Puppeteers of Palem by Sharath Komarraju

"Puppeteers of Palem" by  Sharath Komarraju - A noir. 

This book is published by Westland in 2014 and has 312 pages.

A SOS letter from Thatha, who used to tell them stories in their childhood, brings Arvind, Chanti, Ramana, Chotu and Sarayu to Palem (Village of Rudrakshapalem). Something is not right. The village appears dead. People sleep at least 14 hours per day. SHE has returned!

But how is it possible? How can SHE return? How can an entire village go waste? What's happening?

The story is noir, very noir. There is paranormal presence. There are deaths, many deaths.  It's all gloomy. It's mysterious. Concept of being able to give dreams and being able to control ones dreams is interesting.

Story takes place in three time periods. 1984 the story of past, 2001 when the story happened and 2002 the post event diary entries of a journalist, Sonali.

The paranormal entity, it's destruction, it's resurrection, it's influence, its impact and it's relation, real relation to the past is the core of the story.  Who are the puppeteers of Palem?

The story is a bit sluggish. At times readers start to lose interest. For a long time one doesn't understand exactly what's happening. Who is behind it?

If you don't like the genre this book is not for you. Even If you like the genre it may not appeal to you.

Why did I read this book? Author. 

What I didn't like? No shock. 

What did I like?  Idea of giving dreams.

Give it a miss. 

The store by James Patterson & Richard Dilallo

"The store" by James Patterson & Richard Dilallo -  Big brother is watching. 

This book is published by  Random house UK in 2017 and has 304 pages. 

The Store is an online shop that sells anything and everything online and delivers through delivery drones. Jacob and Megan Brandice are writers cum investigative journalists. They decide to take up a job at The Store to get the inside story. When Brandice family (Jacob, Megan, Lindsey, Alex) move to Newberg they discover unimaginable things. 

What does The Store do? What is the real story? Can Jacob expose?

It's a modern version of George Orwell's 1986. I remember, I have read a book with the theme of 'Big brother is watching' by John Grisham about a law firm. Here its 'The Store'. The Store watches everyone and everything. Law's are being rewritten to suit The Store. It's very powerful and no one knows the truth behind it. 

Jacob's crusade against The Store causes him to lose his job, his family and almost his sanity. He turns from an author to a fugitive during the course of the story. 

The story is good. But it has it's own flaws. If The Store knows everything, how come it misses out on one vital thing? If there are cameras everywhere, how come they don't detect the conspiracy?

The story is set in near future. Story gets more marks for the concept than for execution. The end is abrupt. It's not an ascending graph.

Why did I read this book? James Patterson    

What I didn't like? Holes in the story

What did I like? Concept

 Read if you have extra free time. 

Things that can and cannot be said by Arundhati Roy & John Cusack

"Things that can and cannot be said" by Arundhati Roy & John Cusack - A sudden death.

This book is published by Juggernaut in 2016 and has 132 pages. 

This book consists of Essays and conversations. Participants are Arundhati Roy, John Cusack, Dan Elseberg and Edward Snowden.

Dan Elseberg became famous when he made the Pentagon papers public in sixties during Vietnam war. Edward Snowden's disclosure revealed various surveillance programs run by NSA in 2013 and he had to seek asylum in Russia. Arundhati calls him saint of liberal reforms.

In this book the authors touch various subjects. They talk about Corporate over-reach and privacy rights. Authors accuse big foundations like Ford, Rockefeller and Bill- Melinda Gates for domesticating radicals (NGOs) by providing them financial help and thus controlling them. 

They claim that America tried to topple or did topple states that were not radical Islamic states like Iraq, Syria and Libya under the guise of fighting terrorism. Arundhati terms Women being sent back to Burqa in Afghanistan and Iraq as nothing but non physical violence 

About power they say Physics of resisting power is as strong as Physics of accumulating power. Success of a country is proportional to moral degradation of the country.

Dan claims that during sixties when the number of continental missiles (ICBM) of Soviet Union were estimated from tens to hundreds to up to thousand, in reality, the number obtained by American spy agencies was FOUR. But it was never made public and America developed it's arsenal by deliberately overestimating Soviet Union's arsenal.  Something similar happened in Iraq.

The fire and smoke from an atom bomb can kill hundreds of thousand (This is in addition to thermal and radiation casualties) and the subsequent reduction of sunlight can kill crops and starve millions to death. 

Arundhati has grown up in communist Kerala and has socialist ideology. She doesn't forget to criticize Modi, give unsolicited advise to his party and reminds readers of Gujarat riots.

Discussions between Arundhati, John, Dan and Snowden is the high point of the book but the discussion suddenly ends and so does the book. This sudden death of book leaves a feeling of incompleteness in readers mind. Why end so suddenly?

It's neither a fiction, nor is it a story. So don't look for a flow and continuity. It's a reflection of thoughts and voicing of opinions of the authors. Snowden, however, plays only a cameo. 

Why did I read this book?  Snowden. 

What I didn't like? Sudden death.  

What did I like? Different viewpoint.

Read if you liked this review. 

The ship of the dead by Rick Riordan

"The ship of the dead" by Rick Riordan - a Matryoshka doll. 

This book is published by Puffin in 2017 and has 528 pages. This is book 3 of Magnus Chase series. 

Loki is going to set sail at mid summer on his ship of nails (Naglfar). Percy is giving Magnus a crash course in sea survival. Magnus and his friends have a quest to stop Loki and avoid Ragnarök. 

Will Loki mess with the Einherji? Can Magnus and team stop Loki? What does Magnus require to win flayting contest?

Loki is about to set sail in his ship of nails (Naglfar) for Ragnarök. It means end of world is close. Magnus, gender fluid Alex, Mallory now called MAK, half born Gunderson, TJ, Valkyrie Samira, Elf Hearthstone and Dwarf Blitzen have to stop Loki. In order to stop Loki, Magnus has to challenge him and win. A flayting contest between Magnus and Loki would decide the fate of the world. To win it, he needs Kvasir's mead.The team travels from Midgard to Jotunheim to Niflheim to reach Naglfar.

The story is like the Matryoshka doll. One thing leads to another and Magnus and other Einherji seek one thing to get another & another to get that and so on. However, the flow is good, there is not much slack. Hearthstone, the elf, has to return to his home and face his father, who turned into dragon in last book. 

What is the twist in this Book? Well, a love interest for Magnus is introduced in the story. Who is she? You will have to read the book to know it. 

The flayting contest between Magnus and Loki does not turn out to be what we expect it to be but author gives it a positive spin, a good one. Win of good over evil, positive over negative. 

It is paradoxical that Jack, the talking sword of Magnus who can act on it's own when instructed, can't kill the dragon without Magnus stabbing Jack into the dragon. 

Book ends with a phone call between Magnus and Annabeth. There is a bad news at Annabeth and Percy's end. You don't come to know what, just that there is a bad news. Looks like a curtain raiser for next Percy or Apollo book. 

Why did I read this book? Rick Riordan. 

What I didn't like?  Dragon kill. 

What did I like? Courage for choosing Magnus's love interest. 

Read if you are reading the series. 

Baramulla bomber by Clark Prasad

"Baramulla bomber" by Clark Prasad - Almost good.

This book is published by Niyogi books in 2013 and has 315 pages. This is Book 1 of Svastik trilogy. 

World believes that China and Pakistan have tested a secret weapon in Shaksgam valley. 

The weapon has it's origin in Vedas and Bible. It's an ancient weapon. Both deny. India, China, Pakistan and Sweden are all interested in Mansur Haider, a Kashmiri cricketer. His girlfriend is Ahana Yajurvedi. 

What happened in Shaksgam valley? What is the weapon? Who is Mansur? What is the league of guardian's? Who is Baramulla bomber?

The story has a flow. A number of things are unclear during the course of the story but most of them are sorted out by the end.  Some like 'How did The defence minister die?' remain unexplained. Probably we will have to wait for sequel. The build-up is very good, climax is almost good but the end is tepid. One expects some thing even more climactic, but it turns out to be ordinary.

Characterization is interesting. Mansur, the cricketer. His Haider family has some secret but it will be revealed in Book 3. Ahana Yajurvedi, a girl who is envied in corporate world, a mountaineer, a paratrooper, a beauty. In short she has everything. Agastya Rathore (impressive name), home minister of India, the master mover whose family has ancient links. Adolf, the Swedish intelligence officer. Samir, whose true leanings remain unknown for most part of the book. Carina, head of Swedish intelligence and classmate of Agastya. They are supported by other characters.

At the beginning of each chapter the place where it happens is shown with a cross-hair on the world map. Simple ingenuity! Creative.

Oppenheimer's famous words after the first nuclear explosion have become a inspiration for a number of fictions. This novel falls in this category. 

Book name and cover may lead the readers to believe that this book is about terrorism in Kashmir, but it isn't, although Kashmir issue is on the backdrop. Let me tell you a secret. Baramulla bomber has nothing to do with fidayeen attack. Book cover is interesting. 

Clark Prasad, alter ego of Suraj Prasad, an unknown author has written a good book. He has a style of his own. This being a trilogy, second book is expected soon.

Why did I read this book?  Blurb, cover.

What I didn't like? The end. 

What did I like? Story. 

A good debut. Recommend reading.

The revelation code by Andy McDermott

"The revelation code" by  Andy McDermott -  Typical Nina Wilde book. 

This book is published by Headline in 2016 and has 496 pages. This is Book 11 of Nina Wilde - Eddy Chase series. 

A man, who is addressed as Prophet by his followers, kidnaps and tortures Eddy to force Nina to do his bidding. His belief, The book of revelation, last book of the new testament. The four angels are to be released, the seventh trumpet will sound and God will reveal all his secrets. Eddy enlists help from an unlikely source.

Who is this Prophet? What are the angels? What does the Prophet want to do? Who helps Eddy? What happens to Nina's unborn child?

Andy McDermott books have a set formula. There are ancient puzzles. No one can solve them, but Nina does. She discovers an ancient legend and proves it to be a fact, not myth. There are maniacs trying to destroy the world or secret tribe trying to protect the secret. There is a lot of adrenaline pumping action and a lot of bloodshed and death. Eddy's awesome and awful timing of jokes, which is his specialty, and his Yorkshire accent bring smile to readers.

Maureen Rothschild, nemesis of Nina in 'The cult of Osairis' and Ostwald, who is now chief of UN, help Eddy and Nina to overcome the threat and save the world. In previous books Nina solved the ancient puzzles and she and Eddy found the secret. Here she is pregnant and kidnapped. So she solves the puzzles but the bad guys find the angels. Nina swings into action only for the last angel. This time the action is cross Atlantic flight in supersonic jet and saving the world's leaders in a helicopter & a huge advertisement blimp.

The story is decently paced and becomes faster as it progresses. The climax is full of action. It is probably the longest climax in the books I read recently. 

Why did I read this book? Author.

What I didn't like? Arc of covenant remains unattended. 

What did I like? Action and Eddy.

Read if you like Andy McDermott books. 

Origin by Dan Brown

"Origin" by Dan Brown -  Not wow. 

This  book is published by Random House in 2017 and has 544 pages. This is Book 5 of Robert Langdon series. This book was at number 1 in the best sellers list recently at Kinokuniya, Dubai mall.

Edmond Kirsch, former student of Robert Langdon, a scientist, an atheist, a computer genius and expert of game theory, is about to announce a scientific discovery that will shake the very foundation of all religions. While he is about to announce it, an incident happens. Robert has to work with beautiful Ambra Vidal to get to the bottom of it.

What incident happens? Who is Ambra Vidal? Who is behind the conspiracy? What is the discovery? Can Robert solve the mystery?

The idea of discovering something that will shake foundation of every religion is intriguing. What's it? Reader gets interested but the answer comes towards the very end of book. 

We all know Robert Langdon's character from four previous books. He is an expert of religious symbology and an intelligent professor. Ambra Vidal is a thirty something, stunningly beautiful curator of Guggenheim, museum of Bilbao, and fiancee of Crown Prince of Spain. Prince Julien future King of Spain. Bishop Valdespino head of Church in Spain and a good friend of the King. Winston, a computer with AI completes the cast of important characters.

There is international politics, palace politics, conspiracy theories, theology, religious politics, substantial art, futuristic concepts, advanced science and artificial intelligence is also thrown into the mix. In short this book has it all. 

Like his previous books Dan Brown provides description of places in great detail and in an interesting way in this book as well. After reading the book, readers want to visit places like Casa Milà, Palace of Zarzuela, Palmarian church and Basilica of Sagrada Família.

Previous Dan Brown stories took place in Italy, France and USA. This one takes place in Spain, mainly in the cities of Bilbao and Barcelona. 

I had written about the pattern of Dan Brown novels in review of his earlier book. This book also follows the same pattern but the big surprise in this Book is not big enough. It does not completely change the perception of the reader. 

In my review of last Robert Langdon book I  said that I was a bit disappointed because the story turned sci-fi at the end. Well, this story is a sci-fi right from the word go.

Why did I read this book? Dan Brown. 

What I didn't like? Blandness. 

What did I like?  His descriptions. 

Read if you have read the series, but it's not wow!