BOOK TITLE: Rise
Of The Grey Prince
ISBN: 9382665315
(ISBN13: 9789382665311)
AUTHOR: Arka
Chakrabharti
GENRE: Fiction
NUMBER OF PAGES: 230
FORMAT: Paperback
SERIES / STANDALONE: Saga of Agni #2
REVIEW BY: Dhivya
Balaji
HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: I
thank Readers Cosmos for the review copy.
SUMMARY:
That cursed night at Nisarga had
revealed the true reason behind his father's sacrifice and his own dark past.
Each revelation now draws Agni into the sublime world of secrets. With Vrish
and Guru Sidak by his side, fighting the daggers from the past and winning over
the opponents of the present, somewhere deep down, he knows that his journey
has just begun. The other scarred prince walks the ashes of his reality.
Haunted by the glimpses of truth the same night, Yani had but one choice to
survive. His unknowing steps, trapped in cruel games of ancient powers had led
him to a truth, a truth which shall mould a good man in the clay of misfortune,
hate and lust. Such is the world of Gaya and thus shall be the Rise of the Grey
Prince the one torn between the darkness of evil and a lone ray of hope
REVIEW:
I would like to start this review
with a ‘note to self’ that I wrote halfway through the book.
NTS:
Don’t read the second book in a series at first, especially if it is a
mythological story that gave the explanations and introductions (as is normally
expected and right) in the first book and elaborates on the story next.
The important part being pushed aside,
I will come to the review of the story itself. I could not fully appreciate the
beauty or the depth of the characters because I didn’t know who was introduced
before and who was new here. But the story sailed smoothly once the initial
hiccup was over.
The characters and the scenes were set
with enough emphasis to make an impression whereas the switchover between the ‘Land
of the rising sun’ and the ‘Land of the setting sun’ was smooth. Stories of
quests, in search of objects or answers always pique my curiosity and I follow ‘The
Voyage’ almost literally – as if I am one of the people involved. It always
helps if the narrative is good enough to help me visualise scenes easily. (In
this case, thankfully, it is).
A melancholic strain is very visible
in the lead Agni’s characterisation whereas the princess Lysandra shone in her
fierce streak. I wish I could comment in detail about the depth of characters.
The first thing I am doing after this review is : Rush and find the first book
of this saga.
The language is easy, clean and
pleasant enough, omitting the difficult to remember names (as is the case with
most mythology based books). The plot seems developed enough for this book, and
it could be really enjoyed as a standalone where more explanations would follow
in subsequent books. The adherence to summary can be seen in the pages of the
book.
SPECIAL MENTION:
There is a glossary list of characters
which introduces the new characters in this book. Is it just me? Or is it true
that some characters have been missed (probably introduced previously)?
The details about the Land of Gaya are
much needed and appreciated.
The small prologue of sorts – about what
happened in book one was the life saver, really! It gave me a hint without
which I really wouldn’t have enjoyed this book. Thanks to the author.
WHAT I LIKED:
The writing, the characterisation.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:
Nothing much to mention except that
some parts of the book seem unedited and long.
VERDICT:
Go for it if you like mythology, and
start with book 1 to know if you really like the saga.
RATING: 3.5/5
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Arka is a
twenty-seven-year old tax consultant cum content writer, who resorted to
writing to escape life's monotony. The success of his debut novel The Secrets of
the Dark, along with the articles that he writes for esteemed magazines like
Tehelka and the world of professional photography, have paved the way for the
second part of 'The Saga of Agni' - Rise of the Grey Prince.
EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Paperback.
PRICE: Rs.98
for paperback
BOOK LINKS:
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book review is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program. To get free
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