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Author: Sarang Mahajan| Genre: Fantasy | Pages: 405
The Plot:
In the small hamlet of Brida, Luwan just about manages to make ends by collecting herbs living atop a hill. It is when he denies paying taxes to the henchmen of Lord Gruwak, that he invites trouble, for himself and his sister, Meg, and soon is chasing cities, to save both their lives.
But no sooner has he fled the village with his sister, he realises that perhaps, the henchmen are not the only ones after his life. There are Ghorks and Ghork-riders, Scaburns, Smokemen, Wallspirits, Grishaws, and many more to name. A fantastic world of horrors and surprises awaits Luwan and his sister at every corner since their escape from Brida. Every human comes with a speck of doubt and who really is by his side, only time will tell. But for now, Luwan has to heed his heart, and the magical book his father left him.
The Review:
A friend once asked, “Isn’t it tedious to read a book with multiple settings and characters, as most fantasy novels are?” I said, “It’s quite the opposite actually. That’s exactly what makes it interesting.”
This book is a world in itself like most other fantasy novels. The pace is so fast that if you don’t coax your brain cells to follow fast, you run the risk of being left behind without a grip of the plot. And that’s only part of the fun. The other half is being chased by the incessant need to know what’s next.
The characters are well carved and they know their places in the plot which, for me, as a reader is most important, because I need to know that my character knows what he or she is doing, and is not groping in the dark; at least not always. Even their thinking in tight spots flows seamlessly not making it appear lame or juvenile. From Luwan to Meg to Kiliarn, I loved each and every one of them and they come with so much material to their existence in the book that it is hard to accept that this is a debut work.
As for the settings, I felt them resonate with bits from most of my favorite series such as Harry Potter, Lord of The Rings, Game of Thrones, etc. but that may be because fantasy novels build an empire that sound outlandish with a mix of most bizarre concoctions for names of people and places, as is in the aforementioned series. I can conveniently assume that the author was inspired from these fantasy stellars.
What I loved equally much though was the cover that has a beautifully concealed mystery by the look of it. And it is only after about 200 pages that the mystery starts to get revealed. The reader can totally count of great things coming up in the following books.
Finally:
I can’t wait to run deeper into the lanes of Inkredia. Although, I could see traces of Harry Potter universe behind the faces of the mythical creatures and traces of Game of Thrones behind the cities Inkredia is carved out of, it all still renders a fresh reading experience for the reader without looking lame.
Inkredia, for me, is not much about the plot; don’t get me wrong – it wasn’t bad or anything, actually, it was unbelievably good, but LOB was more about the way it is written; which is exceedingly intriguing and that is what makes the story addictive right from the word GO.
Read more about the author, Sarang Mahajan.
If you happen to read ‘Inkredia’ or have already read it, do share your thoughts below.
P.S: I received a review copy from the author but the review remains unbiased.
©Asha’s Blog
Asha Seth 
I read this one last year 🙂 I second with your review 🙂
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Wow. I am happy to know. Which of the non-human entities did you find most intriguing/creepy?
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I like the jinn characters, changing their forms. giving them mysterious traits 🙂
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I haven’t read a fantasy novel like this in a long time. I can already feel your agony of being excited for the upcoming books but the long wait in between. Great review, as ever!
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I don’t much have you around anymore. I miss that. Our chats.
This was a fairly good debut given the expanse of suspense it promises. Few things seemed too good to believe like the protagonist escaping death every single time but there’s more to imagination than logic I guess, so the book did well.
What have you been reading?
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Recently, I have read Ironweed which is American, also The Coup by John Updike which is about a fictional African dictator and then finally, A Pound of Paper, a book about book collecting which is a great read. My friend we shall chat more, it would be criminal not too!
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I finished reading The Last Mughal by William Dalrymple and I can’t begin to tell you, my friend, how disturbed it’s left me; as you’d agree if you had read it, and yet there is a sense of achievement having delved into my country’s history, so fully, so properly. So, I won’t be reading anything for some time now because I just want to wallow in that feeling that burdens my soul right now. Obviously, one’d say it is all a part of what happened a hundred and fifty years ago, and that’s the weird part that it feels like it happened yesterday, that it happened to me. Strange how some writings leave you feeling paralyzed.
We shall chat, yes.
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I have heard of The Last Mughal but never got myself a copy. I love it when a book gives the reader an indepth view of the subject at hand and brings forth profound feelings to the reader. I am looking forward to getting a copy one day and delving into more history.
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well written review
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great review
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Interesting review, Asha. I’ve tried reading some fantasy novels and I just can’t get into them. I guess I’m in the same category as your friend. People seem to fall into two categories: those who love fantasy and those who don’t. Even though I’m not a fantasy fan, I found your comments about what you like about it and this particular book to be eye opening and informative.
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I like my readers to know what they can hope to enjoy and what not, rest is up to them.
I guess I haven’t read any breath-taking fantasy after Harry Potter. I try new debut books with a hope to experience that feeling again. *Sighs*
I can understand your affinity for fantasy, Janet. I shared that feeling until sometime ago. That said, I am still a lot picky about the fantasy books I read; that genre not being my most preferred.
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