Gauri Sinh creates an interesting setting of mysticism in this tale of man versus nature but the narrative is repetitive and the reader gets philosophy instead of action and adventure, feels Apoorva Rao
Book: The Garud Prophecies Sitara's Story
Author: Gauri Sinh
Publisher: Frog Books
Pages: 145
Price: Rs 145
In The Garud Prophecies Sitara's Story, Gauri Sinh attempts to portray man's fight for survival against Mother Earth's fury through the story of three sisters with mystical powers and their attempts to escape the doom awaiting mountainous Astara and its people. Each sister possesses a unique supernatural ability — gritty Padmini can see the future, fragile yet brave Leila can heal humans and animals and the youngest, rebellious Sitara, can change others' will.
The sisters individually recount their journey of 12 years of preparation for an apocalyptic battle where they will have to brave floods, downpour and earthquakes. Providing loyal assistance are their animal companions, including the prophetic Eagle, an envoy from the heavens alerting them to disaster.
Sinh creates an interesting setting using mysticism and romanticism. This holds the promise of plenty of action and adventure. However, her fixation on the girls' and the power animals' supernatural abilities makes the narrative repetitive. The focus stays monotonously on the internal — what the girls think, what they feel and what they and their winged and pawed companions are capable of. It does not do justice to the many dramatic moments the sisters go through. There is, for instance, a mere textbook description of the mountain Astara and its people.
The girls are in a race against time from devastating natural forces. Instead of action-packed adventure, the book is loaded with new age fundas and philosophy. The book manages to be engaging in the early chapters and though the number of characters and the magic quotient increases steadily as the story progresses, the narrative struggles to hook you in.
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