Book Review : Tantra

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This book "Tantra " by Adi is a novel wherein the protagonist is a girl, named Anu .It is about vampires,vampire slayers, god men ,scholars etc.The cover of the book has a blue colour symbolizing the night sky wherein a girl in skirt & top & ballerina shoes is crouching on a rooftop.She has a dagger which has tasted blood just then, as it is red towards the sharpened end.She is looking out for someone whom she must slay.Her hair is short & flying in the breeze.

 The publisher is Appejay Stya Publishing Pvt Ltd,New Delhi.Kudos to the publishers for the paper quality is very good.It is nice to touch.The chapters are neatly arranged & printing is very good .The book comes with a bookmark attached by a red satin ribbon bound with the book.At the end of the book ,twitter id & facebook pages of the author Adi have been stated.This is the first novel by Adi ,the author .He has a poetry book & text book to his credit before this novel.

 The story is set in Delhi wherein Anu has arrived from New York on purportedly official duties.She has taken a transfer.She is staying with her aunt.Like all Indian parents,aunts,uncles,etc Anu's aunt is hunting for suitable boys for Anu. This makes for lots of humour in the tale. Anu is a vampire slayer .She meets her colleagues.She learns that there are some, who are more dangerous than the vampires.Will fighting them be the same as vampires ? Will she accomplish her personal agenda ?

 Kids go missing in the city. Anu knows that this is no ordinary foe.The enemy cannot be fought by her knives & daggers.Moreover ,the foe has befriended many vampires as well. Anu is in need of a guru who will teach her, the mantras to fight the bigger enemies who have laid siege to Delhi.She meets them.They teach her & she works hard to learn the astras -the weapons that are needed.And yet, she is unsure about the last steps which she has to manage on her own.Will her sadhana do the trick ? Is  her sadhana enough ?

 Meanwhile her aunt fixes the dekhan dikhai with a suitable boy. Anu is smitten by another. Anu has to fight temptation to focus on her mission. Anu 's colleagues have become friends with her. Anu realises that she cares for her chums as also her relatives.Is this care & affection ,a sign of weakness or strength ? The vampires & the vampire slayers are on one side & yet no one knows if the enemy can be vanquished.How has the enemy become so powerful ?

 Anu is special as she is a quick learner.The foe sends feelers,threatens her & attacks her. Anu remains steadfast .Will she be able to prevent the horror,  that is waiting to happen ?

 I loved the book.The author has penned a novel about a new genre -vampires ,slayers,etal. Moreover ,the pretty heroine ( she turns heads in bars,hotels etc ) appeals to me.Most books have a macho hero. Anu is impressed by the Delhi metro as it makes "New York looks third world ".

The book is inspired by the Bhagwat Gita as one must only do one's duty & not worry about the results. Sadhana is tapasya. Sattvic,karmic,tantra,mantras,astras,agni astra all find mention in the book.Very creative use of mythology to pen a novel set in this age.The language used is easy & quick to grasp. This is author Adis' first novel.A great start to a sequel .The ending lines of the novel seem to suggest that a sequel is very much in the offing ! In conclusion,at 335 pages,it is a breezy read ! I am sure, this would be lapped up by teenagers as well , as they are crazy about Twilight,Harry Potter series etal !