My Rating - 4 out of 5 stars
Publisher - APK PublisherGenre - Action/Adventure
Publishing year - 2024
Language - English
ISBN - 979-8-218-14876-8
Pages - 242
Book Review -
I recently finished reading N x N: The Beginning by Anil Prabhu which is set in the 10th-century Kingdom of Kochi, and it pulls you into the vibrant yet ominous world of Gosripuram, a city where full moon nights -Purnima - bring fear and mysterious deaths.
The story begins with a detailed introduction to the Kingdom of Kochi and gradually zooms in on a few households, setting the stage for the main plot.
Aditya, the protagonist, is a young merchant burdened by debt. His life takes an unexpected turn when he ventures out on a Purnima night to clear his mind and encounters a mysterious ship approaching the docks.
This chance meeting sets off a chain of events that plunges Aditya, his friends Govind and Prithvi into a whirlwind of adventure and danger. They were asked to play games on the ship which seemed easy and safe, but with time, they realised that there was something eerie about the whole idea.
The narrative swiftly transitions from the everyday hustle of Aditya's life to the dark and mysterious events that unfold under the full moon which soon includes the King and his family as well.
The tension is palpable as they all want to know more about the perilous night, and secretive people, but most significant is their greed.
I found Aditya to be a well-crafted character. He is intelligent, kind-hearted, and resourceful, which makes his journey through the challenges he faces all the more engaging.
His interactions with the other characters, especially his friends are filled with natural, thought-provoking conversations that often carry deeper philosophical meanings and life lessons.
The narrative is enriched with timeless observations and reflections on themes such as covetousness, destiny, and the quest for knowledge.
I particularly enjoyed the strategic games and calculations woven into the plot, which added an intriguing layer to the story and tied in cleverly with the book's title.
The descriptions in the book are vivid, but being set in the past, the story only partially immerses the readers in that era or its folklore. Adding more details from that period could have enriched the narrative and deepened the historical context, and I hope that Anil Prabhu will work on this suggestion in his next book.
However, these minor issues did not detract much from the reading experience. The steady build-up of suspense and the unfolding mystery kept me hooked till the end.
It's a promising start that combines history, adventure, and intellectual depth in a way that is both entertaining and engaging.
If you're a fan of the Squid Game series and want to read something like that but in the Indian context with a pinch of Yore, then this book is for you.
I am eagerly looking forward to the next instalment to see where Aditya's adventures lead him next.
No comments:
Post a Comment