Baramulla Bomber - Book Review

Baramulla Bomber

By Clark Prasad

Review By Ila Garg

Baramulla Bomber is a novel by the debutant writer Clark (Suraj) Prasad, published by Niyogi Books. Looking at the cover of the book you will come across two eyes staring directly at you. There is a symbol of AUM - the primordial sound around which the plot is set. And just above it, is the caption which declares ‘SCIENCE FICTION ESPIONAGE THRILLER’. Yes, Baramulla Bomber, is the debut thriller by Clark (Suraj) Prasad and is the first of the Svastik Trilogy.

Ofcourse, I loved the cover. I liked the colour combination, the font, and the paper quality. That hard mysterious face tells a story of its own. When I got this book, I was rendered speechless. I am a sucker for thriller, so when Nimi asked me if I would like to review it, I could not say no! I was nervous as I started reading the blurb to get a taste of this book, though.

The blurb reads as, ‘AN ANCIENT WEAPON FROM THE VEDAS & BIBLE ONCE HUNTED BY THE NAZIS POWERED BY THE SOUND OF UNIVERSE REBORN WITH HELP OF QUANTUM PHYSICS GOING TO BE UNLEASHED ON TO THE WORLD AND KASHMIR HOLDS ITS SECRET.

Multiple intelligence agencies are tracking Mansur Haider, a god-fearing aspiring cricketer from Kashmir. His girlfriend, Aahana Yajurvedi, is trying to locate her missing mountaineering team, who vanished after a mysterious earthquake strikes Shaksgam Valley. Investigating Mansur and the Shaksgam Valley incident is Swedish intelligence officer, Adolf Silfverskiold, whose only relationship to god consists of escorting his girlfriend to Church. 

A dual China-Pakistan battlefront scenario facing the Indian Home Minister, Agastya Rathore, whose ancestors carry a prehistoric secret linked to the stars. He is faced with the challenge of finding a lasting solution to the Kashmir crisis. 

Which Biblical Weapon was Tested in Shaksgam Valley? Why is Mansur Haider Important? Is There a Solution to the Kashmir Crisis? Can Destiny be Controlled? Does a Cosmic Religion Exist?’

I can't tell much about the plot as this is supposed to be a spoiler free review as per the request of the author mentioned inside the book. What impressed me about it is the fact that the author has well researched for writing the book and it is evident in the plot.

 

The cover has a tag line - “Quantum Physics meets Bible and Vedas in Background of Kashmir and Cricket”, which clearly makes it the amalgamation of various themes and yet the story has a smooth flow for the readers. 

The plot moves across several locales, from India to Pakistan to US to Norway, and many more, so the reader has to be attentive to grasp all the details. There are various maps, illustrations, and other such stuff to aid the understanding of the story. The characters and the happenings in this book gel along nicely, making the book fluent and lucid to the mind.

This book gets a bit complicated because it has a lot of characters, from Mansur Haider (the protagonist) to Kurt; the author has created memorable characters and used them efficiently to move the plot further. Every single character has contributed in some way or the other to the story (including Kasha and Ann). Also, I feel a deep thinking was involved while naming the characters as the names are superb and they suit the characters well. For example, Adolf Silfverskiod is a perfect name for an intelligence officer from Sweden and the name has also got a certain degree of command.

This story is complex, meant for intelligent readers. Pace is very important aspect when it comes to a novel which I felt can be worked upon in a little better manner in future by the author. This book was uneven in terms of pace.

Initially it came across as a scary affair to me, as I read till about 100 to 150 pages, I was exhausted. It was like the author has almost stuffed the readers with enormous amount of facts till page 150 and it is a heavy read till there. Till the end of the novel, a reader has to turn back pages to refer.

There onwards, the pace becomes comfortable and the story too becomes light to read, though. Due to the heaviness of the facts the book is not a single sitting read. You need to take breaks in between, though the plot is tempting and manages to keep you hooked.

It was gripping, thrilling at times and in the middle it lost the initial fervor, but gained the momentum towards the end again. Yes, the story is interesting, partially because it’s a new kind of genre, well written. Author is really good with words and has a command over the language. He manages to keep the readers in awe till the end.

Quantum Physics, Bible, Vedas, Kashmir, so much in one book. A commendable job done by the author. Though I would like to see some improvements in the second and third book of the trilogy. The author needs to work on making the story smoother, the little lighter or evenly paced. He needs to level up with the readers.

The 316 page book is filled with a lot of facts. I mainly loved the book because of the element of thrill and an apt cover. First few pages tested my patience but soon it engulfed me into its world. It is an action-packed quirky-witty-techno-mythical head spinner which takes you on a roller coaster ride and leaves you breathless. I liked the author’s quirky style and the research that he has done. Loved and really appreciate the meaningful use of maps, instances, and quotations from Vedas and Bible. The way he has linked these topics is an ambitious task that the author managed to accomplish well. Hats off! As a debutant, he has done a good job and the flaws can be ignored. Best wishes!

Rating: 3.5/5

 

This (Unbiased) book review is a part of "The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program". To get free books log on to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com. Thanks Nimi Vashi for giving me the opportunity to read such a nice book!