Book Review: Warrior by Olivier Lafont

Introduction

ISIN: 9780143423638
Genre: Fiction
Publishers: Penguin Books India
Price: Rs. 250/- ( I received the book for review from the author)

In Mumbai, driven to its knees by a merciless blizzard, Saam the watchmender is cornered into an intolerable position. As Shiva's only earthly demigod child, it falls upon him to stop his indomitable father. Bred to war, son of destruction, Saam rides with six extraordinary companions into the horror of a crumbling world to face Shiva. He is forced to join hands with Ara, his half-brother he can never fully trust and take with him his own mortal beloved, Maya, on this desperate attempt to stop the End of Days. But his path is littered with death, danger and betrayal. Interweaving mythology, epic adventure and vintage heroism, this enthralling novel will change the way you see gods, heroes and demons.

Behind The book

Source: Google Images

About the author

Olivier Lafont is a French writer and actor and lives in Mumbai, India. He has previously been published in South Africa. He has written many feature film screenplays. His first film opened at the Toronto Film Festival and won numerous awards worldwide. Lafont is a regular columnist with Man’s World magazine.He is also a well-known face in India due to his acting work, having appeared in Indian films such as 3 Idiots and Guzaarish, Hollywood films Bollywood Hero and Baby Sellers, as well as over seventy television commercials. Lafont graduated from Colgate University in the USA with academic distinction.You can connect with him HERE

Me thinks

A perfectly baked debut novel after a long time! WOW, the feeling was beyond expression.Honestly when I got the book for review, given the fact that it is a debut novel I had my own apprehensions but then the author has done such a mind blowing job that this one goes into my recommended list for one and all. The extensive research that must have gone behind the book shows on each and every page.

The author has written the book in a very attention grabbing manner from the first word. And from thereon he has ensured your attention doesnt waver anywhere else except the book. You are so engrossed in the story that for few moments I felt I was with him on the streets of Mumbai running along with the action happening around me and then I had to pause for a moment to catch up on my breath.

That is the power of a very amazing writer and he is one for sure. He is one author I would look out for sure given the variants he has brought out in his debut book he has left me asking for more. Be it the detailing in describing Mumbai as a city or the way he has spoken about mythology, each and every word has a long lasting impact.Superb narration, amazing plot and a perfect tightly wrapped narration.

Though it does loosen out at a few places but the over all impact is so powerful that such minor hiccups can be easily ignored. In short, an amazing read strongly recommended to one and all.

Foodie Verdict

This book is like corn patties - amazingly crisp, delicious, mouth wateringly tempting and one that melts in the mouth.

Source: Google Images

Book Review: Desiccated Land by David Lepeska

ISBN: 978-9395481205 Genre: Non-fiction Publisher: Vishwakarma Publications Bringing together his experiences as a journalist and a keen observer, David Lepeska writes a raw and gut-wrenching book on Kashmir. Part memoir, part travelogue, and part reportage, Desiccated Land is a page-turner. The book starts by tracing the history of the region along with his own history, as a student who was dimly aware of the history of Kashmir and the turmoil it has been causing for centuries between India and Pakistan. Lepenska takes us to Nilamata Purana ( likely written in the 7th century ) which tells us the story leading to the birth of this region. He also shares an alternate possibility of the word being derived from a lake ‘Mira’ named after Vedic Sage Kashyapa. His first visit to Kashmir closely followed by his second (and much longer) visit as a journalist working for the Kashmir Observer after the 9/11 attacks, make for an interesting read. Lepeska had questions, a lot of them. An

From there to here to where

From this blog in 2011 to Barnes and Noble website, my reviewing journey has been full of surprises. I am working on an essay tracing it and realized that I started reviewing books in 2001 (Yes! I am old) for a small library next to my house. Needless to add, my payment was in the books. The library owner also happened to be the first person who taught me how to write a book review and what to focus on. And that is where I learned why reviews matter. Cut to 2016 when my book review was taught in a Literary Criticism class held by British Library. A relative happened to attend that class and the news spread like wildfire in the family. That is the moment when my family knew this much more than just a hobby.

Book Review: Never Mind Yaar by K Mathur

Introduction · ISBN - 978-0-473-17480-4 · Genre: Fiction · Publishers: Southpac Publishers · Price: Rs. 350/- ( I got this book from Blog Adda for a review ) The title is an attitude - our tendency to feel defeated by the scale and nature of certain problems. Rather than meet them head on, we circumvent them with a sigh and a consoling “never mind, yaar”. When long time friends Binaifer Desai and Louella D’Costa meet Shalini Dayal at Gyan Shakti College, a true friendship that transcends cultural and religious backgrounds is born. Louella is a Christian, Binaifer, a Parsi and Shalini, a Hindu. The novel’s main plotline surrounds Shalini who has fallen for an impetuous student activist, Bhagu. Where does his desire to help the less fortunate lead him? The challenges are many - Shalini’s tradition bound family, the couple’s youth and inexperience and the travails of life in Mumbai, a city the girls love but know, is fraug

Reviews & Musings

Search This Blog