Blurb View:

It is the journey of Prince William and Princess Sara, the protagonists,through the magical and spiritual worlds of Pantolis, Hiblisk, and Ikra. As their voyage unfolds, they realize the true motive behind the terror employed by the dark forces of Dushtt to claim supremacy over the lands of Pantolis and beyond. Every new revelation brings to light the methodical madness employed by the dark forces and secrets of Mother Nature, which have been safely guarded for ages by the various civilizations of the secret worlds.
Their journey also introduces them to the divine forces that monitor the functions of the world and gives them access to legendary, mystical weapons and advanced spiritual knowledge which illuminates the flow of their understanding and actions towards various aspects of life. They use the knowledge gained, to try and bring peace, to their war ravaged lands and fight the ever-growing might and influence of the mysterious dark forces that haunt their kingdoms. Will the light of all that is divine, fighting under the banner of Prince William and Princess Sara, flicker away into oblivion against the might of the dark forces under Dushtt, or will they survive? ……..Only time in her womb holds the answer, potent enough to change the outlook of the very world we live in.

Review: 

Fantasy is pretty much a revered genre in fiction where things could go either way for the author and the readers. I have read fantasy novels which are trash, as well as the ones shooting way high in fame and popularity like the Harry Potter series. There is another breed which is mediocre. It is quite painstaking to read these mediocre ones. They keep challenging you to read towards the last page just so you know the whole story. I had picked this book for review expecting an interesting fantasy thriller written by yet another Indian author making his debut. The consequence though, was not at all pleasant for me.

Firstly, the blurb had its own promises of a taut fantasy thriller, the tagline ‘A Story with a Soul’ and an attachment of two printed maps inside. That is quite enough to attract people who want to read such a book. But – this one is a classic example of an editorial disaster, overuse of vernacular English and a mediocre plot – all three concocting to a not-interesting-read-at-all. The editors of this book have done a terrible job at the author’s expense. There are typographical errors on pages 15, 20, 31, 35…And then I lost interest even noting them down any more.

There are innumerable grammatical and syntax errors throughout the book. I can list off instances where ‘of’ is replaced by ‘form’ and ‘off’, only god and the editors know why. I’m not certain whom to blame here, the author or the editors.

The plot is simple enough – fight between two adjacent kingdoms, appearance of powerful masters and rulers, underworld dark forces as villains, the journey of a prince and a princess. The story line is completely linear, I couldn’t find twists that would intrigue me. However, I have the impression that the author might have wanted to pen an Amar Chitra Katha or a Panchatantra adding some supernatural spices with the Indian layers of basic mythology andnomenclature like Dushtt, Ratraa, Shaman, Indravati, and garnishing them by strewing a few Spanish/Mexican influenced character names. It didn’t work for me might work for others obsessed with fantasy.

Lastly, the English seemed very mundane to me. At most instances, it is a direct translation from Hindi or any Indian language without making the required changes. I think the author’s favourite conjunction is “But” as he has used it more than any other word. The punctuation is a disaster, there are unnecessary commas thrust at every sentence which make them very difficult to apprehend. I wonder if the novel was written in another language and then translated to English by the editors.

I’m just not impressed. At all. I have rated it for the linear story line only. Apologies to the author.

My Rating: 2/5

About the Author:

Sumukh Naik is a Hotel Management graduate(BSc. Hospitality and hotel Administration) from IHM-Goa. He also holds Diploma in IATA and PGDBA. He is Human Resources Professional and stays in Mumbai. He is the author of ‘Age Of Hiblisk’, voracious reader & Human Resources professional. He likes to keep things simple, very down to earth and believes in the message of spreading love and peace. His blogs are a reflection of the world around him.
Please visit www.facebook.com/AgeOfHiblisk for more details.

Book Details:

Language: English, Author(s): Sumukh Naik

Publisher: APK, Year Published: 2012

Binding: Paperback, Edition: First, Pages: 400

ISBN-13: 9789381791059, ISBN-10: 9381791058

The book was received as part of Reviewers Programme on The Tales Pensieve. 

This review is also shared with the Indian Quills Reading Challenge at The Tales Pensieve.