Review - Game of Thrones (Season 1)

I happen to think of myself as a voracious reader and during my search for epics on Fantasy (no pun intended!) and Adventure, came across the a promising series called "A Song of Ice and Fire".

A quick online search was promising and I immediately proceeded to buy the first two titles. However, I am ashamed to admit that my patience get the better of me and after an excruciatingly slow read of the first part - "Game of Thrones", I abandoned my conquest of further annexation of the rest of the titles.

So when I came across the HBO mini series titled the Game of Thrones; I was skeptical at the very least. Movies and mini series based on popular book titles have a knack of disappointing the audience who constantly refers to the finely detailed characters dancing to the plots and sub plots an author so painstakingly details out.

Hence, with mild trepidation, I did decide to watch at least the first episode and take it from there. Alas, as usual I was disappointed with the entire episode and the unfolding of the story. However, it was one of those weekends when one doesn't have much to do and since I had anyway the whole series with me, it was decided to let it just play to fill the day with some couch-potato-ness. Man, was I in for a surprise, my disappointment soon turned to bewilderment when I realized I had watched an entire season back to back and it was 2 in the morning already!

The story at times will give you an impression of "inspired by The Lord of the Rings" but the treatment and the stark gore and deceit will make you put those thoughts to rest. The fantasy realm also heavily borrows the realities of the yesteryear's royalty - Deathly allegiances, incest, bastard children all clamor for the viewer's attention. Alas, the second season is not due till the next year and I am in this case not ashamed to admit; I'd rather watch the story than read the endless drawl of our beloved writer. Do watch this saga if you are a sucker for faulty knights, lying kings, bloody battles, lore of dragons and the sleepless walks of the zombies.

Review - The Unwaba Revelations

A fitting end to a Trilogy of epic proportions. The story moves at a pace which leaves one bewildered. The charismatic characters which have grown onto you over the course of the 1500 or so odd pages, change sides forge allegiances and then suddenly just die! Fantastic!!

The author does not follow the conventional and approved way of story telling, people die and suddenly; there are no elaborate plans to assassinate anyone; incidents happen and people die, story moves on. Thankfully, the author also doesn't seem obliged to end the saga by giving a fitting end to everyone's lives; showing a well lived and fulfilling journey in time. No, people move on, life continues, excitement in lives persist.

All in all, I will sum up by saying, read this book with an open mind; cause it will move away from the conformist style from page one and only grow more so. Fantastic and imaginative are the adjectives most befitting this grand saga!

Review - The Manticore’s Secret

Some say, trilogies and series more of than not peter out in the intermediate books only to pick up pace in the final and concluding part – many agree! Well I must say, Mr. Samit Basu, hats off to you and your dazzling world of fantasy and adventure which rubbishes such hearsay.

“The  Manticore’s Secret” starts from where we left off and then unconventionally proceeds to rip apart all the conventions that have been established in the first book. From an overly caring Dark Lord who is trying to save the world and not cause a war (!!), to a seemingly innocuous dwarf who is feared to be the most cunning spy assassin in the world; from almighty Gods creating a world to play with, to a frail chameleon working to play them instead – the book takes one interesting turn after the other and keeps the reader enthralled throughout. Since the author decided to keep up with the same flair of writing and flamboyance of characters from the erstwhile chapter, what we have in our hands is one heady concoction which promises to give a great hangover as soon as we are done with it.

My one and only disappointment is the fact that I do not have the third and the concluding book here with me and have to wait for its arrival. 

Review - The Simoqin Prophecies

Brilliant and imaginative best describe "The Simoqin Prophecies" - the first book of the Gameworld Trilogy.

Samit Basu has managed to create his fictional world with panache and precision. An intensely clever style of writing, the book does take about 50 pages of random events and people before the pieces start to make sense. The story then evolves at a pace and in a manner which makes the book unputdownable.

What’s real fun are the characters, which have been picked up across mythology and fiction. The names have been cleverly jumbled at times which upon unravelling makes one grin, almost ruefully at the context it has in our version of reality.

The humour in the book is not slapstick and even casual statements have an underlying hint of sarcasm and pun, though in all fairness this might be a turn off for some people.

The book does give the "Harry Potter Wizards" and the "Lord of the Ring Elves" a run for their money. Read the book with an open mind and I am sure you will be happy to get lost in this world of fantasy.

Review - Secret of the Nagas

The story which started in Immortals of Meluha, humanizing Shiva, on his road to "wherever fate leads him on his road to greatness" begins to peter off and head on a downward spiral in The Secrets of the Nagas.

The endearing storytelling with Shiva as the protagonist, filled with self doubt on every step and haunted by his own past quickly becomes a political drama filled with useless intrigue and an overdose of new characters. Gone are the introspective thoughts, gone are the incidents establishing camaraderie between the troopers. This is all replaced by random sequences of events at various places, mythological characters and relationships established in a manner which unfortunately seems forced at times. 

I personally feel the writer has lost the inspiration and has instead chosen an easier road and a writing style which is more acceptable and popularist. Read the book like you would - just another bestseller which will be forgotten as soon the weekend is over!!

Making Peace...

Recently, a realization has struck me, and struck me hard. The spite that was piling up inside me has somehow drained away. I do not really think there was a particular life altering event that made me change my outlook, it was more of a "Morning waking up and realizing the grudge really wasn't there any more".

Must say although, it felt refreshingly good to bow my head in front of the mandir  and recite the still-not-forgotten prayers... 

Losing Friends..

WTF.. everyone's around getting married.. while I am happy for them to be willing to sign deal for the last legal form of slavery under the guise of love and whatnots, what sucks is that I am losing out on my friends one my one.. this SUCKS/ BLOWS or whatever else you would like to call it!