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The quote is exemplified in Odayan, an epic tale set against the backdrop of feudal Kerala, where a mysterious, masked stranger on a quest to piece together a mythic cursed blade, which was broken into twenty one pieces and each piece is under the care of a martial arts master. The tale is a mix of genres like the Western and martial arts stories, with the titular stranger who goes about wrecking lives and creating more individuals like him and the King setting a bounty on his head and sending out his best warriors to hunt Odayan down.

The official description is as follows:

“Set against the backdrop of feudal Kerala, the mysterious criminal and vigilante known simply as ODAYAN, slowly amasses wealth and power through subterfuge and brute force and builds himself a criminal empire that ultimately challenges the reign of the Zamorin himself“

It is deeply ingrained in the Malabar culture, it utilizes the martial and patriarchal society of Kerala and ancient ballads and characters that are as grey as the scale they are drawn in. Created by Suhas Chandra, who has an encyclopaedic knowledge about all things comic related, brings his passion for martial arts, history and storytelling into telling this dark and gritty epic tale, evoking comparison to the works of Alan Moore. He is a winner of the “Best Writer” award at Comic Con India Awards for this work. Deepak Sharma, also lends ink in his unique visual style.

Odayan, is a visual and visceral delight from start to finish that leaves you begging for more once you turn over the last page. It is a story that could only be told in the medium of a graphic novel, given the restriction and censorship of films and the limited scope of television without being too wordy like prose. An absolute must read.

The second issue was released at the Delhi Comic Con earlier this month.

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The post Review: AN EXPERIMENT IN LOVE appeared first on dfuse.in.

First published in 1995, the novel felt a bit auto-biographical. Written in a first person narrative, it tells the story of Carmel McBain who comes from a poor Catholic family in northern England – just like Mantel. She has come to attend a law college in London- another similarity between the protagonist and the author. Even the year in which the character attended college – 1970 – is the same time when Mantel did.

Carmel is being pushed into academic success by her mother and is forced to study law. This single sentence speaks a lot about her personality: ”I wanted to separate myself from the common fate of girls who are called Carmel,” she tells us, ”and identify myself with girls with casual names, names which their parents didn’t think about too hard.”There she meets Karina and Julianne, two friends who she’d grow close to while staying at the residence. The story begins with hope and happiness, but as it progresses one can detect many shades of tragedy and several instances of growing up.

Pages within this book have flashes of feminism, social satire, protests and sprinkles of religion here and there. Despite all this, I was left with several unanswered questions at the end of the read. What happened to Carmel and Karina after the horrible incident? …and that bugged me to no end. However, I realized that the ending was left for us to imagine and revel in. This was the first book by Hilary Mantel that I have read and was a fine read for me. The plot held little interest for me, but the fact that I could identify myself with the situations at hand in the book made it worth my time.

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The post Review: The Boy Who Could See Demons appeared first on dfuse.in.

The book looks beautiful on the outside with an extraordinary cover design by Anna Morrison.

A normal boy walking hand-in-hand with his demon friend (illustrated as another boy with a devil’s tail), a dog named ‘Woof’, onions on toast and other such things that gives a hint about the story even before one gets to it.
Written in the first-person perspective of two people, it tells the story of Alex Broccoli, a ten year old boy who claims he can see demons and that his best friend is a demon named Ruen. Coincidentally, Ruen is the only friend he’s ever had. While quite a few of us did have an imaginary friend during our childhood, Alex’s experience of having one is quite different. The story is set in North Ireland. The protagonist lives in a rancid home with a suicidal mother whose actions force him into the care of an adolescent psychiatry consultant– Anya Molokova, who is an intriguing character. As the story progresses, we get to know more of her past and the demons that she battles. Questions need to be answered as pages turn quickly: Is Alex’s condition a cruel trick of his mind? Or do demons really exist? The reality, as it turns out, is more terrifying.

Carolyn has written a brilliant novel of suspense that delves into the recesses of the human mind and soul and has portrayed Alex in a way that makes it a delight to read his story. Alex’s character is so pure, so innocent. The deadpan style of narration suits the flow. The author has to be given credit for the multifaceted characters that she has created – they are something different (pun unintended).

In the best storytelling tradition, reading this book leaves the reader changed.It was like taking a refreshing break from the many novels I have read off late. This is a novel that deserves to be read more than once. Maybe you’d discover something new every time you do; something that would bring a smile to your face and contentment in your heart.

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The post Review: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time appeared first on dfuse.in.

Mark Haddon’s The curious incident of the dog in the night-time has the distinction of being the first novel ever to be published simultaneously in two editions- one for adults and one for children. A special mention must go to Paul Blow for the beautiful cover illustration in the young adult’s book.

The novel is written in the first person where the main character, Christopher Boone, is also the narrator. He is a fifteen year old boy from Swindon with Asperger’s Syndrome who loves maths and his pet rat, Toby. The story begins when Christopher finds his neighbour’s dog lying on the lawn with a fork sticking out of his guts. He begins to write a murder mystery novel to find out the culprit. What ensues complicates his life more than he could have predicted. One interesting aspect of this book is that the chapters of this book are prime numbers. Beginning from ‘2’, they go up to the last chapter, which is numbered ‘233’.

‘Mother used to say my name ‘Christopher’ was a nice name because it was a story about being kind and helpful, but I do not want my name to mean a story about being kind and helpful. I want my name to mean me.’

Christopher isn’t your typical teenager. Interested in maths, the night sky and logic puzzles, he is the totally opposite definition of a teenager. ‘Not eating food if different sorts of food are touching each other’ and ‘not liking yellow or brown things and refusing to touch or eat yellow or brown things’ might not be behavioural problems that a normal teenager might have. But, that’s Christopher’s uniqueness and it is what makes the novel much more interesting to read.

Reading this novel will take you to the part of your childhood that was bliss. When lies were spoken by evil people, being cool was acting strange and when being a detective on a mock-case to save the world was fun! What makes this novel unique is the fact that Christopher never lies. He simply cannot. As one reads on, more is known about him and we choose to revel in the simplicity of his nature instead of questioning it- because that is how Christopher is. At one point of our life, we all were Christophers, but we lost the freshness somewhere along the way.

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The post Review: Che in Paona Bazaar appeared first on dfuse.in.

 The title character here is the region. The insurgency that plagues the nation hits the headlines whereas the smaller / insignificant stories never make it to the newspapers. Kishalay Bhattacharjee gets everyday stories to present his non-fiction material. Buri Ma, an old woman looks after ‘left over’ children for nearly 27 years. All the children were brought up on marijuana sale. The author becomes one among them with an outsider’s eye. The festivals that are a fusion of traditional rituals along with Vaishnavite practices bring the town a new flavour. Hindi films are orphaned on the other hand Korean films and television serials dominate cinema halls. Powerless (both: free thinking and electricity); rapes by security forces, naked protests against rapes hamper the prospects of wetting the land with promise. In the midst of all the cacophony people are adept at sports.

 North East is also notorious for its involvement in training child soldiers. A child soldier blows up a railway colony market in Guwahati with an auto van carrying gas cylinders for home delivery in return for some good Chinese meal at a city restaurant. If a child carries such a scar into adulthood, he will pass it on to the future generation. Many stories in the book are mundane chores that may happen anywhere but since it is a conflict infested area, there is a sense of curiosity.

 The author’s journalistic approach seems right for Che in Paona Bazaar. He’s emotionless, unapologetic and lacks sentiment. Serenity needs to flood the small strip that is a part of India, North East is not an alien nation, the seven states are included very much. The book shows that the people living there lead a life of wet mud in the anticipation of a melted jaggery.

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The post Review: Revenge of the Naked Princess appeared first on dfuse.in.

The book is a fictitious take on the historical occurrences of forced conversion of Hindus to Christianity at the hands of Portuguese rulers and the Pope. As gruesome as the topic is, Pereira’s tale is written with such craft that it makes sure the reader experience an elevated sense of disgust and fear.

The plot revolves around the conversion of the subjects of Princess Darshana of Yehoorwada by Brigadier Braganca and Bishop Francisco. Under orders of the Portuguese king, the Brigadier subjugates the natives to various atrocities that force them to convert to Christianity. In his quest, the Brigadier is aided by the native Govind or rather his baptised avatar ‘Joseph’ who trades in the location of the secret castle for a larger piece of land. Princess Darshana’s spirit eventually returns to avenge her wrongful death and the forced conversion of her people.

The book is replete with examples of dark humour and I believe this is its greatest strength. By juxtaposing the traumatising events such as rape, brutal massacres, maiming of children, all finally resulting to forced conversion with the idea that it will lead to the spread of the message of benevolent Lord Jesus, the author brings to light the sick irony of the situation. His narrative style repeatedly emphasises this gross interpretation of the message of Jesus in progressively novel ways.

The book moves at a brisk page. Although, some may find the vividly described pitiless imagery hard to digest, needing to read one incident at a time. The plot is full of multitudinous twists and turns, keeping up the reader’s interest till the very last page. It clearly delivers on the lucid understanding that people have adopted religion to suit their needs and not as an instrument to serve God.

Characters are well-rounded and show an amazing depth. Bishop Francisco Pascal is the most powerful character; dark and twisted, he goes from being a timid priest to a full-fledged monster cloaking himself with the lie that it is God’s will he is performing.

The book gets more interesting when Pereira begins mixing historical fiction with fantasy (which could be construed as mythology). Supernatural elements, a direct dialogue between Gods of different faiths and the elaborate revenge that the spirit of Princess Darshana plans – very novel, very fresh; something new on bookstands as mundane is a common sight.

Our review of Oswald Pereira’s previous novel The Newsroom Mafia can be read here.  And here’s what he had to say when fellow author Ahmed Faiyaz  interviewed him.

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The post Review: Blood from a Shadow appeared first on dfuse.in.

The leading man of the novel, Cornelius Mcknazpy (Con, for short) is an ex-militant of Irish-American descent  from the 69^th Regiment of the Irish Brigade. The opening chapter was lacklustre and snail-paced, giving no clear-cut outline of the main character. The protagonist seems brusque, violent, easily annoyed, and ready to rip out the jugular vein of any provoker. The chapter ends with a mission thrust into Con’s  hands that sends him backpedalling into a past that he wishes he didn’t have to revisit. He knows little about the drama, murder, uncertainty and controversy that await him on foreign shores.

While the plot thickens taking on a new and unforeseen route, the core idea of the book and the weaving in of the author’s fictionalized creativity tips the scale slightly in his favour. The author has used a lot of nonfictional references connected to Ireland’s heritage while merging the storyline with the political climate that pervades our current real world scenario. There’s a cornucopia of characters from Iran, Turkey, Ireland, the United States, and Israel that play a part in the novel – a melting pot of questionable men and women.

There are hidden surprises as well as select dialogues that are inarguably well-written. I did come across a lot of dry patches in the storyline, but it resumes its swift tempo tactfully. While the book heavily revolves around an imminent act of terrorism that may or may not occur, most of the characters weren’t given attention likewise. My personal favourite from the group was Didar, a Turkish prostitute. You’ll feel just as empathetic as I did when you stumble upon the chapters that speak of her unfortunate circumstances. Her raw sexiness and mesmeric accent is cleverly brought to life through mere text – you can almost smell her cheap perfume.

Certain parts in the book got me wincing  in utter annoyance because Cornelius was ready to break every nose within view and repeatedly stir up violence instead of thinking about the many lives at stake. Innocent people are killed, the story turns ugly because of his brutish impatience and his family almost dies at the hands of a raging lunatic. I wasn’t very happy with how the author chose to explain only some of the characters in depth, leaving the rest entirely to the reader’s imagination. You’ll find such flaws within the confines of the novel which will force you to detach yourself from a character. Without connecting to what each one has to offer, the crux of the story loses its charm.

For those of you who love reading books where exaggerated details of war are splattered within the pages, then this one is your go-to thriller. There are many moments in the book that are praiseworthy but I prefer a novel that doesn’t come with displeasing irregularities. The attempt to write such a novel reveals great literary potential from the author. It would’ve been better if he’d toned down the extensive details related to a country’s history since not all of it will be graspable to many. Give the book a chance nonetheless.

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The post Review: JFK appeared first on dfuse.in.

The novel begins with two murders rocking the city of Kolkata. Jatin F Karunamoi, an unemployed man in his fifties, finds himself dragged into a web of confusion and misunderstanding when the last words uttered by his best friend, Manish Mondal are his initials. Manish is one of the murder victims. The hook (one wherein the last words of a dying man are the only clues to find his assassins), even though reminiscent of several thrillers, works well and grips the reader. While Jatin investigates the murder with the assistance of another friend Montu, another murder is committed and Jatin is incriminated as the prime suspect. Forced to defend himself, Jatin unravels several dark secrets about his deceased friend, and discovers the motives for the murders are much more complex than he had imagined.

Kerawala excels at character creation. The characters of the novel are its primary strength. The author deserves accolades for the characters he sketches. Be it the struggling Jatin, the endearing but tactless Montu, or even the deceased Manish, each character is well etched and paints a vivid picture. There are no paper-thin characters, and each one has some quirk typical of human nature.  Jatin’s character especially is strongly defined, and one can relate to the turmoil within him. Kerawala skilfully projects multiple facets of Jatin – his struggles with unemployment, a nagging wife, and the time of grief he goes through  after his friend’s death. Based on the amount of detail that has been given to Jatin’s character, the book could well have been written with his perspective in the first person.The only minor blip here is Montu as his actions do not seem to have enough supporting motives, especially towards the end of the book.

Kerawala’s breezy style of writing fits this genre like a hand to a glove. The language flows smoothly and makes the novel a good, pacy read. The novel has a gripping plot and holds one’s attention through the first two-thirds of the book. In fact, one might think the mystery is close to getting solved by this point. It is here that the book disappoints; the last third of the book meanders lazily from the central murder mystery and drags the narrative. It appears as if this last section was written without adequate forethought. I thought the plot deserved a better structure and with some shuffling of the order of the events, the author could have kept the reader riveted right until the end.

There are a few other inconsistencies which jar one’s reading. One of the characters befuddles the reader with his inconsistent lisp – he lisps at times and speaks clearly rest of the time. The author also switches abruptly from one point of view to another in consecutive paragraphs. The spelling and grammar errors are not as frequent as in other books I have read recently, yet they stagnatethe otherwise fluent writing.

These errors notwithstanding; JFK starts off as an engrossing mystery and holds great promise way past the halfway mark. But just when the plot could have got more exciting, it peters out with some prolonged subplots. The book could have dazzled the reader. Instead, it stops midway in its journey and its initial brilliance burns out with a smoulder. I recommend the book if you’re looking for an easy fast-paced novel. This is not great literature, but makes for a decent one-time read.

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The post Review: Circle of Three appeared first on dfuse.in.

The book introduces its protagonists in stark honesty. Aryan Khosla has grown up too soon in the ignorance of his unassuming and wayward parents, often acting like the only adult in his suburban apartment. Ria Marathe has lost everything in a terrible accident – her beloved son, her cheating husband, her ability to write and her desire to live. Rana Rathod, a blue-blooded author is stuck in a rut – filled with bitter memories of his children and of his unrequited love; he hasn’t written anything inspiring in a long, long time. As circumstances bind the three together, they embark on a journey of finding a second lease of life as Aryan finds a reason to be happy, Ria finds a reason to live and Rana finds a reason to move on.

Each character in this book has been illustrated in beautiful detail, convincing the reader that their problems and experiences are  a blend of reality and sincerity.  The author has taken care to pay attention to the  supporting characters as well, making them  aid the plot perfectly. While the book does manage to convince the reader of the genuineness of its characters, the plot fails to bind them together as tightly as one would have liked. The incidents that  entwine each character’s path with the other hasn’t been enunciated in great depth, making it difficult to fathom how such a close bond could be formed by the protagonists.

The narrative is written in a slightly unconventional style, making the reader take some time to  adjust to it. The editing is about average with several unnecessary words sprinkled through the text and a few grammatical errors as well., Also, this book lacks the ‘can’t-put-it-down’ quality that one looks for in a good read. Overall, Rohit Gore’s book proves to be an interesting read with relatable characters and an attractive storyline. On a personal note however, I wish the author had elaborated a bit more on the significance of the number 3, that gives his book its title – Circle of Three.

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The post Review: 31 appeared first on dfuse.in.

Being a first-person narrative, a daily account of the thirty-one days is given to us by Ravi Shastry who heads the Bangalore branch of Imperial Bank. Under immense pressure of achieving the year-end targets of the multinational, Ravi and his team are working their limits off when a financial crisis strikes their Brazil division and a restructuring strategy throws the entire global banking industry out of bounds. Holding on to every last bit of what one has, the cut-throat rivalry within the organization takes a leap. Adding to it, Ravi’s marriage is falling apart while his wife Savitha also goes through a professional crisis. There is utter insecurity on the personal and professional front while an extramarital affair, fraud victimization, audit investigation, an unwanted pregnancy along with the chance of being unemployed at any moment engulfs Ravi and his family’s life, adding to their misery.

The originality of the author is reflected in his brilliant usage of time as a literary device. Every section begins with a calendar page showing the day of the month and within it, episodes and events are put together in random intervals of time as the day progresses. These time slots induce the feeling of a ticker set towards an impending doom with time running out. The plot builds around the whitewash, politics and mind games of CEOs with issues. Mysterious tweets and a Blackberry addiction adds to the suspense of the ongoing events. The domino effect of every rumour and every decision taken in the organization is seen within seconds and it affects the lives of every employee and his family. The fearful excitement  stems from the irony that no one and everyone can be trusted. The anticipation and uncertainty take a shift from the characters to the reader which makes the book a page-turner.

For the most part of the novel, the reader pronely roots for Ravi despite his evident flaws and shortcomings, as he fits a realistic image of the common man. The writing style adopted is simplistic, straightforward and quite informal in manner, which blurs the boundaries between the reader and the author. The story has been left open-ended so as to invite the reader to draw his or her own conclusion which adds to the gritty suspense till the last word. The morality of the individuals is often questioned while the desire for justice piles up. In these aspects, the novel sticks to the conventions of a thriller, leaving the readers cliff-hanging.

Although the events happening at Imperial are plenty and are multilateral in nature, the moderate pace of the narrative fails to grasp the attention of the reader at several instances. That said, the ultimate low point of the book is the extremely poor editing that reduces the credibility of the writer as well as the storyline and disrupts the flow of the narrative with misplaced punctuation and numerous syntactic errors scattered throughout the book. It takes away from the sheer enjoyment of reading. Also, the novel is in the want of better characterization as the figure of the protagonist, when imagined, remains dull and blurry, let alone the other characters. They remain faceless, unpredictable and dependent beings; especially as they are solely seen through the eyes of the narrator. This, at times, reduces the believability factor.

The undercurrent of humour through the panicky and nail-biting moments work as a sort of comic relief but this brand of humour needs some getting used to. As a debut, Namburi has done a good job considering the genre and the setting, and with this novel he efficiently adds to the Indian literary scene as an early work in this sub-genre.

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