Book Vue

Buy from Amazon.com Buy from Amazon.in Title:  Exodus '95 Author: Kfir Luzzatto Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller Pages: 309  Publisher: Pine Ten Rating: 3.8/5 Today I have a review of the very recently released  Exodus '95  by Kfir Luzzatto. The blurb said something about Moses's staff and discovering it, and that's it, I was sold! I love stories where there is hunting for relics and any kind of historical conspiracies. So, when the author so kindly asked me if I would review this book, I said 'Yes!' instantly! OK then, let's get to the review. Claire Williams is a graphical designer in New York and learns something startling from her neighbour, Jack. He is a father figure to her and is dying but before that, he hands over a secret. The fact that the magical Moses's staff exists and that it is stored in a box that Jack himself had designed. He not only gives the key to the box to Clai...

Download the e-book from Juggernaut here                       OR Buy From Amazon.in Title:  Kohinoor- The Story of the World's Most Infamous Diamond Author: William Dalrymple and Anita Anand Genre: History Rating: 4.5/5 "Why did it have to end?", was precisely my thought as I finished the last page in the book. I am being unconventional here by giving away my impression of this book right at the start but it just goes to show how much I appreciated it. Kohinoor - The Story of the World's Most Infamous Diamond is authored by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand and, before I even get to the summary I have to say, it is a must read. The book is not a mere recitation of what conspired with the diamond, but is supported by valid documentation and references to assist the narrative. The book is divided into two major parts. The first one is a tale narrated by William Dalrymple describing the pre-h...

Rating: 3.5/5 Buy From Amazon.in Title:  The Second Coming: A Love Story Author: Scott Pinsker Genre: Fiction, History, Religious Pages: 238 Publisher: Scott Pinsker Publishing ASIN: B00KT6B3G0 Let me begin by saying that this is my very first 'requested' review.I received a free copy of this book from Scott Pinsker, the author, and was asked for my honest opinion. So here goes. The story is about two people, Joe and Israel, both claiming to be Jesus Christ. They are here to save mankind from the apocalypse and are forming their own group of followers for the same. But in reality, one of them is Satan. Both Joe and Israel, convince people to believe in them by presenting their own divine perspectives which, by the way, are totally opposite. The book is about how each of them represent their school of thought, one very modern and liberal, while the other with conventional theories of Christianity. When...

Rating: 3/5 Title:  The Treasure Of Kafur Author: Aroon Raman Genre: Fiction, Literary, Indian History Pages: 400 Publisher: Pan Macmillan ISBN-13:  9789382616122 After reading the Shadow Princess ,  I felt the need to divulge in more of Indian history and therefore, called for this book. This is the first time I was reading Aroon Raman and was waiting to find out if we had another Amish Tripathi in our midst. Here goes the summary of this book. The story is about a boy named Dattatreya, who sets out on a perilous journey to save his grandmother, Ambu, whom the cruel  king  of Khandesh, Asaf Baig has kidnapped. The people of his kingdom are suffering due to his selfishness as he continues to demand more taxes to fill his treasury. He is also looking for the "Treasure of Kafur" which would enable him to take over the current emperor Akbar.  The treasure  was hidden years ago by  Lieutenant  Malik Kafur after  raidi...

Rating: 3.5/5 Title:  Shadow Princess Author: Indu Sundaresan Genre: Fiction, Literary, Indian History Pages: 380 Publisher: Harper Collins India ISBN-13:  9788172239978 'Shadow Princess' is the third book in the Taj Mahal trilogy. I haven't read the previous two books and I'm glad that this book does not have a continuing story line. So if, like me, you have no idea what happens in the prequels, it is absolutely  fine  because this book starts anew and is a story in  itself . The story opens with the delivery of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan's  fourteenth child. When she passes away due to  compilations  in childbirth, the powerful emperor is reduced to a forlorn figure as he struggles to come to terms with the tragedy. So great is the void that he considers giving up the mighty throne. It is then that he decides to demonstrate his love for his most belov...

'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:  Inferno Author: Dan Brown Genre: Fiction, Adventure Pages: 528 Publisher: Random House ISBN-13: 9780593072493 After 'The Lost Symbol' I was a little skeptical about buying this book, but I went ahead and bought it anyway in the slight hope that it might have something interesting inside. Dan Brown didn't disappoint me this time. The story unfolds with the famous Harvard symbologist, Robert Langdon, waking up in a hospital having absolutely no memory of his whereabouts. He soon finds out that he is in Florence and is still in a confused state when an attempt to assassinate him is made. With only Dr. Sienna Brooks by his side and a vivid memory of a silver haired woman telling him to 'seek and find', Robert Langdon has to unravel the mystery behind all the chaos occurring around him. As clues lead him from Florence to Venice and then to Turkey, he realizes he has only a little time left to save the world from a...

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...

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: 2/5 Title:  The Lost Symbol Author: Dan Brown Genre: Fiction, Mystery Pages: 608 Publisher: Random House ISBN-13:  9780552161237 The Lost Symbol is another thrilling chase for ancient secrets and unearthing startling facts on its way. Robert Langdon, the Harvard symbologist who helped solve mysteries in “Angels and Demons” and “Da Vinci Code”, stars yet again in this exciting expedition. Robert Langdon is invited to give a lecture at the Capitol in Washington D.C by his mentor, Dr. Peter Solomon, who heads the Smithsonian Institute. Upon arriving at the Capitol, Robert realizes that the invitation was sent by Dr. Solomon’s kidnapper and that his mentor is in grave danger. What follows is the journey to not only find Peter Solomon but also uncover mysteries that, until this time, Robert thought to be a myth. The story revolves around the Freemasonary group and a hidden pyramid which apparently is a map that points to the exact location of an ancie...

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 ...