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Dungeon Tales
The prophecy said that when the badmaash Badshah's dungeon was empty for a day- then the Badshah's unjust rule would end. And so Badshah takes care to ensure that his dungeons are always full. One day- a young prisoner proposes that since no one can rest because of the wails and howls coming from the dungeon- the Badshah spend the sleepless nights listening to the stories of the dingeon's inhabitants.
250 pages, Paperback
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 21, 2021
Dungeon Tales
Venita Coelho
Rating - 5/5
The prophecy said that when the dungeons no longer held a man for a night, then the end of the Badmash Badshah was near. The best way to ensure this didn't happen was to make sure that the dungeons were never empty of men. And so all and sundry hapless men of all ages were arrested for the pettiest of crimes and the dungeons resounded with their cries and laments where they were unceremoniously sent.
The hue and cry of the prisoners made such a din that no one was able to sleep a wink all through the night, day after day. Leading to frayed tempers and headaches and numerous summary executions. Until one boy from the prisons hit upon the idea of listening to the prisoners' stories. If he could sustain the interests of the court enough to pass the night, he would be pardoned and if he couldn't, the guillotine was always there, hungry for another head.
And so we embark upon this Arabian Nights inspired tale of storytelling full of capricious men and simple jinns, of ancestral ghosts and their hapless keepers, of lazy princesses and happiness selling merchants. The characters and settings are exotic and bring to mind olden days when grandmothers would gather naughty kids around a roaring fire and charm them with such tales, keeping them mesmerized and away from mischief.
The language and the narration was absolutely enchanting with large dollops of humour and wit, and sly references, some of which might be more appreciated by an adult. I however enjoyed each and every story and how the beginning is linked to the end. The well thought of names and the comic antics of the courtiers had me chuckling at many places. Kids love fantasy, the more outlandish, the better. And this book appeals to both kids with its fantastical stories and adults with their love for wonderful language. Of course, perfect read for someone who still has a kid hiding somewhere inside. Like me.
Venita Coelho
Rating - 5/5
The prophecy said that when the dungeons no longer held a man for a night, then the end of the Badmash Badshah was near. The best way to ensure this didn't happen was to make sure that the dungeons were never empty of men. And so all and sundry hapless men of all ages were arrested for the pettiest of crimes and the dungeons resounded with their cries and laments where they were unceremoniously sent.
The hue and cry of the prisoners made such a din that no one was able to sleep a wink all through the night, day after day. Leading to frayed tempers and headaches and numerous summary executions. Until one boy from the prisons hit upon the idea of listening to the prisoners' stories. If he could sustain the interests of the court enough to pass the night, he would be pardoned and if he couldn't, the guillotine was always there, hungry for another head.
And so we embark upon this Arabian Nights inspired tale of storytelling full of capricious men and simple jinns, of ancestral ghosts and their hapless keepers, of lazy princesses and happiness selling merchants. The characters and settings are exotic and bring to mind olden days when grandmothers would gather naughty kids around a roaring fire and charm them with such tales, keeping them mesmerized and away from mischief.
The language and the narration was absolutely enchanting with large dollops of humour and wit, and sly references, some of which might be more appreciated by an adult. I however enjoyed each and every story and how the beginning is linked to the end. The well thought of names and the comic antics of the courtiers had me chuckling at many places. Kids love fantasy, the more outlandish, the better. And this book appeals to both kids with its fantastical stories and adults with their love for wonderful language. Of course, perfect read for someone who still has a kid hiding somewhere inside. Like me.
June 8, 2017
My son got me this from his school library. Nice collection of stories. An interesting read. Loved it.
November 25, 2017
This is my first book of Venita Coelho and it's cover was so interesting with gold and black that I had to read it. And what an easy wonderful read this has been. There is an underlying humour throughout the book and more often than not I found myself chuckling out aloud at all the funny and apt names that keep cropping up in the book. This is a story about stories and what interesting stories! Apt for children in the age group 9-12. Us adults would not mind reading the book at all. Go for it.
December 22, 2014
The simple style with which this was written, enjoyed by children & adults alike. This was as fun and exciting as reading 1001 or Arabian Knights seriously. And also such a clever way by which the stories were built up & connected was just brilliant! Love this book :) x
August 10, 2011
i borrowed this book from my school library and didn't have any expectations from it.but it was surprisingly funny and a good read.i would recommend it to anyone who likes humour=)
September 6, 2021
very good
September 19, 2021
So good!! I got it in the syllabus of my final examination lol😆
October 26, 2022
Five years purana book and i hate it 😭
April 9, 2023
A supremely fun read like no other, I love the tone of the book, all the upside down characters and the hilariously evil Baddy Badshah.
January 19, 2025
One of the best books I’ve ever read and short
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews