Hey guys this is me Sushant Sawant. I am an avid book reader and I wish to help all those people out there who wish to read great books. I will try to be honest as well as unbiased in all the reviews I will be posting. Hope you guys stay with me in this beautiful journey.
Before starting with the review, I would like to express thank the author of this book "Sindhura Chamala" for sending in this book for review. Lets starts with the review:
This book belong to the historical fiction thriller genre. Here is a brief synopsis of the book:
" Peace or Death? The two great nations of Khaga are on the verge of a bloody war. The survival of Jalika, a neutral kingdom in trade with both, is in jeopardy. After calling the Devil to his kingdom, the King of Jalika has passed away in the dead of the night. His death, a mere week before the Peace events when officials from the two nations were to come together to sign a treaty that will exempt Jalika from the war, has set many wheels in motion. As Jalika prepares for Peace events under the new ;leadership of the Prince and his wife, all forces converge under the Devil's watchful eyes. Will the seventh day rise on Jalika bearing peace or death?"
The thing that made me start reading this book was the above synopsis. I always have enjoyed reading historical fiction in the past and I was eagerly looking forward to read this one. Since, this is the first book in the "Tales of Khaga" series, I keep a very low expectation, but after reading this book I must say......OHH WAIT!!! not so early. Lets first take a look at how good this book fair in different segments.
I must say, I really like the theme of this book, The concept of war in the ancient world between the two regions and Jalika being on the neutral side and trying for peace activities felt very surreal to me. The characters were very well written and conceptualized. The characters felt very real and genuine to me.
The book is just 198 pages long, with each chapter kept small. This makes it easy for the reader to understand and stay with Sindhura while she is narrating the story. Also the book is kept small, which makes it a quick read which you can finish pretty quickly. The short chapters and the details brought in in each chapter made this book very enjoyable and engaging experience for me.
A book this small can be tricky affair for the write. Narrating the story at the appropriate pace and still getting in the details necessary for the readers can be a daunting task and Sindhura Chamala have just nailed it in this aspect. She was able to get in all the details and I can easily visualize and see the world which Sindhura Chamala was trying to show us.
However, I was left confused and fragmented while going through the beginning. This might be due to the fact that Sindhura was trying to packed and revealed most of the details right in the beginning itself. The mid and the end portion were way better than the beginning in this regard. The same thing I felt in regards to the transitioning between the chapters, Sindhura Chamala was struggling in the begging with the transitioning of the story in the beginning, but once all the characters of the story are being disclosed and the exact plot starts unraveling itself, the transitioning between the chapters improved a lot which eventually made the second half of the book better than the first and I found it extremely difficult to keep this book down.
So to sum up, I really liked this book. Yes this book lacks in some aspects, but the beautiful narration and the excellent story line outweighs the cons of this book. Since this being Sindhura Chamala's debut book, we must applaud her for the effort she has put in in creating a very good book. So, if asked to rate it, I will give this book 4 stars out of 5 stars. I will really consider reading the next book in the "Tales of Khaga" series. If you liked this review and are looking to grab a copy of this book for yourself, here is direct link to the amazon.
So, this is what I feel after reading this book. Do let me know in the comment section what do you feel about the book. Guys if you like this review, hit the like button and if you don't, do mention the reason in the comment section below as it will help me to get better and do SUBSCRIBE to the blog to get all the reviews right into your mail box. To know more about Sindhura Chamala and her recent work you can visit her website: /www.sindhurachamala.com/
Before you guys leave and head to amazon, here is a beautiful excerpt from the book which I personally liked:
" They call me the Devil in the Dark. His invisible assassin you don't see coming. And I'm here now on his call, but he is no more".
So until next time, this is me Sushant signing off. You guys have a great day.
Today we have a very brilliant writer, Belinda Austin here with us to talk about her new book as well as her own life. This is going to be a really long interview, so grab a cup of tea, sit back and enjoy.
Me: Welcome Belinda, thanks for taking out time for talking to us...lets start this interview by knowing you in person and your current release "Defective"?
Belinda: Thank you Sushant, its nice to be here and sharing with readers of your blog.
Me: If I am not wrong, you write under the penned name "Belinda Austin". Can you tell us why you & also many other authors prefer to write under pen name?
Belinda: I believe most authors write under pen names to separate different genres and not confuse their fans. I write Historical Fiction and Fantasy under "Belinda Vasquez Garcia". Under the pen name "Belinda Austin", I write Thrillers and Suspense. Finally, I write Science Fiction under the pen name "B.Austin". The name Austin was my mother's maiden name.
Me: How did you become involved with the subject or the theme of this book?
Belinda: I do not want to give away the ending of Defective so forgive me for speaking cryptically. Regarding the ending of the book what Dante and his friends discover are happening to Outcasts, about five years ago I had the idea and was really interested in the subject. When I have an idea, I always know it is going to be a book because it instantly begins writing itself, the plot, some of the characters, the ending, the dialogue, etc. I spent a week outlining the books in the series and wrote several files of notes. I then put the series on my list to eventually write, which I am now doing. I am currently writing "5 Chances", Book 2 of the series, which is on pre-order.
Me: Why did you choose to write a dystopia unlike your previous release "Dishonor Thy Wife"? Also if given a chance will you prefer to live in a dystopian world?
Belinda: I do have another Psychological Thriller to write, which I planned several years ago and I do enjoy the genre. However, the Outcast dystopian series has been on the burner for several years and I felt passionate at this time of writing the series from start to finish.
Belinda: I would not like to be an Outcast in the dystopian world I have created. However, yes, it would be great to live in a "perfect" world where there is only one government and the entire world lives in peace and no threat of war. The economics would have to be equal, unlike the money-based class system in Outcast, which really is the way earth is today in most countries. You know, the 1% owning most everything.
Me: Yes it will really be nice to live in perfect world with peace and harmony all around. Being a author, how long have you been writing?
Belinda: I began writing fiction 18 years ago as a hobby at the time. I was working as a software engineer/web developer/computer programmer and have always been an avid reader. Writing fiction quickly became my first love.
Me: What were your goals and intentions with this book and how well do you feel you have achieved them?
Belinda: The book is a good start of a long series to introduce the readers to the world of the Outcast in 2083 and the technologies, which we are currently developing and are really happening today. I feel I succeeded in creating a Dystopian/Utopian/Science Fiction dichotomy, which is very original. Defective, also, puts the characters i a mystery they must still solve and a dangerous situation. The CommonWealth of Earth is filled with secrets.
Me: Can you share some stories about people or memorable incidents which came across while researching and writing this book?
Belinda: I was stunned to discover the technology of 3D printing and how it is going to affect our lives for the better, medically, architecturally and even cooking. I am still doing research on a very viable future, which is why the books are only set 67 years in the future. Being a tekkie, I am getting my kicks from researching various technologies used in the books though I will stretch a bit if my imagination takes over. The book is fiction. However, the technologies in the books are pretty much reality based, which is why I like Dystopia because it is a future on our planet and therefore, more relatable and fun to imagine.
Me: What are the most difficult part as an author you felt while writing this book and what did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Belinda: Knowing where to begin the book was the most difficult because Defective is my first book in the Science Fiction genre. I thought everyone would like action right away and then an early reviewer complained that I just thrust him into the world without describing it enough. Therefore, I changed the book to pace the action better. What I enjoyed most was creating the Outcast World.
Me: Many people who are passionate about writing, have certain things which inspires them to follow their passion. What inspires you to writing?
Belinda: I just love to create stories and entertain myself. I get excited seeing the story unfold and the characters evolve. I am pretty much a workaholic when it comes to writing books and work 7 days a week at it.
Me: As you said, you love reading and creating stories. Where did your love for books/reading/story-telling come from?
Belinda: We had no books at my house growing up since we had not money. When I was seven, a neighbor loaned me Tom Sawyer and I read it cover to cover 10 times that summer and fell in love with the books that could transport me to other worlds.
Me: Facing many hardships, how did you get to be where you are in your life today?
Belinda: A lot of hard work. My father abandoned me when I was 11 years old and my mother died when I was 16. I still managed to go to the college and earn a Bachelor's degree in Applied Mathematics.
Me: Who are some of your favorite authors that you feel were influential in your work? What impact did they have on you writing?
Belinda: Gaston Leroux who wrote Phantom of the Opera motivated me to begin writing when the book turned out to be a beautiful tragic love story unlike the Hollywood horror version. Anne Rice's witch books made me want to write fantasy. I loved Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat, I felt I could do better with witches because in Albuquerque, where I grew up, we have real witches.
Me: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Belinda: Finally, after publishing five books (I currently have 10 out) I felt like a writer. Even though I had won some book awards, I felt like a phony. It was just a personal thing. I now feel comfortable thinking of myself as a writer and telling people.
Me: Most of the people in their childhood have a certain dream which they want to achieve. As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
Belinda: I just wanted a house with carpet. As a teenager, I used to think a Psychologist or Tree Surgeon because I like trees.
Me: So, are you a full-time or part-time writer? How does that affect your writing?
Belinda: I write full-time. When I worked, I used to still write about 10 hours a week during the evenings and weekends. I was very much a perfectionist and rewrote books that were very good yet never satisfied me. Given all the hours I have put in, writing is like breathing/
Me: What process did you go through to get your books published?
Belinda: I am an Indie author. I have the computer skills to create my own paperbacks, ebooks, and cover, etc. I like the freedom independence gives me. Plus, I only have to answer to my own schedule.
Me: In the present scenario where number of books are being released everyday. According to you, what makes a book stand out from the other books?
Belinda: Originality, I get tired of seeing the same stories told over and over again.
Me: What are the challenges you faced while writing this book and how do you deal with the writer's block?
Belinda: The challenge was giving enough information to hurl the readers into the second book. I never have writer's block. I tend to be verbose and my ideas sometimes explode into many books, like the Outcast series.
Me: Tell us something about your future projects and what should we expect from the second book in the Outcast series?
Belinda: I have another Dystopian series planned much different than Outcast, and a Young Adult series, which is let's say different. Regarding the second book in the Outcast series, 5 Chances, the story is told in the viewpoint of Ivory, the Smuggler from book 1. More secrets will be learned, more of the future would be revealed, and more about the villains the FRE (Fenatic Rule Enforcers). The Outcasts, will find out more about themselves and the hurdles they face. The ending of the book will leave the Outcast in the dilemma they need to solve in Book 3.
Me: Anything else you'd like to share with us?
Belinda: Yes, I have two book trailers out of the first two books of the Outcast series.
Trailer of Defective - Book 1 in Outcast series:
Trailer of 5 Chances - Book 2 in Outcast series:
Me: Belinda thanks for taking out your precious time and sharing all those details of your books and your personal life with us. It was great having you here and looking forward for your next release "5 Chances".
If you guys haven't checked the review's of Belinda's previous book, here is the direct link to the post.
So guys, that was the interview with Belinda Austin. If you guys like the post do hit the like button and share it among your friends. If you want me doing more such author interviews do let me know in the comments section below and do SUBSCRIBE to the blog to get the new post's right into your mail box. You can also follow us both on our twitter handle @magicprose and @SawantSushant96.
So until next time, this is me Sushant Sawant signing off, You guys have a great day.
I will like to express my gratitude to the author of this book Mr.Robert Lampros for providing a copy of this book for the review. Here is brief synopsis of this book:
"Last Year's Resolution is a novel about Edmund Stovender, a famous author who falls in love with Marie, a journalist who calls him for an interview just before the performance of his hit play. Their lives accelerate through an epic adventure testing their faith, strength and love for each other, as they discover their story might pivotally influence the fate of the world."
This book is a Christian fantasy depicting a love story in the apocalypse and is in relation to the Book Of Revelation. I'll have to admit, I was very skeptical before the start of this book as I am not fond and haven't read much in this genre. So many of you might defer with me on this.
I felt the concept of this book was very nice, depicting the power of strength and faith of the main character Edmund in bad times. Also the book is quite short with just 180 pages, making it a quick read. I managed to finished the book in one sitting. But writing a book this short could be tricky. Such books test the imagination of the author to getting in enough details for the readers to connect with this book. I personally feel that this book lack in this front. The author was struggling till the end to get the necessary details for eg. details regarding the love story of Edmund and Marie, details of the aftermath of the incident which shook the entire town, etc. Such details were simply not there.
However, Robert Lampros did an exceptionally well job in creating very nice and lovable characters. The characters felt genuine to me and I could easily connect with them right from the start. Also, the message of building and maintaining faith in other people through our work was very well presented in this novel. Robert Lampros kept the chapters short, thus making it easier for the readers to stay with the story. However, the transitioning between the two chapter could have been a little better.
So to sum up, I personally feel the book is decent enough, having good social message and restores the faith of the people in Christianity. Still, I feel the book could have been made better by paying little attention to the details and the transitioning and building up of the characters. If asked to rate it, I will give this book 3 stars out of 5. So, if you like reading Christian fantasy and looking for a quick read, you can give this book a thought. If you are interested in buying this book, I'll leave a direct link to the amazon below from where you can get a book.
So, this is what I feel after reading this book. Do let me know in the comment section what do you feel about the book. Guys if you like this review, hit the like button and if you don't, do mention the reason in the comment section below as it will help me to get better and do SUBSCRIBE to the blog to get all the reviews right into your mail box. To know more about Robert Lampros and his recent work you can visit his website: www.robertlampros.wordpress.com
So until next time, this is me Sushant signing off. You guys have a great day.
Few weeks back, I have posted the review of Defective , the first book in the Outcast series written by Belinda Austin. The book cover for the second book "5 Chances" is out, so, I will lke to share the book cover and trailer with you until I get my hands on this book.
Here is a brief synopsis of the book:
" Ivory is obsessed with saving the Outcasts from vanishing from the CommonWealth of Earth. She vows to find out more about the lab experiments going on at the Barren Island. The FRE (Fenatic Rule Enforcers - genetically modified humans) burned her boat, the Renegade; and she must find a rogue replacement, a fixer-upperboat someone threw away last year. She has smuggled an Outcast out of Barren Island, but can she smuggle herself in to learn more about the high-tech secrets the CommonWealth is hiding? Perhaps the answers are in Lockup, the dreaded insane asylum mean for the Outcast who have accumulated 25 demerits. At lockup us the Mortuary, a tunnel leading into the darkness. All Ivory must do to be thrown into the Lockup is to act even more rebellious and gain the attention of the Behaviour Drones and the FRE. Ivory will do whatever it takes to save herself and her friends from extinction in a world where people have become immortal, except the Outcast, the thorn in the CommonWealth's side."
The video trailer of this book has been release just couple of days back. Here is the trailer:
From the synopsis and the trailer, it feels like Belinda Austin is trying to get more details and more twists into the story, which is actually cool as this will make the series more interesting. Also I am expecting more action in this book. So initial impressions, this book looks interesting and I will definitely try to get my hands on this book. Just in case, if you haven't checkout the review of the first book in the "Outcast" series, here is direct link to my post where I have written in-depth analysis of the book:
The expected date of release of this book is 2nd November, 2016. I will keep you guys posted on twitter, once I get this book. So, if you are not following me on twitter, do follow me on my twitter handle @SawantSushant96. Also SUBSCRIBE via mail to get the new post right into you mail.
So until next time, this is me Sushant signing off. You guys have a great day.
Sincere apologies for coming with a post so late after the last post because of bad health issues. I will try to be consistent and thanks for bearing with the absence.
First I would like to express my gratitude to Mr.Aaron Hughes of "Rambunctious Ramblings Publishing Inc" for providing a copy of this book for review. Here is a brief synopsis and a video trailer to begin with the review. " All the truths of her life were born from the promise of a lie. A lie that could change everything. Gabrian Shadwell studied hard and kept her nose to the grindstone in order to live the successfully full-life most humans strive for. The problem is, she isn't exactly human: she can see auras...and she yearns to devour them - she is comprised of the things nightmares are made of. With her eyes opened to the truth of her Borrower heritage, her chaotic journey of self-discovery takes her down a dangerous road when the tainted eyes of the self-righteous Elders in the Realm turn against her. With good and evil before her, she must choose which path she will walk upon and learn the biggest truth of her life. The only difference between a Borrower and a Vampire is hope..."
First thing first, the cover of this book looks fascinating. The picture of a raven on a grey background image looks cool and attractive. The cover of this book will surely grab the attention of many in the book store.
Coming to the concept of the book. I must say... really liked the concept of this book and it reminded me of the Twilight series. Kade Cook effectively manages to create her synergistic mystical magical world where constant plot twists are happening. I was very excited when I found about the theme of this book, however my excitement quickly faded away.
The characters in the book feels genuine to me and are actually interesting. Kade Cook has done an immensely great job in creating her characters and the entire magical world. She also managed to keep the chapters of the book short, making it easier for her readers to stay with story until the end. Kudos to her for that. Her narration is also good. I could connect with the characters because of her excellent narration. The last 100 pages is actually the best section in the entire book. Lots of twist and revelations happening making this book an interesting read.
Coming to the things which bothered me...
The beginning of this book seems fragmented to me. It took me around 3-4 days just to get through first 100 pages of the book. I was constantly trying to figure what was actually happening and where the story was heading. After the first 100 pages however, the story of this book started to make sense. I feel that Kade Cook actually tried to throw in much more details regarding her magical world and the characters which actually made the beginning of the book slightly confusing for her readers. However. her writing and the narration is simply amazing. I could actually feel a sense of mystical aura creating in my head. So kudos to Kade Cook for that.
The second thing which bother me is the transition of the story. Don't get me wrong here, Kade Cook has written and narrated this novel very well when you consider individual chapters, but when you look at the transition of the story, i.e. transitioning the story from one chapter to the other, she seemed to be struggling. I was seriously hoping that this thing was happening at certain places, but I could feel that at many places throughout the book.
With slightly better transitioning, this books could be a lot better as compared to the current state. Also, a better beginning will make this book an easy and interesting books to the readers. So, if ask to rate the book, I will give it 3 out of 5 stars. So will I read the next book in the series? I might give it a try if I find the synopsis of the book interesting. If you wanna grab a copy of this book, I will leave a direct link to the amazon down below:
So, this is what I feel after reading this book. Do let me know in the comment section what do you feel about the book. Guys if you like this review, hit the like button below and if you don't, do mention the reason in the comment section below as it will help me to get better and do SUBSCRIBE to the blog to get all the reviews right into your mail box. To know more about Kade Cook and her recent work you can visit her website: www.kadecook.wordpress.com/
So until next time, this is me Sushant signing off. You guys have a great day.
Before starting with the review, I would like to express my gratitude to Alex Dunn for providing a copy of this book for the review purpose. I was skeptical after reading the synopsis, still I decided to give it a try and I was happy that I did.
Here is a brief synopsis of the book:
"Donnie Darko meets Pleasantville in this dark urban fantasy about sixteen year old Ben Howard. When Ben accidentally kills his father and is sectioned after a failed suicide attempt, he escapes the guilt by seeking solace deep within the recesses of his won mind. Waking in a strange ethereal black and white world, where most people exist as living states, Ben leaps from New York skyscrapers into African Jungles without fear of injury, severed from his emotions, until he meets and falls in love with Alice. But, no sooner does he settle into this strange, new exustence, he's traumatically catapulted bcak to the brutal reality he left behind. Nobody believes he's spent the last six months in a Gray World. Not his neurotic mother, his policeman brother Gavin, or his friends Mitch and Wendy, and certainly not Dr. McKenzie who's threatening to give him even more pills. They all think he's crazy, and why wouldn't they when he's been in some strange coma locked up in a mental asylum?" I must say, the story of this book remind me the story of one of my favorite movie "Inception" directed by "Christopher Nolan". Unlike Inception, the story of this book is based only in two worlds.
Coming to the technicalities of the book, the entire concept of the book set in the modern times seems very surreal to me. The way the story is based in two world makes this book interesting and keeps the readers engaging. The writing of this book is simply exceptional. Since I haven't read any of Alex's previous work, I was skeptical as to how her writing would be, but I must say my skepticism faded after reading first few chapters. I must say Alex Dunn have written this novel exceptionally well. The best thing about her writing is the way she moves between the two worlds while narrating the story. The way she moved the story, it was like a roller-coaster journey for me, full of thrill and excitement.
Coming to individual sections, the book seems pretty balanced to me. The beginning is bang on as it can be, immediately grabbing the attention of the reader and taking him straight towards the story. The beginning of this book is definitely the best beginning of any book which I have read lately. I immediately felt connected with the characters and the story right from the beginning. KUDOS to Alex Dunn for that. Same goes with the second half of the book as well. However, I personally feel the first half of the book was slightly better as compared to the second half. Also, Alex Dunn managed to keep this book to just around 180-190 pages making this book, a quick read.
The characters feel genuine and I found it very difficult to keep this book down, forcing me to catch up my sleep during the classes though. Definitely, this is among the great books which I have read lately.
So, if ask to rate it, I will give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. Definitely a must read and I will surely be recommending this book to all the non-habitual readers, as this book will generate keen interest regarding the novels among all my non-habitual readers. So if you wanna grab a copy of this book, I'll leave link to amazon down below:
So, this is what I feel after reading this book. Do let me know in the comment section what do you feel about the book. Guys if you like this review, hit the like button below and if you don't, do vote it down and mention the reason in the comment section below as it will help me to get better and do SUBSCRIBE to the blog to get all the reviews right into your mail box. To know more about Alex Dunn and her recent work you can visit her website: www.alexdunnauthor.com/
So until next time, this is me Sushant signing off. You guys have a great day.
