Shankar MM's debut mythology

Author: 

A fantasy enthusiast, Shankar chased his dream of writing a novel and made it a reality. A Mechanical Engineering graduate and a Power Engineer by profession, his passion towards his core field made him to give up his software job in a MNC. His fascination towards mythology and his childhood memories of fighting with a wooden sword and adventures with bow & arrows inspired him to write a novel of this genre. He is presently working on the second book of Raksha duology.

Book blurb: 

“You are neither a good warrior nor a good leader.” These words haunt him. Raksha, a young prince, decides to prove himself and seeks a path not knowing where it will lead him to. However, his destiny has other plans. On the journey, his life evolves into an epic quest filled with magic and intrigue, which he never dreamt of. Set in a fantasy land Riloriya, this water kingdom is not the same as it was five hundred years ago and its history is mystery now. What will be his part in unfolding an ancient mystery? What did he lose? What did he gain?

Review: 

The blurb speaks of innate vigorous mystery and fantasy which slowly gets unfolded in each and every single chapter. This 348 page novel is a very catchy read. Shankar had done a lot of hardwork and research behind this book. It's been a very pleasurable read for me. Raksha, the main protagonist was well described and characterised. In my opinion his character was somewhat similar to mythological characters in Mahabharata. However, there was a set of new ideas and concepts which evolved out of this novel. I liked the concept of a water kingdom which had some ecstatic description. In one word this book is "a fantastic debut of the Raksha duology..."

Best lines from the novel: 
"You need to bear the pain if you want to attain supremacy."

"Holy God! Legends are true!"

Dream house publishers have given us a very nice mythology which can't be missed at any cost.

Behind the wind, indulge

Behind the wind, indulge
Trying to get through the local trains?
Sirens singing?
Heart beating?
Don't worry, you have developed breasts.

Hormones rushing?
Eyes seeing?
Do you have that feeling to urinate?
Or are you amassing the vomit inside your body?

Book Review: The Man Behind the Lens

Author: Soumya Khamari is from Odisha, an MBA and passionate about writing. He held few failed jobs and co- founded an e-commerce company,valscart.com. An avid reader, speaker and entrepreneur. He's working on his second novel.

The Man Behind The Lens: When a twenty something guy failed to find happiness in job and entrepreneurship discovered a less travelled road to his passion. A yelling mother with high hopes and a rebuking father hold him responsible for his inability to distinguish between a mere fantasy and passion and force him to join the rat race. He tried to find happiness in the smiles of orphan and abandoned who have surviving parents and help them reunite. He unveils the dark side of orphanages and the sexual abuse. They say it is Karma and it plays pretty nasty games and unveils new stories everyday. If one day he is behind the bars, the other day he seems questioning himself about his passions and ambitions. Will he be able to survive in the politicized society? Will his psychologist girlfriend or his uncle rescue him? Will he be able to find his own way to happiness and passion?

The above is what the blurb of the book reads. Honestly, this book is different from all the books I read. To get to know more about the story you need to catch up this debutant author.

Review: In simple language the way Soumya Khamari wrote this book is commendable. It falls to a very different genre and readers would definitely love the change brought by the effect of this book. It's a humorous writing on the protagonist , Varun who tries to find his way to happiness and his passion. While I read this book I was mesmerized by the way different tricks of success lay hidden.
It was the best debut an Indian author could give in this genre. In simple words, 'This book will teach you lessons you never heard or read of."
It is an exceptional book which is very gripping with it's sense of humour. It is a worth reading book.

The best sentence from this book was, ' The things you do while procrastinating is the things who should do for lifetime.'

After a long time I came back with book reviews and I rate this book 4.2 out of 5.

Footprints

Within the boundaries of haze,

His voice becomes clearer.

Among the landfills of grey,

Colours of the footprints glow.

Singing souls look within the depth of innocence,

The numbing smell of chrysanthemum,

Turns into fragile dust of cigarettes.

Under my foot they swim for touch,

And on my hand sings an empty box.

Glasses

Blue pastel colours beside the palate stinks today,
Tomorrow the small days will grow old
The shards of glass is hiding my clothes,
Even today the memories remain...
Even today the telephone beside my diary rings
Again and again.

These threads of enchantment,
Have got entangled in my fingers
I have no clue,
How to solve open this knot.
Today very particle of my body seems to remain like the last raga of that night,
That passes through the clouds.

Every evening the lights from the lamps
Blinds me into frenzy
How is this regard?
These dreams make me shudder
I close my eyes to weave a road,
A road to intoxication...tolerance.

If this rains like a storm, there is a way out here
Into a glass of desire
So many times I broke your mirror
To look through the rays into your eyes
But the numb river flows like never before
And the telephone beside the diary rings again and again...

©Madhurima Halder

Dreamland

A little tune spreading soon
Far and near
The brush touches the canvas
From here to there.

Blushing like a bride...

As if the gardens of song grow roses in them
As if the little tune spreading soon
Far and near.
The hamlets open their doors without dismay.

The canvas standing on the easel shuddered
While I drew
The Sun with a brighter 
Form of new

Achinpur...
I created Achinpur
All afternoon
I made Achinpur...

©Madhurima Halder

Shadows of Time...

Thousand seconds to figure out what happened
Twelve seasons of monsoons passed by,
And still they remain in drought
Trying to figure out through the windows of glass.
O desires of heart, what have you created?

Fifty one memories did make me bleed,
Seventy three more to rip my wounds
What is it that I am trying to figure out through the panes of mist,
The monsoon or the drought?
The famine or the loneliness of the days?

When impossibility turns it's head down
Translating the unscripted words
What is it that remains?
O the garden of time
Why are you pacing so hard?

Smoke is starting to set fire on ice
Through the bliss of paradise, Pigeons walk
When unbearable lightning of the sky touches, I start to realise, what did I lose,
Was it the time or just a single moment of love?

Destiny designing it's way out of my heart
The waves of sea turns still
Why are you being so stubborn?
Flow over the last part of drought
The desires will start realizing the arrivals of monsoon.

Eighty seven touches on the toughest part
Feathers seem like stones.
The excitement of the months keep arousing
The timely tales of rain that casts the clock today.

Why aren't you mad O heart?
Why don't you find your own door...
Pavements of diamonds near the fountains, sparkle
While the sailing smoke speak on its way.

©Madhurima Halder