Call of the Raven - book review

Call of  the Raven
by
Wilbur Smith and Corban Addison
Genre: Fiction

"And what use is freedom, if it is only the freedom to live
in a slum until you are worked to death? What use is a
wage if it does not buy you enough to eat?"  - Call of the Raven

The book opens with Cambridge Union debate between Fairchild and St. John arguing for and against slavery. But what exactly is freedom? This thread runs through the entire book, what exactly is freedom?

Mungo St. John returns from Britain to America only to find his father murdered and the love of his life, Camilla, a slave on his father's estate  murdered by the militia of his father's trusted banker, Chester Marion.  He has is penniless as his entire fortune has been pledged. While young St. John vows revenge on Chester Marion, he discovers his own family is not entirely innocent and finds himself on a ship to Africa to earn his fortune. He loses his innocence about all that he considers decent and is ready to do anything for revenge but then he discovers that Camilla is alive. He changes again and now all he wants is to rescue his love while destroying his enemy in the process. Will he?  

Reading the book was a revelation. I always thought I knew what freedom was and then began to wonder if I really knew while reading this book. It is amazing how we are all slaves and free at the same time when we think about it. Is the world really free from slavery now? Are we truly free or is our freedom just an illusion while we remain slaves in the hands of the system that controls us? Is selling and buying humans really off the table in this century when you compare it to the years of slave trade? Sure, most of us are not bound physically and dragged out to work in return for three meals a day and a roof over our head but has the system truly changes ?  

The writing is like picturesque and adventurous like any Wilbur Smith novel with heroes. I would recommend everyone to read this.

To buy the book  Click here.

 

The Madras Affair
by Sundari Venkatraman
Genre: Romance/Mystery


Sangita runs an NGO for downtrodden women in Madras. What motivated her to start one? When she is interviewed, the story is narrated in flashback. As we read on, we realise we really don't know Sangita or her family and are taken on a journey of her life. Enter Gautam Sinclair, who is an Indian-American, a Hindu-Christian - the man with hyphenated identities and handsome man who falls for Sangita and speaks Tamil and English with an American accent. If you expect her to be swept off her feet, it is more like he falls flat for her. There is a problem - Sangita refuses to marry him because she is absolutely scared of sex. What is the trauma that makes her flee from a physical relationship with Gautam Sinclair whom she adores and kisses madly but freezes if he tries to take it to the next level? Will they get married at all?

The author allows us a peak into the conservative culture of Madras, the music, the sounds, the people who  dream silently but live differently, the chaotic patriarchal system where the girl is a goddess and a victim to neighbour gossip, the relatives who use connections, etc.  The culture is familiar - everything from aiyo to thayir sadam that it makes you grin. If you are a reader who is looking for a romance with a dash of suspense to curl up with, I would recommend this book.

Move over Daniel Steele and Nora Roberts, we have our own Sundari Venkatraman.

You can buy the book here

The Rigveda Code - book review

The Rigveda Code
by Rashmi Chendvankar
Genre: Historical Fiction

 Rikshavi is a talented young girl. An intuitive archer, she is the princess of the ancient and powerful kingdom of Vrij. She grows to be a strategist while she gives up being a princess. What has this got to do with the Rigveda Code and what is it anyway?  Chendvankar manages to keep the reader interested with twists and turns and finally ending it with a surprise which the reader never expects.  

Her writing style is crisp and clear. The pace is unexpected and one wonders why even now, we are unable to follow the system so clearly laid out in the first republic - the Licchavi Republic which according to the ASI dates back to the 6th century BC in Bihar.

It is also a political commentary on issues we face today - justice for the common people and the inequality of power among states-now - the increased centralization of power as states are fast losing their individuality and continuous erosion of powers of states. While India was conceived as a country based on "unity in diversity" and decentralization of power much like the ancient Lichavvi Republic but we are heading towards "One country, one culture."much like the kingdoms that preceded it.  But what has this got to do with the Rigveda Code? Read the book to find out. 

 

You can buy it here

 

Tell A Thousand Lies - book review

Tell a Thousand Lies
by Rasana Atreya
Genre: Fiction

A widowed grandmother is saddled with three grand daughters -  older one named Malli and her twin sisters -Pullamma and Lata. Her daughter dies giving birth to the twins while her son-in-law runs away from the responsibility of being a father in search of  God to the Himalayas. The strong spirited grandmother raises her grand daughters. There is a problem however. Malli and Lata are the pretty ones but Pullamma is dark skinned like her dead grand father.So according to the grandmother's friends getting Malli and Lata married off won't be tough but what to do with Pullamma ? Some suggest it is just as well she was born dark that she can take care of the grandmother when she grows old as marriage is next to impossible.

Though twins, Pullamma and Lata are completely different. Pullamma is a tall, gawky teenager who doesn't mind being teased though she makes a promise to herself that when she has children,she would give her children, beautiful names. She has no great ambitions but is well aware of her grandmother's hardships and tries her best to help out by doing most of the chores. Her twin, Lata on the other hand is pretty, wants a career and doesn't want to be married or do chores. Malli's bride viewing is to take place. Enter Kondal Rao, a politician and husband of the grandmother's best friend and Pullamma's life is turned upside down.

From a small village in Andra Pradesh to Hyderabad, from Bangalore to all over the place, the story of Pullamma is the story of  many women in India. It is also a story about how Indian women despite all the crap piled on them overcome adversity and remain strong.I noticed many reviewers had stated this could happen only in rural India. Hanh! This happens all over India  even today - in cities, towns and villages. Except they have been given new names - dowry has become gifts, skin colour is now glow/complexion. Sure, girls have made strides in education beating the boys and literacy rate has gone up but they do both work and "homework". As for politics and politicians, to this day it happens in India and across the world - manipulation of people's lives without their knowing it.

This book made me laugh and cry, something no book has done in a long time. It reminded me of so many women who I used to know as a kid and as a teen, made me pause to think what they all might have gone through despite living in villages, towns and cities. At that time, I used to think they were being rude  to someone I knew but considering how a widow had to become a man overnight to take care of the family and even now is not allowed to participate in so called auspicious rituals, the book made me understand why some women behave the way they do  even though they were extremely progressive in their views.

The writing is clear, focused and the turns unexpected. It is one heck of an emotional ride - realistic, warm, sad, shocking, loving and logical. That is a hard feat to pull off. I look forward to the author's next books in 2021.

I suggest all Indians, especially Indian women buy and read it.

To buy the book, click here

Leave the World Behind - book review

 

 

 

Leave The World Behind
By Rumaan Alam
Harper Collins, 2020

Amanda and Clay and their two teenage kids head out from their busy, cramped lives in New York to a lazy, roomy holiday in Long Island. They are delighted with the house they are renting and the quietness of their surroundings. They are happy to leave the world behind as they cannot be reached even by their mobile phones. The kids are reading and swimming. Amanda and Clay manage to find each other. After a couple of days, they hear a knock at midnight that scares the couple. They open to find that it is the owner of the house and his wife - an elderly black couple who wish to stay the night in their own home. Amanda is suspicious and all her racist thoughts come to the fore before she realizes they are the owners. Then all things go crazy. The TV has no signal and all of them hear a loud noise. The two families are scared out of their wits and do not know what is going on. The teens are unaffected even though they do get scared when seven flamingos land in their pool. How do the two families get on? Do they get on? How do the kids react if they react at all forms the rest of the story.

This book reminded me of eating something delicious. In the beginning, you lick your fingers at the tasty frosting/topping and the insightful way the author describes the world of Amanda and Clay, especially their car. You can easily visualize Amanda, Clay and their children Archie and Rose. Then when G.H. Washington and Ruth make an appearance, you are made to wonder what is happening in the world. Can we really leave the world behind? There are several humourous moments but the suspense keeps dragging on. Then the bottom dropped out or rather I realised the book was over but the suspense was not explained away. It was disappointing that all I had left were crumbs while the questions remained. What was the noise? Why did the Archie's teeth just fall off and why was he bleeding after they all heard the noise? Is he okay? Are Ruth's grandsons okay? Does the noise affect only boys or was it completely unconnected with it all? Does Rose get back home? What did she know that the rest of the characters including the reader doesn't?

The writing style is crisp keeping the story suspenseful.Alam doesn't end the story in the traditional way which leaves you unsatisfied as you want all stories to have a beginning, middle and end. Reading it during the pandemic which one doesn't know how it is going to end, maybe this sort of ending makes sense. Leaves you philosophical but angry at ourselves. Why are humans not like trees? Why do we claim so much of the living earth and kill everything in the process of our small journey here called life? Is this how it is going to end for all of us as we keep ignoring facts about climate change and the temporary nature of lives? In the blimp that we call life, why do we hate, kill, support conflict, terrorise the earth and each other? Why do we live as if we are here forever when we know we will be gone in a blimp?

If you would like to buy the book, go click on the link here

A great weekend read

The Paatala Prophecy Son of Bhrigu
by Christopher C. Doyle
Genre : Fiction

This is the first book of the Paatala Prophecy series. Son of Bhrigu refers to Shukracharya - the Guru of Asuras. I had put this aside because of the title.Two days ago, I decided to read it finally as I had not read Doyle for a long time. And what a ride!

Arjun and Maya are two fifteen year old school kids who find their life turned upside down when their history teacher is murdered. While all including police are stumped, another murder takes place which is even more gruesome.  Why are people being murdered? It is not a serial killer but carefully selected targets. Just when the pattern seems to be emerging, the police are at a loss as it all stops. Maya's father asks her to take his diary and escape which she does. What does the diary contain? Why does Arjun's Uncle drive non-stop from Delhi to Madhya Pradesh? What secret are they hiding and who are they fleeing from?

From Egyptian pyramids to Allahabad escapade, murders in Delhi to hidden Gurukul in Panna National Park in Madhya Pradesh, Doyle has outdone himself. This has various references from the Mahabharata which is normal to me as I have read his other books. I was a little ticked off though when he says Parikshit is the son of Arjuna but actually the grandson. Other than that, it is a page turner and is thoroughly enjoyable.

The writing is clear and if you like the parallel universe theory and portals, do pick it up to read it over the weekend.

 

You can buy it here 

One Arranged Murder - book review

 

One Arranged Murder
by Chetan Bhagat
Genre: Mystery/Crime


Saurabh and Prerna are engaged to be married. Both families are happy. Everything seems to be ending in a "happily ever after" but suddenly Prerna Malholtra falls from the terrace and dies. Saurabh and his childhood friend Keshav are cyber security experts and run a detective agency on the side. They are unable to accept Prerna was dizzy and her death was an accident. The more they dig into the Malhotra clan, the secrets they uncover makes them determined that Prerna's death was no accident but a murder. But who is the killer and what is the motive?

Read the book to find out. The writing is fast paced in the beginning and the author kind of slows down to a trot and then picks up pace in the end. Too many points of view. The one arranged murder seems too messy like an arranged marriage - too many characters, too many flashbacks, too many back stories.


If you have time to while away like I did waiting for Cyclone Nivar to pass, this would be a good read. Otherwise, it is not worth it.


You can buy it here