Karna's Celestial Armor by Surendra Nath - Book Review

Book Name- Karna's Celestial Armor 

Author- Surendra Nath 

Blurb- 

We all know that in MAHABHARATA, Karna had, on his body, his Kavach-Kundal (set of armor and earrings) which rendered him invincible in battle against any foe. God Indra tricked Karna and took away the divine set. So, in the final battle Arjuna killed Karna.

That’s the back-story. After that, what did Indra do with the all-powerful Kavach-Kundal? Did he hide it somewhere? What if someone can find it today? That’s what this novel is about. Vasu, from the present time, sets off to find the set. The spirit of Karna guides him through the search.

Indra always knew someone would come looking for it. So he used all his ingenuity to hide it in most impossible of places. That makes Vasu’s task so much more challenging. And he is not the only one who is interested in this quest. There are others trailing him.

Join Vasu in this thrilling adventure through mysterious locations in India to know why the armor was all that potent, and if it still is.

Review- 

Surendra Nath's 'Karna's Alter Ego' book had stolen my heart. I grew a lot excited when the author announced to me that he has published his next book. Like his previous book, I loved reading this book of Surendra Sir as well. 

The name of the book will make you believe that this book is a mythological type of a book. You might also wish to skip reading this book because of its title and cover. But trust me, it isn't anything of that sort. The book is a combo of mythology, travel and inspiration. It is packed with adventure and thrill with some pinches of love and romance. 

As the blurb says, the story is about Vasu's quest for the celestial armor. The story has been perfectly plotted as the author has taken care of all minute details into consideration. The author has divided the story into different sections and brought out a connection between them skillfully. 

The story is being narrated in first person narrative with Karna, himself being the narrator. The lucid language with this engaging narration and awesome story will get you hooked on to the book. The narration is so realistic that the story begin to play like a movie (you, of course, need an eye for imagination). 

The central characters - Vasu and Karna are just the way they were in the previous book. There has been introduction of few more characters. The author has portrayed them well. Each character plays a short role in the story but is potent enough to etch his mark in your mind forever. 

I guess I had written this for the previous book as well. Here are the few things which I loved about the book. 

1. Vasu's passion and love for Karna. 

2. Vasu's intelligence in finding every part of the armor. 

3. Vasu's 'Don't give up' attitude. 

Karna's Celestial Armor is an interesting read. It will keep you hooked onto it until the last page. 

I rate: 

Cover: 2.5/5 

Characters: 4.5/5 

Story: 4.5/5 

Overall, I rate Karna's Celestial Armor with 4.5/5 stars.

Razor Sharp by Abhinav Kumar - Book Review

This book review is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program and Blog Tours.  To know more log on to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.in

Book Name: Razor Sharp

Author: Abhinav Kumar

Blurb:

In my debut collection of short stories, I explore relationships and friendships, bits of the past and the present, and changing times. Each story explores a world, a relationship or an incident unto itself: while they are disjointed, my sole purpose is to touch the reader's mind and enhance his or her pleasure. Too many short stories, I believe, aim to befuddle and confuse, and in the process, lose sight of what is most important. Having been in this position several times in the past, in this collection, I present little bits of myself in the hope that you, the reader, feel happy or sad, laugh or despair - but never feel cheated. Happy reading!

Review:

I love reading short story collection as they are quick reads and you do not have to remember the story. Just the number of the story in that collection and you're good to go. 

Reading Razor Sharp was an enjoyable experience. The stories are short and make a place in your heart. They are about the common thingswhich happen to common people like you and me. Some stories make you ponder while some leave you surprised. They leave a mark upon the reader. They stay with the reader.There are 13 stories in this collection. My favorite ones are Razor Sharp, Prejudice, Memory and 13(1)(vii). 

At times, we have to take tough decisions about our lives. We are usually confused about these decisions. Pondering about it in a cool place and with a calm mind can help us a lot. A similar kind of situation happens with the protagonist of the story, Razor Sharp. I could very much relate to him. 

The second story that I loved the most is Prejudice. Marital rape is something that not everyone speaks about. I've seen some women suffer. I could understand the feelings of the girl. 

Revenge is something which most of us like reading. I don't know why but this story reminded me of the movie Table No. 21 

And lastly, 13(1)(vii). When I read this title, I couldn't understand what the story could be. And that made me grow my interest in this story. Love can walk into your life at any point of time. And you've to take a step towards that love. This is what this storu taught me. 

The narration and language is excellent. I loved the way author has narrated the stories. There's a personal touch to each of the story. 

I noticed a peculiar trait about this author. When you start reading a story and believe it, it is during this time that the story surprises you with a twist. This has happened with me while reading all the stories of this collection. I came across many new words which enhanced my vocabulary. The author's note towards the end of the story is something I've seen for the first time. He says that his stories were not published and rejected. I wonder who wouldn't want to publish such interesting tales.

I rate Razor Sharp with 3.5/5 stars.

You can buy your copies on Amazon.