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A review by _askthebookbug
Beast by Krishna Udayasankar
4.0
Beast.
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Thank you for sending the review copy @krishnaudayasankar and @penguinindia.
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Any book with a hint of crime mystery immediately becomes my favourite. But this is probably the first time I've ever had the chance to read something that includes crime as well as fantasy fiction. Also this was my first book by the author so I wasn't sure what to expect. Set in Mumbai suburbs, this book explores Indian mythology. Beast is a book that is sure to entice readers till the very last page.
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When a brutal murder case presents itself in the suburbs of Mumbai, Assistant commissioner of police, Aditi Kashyap takes over the task of nabbing the culprits. Very soon she is dragged into the scary world of Saimhas, werelions who have coexisted with humans for centuries. There is in-depth detail about how the werelions came into existence and how they managed to be hidden for so long. Then Prithvi comes into the picture, an Enforcer who has been hired to kill the murderer. One thing that I enjoyed about the author's writing is her precision in nailing the characters. It's detailed and also has bouts of emotion whenever the book demands.
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There were many things that I liked about this book. The inclusion of Indian mythology about Narasimha whom Indians worship diligently impressed me as a reader. She has focused on relationships be it professional or personal. Aditi's persona has a strong feminist picture which I absolutely loved. That being said, I however felt that the book dragged quite a bit. The book jumps from present to Prithvi's past which felt quite lengthy. I had to push myself to finish the book inspite of it being well narrated. A much smaller and crisper version would have excited me more. But I'm very eager to read more books by the author now that I know how beautifully she weaves stories.
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Rating - 3.5/5.
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Thank you for sending the review copy @krishnaudayasankar and @penguinindia.
~
Any book with a hint of crime mystery immediately becomes my favourite. But this is probably the first time I've ever had the chance to read something that includes crime as well as fantasy fiction. Also this was my first book by the author so I wasn't sure what to expect. Set in Mumbai suburbs, this book explores Indian mythology. Beast is a book that is sure to entice readers till the very last page.
~
When a brutal murder case presents itself in the suburbs of Mumbai, Assistant commissioner of police, Aditi Kashyap takes over the task of nabbing the culprits. Very soon she is dragged into the scary world of Saimhas, werelions who have coexisted with humans for centuries. There is in-depth detail about how the werelions came into existence and how they managed to be hidden for so long. Then Prithvi comes into the picture, an Enforcer who has been hired to kill the murderer. One thing that I enjoyed about the author's writing is her precision in nailing the characters. It's detailed and also has bouts of emotion whenever the book demands.
~
There were many things that I liked about this book. The inclusion of Indian mythology about Narasimha whom Indians worship diligently impressed me as a reader. She has focused on relationships be it professional or personal. Aditi's persona has a strong feminist picture which I absolutely loved. That being said, I however felt that the book dragged quite a bit. The book jumps from present to Prithvi's past which felt quite lengthy. I had to push myself to finish the book inspite of it being well narrated. A much smaller and crisper version would have excited me more. But I'm very eager to read more books by the author now that I know how beautifully she weaves stories.
~
Rating - 3.5/5.