Review- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

J.K. Rowling's screenwriting debut is captured in this exciting hardcover edition of the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them screenplay.

When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when his magical case is misplaced and some of Newt's fantastic beasts escape, it spells trouble for everyone…

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them marks the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, author of the beloved and internationally bestselling Harry Potter books. Featuring a cast of remarkable characters, this is epic, adventure-packed storytelling at its very best.

Whether an existing fan or new to the wizarding world, this is a perfect addition to any reader's bookshelf.

Release date: November 8th 2016

Published by: Arthur A. Levine Books

Page numbers: 293

REVIEW: 

Any book of the Harry Potter franchise always makes me happy. Always.

When I read J.K. Rowling's library collection, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander a long, long time ago, I was always curious to know more because it developed in me, a greater love for the incredible magical creatures. Then when a movie based on the book came out last year, I had the most magical time revisiting my home and the place that I belong in- the magical world. So when I saw that there was a Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay written by the Queen herself, I had to get a copy and read it. 

Reading the screenplay after months of watching the movie was one the coolest ideas I've ever had because not only did I read and get to experience the written world which Rowling does so bloody brilliantly, but I also got to revisit the movie, which I loved to bits. One of the biggest advantages of reading the screenplay is all the side action that is, albeit in brief, explained meticulously which sometimes doesn't portray so particularly well on screen because it's not explicit. Revisiting the movie and meeting the wonderful Newt again was just so amazing. 

Aside from Newt, however, I loved how close a look I got into the life of this dark but very poor and likeable child, Credence, who is one of the most important characters of the movie. It was also beautiful meeting curious and funny Jacob, sweet and sexy Queenie and lovely and strong Tina again. Not just that, but visiting the American wizarding world again was a fantastic experience. I could imagine everything so perfectly and it felt good to go back.

As always, with any magical world book by Queen Rowling, I find myself incapable of doing her writing and storytelling justice, so I will leave it up to you to buy a copy, read and devour the screenplay of which we have the privilege of reading.

Buy the book: AMAZON

Review- Roar and Liv by Veronica Rossi

Goodreads Summary:

Before Perry and Aria, there was Roar and Liv.

After a childhood spent wandering the borderlands, Roar finally feels like he has a home with the Tides. His best friend Perry is like a brother to him, and Perry's sister, Liv, is the love of his life. But Perry and Liv's unpredictable older brother, Vale, is the Blood Lord of the Tides, and he has never looked kindly on Roar and Liv's union. Normally, Roar couldn't care less about Vale's opinion. But with food running low and conditions worsening every day, Vale's leadership is more vital—and more brutal—than ever. Desperate to protect his tribe, Vale makes a decision that will shatter the life Roar knew and change the fate of the Tides forever.

Under the Never Sky series: 

My review of Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1)

REVIEW:

Roar and Liv is actually a prequel to author Veronica Rossi's Under the Never Sky series, but I think that because it came out after the first book's release, everyone read it as a 1.5 instead of a 0.5 novella. I am explaining this because when I started reading it, I had no idea as to what was happening and why it was happening since the way Under the Never Sky ended, Roar and Liv could just not have what it had. Then I saw that it was 0.5, my brain went into putting two and two together and the story made absolute sense and turned out to be an even more amazing read, albeit short, than Under the Never Sky. 
There were a lot of side characters in Under the Never Sky  Even though each of them was important in their own way and well portrayed by author Veronica Rossi, I was deeply engrossed in the interaction and chemistry between the protagonists, Aria and Peregrine. 
Once I started reading Roar and Liv, I found that Roar is simply amazing. His point of view, which lasts throughout the book, was just as amazing as him. His thoughts were so good that they made me like him even more. Author Veronica Rossi has put down Roar's view beautifully.  
Roar and his grandmother go to Peregrine's father, Jodan, who gives the two food and shelter and Roar two best friends. Roar, Liv and Peregrine know each other since childhood. Roar and Peregrine's friendship is strong, fun and loyal making Roar seem like more of a brother to Peregrine than his real brother, Vale. Roar feels a deep attraction towards Liv which turns into a sweet love. But where there is love, there are tons and heaps of problems. I always enjoy forbidden, behind the scenes and heartbreaking romances and Roar and Liv's was just the same. 
Overall, Roar and Liv was an amazing novella that ended unhappily which I love but with the promise of more to come. I absolutely enjoyed this one. 

RATING:

Review- Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Goodreads Summary:

WORLDS KEPT THEM APART.

DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.

REVIEW:

I had had my eyes on Under the Never Sky since I first saw the book when it was about to release. But then, other interesting books came out and I left this one lying on my TBR shelf. Sometime back, my friend Aman over at Enticed by Books and I were discussing our sad and disheartening three star book phase and we decided to buddy read something extraordinary. Janhvi joined us as well and so I finally began reading Under the Never Sky with my two great friends. 
I can't exactly say that Under the Never Sky was an extraordinary five star book as opposed to practically every second Goodreads review. The book started out real slow and if it weren't for my sheer determination, I was this close to DNF-ing it. It seemed way too dragged, although I've realised that all fantasy novels need that dragging to help the reader understand the new world better. With Under the Never Sky  once I reached the 55% mark, the book suddenly picked up pace turned out to be a super interesting edge of the seat packed with action story. 

Under the Never Sky is the story of an Outsider, Aria and a Savage, Peregrine. Both their worlds are absolutely different and yet deeply interconnected. When Aria and Peregrine meet, it seemed like they'd never get along. But Aria's curiosity and confusion mixed with Peregrine's intellect and mystery made the two an amazing couple. The interaction between Aria and Peregrine in this book is what made it a good read for me. 
Author Veronica Rossi has created a strong world in which the concept of the Aether was quite interesting really, although I wish there was more about it. Long descriptions always tend to drift me off which is why some concepts still seem unclear to me. The author's writing is really good though and both Aria and Peregrine's points of views were excellently explained and varied nicely. 
I can't exactly say that I loved Under the Never Sky because when it takes nearly 55% for a book to pique my interest, with an obvious maths calculation, only 45% of the book was amazing and that's less than half of it. Nonetheless, the parts that I did like were really, really good and for a Dystopian read, like all reads of the genre, it was a fascinating story and I'll definitely be continuing with the series. 

RATING:

Review- The Immortals Of Meluha by Amish Tripathi

Goodreads Summary:

1900 BC. In what modern Indians mistakenly call the Indus Valley Civilisation. The inhabitants of that period called it the land of Meluha a near perfect empire created many centuries earlier by Lord Ram, one of the greatest monarchs that ever lived. This once proud empire and its Suryavanshi rulers face severe perils as its primary river, the revered Saraswati, is slowly drying to extinction. They also face devastating terrorist attacks from the east, the land of the Chandravanshis. To make matters worse, the Chandravanshis appear to have allied with the Nagas, an ostracised and sinister race of deformed humans with astonishing martial skills!

The only hope for the Suryavanshis is an ancient legend: When evil reaches epic proportions, when all seems lost, when it appears that your enemies have triumphed, a hero will emerge.

Is the rough-hewn Tibetan immigrant Shiva, really that hero? And does he want to be that hero at all? Drawn suddenly to his destiny, by duty as well as by love, will Shiva lead the Suryavanshi vengeance and destroy evil?

REVIEW:

I had been seeing Immortals Of Meluha (IoM)  in the number 1 spot of the National Bestsellers section at bookstores but I never even bothered to pick it up and read the summary because from the looks of it, it didn't seem like something I'd normally read. Then author Amish Tripathi came to my city to launch the third and final bool in the Shiva trilogy, The Oath Of The Vayuputras. After listening to him talk and getting my copy of IoM signed, I wanted to read the book but never got to it until a bunch of us Indian bloggers started an Immortals Of Meluha Read-along. We decided to read one chapter of the book per day for the entire month of June but it took me much more time than a single month to finally finish it. 
I will honestly admit that I know nothing about Indian mythology save for a few things here and there. I never really took an interest in it and I prefer it that way. So for me, The Immortals Of Meluha, the story of Lord Shiva, was a learning experience. I have no idea about the original story but author Amish's take on it was quite good, but trust me, I didn't understand much of it. 

Maybe it was my lack of attention while reading, maybe it was the slow pace at which I was going with the book or maybe it was just me. I don't know what to say about the story because it had me confused and I was very bored to flip back and get my facts straight. But like I said, this book has at least given me some information about Indian mythology. 
Now as for the characters, I did find many interesting characters here and there. Shiva was shown as a great man whom I admired. He is truly a hero and I love his humble and kind nature. He is very sweet. Even though everyone is in awe of the Neelkanth, Shiva still remains grounded. I was very eager to know what Sati had done to be deemed a Vikarma and I liked getting to know more about that. I like how Sati is fierce, strong and for her time and age, very brave and independent. The chemistry between Sati and Shiva is very visible. It's obvious the two have feelings for each other and they made for a great couple. 

It's too early to have a concrete opinion on the Naga King. Maybe, just maybe that is why the second book is called The Secret Of The Nagas. Only time will tell us, but I know for a fact that the Nagas will be good guys. 

Author Amish's writing was quite good but it was very "today" for a book set in 1900 BC. And that was because the author wanted to connect with the youth and make Shiva look like us normal beings. I would have loved a more literal style of writing. 

Overall, The Immortals Of Meluha was an interesting take and fans of mythology will enjoy it. Unfortunately for me, although a highly enlightening experience and a very interesting read, it was a bit dragged and the time I took to finish it says how hard it was to get into it. The book ended on a cliffhanger and it was such that although I want to know what happens next, the sheer time investment these book need has me worried about it. But I must say that I am proud of myself for having read this bestseller even when I was highly tempted to give up and sat through it, so yay me! 

RATING: