Book: Tantra
Author: Adi
Published By: Apeejay Stya Publshing
Year of publication: 2013
MRP: 195/-
Story: This story is about Anu Aggarwal, a New York City bred
Indian girl, who kills vampires for a living. She is tough, she is rightful and
she has just lost her lover, Brian. It could have been just another revenge
story if not for the way the author has used it to tell a fantasy story about
spirits, souls and bodies.
Anu had to visit Delhi where her aunt lived and she had
spent her summer holidays, to avenge Brian’s death. When she is adjusting to
the new culture, setup and rules, her aunt is trying to set her up for a Dekhan
Dekhai with a prospective groom. Between chanting mantra and mastering astra, plotting
to kill the evil leader Saneka and saving the world there are many fun moments.
Writing Style: The best part about Tanta is it is written
with a lot of spunk and style. The way the main character Anu aggarwal and Amit
her Delhi buddy interact is interesting to read. The Shaadi wadi part and the
mantra tantra part have been tackled with equal élan.
The only point that bothered was the usage of F word. It
seemed forced and out of place. Almost like it had been added as an afterthought
that this is a vampire book, it is for the youth so why not add sprinkle it as
well.
Characters:
Anu Aggarwal: The name throws you back to the Actress who
debuted with the movie ‘Ashiqui’. However, this one is not demure. She is very
well put as the main lead. Her sensibilities are definitely likable. She is
good looking at the same time hard working, who else would be willing to chant
mantras countless times to master an astra. She is your today’s youth, very clear in head
and a little confused at heart.
Amit: He is your second lead, a friendly guy who does not
seem to take his work seriously at the same time is well connected and informed,
very likable and easy to connect to.
Saneka: He is the main villain, who is all evil and powerful.
In this age of fake Baba, he seems like a perfect choice to paint all black.
His ways are wrong and his intentions are worse. He needs to be stopped.
Gaurav: Well, he is your typical hero material, quick with
his words and affection.
In conclusion, a fun read that has a serious mythical back
ground. I am not very fond of blood and gory of the vampire world but I enjoyed
reading this book. I liked the way Delhi was used and Indian mythologies were
explained. There is a lot of promise shown by the debutant author Adi. Would
not mind picking his next book up.
