joshenoy's review
4.0
An easy, engaging read in the fantasy genre which has been heavily inspired by Indian mythology. Actually manages to be a decent read compared to the multitude of poorly written books that come in this(read mythology) genre in India.
Only pet peeves
- It took a while to get the hang of things as initially there were a lot of characters to remember and some of them had similar character voices.
- A lot of talk of things are just hinted at. Consequences of the Human-Rakshas wars and the Nera war are mentioned but not much clarity on either.
- For all the talk about magic being banned, quite a few characters can use magic
Will definitely read the next book(s).
Only pet peeves
- It took a while to get the hang of things as initially there were a lot of characters to remember and some of them had similar character voices.
- A lot of talk of things are just hinted at. Consequences of the Human-Rakshas wars and the Nera war are mentioned but not much clarity on either.
- For all the talk about magic being banned, quite a few characters can use magic
Will definitely read the next book(s).
pretty_little_bibliophile's review
4.0
The Sultanpur Chronicles opened to a wonderful new fantasy series that I look forward to reading. It is a great convergence of fantasy along with elements of romance, adventure and action, modernity, and so on.
The world building in this book was well done. It was easy for the reader to dive right in. however, personally, it took me some time to do so but I believe that after pulling through for a few chapters, it was really easy to do so. The multiple person point-of-view was welcome as it really gives a number of perspectives to the reader, in a fantasy story. The characters all have their own backstory, which really gives the reader a wider scope to understand the thoughts and actions of the characters. However, the characters require a bit more depth.
The themes of war, hate, friendship, politics as well as adventure and mystery was a good mix in the story and really entertaining. The presence of the multitude of characters does well to giving depth to the story and the magic system is great for the reader to explore. Flying carpets, djinns, magic lamps give a totally Arabian Night-esque vibe to the story, which is not unwelcome. It really makes one feel nostalgic about the story.
There were a few loop ends though throughout when the identity of the nameless characters in certain episodes could not be determined. It is clear that there is to be a sequel and I eagerly look forward to it.
I quite enjoyed this book and as I rate it a 3.5/5 stars, I wait eagerly for the sequel to come out!
The world building in this book was well done. It was easy for the reader to dive right in. however, personally, it took me some time to do so but I believe that after pulling through for a few chapters, it was really easy to do so. The multiple person point-of-view was welcome as it really gives a number of perspectives to the reader, in a fantasy story. The characters all have their own backstory, which really gives the reader a wider scope to understand the thoughts and actions of the characters. However, the characters require a bit more depth.
The themes of war, hate, friendship, politics as well as adventure and mystery was a good mix in the story and really entertaining. The presence of the multitude of characters does well to giving depth to the story and the magic system is great for the reader to explore. Flying carpets, djinns, magic lamps give a totally Arabian Night-esque vibe to the story, which is not unwelcome. It really makes one feel nostalgic about the story.
There were a few loop ends though throughout when the identity of the nameless characters in certain episodes could not be determined. It is clear that there is to be a sequel and I eagerly look forward to it.
I quite enjoyed this book and as I rate it a 3.5/5 stars, I wait eagerly for the sequel to come out!
ecstatic_yet_chaotic's review
3.0
The Sultanpur Chronicles is a book that has elements from the Arabian Nights along with magic and folklore. In the heart of Sultanpur lies magic- powerful and dark, and a sorcerer/rakshasa who can cause havoc in the city and the Imperial Throne.
The story has so many events happening throughout, each converging to a single event at the end. The dark magic has its own, shady past and its acquisition is full of betrayal and deceit. But one woman will do what it takes to stop the rakshasa.
There are a lot of characters. Some serve a purpose while others are thrown in for entertainment purposes. The author has spent a lot of time giving each character a distinct story and a background but all of them lack depth.
The element of magic prevails throughout in a subtle and very basic way. I am glad that the author didn’t try to write complicated tricks because if done wrong, it would have spoiled the plot. What the author succeeded in doing was to create the mystical world dark magic and secretive activities require. The world building was modern but there were elements such as flying carpets and magic lamps thrown in, which felt relevant and contributed to the plot.
The Sultanpur Chronicles is a well-written fantasy that has a lot of elements in perfect proportions, but a lot of unnecessary events too. It’s a great start to a series, but it needs to be balanced, especially the element of magic and how each character perceives it.
The story has so many events happening throughout, each converging to a single event at the end. The dark magic has its own, shady past and its acquisition is full of betrayal and deceit. But one woman will do what it takes to stop the rakshasa.
There are a lot of characters. Some serve a purpose while others are thrown in for entertainment purposes. The author has spent a lot of time giving each character a distinct story and a background but all of them lack depth.
The element of magic prevails throughout in a subtle and very basic way. I am glad that the author didn’t try to write complicated tricks because if done wrong, it would have spoiled the plot. What the author succeeded in doing was to create the mystical world dark magic and secretive activities require. The world building was modern but there were elements such as flying carpets and magic lamps thrown in, which felt relevant and contributed to the plot.
The Sultanpur Chronicles is a well-written fantasy that has a lot of elements in perfect proportions, but a lot of unnecessary events too. It’s a great start to a series, but it needs to be balanced, especially the element of magic and how each character perceives it.
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