so as to maintain the mystery about her in the reader's mind until the reader uncovers the mystery along with Khayyam. Character building was really nice too. In fact, the introduction for Khayyam was just wonderful and so powerful as it goes like this:

Others look at me and try to shove me into their own narrative to define who and what I am. But I’m not a blank page that everyone else gets to write on.

I have my own voice.

I have my own story.

I have my own name. It’s Khayyam.

What made me give this book 3.5/5 was the fact that I am not a fan of love triangles (my fault) and I felt that there is just too much boy-drama (love-drama to be precise). Also, to be honest, some parts felt a bit boring and some parts felt really sophisticated that it took a while to understand.

But still, I totally recommend this book. It is completely relevant to today's problem (#alllivesmatter and #ownvoice). It makes us realize that women and their voices are often overlooked and forgotten, making it an inspiring feminist read. Also, you could visit Paris even during this lockdown situation by just reading this book! Looking for books with love, betrayals, drama, mystery, adventure??? Well, all of these are there in this book.

I thank NetGalley and Orbit Books for giving me this wonderful opportunity. All opnions are my own.

Review: The Obsidian Tower

Name -The Obsidian Tower

Pages -448

Author -Melissa Caruso

Publisher -Orbit Books

Genre -Historical High Fantasy, New Adult

Rating -4/5

ISBN -9780356513195
Source -NetGalley

Review no. -36

Synopsis -

One woman will either save an entire continent or completely destroy it in a captivating epic fantasy bursting with intrigue and ambition, questioned loyalties, and broken magic.

'Guard the tower, ward the stone. Find your answers writ in bone. Keep your trust through wits or war--nothing must unseal the door.'

Deep within Gloamingard Castle lies a black tower. Sealed by magic, it guards a dangerous secret that has been contained for thousands of years.

As Warden, Ryxander knows the warning passed down through generations: nothing must unreal the Door. But one impetuous decision will leave her with blood on her hands--and unleash a threat that could doom the world to fall to darkness.

Review -

The story is narrated through a single, first-person point of view of Ryxander, the warden of Gloamingard, who is seen as an embarrassment by her own family because of her broken magic, which kills everything she touches instead of nurturing and shaping life.

The story starts with the Gloamingard castle all set to hold a peace agreement between two other domains. The first envoy arrives and things go awry when the envoy decides to unravel the secrets of the most peculiar yet confidential tower in all of Gloamingard, the black tower.

Ryx is determined to keep up the gloaming lore, that was made and kept up by her family for the past 4 millennium. And she is ready to go to any level to not break the gloaming lore, which leads her to accidentally killing the envoy.

With the envoy accidentally killed, the mysterious disappearance of her grandma who is a powerful witch lord, the rookery's investigation upon the black tower, right when we think matters cannot get worse, it surprisingly does, when Ryx and the rookery learn what the black tower has garded for 4 millennium after all.

The world building was mind-blowing, with it's unique magical system and political dramas. The character development was wonderful too and made me fall in love with almost every character. The story does feel boring at some parts but it turns out to be really captivating as we go forward.

I am really glad that this is the first book of a trilogy and I can't wait for the two books to be released!

I thank Orbit Books and NetGalley for giving me this amazing opportunity and introducing me to the wonderful world of Eruvia.

Review: The Passengers You Cannot See

 

Name -The Passengers You Cannot See

Author -The Behrg

Publisher -Pricks Like Thorn Media

Genre- Horror, Literary Fiction

Rating -3/5

ISBN -9798610030142

Source -NetGalley
Review no. -35
Synopsis -

Every story has its beginning and end. But some stories won’t let go. Some stories dig their claws into you. They infect your dreams. They carve out a residence in your mind. They become passengers . . .

Ones that never leave.

Within this collection of short stories by esteemed horror author The Behrg you will discover a haunted house that is not quite what it seems. A trophy collector who prefers living statues to cold ones. A truck driver who, with one good deed, finds more than he bargained for. And a world where happiness can no longer be felt. 

Light and darkness. Hope and despair. Depravities and humanity. These passengers and more await. And they’ve been sharpening their claws to greet you.

Review -

Well, I would give this book 3.5 to be precise. This is the first time I am reading a work of this author. 'The passengers you cannot see' is a collection of 15 horror stories. While some of them were bone-chilling gems, others were not so captivating and flat. My favorite stories are One Star, Scabs, Still Born and Happiness is a Commodity. Especially, happiness is a commodity which is the longest story in this collection. I mostly tend to not like collection of stories but this book was above average for me. Themes included in this book are dystopia, horror, mental health etc. The book ends in a happy and positive note while also retaining the horror factor of it.

Review: The Ten Thousand Doors of January

Name -The Ten Thousand Doors of January

Pages -374

Author -Alix E. Harrow

Publisher -Orbit Books

Genre -Young/New Adult, Fantasy, Historical

Rating -5/5

ISBN -9780356512464

Source -NetGalley

Review no. -34

Synopsis -

ACCORDING TO JANUARY SCALLER, THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO RUN AWAY FROM YOUR OWN STORY, AND THAT'S TO SNEAK INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S . . .

In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr Locke, she feels little different from the artefacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored and utterly out of place.

But her quiet existence is shattered when she stumbles across a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page reveals more impossible truths about the world, and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.

Review -

I requested an ARC of this book in NetGalley to see what the fuzz was all about. And I got the answer as soon as I finished the first chapter. Because, I feel, that this book is one of the most unique releases of the year 2020. And of course, GOD, that cover is awesome!!

The story follows a teen girl named January Scaller, who is considered to be 'A perfectly unique specimen', that is, she is odd-colored but hardly colored. January's father is a dark skinned man from god-knows-where and January has never met here mother, nor does she remember her face and is presumably dead. January grows up as the ward of a wealthy collector and her father's employer, Mr.Locke, and so he is the nearest thing she has for family. She spends here childhood with the artifacts that decorated the halls of Locke House, Books, her friend Samuel and her loyal and loving pet dog, Sindbad. Her whole quiet existence is ignored until she finds a book in a crate, among the treasures that her father had sent for Mr.Locke.

Two stories run parallel to each other and merge towards the end, the first story is of January and the second story is of the intriguing book that she just discovered. As January reads the book, it unravels a tale of adventure, love, loss, quest and of course, other worlds. She discovers some power, truths and at last family.

The book takes you through an exhilarating adventure. I loved Alix E. Harrow's writing style which was soooo elegant. The 'book within a book' proved to be good. Also the theme that written words have power is unique and fitting. I just wanted to see more chemistry between Samuel and January. But the ending certainly brought tears to my eyes. Overall this is an amazing book that I recommend everybody to read.

I thank NetGalley and Little-Brown Publishing (Orbit books) for giving me this wonderful opportunity to read and review this book.

P.S.- I am praying seriously to get approved for Alix E. Harrow's next book, 'The Once and Future Witches' and that cover is awesome too!!!