How do you kill a man with no Achilles heel? You cut off his foot Tom Jones.
Set against the serene beauty of Kashmir, Ladakh and Tibet, Kingdom Come is a gripping story of death and loss, vengeance and retribution, love and life. Krivi Iyer is an embittered former spy and bomb defusal expert with only one regret. That he couldn't catch The Woodpecker, a dangerous, mentally unstable bomber who ended his partner's family. He has a second chance to go after his arch enemy with the arrival of Ziya Maarten, the manager of 'Goonj Business Enterprises' in Srinagar, Kashmir, who is alleged to be The Woodpecker's sister. Except, Ziya is a beautiful distraction and not a terrorist's sister. When a tragedy in London tears Ziya's life apart, she can only rely on Krivi to give her the absolution and vengeance she needs to move on. Between training to be an anti-terrorist squad member and finding The Woodpecker, Ziya uncovers the secrets of Krivi's tormented past. But will two tortured souls find the courage to love?
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Review
Kirvi ( uff! ) is a hunk who is trained by the military, burning with revenge, and man of many secrets. He arrives at the Goonj Estates and gets the job of a manager. But of course, our hero has an ulterior motive. Does it involve Ziya in any way?
Ziya Maarten. After finishing her tenure at the London School of Business, she comes out of it it wealthier. In Knowledge and friendship. It is her friendship with the gorgeous Noor Saiyed which lands her in Kashmir at the Goonj Estate, where she finds what she has always missed in her life. Family, friends and love.
The Relationships....
As with any relationship cloaked under hidden truths,the attraction between Ziya and Kirvi too undergoes many ups and downs. Kirvi is on a mission. But how is it related to Ziya who is an orphan? The attraction between them is very palpable, very very hot. The chemistry between them oozes sensuality. But this story has more to offer. Lives haunted by terrorism, relationships destroyed due to the debris of terrorism. It also gives us a peep on how the character of a terrorist came into being.
The wheels that keep the story moving in the direction where the reader can't even think of going are also the characters besides the main protagonists.
Nooriya or Noor Saiyed, her bubbly nature is a pleasure to read even though I shed a few tears for her.
Sam,a Major in the army. Totally in love with Nooriya. An eternal kinda love.
Woodpecker, will make you forget Mokambo or Shakkal.Mr.Joshua of Lethal Weapon or Norman Stanfield in Leon. This guy gives me the creeps. A real dastardly character I have come across after a long time.
(This is not the exams of my English paper which demands characterizations to be done :) but, this story is such that without the mention of these chars, it won’t be a complete picture).
What I liked.....
1) The story line. Clean ,clear, driven. I wanted to reach the end. No, make it ...I needed to reach the end. The twists (I found 3 actually),will make you sit up, just as you reach your comfort zone.
2) The characters. Perfect hero with the right amount of weakness. Strong female character- not the damsel in distress kind, but a fighter who is ready to walk at par with any man in combat to protect her loved ones, to avenge her loved ones. A villain, whom you will love to hate.
Aarti has done a fabulous job weaving the characters together. Each character leaves a mark, even if they have a small part to play. Her authority over the English vocabulary is evident even though I feel she has compromised in some places with the grammar to keep the voice young and trendy.
She creates a vivid picture of few of the heaven on earth places- Kashmir, Ladakh....each etched beautifully. The best part has been her research on the bombings and the military lifestyle. The scene that has truly left a mark on me-to the extend that I had to keep my kindle down a few times is the scene between Ziya and Woodpecker. I felt a bile rising in my mouth and I did shed a few tears. This young author sure knows how to pull her punches.
Ziya Maarten. After finishing her tenure at the London School of Business, she comes out of it it wealthier. In Knowledge and friendship. It is her friendship with the gorgeous Noor Saiyed which lands her in Kashmir at the Goonj Estate, where she finds what she has always missed in her life. Family, friends and love.
The Relationships....
As with any relationship cloaked under hidden truths,the attraction between Ziya and Kirvi too undergoes many ups and downs. Kirvi is on a mission. But how is it related to Ziya who is an orphan? The attraction between them is very palpable, very very hot. The chemistry between them oozes sensuality. But this story has more to offer. Lives haunted by terrorism, relationships destroyed due to the debris of terrorism. It also gives us a peep on how the character of a terrorist came into being.
The wheels that keep the story moving in the direction where the reader can't even think of going are also the characters besides the main protagonists.
Nooriya or Noor Saiyed, her bubbly nature is a pleasure to read even though I shed a few tears for her.
Sam,a Major in the army. Totally in love with Nooriya. An eternal kinda love.
Woodpecker, will make you forget Mokambo or Shakkal.Mr.Joshua of Lethal Weapon or Norman Stanfield in Leon. This guy gives me the creeps. A real dastardly character I have come across after a long time.
(This is not the exams of my English paper which demands characterizations to be done :) but, this story is such that without the mention of these chars, it won’t be a complete picture).
What I liked.....
1) The story line. Clean ,clear, driven. I wanted to reach the end. No, make it ...I needed to reach the end. The twists (I found 3 actually),will make you sit up, just as you reach your comfort zone.
2) The characters. Perfect hero with the right amount of weakness. Strong female character- not the damsel in distress kind, but a fighter who is ready to walk at par with any man in combat to protect her loved ones, to avenge her loved ones. A villain, whom you will love to hate.
Aarti has done a fabulous job weaving the characters together. Each character leaves a mark, even if they have a small part to play. Her authority over the English vocabulary is evident even though I feel she has compromised in some places with the grammar to keep the voice young and trendy.
She creates a vivid picture of few of the heaven on earth places- Kashmir, Ladakh....each etched beautifully. The best part has been her research on the bombings and the military lifestyle. The scene that has truly left a mark on me-to the extend that I had to keep my kindle down a few times is the scene between Ziya and Woodpecker. I felt a bile rising in my mouth and I did shed a few tears. This young author sure knows how to pull her punches.
Rating
Reasoning
1) I love Nooriya. How could I not? She has been described so many times. Even in the scenes with Kirvi, her beauty has been gushed about. And since she is not the main protagonist, it went a bit overboard.
2) Ziya's military training. Even if the author has justified it, it is too, for a lack of a better word, Bollywoodish. (taken from my own inventory of non existing words.:))
3) Mosquito Repellent.... :) Why? That is for you to find out after reading Kingdom Come.
Will I recommend this book to my readers....
Definitely. The story has a unique voice.A young and fresh voice. It captures the fear of terrorism, hatred for terrorism and above all salutations to the brave souls fighting against terrorism. The best part is that it shows terrorism as a global evil against which every human being has to stand against. Kudos Aarti V. Raman.
2) Ziya's military training. Even if the author has justified it, it is too, for a lack of a better word, Bollywoodish. (taken from my own inventory of non existing words.:))
3) Mosquito Repellent.... :) Why? That is for you to find out after reading Kingdom Come.
Will I recommend this book to my readers....
Definitely. The story has a unique voice.A young and fresh voice. It captures the fear of terrorism, hatred for terrorism and above all salutations to the brave souls fighting against terrorism. The best part is that it shows terrorism as a global evil against which every human being has to stand against. Kudos Aarti V. Raman.
About The Author
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Thank you Rubina and The Book Club for taking the time to read and share your thoughts on my book. I very much appreciate your comments and look forward to entertaining you even more with my nexts :) Xx Writer Gal
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