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A review by fandomsandfiction
The Lost Love of Akbar Manzil by Shubnum Khan
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Beautiful beautiful beautiful. And also painful painful painful! This book swept me off my feet and SHOOK me until I could *hear* my heart rattling against my ribcage. It had me swimming in an ocean with strong currents that frequently changed from sweet to sour to spiced. It took me to the top of mountains to show off the world's magnificence, and it took me deep underground where I could feel the earth's core ache.
Basically, what I am trying to say with all these ridiculous metaphors, is that this book is AN EXPERIENCE. It is an experience that is profound and all-encompassing. It is an experience sweeping transnational histories with skillfully crafted characters, an exploration of deeply important issues, and a wisp of myth and magic.
I spoke so much about this book with the Tandem Collective book club and in my Instagram stories, that now I am spent and raw. But I would do it all over again. If you've read any of my past reviews, you'll know that once I start talking in analogies and nonsense, I have reached the height of human emotions and I am at a loss for words to explain.
So this is what I leave you with: if you like mysterious/haunted settings, melancholic magical beings, powerful young women, an eclectic cast of characters, contemporary and historical drama, and insight into a wide range of human experiences, then this is the book for you. It is the kind of read that cannot be confined into a single genre or theme. Instead, it draws elements from all forms of artistry.
It is the kind of book that I could never do justice to in a word-limited review.
Basically, what I am trying to say with all these ridiculous metaphors, is that this book is AN EXPERIENCE. It is an experience that is profound and all-encompassing. It is an experience sweeping transnational histories with skillfully crafted characters, an exploration of deeply important issues, and a wisp of myth and magic.
I spoke so much about this book with the Tandem Collective book club and in my Instagram stories, that now I am spent and raw. But I would do it all over again. If you've read any of my past reviews, you'll know that once I start talking in analogies and nonsense, I have reached the height of human emotions and I am at a loss for words to explain.
So this is what I leave you with: if you like mysterious/haunted settings, melancholic magical beings, powerful young women, an eclectic cast of characters, contemporary and historical drama, and insight into a wide range of human experiences, then this is the book for you. It is the kind of read that cannot be confined into a single genre or theme. Instead, it draws elements from all forms of artistry.
It is the kind of book that I could never do justice to in a word-limited review.