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Vikram and The Enchanted Seals
Vikram, an apathetic kid from California, doesn’t want to be in India. But a death in the family leaves him no other choice. So he finds himself in a rural village, at his ancestral home where he meets his imposing grandfather. A special bond forms between them, and the old man gives Vikram an enchanted seal – a mystical relic from India's earliest civilization. It turns out that the seal is one of only a handful that combine to form the Dharma Cube, the most powerful weapon against evil the world has ever seen. Before Vikram can fully grasp the seal's profound significance, Grandpa is taken by Rakshasas – evil giants from the epic Ramayana – who are intent on destroying the Cube once and for all. Vikram enlists the help of younger brother Jai, and Manu, the family’s loyal servant, to search for Grandpa. Their journey takes them through the various landscapes of India: historical, mythological, artistic, philosophical, and natural. Tension mounts when Vikram realizes that he alone must unlock the secrets of his seal and the Dharma Cube, not just to rescue Grandpa, but to save all of humanity.
177 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 4, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 28, 2010
This is a young adult book loosely based around Hindu mythology. Vikram visits India for the first time due to the death of his Grandmother. While there, he grows close to his Grandfather and learns that mythology can be based on real things. He battles fierce creatures, finds inner calm and learns that his ancestral country is a part of him.
March 24, 2013
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Book Review: Vikram And The Enchanted Seals By Sanjiv Behera: Adventure Ride Throughout
This is the second book I am reading from the same author - Sanjiv Behera. His earlier book was Azad A Flight Of Desi Fantasy. That was much thinner and different from this book I am writing about. Azad A Flight Of DesiFantasy had a collection of short stories whereas Vikram And The Enchanted Seals is a single story covered in 293 pages. Though his earlier book was quite interesting but if we compare both the books, the latter is much more intrinsic, intriguing and interesting.
Vikram And The Enchanted Seals is a story about fight between the good and the bad, good and evil, right and wrong, moral and immoral, mankind and rakshasa; and, inner strength and physical strength. It is a tough fight, probably happening within every human being. Sometimes it takes longer for the good to conquer over the bad but finally it is always the good, moral, human, right, and inner strength that conquers over the bad, immoral, rakshasa, wrong, and the physical strength.
Vikram and his family (Tandons) are coming from the United Stated to meet Vikram’s grandfather to console him at the sudden demise of his wife. Vikram’s grandfather lives in a remote village in India along with his another son, daughter-in-law and a young servant whom he never treats like a servant. Vikram is accompanied by his younger brother Jai (who calls him Viks), father and mother. Although Vikram is not too happy and excited about this visit and leaving his home in California but anyhow he feels that Grandpa would be must be feeling badly the loss of his wife and to fill that emptiness it is important for the whole family to unite for a while.
On reaching Grandpa’s house, Vikram meets Manu, the young servant in the house but who is not treated as a servant. Vikram after meeting his Grandpa after a long time feels a great respect for him after talking to him in the early morning hours the next day they reached there.
Suraj Bagchi and his wife Shanti lost their son and daughter-in-law and are left with their only granddaughter Toral. One fine morning Toral finds her grandparents missing from the house and decided to find them out on her own. Vikram, on the other hand, finds his grandfather missing the next day in the early hours of next morning with no traces left. Vikram, Jai and Manu decide to check the whole village to find out Grandpa but in vain. Finally they decide to go into the nearby jungles to continue their hunt for the Grandpa.
They got amazed to find out huge Rakshasas in the jungle and gradually came to know that their Grandpa is in their custody. Same happens with Toral and the four youngsters decided to get their grandparents free from the King of Rakshasas.
Overall Vikram And The Enchanted Seals is a very interesting read. It is suitable for all kids - of any age.
Book Review: Vikram And The Enchanted Seals By Sanjiv Behera: Adventure Ride Throughout
This is the second book I am reading from the same author - Sanjiv Behera. His earlier book was Azad A Flight Of Desi Fantasy. That was much thinner and different from this book I am writing about. Azad A Flight Of DesiFantasy had a collection of short stories whereas Vikram And The Enchanted Seals is a single story covered in 293 pages. Though his earlier book was quite interesting but if we compare both the books, the latter is much more intrinsic, intriguing and interesting.
Vikram And The Enchanted Seals is a story about fight between the good and the bad, good and evil, right and wrong, moral and immoral, mankind and rakshasa; and, inner strength and physical strength. It is a tough fight, probably happening within every human being. Sometimes it takes longer for the good to conquer over the bad but finally it is always the good, moral, human, right, and inner strength that conquers over the bad, immoral, rakshasa, wrong, and the physical strength.
Vikram and his family (Tandons) are coming from the United Stated to meet Vikram’s grandfather to console him at the sudden demise of his wife. Vikram’s grandfather lives in a remote village in India along with his another son, daughter-in-law and a young servant whom he never treats like a servant. Vikram is accompanied by his younger brother Jai (who calls him Viks), father and mother. Although Vikram is not too happy and excited about this visit and leaving his home in California but anyhow he feels that Grandpa would be must be feeling badly the loss of his wife and to fill that emptiness it is important for the whole family to unite for a while.
On reaching Grandpa’s house, Vikram meets Manu, the young servant in the house but who is not treated as a servant. Vikram after meeting his Grandpa after a long time feels a great respect for him after talking to him in the early morning hours the next day they reached there.
Suraj Bagchi and his wife Shanti lost their son and daughter-in-law and are left with their only granddaughter Toral. One fine morning Toral finds her grandparents missing from the house and decided to find them out on her own. Vikram, on the other hand, finds his grandfather missing the next day in the early hours of next morning with no traces left. Vikram, Jai and Manu decide to check the whole village to find out Grandpa but in vain. Finally they decide to go into the nearby jungles to continue their hunt for the Grandpa.
They got amazed to find out huge Rakshasas in the jungle and gradually came to know that their Grandpa is in their custody. Same happens with Toral and the four youngsters decided to get their grandparents free from the King of Rakshasas.
Overall Vikram And The Enchanted Seals is a very interesting read. It is suitable for all kids - of any age.
October 18, 2012
This is the first fantasy book that I won through a giveaway, and as that is my favourite genre, I was very happy with my win. It's my first author signed book as well, which was a nice touch!
Vikram and the Enchanted Seals is a pretty solid middle grade fantasy. It reminded me slightly of the Children of the Lamp series by P.B Kerr, though much less detailed and on a much smaller scale.
I really think that this book is well written for average readers between the ages of 9-13. The plot is very fast paced, so they won't become bored. There aren't any long winded descriptions or focus on deeper concepts in fiction writing. The settings, plot, and characters are all very basic and I think that most kids in that age range will appreciate that.
I would have liked more detailed descriptions of the Indian mythology, countryside, wildlife, and people, but what was given was enough for the plot to move forward. I think that India, so rich in culture and mythology, could have provided a really superb setting for a fantasy novel, but with the plot being driven at breakneck speed, the setting was left by the wayside a little bit. However, the descriptions that were included were generally really well done. I remember being impressed a few times with how the author could describe something so perfectly in such few words. It just could have been explored, explained, and developed a bit more, in my opinion. But, that being said, it's a great opportunity to provide a little insight into Indian culture and myth that children might not get otherwise.
A highlight I should mention was the art that was included, which was fantastically done and helped lessen the problem of the limited descriptions. Often when I was having trouble visualizing a scene, the art was there and made the scene pop that much more. Kudos to the artist!
The ending and theme/lessons throughout the book were very good ones and I think that children will be able to relate to the story and Vikram pretty well.
All in all, if you're looking for a middle grade fantasy story set somewhere new, with monsters, action, and a fast paced plot, I think that Vikram and the Enchanted Seals would be a great addition to your shelf!
Vikram and the Enchanted Seals is a pretty solid middle grade fantasy. It reminded me slightly of the Children of the Lamp series by P.B Kerr, though much less detailed and on a much smaller scale.
I really think that this book is well written for average readers between the ages of 9-13. The plot is very fast paced, so they won't become bored. There aren't any long winded descriptions or focus on deeper concepts in fiction writing. The settings, plot, and characters are all very basic and I think that most kids in that age range will appreciate that.
I would have liked more detailed descriptions of the Indian mythology, countryside, wildlife, and people, but what was given was enough for the plot to move forward. I think that India, so rich in culture and mythology, could have provided a really superb setting for a fantasy novel, but with the plot being driven at breakneck speed, the setting was left by the wayside a little bit. However, the descriptions that were included were generally really well done. I remember being impressed a few times with how the author could describe something so perfectly in such few words. It just could have been explored, explained, and developed a bit more, in my opinion. But, that being said, it's a great opportunity to provide a little insight into Indian culture and myth that children might not get otherwise.
A highlight I should mention was the art that was included, which was fantastically done and helped lessen the problem of the limited descriptions. Often when I was having trouble visualizing a scene, the art was there and made the scene pop that much more. Kudos to the artist!
The ending and theme/lessons throughout the book were very good ones and I think that children will be able to relate to the story and Vikram pretty well.
All in all, if you're looking for a middle grade fantasy story set somewhere new, with monsters, action, and a fast paced plot, I think that Vikram and the Enchanted Seals would be a great addition to your shelf!
July 20, 2012
I have to say that I've never read another book quite like this one. That's one reason I like to read books set in or about other countries, it allows me to learn about other places, people, and cultures. I found myself quite enjoying this one. While I wished for more detail about the characters and especially about the setting, the plot moved along nicely. I found the writing to be decent once I got used to it although there were some strange word combinations, I did not find these to slow the story down overly much.
Characterwise, I found the Rakshasas a fascinating kind of monster. I appreciated the fact that the author added some depth to them so that they didn't come across as completely evil or inept, although some of them definitely were. I did wish for more depth in terms of Vikram, his brother Jai, Manu, and Grandpa. I did like the fact that Vikram does grow in the story from a relatively meek and submissive person into a more confident decisive person. But that is about the only real character development in the story.
Setting: I enjoyed the setting, the forest, caves, and especially the castle on the island, but I did wish for more detail to help me visualize it a bit more. The different settings did allow me to see the characters in various different settings, with the characters behavior changing depending on where they were.
Plot: Where this book shines is in the plot. The book does not waste anytime in getting to the action which I think young readers will especially appreciate, since they generally prefer a good plot to character development. The plot does take some interesting twists and turns, and I have to say that it wasn't predictable, at least not to me. A lot of times in this kind of story, the hero has to save the world by himself. I appreciated that here that wasn't the case, Vikram does play a very key role, but his friends and family help him do so.
Overall, I'd say this book is a fascinating different kind of fantasy involving elements of Indian (India) folklore plus plenty of imagination. I would recommend it to those who enjoy a fast-paced story with lots of twists and turns (not to mention great monsters).
Characterwise, I found the Rakshasas a fascinating kind of monster. I appreciated the fact that the author added some depth to them so that they didn't come across as completely evil or inept, although some of them definitely were. I did wish for more depth in terms of Vikram, his brother Jai, Manu, and Grandpa. I did like the fact that Vikram does grow in the story from a relatively meek and submissive person into a more confident decisive person. But that is about the only real character development in the story.
Setting: I enjoyed the setting, the forest, caves, and especially the castle on the island, but I did wish for more detail to help me visualize it a bit more. The different settings did allow me to see the characters in various different settings, with the characters behavior changing depending on where they were.
Plot: Where this book shines is in the plot. The book does not waste anytime in getting to the action which I think young readers will especially appreciate, since they generally prefer a good plot to character development. The plot does take some interesting twists and turns, and I have to say that it wasn't predictable, at least not to me. A lot of times in this kind of story, the hero has to save the world by himself. I appreciated that here that wasn't the case, Vikram does play a very key role, but his friends and family help him do so.
Overall, I'd say this book is a fascinating different kind of fantasy involving elements of Indian (India) folklore plus plenty of imagination. I would recommend it to those who enjoy a fast-paced story with lots of twists and turns (not to mention great monsters).
March 5, 2012
BEWARE – The world may be destroyed by evil creatures known as Rakshasas! Vikram didn’t want to be in India. He had to go because his grandmother (who he never met) passed away and his family was going to her funeral. One morning, Vikram and his grandfather have a good talk and his grandfather trusts Vikram with a family heirloom, a seal. The next day, Vikram’s grandfather is missing and Vikram realizes that he was kidnapped by mythical giant creatures called Rakshasas. More importantly, they were looking for the seal that Vikram now has. Vikram gets the help of his little brother, Jai, and Manu, Vikram’s grandfather’s servant, and they set off to rescue Grandfather. The journey is VERY dangerous and Vikram begins to realize that the entire world is in danger and the seal his grandfather gave him may be the key to saving it!
I think this was a fabulous book! I really liked Vikram as a main character but my favorite character was Yuma (a Rakshasa who was good). Mr. Behera really describes the town and forests of India well, I could imagine myself there. Don’t let the frightening image on the cover fool you, the creature is a Rakshasa and it is kind of scary but the book isn’t that scary. Speaking of illustrations, there are some really great illustrations all through out the book. They are really detailed and give you a better idea of what is going on in the story. The story is actually based on the Ramayana myth from India and I think that’s pretty cool. I would have liked the book to go into a little more detail. I thought the action parts were a little short and they could have been a bit more involved, like getting out of King Kama’s prison and the final battle scene. The scenes were good, I just wanted more! The story was really enjoyable in all. It pretty much had everything, even characters you were rooting for. There was also a heroine, Toral. She was brave and really helped Vikram out. I’d recommend the book to kids 9+. There is some non-graphic violence (they have to defeat the Rakshasas after all).
I think this was a fabulous book! I really liked Vikram as a main character but my favorite character was Yuma (a Rakshasa who was good). Mr. Behera really describes the town and forests of India well, I could imagine myself there. Don’t let the frightening image on the cover fool you, the creature is a Rakshasa and it is kind of scary but the book isn’t that scary. Speaking of illustrations, there are some really great illustrations all through out the book. They are really detailed and give you a better idea of what is going on in the story. The story is actually based on the Ramayana myth from India and I think that’s pretty cool. I would have liked the book to go into a little more detail. I thought the action parts were a little short and they could have been a bit more involved, like getting out of King Kama’s prison and the final battle scene. The scenes were good, I just wanted more! The story was really enjoyable in all. It pretty much had everything, even characters you were rooting for. There was also a heroine, Toral. She was brave and really helped Vikram out. I’d recommend the book to kids 9+. There is some non-graphic violence (they have to defeat the Rakshasas after all).
July 30, 2013
This book sat on my Kindle for a long while. I was fascinated when the author first announced the work (well over a year ago and I rushed right out and bought it. Why did I wait so long to read it? (Well, Life, the Universe...etc.) But I read it --devoured it, actually. Vikram is a dispirited, apathetic boy, like so many boys of the "uh, so what. Don't wanna. I don't care" variety. A death in the family sends his entire family from California to India to visit the relatives. Of course, Vikram resents going. But almost as soon as he's arrived his adventure begins, and it's full of danger, peril, and creatures of legend who are real and bent on taking over the earth! I'm not going to rehash the story line. I compared it with "Spirited Away meets Indiana Jones". :D But over the course of his adventure into the Indian countryside, chasing monsters and enchanted artifacts, meeting new friends human and animal, Vikram grows from an apathetic boy who can't make up his mind about anything into a strong, caring, compassionate young man. I also love that there are many strong female characters, good and bad. I am an adult of mature age and I enjoyed the heck out of this book, I'm very likely to read it again, perhaps several times. I had a few quibbling issues with a couple commas I felt could have been left out, but the book is formatted well and edited excellently. Boys and girls will enjoy this story equally, I think. Recommended for lovers of adventure of any age.
December 30, 2012
Set in another country the american boy that was as normal as any other American boy could be didnt want to leave his home, his friends etc. to go to another strange place just for a funeral of someone he never knew. Brought into the legacy of long standing by his grandfathers wish for him to have a family secret the boys life changes forever and he must become someone new to change the outcome of his grandfather.
The boy, Vikram, in this story must overcome fear and demons of a different world to keep them out of our world.
This book is captivating and engaging. A great read for any age and it will take you back to your original reading habits as a child. to start seeing within your own head the images that given to you by reading.
Won on good reads.
The boy, Vikram, in this story must overcome fear and demons of a different world to keep them out of our world.
This book is captivating and engaging. A great read for any age and it will take you back to your original reading habits as a child. to start seeing within your own head the images that given to you by reading.
Won on good reads.
July 21, 2012
Writing style, voice, quality of prose: 3 stars. Story: 2 stars
What a missed opportunity. This middle-reader book could have introduced its young audience to Indian history, culture or folklore; instead we get a formulaic plot that could have taken place anywhere on the planet.
Pacing and characterizations are solid, however, and middle-grade readers deserve to read well-written books.
What a missed opportunity. This middle-reader book could have introduced its young audience to Indian history, culture or folklore; instead we get a formulaic plot that could have taken place anywhere on the planet.
Pacing and characterizations are solid, however, and middle-grade readers deserve to read well-written books.
May 8, 2012
I won this from Goodreads. awesome book. the story drew me in and I enjoyed every magical moment. The characters were personable and likeable. The mythical stories from India were entertaining and exciting. I would recommend to anyone that likes to read.
June 26, 2012
I received this YA book from the author as a Giveaway and am glad I was chosen. I enjoyed this book very much - the story was terrific and was well paced. It was a page turner until the end. I recommend it to young readers who enjoy adventure novels like those of Rick Riordan.
September 14, 2016
Engaging and fun, but ultimately a bit too simple
I'd recommend this book for YA genre. A bit too simple for my taste. It does bring in some Indian mythology into the story which is great!
I'd recommend this book for YA genre. A bit too simple for my taste. It does bring in some Indian mythology into the story which is great!
July 10, 2011
Nice fantasy tale for young. Depicts adventure of young American boys with Raksahshas in India.
August 14, 2013
Nostalgic - reminds of Chandamama books. Simple, crisp and effective narration. Not a boring part in the book.
February 18, 2013
Loved the lead. Adored Yuma. In geneal very well paced with right amount of action.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews