Love across borders edited by Naheed Hassan & Sabahat Muhammad

"Love across borders" edited by Naheed Hassan & Sabahat Muhammad. This book is published by Indiareads at smashwords in 2013 and has 91 pages.

As you might have guessed, it is a collection of short stories of love across borders, mainly India and Pakistan.

'That 70s Babe' is story of one sided love of a Pakistani with a beautiful Indian girl. Who is she?

'Serendipity' is the story of an Indian girl who loves a Pakistani man. Will they be together?

'One stupid comment' is a story set in future, post war that ended the modern world.

'Anjum' is a Pakistani bride of an Indian man who becomes good friend of an Indian lady.

'Dressed to kill' is a simple but beautiful story that touches you. Probably the best in this book.

'Best friends forever' is the story of two girls, once best friends but separated, who meet on Facebook years later.

'Lost and found' is story of Dilip who tries to find his college friend Parvez in his old age through internet.

'Twelve months' is the story of a Pakistani widow of an Indian man and how she clings to his memories.

'An unlikely Romeo' is story of Romeo and Nafisa who meet in London.

In 'The long interval' a mysterious person contacts old Suresh through Facebook. Who is it?

In 'The old willow' a Pakistani and an Indian meet in a pub in USA. What will they discuss and how will it end?

'Tenements of a rainy day' is a brief encounter of a Pakistani leaving USA and an Indian couple who have recently arrived.

Love, in this book, is used in a broader sense. It is love between friends, a lovely gesture towards strangers, an amorous affair, a goodwill gesture or even an argument.

Concept of book is good. Writers are from both sides of the border and some who stay elsewhere. Message is of love and peace. Basically saying we are all the same.

A number of stories use the social media to reconnect with old acquaintances. Unfortunately all these stories are bunched together causing successive repetition of idea.

I liked 'That 70s Babe', 'Dressed to kill' & 'The old willow' most.

It's different. Read it for a change.

For complete review, please visit:
Mandar's Book reviews 
http://mandarbookreviews.blogspot.com/

The exiled Prince by Ravi

"The exiled Prince" by Ravi. This book is published by Fingerprint! in 2014 and has 262 pages. This is Book 1 of 'The crystal guardian' series.

Don't try to imagine what the story is about. It's the story of Ramayan told differently. The crystal of creation, guarded by the council of Brahmarshi's, has gone missing. Ravan has become too powerful to oppose. He has got hold of Elixir of life. If he gets hold of the crystal, it's end of the world for celestials and humans. Ram, who is still to be born, is the only hope.

Ram tells the story of his life to his children and we read it in flash back.

Author has done away with magic and based everything on science. Brahmarshi's have the ability of intergalactic travel, space travel, time travel. They can also travel through parallel universes. God's are present and they are powerful but Ravan has become so powerful that it is going to take the birth of Ram with Narayana's soul in him to defeat Ravan.

Thus the events unfold where Ram is born. Vishwamitra takes responsibility of tutoring him and making him capable. Kaikeyi helps Ram in fulfilling his destiny by sending him to Vanvas accepting loss of her reputation as the sacrifice that has to be made for Ravan's defeat.

Book 1 ends with Ram, Lakshman and Sita reaching Chitrakoot. I thought author would stop at the start of Vanvas, but he goes a little further. I suppose two more books are still to come.

Key differentiator of this book is of course the crystal of creation who has its own mind and who somehow responds to Sita (though she is unaware of it).

It's the same story in news clothes presented differently, but it's good.

Recommend reading.

Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag

"Ghachar Ghochar" by Vivek Shanbhag. This book is published by Harper Perennial in 2016 and has 124 pages. This book is translated from Kannada to English by Srinath Perur.

This is the story of a family and how they cope up with the changes in monitory circumstances, from frugality to affluence.

What impacts them? Release of suppressed desires? Money? Prosperity? Entry of new member in the family?

It's a story of transition and inter relations of members from a family. How money changes the circumstances and affects their relationships with each other and how a new thought threatens to topple the apple cart.

The section about menace of ants is written deftly. It's hilarious, observant and real.

I tried to search the meaning of words Ghachar Ghochar online and drew blank. As I continued reading it became apparent that there is no such words in Kannada or English. It's a word coined by two characters that goes on to become a private family world. It roughly means entanglement.

Not a must read.

Ajaya: Rise of Kali by Anand Neelakanthan

"Ajaya: Rise of Kali" by Anand Neelakanthan. This book is published by Platinum Press in 2015 and has 530 pages. This book is Book 2 of Ajaya series.

Anand's story of Mahabharata continues, from Suyodhana's point of view, from where the first book ended i.e. with Draupadi Vastraharan. The war starts at around 60% of the book and ends at around 90%.

Dhaumya is the fanatic. Kripa is a maverick. Kirishna is the ultimate manipulator. Samba was the loutish son of Krishna, who Krishna had no control over. Shakuni is a schemer. Ashwathama craves for recognition as warrior and wants to be Suyodhana's best friend, better than Karna. Karna and Eklavya are emotional brave hearts. Suyodhana is a well meaning, righteous, emotional fool.

This book is the struggle between two philosophies. Pandav, Krishna and Parshuram are proponents of cast and class system, followers of scriptures for stable society whereas Duryodhana, Eklavya and Takshak favour merit based system. It's a fight between orthodoxy (Pandav) and liberals (Kaurav).

Author States that Pandav's portrayed themselves as epitome of Dharma and Kaurav's as evil whereas it was the other way round. Pandav used all illegal means to win war and Kaurav abided by the rules. He says Pandav used propaganda to depict themselves as torchbearers Dharma. But he does not say why Suyodhana did not do anything to counter this?

Author has given spin and twist to the known incidents from Mahabharata to put forth his point of view. Some interesting twists: Bhishma and Vidur's retirement. Eklavya taught weaponory to Ghatotkach and Iravan. It was Eklavya, not Lord Shiv, who defeated Arjun in the jungle. Samba, son of Krishna, raped Lakshamana, daughter of Suyodhana. Krishna killed Eklavya in a shameful fashion. Sarpasatra happened when Janmejay was a baby.

The first book was the story of Suyodhana. It tried to put forth the other side of coin. Second book though told interestingly, becomes story of Mahabharata instead of Suyodhana. Suddenly Suyodhana takes back stage and story moves on. There is no justification of Vastraharan, no second side to it. Suyodhana's point of view goes missing. From being a hero in first book, he becomes a supporting actor and an 'also ran' in this book. Mind you, the story is good but author has lost the soul of his story. End of the book is over stretched. He could have stopped at the end of war. But no. He continues and narrates death of Vidur, Kunti, Dhritarashtra & Gandhari, then narrates deaths of Pandav, then narrates death of Parikshit and ends with Sarpasatra with baby Janmejay as the puppet of Dhaumya and Yuyutsu.

You read a good book but it is not what you bargained for. You feel disappointed. A good story that strays from its objective.

If you have read the first one, you have to read this. If you haven't read the first one, well, read that then!

For complete review, please visit:
Mandar's Book reviews
http://mandarbookreviews.blogspot.com/

Serpentine scrolls by Alcatraz Dey

"Serpentine scrolls" by Alcatraz Dey. This book is published by Red Ink Publishers in 2015 and has 248 pages. This is Book 1 of 'A colossal adventure' series. This one was author's autographed copy. Alcatraz Dey is a pseudonym of Ajay Kumar.

Ishin Jackson, a strangely tattooed hacker, wakes up to find himself in Germany. He has no memory of how he reached from Banglore to Munich. Jaish-e-lashkar has two sleeper agents in India for two decades and Indian intelligence still hasn't found them. There are knowledge gathering snakes.

What is the mystery of snakes? Who is Hannah? Ishin can help government of India but why he does not know how?

The clues in the tattoo are provided and deciphered at opportune time and in the required order. Not sure why Ishin gives one clue at a time instead of all together.

Some of the things are not credible like planning for 22 years to destroy one city, sleeper agents giving birth to children in India and raising them for the grand plan, snakes created to gather good knowledge turning bad, snakes giving birth to humans, a terrorist offering to whisk Indian prime minister to a safe place etc.

The cover of the book is cartoonish. Looks like a cover of Children's book. I did not feel like buying the book just because of the cover.

Author has tried to narrate a fascinating story. In the process he has jumped across the time zones far too many times. Readers have to be very attentive to keep track. It covers a time period from Buddha, Profet Mohammed to present day.

Author has tried to cramp in too many things in the story. But the story and narration is amateurish. It lacks finess.

This is first book of the series and the story does not end. The climax is for next book. It's part fiction, part fantasy and part children's story.

Good first attempt but give it a miss.