The Shield Maidens by Jhimli Parui
Publisher: Invincible Publishers
Pages: 150
Price: Rs. 249 INR(paperback), Rs. 149 INR(Kindle Edition)
ISBN: 978–9389600339
Buy here: https://amzn.to/2VdkxFs
Everyone has his or her karma to play for the betterment of the nation. Some are born for a special role to play and to be a part of that role-play, you are into those circumstances by a fortunate stroke of serendipity.
The story runs around three small-town girls, unknown to each other and with different skills and temperament. The circumstances bring them together to be warriors. It is a story about being bold,courageous and a human being with social responsibility.
About the Author
Jhimli is a software professional and working as AVP with a leading UK Bank. She is an Electronics Engineer and an IIMC Alumni. Storytelling and poetry writing has been her hobby since childhood.The Shield Maidens is her first offering.Being with her son — Aadhrit and beloved husband — Prasoon, is always her priority. She also loves to workout at the gym and likes Zumba. She possesses a keen interest in social work as well.
My take on the book:
Lavanya is a jewelry designer by profession from the quaint Dehradun who is in her early twenties but takes the bold decision to adopt a toddler Arshi much to the resentment of her own family members. For Lavanya, Arshi is more than her own biological child and loves her with all her heart. Gayatri shifts to Hyderabad to stay with her friend Richa and pursue further studies; what sets Gayatri apart is her gift to sense things before they happen, her ability to see and communicate with spirits and troubled souls. Gayatri does not think twice before using this special gift to help people around her and sometimes even the invisible ones.
Ishita is happily married into an affluent family and is committed to taking care of her husband and now extended family; Ishita holds a black belt in Karate and teaches women martial arts and defense techniques, for a long time without knowledge of her husband. One fine day, a popular magazine features these three women on their cover Lavanya for adopting a baby girl, Gayatri for saving kids using her six sense, Ishita for empowering the local woman in self-defense. Where will life take these three women after getting featured together and what fate awaits these strangers forms the rest of the story.
Though the blurb hints at story revolving around three-woman, actual story takes some time to establish their respective stories, and the reasons behind each of them getting featured on a magazine. The author takes care to weave a distinct story for each of them to make the further story interesting. Each of these women are special in their own ways and will be readily admired by the reader for their character traits, though Ishita gets lesser footage initially when compared to the other two.
The narration pace is swift without any boring or unwanted sequences, instantly drawing the reader into the story. From personal story of each of these girls, the story gets more interesting when it turns into a thriller. For a debut, the author does a decent job with an imaginative and distinct story. Pick this one if you like to explore different genres and newer story lines.
My rating:
4/5.