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b00kr3vi3ws's review against another edition
4.0
Ardra is a Yakshi who serves Queen Hera. As a Yakshi, it is her job to find out the deepest and darkest secrets of men and then kill them. She performs this ritual habitually and passes on these secrets to her Queen. That is the life that Ardra knows till one blood moon her supposed victim survives her bewitchment. As if a mortal surviving her bewitchment was not a mystery enough… Dara, a monster slayer, spares her life for some unknown reason. Slowly questions build up in Ardra’s and everything seemed to be connected to the Queen she served and the monster locked away in a tower.
Wow! That was the word on my mind when I finally finished reading this book. First off, the characters are really well done. Ardra is a character who grows on you slowly. She is never painted as this larger than life, always right and ‘I-know-best’ protagonist. Instead she comes off as a character whose world is suddenly turned upside down and yet she emerges strong from it. While there are moments of self-doubt and insecurities, she never comes off as an pansy-irritating character that depends on others to solve her problems. Slowly but steadily she takes on everything that is thrown at her, asks the right questions and eventually does the right thing. On the other hand Queen Hera, in many ways, pushes Ardra to be her best. That is a sign of a well-drawn up antagonist because a protagonist can only be as good as the antagonist. A weak antagonist will never lead to the creation of a great protagonist. Then there is Dara, a character with a past that is hinted at but not clearly spelled out to keep an air of mystery around him. And that certainly worked – who doesn’t like a man of mystery?
Sukanya Venkatraghavan can sure weave a good tale. The book gets you hooked from the very beginning and before you know it you will be turning the last page! Her narrative is spot on in every aspect. She kept up the pace of the plot while building the world and its characters. She has provided just enough background information on each character and revealed secrets at the right moment to have the maximum impact. Even I did not see one of the twists coming! The world building has been done well enough. If I absolutely had to crib about one thing in the book, it would be the world building. I am a girl who loves details and while the world building would seem sufficient enough to most people, I want more. I always want more when I like something.
It is not often enough that I love a fantasy book written by an Indian author so much. Exceptions have been there, but the only other fantasy book that I have liked more than this is Shatrujeet Nath’s Vikramaditya Veergatha Series. Though these books are not comparable to each other for many reasons, the common thread between the two is the fantasy genre and the care taken to build the worlds with enigmatic characters. Dark Things is now my second favourite fantasy book written by an Indian Author and I would recommend it to all fantasy lovers.
Wow! That was the word on my mind when I finally finished reading this book. First off, the characters are really well done. Ardra is a character who grows on you slowly. She is never painted as this larger than life, always right and ‘I-know-best’ protagonist. Instead she comes off as a character whose world is suddenly turned upside down and yet she emerges strong from it. While there are moments of self-doubt and insecurities, she never comes off as an pansy-irritating character that depends on others to solve her problems. Slowly but steadily she takes on everything that is thrown at her, asks the right questions and eventually does the right thing. On the other hand Queen Hera, in many ways, pushes Ardra to be her best. That is a sign of a well-drawn up antagonist because a protagonist can only be as good as the antagonist. A weak antagonist will never lead to the creation of a great protagonist. Then there is Dara, a character with a past that is hinted at but not clearly spelled out to keep an air of mystery around him. And that certainly worked – who doesn’t like a man of mystery?
Sukanya Venkatraghavan can sure weave a good tale. The book gets you hooked from the very beginning and before you know it you will be turning the last page! Her narrative is spot on in every aspect. She kept up the pace of the plot while building the world and its characters. She has provided just enough background information on each character and revealed secrets at the right moment to have the maximum impact. Even I did not see one of the twists coming! The world building has been done well enough. If I absolutely had to crib about one thing in the book, it would be the world building. I am a girl who loves details and while the world building would seem sufficient enough to most people, I want more. I always want more when I like something.
It is not often enough that I love a fantasy book written by an Indian author so much. Exceptions have been there, but the only other fantasy book that I have liked more than this is Shatrujeet Nath’s Vikramaditya Veergatha Series. Though these books are not comparable to each other for many reasons, the common thread between the two is the fantasy genre and the care taken to build the worlds with enigmatic characters. Dark Things is now my second favourite fantasy book written by an Indian Author and I would recommend it to all fantasy lovers.
uma_booksbagsburgers's review
5.0
BLURB
Somewhere on Prithvi, a mortal survives a supernatural attack.
In the dark realm of Atala, an evil goddess prepares to do the unspeakable.
And a Yakshi finds herself at the heart of an other-worldly storm.
Ardra has only known life as a Yakshi, designed to seduce and kill men after drawing out their deepest, darkest secrets for her evil mistress Hera, queen of the forsaken realm of Atala. Then, on one strange blood moon night, her chosen victim, Dwai, survives, and her world spins out of control. Now Ardra must escape the wrath of Hera, who is plotting to throw the universe into chaos.
To stop her, Ardra needs to find answers to questions she hasn’t dared to ask before. What power does the blood moon hold? Is the sky city of Aakasha as much a myth as its inhabitants – the ethereal and seductive Gandharvas and Apsaras? Who is Dara, the mysterious monster-slayer, and what makes Dwai impervious to her powers?
CHARACTERS
I liked Ardra. She was a well rounded character and highly relatable. She knows her capabilities and weaknesses. She isn't Miss.Perfect and she never pretends to be one either. She makes for a really good protagonist. At times she reminded me of Rose Hathaway from the Vampire Academy series.
I preferred Dara to Dwai. To me, Dara seemed more realistic somehow. But both characters add a well crafted dimension to the story.
I even liked Hera. (Allow me to explain!) I liked her because she was written so well that I hated her. (Does that make sense to you?)
All the other characters from Mantri to Vina were perfect. Each character in the book is there for a reason. Their being there adds to the plot and makes it all the more interesting.
I love the concept to Yakshis, Apsaras and Ghandharvas. I like the shadow creatures and the various other creatures the author talks about in the book. I love the creatures within the mirrors(One of my favourite concepts; reading about mirrors as actual living characters.). Overall I am in awe of the world building of Atala and Aakasha.
PLOT
Can we talk about the twists? In the middle of the story I thought i'd figure it all out. I thought I knew what had happened. But let me tell you I've never been more wrong! When the questions are answered and the doubts were cleared, I believe I looked something like this...
and
Like trust me, the truth is unbelievable.
The plot was like nothing I've ever read before and it was pretty awesome :)
WRITING
The author creates quite powerful imagery. As I read I could see Atala in my mind. I could imagine exactly how Vishara looked like. The writing is descriptive but not an overkill. Though at times the shift in timeline through me off guard but I quickly got used to it and after that the writing was pretty fluid.
There were certain quotes I really loved, more so when their meanings become more clear as the story progresses.
"Like the difference between a dream and its memory"
For some reason, It's one of my favourites.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK
- The freaking awesome and unique plot
- The fact that Indian mythology has been used with a modern twist
- The characters
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK
-Hmmm, the shifts in the timeline maybe?
CONCLUSION
If you haven't picked up the book, please do so as soon as possible. It is unique with compelling characters and great twists. On the back cover it says, "A heady concoction of fantasy and romance, Dark Things conjures up a unique world wrought of love and sacrifice, of shadows and secrets, of evil and those who battle it."
And that is exactly what Dark Things is.
Somewhere on Prithvi, a mortal survives a supernatural attack.
In the dark realm of Atala, an evil goddess prepares to do the unspeakable.
And a Yakshi finds herself at the heart of an other-worldly storm.
Ardra has only known life as a Yakshi, designed to seduce and kill men after drawing out their deepest, darkest secrets for her evil mistress Hera, queen of the forsaken realm of Atala. Then, on one strange blood moon night, her chosen victim, Dwai, survives, and her world spins out of control. Now Ardra must escape the wrath of Hera, who is plotting to throw the universe into chaos.
To stop her, Ardra needs to find answers to questions she hasn’t dared to ask before. What power does the blood moon hold? Is the sky city of Aakasha as much a myth as its inhabitants – the ethereal and seductive Gandharvas and Apsaras? Who is Dara, the mysterious monster-slayer, and what makes Dwai impervious to her powers?
CHARACTERS
I liked Ardra. She was a well rounded character and highly relatable. She knows her capabilities and weaknesses. She isn't Miss.Perfect and she never pretends to be one either. She makes for a really good protagonist. At times she reminded me of Rose Hathaway from the Vampire Academy series.
I preferred Dara to Dwai. To me, Dara seemed more realistic somehow. But both characters add a well crafted dimension to the story.
I even liked Hera. (Allow me to explain!) I liked her because she was written so well that I hated her. (Does that make sense to you?)
All the other characters from Mantri to Vina were perfect. Each character in the book is there for a reason. Their being there adds to the plot and makes it all the more interesting.
I love the concept to Yakshis, Apsaras and Ghandharvas. I like the shadow creatures and the various other creatures the author talks about in the book. I love the creatures within the mirrors(One of my favourite concepts; reading about mirrors as actual living characters.). Overall I am in awe of the world building of Atala and Aakasha.
PLOT
Can we talk about the twists? In the middle of the story I thought i'd figure it all out. I thought I knew what had happened. But let me tell you I've never been more wrong! When the questions are answered and the doubts were cleared, I believe I looked something like this...
and
Like trust me, the truth is unbelievable.
The plot was like nothing I've ever read before and it was pretty awesome :)
WRITING
The author creates quite powerful imagery. As I read I could see Atala in my mind. I could imagine exactly how Vishara looked like. The writing is descriptive but not an overkill. Though at times the shift in timeline through me off guard but I quickly got used to it and after that the writing was pretty fluid.
There were certain quotes I really loved, more so when their meanings become more clear as the story progresses.
"Like the difference between a dream and its memory"
For some reason, It's one of my favourites.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK
- The freaking awesome and unique plot
- The fact that Indian mythology has been used with a modern twist
- The characters
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK
-Hmmm, the shifts in the timeline maybe?
CONCLUSION
If you haven't picked up the book, please do so as soon as possible. It is unique with compelling characters and great twists. On the back cover it says, "A heady concoction of fantasy and romance, Dark Things conjures up a unique world wrought of love and sacrifice, of shadows and secrets, of evil and those who battle it."
And that is exactly what Dark Things is.
timmason's review
1.0
I picked this up because it was recommended at another book-lovers' site. I was unable to finish it. The writing is overblown and empty. Quite often it doesn't even make sense.
nikturnal's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
It has some excellent writing but I thought most of the story unraveled itself only towards the end, leaving most of the book very dry. But it is one of the first good Indian fantasy novels I have read.
starryeyedenigma's review against another edition
4.0
I had read Magical Women earlier this year, that was edited by Sukanya Venkatraghavan, in which one of my favorite stories was written by her too. So when I spotted this in Crossword, I knew I had to buy it. I mean, look at the cover, it was almost as if I had been bewitched by that beautiful and dark Yakshi myself!
In short, the story revolves around four major characters - Hera, the evil queen of Atara, Ardra, the Yakshi who is central to the storyline, Dara, the unbelievably handsome monster slayer who has secrets of his own, and Dwai, the human, who is immune to Yakshi magic and is looking for answers of his own.
I was drawn into the story from the first page, and luckily, had a holiday in between so I could immerse myself completely in the story and finish it within a day! It is really good, the way the author wraps up all the different twists, the way she tantalizes us readers with little snippets of secrets, but never gives us the whole story, until towards the end of the book. I felt like a Yakshi myself, reading this book, because I was lusting for more secrets, my desire to know what was the past and the future of these characters had been tremendous! I loved the author's writing style, so simple and yet beautiful and elegant at the same time.
I'm not sure if there are any sequels planned for this book, but the amount of world building that is necessary for one book, is there in this. Beautiful descriptions of Aakasha, and eerie descriptions of the passage on the river of death and Atala, made me want to see illustrations of them!
I was impressed with how the author has twisted stereotype roles - by changing the heroine to the hero, by drawing a thin line between monsters and Gods. This was a story where the monster is the hero and that was such a refreshing concept for me. My favorite character were the shadow creature and Morana! haha You'll know who they were if you read the book. But I would've liked to know a little more about Dwai's past and a bit more about his character as well, since he isn't given a lot of space towards the end.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and would highly recommend it to readers who are looking for a single book fantasy story that will hold their attention, a story inspired by Indian mythology and mythological figures :)
In short, the story revolves around four major characters - Hera, the evil queen of Atara, Ardra, the Yakshi who is central to the storyline, Dara, the unbelievably handsome monster slayer who has secrets of his own, and Dwai, the human, who is immune to Yakshi magic and is looking for answers of his own.
I was drawn into the story from the first page, and luckily, had a holiday in between so I could immerse myself completely in the story and finish it within a day! It is really good, the way the author wraps up all the different twists, the way she tantalizes us readers with little snippets of secrets, but never gives us the whole story, until towards the end of the book. I felt like a Yakshi myself, reading this book, because I was lusting for more secrets, my desire to know what was the past and the future of these characters had been tremendous! I loved the author's writing style, so simple and yet beautiful and elegant at the same time.
I'm not sure if there are any sequels planned for this book, but the amount of world building that is necessary for one book, is there in this. Beautiful descriptions of Aakasha, and eerie descriptions of the passage on the river of death and Atala, made me want to see illustrations of them!
I was impressed with how the author has twisted stereotype roles - by changing the heroine to the hero, by drawing a thin line between monsters and Gods. This was a story where the monster is the hero and that was such a refreshing concept for me. My favorite character were the shadow creature and Morana! haha You'll know who they were if you read the book. But I would've liked to know a little more about Dwai's past and a bit more about his character as well, since he isn't given a lot of space towards the end.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and would highly recommend it to readers who are looking for a single book fantasy story that will hold their attention, a story inspired by Indian mythology and mythological figures :)
wordylocks's review against another edition
4.0
Ardra, a yakshi, is in the service of Hera, the evil queen of Atala. A shape-shifter, she steals secrets from human men and leaves them dead. When one of her marks, Dwai, survives, a Pandora’s box opens. Secrets must be hunted down and questions answered before heaven and earth descend into evil. Accompanying Ardra and Dwai on their dark and dangerous quest is the monster slayer, Dara. Other than the trio the cast of characters also features legendary apsaras, wood nymphs, gandharvas, werewolves, assorted creatures from hell and a Huldra.
What I truly love about this book is that it has managed to extricate mythology from the grasp of religion, making this a book that truly crosses boundaries. Another thing to love is the female characters. They display a range of personalities and are multidimensional. There are enough twists and turns to keep even the ficklest of readers interested and at just 353 pages long, is a quick read.
The relatively short length of the book is however what led to my few, minor annoyances with this book. Too many questions I had were left unanswered at the end, or if they were addressed, they were not detailed enough. Also, because so many characters occupy so less a space, I did not get to see enough of some of the characters I really liked.
However, these complaints do not take anything away from the enjoyment of the book, and is easily solved by a sequel. Dark Things is certainly a book that stands apart from its peers in the genre and a must-read for those looking for good fantasy fiction.
Full review at: http://bit.ly/DrkThngs
What I truly love about this book is that it has managed to extricate mythology from the grasp of religion, making this a book that truly crosses boundaries. Another thing to love is the female characters. They display a range of personalities and are multidimensional. There are enough twists and turns to keep even the ficklest of readers interested and at just 353 pages long, is a quick read.
The relatively short length of the book is however what led to my few, minor annoyances with this book. Too many questions I had were left unanswered at the end, or if they were addressed, they were not detailed enough. Also, because so many characters occupy so less a space, I did not get to see enough of some of the characters I really liked.
However, these complaints do not take anything away from the enjoyment of the book, and is easily solved by a sequel. Dark Things is certainly a book that stands apart from its peers in the genre and a must-read for those looking for good fantasy fiction.
Full review at: http://bit.ly/DrkThngs
thebooksatchel's review
3.0
Ardra is a yakshi from the realm of Atala. She seduces men and steals their secrets. Later she hands them over to her leader, Hera, who thrives on the secrets that the yakshis bring her from Prithvi (Earth). Hera is the evil one, creator of yakshis, her dark things. She dreams of being more powerful by becoming the Blood Queen.
Meanwhile monsters seem to be chasing Dwai, a human, who is in possession of a stone that protects him. Then there is the monster slayer Dara who is a banished heavenly being. Ardra tries to find out why Dwai was unhurt when she tried to harm him, what 500-years-old secrets are buried in Dara’s heart and in the process questions her existence.
The writing is fast paced and entertaining and there are twists throught the novel. The story takes place in three main realms in the book, Prithvi (Earth), Atala (Hera’s realm where yakshis and shadow creatures dwell) and Aakasha (sky where Gandharvas and Apsaras dwell).
I had a few minor hiccups with the book. But I look forward to a sequel, if there will be one. You can read my full review on http://www.thebooksatchel.com/dark-things-sukanya-venkatraghavan-fantasy-read-studded-indian-mythology/
Much thanks to Hachette India for a copy of the book.
Meanwhile monsters seem to be chasing Dwai, a human, who is in possession of a stone that protects him. Then there is the monster slayer Dara who is a banished heavenly being. Ardra tries to find out why Dwai was unhurt when she tried to harm him, what 500-years-old secrets are buried in Dara’s heart and in the process questions her existence.
The writing is fast paced and entertaining and there are twists throught the novel. The story takes place in three main realms in the book, Prithvi (Earth), Atala (Hera’s realm where yakshis and shadow creatures dwell) and Aakasha (sky where Gandharvas and Apsaras dwell).
I had a few minor hiccups with the book. But I look forward to a sequel, if there will be one. You can read my full review on http://www.thebooksatchel.com/dark-things-sukanya-venkatraghavan-fantasy-read-studded-indian-mythology/
Much thanks to Hachette India for a copy of the book.
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