Inane Murtaza

Title : Upon a Burning Throne - Part 1 Author : Ashok K Banker Genre : Mythological Fantasy Of the two major Indian Epics, Mahabharata has always fascinated me more. The epic consists of so many characters with different shades that one cannot rightly put them in black or white zones. The epic is so well written with characters etched deeply that one always looks for various narratives for the story and yet each narrative brings in more questions and surprises even more. So apparently, when I finally came across this retelling of Mahabharata, I had to get my hands on it and here is my take on the first book. The plot majorly revolves around Adri and Shvate who are in line to rule the vast Burnt Empire, yet on the day of their test for inheritance, they are challenged by another ruler whose daughter comes from the same bloodline and to everyone's surprise she passes the test too. When her claim to inheritance is denied by family elders Vrath and Jilana, the empire is thro...

Title : The Gifted The Talented and Me Author : William Sutcliffe Genre : YA A year or two back if I was asked my opinion on a Young Adult book, I wouldn't have had much to say since I had hardly read much of them. Now, I have read quite enough novels on YA to differentiate between a promising one and a book that will again take up the same old plot, try a bit of tinkering and serving it back. Honestly, quite a lot of YA fantasies have been treading this path and so I was pretty much surprised when I picked up this one which tries to explore the Young Adults in today's times.  Sam apparently had a pretty normal life with his days spent as a famous vlogger and chatting with friends but his life apparently turns outside down when his parents suddenly get rich and shift to North London. He is enrolled into North London Academy for the Gifted and Talented which is apparently a school where your talents on Drama and Art are explored more rather than sports. The plot explo...

Title : Beast Author : Krishna Udayasankar Genre : Fantasy I'm generally quite reluctant to pick up Indian authors since in recent times I have had experiences that were from bad to disastrous. Hence, when I finally decided to pick up this book, I kept my expectations at an pretty average but I did expect a good storyline as she has written a few books earlier which had pretty rave reviews. Read ahead to find out whether the book did meet my expectations or not. The plot revolves primarily around Enforcer Prithvi who has been assigned to find out about the gruesome murders that had taken place in the suburbs of Mumbai. ACP Aditi Kashyap, the investigating officer had been hearing weird theories about the murders which she ain't ready to believe but as the plot moves on, the circumstances does allow her a hint of doubt on the legend of Saimhas or as we call it Werelions. With deep buried secrets that would be unveiled, we are put on a roller coaster ride of twists that prom...

Title : The Near Witch Author : V E Schwab Genre : Middle Grade Fantasy Being quite an active Bookstagrammer, V E Schwab was one of those authors that one can hardly missed. Her books were well received and I was shocked to see that she has been around for quite some time and has written a lot of books. Finally, I picked up her debut novel when the books came out pretty cheap and this is my take on it. The plot revolves around the town of Near where we see Lexi living along with her younger sister Wren and her mother. She despises her uncle Otto who tends to control every action of hers. Her father also known as the Protector of Near had died in mysterious circumstances. One day Lexi sees a stranger arrive in town and this follows up with the disappearances of kids around the town? Who is the stranger? Will Lexi be able to find the kids? What are the various mysteries revolving around the town brings up the rest of the story. The best thing about reading a debut author is as...

*I was provided an ecopy of this book for review purpose* At times, you do land up with a book that is pretty easy to read but takes a toll on your capacity to think. Greed Lust Addiction was my recent pickup by an upcoming Indian author and this is my take on it. To be honest, my review is pretty polarised from the ones you would find online but again this is my opinion and you are free to counter the same. Blurb (From Goodreads): The book covers the journey and encounters of an investigative journalist, thrillingly revealing mysteries of the corrupt material world, who believes in following the virtuous, righteous and spiritual path in life but is lured by a society dominated by corrupt politicians, unscrupulous greedy businessmen, puppet media, insensitive police, and even a biased judiciary. It leaves the readers wondering: Will the protagonist survive in the midst of the powerful lobbies who have scant regard for human life? Or will he be crushed like a beetle under a booted fo...

I have delayed this article for quite a long due to my reader's block but as a blogger it is my duty to review the books that I have been provided copies for. Last October, Bloomsbury had conducted a readathon for some of their award winning books to inspire more readers to read new books. I decided to pick up these books and here is my take on the same. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟) The Graveyard Book is a book about a little boy named Nobody Owens. Bod, as his friends call him is an orphan who has the most interesting surrogate family. Having lost his entire family to a brutal murder, Bod wanders into a graveyard and here is where he finds the most amazing myth to be a reality that ghosts are real. Neil Gaiman is a wonderful storyteller and the same is portrayed in The Graveyard book. Although, a book primarily written for children, this book is surely to captivate childrens and adults alike. The characters have been portrayed pretty detailed and there ...

This book did put me in a great dilemma. Should I pick up this book because I just loved watching Gaur Gopal Das's video online or should I not pick it up because I generally avoid self help books. The dilemma was sorted out by a friend of mine who had picked this book earlier and encouraged me to give it a try. Little did I know that this book would turn out to be a blessing in disguise for me. Read further to find out why? Blurb (From Amazon): While navigating their way through Mumbai's horrendous traffic, Gaur Gopal Das and his wealthy young friend Harry get talking, delving into concepts ranging from the human condition to finding one's purpose in life and the key to lasting happiness. Whether you are looking at strengthening your relationships, discovering your true potential, understanding how to do well at work or even how you can give back to the world, Gaur Gopal Das takes us on an unforgettable journey with his precious insights on these areas of life. ...