Advance Booking

INDIAN FANTASY COMES OF AGE

Indian literature is rich in myths and folklore, but Indian fantasy fiction is sadly underdeveloped. So I was really happy to read this book, which incorporates Indian mythology to create a world that you are absorbed into.

It is the year of the Simoqin Prophecies, when the rakshas (demon) Danh-Gem I supposed to come back from the dead and restart the age of terror. The Chief Civilian of the prosperous city-state of Kol finds a Hero Asvin, and takes him to be trained by Gaam, the best mentor of Hero School, and Mantric, a spellbinder. Accompanying Asvin in his Quest are Maya, Mantric’s daughter and her friend Kirin. But the followers of Danh-Gem are rallying to bring him back, and Kirin follows his own path to rid the world of Danh-Gem.

In a hole in the ground there lived a rabbit. What is a rabbit? A rabbit (Bunihopus bobtelus) is a small white mammal that loves good food and is anxious when it is late for appointments. This particular rabbit was off on an expedition to the forest. He planned to wander around for a few years and then return home and write a book. There and Back Again: The Adventures of One Rabbit, he planned to call it. He popped out of his burrow and looked around, sniffing the air delicately.


He saw a man with a sword standing next to a tree, looking up. ‘Afternoon. Set out. Description of Forest. Many trees, leaves, green. Tension in air, palpable. Man, one, standing next to tree, looking up,’ the rabbit noted in his mental journal. Attention to detail is the key in holding a reader’s attention, he thought smugly. 

Sounds familiar? This brilliant opening to the book is just a trailer to what follows. Basu derives from various sources to build this colorful world which will have you in splits from Page 1. From the Ramayana and Mahabharata to Greek epics, from James Bond to comic book heroes, from Lord of the Rings to Arabian Nights, you will find traces of all these and more. Add to this a complex plot which ridicules as much of classic fantasy and science fiction as it incorporates, this book is the best debut one can write. Basu’s style of writing is witty and engaging, as he peoples his world with rakshasas, danavs and asurs (all types of demons), vanars (apes), spellbinders, ravians (powerful magical beings) and of course, humans. Though there are a lot of references to Indian mythology, readers not familiar with it need not worry, as they have many things to laugh over. Indian English writing never had it so good. I recommend this book to everybody who wants a good laugh with a great story. It’s hard for me to pick my favorite passages, because there are so many, but I’ll leave you with another.

The Guild of Superb Heroes was a group of people from all over the world, who had gathered in Kol to unite against the forces of Danh-Gem. Dressed in outlandish costumes, they would tell tall tales of their own exploits, and proudly proclaim that Kol was safe even if the Hero of Simoqin never turned up. Led by the Man of Reinforced Iron, a former champion of the WAK, and his brother, a trapeze artist named The Skimmer, they gave the people of Kol occasional hope and frequent mirth. Children ran home and told their parents about the mighty Thog the Barbarian, and a sumo wrestler from east Xi’en who painted himself purple and called himself The Unbelievable Bulk.


Who could feel fear in a city under the ceaseless vigilance of Supper-Man, who could eat anything, the scythe-wielding Jak the Reaper and the rubber-jointed and sweet-smelling Minty Python?  

SNARKY SPIRITS

My roommate raved about the Bartimaeus Trilogy, and I thought that this was a perfect way to begin the new year. I really loved this book, and I’ll try to get hold of the sequels as quick as I can.

Bartimaeus is a djinn who is summoned by a young magician Nathaniel to steal the Amulet of Samarkand, a legendary artifact which is in the possession of a powerful magician Simon Lovelace. The theft of the amulet has unfortunate repercussions, as Nathaniel and Bartimaeus have to escape scheming magicians, powerful djinns and the mysterious Resistance to thwart Lovelace.

This was a fantastic book, just perfect for my taste. The writing is crisp, the story fast-paced and I had a lot of fun reading it. It is a contest of wits between Nathaniel and Bartimaeus, and each does his utmost to get the upper hand over the other. Stroud creates this magical universe where magicians, assisted by the spirits they summon, control England. But these magicians aren’t always the good guys; they are conniving, power-hungry people who treat their spirits like slaves.

Bartimaeus is a wonderful character, a sarcastic djinn who resents the task he is summoned for and tries every way he can to get out of it. Stroud includes many footnotes in Bartimaeus narrative, which help the reader get an idea of the settings of the story. Most of the footnotes are snarky asides, which will keep you in stitches.

When you've helped construct several of the world's most majestic buildings, and in some instances given pretty useful tips to the architects concerned,[2] a second-rate Victorian mansion in the Gothic style doesn't exactly wet your whistle. You know the kind of thing: lots of twiddly bits and turrets.[3] It was surrounded by a wide expanse of lawn, on which peacocks and wallabies were decoratively scattered.[4]


[2] Not that my advice was always taken: check out the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
[3] Not a good enough description for you? Well, I was only trying to move the story on. Heddleham Hall was a great rectangular pile with stubby north—south wings, plenty of tall, arched windows, two stories, high sloping gables, a surfeit of brick chimneys, ornate tracery that amounted to the Baroque, faux-battlements above the main door, high vaulted ceilings (heavily groined), sundry gargoyles (likewise) and all constructed from a creamy-brown stone that looked attractive in moderation but en masse made everything blur like a big block of melting fudge.
[4] So decoratively that I wondered if their feet had been glued in position.

If you love fantasy, you can’t afford to miss this.

VIOLENT LOVE

I was left disappointed after Book 2, but this book redeemed the series. I enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to reading Book 4. Before reading this, be warned, I couldn’t talk about this book without recapping the previous one, so there are spoilers.

Elena wakes up after her car is run off the bridge, but she is not alive: she is a vampire. In a state of confusion, she attacks Stefan, who thinks that Elena doesn’t love him anymore. Damon helps Elena in her vulnerable state. But vampire Elena is not without worries, as Fell’s Church is haunted by an Other Power, to defeat which Stefan, Damon and Elena have to team up.

The Fury was written much better than the other two books; there was more depth in it. Elena emerges as a much stronger, sensible person after her transition. But the revelation is Damon. He transforms from a hateful character into one with grey shades, a bad boy with traces of good in him. I loved his devil-may-care attitude, a complete contrast to a slightly boring Stefan. The story is quite strong and moves along at a fair pace, though some of the characters are not properly fleshed out. The ending was crackling, a twist in the tale nobody could have expected. It is bittersweet story, and really intense too. There are two more books in the series, and I want to see what turns the story takes.

THE SAGA ENDS

Finally, finally, I’m done with the Twilight series. The long haul is over, and I am so glad that Bella is off my back at last.

After hemming and hawing about the marriage thing throughout Eclipse, Bella finally gets hitched to Edward, and they are off to their honeymoon somewhere in the Pacific. But all is not fun and games for the newly married couple, as Bella gets pregnant. The half-vampire, half-human child grows at an abnormally fast rate, putting fragile Bella’s life in danger. Elsewhere, a rejected and dejected Jacob fumes around, but rushes to Bella’s side once he hears about her situation, leaving his werewolf pack behind. When the baby is born, Bella thinks her life will finally be normal again, but she is so wrong. Poor self-sacrificing Bella must put herself in the line of fire (again), to save the person she loves most.

Breaking Dawn is split into three parts, the first and third narrated by Bella, and the second by Jacob. I found the third part the most interesting, as Bella changes from the wishy-washy narrator she’s been for three whole books, into a more confident person. Her voice was the least irritating in the third part, and I enjoyed her narration for a while. I thought Jacob’s narration would be decent, but it was a little fake. It was like Meyer just watched a couple of action movies to prepare for writing in a guy’s voice; she didn’t really have a grip on the character.

One thing that bugged me was the mess of contradictions associated with each character. Worst of all was Jacob: one moment he is rushing to tear Edward’s throat out, the next he ditches his pack to protect the blameless Cullens. Meyer gave everybody their happy ending: right triumphed wrong, everybody lived happily ever after. So who cares if characters did major volte-faces from one page to the next? And the ending; what an anticlimax! She built it up so much that I was really looking forward to this huge vampire war and clash of the titans, and then suddenly, everything just goes phoosh. My crackler of an ending turned out to be a damp squib. Well, I shouldn’t complain. If there had been a battle, the book probably would have been 7000 pages long, instead of 700.

I’ve been asked this question many times: if you didn’t like the books, why did you keep reading them? My answer to them is this: if I had quit midway, I would have been told that I stopped just before the truly awesome parts, that the next book would have blown my mind away. And I couldn’t have contradicted them. Now that I finished the series, I can say with conviction: there were NO truly awesome parts, not for me.

BLACK RAGE

Why is it that the sophomore book in a series usually falls flat compared to the first book? I was eagerly looking forward to the second book, and I was quite disappointed in it.

In The Struggle, Elena rages at the sly, cruel Damon for bringing despair into his brother, Stefan’s life. She searches for Stefan and finds him nearly half-dead, and gives him some of her own blood to revive him. Damon pursues Elena with a vengeance, wanting to steal her from Stefan. Meanwhile, Elena’s high-school nemesis Caroline is also up to something sinister.

As I said, I was really disappointed in this book. For one, the writing is kind of juvenile and unpolished; it’s as if the book was written in a terrible hurry. Also, I developed a hearty dislike for Elena. I find many similarities between her and Bella, and you know how much I dislike Bella. The strength and spunk Elena showed in the first book seems to be missing, and all she is capable of is crying or making empty threats to Damon (seriously, how does she expect to make him “pay for what he has done”?) Stefan doesn’t really have much to do, and I felt that Damon’s evil nature could have been explored some more; I couldn’t really fit Ian Somerhalder’s calculating Damon from the TV series with the book’s slightly insipid one. The book feels like a rickety bridge between the first and third books, with not much of a strong story, and a little too much of whiny love. It ends on a cliffhanger as well, and I really hope that the third book turns out to be better.

SUPER-COMPUTING SWINDLERS

Another hell of a Fowl book. I’m totally in love with this series, and Artemis is one of the smartest heroes I’ve met on paper.

Using fairy technology, Artemis builds an advanced computer, the C Cube and attempts to sell it to a shady tech billionaire Jon Spiro. But Spiro proves to be too smart for him, as he walks away with the Cube, fatally injuring Butler in the process. Artemis must now find a way to save Butler and recover the Cube, so that the fairy secrets are not revealed to the world.

The Eternity Code has as much firepower as the two previous ones, though not so much of the snappy wit. The plot is intricately laid, with twists and turns that you don’t see coming. The gadgetry is superb as always, and Colfer always has a few new tricks up his sleeve when it comes to snazzy new gizmos. I was a little disappointed that Foaly didn’t have a meaty role, and the Foaly-Root bickering that I loved so much didn’t make much of an appearance. Artemis is more mature than he was in the earlier books, though his criminal genius remains unchanged. He now considers what effect his actions will have on people around him, and that is a quality I like. I loved the book, and I really look forward to reading the rest of the series.

HIGH-SCHOOL BLOODINESS

After the Twilight craze, it’s time for the Vampire Diaries craze to seep into the college. Quite suddenly, everyone’s watching the series, so I thought I’d be different and… read the book.

Elena Gilbert is a popular high-school girl at Fell’s Church, but she is lonely after the death of her parents. She is intrigued by the new boy at school, Stefan Salvatore, and pursues him with some ardor, but he avoids her as much as he can. Elena is disappointed, but Stefan can’t help it; he is a vampire, and he cannot bear to hurt Elena, as she reminds him sharply of one he loved and lost.

I had a better experience reading this as compared to Twilight. The plot is alarmingly similar at first: pretty girl falls for mysterious hot guy who runs away from her. But Elena is smarter and spunkier than Bella. Honestly, I didn’t like her; I did find her quite selfish and self-absorbed, but no more than you expect a high-school queen bee to be. The romance is there, but none of the dopey, mopey, “oh, he is like perfectly chiseled marble and I’m like a sea slug” cribbing. The writing is a little amateurish, but brings out the don’t-care high-schooler’s attitude well. In this book, you get to see both sides: the hunter as well as the hunted, something Twilight sorely lacked (I kept wondering, WHAT does Edward see in Bella?). It also sets the stage for what I hope is a promising series, and takes time to introduce all the characters, without boring you with lengthy scenes. The Awakening has a nice mix of mystery and romance, and doesn’t drag much. It ends on a cliffhanger, and I’m interested in seeing how it is resolved.

A FATHER'S FIENDISHNESS

The third instalment in the Mortal Instruments series, this one was a spellbinding read, a book that totally lived up to my expectations.

After the events in City of Ashes, Clary and Jace prepare to travel to the Shadowhunter city Alicante in Idris to meet the warlock Ragnor Fell, who can wake Clary’s mother. But the appearance of demons forces Jace to leave for Idris early, taking Simon along, who, now being a Downworlder vampire, is not welcome in Shadowhunter territory. Learning that Jace is gone, Clary opens up a Portal, which drops her into the enchanted Lake Lyn, from which she is rescued by Luke. Jace and Clary are drawn into the politicking of the Clave and the evil machinations of their father Valentine, as they fight to protect all that they love.

I had hoped City of Glass would end the series on a high note, and it did. I was satisfied with the way every thread was wrapped up neatly. The climax was a really great one, as Cassandra combined elements of varying mythologies to come up with a really interesting plot twist. Some bits of the story are predictable, but not in an oh-god-isn’t-that-so-obvious kind of way. Clary is a heroine who develops with every book, and here she is the centre of all activity. She is a little impulsive, but shines through when she is needed the most, especially in the climax. I also liked Jace as the tortured hero, one who tries to do good though his heart is sometimes not in it. He is put through the toughest hardships, and he carries the most burdens, that of his father’s and his feelings for Clary. He comes out of each fire burnt yet alive, and you root for him at every step.

I really wanted to talk about the character I liked best throughout the series: Luke. I really admired the way his character was written and fleshed out. He has a dignity and a grace which shone through the pages. And his determination to do the right thing is what I found most impressive. He always looks out for Clary and tries to work with the Clave and reason with Valentine, although the latter two treat him with contempt. On Cassandra Clare’s site, I found that Ewan McGregor was a fan choice for playing Luke, and now I can’t get Obi-wan out of my head; I see some likeness in the two characters.

I enjoyed this series a lot and I will be looking out for more by this author. Have you read any of the books? What did you think?

RUNE RUNE EVERYWHERE, NEED A STELE TO INK

This is the second instalment in the Mortal Instruments series, and I enjoyed how the story was developed, though I had some complaints with the pace.

Clary and Jace are struggling with the secrets revealed to them in City of Bones. Jace is locked up by the Inquisitor on charges of conspiring with Valentine, awaiting trial with the Soul-Sword. However, Valentine pays him a surprise visit at his cell, on his way to killing the Silent Brothers and stealing the sword, the second Mortal Instrument. Meanwhile, Clary and Luke investigate the murders of Downworlder children by some unknown force, and uncover Valentine’s true intentions. This discovery has shocking repercussions for them all, as Jace has to choose between his father and his friends, Simon has a horrible accident and Clary discovers the nature of her powers.

City of Ashes was nice, with its requisite share of chills and thrills. A few new characters were introduced, and some returned with a greater share in the action. But I thought that the book dragged a little in the middle. The sarcasm and witty repartee was in short supply, something I enjoyed in the previous book. Some of the situations seemed a little contrived, especially the entire scenario at the Faerie Court, which seemed put in just to add fuel to the Jace-Clary-Simon love triangle. But I got over these hiccups as the story progressed, and the twists and turns came to light. What I liked about the book was the whole setting, of a parallel city with its hidden strife. The characters were pretty realistic, no over-the-top drama for anyone, no wishy-washiness either. Valentine was also great as the villain, cold, suave and lethal, quite reminiscent of Voldemort. The best creations, however, were the demons; from Raum to Raveners, they were well-thought out and extremely menacing, especially the fear demon, Agramon.

Looking forward to finishing this trilogy.

A FAERLY BIG MAC

This seems to be my month of free e-books, which are part of a fantasy series. I found a free download of the first book in the Fever series on Suvudu, and I plunged into it, barely hours after I’d finished City of Bones (yes, I'm a little behind on my reviews).

When her sister Alina is brutally murdered, MacKayla Kane journeys to Dublin to ensure that the case is not closed for lack of evidence. Her sister’s last message talks of betrayal and urges her to find the shi-sa-du, but Mac has no clue as to what it is. After a couple of strange visions and an encounter with the enigmatic bookseller Jericho Barrons, she realizes that strange creatures lurk in the shadows. Barrons tells her that shi-sa-du is actually the Dark Book Sinsar Dubh, which otherworldly monsters called Unseelie are pursuing. Mac learns about the Fae, her ability as a sidhe seer uniquely positioned to find the Book, and grasps one fundamental truth: she is way over her head into something very sinister.

Darkfever starts off with the familiar conflict between the ignorant heroine and the mysterious stranger. It’s a little slow to begin with, but picks up speed after Mac discovers her powers as a sidhe-seer. There is a quite a bit of humour amidst all the paranormal occurrences, Mac’s reactions to Barron’s world as compared to her own are quite funny. There are hints of a romantic attraction, which are probably developed in later books, but I’m glad they are just hints because a full-blown romance while fighting faeries is distracting, to say the least. There are echoes of other fantasy books: Hallows of Harry Potter, glamour of Mortal Instruments, even the Porsche 911 of New Moon. The book ends on a cliffhanger of sorts, much like the season finale of a drama series, where you are left a tantalizing hook for the next instalment.

Honestly, Mac is irritating at first. She tries to be the sane practical feminist, but ends up sounding like a naïve blond bimbo. It’s only after she trusts Jericho and learns about the Fae world around her that her character begins to lose some of the Barbie sheen. She becomes more level-headed and brave, and a much stronger person than she was. In the space of a few days, she hobnobs with a vampire, steals from a mob boss and learns about her sister and herself. Her character develops enormously between the first page and the last, and her narration becomes a more pleasant read. I haven’t read any paranormal fantasy before, so I have nothing to compare it with, but I can say this: if you manage to stick with the book past the first 100 pages or so, you’ll like it.

BILBO THE BURGLAR

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.

What can I say about this book that hasn’t been said before? Nothing, except that it’s a fantastic read, a book that will make you fall in love with fantasy all over again.

Bilbo Baggins loves his cozy little Hobbit hole, with his pipe and his cakes. But when the wizard Gandalf comes a-knocking, with thirteen dwarfs in tow, he becomes the first Baggins to have an adventure. The search for gold guarded by a dragon leads them into goblin-land, has them chased by wolves and captured by wood-elves. Amidst this all, dear Bilbo manages to snag something “preciousss”, a bit of cold metal that will change his and his descendant’s lives forever.

This book introduces you to Middle-Earth, and like other Tolkien books, gives a vivid and intricate portrayal of the land. The mountains and valleys just come alive before your eyes, as do the meals that he describes so thoroughly (I can’t tell you how hungry I felt). Bilbo is the reluctant hero, the hobbit who would like nothing better than his little home with his second breakfasts, but is instead thrust into adventure with a bunch of other un-hero-like dwarfs. And he steals the show (with a little help from the Ring), sneaking in and out of trouble and saving his friends an awful lot of times. I especially loved his riddle game with Gollum, it was smart and witty. The poems spread throughout the book are delightful, sometimes funny and sometimes somber. My favorite are these two: the first a comical one when the dwarves dine with Bilbo, and the second a lovely wistful song for the road.

Here's this

Chip the glasses and crack the plates!
Blunt the knives and bend the forks!
Thats what Bilbo Baggins hates-
Smash the bottles and burn the corks!

Cut the cloth and tread on the fat!
Pour the milk on the pantry floor!
Leave the bones on the bedroom mat!
Splash the wine on every door!

Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl;
Pound them with a thumping pole;
And when you’ve finished, if any are whole,
Send them down the hall to roll!

That’s what Bilbo Baggins hates!
So, carefully! Carefully with the plates!

And this

Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.

Roads go ever ever on
Under cloud and under star,
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green
And trees and hills they long have knows.

To people who haven’t read any of Tolkien’s books, I recommend you start with this one before going on to the LOTR trilogy; to those who have, read it again. It’s warm, funny, and light-hearted and worth many rereads.

STEP INTO THE MAGICAL WORLD

The Inkworld story continues in Inkspell. While I am still entranced by the world created between the pages, some of the magic and the thrill seemed to be missing.

A year after the events in Inkheart, Meggie and her parents are living with Elinor. Dustfinger is still desperately searching for a reader to read him home, Farid in tow, and finds one in Orpheus. Orpheus helps him, but he has brought Basta and Mortola with him, intent on exacting revenge. Farid escapes from their clutches and runs to Meggie, begging her to read him into Inkheart, so that he can warn Dustfinger. Meggie agrees, but wants to go with him to see the splendid things her mother has told her. Mo and Resa follow her into the pages soon after, held at gunpoint by Mortola. Thus begins a journey, an adventure that will result in disillusion, destruction and death.

The book began shakily, with Meggie dying to visit Inkworld, not really caring about how her parents will feel, but suddenly getting all sentimental and homesick once she has landed among the pages. There is a whole cast of new characters, their names as fascinating as the earlier ones: Adderhead, the Black Prince, Bluejay. But I was a little irritated with the female characters. Elinor was a flimsy shadow of herself, her sharp tongue and brains lost somewhere. But the biggest disappointment was Meggie. She is infatuated with Farid for most of the book and acts and sounds like the damsel in distress. However, the presence of Dustfinger more than made up for Meggie’s faults. He is not your save-the-world hero- he has his flaws, is sometimes selfish and scared, but summons up courage when he needs it most, and that’s what makes him human. His gesture for Farid, at the end, was noble and heartbreaking, it is my favorite bit. And I liked Fenoglio too, grumpy yet caring, trying so hard to set his story right. However, the book does become more interesting somewhere down the line, as the twists and turns start to show themselves. But some plot elements seem contrived- how did Resa get her voice back, how can Orpheus read out stuff from books without inadvertently causing things to disappear, though Mo is a better reader than him? It’s not a bad book; it’s actually a very good book, the writing quite lyrical and evocative. The Inkworld which we had glimpses of in Inkheart comes alive in this book, and is more magical than I thought it would be. I really wish I (or someone else, I'm not too particular) would read me into the Inkworld, I'm dying to go live there, Adderhead or no Adderhead.

CHILLS AND THRILLS

I finished The Arctic Incident in one sitting, and I loved it, quite as much as the first. Many a time, sequels fail to live up to the first installment, but this one lived up to expectations.

Artemis Fowl gets a video file showing his lost father kidnapped by the Russian Mafia, and plans his rescue. At the same time, Holly Short uncovers a smuggling racket between goblins and humans, and the fairies suspect Artemis’ hand at play. They haul Artemis and Butler downstairs for interrogation, but discover he is blameless. Artemis strikes a deal with them: he will help them find their traitor if they help him rescue his father. But things hardly go well when Artemis is around, and soon everybody is fighting for their lives and for the fairies’ future.

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, the gadgetry in this book simply rocks. I was disappointed with The Lost Colony because it didn’t have much high-tech stuff, but no complaints here. The action proceeds at breakneck speed, lots of running, jumping and all, and Artemis gets his hands dirty as well. Oh, how can you not like a book where a spaceship has to squeeze through a few metres of rapidly expanding (and equally rapidly contracting) rock, with magma flares rushing behind them (which reminded me of the elevator shaft scene in the climax of Hollow Man)? I must admit there wasn’t much of complex plotting as there was in the first, not much strategizing, but it was fun anyways. The characters are well developed, though I thought Artemis didn’t get much of a chance to exercise the criminally genius brain of his. Holly Short is well on the way to being my favorite female character ever, and Diggum’s Oscar fetish will crack you up. An entertaining, adrenaline-filled read, a book for everyone to enjoy.

SEEING THE SHADOWHUNTERS

I found that Pocket Books were offering a free read of the first instalment in the Mortal Instruments series on their website. Not being one to pass up free offers, and having heard good stuff about this book, I started on it, and finished it in one shot. If you haven’t read it, and are looking for a free copy, it’s been offered on www.pocketbooks.com till August 10.

When Clary follows a knife-holding blond boy in a nightclub, little does she know that she’s about to embark on the journey of her life. The boy is Jace, part of a band of demon slayers called Shadowhunters, who are surprised to discover the existence of the Sight in a mundane (similar to a Muggle). When Clary’s mom is kidnapped and Clary nearly killed by a Ravener demon, she is taken by the Shadowhunters to their Institute. There she learns about the racist evil lord Valentine, and discovers the truth about her mom and herself.

“Could I get anything for you?” he asked. “Something to drink? Some tea?”
“I don’t want tea,” said Clary with muffled tone. “I want to find my mother. And then I want to find who took her in the first place, and I want to kill them.”
“Unfortunately,” said Hodge, “we’re all out of bitter revenge at the moment, so it’s either tea or nothing.”

These kinds of witticisms are spread throughout this book, which makes it a fun read. I liked the characterization and the settings of the book: modern and hip interspersed with ancient and mysterious. The book straightaway delves into the action, and doesn’t drag at any point, so it’s a brisk, easy read. There are similarities with a lot of other books: like Harry Potter, only special people can see the demon-hunters, the vampire-werewolf conflict is straight out of the Twilight series. Some things are somehow predictable: I knew Luke was going to be a nice guy, I figured the connection between Valentine and Clary, but others come as a great shock. The Jocelyn-Valentine relationship reminded me of the Cole-Phoebe relationship in the series Charmed, you know, good girl marrying the evil one and then being disillusioned by his cruelty. The book is somewhat like a rollercoaster ride through the urban fantasy jungle, where you come across every sort of creature you can imagine.

I liked Clary, she is sarcastic, has presence of mind and doesn’t need the hero’s crutch at every instant. Jace is your devil-may-care hero, reckless and proud, the sort of hero any teen will fall for. The supporting characters are also quite well thought, and supplement the leads well. The book rushes along at a heady pace, with more twists and turns than you can imagine. The ending is all firecrackers, a tempting hook for the next book. City of Bones is a thrilling action-packed journey, one I enjoyed a lot, and I’m raring so see how it proceeds.

Read another review at: Becky's Book Reviews
Today's Adventure

UNRAVELLING ALL SECRETS

I had mixed feelings about this book. While I appreciated all the loose ends being tied up quite well, i was a little bored with the way the story dragged, especially in the middle.

Harry, Ron and Hermione plan to leave school to search for the Horcruxes. But it's not an easy road, with Voldemort taking over the Ministry of Magic, forcing them to hide out. A secret wrangled from Kreacher renews their search, but the quest produces deep gashes in their friendship, with Ron leaving Harry and Hermione. And of course, there are the Deathly Hallows, three powerful magical objects Voldemort has his eyes on. Capture by Bellatrix, a breakin of Gringotts, discovery of Dumbledore's darkest secrets, the trio sees them all. The book culminates in an epic battle at Hogwarts, where Harry learns a truth about himself that could decide, once and for all, how the war ends.

While I enjoyed most of the book, I felt the middle portion proceeded pretty slowly. The whole subplot of the trio wandering around and Ron leaving was stretched out for a painfully long while. But I really liked the way she wrapped up the story, brought myriad threads spread out all over the entire series together without tangling them into messy knots. To tell you the truth, I had sneaky suspicions about Harry's secret and the locket's location, and I was excited to have my suspicions confirmed. The Deathly Hallows storyline was thrilling, and I admired her ability to pack in that along with the Horcruxes in the grand scheme of things.

However, there was an element of contrived perfectness in the story. I really expected one of the trio to die, I mean, that would have provided for a bittersweet ending. I was, of course, devastated at Dobby's death, I loved the dear sweet house-elf so much. A lot of other important characters also died, but I somehow felt they didn't have the same impact. One of my friends said, the story is too good to be true, and I somehow felt that way. Also, Voldemort felt so stupid, I mean, he saw nothing coming. I had expected so much more from such a smart villain. The epilogue also struck a discordant note. But if you were to ask me how the book was, I'd say it was quite a read, not as stupendous as my favorite one, but a good one nevertheless.

So, what did you think about the series finale? Did you like the way it was wrapped up?

ACIDIC ANGST AND SINISTER SCHEMES

This book put me off Harry Potter for a long long time. I wasn't disappointed, I wasn't irritated, I straightforward disliked the book.

After the events in Goblet of Fire, Harry is a bitter, angry person. The wizarding world thinks he's a liar, the Ministry is out to get him and even Dumbledore is avoiding him. And, he has one of his worst Defence Against Dark Arts teachers yet, the squeaky sadistic Umbridge. Harry faces greater challenges than before, including a link to Voldemort's thoughts that could upset his life, culminating in an event that snatches away someone very dear to him.

I got so irritated with this book that I quit after Harry's trial at the Ministry of Magic, and only picked it up a couple of years later when Half-Blood Prince was released, when I thought that maybe I shouldn't leave the series incomplete. I heard that Rowling also got bored while writing the book; it clearly shows in the text. All Harry does in this book is shout, at his friends who patiently (too patiently, I thought) deal with his temper, at his sympathizers and at Dumbledore (at the end). I understand that it was the Voldemort connection that influenced his emotions, but the angst was overkill.

That doesn't mean that Order of the Phoenix doesn't have its moments. I especially loved the part about Fred and George's escape from Hogwarts, and the resulting chaos that followed. Of course, the ending was heartwrenching and affected me a lot; Harry's tragedy felt like my own. I thought that some bits shone brightly amongst the rest, much like a couple of gold blocks floating in a swamp. The swamp could have been trimmed down with some crisp editing, but that was obviously not what happened. It seemed like there was some compulsion for each book to be fatter than the other, because this certainly seemed to be what affected this book. A slimmer, tighter story would have been so much better.

A LOOK INTO EVIL'S PAST

I read the book before I went to watch the movie because all I remembered in the book was how it ended and that Ron and Hermione had romantic troubles. Honestly, I don't really like this book that much, though it ranks above its predecessor on my scale.

Harry starts his sixth year at Hogwarts with the Dark forces growing stronger. Dumbledore enlists his help in bringing a old teacher Slughorn out of retirement, who turns out to, surprise, surprise, replace the Potions Master, making Snape the Professor of Defence Against Dark Arts. This discomfort aside, Harry has to persuade Slughorn to give up something he is hiding, deal with love pangs for Ginny and learn more about Voldemort's past, so that he can defeat him.

I didn't like the book much. I thought there was too much of fluff, it read more like some teen romance, you know, girl and boy like each other and are separated by misunderstandings. The Ron-Lavender track was quite irritating to me. Granted that the trio is growing, and hormones are stronger than ever, but this story is about good vs evil, Harry vs Voldemort, not Hermione vs Lavender. It seemed like Rowling was writing a young adult romance, then would remember what the story was about and come back on track.

But I really like the insights into Voldemort's past, the sneak peeks at the man before he became the mask. The concept of Horcruxes was elegant, inspired in part, I think, by those olden folk tales which talk about removing the soul from the body and keeping it in another being for safekeeping, but with darker undertones. However, I was disappointed by the lack of coverage given to the half blood prince subplot. I mean, when I heard the story, I figured that the Half-Blood Prince would be like a central plot element, connected with a challenge Harry has to face (like Goblet of Fire or Prisoner of Azkaban), but apart from being a mysterious author, not much coverage was given to his story. The book, I believe, could have been a good 200 pages shorter with no loss whatsoever.

A word about the movie. It takes a lot of cinematic liberties with the book. Now, I don't expect the movie to be a xerox of the book, but HBP has, in the words of one of my friends, 30% of the story with 130% of the romance. It's not a bad movie, its cinematography is great, the sets and locations wonderful. If you watch it forgetting that it's an adaptation of the book, you'll love it; in fact I liked it too.

Have you watched the movie? How did it compare with the book?

THE CUP OF DESTINY

This book is a close second when I list the Potter books in order of preference. Rowling spins an engrossing story, one which has you gripped right from the word go.

Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts is preceded by a strange dream along with his scar hurting, ominous signs of Voldemort's presence. He attends the Quidditch World Cup with Ron and Hermione, then proceeds to school, where an amazing but dangerous magical tournament is being held for the first time in many years. Harry is excited, just like everybody else, but when his name is drawn as a participant in the Triwizard Tournament, it seems like someone is out to get him. But it's not just dangers that Harry has to face, but resentment and heartbreak too.

I read this book when the whole Harry Potter craze was just beginning to spiral out of control. There was a lot of hype around this book, and Dad had to buy the hardback edition (I was too impatient to wait for the paperback). The book completely justified the hype. Rowling writes with a deft touch; her storytelling is as engrossing as ever. There are loads of twists and turns (though you can't compare to the surprise ending of Prisoner of Azkaban), as Harry handles his greatest challenge yet. This is the first time Voldemort is actually seen in the book, his cruel nature exposed to readers; he steps out of the shadows to become a menacing villain of flesh and blood.

Like I said before, Quidditch is my favorite thing in the magical world, and to read about the thrills of the World Cup was really cool (I was so angry when they cut it out of the movie!). In The Goblet of Fire, Rowling puts Harry through much more difficult situations than before, especially that of losing Ron's trust. Honestly, I had been expecting something like this before, I mean Ron seemed almost inhuman in his friendship (I mean, he never did get jealous earlier). The hints of a Ron-Hermione relationship are loud and clear, and immensely funny. And Fred and George's joke items were just too cool; how I yearned to get my hands on them. But more than anything, I loved the maturing in Harry's personality, his presence of mind and his courage in handling Voldemort. This 700-page tome was captivating, with light and dark moments in equal measures, and ended on a high note, keeping everybody agog for the next one.

Did you enjoy this book as much as I did? Go on, share what you think!

GRIM SHADOWS

I fell in love with this book the moment I turned the last page. It is my favorite of the entire series, and in my top 5 fantasy books as well.

Harry returns for his third year at Hogwarts, in the shadow of an escaped mass murderer and the scary Dementors. Sirius Black, Voldemort's right-hand man, has escaped the supposedly inescapable fortress of Azkaban and is baying for Harry's blood. But life at Hogwarts goes on, despite everything. Disappointment on the Quidditch field, the best Defence against Dark Arts classes he's had yet, a couple of new subjects, Harry's hands are full. But then he learns an earth-shattering secret, a secret that will change his life forever.

I have lost count of the number of times I have read The Prisoner of Azkaban. The series takes a darker turn with this book, with Harry and his friends maturing and learning that good always doesn't win. This book doesn't have a happy ending like the two previous ones, setting the tone for the ones to come. The Dementors are probably Rowling's most inspired creation in the entire series. The idea of a faceless fiend who can suck all joy out of you with its mere presence is chilling. Of course, there is some fun, but the darkness and edginess play a more prominent role. You are on the edge of your seat most of the time, and the twist ending makes it all the more memorable.

I think this book sort of sets the foundation for the entire series. It is from this book that events accelerate, the Dark forces get a boost. Voldemort does not make an appearance in this book, but that somehow adds to the danger. Also, the relationships between James, Lily, Sirius, Lupin and Snape are established, relationships that are crucial to the plot of this and later stories. A fantastic story, it's probably the most thumbed book on my bookshelf.

Which is your favorite Potter book? What do you like about it?

THE ELIXIR OF LIFE

My second foray into Harry's world was the first book Rowling wrote: a fun-filled introduction to the wizarding world.

After surviving a Killing Curse which rebounded on its master, one-year old Harry Potter is left at his aunt's home. After eleven miserable years with the Dursleys, one day, a giant arrives at his doorstep and tells him he is a wizard, and the most famous one at that. Harry sets off to study at Hogwarts from an enchanted platform, makes friends and enemies alike, faces trolls and three-headed dogs, and searches for The Philosopher's Stone.

The first chapter introduced Dumbledore and his Put-Outer, a device I found so fascinating that I couldn't wait to read more. And more there was, from Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans to centaurs to Snape. Rowling's style was simple and direct, no frills and no over-dramatization. As I said before, her wit shone in every page, in situations like Hagrid's first arrival at the Dursleys and Fred and George's ribbing of Percy. The book stresses on the concepts of friendship, loyalty and courage, but doesn't deliver elaborate eulogies on the subject, instead depicting it through small incidents. When I reread the book later, I felt the writing to be somewhat childish, maybe not that ageless as the others in the series. But it didn't take anything away from the magic of the books, still doesn't. Also, I realised how wonderfully Rowling had sprinkled clues for later books throughout the story; while reading a later book, you'd be like, Oh, it was there right in the first book!

I kind of missed the charm of the book in the movie. When it first came out, I was a little disappointed in how much had been pruned and altered. It's not like I am a die-hard Potter fan that I would be sorely disappointed in the movie: I just felt that it was not very true to the book. If you had just seen the movie and not read the book, you'd be a little confused as to what was going on.

What do you think about this book? Share your opinions and set the conversation ball rolling!