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Hawk's Return
In Hawk's Return, the third book in the series Hawks of ArtoonsInn, eleven compelling stories explore the many facets of returning—be it a physical journey, a rediscovery of roots, an emotional awakening, or a leap into the unknown. Each narrative offers a unique perspective on the transformations and reflections that come with finding one’s way back. This anthology is a celebration of resilience, rediscovery, and the timeless essence of return.
153 pages, Paperback
Published January 18, 2025
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February 22, 2025I'm one of the authors in this anthology, so I will rate it 5 stars anyway. Instead of a review, I'll write a bit about my story.
Hawk's Return is a themed anthology where every story presents some version of 'return'.
The Longest Return Journey is my ode to Mahabharata from Bhishma's POV. Since the word limit for the stories was 2500 words, I knew there was no way to summarize the epic without sounding like a news report. I had to pick and choose while ensuring the book's theme was included.
I kept the story focused on the Vasu, Prabhasa, who became Bhishma and returned to his true form after his demise. Naturally, I had to make a few creative decisions but I did my best to honor the epic instead of distorting it beyond recognition.
I hope you enjoy the stories if you grab a copy of this book.
Hawk's Return is a themed anthology where every story presents some version of 'return'.
The Longest Return Journey is my ode to Mahabharata from Bhishma's POV. Since the word limit for the stories was 2500 words, I knew there was no way to summarize the epic without sounding like a news report. I had to pick and choose while ensuring the book's theme was included.
I kept the story focused on the Vasu, Prabhasa, who became Bhishma and returned to his true form after his demise. Naturally, I had to make a few creative decisions but I did my best to honor the epic instead of distorting it beyond recognition.
I hope you enjoy the stories if you grab a copy of this book.
February 4, 2025
Book Title - Hawk's Return
Author - various
Publisher - Room9 Publications
One thing is assured, when Room9 Publishers from ArtoonsInn come out with their offering, readers are assured of some tremendous stories. It is the same case with Hawk's Return, the 3rd book from Room9 Publications. So, without wasting any words further, let's have a look at the stories here.
Darussalam by Dr. Supriya Bansal - Dr. Supriya Bansal is a storyteller par excellence, and she doesn't disappoint at all, and the anthology starts with a bang. She peels off the story, one layer at a time, to finally reach a climax that surprises the readers to the core.
Rotten wood by Nigel Yu - I read his story for the first time and loved the languid pace. The story proceeds like a lazy stream, and by the time it ends, you are overcome by emotions.
Home by Kruti Bharadva - the background of World War 2 is perfect for a story about painful loss and final redemption, ending positively.
O Captain!My Captain! By Sheerin Shahab - a story that unfolds through diary entries of an innocent little girl, whose hunky dory life is not so rosy as it seems. Beautiful narration.
The village that could not sleep by Dr. Pallavi Sawant-Uttekar - one of my favourite writers at ArtoonsInn, and she comes up with a story that has a life lesson in it.
Return to her mother by Charulata Panigrahi - a story from The Ramayana cannot go wrong when it is narrated by Charulata Ma'am
Strange are the ways of Providence by Sudha Vishwanath - when the story starts, you feel sorry for the protagonist but by the time it ends, you will be as happy as her, that's the strength of Sudha Ma'am's narration.
The Ascension by Lalitha Ramanathan - a beautiful tale that teaches you that it is never too late to pursue your forgotten dreams.
The Ghosts of Lidice by Narayani Manapadam - another story with a war background by another favourite author of mine. This time, the ghosts are looking for deliverance from their sorrows.
The Longest Return Journey by Srivalli Rekha - a story from another Indian epic, this time The Mahabharata by the veteran ArtoonsInn writer, Srivalli, about one of the biggest heroes from the epic.
The Lost Memory by Venkat Raman V – one more story with a war background where the protagonist discovers a ghastly truth at the end, when he finally remembers everything from the war.
Ruth’s Patties and Pies by Shankar Hosagoudar – the anthology ends with a bang with this excellent story about a protagonist who finds his true calling in life while helping his aged grandmother. P.s. – this story has a pleasant surprise for some wannabe bakers.
Author - various
Publisher - Room9 Publications
One thing is assured, when Room9 Publishers from ArtoonsInn come out with their offering, readers are assured of some tremendous stories. It is the same case with Hawk's Return, the 3rd book from Room9 Publications. So, without wasting any words further, let's have a look at the stories here.
Darussalam by Dr. Supriya Bansal - Dr. Supriya Bansal is a storyteller par excellence, and she doesn't disappoint at all, and the anthology starts with a bang. She peels off the story, one layer at a time, to finally reach a climax that surprises the readers to the core.
Rotten wood by Nigel Yu - I read his story for the first time and loved the languid pace. The story proceeds like a lazy stream, and by the time it ends, you are overcome by emotions.
Home by Kruti Bharadva - the background of World War 2 is perfect for a story about painful loss and final redemption, ending positively.
O Captain!My Captain! By Sheerin Shahab - a story that unfolds through diary entries of an innocent little girl, whose hunky dory life is not so rosy as it seems. Beautiful narration.
The village that could not sleep by Dr. Pallavi Sawant-Uttekar - one of my favourite writers at ArtoonsInn, and she comes up with a story that has a life lesson in it.
Return to her mother by Charulata Panigrahi - a story from The Ramayana cannot go wrong when it is narrated by Charulata Ma'am
Strange are the ways of Providence by Sudha Vishwanath - when the story starts, you feel sorry for the protagonist but by the time it ends, you will be as happy as her, that's the strength of Sudha Ma'am's narration.
The Ascension by Lalitha Ramanathan - a beautiful tale that teaches you that it is never too late to pursue your forgotten dreams.
The Ghosts of Lidice by Narayani Manapadam - another story with a war background by another favourite author of mine. This time, the ghosts are looking for deliverance from their sorrows.
The Longest Return Journey by Srivalli Rekha - a story from another Indian epic, this time The Mahabharata by the veteran ArtoonsInn writer, Srivalli, about one of the biggest heroes from the epic.
The Lost Memory by Venkat Raman V – one more story with a war background where the protagonist discovers a ghastly truth at the end, when he finally remembers everything from the war.
Ruth’s Patties and Pies by Shankar Hosagoudar – the anthology ends with a bang with this excellent story about a protagonist who finds his true calling in life while helping his aged grandmother. P.s. – this story has a pleasant surprise for some wannabe bakers.
March 7, 2025
‘Hawk’s Return’, the third series of books by ArtoonsInn Room9 Publications, is an anthology of twelve short stories centred on the theme of ‘return/returning’. The 155 pages book explores the concept of returning in the literal, metaphorical and other manners.
The stories chronicle journeys, incidents, rediscovery, introspection, reconnection to one’s roots, revisiting places/people, and much more. It’s difficult to review a book in totality when it encompasses stories from twelve different writers. Each brings their own unique style, vocabulary, and storytelling techniques. I found each story well-written and beautifully unique. They are all interesting tales that beautifully capture the emotions of ‘returning’. My top favourites from the book are –
1. Ruth’s patties and pies by Shankar Hosagoudar. I loved this story for its brilliantly simple narration. It’s a heartwarming tale and captures the concept of ‘return’ in all its essence. The colloquial language highlights the emotions.
2. O Captain! My Captain! By Sheerin Shahab. I loved this story for the beautiful epistolary style of narration. Each entry carries the story forward. It felt like peeling off the protective covers to reach the core of the truth.
3. Home by Kruti Bharadva. A tender tale heralded by an almost wistful longing for ‘home’. The story’s setting, characters and the beginning was the perfect hook. //It was a place of dappled sunlight and drowsy shades// (sic)
4. The Ghosts of Lidice by Narayani Manapadam. Based on the Lidice massacre, the crisp, surgical narration left me awash with sadness initially. The ‘return’ explored in this story encompasses a deep-seated sense of loss, and yet there is also hope.
5. The ascension by Lalitha Ramanathan. A tender tale of fulfilling one’s dreams, returning to what one loves the most, presented as a smorgasbord of emotions.
6. The village that could not sleep by Dr Pallavi Sawant Uttekar. A moralistic, fairytale like story that makes one believe in the power of good over evil. It makes one believe in hope.
The book in totality is a beautiful compilation. The other stories are equally noteworthy. Some are mythological, others a little more influenced by drama. But they each propel the concept of ‘return’ beautifully. The book makes for a quick read although, it may not always be an easy read (for young children) because of the graphic descriptions in some stories. What I missed in the book was the inclusion of an index. As a reviewer, going back and forth was vexing.
I recommend this book to everyone. Pick it up and take it with you on a journey. As you travel, let the book take you on its own travels and through a plethora of emotions.
The stories chronicle journeys, incidents, rediscovery, introspection, reconnection to one’s roots, revisiting places/people, and much more. It’s difficult to review a book in totality when it encompasses stories from twelve different writers. Each brings their own unique style, vocabulary, and storytelling techniques. I found each story well-written and beautifully unique. They are all interesting tales that beautifully capture the emotions of ‘returning’. My top favourites from the book are –
1. Ruth’s patties and pies by Shankar Hosagoudar. I loved this story for its brilliantly simple narration. It’s a heartwarming tale and captures the concept of ‘return’ in all its essence. The colloquial language highlights the emotions.
2. O Captain! My Captain! By Sheerin Shahab. I loved this story for the beautiful epistolary style of narration. Each entry carries the story forward. It felt like peeling off the protective covers to reach the core of the truth.
3. Home by Kruti Bharadva. A tender tale heralded by an almost wistful longing for ‘home’. The story’s setting, characters and the beginning was the perfect hook. //It was a place of dappled sunlight and drowsy shades// (sic)
4. The Ghosts of Lidice by Narayani Manapadam. Based on the Lidice massacre, the crisp, surgical narration left me awash with sadness initially. The ‘return’ explored in this story encompasses a deep-seated sense of loss, and yet there is also hope.
5. The ascension by Lalitha Ramanathan. A tender tale of fulfilling one’s dreams, returning to what one loves the most, presented as a smorgasbord of emotions.
6. The village that could not sleep by Dr Pallavi Sawant Uttekar. A moralistic, fairytale like story that makes one believe in the power of good over evil. It makes one believe in hope.
The book in totality is a beautiful compilation. The other stories are equally noteworthy. Some are mythological, others a little more influenced by drama. But they each propel the concept of ‘return’ beautifully. The book makes for a quick read although, it may not always be an easy read (for young children) because of the graphic descriptions in some stories. What I missed in the book was the inclusion of an index. As a reviewer, going back and forth was vexing.
I recommend this book to everyone. Pick it up and take it with you on a journey. As you travel, let the book take you on its own travels and through a plethora of emotions.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews