Tantra - A long due review

My blog is like a reliable soul-mate. There were days when I'd repeatedly delve into the ever patient pages of my blog and pour my heart out into its pages. Then there are times such as the one that passed, where I choose to ignore the very existence of my patient soul-mate. And yet, today when I come back to the non judgmental pages of my blog, she welcomes me with the love only true to her name. (of course my blog is a 'she'!). Of all the commitments I had overlooked, this one has been the worst.

Sorry blogadda, for the delay in this review. (Something tells me this is the last time they are going to send me a book for a review :-) )

So lets move into the review that should have been here a few weeks ago: Tantra by Adi.

The first look : One of the main reasons why the old saying "Never judge a book by its cover" stands true - the cover looks too much like a cartoon with the girl on the roof, and the man in the clouds. Could have been better.

 


Plot : Yes, it does look a little juvenile when one puts words like 'vampire slayer' and 'revenge' into the summary. But rest assured, the plot is fast paced, keeps one hooked on to know what happens next. There are moments of sheer genius, where the author carries of black humor with panache. (That's what happens when a man writes for a woman protagonist - sarcasm flows easily :-)). Then again, there are times when the author walks off in a direction which perhaps, not all may follow - the tantric references and the Vampire stories coming in together is such an example.

In short, the story takes some time getting used to. There are some predictable cliches - yes, the vampire slayer is sexy, yes, there is a sidekick. Yes, she manages to fall in love - again. But so what? The sheer pace of the book makes up for the cliches. Also, the story ends quite abruptly, leaving me wondering if there is a part two waiting to come out, maybe?

Writing style : Something that I've seen a lot these days - a fast paced piece of writing that doesn't pause to take a second look at the choice of words used to carry that pace. Let me explain : in many places, I winced a bit at the choice of very predictable words, and maybe even 'Indian' English. Also some words such as 'shifting' made no sense to me till about a quarter of the novel was read through. (I blame myself for this though - I have successfully escaped Vampire stuff till now). Made me wonder if the author took it for granted that we were acquainted with Vampires.

Character Development: That the author has immense talent, shows in the way the characters have been defined. A face to every character, a character to every name, and they all come in nicely together. Though there were a few times when I had to go back a few pages to register "Now who was that...." about some vampire, or tantrik, or sidekick.

Final Verdict :
A book that taught me a thing or two about the rage that is vampires, and a book that challenged some of the thoughts about Tantrik practices in India. A debate about good and bad leaves one thinking; though this very debate could have been much more powerfully handled by usage of better words. You may like vampire stories or detest them - this book may be just what the doctor ordered for those who just can't figure what the big deal is about Vampires :-)..... A good, late evening read when you really don't want to mull over heavy reading.  

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