08 August, 2015

#SpecialFeature:: #BookReview - Palm's Foster Home for Peculiar Stories by C.G. Salamander


*** Special Feature - August 2015 ***


About the Book:
NIGEL THE LAST BRIT IN INDIA
There is chaos and pandemonium in the streets of Madras, and it is up to Nigel (an officer of the Imperial Police) to restore order to the city... only he hasn't quite learned about India's Independence. Yet.

GAYATRI AND THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY VEGETABLES
When the newest and most successful religion (Cabbagism) threatens to bring about the destruction of the world, it is up to a melancholic zombie and a collection of rowdy farm animals to save the earth.

ALIENS, DINOSAURS, PORCUPINES
A porcupine, after setting out on a journey away from home, falls in love with an armadillo. 

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Review:

This was a very different experience for me. I had initially had to say no to a review request from the author because of a backlog of review copies. But his response to the mail was so interesting that I got curious about his writing style and by extension, about this book. So, I gave in and asked for this review copy. And boy, am I glad that I did not miss out on this book!

The book is divided into three parts with short stories incorporated into them. And though at this point I usually summarize a book or point out the best of the short stories in a collection, I will skip that this time around. You only have to take a look at the blurb of the book to find out about it. Anything I say above that can be considered as a Spoiler. So yes, part one of the book deals with Nigel, the last Brit in India. The second part deals with zombies and a new religion called Cabbagism. And the final part deals with a porcupine who falls in love with an armadillo… 

What I can safely say about this book is that it grabs your attention right from the beginning and holds on to it till the last page is read and turned. The author does an amazing job of first creating a fantastical world and then narrating the stories of that world to the readers. He has a sense of humor that reflects well in the witty narration making the stories more interesting. From outrageously funny situations to some poignantly beautiful situations, the characters take us on a roller coaster journey. And the characters themselves are colourful and energetic. They are the center and the life of the stories that they are part of.

It is safe to say that the author has a very wild imagination and he has executed well while developing his imagination and giving them life through the pages. This is a MUST READ book for everyone who loves fantasy. And if you are someone for doesn’t like the fantasy genre much, I’d say that give this book a try anyway- just to discover how far imagination can take a person and how an author can take you for a fun ride through that imaginary world!

About the Author
It was exactly fifteen years ago that C G Salamander realized he was different from all the other Chinese Giant Salamanders. As a child C G Salamander hated living in the muddy crevices along the river banks, and so he decided to leave the Yangtze river and set out on a quest to find himself.

He spent days travelling across the vast terrains of china and finally reached the foothills of the Himalayas. With nowhere to go, and equipped with a childlike sense of wonder for a compass, C G Salamander began scaling the Himalayas where he would later enroll himself in a monastery. During his time in the mountains, he was taught how to read and write by foreigners who’d come to partake in the mountain’s rich culture and cheap herbage.

He spent most of his time in meditation, and eventually learned how to move objects with his mind.After spending a decade in the Himalayas, C.G Salamander traveled south to the city of Chennai, and has remained there ever since. He now spends his time telekinetically moving pens and pencils across paper.

Contact the Author:


Giveaway
1 Lucky Indian Resident will win a Paperback Copy of Palm's Foster Home for Peculiar Stories



2 comments:

  1. I fear getting lost with no money. It would be scary. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think it's particularly scary when you're in a place where they don't speak your language.

    ReplyDelete