Myriad Tales: a review

The cover of the book can turn eyes of the readers but then the size of the book, specifically of that of an anthology can turn them off. I really liked how the book has been presented to the readers with the Glitterati signatures and personalized messages from the authors. The printing quality of the book and paper quality was also nice (just to mention, my copy had a page that was printed in the opposite direction) but nonetheless, the first impression that the book gives is very nice. The book has 32 stories and that’s why I would like to write a few lines on all the stories…

Guns and Roses by Akash Shrivastav- The story of Rajveer, One year of his life where he had seen the most highs and lows was the biggest attraction of the story. What I felt was that, the story was a bit too fast paced and it could’ve been better if that was done in a slower way. The story was very ‘listened to’ and I felt that I had read it earlier.

Prank by Nikhil Uprety- I would call this story a real good one. The super natural element added in the story makes this a show stealer. The story, the way of describing and the turns of the story can give goose bumps to the readers. The story is also such that it can be read in one go. It surely seems as if it is enacted in front of you.

Battle of wits by Rafaa Dalvi- I don’t know what to say about the story. Reading the story I would like to say that the story is indeed about the battle of wits. The characters, the story is something that has been paid very much attention to. But still, at one point I felt that the story could’ve seen a better ending than it has.

Duplicity by Alexander Altman- Thrill, the story shrieks of the word and the cold blooded murder describes the word to the fullest. Though the very base of the book seems ‘already read’, still, the new plating of the story makes it a very interesting read for all the thrill lovers. A perfect one time read.

The unwelcome Guest by Dr.Roshan Radhakrishnan- The eerie feeling that the story gives you is something that any reader can look forward to in the story. I specifically liked the way the author has described the scenes. But at one point of time, it felt that the story was a tad too big for an anthology. If it were a bit shorter, it would’ve made a great story.

Atarahbaham; Mahabharata Remixed by Suhail Mathur- Coming from the editor of the anthology, I had much expectations from the story and specially when the story talked much about a remixed version of the Mahabharata. When I read the story, yes, the comic timing was very accurate and it can make the readers laugh out loud, but to a certain extent being a mythology lover; I personally feel that a certain set of readers might get offended with the story. Apart from that, a very nice concept.

The raveled mystery by Saurabh Chawla- I really liked the way the author has tried to move on with the story, but at one point of time; the story seemed to be a tad too clear to the eye which is not mostly the case with thrillers. The characters were etched very properly and the feelings too but the ending could’ve been a more elaborate one and the story a bit twisted and turned.

Seat Number 66 by Vaisakhi Mishra- If you travel on trains late at night and are mostly alone; if a cemetery is on your way then treat this as an early warning. For people who travel late night on trains, this story is not exactly something that they would like to read. But telling that, I would also say that the story is actually that much creepy that you are bound to imagine things when doing the things mentioned in the story. Over all, an eerie story.

Spectacles in Goa by Anil Antony- Friends, Goa and fun; that surely is the perfect mantra for a fun filled adventure. And if the adventure is as funny as the author has described it to be, it is sure to be experienced! The way the story progressed never gave a hint to the reader about the end but surely it was a fun filled story.

The lady who loved tea too much by Ritesh Agarwal- This story can very well be called one of the stories in this book which I liked a lot. The way the story progressed didn’t give in much about the story and that’s how I like my stories to be. The end of the story, though, made me smile with tears in my eyes.

Gem of a thief by David Singh- A very nice comic ‘drama’ as I would like to name it by the author. The way the narration has been done leaves all readers ‘into’ the story from the beginning till the end. What the end has in stores surely pushes the right comic buttons of the readers. A great job done by the author.

The facebook girl by Dr.Vivek Banerjee- Spooky! What happens when a stranger is watching you? Well, a stranger? Not exactly… Telling more about the story will actually ruin the fun so I would like to leave it on the readers to see what happens when Sahil puts up a facebook status. I would really like to read more from the author.

Fundawear by Saurabh Mishra- You can’t stop yourself from laughing your heart out from the time you start reading the mid portion of the story. The way the story has been narrated, can make anyone laugh. But the only hitch is that, I, personally, don’t like stories involving mainly around physical intimacy amongst a book that is supposed to be read by people of all ages. Thinking about the story as an individual, a nice attempt by the author.

The poison ivy by PT Sahasranaman- This story is also one of the best stories I have read in the book. The references given at the end of the story brings forth the thin line of non-fiction that is used in the book, making it more reliable to the readers. The readers, at one point surely feel into the book which is a great achievement by the authoress. I wish the story was a bit shorter than it actually is.

The deal by Tapobrata Kumar- The author struck a chord within me mainly because he used a few lines from my most favorite poem and justified them to the fullest. The terrorist part of the story was a very intriguing one. For me, this story was a complete story but again, it could’ve been written in a more interesting way.

401 wellington Avenue by Nabanita Dhar- Yes, you get creepy while reading the story and that is exactly why this story is written. At the end, you are left with mixed emotions and that makes you like the story. Hitting the perfect spots, I would like to read more from the authoress on this genre.

The love story by Upneet Grover- After finishing the story all I could do was *facepalm*. Well, yes. The story, told in very few words is surely one of its kinds. What would happen next, is something you think while reading the story and when you end it; all you can do is *facepalm* (in a good way) Not revealing much, I would want the readers to enjoy the read.

Twisted Fate by Chandrapal Khasiya- The story actually can be treated as an eye opener. It opens the eyes of those people who are blinded by faith. The way the story has been churned out brings out one of the best by the writer. Though I was expecting more, I really liked the story as a whole.

Raped by Raviraj Ramavarapu- Thrill is written large on the story. Having read the authors’ work a lot of times earlier, I would say that the author could’ve written the story in a far better way. But still, to a certain extent, the story has the capability to hook the readers from the first till the last. Would like to read more from the author.

The black pearls by Sufia Khatoon- Pearls are something that unknowingly castes a very endearing feeling on every woman and the same happened in this case. A story within a story. Thrill and spookiness teamed into one makes this story a must read by the authoress. I would’ve loved it even more if the story would’ve been a bit more shortened.

It’s time by Arka Chakrabarti- It’s not very frequently that I have tears in my eyes while reading a short story and I would like to give a round of applause for the author to have brought tears in my eyes. I would’ve appreciated the author more if he would’ve given a bit of descriptions in the story instead of telling it in one flow.

The venomous vault by Ayush Agarwal- The story can actually cause panic amongst the people reading it. One’s mind is constantly thinking of so many things while reading the story. But as compared to the whole story, I somehow felt that the ending lacked the much needed surprise that short stories mostly contain. Apart from that, a nice story to read.

Today’s special poison by Uwais zubair Sait- The story leaves the reader with mixed expressions. Mostly that of a smile. To talk about the story would be tough because that would mean telling about the story. I would just like to say that the narration could’ve been done in a better way. Other than that, the story keeps the readers hooked till the last line.

3AM when reality met illusion by Neoni D’souza- I have a particular aversion for stories coming from the authoresses’ pen. I have read her earlier and I had huge expectations from the authoress. No doubt, the authoress didn’t disappoint me. The story of Annie kept me hooked. The only thing I wish was that it is high time that the authoress higher up her writing standards a notch.

Paint it red by Rahul Mohan Sharma- The story surely has a moving effect on every reader and the time and dedication that the author has given in writing the story clearly reflects on the writing. I wish to read more from the author. The only hitch is that the story is too short of descriptions. A stronger base story could’ve made it work.

The letter by Ayush Agarwal- When I started the story, I never knew what is going to happen next. Maybe just another stalker story. But when the story advances, the thrill of the story gets into you and the unexpected twist at the end of the story can actually shudder the readers to an extent. A job well done by the author.

Project phantasm by Kosha Srivastava- This is again one of those stories that left me dumbfounded. Talking more about the story would mean revealing it and I don’t want to do it. The narrating style was wonderful and has the capability of keeping the readers hooked and guessing about what is going to happen next. I would like to read more from the authoress.

Drishti by Praveen Sinha- For this story I would like to congratulate the author for having weaved this story to a wonderful symphony of words. It’s not every day that you get to read a story weaved like this. But somehow, the ending couldn’t quite satisfy the needs of the reader. The description style is something that the readers can look forward to in the story.

Unravelling the night by Amogh Srivastav- The story kept me at the edge of my seat from the beginning but at the end I couldn’t believe my eyes. The twist in the end was surely a very nicely executed one. The writer surely has a knack of writing and I would like to read more from the author.

Messed up by Shipra Jain- The story started off quite nicely. Just like any other thriller story. But at one certain point, I felt that the story got actually ‘messed up’. The main base of the story was very shaky and even though the narration was nice, the formation just couldn’t take place properly. I guess, a bit more descriptions and a firm plot could’ve taken the story to a whole new level.

The forgery by Arka Dutta- The story is exactly about what the title of the story claims to be, ‘forgery’. The story has a very good quality to it and you must read the story to know what exactly it has in store for you. The descriptions have been taken care of and that keeps the readers hooked.

Honeymoon of the Haunted by Mihir Shah- The title itself attracts the readers and I won’t be wrong if I say that the book has one of the best for the last. The way the story has been etched makes the readers sit at the edge of their seats. The end can actually bring a wicked smile on everyone’s face.

At the end, there are a few things I would like to say about the book. In certain places of the book, editing and grammatical errors were seen that drops the speed of the book. For me, I somehow felt that all the stories have been written with almost the same graph in mind. If the book is read constantly, without any breaks then the book might seem to be written by a same author rather than different kinds of authors. For an anthology, I particularly hunt for different edges of stories which were present here but the frame seemed similar. All in all, a very satisfactory read. I would like to rate it 4 on the scale of 5.