City of Nine Gates by Pankaj Rajput
Published: 11 July 2014, Notion Press
Genre: Historical Fiction
Swathi’s Rating: 3/5
Plot:
An atheistic millionaire is forced to find and help his long lost friend achieve self-realization in a mystical City of Nine Gates known only to the Gods and the wisest sages of the Advait and the Sankhya. Assisted by other friends in the City, he leads the City on an inward enlightening journey, only to realize at the end who his friend is, what actually the City of Nine Gates is and who is that beyond all regions knowing which one never comes back … “When the Gods descend to devastate, When Kalyuga meets Apocalypse, Out of a Billion, Only one strives, Of those who strive, Only one achieves, What those sages realized, and you still haven’t, knowing which, one never comes back. Rise O’ Cities! It’s time to liberate, It’s time, to realize…”
Swathi’s Review:
I liked the cover design – it spoke for the plot and I think they’re a good match. Kudos to the design!
I have mixed reviews for the book for 2 reasons – One is the very complex plot and the fusion of Myth & Fiction into a Not-so-impressive storyline.
I am a lover of Hindu Culture and Myths and I’ve always enjoyed reading it in a Fiction. I admire an author’s creativity using the Myths as a bridge to skillfully loop a story together. When I picked to read this book, I was fascinated by the plot and had lots of expectations, already running several stories I’ve read, and heard through my Childhood. However, none of them could be even a slightest match to this complex plot comprising of so many characters. As a reader, I had troubles remembering each of them and following up with the story. I’m sure many of my fellow readers would have dealt with a similar situation.
Then comes the Sanskrit Inscriptions and their reference in every single chapter. There is a fine line between quoting a reference and redundancy. Repeating the phrases so many number of times could just make the reader turn pages and skim instead of reading – just not to put the book down!
On the other hand, there are a lot of spiritual stuff you can learn from this book. No matter how much you google or search books from a Library, these facts are very well researched and put together so cohersely to form great references to the prestigious Hindu Mythology!
Recommended reading for an ardent Spiritual lover! All opinions are honest and they’re my own.
