Kevein Books and Reviews

Anything based out of Africa becomes my instant favourite, be it a movie or a novel or a documentary. In that pursuit, for years I have read novels of Wilbur Smith. The more I get to know about this continent, the lesser it seems. Indeed Africa teems with stories – adventurous yet horrifying. Phil Clarke’s novel Falling Night is a brutal honest account of a humanitarian aid worker’s life in the horn of Africa. Though delivered in fictional tone, the novel is an extended version of a memoir of an international aid worker. The hero of the book is Alan Swales. He is from England – a young man with a girlfriend and good lifestyle. However to break the monotony of his life from a golden cage, his quest for something unusual and adventure brings him in the war-torn Kugombwala (fictional African country). MedRelief is the company that brings him. He works as an administrator in a hospital looking after starving kids. MedRelief was a sort of NGO, working in close alliance with UN peacekeepers ...

‘The Ayan Triangle’ by Avinash Ashu is a riveting romantic thriller wrapped in sci-fi genre. The way ‘love essence’ confronts readers in the novel would be a new journey altogether unlike any other. The story, right since the first page, is gripping and immersive. Not so many characters, yet whatever the cast is, that is enough to swirl you through its tempo and thrill. From the opening lines, I found myself drawn into the turbulent yet tender world of Ayan, the protagonist navigating the tempests of love and ambition in life. He is chasing the distant dream Siya, however, Elina seems to have a true love bonding for him. All major characters are young, first school and then into college. For them love is a different taste on the platter of life. Be it any age, but the obsession for love takes readers to a thrilling journey of incredible ups and down in their lives. Avinash's prose paints vivid portraits of love's highs and lows, leaving me emotionally invested in every twist an...

Among all famous versions of Ramayana that are being narrated and circulated across the world for ages, Valmiki’s Ramayana tops the chart for its veracity and originality. Valmiki and Vyas are considered two top-notched poets from India that recorded and wrote the greatest books of the world ‘Ramayana’ and ‘Mahabharata’ respectively in their eras. Today our literature arenas are abundant with retellings and various versions of storytelling and commentaries pertaining to Ramayana. In light of spreading of the most original text and commentary, late Shri Lakkaraju Ananta Rama Rao did meticulous study and research on Ramayana for decades. The book Valmiki Ramayana – through three volumes – is a monumental task in commentary literature. His volumes of commentary brilliantly sketch all characters and their roles and the splendor and magnificent of courts and kings with immaculate cultural scope. The book volume delves deep in Ramayana from all angles of events referred as Kandas . The ...

Couldn’t believe that this could be so much fun! Oh, how this book charmed me with its pesky characters and the magical book that deliberately threw them in adventures beyond their age…yet they managed to set everything all right for needy people on those mountains and around them. It was a sheer delight the way these kids got to navigate through the world, on different countries, on mountains, met with many people from time unknown to their consciousness. Do any of the stories of the mountain entice you? I liked that Iran story, it was like direct head-on with that monster snake, saving those brothers, and their village. Superbly built on imagination and some old folklore! The stories of three kids, in home and outside, were funny, tender and heart-wrenching. No matter these were kids, unlike Enid Blyton, they have had their own share of grief and pitfalls in family. It was an earnest picture of attraction and all the associated complexities. The second concurrent theme of the novel w...

Find Some Hope by Nida Fatima is short autobiographical book, kind of memoir of a young woman who traces back her life from school time to finding a caring husband and beyond. Every one’s life goes through ups and downs, well some give up, but a few determined souls fight and bounce back like a phoenix. Her story of grit and mettle inspire us and show as how one can rise up from the crutches of depression to fulfilling a meaningful existence. Right at the beginning, the author being honest about her medical condition, she draws up curtains from Bipolar disorder. The book guides readers what the Bipolar disorder is and what are its symptoms and how does it affect all spheres of life. The author carves out specific taboos and issues that run amok in our societies like ignorance of the girl child, dowry and marriage pragmatism, and most importantly a woman has to go through suffering and pain in a patriarchal dominant society. The author was good at sports, has had her own issues with men...

Nikhil D. Hegde’s enchanting debut novel ‘The Water Veil’ is a literary masterpiece wrapped up in ancient mythology, ritual symbolism, and the arcane mysteries of a hidden valley with esoteric waterfalls. The story, dazzling in its prowess and stimulating narrative, traces out the protagonist Leela’s family lineage with enigmatic waterfalls in a valley, which she has almost forgotten while being busy with her life in a city. To feel that family’s hidden connection with the waterfalls that offer visions to divers, she travels from her city towards the valley in search of answers for herself. But little did she know that a chance encounter with the maze of intriguing lies and unchecked truths will nudge her rooting for her daughter’s life. For her, what starts out as a mere journey in the valley turns into a discovery of shimmering evocation. As she delves deeper in the mired myths of the valley, the author skillfully peels back layers of sweeps and ancient traditions associated with...

What struck me most about this collection is its unfiltered honesty. Amaysha fearlessly explores the tumultuous landscape of human emotions, laying bare the raw agony and beauty of life’s experiences and bittersweet nostalgic moments and memories. As the title has melodies, indeed the lyrical prose stunned me with its musical notes lurking everywhere, in each poem. The author must indeed have musical connection in her life. As music inspired her, moved her, reciprocated with her, the influence is astounding. Listening to the music, To the old lost tune, The melodies, For which my heart still yearns, And which make me take a leap.   Slightly random and abstract, yet the collection is deep and rich…the book doesn’t lend a window to the life of the poet nor it’s an introvert heart’s musings. It is way much heart-winning poetry collection.   You lit the fire, Into my darkest world, Little did you know, That its these melodies that mesmerize me…   The p...