Inner Confines

The Uchallambi Icons By Praveena Bhaduri My rating - 3/5 Blurb - Mumbai, the Maximum City! Three close friends Pia, Deepti and Anushka find themselves targeted by a huge,monstrous, tatto- oed creature vying for the legendary icons which came into their possession, inadvertently. The relentless chase is on and the girls have no place to hide. A terrifying journey begins through the sun dappled streets of Nairobi, the rain lashed pavements of Bangkok and through the cobbled, quaint boulevards of Nice until it loops back to Mumbai, from where it all began. Will the men in their life be of any help? Are they mere marionettes whose strings are held by the Monster? Will they be able to cut loose in time? Desperate answers are needed and time is running out as the tattooed Monster draws them insidiously into his web. My views -  The Uchalambi Icons by Praveena Bhaduri is an fiction story. The story is so appealing with the good plot. It revolves around the three lead charac

Dharmayoddha Kalki: Avatar Of Vishnu by Kevin Missal My rating: 4 of 5 stars Blurb -  Whenever there is a decline in righteousness and an upsurge in unrighteousness, at that time, I take birth again. - LORD GOVIND.  Born in the quiet village of Shambala, Kalki Hari, son of Vishnuyath and Sumati, has no idea about his heritage until he is pitted against tragedies and battles.  Whisked into the province of Keekatpur, which is under the fist of Lord Kali, Kalki sees the ignominy of death trumping life all around him. He learns that he has been born to cleanse the world he lives in, for which he must journey to the North and learn the ways of Lord Vishnu’s Avatar; from an immortal who wields an axe.  But trapped in the midst of betrayals, political intrigue and forces that seek to decimate him, will he be able to follow his destiny before the Kaliyug begins?   My views - Kalki by Kevin Missal is an mythological fiction, nothing is do with original kalki nor r

Karma's Ukulele by Lekshmi Gopinathan My rating: 5 of 5 stars Blurb - She is NOT your regular hero!  One bad-ass nomad, ten cities, ten strangers in an epic travelogue.  What do you do when life splits you open, cracks your soul and leaves you beyond repair?  Twenty six, she travels armed with her ukulele and dagger. This is her escapade.  A tale of pain, hope, strength and resilience spanning three years and weaving through Pokhara, Jaffna, Srinagar, Hyderabad, Bangalore, New Delhi, Gorkha, Varanasi and Mcleodganj. A medley of relationships, memories and heartening music.  A legendary nomad, an Aghori, a young boatman, a war refugee, a poet, a yogini, a Rastafarian, a camel rider, an actor and an entrepreneur come together in a heart wrenching adventure.  This is not your regular story! My views - Karma's Ukulele by Lekshmi Gopinathan is an story of young gypsy's experiences. This novel touched me deeply and also I will say this as one of the b

You are the best thing that happened to me by Sushil Kumar Rana My rating: 4 of 5 stars Blurb - Sushil Pandit is a mechanical engineer. He is also an author of two bestselling novels. Now, he has everything in life, except for one crucial thing. Anjali, his love. Without her, he is just another ordinary guy, just a writer, an engineer, with nothing to look forward to. Love is a blissful and everyone has to experience it once in a lifetime. Love makes life lively and also give a reason to live. There was a time when these two lovebirds were an example of two bodies, one soul. But a turning point in their lives sets them apart, with their soul still united and strong. Experience a roller coaster of emotions in this story. Find out how Sushil changed into a successful person from an ordinary boy.   My views - "You Are The Best Thing Happened To Me" by Sushil Kumar Rana, what will you term as best thing happened to you in life? What if the same thing you

When Opposites Meet by Sachin Garg My rating: 4 of 5 stars Blurb - What happens when opposites meet? When two completely different people find themselves drawn to each other? Can they really find happiness together? Can wheelchair-bound Ritwika find a chord that connects her to national-level athlete Chetan? Will Aditi's irrepressible cheerfulness restart Jayant's life, put on indefinite pause since his parents' death? Does Indu, happily divorced, rediscover her faith in love with the reclusive Lokesh? When Opposites Meet is the story of three unlikely couples and the differences between them. It's the story of love, and the possibility of finding it in the most unlikely of places. My views - When Opposites Meet by Sachin Garg is a well written story conceptual wise, dwell various emotions a human ever witnesses. It will make you to love, laugh, feel the pain and passion altogether. The plot is more stronger, the way author connected the

Undelivered Letters by J. Alchem My rating: 4 of 5 stars Blurb -  Aron, a postman with Marioson Postal Service, found an abandoned bag. It had a few letters that were supposed to be delivered - 20 years ago. He had a choice, either to deliver them now or abandon them forever. He chooses the former. What were these letters all about? Who wrote them? Who are the recipients? Do these letters still carry a value, after 20 years? My views - Undelivered letters by J. Alchem is an good conceptual fiction story. Short read of around 30 minutes available on Amazon (Kindle format). I had a chance of reading Author's previous work "A Highway Man" a beautiful novella contains 2 short stories. So eventually when starting this one I expected the same kind of good work from him and he doesn't failed this time too. A good storyline about a postman forgetting to deliver 9 letters unfortunately, he found those undelivered letters after 20 years. What will he d

The Devil's Prayer by Luke Gracias My rating:  4 of 5 stars Blurb - A nun commits suicide in front of thousands in Spain. In Australia, Siobhan Russo recognises that nun as her mother, Denise Russo, who disappeared six years ago.  In search of answers, Siobhan travels to the isolated convent where her mother once lived. Here she discovers Denise’s final confession, a book that details a heinous betrayal that left her crippled and mute, and Denise’s subsequent deal with the Devil to take revenge. In the desperate bargain Denise made with the Prince of Darkness, she wagered Siobhan’s soul.  As Siobhan discovers the fate of her soul, she learns that hidden within the pages of her mother’s confession is part of The Devil’s Prayer, an ancient text with the power to unleash apocalyptic horrors.  And now her mother’s enemies know Siobhan has it.  Can Siobhan escape an order of extremist monks determined to get the Prayer back? Can she save the world from it

HARAPPA: Curse of the Blood River by Vineet Bajpai My rating: 4 of 5 stars Blurb - The story oscillates from history to mythology, from occult to religion, from exorcism to gunfights, from taantrics to warriors, from love to ambition. It knits 3,700 years, powerful ancient and modern-day characters and a nail-biting conspiracy - all in one literary thriller. Harappa is the first among a series of four books.  2017, Delhi – Vidyut’s dying ancestor summons him to Banaras. The old Brahmin chieftain of the Dev-Raakshasa Matth, or the God-Demon Clan, bears a chilling secret. Their bloodline carries an ancient curse that will plague mankind - towards its own violent extinction. 1700 BCE, Harappa – Harappa is a magnificent city on the banks of the mighty Saraswati river. The darkness of treachery, taantric exorcism and bloodshed unleashes itself on the last devta, paving the way for his devastating revenge…and the horrifying truth behind the fall of the glorious civilisation. 2017, Pa

The Unnamed Story My rating - 5/5 Blurb - SANJEEV- This is my story, my story of picking up my pen and inspiring people through my words. I just wonder, how could we miss simple things in life, though we aim and achieve all big things. This is my journey through all simple things, emotions and love, to find out what I really need and deserve. ANJANI- This is my story, my story of love and dreams. I believe, love is the only thing that never ends, even when the whole world vanishes. I fell for someone, who was in true love with words. This is my journey of exploring love, more importantly myself. SHIV AND MAHA : This is our story, our story of falling in love, each and every moment. A story of courage and determination, to fight, to live and fall in love, once again. We want our memories, past, present, everything to be filled only with happiness, nothing else. What happens when these individual lines of different poems are wound together? Some stories never need a name, f

The Last Chai: Bringing the Nation to a Halt by Varun T. My rating: 4 of 5 stars Blurb- The year is 2019. The world, as we know today, is not the same anymore.  Blatant threats of war by ‘world leaders’ is the new normal. Gone are the days when mobilizing armies at borders, or aiming missiles at adversaries, was a rare phenomenon. With every nation or their allies possessing nuclear weapons, victory through conventional means is no longer possible, paving way for covert warfare to emerge as the preferred weapon.  New Delhi is an easy target and Doshi, the unassailable supremo of the regime, is on the ‘hit list’. The threat assessment being at an all time high, Ajay Kaamte, the director of SPG (Special Protection Group), is tasked with protecting the PM. Intelligence claims that the PM is susceptible to cyanide attacks and situation is grim, to say the least.  Will Doshiji survive to serve another term or will he very soon be having his last chai? My views - The Last C

I Wear The Smile You Gave by Shweta Shah My rating: 4 of 5 stars Blurb- Ajeet is a commoner, a boy next door who is away from the Worldliness and moreover just a happy-go-lucky guy. Aditi and Ajeet are batch mates in a Junior College and share a good chemistry. Aditi is all head over heels for Ajeet and without any hesitation, irrespective of the time and place boldly conveys her feelings for him. Ajeet was infatuated towards Aditi, however, finds his true love in Sumi whom he meets in his coaching class. Wanting to break away from the conventional norms and the shackles of a traditional familial business and to prove his worth to his dad, Ajeet joins Army. Years later a tragedy connects Ajeet, Sumi, and Aditi once again, however, changing their lives forever.   My views- I Wear The Smile You Gave by Shweta Shah is an romantic fiction. The first and foremost thing which I liked in the book is the beautiful cover and its little unusual title "I wear the smile

The Perfect Flaw by Sailesh Mishra My rating: 4 of 5 stars Blurb- WHAT IF THE FORCES DECIDE TO PLAY ALL AGAINST YOU BUT YOUR GREATEST WEAPON STAYS INSIDE YOUR HEAD? Welcome to the world of Jonty. A sensible and matured teenager whose life finally started to make sense after several years of an accident trauma which wiped out his memory and killed his father. His college life was at an all time high with a typical best friend and dramatic crushes. But life is not that predictable, is it? As his life shifted south-ways in the craziest way possible, he transformed into a normal college kid to a swearing, cursing example of violence who will stop at nothing to protect his family. Being escorted and trained by a Castellan Prize Winner Dr Vikram Jaitley and a special task force agent Raghav Goswami starting from the streets of Delhi to the natural alleyways of Odisha, Jaydev Shekhawat(Jonty) would be facing against an enemy who is without a face as it is not some perso

Army Girl Steals Civilian's Heart by Oswald Pereira My rating: 3 of 5 stars Blurb- Amrita Datta is petite and pretty, with large light brown eyes. But she calls herself an Army Girl, because of her army background. Her father and his two brothers were army officers, inspired by an uncle who almost became army general when Jawaharlal Nehru was Prime Minister. Marrying army officers is a tradition in both her father and mother’s side of the family.  Oscar Pereira, macho and handsome, is a reporter in the Mumbai edition of Newstimes, India’s largest newspaper. He comes from a family of staunch Christians. Delhi-based Amrita joins Newstimes as a trainee in Mumbai, as part of her one-year training programme. Busy with chasing front page stories, Oscar barely notices Amrita. Then when she has just twenty days left to return to Delhi, she is assigned to accompany Oscar to report on the Ganapati immersion at Chowpatty beach. But, both pay little attention to the event, becaus

Nice Men Finish Last by Pravesh Vir Siddhu My rating: 3 of 5 stars Blurb- Bad ones get into the pants, whereas the good ones get friend-zoned.Bad ones have a blast and the good ones suffer.Bad boys take it all, while Nice Men Finish Last.Nandu pays an unfair price for being nice; he is dumped by his girlfriend.Depressed by the brutal break-up, he follows in the footsteps of his womanizer friend Sattu, who firmly believes that nothing good ever happens to a nice man.Duly brainwashed to shed his lovelorn avatar, along with the skin of the nice man, Nandu gets a character reboot. Things change rapidly, as he uses lies and all the unfair means to score girls. It works wonders for him till he realizes how powerful karma is. That makes him come out of this transitional filthy state, choosing to become a nice man again.That's when he falls in love with Tanishq – a beautiful dentistry student.Will he be able to win her heart being a nice man or do nice men really always fi

The Colours of Passion: Unravelling Dark Secrets behind the Limelight by Sourabh Mukherjee My rating: 4 of 5 stars Blurb - Within days of her fairy-tale wedding with Manav Chauhan, Hiya Sen, the reigning queen of Tollywood, is brutally raped and murdered. As ACP Agni Mitra investigates into the high-profile murder, he meets Neha Awasthi, with whom Manav broke his engagement to marry Hiya, Neha’s father Deepak Awasthi, who was eyeing business benefits through the alliance, Mayank Kapoor, an alcoholic model and Rituja Bose, the diva who had reigned over Tollywood over the past decade. When two more murders connected with the case make headlines, it’s time for Agni to find answers to perplexing questions and unveil shocking truths. The Colours of Passion breezes through Kolkata’s glamorous world of industrialists, movie stars, models and fashion designers laced with drug addiction and illicit liaisons, with a heart-wrenching tragedy at its core.  My views - T

Decoding Luxe by Mahul Brahma My rating: 4 of 5 stars Blurb - Decoding Luxe is a definitive guide to luxury in India. It explores various facets of luxury brands, since the time of Royalty when India was the biggest customer to most of these brands. The book is a bible for all stakeholders of luxury brands - owners, custodian, retailer, connoisseur as well as student - helping them understand, formulate an effective strategy for conceiving, positioning, placing, promoting and pricing these luxury products. This book is also a myth-buster of the age-old holy cows which no one ever questioned. It is all about finding the magic potion for the brand's success with luxe in India, who always look for value-for-money or value-for-label. The book has received appreciation from Mr Ratan Tata, Dr Bibek Debroy, Mr D Shivakumar, Adman Mr Nirvik Singh, Mr Sanjiv Goenka, Mr Harshavardhan Neotia, Mr Kunal Basu amd Mr Sarnath Banerjee, among others. My views - Decodin

Why Should I Love You...??? by Kamal Paneru My rating: 3 of 5 stars Blurb - This journey is of about an engineer and a small town girl who come close with a wrong number. Knitted in Haridwar, Srinagar and Bengaluru, this story revolves around love, hatred, betrayal, passion, dream and politics. Time makes them apart. Will they come close? Will they feel the same till eternity? Who would feel the reason behind loving someone? Let's come and dive into this heart-melting love story of Raunak and Juhi. My views - Why Should I Love You..??? By Kamal Paneru, Clearly an romantic fiction. I was impressed by author's flow of story telling, he had perfectly written the plot with mix of emotions and feelings. The story happens around 2009-12, A gripping teenage love story between Raunak and Juhi. Where Raunak is from a big political background and also a kind hearted intelligent college student who slowly fell in love with a girl he messaged in phone wro

The Weekend by Lovely Sharma My rating: 4 of 5 stars  Blurb - Underneath the rich spoilt brat, lies a broken heart. Underneath the attitude of a bitch, lies a lost friendship. This is strictly not a love story, but made of many small ones. It is a story happening over generations of bygone traditions and beliefs that still run deep in our society. The society that loves as well as fears the same things. As Akshya Shah runs to never look back at the disaster that happens, she collides with Deepak Shukla. While Akshya is running away from her future which has been set in stone by her parents, Deepak is running towards his aspirations set and supported by his parents. In a world of pretence, both are wanting to be grounded. It is a chemical reaction uniquely qualified to be tested. Friday brings down the pretences, but what will Monday morning bring? My views -    The Weekend by Lovely Sharma is an romantic fiction blended with love and friendship, I wou

Promises of a Firefly by Anupam Patra My rating: 4 of 5 stars Blurb - A blind girl’s chance meeting with a stranger sets her on an unforgettable journey of love and light; a loveless marriage is rebuilt by the very thing that is meant to destroy it; an estranged mother’s fight to reunite with her daughter reveals to her the strengths and flaws of bonds of blood, two women separated by years of hostility discover the many forms of heaven and hell as fate decides to redeem their relationship; an eighty year old man’s chronicle of love and loss that tells us all about the permanent consequences of choosing against our heart’s will. These are stories of promises and letdowns, of faith and betrayal, of sins and atonement; stories that introduce us to lovers, bravehearts, convicts and prostitutes. ‘Promises of a firefly’ binds together eleven tales that remind us of our gifts, our glories and the crushing limits of our lives. My views -     Promises of a firefly by Anupam P

Kansa (Book 1 - The Killer Trilogy) The Professor Black Series by Prassant Kevin My rating: 5 of 5 stars Blurb - OVER A SPAN OF TEN YEARS, HE KILLED FORTY PREGNANT WOMEN AND THEN VANISHED WITHOUT A TRACE. AFTER FIVE YEARS OF SILENCE, HE IS BACK AGAIN, SEEKING HIS NEXT VICTIM. ONLY ONE MAN CAN STOP HIM - PROFESSOR BLACK. Maher was found unconscious in the middle of the highway and later, in the hospital, she revealed that she had escaped from a killer's house. All the details and patterns matched the serial killer 'Kansa,' who had disappeared five years ago after murdering forty pregnant women. ACP Saargi Desai was assigned to the case. She appealed to her department to bring back Professor Black to help her catch the killer. The Professor, who had a haunting past that had kept him away from the world of crime and investigation for several years, was not willing to take on this case. But the ACP managed to convince him to get on board just for this o

15/1 Story Avenue by Avishek Gupta My rating: 4 of 5 stars Blurb -     15/1 Story Avenue - an address where you'll come across 15 soul touching stories by one author. Be it a heartwarming campus romance, a spine chilling thriller, or a wonderful travelogue, you will find all under the same roof. The stories in this collection touch upon everyday lives. They speak of scenarios and characters you can strongly identify with. And yet, these tales grip your attention from the word go. Come, open the door and enter the house of stories. Wonderful surprises await you inside! My views - 15/1 Story Avenue by Avishek Gupta is an Anthology of fifteen short stories as the blurb and title clearly replicates it. Each of them hold a realistic plot written in an extraordinary way, which makes the book interesting and tempting. The author has played with different scenario's to form a perfect blend. The stories offers mix of subtle humour, plenty of emotions, happiness

The Verge of Fear by Praneeth Ravindra My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars My Views -     The Verge of Fear by Praneeth Ravindra is an fictional story contains of fantasy which includes Love, Thriller, Rebirth, God and Godness. The Story starts when Sadhu find himself in the strange place without any memories of past and awareness of what's happening around now. The story moves on when he finds the sage who is holding answers for his questions. The sage made him calm and reveal his identity of past and present things, the way author revealed about his past engrossed of love, fun, friendship and other emotional elements in human life. After revelation of past he realise sage to be as god himself and his motive to bring him alone when he died in past, hereafter the second part of story carry forward where author indulge his fantasy elements of how humans send to earth how they started to live in initial days and how they spend their days without modern inventories and how