Even though I finished reading this book more than a month back, it is only now that I got the time to pen down my thoughts. Varun, apologies for this terrible delay!)
When one thinks of the sci-fi genre, we mostly end up thinking of foreign authors, Varun Sayal, in my opinion, is here to change that. The first book that I read by him (Time Crawlers), which also happened to be his first book, fascinated me so much that when Varun approached me with his second book, I just could not not accept the offer. In fact, it was an honour to be able to read the ARC of Demons of Time. Thank you, Varun, both for letting me read the ARC and mostly, for writing this wonderful book!
Plot: If I had to summarise the story in one line, I'd say it is a race against time story, topped up with fight between the good and the evil, with a slice of sci-fi, garnished with a squeeze of Hindu mythology - in short, a perfect recipe. (Even though that would be majorly simplifying the story-line.) While I am usually a fan of blurbs that do justice to the content of the book, for a masterpiece like this one, I do not think there can be any blurb to prepare you for the roller-coaster ride you're in for. In short, what I am trying to say is that the story has layers and layers that a reader will enjoy discovering right from page one.
Language: The language is the star of this book. If you have read my reviews, you would already know that I am a fan of simple language. Demons of Time is definitely one of those books. The language used is simple, yet very descriptive, and it surely paints a picture for the reader. There is no unnecessary jargon or use of random flowery language, just a crisp narrative that I enjoyed a lot. Further, the science part of the sci-fi has been broken down very well, for the ease of understanding of the readers. And the way the same has been blended with ancient Hindu mythology is commendable. Reading the intricate details of the blend of science and mythology is what set this book in a different league for me than most others.
Characters: Most of the characters have been well-developed, especially the main ones of Tej, Rigu and the 'evil' brothers. However, there were still certain characters that I would like to know more about. I would like to read a prequel from the point of view of Tej's mother, for example. I think it would be interesting to have different takes coming together in one story. That is something I think the author can explore.
Climax: For me, the reason why I have given this book four stars and not five is the revelation that comes towards the end of the book. For me, even though the same was very predictable, it did not leave me very justified. As a reader, I would've wanted more juice towards the end. Since the plot was developed so well since the beginning, it ended up in me expecting much much more at the end. Since this is the first book in the series, I am looking forward to what happens next, and maybe that'll make me feel differently about the ending of this part.
I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves sci-fi, time travel, fantasy fiction, mythology - in short, anyone who enjoys reading beyond the realm of reality as we know it. You will not be disappointed. I, for one, am eagerly waiting for the next part!
*****
Follow my reviews here.Follow my bookstagram here.
No comments:
Post a Comment