Book Review #70 Tarikshir The Awakening: Khayaal Patel

This book was sent by the author in exchange of an honest and unbiased review.

Blurb:

A small princely state in Rajasthan is the last bastion of resistance against the might of the British Empire. While unrest surrounding the sudden death of the king of Devangarh grows, young prince Rudra Pratap Chauhan prepares to ascend the throne.
But the kingdom is in turmoil. The Devangarh army is outnumbered and the British forces are closing in. To make matters worse, Rudra discovers the king’s death may not have been accidental after all. The strange appearance and disappearance of a mysterious hooded stranger and a series of ritualistic murders in which the bodies have been drained of blood, spread panic across the realm.

As Rudra struggles to manage his new responsibilities and investigate his father’s death, dark secrets will be uncovered that will disrupt life as he knows it.


My Take:

Brilliant writing. The author has merged the genres and have written a captivating story. A story that is fast, pacy and keep you engaged till the end. A book that I couldn't put down without finishing.

The prologue is awesome.Gives a small glimpse of the roller coaster ride ahead. Both the eras are balanced responsibly..A kingdom ,whose king a Rajput believes in fighting it out instead of joining hands with the British, dies in mysterious circumstances, which makes the Prince suddenly the King and the decision maker, and thrust with the responsibility to find his father's murderer.

Rudra's character is well etched, he sets the tone of the story well. I like the way his journey moves from strength to strength. I could connect to his dilemmas, doubts ,fears and other emotions.His transition from a naive Prince to a man /king  part is handled very emotionally. You build a connect with the character here.

I loved the mix of characters from the two eras and their executions. All the other characters are also well written and justified. Fantasy is used at the right places, without being over done. The mystery and horror element is mind blowing taking the story to another level. The way the book ended I feel a sequel is on cards and I can't wait to know more. The climax is totally unexpected but made sense. It actually gave me goosebumps. Full marks to the author for writing such a water tight story without losing track. It is definitely a page turner, keeping you engrossed to know what happens next. Never a dull moment here.

My Rating:

Pick this up and get inside the world of mythological, fantasy thriller. I would rate this 4.8/ 5. Waiting for your next Khayaal Patel. You have earned a fan here.More power to you.