Thriller – The Ultimate Reviewer

March 19, 2021 Amina Thajudeen Book Review, supernatural, Thriller, Young-Adult

Dessa-Secrets of the Inferno: Shadowland Saga 3 by Andreya Lombardi| Review

The sibling fugitives have taken shelter in a small elfin village in Dyonegar to rid themselves of their criminal titles. But even though these primitive people care little about their high-class counterparts and political conflicts, trouble still seems to trail down the Hargann path. While Syreene trains to tame her demon in secret with a skilled elemental inn keeper Hongue, Cabil secludes himself in his own private mission, starting with rescuing Desonna from the dirty hands of Dread, his prior prison warden.

After discovering she kept his only son Renthal a mystery for eight years, Cabil feels compelled to settle a long feud with the princess of Khorgathe and establish his place in his son’s life. Little does his family know, Cabil also holds another agenda.

A wicked trade of flesh for flesh—Cabil needs to decide who is more important in this tragic tale he calls his life. His deal with the devil draws close, the deadline marked red on his calendar. Guilt tosses his alliance, but the good doctor helps him make a necessary, but risky compromise.

In this, he manages to resurrect his undead mother, but at the cost of his friends and family. Trust becomes a sudden issue, centering ex-militant Cabil as the bad guy. And when things turn vile, Syreene is suddenly struck with having to make a terrible decision, one that may cost her her life.

Title: Dessa-Secrets of the Inferno: A Dark Fantasy Thriller Series (Book Three) (Shadowland Saga 3)

Author: Andreya Lombardi

Genre: Dark fantasy

Pages: 248

My review

Dessa: Secrets of the Inferno by Andreya Lombardi is the third instalment of Shadowland Saga. In this book, the journey of Syreene and Cabil from unknown to known continues. I have read the first two books in this series. So I had a fair idea about the story and the storytelling capabilities of the author. After reading this instalment, I must say I admire more her, for bringing this book series to this world.

Andreya picks up the story from where she ended the second book. It was ended in a cliffhanger, so the first chapter was the explanation of that suspense. In this book 3, the author is more focused on unveiling the secrets of Cabil rather than Syreene. She has established the significance of Syreene in the previous one. Now the role is reversed. But their story is not the same. Cabil is gambling the fate of his family and loved ones here.

He was always portrayed as a strong and courageous warrior. But as the author digs deep into his emotions and character, another side of him is slowly unveiled in front of us. Besides the protagonists, I felt that the author also gave much space to the stories of supporting characters too in this one. Because they all have a much bigger role in the life of Syreene and Cabil now.

Book 3 is more focused on the action part of the story which is quite fascinating. They are fast-paced scenes and we can witness the extent of powers of Cabil and Syreene. The flawless narration literally painted every action sequences in front of my eyes vividly. The author deserves full credit for these amazing storytelling skills.

After calming the storm, the author again ended this book at a cliffhanger. But in this time the twist was unpredictable. I have no clue what will be the story of the next book. Because Syreene is all by herself at the end. She has to find a way to complete her mission. What an exciting adventure that will be!

Rating: 5/5

September 1, 2019August 31, 2019 Amina Thajudeen Motivational Quotes, Quotes

Quotes from New Moon (Twilight #2) Part 2

The second book of Twilight series is New Moon. In this part, the story becomes the most intense and passionate. It tells the story of heartbreak and loss of love. The quotes are most beautiful in this second part of the series. The handpicked quotes are here:

“What happens when you lose your heart’s desire?”

“Forbidden to remember, terrified to forget; it was a hard line to walk.”

“Time passes. Even when it seems impossible. Even when each tick of the second-hand aches like the pulse of blood behind a bruise. It passes unevenly, in strange lurches and dragging lulls, but pass it does. Even for me.”

“You’re not asleep, and you’re not dead. I’m here, and I love you. I have always loved you, and I will always love you. I was thinking of you, seeing your face in my mind, every second that I was away. When I told you that I didn’t want you, it was the very blackest kind of blasphemy.”

“The waves of pain that had only lapped at me before now reared high up and washed over my head, pulling me under. I did not resurface.”

“Do you think I’ll ever get better at this? That my heart might someday stop trying to jump out of my chest whenever you touch me?”

“Love is irrational, I reminded myself. The more you loved someone, the less sense anything made.”

“They call her my singer—because her blood sings for me.”

“I wondered how long it could last. Maybe someday, years from now.If the pain would decrease to the point where I could bear it.I would be able to look back on those few short months that would always be the best of my life.”

“Your hold on me is permanent and unbreakable. Never doubt that”

“Like everything in life, I just had to decide what to do with what I was given.”

“When you can’t be with the one you love, will you stay with the one who loves you?”

“The smile broke across his face the way the sunrise set the clouds on fire…”

“Like we were connected, the echo of his pain twisted inside me. his pain, my pain.”

“I’d rather die than be with anyone but you.”

August 31, 2019 Amina Thajudeen Quotes, Thriller

Quotes from Twilight book series Part 1

Twilight is a book series which gained a lot of positive and negative reviews as well in its journey to the international acclaim. But every book offers a bunch of thoughtful lines irrespective of its positiveness or negativeness. Because every line ever penned down is from the real-life experience of the respective author.

So here I’m compiling some of the memorable quotes from the Twilight saga through a series of 4 blog posts, each one for every book in the series.

1. Twilight

“And so the lion fell in love with the lamb…” he murmured. I looked away, hiding my eyes as I thrilled to the word.
“What a stupid lamb,” I sighed.
“What a sick, masochistic lion.”

“Twilight, again. Another ending. No matter how perfect the day is, it always has to end.”

“When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it’s not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end.”

“Death is Peaceful, Life is Harder”

“I like the night. Without the dark, we’d never see the stars.”

“The right thing isn’t always real obvious. Sometimes the right thing for one person is the wrong thing for someone else. So…good luck figuring that out.”

“I know love and lust don’t always keep the same company.”

“You’re intoxicated by my very presence.”

“That’s the beautiful thing about being human: Things change.”

“I decided as long as I’m going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly.”

“Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of someone else, someone I loved.”

“Just because we’ve been . . . dealt a certain hand . . . it doesn’t mean that we can’t choose to rise above—to conquer the boundaries of a destiny that none of us wanted.”

June 13, 2019June 13, 2019 Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Indian Authors, Thriller

The Red Line by Tanmay Dubey

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Book title: The Red Line

Author: Tanmay Dubey

Language: English

The Red Line by Tanmay Dubey is a thriller story inspired by true events. The story starts with the sudden demise of Rakesh Kumar at Red line metro station in Delhi. At first, everything seems to be normal about death. But an honest police officer Hanumant became suspicious about the death of his superior officer and starts investigating. The story becomes more curious and twisted when Hanumant finds out that all the fellow passengers in the train are either murdered or attacked. Who is behind all these dreadful crimes. The rest of the story is the journey of Hanumant to unveil the mystery behind all these murders.

From the cover to the last page it is a thriller genre book. The suspicious title and splash of red color in the cover is too good. If you closely look at the cover, you can see all the plot-making factors in the cover. The cover design is apt for this book.

For a 300+ pages book, there should be a gripping tale to make the reader stick. And here it is. The story has every element consciously embedded to create curiosity. You can’t help to think constantly that “what happens next?” every time you turn a page over.

The plot twists were unpredictable. I think that twists were the core of this story. The author has cleverly placed them at appropriate sections. Another highlight of the book is its take on the life of an honest police officer. The author attempted to show to the readers that what are the sacrifices a police officer has to do for keeping his moral and ethical values. The braveness of the protagonist is commendable. He gives first priority to his ethics let alone his family. His sacrifice has to be mentioned.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Highly recommended for the readers. This story will not disappoint you.

Rating: 4/5

March 26, 2019 Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Thriller

Day of Reckoning by Jack Higgins

51D5WNG1NYL._SX293_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg Synopsis: A death in Brooklyn sends reverberations around the world in Jack Higgins’s thrilling new adventure.

Higgins’s novels of honor, bravery, and irresistible intrigue delight millions of readers every year, but few of his books pack the sheer narrative power of Day of Reckoning.

Journalist Katherine Johnson made the mistake of getting too close to the secrets of international crime boss Jack Fox — but Fox made the mistake of killing her. Katherine’s ex-husband is Blake Johnson, head of the clandestine White House department known as The Basement, and with the President’s permission, the former FBI agent is about to take revenge. Wherever the money trail leads — New York, England, Ireland, the Middle East — Johnson and his Irish colleague, Sean Dillon, plan to hit Fox where it hurts the most, by cutting his illegal businesses to shreds, until Fox stands defenseless before his enemies.

But Fox did not become powerful by letting his enemies get that close. If Johnson and Dillon want to take him on, they will have to face his own brand of revenge. And it is a revenge every bit as deadly as their own.

Day of Reckoning is brilliant suspense — the master working truly at the height of his powers.

Mini Review

Jack Higgins is a master craftsman of crime thrillers. But often his many plot-lines are found to be repeating. This book is also a creative crime thriller with a suspense twist. The climax has a very good twist and the action-packed narrative makes this book a good entertainment. The backbone of this story is strong characters. Since this is a character-driven book, he made the plot so. Overall it is a good weekend read.

Rating; 4/5

March 10, 2019 Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Indian Authors, Science Fiction, Thriller

Captain Elephant: The Mystery of the Bomb by Aseem Mahajan

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Book title: Captain Elephant: The Mystery of the Bomb
Author: Aseem Mahajan
Publisher: Petals

Blurb

Mayas Tondlulu is born with a medical condition due to which his parents are extra careful with him. Mayas is precious and they did everything possible to make sure that his health would not suffer because of their carelessness. After living an overly protected life Mayas discovers that he has a special ability and his alter ego “Captain Elephant” is born, but he soon invites trouble for himself and is wanted by the police of Pinzoora city at the tender age of 10! At the same time the dreaded terrorist Popananda escapes from prison and threatens Pinzoora with a nuclear bomb. He warns people against leaving the town. The only clue he gives is a riddle that haunts everyone. Panic grips Pinzoora. Masks fall and hidden skeletons come out. During this adversity when everyone fails, it is upto Captain Elephant to face the ruthless Popananda and unravel the murky mystery that will change the history of mankind and Pinzoora forever. What is the meaning of the riddle? What is the dark mystery looming over Pinzoora?

My Review

The story revolves around the protagonist, Mayas, who was born in the small Indian island Pinzoora, with a physical disorder. Mayas were born with his heart placed at his rear. The story covers the incidents that Mayas has been facing in a certain time. Due to this special condition, Mayas has been restricted by his parents from his childhood. They are always determined to protect him from his condition. But all these restrictions are often mocked by his classmates from time to time. They are also quite jealous of his certain privileges. This makes Mayas to became independent in his life and to live his life according to his terms.

Suddenly he finds out that, his disorder is not a curse like he thinks in most of his life but a boon. Next thing, we saw is how a superhero is born and became useful to the entire city. Mayas, the Captain elephant with supernatural powers, proves his power when there’s a massive terrorist attack in his city Pinzoora.

I believe every children’s book ever written is also for all adults. Because there is always a child within our mind. I often pick up children’s book as a change of genre. In fact I’m quite fond of them. This book also never disappoints me. Because it is all that I expected from the cover, title, and blurb.

The plot is really unique, and the author made a really commendable approach in creating this. Because creating a superhero from nowhere needed a great extent of creativity. Also creating an absolute fiction background demands much more skill than writing in other genres.

The first part of the story revolves around describing the medical condition of Mayas and the difficulties he faces in school and everywhere. After the superhero is born, the story picks up pace and energy and describe the terrorist attack by the dreaded terrorist named Popananda, and how Captain Elephant has saved the city from the bomb attack.

There were a limited number of characters and the author builds every character beautifully. The narration is really good. The author also gives a touch of humor from time to time. This also makes the narration really interesting.

The climax was a little disappointed in nature because it was abrupt and lacks explanation at some points.

Altogether, this is a good superhero novel which is built excellently.

Rating: 4/5

February 28, 2019March 1, 2019 Amina Thajudeen Book Tour, Fiction, Thriller

[Book Tour] The Sanctity of Sloth by Greta Boris

About the Book

Title: The Sanctity of Sloth

Author: Greta Boris

Genre: Suspense, Mystery

Series: The Seven Deadly Sins

There’s one thing more dangerous than testifying to a crime—staying silent.
Locked in the ruins of a California Mission, Abby Travers watches helplessly as a girl dies outside her window. As she struggles between her moral obligation to come forward as a witness, and her commitment to a Medieval religious practice that requires her to retreat from the world, the situation spins out of control.
Abby’s hesitation starts a series of catastrophes. She finds herself at the center of a deadly cover up where every minute counts and indecision could be fatal. She questions all her beliefs and everyone she knows becomes suspect. To save herself and those she loves, she must break free from her self-imposed prisons of stone and fear.
The Sanctity of Sloth is a taut, psychological thriller that answers the question: What happens when a good woman does nothing? Fans of Paula Hawkins and A.J. Finn will enjoy this third book in Greta Boris’s Seven Deadly Sins Series.

Purchase from Amazon

Excerpt

The irony of her position struck her. She had willingly shut herself into a room with much the same dimensions as this one. It had only one small window, like this one. It had no door, however. But even without a door, sheʹd had freedom. The anchorites of old willingly consigned themselves to a cell which would eventually become their grave. They had a funeral service before they entered. Yet, they were freer than Abby was now, because it was their choice.

Would this room become her grave?

Autonomy. Sheʹd never realized before how beautiful that word was. When one was stripped of the ability to rule themselves, to determine their own fate, didnʹt they cease to exist in some way?

Sunlight streaked the gray floor with gold. By its slant, she guessed it was at least 1:30. She still had one hour of freedom, one hour to be Abby. She wanted to experience every moment she had left. When the sun reached her and warmed her skin, that would signal the end of her time in this new anchorhold. But she couldnʹt bear to watch the minutes move across the floor. She closed her eyes.

Author Bio

Greta Boris was raised in Greenwich Village, New York by an opera singing, piano playing, voice coach and a magazine publisher. Her original life plan was to be a famous Broadway actor, singer, and dancer, but when she moved to Laguna Beach, California, she changed her plans due to the commute. Today she writes to inspire, entertain, motivate, and so she can afford nice wine.