Book Review - Seductive Affair (✩✩.5)

(I got the book as a part of the review program by the author.)

What I expected when I read the title and the blurb and saw the cover: An out and out thriller with a touch of seduction and dark romance and a surreptitious affair.
What I got: A light and breezy read with mostly forbidden romance as the highlight.

The blurb: The blurb does not do justice to the book.
The desperation and urgency and the thrill in the blurb does not translate to the pages of the book. Prisha (if I were writing the blurb) is a girl-next door who 'thinks' she is ambitious and career driven, but is more romantic than pragmatic in her approach to life. (How else would explain her risking her first 'dream job' for a supposed investigative story and/or for a fiery romance that sets her loins on fire every time she thinks of it.)

The story that Rajesh is trying to hide from the editor, Priya, is far from investigative. In fact, the entire plot of the book is based around this supposedly front-page shattering story, except there is nothing woah-I-did-not-see-that-coming about it. Also, there is no good explanation offered as to why the protagonist had to hide this story from the editor. None whatsoever. The blurb, again, over-hypes this part as well.

Lastly, the blurb and the title makes reference to a 'seductive affair' that is absent in the entire book. The story is of a typical boy-meets-girl-and-instantly-falls-in-love one. Nothing 'seductive' about it. I can't say for sure whether it qualifies as an 'affair' either, which is often more scandalous.

The story: As I have mentioned before, the book is mostly a romance with a dash of suspense; just a little, almost negligible.

The language: The language is simple, flowy and easy to understand. There is no unnecessary use of jargon, but the author has also not managed to paint a picture with his words. The intimate description failed to incite even a pitiful tingle. Like I said, it is simple.

The characters: The characters are sketched decently, but I failed to form a connection with either of them. I did not find the character of Prisha relatable either. The supporting characters are, well, just mentioned sporadically, and hence it becomes easier for the reader to guess a lot of things in terms of story-line.

There are some things about the book that triggered my OCD and I am hoping the next editions will take care of these:
1. In the blurb, the name of the protagonists is mentioned as Prisha Khatri and Rajesh Lagheri. However, in the book itself, the protagonist introduces herself a Prisha Lagheri. :/
2. The editor informs Rajesh that his co-reporter would be unable to accompany him to Bengaluru. However, Rajesh and Prisha take the flight to Mumbai and the conference actually ends up being there instead. :/

Final views: The book is an ok read. The first 50 pages were quite interesting; there was a lot of build-up that falls flat as you proceed further. There is a love story, there is intimacy, but that is mostly all that there is.

One time read, if at all.



*****
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Book Review - The Last Attractor of Chaos (✩✩✩.5)

I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset. To know more, click: 
https://rakhijayashankar.blogspot.in

The Last Attractor of Chaos is a sci-fi thriller, very different from what I have usually read and definitely a first in this genre by an Indian author, and I must congratulate the author for doing a good job of it.

In short - The prestigious and supremely powerful Kali.x has gone missing and the prime suspect is Shruti Rathore, an officer with a dark past, who is on a run from the Government agencies for a 'crime' she did not commit. Guiding her on a different dimension is her dead husband, Ashwin Rathore, who was killed in an attempt actually targeted at Shruti. Through a series of twists and turns, the mystery unfolds.

Language: The language of the book is fluid. One can easily read it in one go, if time permits. The scientific theories have been explained in detail and (should be) easily understood by a person with no background in science. (I cannot be completely sure as I have a decent background in physics). Apart from the first chapter, the entire book is from the POV of the deceased husband. However, there were some glaring grammatical mistakes that, hopefully, would be done away with when the next edition is out. 

The characters: The characters have been etched out decently, although I do think a little more background into Ashwin's character was required. Factually, it is all there. Personality wise, a little more detailing would have been good. Shruti's character has a streak of darkness that contributes in creating an aura of mystery to the entire narrative. The supporting characters have been given adequate space to develop and showcase themselves.

The story: The story is unique. The combination of particle physics, thriller and an undercover operation make it a viable option for adaptation and I am hoping to see this book as a movie someday. 

The ending/climax: I was a little disappointed with the ending. The climax seems to be a little rushed and the author could've spared a couple of more chapters to satisfactorily tie all the loose ends. The ending seemed abrupt and that took away the charm of the climax.

One glaring problem I had with the book (which also is the reason why I finished the book in two sittings, instead of one) was the portrayal of romance between the two main characters. Not only did it seem ill-founded, whatever little bit of detailing that was given to their relationship only made matters worse. (Vague here to avoid spoiler.) The description of the approach of the male protagonist towards the female protagonist seems too bollywood-ish (and I do not say that in a good way). 

Also, there is a part where the author has described the female protagonist having a 'masculine confidence'. This description actually threw me off. Physical traits defined by gender, I can understand. But to deal with a non-physical intangible trait in terms of gender stinks of misogyny at some level, whether conscious or not. A big no-no!

Final thoughts: Recommended read. If one takes the above two points with a pinch of salt, the book is engaging. The USP is that the premise is new and refreshing.