Book Review : Chakravyuh : The Land Of the Paharias by Jitendra Attra

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I have been suffering from a reading slump for quite a while and hence finishing a book has become a huge task for me these days. So, I wanted to make sure that I would start with a book that could make me get over this slump. Chakravyuh was one of those stories that has a lot of promises in store. Read on further to find out whether it stays high on its promises or falls flat.

Blurb :

Arjun Sud, A 42 year old, CA lives a stressful corporate life working for an MNC with his family in Mumbai. Their adventure holiday turns into a brutal battle when the innocent family gets surrounded by the tribals. In the middle of the jungle, Arjun is faced with the tremendous horror of fighting the mighty Paharias at the same time solving the complicated puzzle (CHAKRAVYUH) to free his beloved family.

Racing against time the family has a daunting task of cracking a meticulously designed ancient maze against unknown scavengers in uncharted territory. The story unfolds as the family finds the secrets of the mysterious caves, the ancient rituals of the Paharian tribals, the threats it poses to their lives and the reason for setting up the mysterious caves and the Chakravyuh.

My Take on the Book :

Eventhough the book had an average length, it did take me quite a while to finish the book due to the reading slump I have been suffering from. The book is written quite well as we see less of an introduction to the characters at the start. We see the book jump into action quite early in the story and thats one of the best things about the plot. The author has written a pretty interesting narrative which is rarely seen in Indian novels these days.

The book which starts on a high note unfortunately loses itself somewhere during the second half of the narrative. The concept of family bonding that the characters have within themselves at times becomes a bit irritating which makes us lose interest in the novel at times. The idea of characters escaping from the Chakravyuh is unique and does add interest to the book but the book tumbles down when the author decides to add extra narratives after the protagonists comes out of the Chakravyuh.

Why I would recommend the book at this point is that the book finally brings in fresh ideas that Indian authors these days lack in. The way the plot seamlessly moves forward is quite refreshing and I would personally welcome this change of storytelling from the usual clichéd novels that Indian authors these days churn out.

So, if you have to pick up a short and light book for the weekend or for a journey, this book is good to go. I'm sure you will not realise how your journey ended while the book was being read. Also, you will find very less editing issues compared to its counterparts these days.

My Ratings : 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Book In Three Words : Refreshing. Interesting. Lengthy.

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