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Book Review : Aqson Level 1


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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