Book Vue

Title: Kaash Kashmir: A Play on Love and Loss in the Valley of Fear Author: Rajesh Talwar Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction Pages: 218 Rating: 3.2/5 KAASH KASHMIR   by Rajesh Talwar is basically a retelling of the purging of the Hindu Kashmiri Pundits in the year 1990. The book is set in Srinagar and is in the form of a play. It has been long since I read one but I love reading plays as, in my opinion, they get straight to the point and also work up one's imagination in a different, albeit interesting way. The play begins as Rohan, the son of a Hindu Pundit expresses his love for Ayesha, the daughter of a Muslim, on the sprawling lawn of Rohan's ancestral Kashmiri house. Rohan's and Ayesha's families are close friends and have been neighbors for many years. As the play progresses, the setting shifts from Srinagar to Pakistan where a plot is being hatched to remove all Kashmiri Pundits from the area so that Pakistan can claim Kashmir a...

Buy from Amazon.in Buy from Amazon.com Title:  Forbidden : Better Wear Your Flak Jacket Author: Feather Stone Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Suspense Publisher: Romance Under Fire Pages: 363 Rating: 4.2/5 A suspense, action packed thriller that managed to keep me hooked right from the beginning,  Forbidden   by Feather Stone is one hell of a book. Feather Stone is a paramedic herself, the experiences of which she has duly referenced in the book. I am super excited to share my review, so here goes! The year is 2047. Eliza Ramsay is a Canadian paramedic, waiting at an airport in The Republic of Islamic Provinces and Territories (RIPT), an amalgamation of Arabic nations. Her team from the Habitat office hadn't arrived yet. When they finally do, a couple of hours later, they all take a bus to go into the city of Samarra. But things take an ugly turn when all her colleagues are shot dead by a mysterious group who vanish from the spot so...

Buy from Amazon.in Buy from Amazon.com Title:  Cascade Author: Peter Harper Genre: Fiction, Action, Adventure Pages: 293 Rating: 3.5/5 Cascade   by Peter Harper is an action packed adventure which successfully enthralls the reader. It has guns, fights, political strategies, and one of the most exciting component - chase! So without any further ado, let's get to the review. Shani Balcescu, an Oxford student, receives a message that her adopted father has had a heart attack for the second time. Before dying, he apologizes to her and mentions Seroule ( a west African region), but she doesn't think much of it. As she is recovering from her loss, she finds shocking revelations about her origin and about how her real parents got gunned down in Africa amidst a political coup. Along with a French Journalist, Nicholas Dubois, she meets a Seroulese rebel, who tries to convince her of his help, but Shani has her doubts. Together, they help Shani uncover more infor...

'Be Careful What You Wish For' by Jeffrey Archer is the next book in the Clifton Chronicles series. It is due for its release mid March 2014 and is up for pre order on Flipkart for a discounted price of Rs. 299.

Rating: 4/5 Title:  The Oath Of The Vayuputras Author: Amish Tripathi Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Pages: 600 Publisher: Westland ISBN-13:  9789382618348 This is the third book in the Shiva Trilogy series. The author has somehow managed to put good, if not perfect, finishing touches to his masterpiece. It is understandably a challenge to end a fantastic series such as this, with an equally fantastic conclusion. Shiva is in Panchvati with his entourage, just recovering from the surprise attack when he discovers that Brahaspati is still alive. When Brahaspati explains the ill effects of Somras, Shiva realizes the weight of his responsibilities as a leader. Shiva and his followers ultimately decide that Meluha, the primary location of the Somras, has to be destroyed. The plan is executed with the help of the Vayuputras, who finally have an introduction in the story. Meanwhile, Daksh plans a strategy to bring his daughter, Sati...

Rating: 4/5 Title:  Best Kept Secret Author: Jeffrey Archer Genre: Fiction Pages: 381 Publisher: Pan Macmillan India ISBN-13:  9781447231172 A long awaited sequel to 'Sins of the Father', this book continues the Clifton saga. The vote of the Lord Chancellor enables Giles Barrington to inherit his father's fortune but Harry is glad nevertheless to have Emma back in his life. Emma, with the help of Derek Mitchell, begins her search for the little girl who allegedly was her father's illegitimate child and adopts her. Sebastian, Emma's and Harry's son, is more than happy to have a sister whom he affectionately looks out for. Meanwhile, Giles gets busy with the General Elections to save his seat in the House of Commons but he is in for a nasty surprise when he finds out that his old nemesis, Alex Fisher, is contesting against him. Seb and his friend Bruno finish school and are awaiting a scholarship from Cambridge when Bruno's father...

Jeffrey Archer's third book in the Clifton Chronicles series is up for pre-order on Flipkart. It is scheduled to release by the end of March 2013.

Rating: 4/5 Title:  The Sins Of The Father Author: Jeffrey Archer Genre: Fiction Pages: 384 Publisher: Pan Macmillan India ISBN-13:  9781447209225 I cannot believe I forgot to write the review of this amazing sequel to the Clifton Chronicles! Having realized that, I will quickly get down to it. The story continues from where Mr. Archer left it dangling ( that is so unfair to us readers!) in 'Only Time Will Tell'. Harry Clifton assumes the identity of Tom Bradshaw but soon realizes his mistake when he is arrested for murder. Sefton Jelks, an acclaimed lawyer of New York, tricks him and Harry is tried and sent to jail. Inspite of being his only way out of this mess, Harry wouldn't reveal his true identity to defend Emma. On the other hand, Emma gives birth to Harry's son. When she visits Maisie, Harry's mother, she notices an unopened letter with Harry's handwriting on it. She travels to New York assuming...

I just got an intimation that the third book in the Shiva Trilogy 'The Oath of the Vayuputras' by Amish Tripathi is releasing early March 2013 and is up for pre-order at a discounted rate on Flipkart. Go grab it people!

Rating: 4/5 Title: The Secret of the Nagas Author: Amish Tripathi Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Pages: 414 Publisher: Westland ISBN-13:  9789381626344 I ordered this book on Flipkart and couldn't wait to get my hands on it! As soon as it arrived, I had it covered (the snake on the cover scares me!!) and dug into it – pronto! The story starts off where the previous book, The Immortals of Meluha, had concluded.  Shiva succeeds in saving Sati from the hideous Naga who killed his dear friend Brahaspathi back in Meluha. The story moves forward with the introduction of several new characters. Amongst the primary ones is Sati’s sister Kali – The Queen of the Nagas. Sati gives birth to Karthik but soon discovers that her elder son, Ganesh, is still alive and that he is none other than the Naga who has been following her from Meluha. Shiva reaches Branga, where he hopes to find some clue about the Nagas. There he realizes that due to a plague in...

Rating: 4/5 Title: The Immortals of Meluha Author: Amish Tripathi Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Pages: 412 Publisher: Westland ISBN-13:  9789380658742                                                                                                                                                                                                               Hadn’t it been for the second intuitive glance at the summary behind the book, I would...

Rating: 3.5/5 Title:  The Rozabel Line Author: Ashwin Sanghi Genre: Fiction, Suspense, Thriller Pages: 346 Publisher: Westland ISBN-13 :  9789381626825 This is Ashwin Sanghi’s first book. It was first published in 2007 under the pseudonym Shawn Haigins which is in fact an anagram of the author’s name itself. Due to its bestseller status for a long time, it was revised and published under the author’s original name in 2008 and 2010. The story is about the Rozabel Line or rather the expedition of finding it. It exists in Kashmir, India and is supposedly Jesus’ tomb. A line in the summary behind the book says, “Spanning between centuries and continents” and is quite true to its meaning. I’m not getting down to details on purpose for this book because I believe the pleasure lies in digging them out on your own! The story begins in London where a professor’s severed head is found in a box inside a library. As a result, the journey begins to find...

Rating: 4/5 Title:  Only Time Will Tell Author: Jeffrey Archer Genre: Fiction, Historical Pages: 388 Publisher: Pan Macmillan India ISBN-13:  9780330535670 This book reminds me why I can never get enough of Archer’s ingenuity. Archer, as is known, is an excellent storyteller and after this book all I have to say is, there can be no one like him. ‘Only Time Will Tell’ is the first volume of the “The Clifton Chronicles” series. Harry Clifton is a child who, despite his poor financial condition, manages to attend the best schools due to his extraordinary singing talent and his mother’s hard work. People around him help from time to time with either money or advice and teach him how to handle life’s ups and downs which shapes him for his future. Like Old Jack Tar, a loner, who is particularly fond of Harry. Maisie Clifton, Harry’s mother, is a doting and hard working mom who determinately works many jobs to afford her son’s education. He meets his ...

Rating: 4/5 Title:  Chanakya's Chant Author: Ashwin Sanghi Genre: Fiction, Historical Pages: 448 Publisher: Westland ISBN-13:  9789381626818 The title of the book indicated that it had something to do with Chanakya and that was tempting enough to buy the book. But the antique bronze look to the cover made it even more attractive and I quickly grabbed a copy knowing that it will be fun going through this one. The book has two stories running parallel; one about Chanakya and how he manages to crown Chandragupta the king of Magadha. The other is about Pandit Gangasagar Mishra, a modern day Chanakya, who succeeds in manipulating the government for his own purpose. The book begins with the year 340 BC when a young Vishnugupta, later known to the world as Chanakya, is shattered as his father is assassinated by the king of Magadha. He vows to take revenge as he flees from the city for the fear of being murdered himself. As Chanakya grows up to be ...