This is a hard one to properly review;
harder still to review in an unbiased fashion. For there is much that is
fascinating, and some that is mildly objectionable… but given that the pluses
outeweigh the minuses, I can safely state that this is a really, really good
book, with a fascinating storyline and an intriguing plot. This is a plotline
that defies categorization – you can call it fantasy, just as easily as you can
call it a different political plotline; that choice is with you, the reader.
THE BOOK
It is, essentially, at the core, a book
of the rise of Poltical figures through college life and college politics, and
how students can get involved in politics due to a combination of
circumstances. It tells the initial story of a few friends and how they fall
afoul of the major political bigwig in college politics; leaving no option for
them to get involved. And get involved they do – in a big way, going after the
big prize in college, getting connected with and entangled with Political
Bigwigs in State politics along the way. The fantasy part is loosely woven into
this core fabric, but Satan and God playing a game with the objective being
reaching the Prime Minister’s position. This tends to give some of the main
players in this student-day game perceptive powers and more on both sides –
making for a fascinating combination!
THE ANALYSIS
I found the political tangle undeniably
fascinating, intriguing and involved – it was fun, and made for an involved
read. The fantasy angle was also quite good, it is just that for me as an
individual it was the political angle in the novel that clicked big-time. Having
said that, you cant really separate the two – the fantasy and the politics, for
the powers that both sides have are to an extent supernatural. This makes for a
very, very different and unique flavor, and certainly not formulaic.
In this part of the story {there clearly
will be other parts}, the Anti-Christ manifests early on, while the side of God
comes to the fore slowly; which is exactly what has been told in all history of
all religions. The side of Satan is able to find the other side faster, even
before the side of God has realized that they are special, unique and gifted
beyond the ordinary. Kudos for plot construction here – this raises the
novel to an early climax midway, and you
find it hard not to skip pages and read
ahead to see how it turns out for the side of good.
The book has only one discernible weak
point in terms of the story – the charecterisation. It should have been far more robust and with
deeper etched characters. A bit more of background detailing would have helped
flesh out the characters and established them in the readers’ mind. While this isn’t
an issue per se, in that what is present is good enough, and immensely
enjoyable – attention to this one little factor would have made the book more
enjoyable.
This is a fun read, a very, very rapid
read – this is hectic, fast paced and racy narrative, and the story proceeds at
a remarkable speed to its conclusion. Add to this the factors mentioned above,
and the lovely interplay and relationships between the various characters – one
of the high ponts of the novel – and it all adds up to a very interesting rapid
and fun read. The book is worth a one-time read; well worth it. And, the icing on
the cake, the characters also stay with you even after you finish the book –
which is the litmus test of a good, involved fiction book… rated 4 stars….
"This book review is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program and Blog Tours. To know more log on to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.in"
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