Rafflesia the Banished Princess: Book Review

Author: Gautam

Publisher: Frog in Well

Book Blurb:

RAFFLESIA The Banished Princess The curtains draw up. Lights are dimmed. The musical is about to begin. As the beautiful princess descends on stage, the mythical creatures from her kingdom come alive. Flickers of brilliant colours blaze across as mesmerizing music pulsates from one corner of the theatre to the other. A fairy tale is about to unfold… As young children, we often come across things that stay in our hearts forever. For Appu, it is a fairy tale about a beautiful princess.He lives with her in a world filled with the magical creatures from her kingdom until the real world beckons. A reluctant Appu steps into it as a striking young man and struggles to find his place. What follows is an evocative tale of love and loss, friendship and betrayal, as the story travels through the snow-peaked mountains of Arunachal to the golden deserts of Jaisalmer, the tulip gardens of Holland to the lush greens of Kerala. Does Appu find what he had set out for? The answer lies in Rafflesia – The Banished Princess because in her story, lay his!

My Review:

This book really took me by surprise. The basic story line is pretty simple: It is a story of Appu and how he navigates life. But the author weaves the story in such a way that as a reader you become hooked. Although is not a thriller, the writing is such that you become so invested in the lives of the characters that you find yourself gripped in the world of this book.

The characterization in this book is wonderful. It is evident that the author has spent a considerable amount of time with each character, even those who appear for a chapter or two. Each character has a soul of their own, each of them are so human-like that you tend to forget that they are fictional.

The author definitely has a way with words. He has a strong command over his plot and his characters. The story is so realistic, yet so interesting that readers tend to become part of it. You actually miss reading the story once it is over.

The only minor issue I had with the book was that I found a couple of grammatical error, nothing major that cannot be fixed in the second issue.

But overall, if you are looking for a good contemporary read, with an extremly relatable story and characters, make sure you pick this one up. I rate this book a perfect 4 out of 4. 

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