Narasimha (The Mahaavatar Trilogy #1) by Kevin Missal

The Blurb Says:
Narasimha, once a brave soldier, has left the war and lies low as a physician in a village. But a familiar face from his past seeks his help to stop the tyranny of the blind usurper Andhaka. If Narasimha refuses, the world might just end. What will he do? And why did he leave the war in the first place? Prahlad, the interim king of Kashyapuri, is torn between the ideals of his unrighteous father and his love for Lord Vishnu. Whom will he choose? Hiranyakashyap, the ruler of the Asura Empire, wants to avenge the death of his wife. To do that, he must go through the Trials and get the ultimate weapon - the Brahmastra. But the Trials have sent so many others to their death. Can Hiranyakashyap survive?

How Did I Like The Book
"Narasimha (The Mahaavatar Trilogy #1)" was my first read from the author Kevin Missal. I have read many great reviews about his previous writing and has really high expectations since the book had been doing rounds since some time on it's promotions etc.

Now that I have the book in my hands and have read it, did it meet my expectations? I would say yes and no at the same time.
First of all, I really liked the book and can recommend it for a light read to mythology lover.

What I Liked:
1. The chapters: I really liked the way the chapters were named on lead characters instead of trying to give a title to them. This also enabled me to be ready and get back to the story of another character from where I left it. Yes, if looked upon carefully, it's basically a collection of multiple stories interrelated with each other.

2. The Good and The Evil: The author has not depicted any character as a hero or a villain. It's all up to the reader what they interpret out of them and how they perceive their actions. All characters has their own positive traits along with a dark/grey side.

3. The Avatar: Of course the book is about the ultimate avatar but then we have always seen the god or the demon from various popular mythological tales where the God has this illuminating aura around it and flawless, fearless an unbeatable right from the beginning and the reverse when it comes to a demon. As the popular IndianBookTuber said, that the avatar discovers itself rather than just being there and doing his/her job.

What I Did not like:
1. The End: I know I am attracting a lot of raised eyebrows with this, but then  for me if a book suddenly leaves me in the middle of the road waiting for next bus to board until it comes out without a proper conclusion, I don't like it.
The next book might not require the earlier part to be read in order to understand and enjoy it, but then what about the people who did spend their time and energy on the first or the earlier one.

So, yes I liked the book and would have loved it even more if it had that conclusion. Apart from that, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

If you like my review and plan to give it a shot, you may try that by following links. They point to my Amazon Affiliate and when purchased from, I get a tiny commission with no extra charge to you.

    

"The Mind Game" by Devika Das

About The Author:

Devika Das has three books and one anthology under her writing umbrella. When not writing, Devika pursues her passion for Acting and is an active theatre artiste in Hyderabad and has featured in several short films. Read more about her at – Devika Das

The Blurb Says:

“Happiness, stress, ecstasy or depression, it’s all a mind game. As long as our mind is under our control, everything else is. That’s what The Mind Game is all about. It is not an average self-help book that preaches life-enhancing methodologies based on complex science or long philosophical verses. The book’s genius lies in its simplicity. It offers quick, actionable and instantly applicable tips that will help readers lead better lives, instantly.”

How did I find the book:

Generally, self-help books very clearly focus on either Formal or In-formal aspects. "The Mind Game" talked about less talked about topics when it comes to soft skills and managed to touch upon their effects on formal or professional lives as-well.

As the title of book mentions, it’s all about what goes in a human mind – biologically or straight from the heart. I liked the book when I started it, then I felt a little bored and had to push a little further. Then, I realized that it’s not a book to be sit down, read and finish. The reader needs a little me time and lot of thought gathering in order to get it through successfully.

What I Liked:

1. Structured: Well  yes, the book is clearly divided in six sections which goes as below and each section is further explained with multiple chapters. Another remarkable thing with this point is that that I found all sections an independent read. So tomorrow if I want to read about any particular area, I might just go back and pick it up.

            SECTION A - Mastering your emotions

            SECTION B - Simple living High Thinking

            SECTION C - Analyzing People

            SECTION D - Secret of true happiness

            SECTION E - Manage your anger creatively

            SECTION F - A happy workplace the secret to a long, successful career.

2. Less Preaching: Whatever less number of self-help books I have read, preaching is one I get to put it down very quickly. The author did a balanced nob while taking up the topics by trying to get to the point from the beginning ang not just give the try this and do that points back to back. Thus, if read with devoted time, the reader would get the psychological and medical reasons which lay at the back of common issues.

What I did not like:

1. Stories: There were a few little examples here and there, but I missed reading more. I had a major missing feeling of real-life stories and experiences all through the book. It would have been an all-together different and more refreshing read with them. The one's which did came along, unfortunately, there is none I had not read about or seen a video about.

To wrap up my thoughts, I would say that it was an average one time read which could have been much better If i had a few examples to talk about in my daily conversations like- "You know, I read a story about this in a book which said....".

Please do share your views on the book, review or anything by commenting below. I absolutely love each and every comment I receive.

If you like my review and plan to give it a shot, you may try that by following links. They point to my Amazon Affiliate and when purchased from, I get a tiny commission with no extra charge to you.