Bramulla Bomber by Clark Prasad: A Review

BOOK TITLE: Baramulla Bomber

ISBN: 9789381523971

AUTHOR: Clark Prasad

GENRE: Spy thriller / Science fiction

NUMBER OF PAGES:

FORMAT: Paperback

SERIES / STANDALONE: Svastik trilogy #1

REVIEW BY: Dhivya Balaji.

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20539669-dhivya-balaji

HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: The review program from Tales Pensieve sent us a paperback for review.

SUMMARY:

AN ANCIENT WEAPON FROM THE VEDAS & BIBLE 

ONCE HUNTED BY THE NAZIS 

POWERED BY THE SOUND OF UNIVERSE 

REBORN WITH HELP OF QUANTUM PHYSICS 

GOING TO BE UNLEASHED ON TO THE WORLD 

AND KASHMIR HOLDS ITS SECRET 

          Multiple intelligence agencies are tracking Mansur Haider, a god-fearing aspiring cricketer from Kashmir. His girlfriend, Aahana Yajurvedi, is trying to locate her missing mountaineering team, who vanished after a mysterious earthquake strikes Shaksgam Valley. 

         

          Investigating Mansur and the Shaksgam Valley incident is Swedish intelligence officer, Adolf Silfverskiold, whose only relationship to god consists of escorting his girlfriend to Church. 

         

          A dual China-Pakistan battlefront scenario facing the Indian Home Minister, Agastya Rathore, whose ancestors carry a prehistoric secret linked to the stars. He is faced with the challenge of finding a lasting solution to the Kashmir crisis. 

          Which Biblical Weapon was Tested in Shaksgam Valley? Why is Mansur Haider Important? Is There a Solution to the Kashmir Crisis? Can Destiny be Controlled? Does a Cosmic Religion Exist?

REVIEW:

          When the book arrived at my doorstep as a part of a Tales Pensieve giveaway, I was really engrossed. Reason: The title and the cover. This is one of those rare books that demand attention with cleverly worded summary and artfully designed cover. But again, as a rarity, the book does not disappoint. The author takes care to include all the things he has mentioned in the summary into the book. (Yes, I have had many experiences where the book back summary is riveting but I end up searching for all the racy ‘hints’ in the plot and end up,  well, disappointed).

          If you open Baramulla Bomber with a ‘oh no! Not another spy-espionage thriller’ attitude, you will grow to detest the elaborate plot. But start open minded, the same ‘elaborate’ plot becomes a ‘rich in detailing’ plot. It has almost every element. Suspense, manmade - apocalypse style tension,  treachery, mysterious deaths, and a racing investigation. The summary identifies three characters to be central to the plot, and fortunately, the plot revolves around them.

          A group of powerful men (royal descendents, no less)calling themselves ‘Cho Skyong’ meet to decide the fate of the world, and the place is bombed. But one man manages to escape the place. He alone knows the secret which was discussed in the meeting. He vows to unobtrusively keep the secret alive. In another plot thread, Mansur Haider is an aspiring cricketer with family values. But he is a cynosure of spy agencies worldwide and is widely noted. In another thread, intelligence agent Adolf tries to investigate the partial untruths of a cold secret project rekindled. Also in the field is vivacious Indian Home Minister, Agasthya Rathore.

          How well can an author mix sports, science, history, mythology and still manage to bring it all to a common point? Read the book to find out. Because, giving away any more of the hints of the story would be to give away the plot twist. Kudos to the writer for writing such an intricate plot.

          With so many interesting characters, the plot speaks of an impending doom and a race against time to prevent a war, and to preserve the country. The plot is well detailed with only fairly indiscernible holes and mistakes. This is a great achievement when so many details are given. The characters are also clearly written and are easily visualised in the reader’s context. But too much detailing leaves an aftertaste like an excess of salt. The reader feels compelled to keep in mind all the details thereby forgetting the story/plot.

          There are two things the author must note in the successive books of this trilogy. First being, there are simply too many images, concepts and characters for the reader to remember. Plus, the plot tries to be everything at once and becomes slightly wrong footed on which part to give more emphasis on. Seasoned readers will know which part of the plot to remember and reread more than twice and which part to leave. But this book must be readable for everyone, simply for the thrilling narration it boasts of.

          Secondly, the most important part of any book will be the memorable scenes that will keep playing in the reader’s mind long after the book is finished. For a racy plot, this book lacks that quality. So much so that if not read at one go, the reader must read from a few previous pages next time we start reading. This is not exactly a minus, but it would have been an added plus. The book does not lack memorable scenes. It lacks a memorable presentation in this regard. But once you finish the book (which is definitely a page turner) you will not even notice the slight faults.

WHAT I LIKED: The book, though written by an Indian, lacks the influence of mother tongue (which most unfortunately, many books of Indian authors suffer from). The plot is so good and will set the adrenaline flowing in many parts.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER: The story and direction (pun intended) are good, but the author must rework his screenplay and avoid noise and too much description.

VERDICT: Go for it if you are a spy thriller fan. If you love science fiction, if you like Indian history, and if you like a lot of adrenaline flows go for this book. But if you love mushy, emotional and oh so good books, this is not for you! But for all other fans out there, if you want a good book that will change the way you think about Indian writers, go for this.

RATING: 4.2

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

          Clark Prasad, alter ego of Suraj Prasad, could be called a mixed citizen. Born in a leap year (year of Rocky, All the President's Men, Omen, Hera Pheri and Kalicharan) in Lagos, Nigeria he lived most of his life in New Delhi and had his education in Lagos, Delhi, Mangalore and Kozhikode. His family background is from the town where George Orwell, author of 1984 (a dystopian fiction) was born, and where Mahatma Gandhi had re-ignited India's freedom movement - Motihari.

          A pharmacist with a management degree who believes in conspiracy theories, Baramulla Bomber is his first book. His first education o he mysteries of the universe came via Carl Sagans Cosmos, and since then he never looked back on reading, watching and discussing about the universe. He grew up during the cold war days with BBC radio was one of his mysterious companions as a kid, when his father played the news regularly every day. World War II news and documentaries on CIA-KGB tussle kept him engaged that time.

          As a kid he wanted to be an archaeologist or an astronaut, but fate had its own road and he got involved with Mr. Carbon akaChemistry. Currently he is a healthcare management consultant, based out of Bengaluru, Planet Earth

EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Paperback, digital

PRICE: Rs. 395 for paperback

BOOK LINKS: http://www.flipkart.com/baramulla-bomber-science-fiction-espionage-thriller/p/itmdn8ugzyduu6ka