Rafflesia - The Banished Princess by Gautam - Book Review

Book Name: The Banished Princess 

Author: Gautam 

Publisher: Frog Books 

Blurb: 

"Rafflesia: The Banished Princess" 

The curtains draw up. Lights are dimmed. The musical is about to begin. As the beautiful princess descends on stage, the mythical creatures from her kingdom come alive. Flickers of brilliant colours blaze across as mesmerizing music pulsates from one corner of the theatre to the other. A fairy tale is about to unfold… 

As young children, we often come across things that stay in our hearts forever. For Appu, it is a fairy tale about a beautiful princess. He lives with her in a world filled with the magical creatures from her kingdom until the real world beckons. A reluctant Appu steps into it as a striking young man and struggles to find his place. 

What follows is an evocative tale of love and loss, friendship and betrayal, as the story travels through the snow-peaked mountains of Arunachal to the golden deserts of Jaisalmer, the tulip gardens of Holland to the lush greens of Kerala. Does Appu find what he had set out for? The answer lies in Rafflesia — The Banished Princess because in her story, lay his!" 

Review: 

I received this book from Arudhaa in exchange of an honest review. 

Rafflesia - The Banished Princess is a story that primarily focuses on Appu, the protagonist and his life. Reading the title and the blurb, you might draw a picture of a fairy tale in your mind. Life isn't a fairy tale though. 

Coming to the story, the pace of the story is slow. The plot is fresh and reading Rafflesia was a completely new experience to me. I had never read a story similar to this one. The book has approximately 400 pages. I felt that the length of the book could have been reduced a little. Since its long, you will find difficulty in reading it in one day. And you will have to re-read a few pages every time you pick up the book to read. 

The characters of this novel develop as you read the book. Appu, the protagonist will become a dear one to every person who reads this book. He is a sweetheart. The author uses a simple language. I came across a few new words that enriched my vocabulary. The narration is lucid and keeps you engaged. 

Give this book a read if you like reading stories centered around imagination and fairy tales. 

I rate: 

Cover: 3/5 

Characters: 3.5/5 

Story: 3.5/5 

I rate 'Rafflesia - The Banished Princess' with 3.5/5 stars.

You can buy  your copies on Amazon.