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Book Review: Inkredia (Luwan of Brida) by Sarang Mahajan

Inkredia is an incredible fantasy novel. If you are into habit of reading fantasy novels like ‘Lord of the Rings’ or ‘The Hobbit’ you will not be surprised to realized that they transcend all frontiers i.e. fantasy novels are products of sheer imagination and innovation. Well, coming to Inkredia, as said above it is an incredible epic fantasy novel, will surely take you on a jaw-dropping, sinuous yet adventurous trip.


The novel is about Luwan, the protagonist of the book, a hilly village lad. He is in the occupation of collecting herbs from high, steep and tumultuous mountains. While performing his job he often braves the perilous uncertainty of serpentine mountains and their allied creatures with acute fierceness.

Well, his fate still awaits him. He lives in Brida – a small village atop a hill. Since he is an orphan, there is nothing much that he can possess, except a medallion and a red book given by his mother. To his company is Meg, his elder sister.

Lord Gruwak is a cruel tax collector and every villager has to bow down before him and submit his/her monthly income tax in the form of coins. On one such incident Luwan, as called Luwi by Meg, denies the income tax. And that’s the end of his simple days. Soon, he will be grabbed, dragged and hooked in the open to die recklessly. Yes, death is the only punishment for rebels. The only option left open for them is to flee the village. However, soon Gruwak’s local men from village begin searching them like hounds.

Narjo, a hunter friend of them helps them come out of the village and takes them in his bullock cart on the way to Maktra and from there they have plans to go to Narla. Inkredia is a vast continent – Luwi and Meg assumes that going to city will place them ahead of Gruwak and there they can also start a fresh life. Well, a quirk of fate awaits them in the form of Ghork riders. They are strong but hardheartedly brutal. In the first attempt they manage to deceive the riders. But what will happen if they are caught again by the riders? Well, now the question is why the hell Ghork riders are chasing this boy from Brida?

Luwi and Meg so often find themselves in death-traps but every time their luck rescues them. Then next, they get to know about a merchant called Kiliarn. Kiliarn agrees to take them away to a far-away city on three conditions; one of them is his fee of three silver coins.

From this point the novel gets into a headlong momentum. Like other successful fantasy novels, Inkredia too is full of dark forest, new landscapes, Ghorks (flesh-eating horses), Smokemen, Monfrits, different beliefs and so on. Initially readers may feel isolated or being stranger there with the characters but they will begin loving them as they get acquainted with the characters and their struggle en-route to freedom and safety.

As the characters are always on the run, you will find this fantasy fiction shrouded with mystery and packed with action at every point. As the novel nears end, you will get optimum light to see that the novel is more to a bunch of people on the run.

Some books may leave you reeling with awe and pleasure, well this, for sure, make you a fantasy addict. That’s the case with good writing – people linger on with the book for long – the story remains with them forever even after they close the book. What destiny lies ahead for Luwan – only the sequel can answer this quest.

Sarang has done an exceptionally well job with readers’ expectations. Penning down such a long fantasy novel, while maintaining all elements of suspense and thrill, is a way superior task of high caliber. His narrative and language usage with poetic glimpses in between makes him a promising writer in India in fantasy genre.

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