Book Review: Aranghya and Jahar (The Bandahar Series- Part 1) by Vidhya Iyer
About the Author:
Aranghya and Jahar is the first published novel of the
author Vidhya Iyer who discovered her joy and passion for writing when she
first wrote an abstract on life by the seashore. Her work has been
featured on the winners’ page of Zero Flash Fiction (June 2018) and her
recently published short story ‘Nine Lives’ on the
Juggernaut platform was picked up as the ‘Editor’s choice of the week’. She is
currently working on the second part of The Bandahar Series which I believe is
definitely going to be as great as the first part!
About the
Book:
Aranghya and Jahar is the first part of the fantasy
series known as The Bandahar series. The story revolves around the empire of
Bandahar which consists of seven kingdoms, Aranghya being the capital of
Bandahar. Jahar has been described as an island in the centre of the river
Veerini which is connected to the boundaries of Bandahar. The story consists of
a number of characters, places and plots and therefore to understand these
plots better, a list and a map of the main places and characters in relation to
the story is provided in the first few pages of the book. The story revolves
around a number of characters like King Mithilesh of Aranghya, Prince Vikrant
of Dwadesh, Princess Binodhini and Ishanya. The past and future of Bandahar, the
relation between Bandahar and Jahar, the fate of King Mithelesh, the future of
Dwadesh and Prince Vikrant are some of the main plots which the story revolves
around. The story starts with a scene in Jahar which also introduces the main
protagonist of the story known as Shikhanderi. The starting chapters introduce
the readers to the main kingdoms and their past. The story moves forward with a
number of plots at hand and ends at an interesting point from which the second
part of the series is to take up. It’s a work of fiction which entails every
element of a period fantasy with a wonderful set up and interesting plot line.
Review:
I am a person who loves reading fantasy and therefore I
was really excited to read this book as I received it as a review copy. The
plot sounded to be really exciting and so I had a lot of expectation from this
book and I wouldn’t be lying when I say that this book was way too much
exciting than what I expected it to be. The best thing about the book was
definitely the story’s narration. The story has been narrated in a very subtle
manner which makes reading this book a wonderful and original experience. The
story line is also great. The way the characters and the plots have been
inter-related is something which makes it even more interesting. The thing
which I loved about the story was that an equal amount of importance and focus
has been provided to each and every character. All the characters including
King Mithilesh, Prince Vikrant, Shikhanderi, etc. have been provided with a
separate story line and an intriguing past which makes all of them important to
the story. Another thing which is commendable about the book is the language
used. The book has been written in an easy yet beautiful language. The choice
of words made by the author is just perfect. It’s a story which made me feel as
if I was reading a real mythology. Though the story is fictional, the kingdoms
and the characters have been described in a very original manner. I loved this
book and I definitely can’t wait to read its second part. I am sure of the fact
that the second part of the series will also be as wonderful as the first part
of The Bandahar Series.
To Read or Not to Read:
If you are someone who enjoys reading period fantasy like
me, then trust me you have to read this book and I’m sure that you’ll
definitely love it. It’s a great work of fantasy and I would recommend everyone
to read this book. I am mesmerised with the work of the author and can’t wait
for the second part of the series (Banadahar and Jahar) to release.
You can buy the book by clicking the link here.
Also, you can check out the website of the Banadahar
series by clicking the link here.
Rating: 4.5/5
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