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Secrets of Zynpagua: Return of the Princess
The Moon Is Calling: Read the Stars! This is a story of a cursed land called Zynpagua. Not many years ago, Zynpagua was a part of the Earth. It was ruled by King Soto and Queen Sussaina. The queen possessed supernatural powers, which she used to bring happiness and prosperity to her people. Zynpagua thus was a very happy land. But an evil eye was watching it. It was the eye of the scientist Drudan. He tricked the king and the queen to ignore their kingdom. This angered the Sun and Stars, and they refused to shower their blessing on Zynpagua. In the meantime, Drudan created a fatal violet light to kill King Soto. The violet light generated catastrophic movements that separated Zynpagua from the Earth, carrying with it all the people on the land. Without the support of the Sun, Zynpagua became a dark planet. Drudan imprisoned Queen Sussaina behind the shadow of the moon, while King Soto could not be traced. Zynpagua became a cursed land. While in prison, Queen Sussaina secretly gives birth to a girl and transfers all her powers to her and sends her to the Earth. Now the only solution to Zynpagua's misery is the return of this princess.
- GenresFiction
220 pages, Paperback
First published June 20, 2014
11 people are currently reading
180 people want to read
About the author
Ilika Ranjan
21 books22 followersThe author Ilika Ranjan is an MBA from Symbiosis Institute of International Business, Pune, India. She wears several caps. She worked in Citibank, as Assistant Vice President, handling Balance sheets and product development. She is now a renowned author, an Entrepreneur, a strategic planner for start up ventures, having several years of experience in Multi national bank, Ilika is passionate about writing and travelling. She has recently setup a Creative thinking centre 'Manoshi' in the beautiful hills of Naukuchiatal near Nainital.
www.ilikaranjanbooks.com
Her blog www.ilikaranjan.com
email : ilika.ranjan@gmail.com
She is one of the most talented creative authors having proved her talent in writing the Fantasy series : Secrets of Zynpagua and the humorous murder mystery ' Revolutionary Granny Shaking Fury and Shhh..'
Ilika Ranjan has proved her fascination for fantasy by creating' Secrets of Zynpagua series'.
The series is the author's commendable attempt in entering the exotic and mysterious world of fantasy for children and young adults. Every page of the book unfolds a mystery, which has been skillfully mixed with the story to render it a wonderful read.
Credit goes to the author for using her knowledge of Spanish to create a Spanish speaking character named Frederick who is lost in a frozen land called Siepra Nevada.
The author’s poetic talent is evident through the small catchy poetic lyrics for every prophecy in the book- Secrets of Zynpagua
The author has been extensively publishing short stories and travelogues and much of her work can be seen on her blog www.ilikaranjan.com .
www.ilikaranjanbooks.com
Her blog www.ilikaranjan.com
email : ilika.ranjan@gmail.com
She is one of the most talented creative authors having proved her talent in writing the Fantasy series : Secrets of Zynpagua and the humorous murder mystery ' Revolutionary Granny Shaking Fury and Shhh..'
Ilika Ranjan has proved her fascination for fantasy by creating' Secrets of Zynpagua series'.
The series is the author's commendable attempt in entering the exotic and mysterious world of fantasy for children and young adults. Every page of the book unfolds a mystery, which has been skillfully mixed with the story to render it a wonderful read.
Credit goes to the author for using her knowledge of Spanish to create a Spanish speaking character named Frederick who is lost in a frozen land called Siepra Nevada.
The author’s poetic talent is evident through the small catchy poetic lyrics for every prophecy in the book- Secrets of Zynpagua
The author has been extensively publishing short stories and travelogues and much of her work can be seen on her blog www.ilikaranjan.com .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
June 30, 2015
2.5 stars rounded up to 3!!
This book wasn't bad. Not bad at all. But it is only meant for kids, I guess. it had all the elements a Children's book should have, but it lacked the execution and placement of its magical and paranormal elements. This book had a lot of loopholes, and hence I found it to be a little incomplete.
The book is about a cursed land, Zynpagua, where the evil king Drudan rules. The real Princess of the kingdom is in India. Her brother comes to take her to her land, so that she can end Drudan's rule and save her people. That's the gist of the book.
I found it incomplete because there were a few things in the book which weren't explained, Well, putting it aside, And I have no idea why Sussaina couldn't do that. also Vivian could use his magic only for good deeds, and saving his people was a good deed, still he couldn't use it against Drudan. What's the use of such magic.
There were a few things which, I think, made this book incomplete but, since it is a children's book, it is for a kid's entertainment, it had all the elements to please a kid, I gave it 3 stars :)
Recommended only for kids. Like really small kids who don't mind such loopholes and don't see the logical side of things :P :P
*I received a copy in a Goodreads Firstread Giveaway*
This book wasn't bad. Not bad at all. But it is only meant for kids, I guess. it had all the elements a Children's book should have, but it lacked the execution and placement of its magical and paranormal elements. This book had a lot of loopholes, and hence I found it to be a little incomplete.
The book is about a cursed land, Zynpagua, where the evil king Drudan rules. The real Princess of the kingdom is in India. Her brother comes to take her to her land, so that she can end Drudan's rule and save her people. That's the gist of the book.
I found it incomplete because there were a few things in the book which weren't explained, Well, putting it aside, And I have no idea why Sussaina couldn't do that. also Vivian could use his magic only for good deeds, and saving his people was a good deed, still he couldn't use it against Drudan. What's the use of such magic.
There were a few things which, I think, made this book incomplete but, since it is a children's book, it is for a kid's entertainment, it had all the elements to please a kid, I gave it 3 stars :)
Recommended only for kids. Like really small kids who don't mind such loopholes and don't see the logical side of things :P :P
*I received a copy in a Goodreads Firstread Giveaway*
May 13, 2015
This book has been written excellently well by the author. I would say this is pretty apt for kids though adults may also read it and tell the story to their kids, niece, nephew.
This is the first installment of the series and there is another part after this. I am sure once you finish reading this you would be waiting for the release of the next book.
To me, this book was going through a fantasy world combining the movies of Avatar and Harry Potter along with Lord of the Rings though this differs greatly from them.
The story revolves around few characters like Annika, Leo, Vivian, Lady Carol, Frederick, Femina, Drudan and Sussaina where how the evil character Drudan exiles Sussaina and makes his citizens pay for it and how Annika, the daughter of Sussaina who was sent to India comes back to Zynpagua and with the help of her uncle Frederick and Leo, reclaims the territory.
The story line and the flow was awesome and though I could not finish it in a single day, it made me to read it till the end without losing interest on it.
This book has been sent to me FREE as a part of Good Reads First Read and the review has been written by me as a part of it.
This is the first installment of the series and there is another part after this. I am sure once you finish reading this you would be waiting for the release of the next book.
To me, this book was going through a fantasy world combining the movies of Avatar and Harry Potter along with Lord of the Rings though this differs greatly from them.
The story revolves around few characters like Annika, Leo, Vivian, Lady Carol, Frederick, Femina, Drudan and Sussaina where how the evil character Drudan exiles Sussaina and makes his citizens pay for it and how Annika, the daughter of Sussaina who was sent to India comes back to Zynpagua and with the help of her uncle Frederick and Leo, reclaims the territory.
The story line and the flow was awesome and though I could not finish it in a single day, it made me to read it till the end without losing interest on it.
This book has been sent to me FREE as a part of Good Reads First Read and the review has been written by me as a part of it.
July 1, 2015
A fine read. The plot was riveting. Amazing characters and story. Exhilarating and exciting.
May 19, 2015
As it is rightly said, First things first! I would like to thank you Ilika, for extending your book for a read!
The book starts with a thanks to so many many people... and me being a person that likes to read a book from page 1 to page "The end".. just had to go through the whole(rather seemed very long and could have been crispier)... however I did feel one thing... putting up year of born, etc.. would not be a good thing in this cyber cruel world... just not safe to put such an important piece of info just up there.!
I liked the way the book has been channelized and marketed so well, capturing the "who-is-who" of this generation.. the media, the internet and roadshows. making it popular and building the brand.
The story line is strong too.. the imagination on new lines.. hitting right note.
As an adult, I would expect more base to the fiction, adding a more real touch. example, what are the beneficial rays that venus, mars and sun would send... how would they help? what was the violet ray mean and how can it be destroyed. etc... but at kids level, my daughter who is 9, loved it very much.
All in all, a good one shot read it was! The secrets of Zynpauga.
The book starts with a thanks to so many many people... and me being a person that likes to read a book from page 1 to page "The end".. just had to go through the whole(rather seemed very long and could have been crispier)... however I did feel one thing... putting up year of born, etc.. would not be a good thing in this cyber cruel world... just not safe to put such an important piece of info just up there.!
I liked the way the book has been channelized and marketed so well, capturing the "who-is-who" of this generation.. the media, the internet and roadshows. making it popular and building the brand.
The story line is strong too.. the imagination on new lines.. hitting right note.
As an adult, I would expect more base to the fiction, adding a more real touch. example, what are the beneficial rays that venus, mars and sun would send... how would they help? what was the violet ray mean and how can it be destroyed. etc... but at kids level, my daughter who is 9, loved it very much.
All in all, a good one shot read it was! The secrets of Zynpauga.
May 25, 2015
"Secret of Zynpagua: Return of the Princes" is a nice read, with a sort of fantasy and mysterious elements throughout.
I liked two characters, Femina and Anika; Femina the most, as the girl is brave enough to fight against the evil.
Zynpagua, the cursed dark planet, is a very interesting setting for the story. All the characters have different supernatural powers. The author's creativity in developing the situations and characters are appreciable.
The beginning, before all characters are presented, is a bit dragging; rest of the book is fine.
Overall a good read, particularly for teenagers.
I liked two characters, Femina and Anika; Femina the most, as the girl is brave enough to fight against the evil.
Zynpagua, the cursed dark planet, is a very interesting setting for the story. All the characters have different supernatural powers. The author's creativity in developing the situations and characters are appreciable.
The beginning, before all characters are presented, is a bit dragging; rest of the book is fine.
Overall a good read, particularly for teenagers.
June 21, 2015
The reader can approach the novel with two different approaches and can choose to read a story that will entertain pleasantly for a few hours, thanks to its irony, the original and bizarre characters or may prefer a deeper reading, taking a few steps to better observe what is going on and find out the irony hides the fear and that the lies are a way to avoid facing the truth, and that reality needs a lot of courage. A novel for teenagers, lighthearted and touching at the same time.
May 20, 2015
I won this book in a giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
I really loved the story! Great effort by the author. The book had me hooked on to it from the first chapter and I couldn't put it down till the end! Really amusing interpretations and explanations as well - I'm sure that if I enjoyed reading this so much, children would love it too!
I really loved the story! Great effort by the author. The book had me hooked on to it from the first chapter and I couldn't put it down till the end! Really amusing interpretations and explanations as well - I'm sure that if I enjoyed reading this so much, children would love it too!
July 4, 2015
I won this book in good reads first reads give away.
A good story! The author is indeed gifted in her ability to convey the story in a way that kids can imagine and understand. It had thrill, suspense, disappointment and happiness. Really liked it!
A good story! The author is indeed gifted in her ability to convey the story in a way that kids can imagine and understand. It had thrill, suspense, disappointment and happiness. Really liked it!
October 24, 2015
I got this book as the part of goodreads giveaway.
It was a pleasant read.
There were few loopholes in the story due to which only 4 stars.
It was a pleasant read.
There were few loopholes in the story due to which only 4 stars.
May 31, 2017
Secrets of Zynpagua is a very exciting and adventurouss book to read , speacially for kids. the author Ilika Ranjan have really written it with a lot of imagination and have come up with a very intresting topic. All characters have been magicaly described and very convincing. A very creative story have been written.I would encourage you to read it.
May 18, 2017
Both the books are amazing!!! These books deserve a medal or somthing... The adventures of Anika, Vivian, Femina, Leo and Fredrick are too good. This series is a must read for anyone who likes Fantasy, Adventure and obviously a LOT OF FUN!!!
October 19, 2014
Most fairytales follow the concept of “the damsel in distress” where the princess needs to be rescued, but here in Zynpagua, it is the princess who has to rescue her kingdom. This book takes the readers on a journey into Zynpagua’s world of fantasy, adventure and mystery; and has many lyrical prophecies. It aims at getting children and young adults to get back in the habit of reading fiction. In fact, a few publishers had rejected the book saying that, nowadays, children are not into reading fairytales and classics anymore. This book is published by Partridge Publication. The story has been artfully devised to blend in with the twists and mysteries at every step. I feel that though this is only the second book of Ms. Ilika Ranjan, it is truly a marvel. The author has elaborated Zynpagua such that the reader can almost feel himself there.
The story is about a cursed land called Zynpagua. Once upon a time, Zynpagua used to be a part of the Earth, ruled by King Soto and Queen Sussaina who were much beloved. The queen had supernatural powers, which she used for the betterment of her subjects. But an evil scientist, Drudan, wanted to take over Zynpagua. So he invented a fatal violet light, but it generated catastrophic movements which separated Zynpagua from the Earth. The sun, planets and stars were angry at the king and queen for neglecting their kingdom and took away their blessings from Zynpagua, which, then, became a cursed land. Drudan imprisoned Queen Sussaina behind the Shadow of the Moon, and King Soto could not be traced. While in captivity, Queen Sussaina secretly gave birth to a baby girl and sent her to the Earth, where she reached India and was adopted by an Indian family. This book is about the adventures of princess Anika and the quests she undertook, along with Vivian (her brother), Femina (Vivian’s friend), Frederick (Anika’s uncle), Leo (Drudan’s son) and Lady Carol (Leo’s grandmother) in her mission of overthrowing Drudan and restoring Zynpagua to its former glory.
The author, Ms. Ilika Ranjan, has done her Masters in Business Administration from Symbiosis Institute of International Business, Pune, and is an ex-banker and an entrepreneur, blogger and a travelogue-Writer. The poetic talent of Ms. Ranjan is obvious from the lyrical prophecies of the book. The book has Spanish lines occasionally, and Ms. Ranjan has learnt Spanish particularly for this book. Her first fiction book as an author was “Puppets on the Fast Track” which is a satire. She has also written many short stories for children. This is her second book. Ms. Ilika Ranjan also has a passion for travelling.
Characters:-
• Anika- The story revolves around Anika, a ten year old coy and quiet girl who has the power to read the stars and influence them. She faces the feat of impressing the planets and defeating Drudan.
• Vivian- Vivian is Anika’s fifteen year old brother. He has magical powers and can influence the nature.
• Frederick- Frederick is Anika’s uncle who is trapped in an invisible mountain range near Spain called Siepra Nevada and speaks only Spanish.
• Femina- Femina is Vivian’s seventeen year old friend and the daughter of a fisherman. She is destined to marry Vivian The women of Zynpagua have been gifted by Venus with bravery, beauty, skilfulness, and other traits, and Femina is one of the best women of Zynpagua. She is brave, beautiful, and skilled with archery, horse-riding and sword- fighting.
• Sussaina- Sussaina is the mother of Anika and Vivian. She was imprisoned behind the Shadow of the Moon by Drudan.
• Leo- Leo is the son of Drudan who is destined to kill his father. When Drudan got to know about this, he imprisoned Leo under ice on the Earth, in an unknown place. Leo is the soul mate of Anika and she has to free Leo.
I feel that all the characters are diverse and have been portrayed very clearly. Ms. Ranjan has created the characters in such a way that each of them has an important role to play.
The language is very rich and can help children improve their grammar. Woman-power is clearly portrayed here. There are mysteries at every corner which keep up the enthusiasm of the readers. Unfortunately, the story, sometimes, is very predictable. This negative point should be covered. I am sure that readers would love this book. I am sure that Ms. Ilika Ranjan would become well-known everywhere, and I hope she continues writing such books.
The story is about a cursed land called Zynpagua. Once upon a time, Zynpagua used to be a part of the Earth, ruled by King Soto and Queen Sussaina who were much beloved. The queen had supernatural powers, which she used for the betterment of her subjects. But an evil scientist, Drudan, wanted to take over Zynpagua. So he invented a fatal violet light, but it generated catastrophic movements which separated Zynpagua from the Earth. The sun, planets and stars were angry at the king and queen for neglecting their kingdom and took away their blessings from Zynpagua, which, then, became a cursed land. Drudan imprisoned Queen Sussaina behind the Shadow of the Moon, and King Soto could not be traced. While in captivity, Queen Sussaina secretly gave birth to a baby girl and sent her to the Earth, where she reached India and was adopted by an Indian family. This book is about the adventures of princess Anika and the quests she undertook, along with Vivian (her brother), Femina (Vivian’s friend), Frederick (Anika’s uncle), Leo (Drudan’s son) and Lady Carol (Leo’s grandmother) in her mission of overthrowing Drudan and restoring Zynpagua to its former glory.
The author, Ms. Ilika Ranjan, has done her Masters in Business Administration from Symbiosis Institute of International Business, Pune, and is an ex-banker and an entrepreneur, blogger and a travelogue-Writer. The poetic talent of Ms. Ranjan is obvious from the lyrical prophecies of the book. The book has Spanish lines occasionally, and Ms. Ranjan has learnt Spanish particularly for this book. Her first fiction book as an author was “Puppets on the Fast Track” which is a satire. She has also written many short stories for children. This is her second book. Ms. Ilika Ranjan also has a passion for travelling.
Characters:-
• Anika- The story revolves around Anika, a ten year old coy and quiet girl who has the power to read the stars and influence them. She faces the feat of impressing the planets and defeating Drudan.
• Vivian- Vivian is Anika’s fifteen year old brother. He has magical powers and can influence the nature.
• Frederick- Frederick is Anika’s uncle who is trapped in an invisible mountain range near Spain called Siepra Nevada and speaks only Spanish.
• Femina- Femina is Vivian’s seventeen year old friend and the daughter of a fisherman. She is destined to marry Vivian The women of Zynpagua have been gifted by Venus with bravery, beauty, skilfulness, and other traits, and Femina is one of the best women of Zynpagua. She is brave, beautiful, and skilled with archery, horse-riding and sword- fighting.
• Sussaina- Sussaina is the mother of Anika and Vivian. She was imprisoned behind the Shadow of the Moon by Drudan.
• Leo- Leo is the son of Drudan who is destined to kill his father. When Drudan got to know about this, he imprisoned Leo under ice on the Earth, in an unknown place. Leo is the soul mate of Anika and she has to free Leo.
I feel that all the characters are diverse and have been portrayed very clearly. Ms. Ranjan has created the characters in such a way that each of them has an important role to play.
The language is very rich and can help children improve their grammar. Woman-power is clearly portrayed here. There are mysteries at every corner which keep up the enthusiasm of the readers. Unfortunately, the story, sometimes, is very predictable. This negative point should be covered. I am sure that readers would love this book. I am sure that Ms. Ilika Ranjan would become well-known everywhere, and I hope she continues writing such books.
November 8, 2014
Secrets of zynpagua: Return of the Princess
By- Ilika Ranjan
This is a really amazing book. In this book, every page unfolds a mystery, which has been skilfully mixed with the story to render a wonderful read to the readers. Readers like me, would love reading this book as it is very thrilling and adventurous. Ilika ranjan has presented the story very beautifully. The language in the book used, would help children improve in their command over the language.
This story tells us about a cursed land of Zynpagua.
Once upon a time, Zynpagua was a part of earth. King Soto and Queen Sussaina ruled it .They ensured peace in their land. The Queen had supernatural powers. Sussaina had the ability to read the stars with which she predicted the future. She used her skills to save the people of Zynpagua against any calamities. Each planet could send beneficial rays for good cause.
But an evil eye was watching it. And it was the eye of scientist Drudan. He wanted to rule Zynpagua. He tricked the King and Queen to ignore their kingdom So, after learning magic from her wife Pajaro, he invented violet light which could kill anybody in seconds and generated catastrophic movements that separated Zynpagua from earth carrying with it all the people on the land. . This angered the Sun and Stars and they refused to send their blessing on Zynpagua. Without the support of Sun, Zynpagua became a dark planet. Drudan captured Queen Sussaina behind the shadows of the Moon, while King Soto could not be traced.
While in prison, she secretly gave birth to a girl and sent her to Earth. The girl had super natural powers to influence Sun, Venus and Mars and free Zynpagua from Drudan. And, Anika bravely sets out to rescue Zynpagua and her mother, along with Vivian, Femina, Lady Carol, Frederick and Leo.
Characters of the book are -
1. Anika: She is the ten year old Princess of Zynpagua. She is the one who would rescue Zynpagua from Drudan.
2. Vivian: He is 15 years old Anika's brother .He is the one to whom Pajaro transfers her magic.
3. Queen Sussaina: She is the mother of Anika and the Queen of Zynpagua.
4. Frederick: Anika's uncle who has been banished to an invisible land called Siepra Nevada near Spain .He is 21 years old and speaks Spanish.
5. Femina: She loves Vivian. She is a 17 year old girl who is the most courageous girl In Zynpagua.
6. Lady Carol: She is mother of Pajaro. She has come from the kingdom of clouds.
7. Leo: He is the son of Pajaro and grandson of lady carol. When he stands in front of Drudan, Drudan loses his power.
Ilika ranjan has used her knowledge of Spanish to create a Spanish speaking character Frederick. Ilika's poetic talent is evident through small catchy lyrics for every prophecy in the book. The author, Ilika ranjan, is a Master in Business Administration from Symbiosis Institute of International business, Pune, an Ex banker and an entrepreneur. The “Secrets of Zynpagua: Return of Princess” is her second book and she has presented it beautifully. I hope Ilika ranjan would soon publish the second book in this series "Secrets of Zynpagua: Search of Soul Mates". I am eagerly waiting for that. I would also love a photograph with Ms. Ilika Ranjan whenever possible.
Thank youILIKA RANJAN
By- Ilika Ranjan
This is a really amazing book. In this book, every page unfolds a mystery, which has been skilfully mixed with the story to render a wonderful read to the readers. Readers like me, would love reading this book as it is very thrilling and adventurous. Ilika ranjan has presented the story very beautifully. The language in the book used, would help children improve in their command over the language.
This story tells us about a cursed land of Zynpagua.
Once upon a time, Zynpagua was a part of earth. King Soto and Queen Sussaina ruled it .They ensured peace in their land. The Queen had supernatural powers. Sussaina had the ability to read the stars with which she predicted the future. She used her skills to save the people of Zynpagua against any calamities. Each planet could send beneficial rays for good cause.
But an evil eye was watching it. And it was the eye of scientist Drudan. He wanted to rule Zynpagua. He tricked the King and Queen to ignore their kingdom So, after learning magic from her wife Pajaro, he invented violet light which could kill anybody in seconds and generated catastrophic movements that separated Zynpagua from earth carrying with it all the people on the land. . This angered the Sun and Stars and they refused to send their blessing on Zynpagua. Without the support of Sun, Zynpagua became a dark planet. Drudan captured Queen Sussaina behind the shadows of the Moon, while King Soto could not be traced.
While in prison, she secretly gave birth to a girl and sent her to Earth. The girl had super natural powers to influence Sun, Venus and Mars and free Zynpagua from Drudan. And, Anika bravely sets out to rescue Zynpagua and her mother, along with Vivian, Femina, Lady Carol, Frederick and Leo.
Characters of the book are -
1. Anika: She is the ten year old Princess of Zynpagua. She is the one who would rescue Zynpagua from Drudan.
2. Vivian: He is 15 years old Anika's brother .He is the one to whom Pajaro transfers her magic.
3. Queen Sussaina: She is the mother of Anika and the Queen of Zynpagua.
4. Frederick: Anika's uncle who has been banished to an invisible land called Siepra Nevada near Spain .He is 21 years old and speaks Spanish.
5. Femina: She loves Vivian. She is a 17 year old girl who is the most courageous girl In Zynpagua.
6. Lady Carol: She is mother of Pajaro. She has come from the kingdom of clouds.
7. Leo: He is the son of Pajaro and grandson of lady carol. When he stands in front of Drudan, Drudan loses his power.
Ilika ranjan has used her knowledge of Spanish to create a Spanish speaking character Frederick. Ilika's poetic talent is evident through small catchy lyrics for every prophecy in the book. The author, Ilika ranjan, is a Master in Business Administration from Symbiosis Institute of International business, Pune, an Ex banker and an entrepreneur. The “Secrets of Zynpagua: Return of Princess” is her second book and she has presented it beautifully. I hope Ilika ranjan would soon publish the second book in this series "Secrets of Zynpagua: Search of Soul Mates". I am eagerly waiting for that. I would also love a photograph with Ms. Ilika Ranjan whenever possible.
Thank youILIKA RANJAN
April 24, 2015
A day will come
when the Moon will be milky white.
The Sun,Venus and Mars will be ready to fight
to destroy the shadow
And rescue our mother.
You can do it, no other.
Impress Sun,Venus and Mars.
They are eager to use their powers.
Our freedom lies in the hands of stars.
They will shower their blessings like flowers....
Hola amiga!
Remember we met at crossword in the month of January?
You told us; labdhi n me to attend the mono play of your book but for some school work we could not. Apologies for that. Recently, just before two days we completed reading your book The secrets of zynpagua: Return of the Princess. We probably took two days to complete.Those two days were totally awesome! We knew the gist of the story as you had narrated to us. As we started reading we could not get our heads out of the book. Page by page, chapter by chapter we just continued to read. It has fascinated us so much.Learning Spanish from Frederick was too much fun. When finally we came to the end of the book seeing that Drudan ran away without being killed made me little disappointed. I thought in the end of the book Anika and mother Sussaina would kill Drudan and save Zynpagua forever! What about Femina she was so kind and good how she just turn into a stone statue like this? If she remains like this forever then how will she marry Vivian? several questions were just coming up in my mind..When I got to know that the book 2 is going to come I got answers to all my questions; that all this will come in book 2. Everything about Femina and Vivian, the soul mates, Anika's family in India....everything. Hope I am not thinking wrong!
Remember I asked you that how can such thoughts build up in your mind?? the way you've written the book with all Spanish and even the gayatri mantra! Such thoughts of a cursed land which is separated from Earth, violet light and the very evil Drudan. I am highly inspired by you.In The Fault in our Stars, the girl got a chance to communicate and meet her favorite author; just like that but little different we got to meet and know an author we never knew and got to know about her book.I loved the way you took sachinth Goel and Arna Malhotra from the real life into the book as their own characters... A humble request from both of us to please please release the second part as well as soon as possible.I'll patiently wait for your reply... Take care
Riddhi
( student from 9th grade)
when the Moon will be milky white.
The Sun,Venus and Mars will be ready to fight
to destroy the shadow
And rescue our mother.
You can do it, no other.
Impress Sun,Venus and Mars.
They are eager to use their powers.
Our freedom lies in the hands of stars.
They will shower their blessings like flowers....
Hola amiga!
Remember we met at crossword in the month of January?
You told us; labdhi n me to attend the mono play of your book but for some school work we could not. Apologies for that. Recently, just before two days we completed reading your book The secrets of zynpagua: Return of the Princess. We probably took two days to complete.Those two days were totally awesome! We knew the gist of the story as you had narrated to us. As we started reading we could not get our heads out of the book. Page by page, chapter by chapter we just continued to read. It has fascinated us so much.Learning Spanish from Frederick was too much fun. When finally we came to the end of the book seeing that Drudan ran away without being killed made me little disappointed. I thought in the end of the book Anika and mother Sussaina would kill Drudan and save Zynpagua forever! What about Femina she was so kind and good how she just turn into a stone statue like this? If she remains like this forever then how will she marry Vivian? several questions were just coming up in my mind..When I got to know that the book 2 is going to come I got answers to all my questions; that all this will come in book 2. Everything about Femina and Vivian, the soul mates, Anika's family in India....everything. Hope I am not thinking wrong!
Remember I asked you that how can such thoughts build up in your mind?? the way you've written the book with all Spanish and even the gayatri mantra! Such thoughts of a cursed land which is separated from Earth, violet light and the very evil Drudan. I am highly inspired by you.In The Fault in our Stars, the girl got a chance to communicate and meet her favorite author; just like that but little different we got to meet and know an author we never knew and got to know about her book.I loved the way you took sachinth Goel and Arna Malhotra from the real life into the book as their own characters... A humble request from both of us to please please release the second part as well as soon as possible.I'll patiently wait for your reply... Take care
Riddhi
( student from 9th grade)
February 23, 2017
The 10 year old little girl who saved ZYNPAGUA and her family of Zynpagua.
**** I received this book as a giveaway from the author******
She would rise, From the coyness of her existence, To let the world shine with brilliance,To challenge the stones, the stars, the air, and the clouds,To clean the muck her people would never be proud,Yes, my girl will return to question Drudan for his crime, And give back the most beautiful time.
A Read to Review by Ilika Ranjan (via Goodreads.com): Thankyou for the copy.
The moment I saw this book, I was in love with the book cover. The cover has nicely illustrated character profiles on it which would help any child to easily relate and recognise the characters in the story. The font used is very child friendly with special pages displaying each character and its persona- creative idea!
Fascinating adventures in the fantasy world is what this book is all about. At every instance you would end up with a new plot twist and huge level of imagination. In this techno-savy world, imagination is one thing that the children these days are loosing behind. I am happy and thankful to the author that this book revives those imagination and re-creates a dreamland.
Few other things that I appreciate about the author is that she ensured that the kids should not get confused among the various characters and the special powers/relations/purpose associated with them, so throughout the book at various instances the character profile is mentioned as a gentle reminder. Also, I felt as the characters in this book are the same as that of the readers, the children would be able to related themselves with them and enjoy the adventure better.
The concept works perfect with the wild imagination that a child can play around with and work around their own set of visual experiences.
The only disappointment I felt was too much violence, blood-shed and sadness as far as children are concerned. Instances describing 'slit the throat' or mentioning Drudan putting his foot on sliced head are I believe unsuited for kids. Also, I felt sadness in terms of weeping and sobbing were too frequently used turning the challenging adventure of saving Zynpagua a painful adventure.
But, I am sure the author must have had her own reasons.
Concluding, it is a beautiful book. A must read for everyone who wish to re-live in their own land of imagination where anything can happen.
**** I received this book as a giveaway from the author******
She would rise, From the coyness of her existence, To let the world shine with brilliance,To challenge the stones, the stars, the air, and the clouds,To clean the muck her people would never be proud,Yes, my girl will return to question Drudan for his crime, And give back the most beautiful time.
A Read to Review by Ilika Ranjan (via Goodreads.com): Thankyou for the copy.
The moment I saw this book, I was in love with the book cover. The cover has nicely illustrated character profiles on it which would help any child to easily relate and recognise the characters in the story. The font used is very child friendly with special pages displaying each character and its persona- creative idea!
Fascinating adventures in the fantasy world is what this book is all about. At every instance you would end up with a new plot twist and huge level of imagination. In this techno-savy world, imagination is one thing that the children these days are loosing behind. I am happy and thankful to the author that this book revives those imagination and re-creates a dreamland.
Few other things that I appreciate about the author is that she ensured that the kids should not get confused among the various characters and the special powers/relations/purpose associated with them, so throughout the book at various instances the character profile is mentioned as a gentle reminder. Also, I felt as the characters in this book are the same as that of the readers, the children would be able to related themselves with them and enjoy the adventure better.
The concept works perfect with the wild imagination that a child can play around with and work around their own set of visual experiences.
The only disappointment I felt was too much violence, blood-shed and sadness as far as children are concerned. Instances describing 'slit the throat' or mentioning Drudan putting his foot on sliced head are I believe unsuited for kids. Also, I felt sadness in terms of weeping and sobbing were too frequently used turning the challenging adventure of saving Zynpagua a painful adventure.
But, I am sure the author must have had her own reasons.
Concluding, it is a beautiful book. A must read for everyone who wish to re-live in their own land of imagination where anything can happen.
June 11, 2015
This book is a refreshing break from other books that deal with complicated and materialistic adult life. Ilika Ranjan has shown that Indian authors too can take on writing fiction for children by simply swirling their own magic wands called pen. The colourful and well-illustrated cover and a character introduction card with a lined up pictures of all the main characters on it and the best part is it can be used as a bookmark too.
Secrets of Zynpagua: Return of the Princess is the first book in the Zynpagua series. As the name says, this book marks the return of the princess to Zynpagua along with her brother and uncle to save her family and people from the clutches of an evil scientist. This book tries to combine magic and science. And the best part is, the author has not tried to make the story unfold in some foreign country, but has based it in India and in a mystical land of Zynpagua.
Since this book is meant for children and young adults, author has written in a way that even children can understand. For example, she has written as “stretch pants” instead of thermal wear. But she also uses words like topography that very small children cannot understand unless explained what it means. In the acknowledgement, the author has mentioned that so and so person has illustrated and painted the sketches of the characters given in the book, but all the sketches in the book are in grayscale, and this disappoints a reader. The author also brings in the concept of soul mates in this book which is inappropriate in the book meant for children too. Had it been only for young adults, then this would have been accepted, but the idea of soul mates is hard to accept and puts in adult emotions and thoughts into young minds.
Flow of the story is really good as every event in it is well connected and is not purposeless. There is a reason behind whatever happens in the story and helps in taking the story further. No senselessly dragging just to make it a long story. This book is a commendable effort by the author, Ilika Ranjan, for catering to the young readers of India. Don’t forget to buy this book for your children. If you buy it, then be prepared to explain few concepts to your children if they are too young to understand them.
Secrets of Zynpagua: Return of the Princess is the first book in the Zynpagua series. As the name says, this book marks the return of the princess to Zynpagua along with her brother and uncle to save her family and people from the clutches of an evil scientist. This book tries to combine magic and science. And the best part is, the author has not tried to make the story unfold in some foreign country, but has based it in India and in a mystical land of Zynpagua.
Since this book is meant for children and young adults, author has written in a way that even children can understand. For example, she has written as “stretch pants” instead of thermal wear. But she also uses words like topography that very small children cannot understand unless explained what it means. In the acknowledgement, the author has mentioned that so and so person has illustrated and painted the sketches of the characters given in the book, but all the sketches in the book are in grayscale, and this disappoints a reader. The author also brings in the concept of soul mates in this book which is inappropriate in the book meant for children too. Had it been only for young adults, then this would have been accepted, but the idea of soul mates is hard to accept and puts in adult emotions and thoughts into young minds.
Flow of the story is really good as every event in it is well connected and is not purposeless. There is a reason behind whatever happens in the story and helps in taking the story further. No senselessly dragging just to make it a long story. This book is a commendable effort by the author, Ilika Ranjan, for catering to the young readers of India. Don’t forget to buy this book for your children. If you buy it, then be prepared to explain few concepts to your children if they are too young to understand them.
June 16, 2015
Ostensibly written for children, this fantasy is a success in its objective.Characters like Anika, Sussaina and Leo are people with magical powers/gifted powers.They are pitted against a scientific giant who uses his findings for destructive purposes, for defeating his enemies, and for building his dictatorial empire:"I hate to see people laugh in my kingdom. Only I have the right to laugh." (P.94).In their effort to counter the evil designs of Drudan, they get the help and blessings of nature, Sun, Moon, Venus, and Mars etc.One character after another like Femina, Leo and lady Carole pop up completing an army of blessed fighters to defeat the dreaded Drudan.
In this work concepts like selflessness,violence,neglect,pretense,evil, vice, justice, and compassion etc.are carefully handled.
However,some of the impediments raised towards the end and struggles necessitated there of appear dragging.I am afraid, vital notions like a)"Everything in her life was predestined." p.131, b)"You...have inherited this skill from her." p.124, c)"Her soul has been injured!" p.101 may leave a lasting but erroneous impression in the mind of a young reader.
I award this book four stars. I had received this book as a Giveaway.
In this work concepts like selflessness,violence,neglect,pretense,evil, vice, justice, and compassion etc.are carefully handled.
However,some of the impediments raised towards the end and struggles necessitated there of appear dragging.I am afraid, vital notions like a)"Everything in her life was predestined." p.131, b)"You...have inherited this skill from her." p.124, c)"Her soul has been injured!" p.101 may leave a lasting but erroneous impression in the mind of a young reader.
I award this book four stars. I had received this book as a Giveaway.
May 13, 2015
The secrets of zympagua is a pretty good novel and a treat to read for children.
It's the story about the adventure of a girl Anika who at the age of 10 finds out that she is the daughter of King Soto and Queen Sussaina who ruled the kingdom of Zynpagua. But an evil scientist named Drudan created fatal violet rays that separated Zynpagua from Earth making it a cursed land.
Now it's up to her to revive the curse and save her mother.
The poems and characters are interesting and inculcate great values.
P.S. I got the book from a goodreads giveaway.
It's the story about the adventure of a girl Anika who at the age of 10 finds out that she is the daughter of King Soto and Queen Sussaina who ruled the kingdom of Zynpagua. But an evil scientist named Drudan created fatal violet rays that separated Zynpagua from Earth making it a cursed land.
Now it's up to her to revive the curse and save her mother.
The poems and characters are interesting and inculcate great values.
P.S. I got the book from a goodreads giveaway.
June 4, 2015
First of all,I won this book throught Goodreads First Reads.I'm thanksful to the zynpagua team for sending me this wonderful book.I enjoyed reading this book.All the character s have been wonderfully described and the plot too is great.The entire book enchants us to completely read it over and again for nearly...many times.And Last,me Mounika loved Anika a lot.So cute and determined..Absolutely wonderful story
May 31, 2015
****** FIRST READS WINNER ******
Secrets of Zynpagua is the gorgeous and magical story of 10-year old princess trying to save her family and kingdom from the clutches of evil. It fills one's heart with fear, love and valour.
The author's writing style is exceptional and keeps you intrigued.
A great work... Must Read....
Secrets of Zynpagua is the gorgeous and magical story of 10-year old princess trying to save her family and kingdom from the clutches of evil. It fills one's heart with fear, love and valour.
The author's writing style is exceptional and keeps you intrigued.
A great work... Must Read....
December 28, 2014
AN innocent interesting plot woven with great care for Indian values with the inclusion of right principles and Shlokas and based on the concept of regards for the planetay neighbours. A book all kids would enjoy!
August 12, 2015
Wonderful book for kids....the author is indeed gifted in her ability to convey the story in a way that kids can imagine and understand.Takes you back to your childhood days when simple and innocent stories kept children entertained. Loved it!
May 27, 2015
This book "Secrets of Zynpagua: Return of the Princess" is definitely for kids. Kids would definitely love this fantasy story. Parents can read this book to their children before going to bed.
At the end when you finish reading this book, you would get an urge to read this books sequel.
At the end when you finish reading this book, you would get an urge to read this books sequel.
December 14, 2016
Thank you for the author and GoodReads for the book.
Just to sum it up and keep the review simple
I just wished this was released a few years ago, would have loved it more as a teenager :)
Great read
Just to sum it up and keep the review simple
I just wished this was released a few years ago, would have loved it more as a teenager :)
Great read
February 4, 2021
I received this book through first-reads. Thannks Ilika & Goodreads.
This is a nice read and invokes the very child in an adult. Good work.
This is a nice read and invokes the very child in an adult. Good work.
October 4, 2015
Grate Read! must read for all the children and Adults for children.
July 3, 2022
Secrets of Zynpagua: Return of the Princess by Ilika Ranjan was a fun read for me. The book is meant for children or early teenagers and in their perspective it is quite a good read. It has all elements of a children’s book and I would to has more than the elements.
The book is about Zyanpagua, a fantasy land separated from Earth where an evil king regulates who has captured the queen of Zyanpagua with his magic and has vanished the king, again with the help of his magic whom he calls violet. The princess, the daughter of the original queen, the protagonist of this story, resides in India and is unknown of the fact of her being the princess or the existence of Zyanpagua when she is introduced to her readers.
Some might question the way story unfolds in the starting chapters but I think its perfect from a children’s POV book. A child, unlike an adult, in most cases, will find difficult if the story doesn’t make twists and turns. I credit here the author for keeping the plot in motion through out the book.
There were few things I did not agree with, but hey, it’s a fantasy. The book is introduced to major characters through illustrations in between which I think is an excellent point of introducing them all the children who might end up reading it. Also, in their case, the visualisation with the text helps.
Thus, I would recommended this book to all children.
The book is about Zyanpagua, a fantasy land separated from Earth where an evil king regulates who has captured the queen of Zyanpagua with his magic and has vanished the king, again with the help of his magic whom he calls violet. The princess, the daughter of the original queen, the protagonist of this story, resides in India and is unknown of the fact of her being the princess or the existence of Zyanpagua when she is introduced to her readers.
Some might question the way story unfolds in the starting chapters but I think its perfect from a children’s POV book. A child, unlike an adult, in most cases, will find difficult if the story doesn’t make twists and turns. I credit here the author for keeping the plot in motion through out the book.
There were few things I did not agree with, but hey, it’s a fantasy. The book is introduced to major characters through illustrations in between which I think is an excellent point of introducing them all the children who might end up reading it. Also, in their case, the visualisation with the text helps.
Thus, I would recommended this book to all children.
July 9, 2019
The plot is amazing but there are a lot of loopholes and the writing style isn't very interesting. There is a lot of information dumping and in some places there is a little bit too much description. Also, I really don't get it. Can she teleport or something? Many parts of the story are unexplained.
It could have been better.
It could have been better.
February 10, 2021
A very nice story, I would say. Kids will defenitely enjoy it but me being a teenager found something missing. The plot and the setting is perfect but I think I preferred better writing and performance. There are some logical plotholes I just cant ignore. But if you are the one who only searchs for entertainment and if plotholes dont bother you, just go for it. This book is amazing.
June 3, 2016
Secrets of Zynpagua: Return of the Princess by Ilika Ranjan was a fun read for me. The book is meant for children or early teenagers and in their perspective it is quite a good read. It has all elements of a children’s book and I would to has more than the elements.
The book is about Zyanpagua, a fantasy land separated from Earth where an evil king regulates who has captured the queen of Zyanpagua with his magic and has vanished the king, again with the help of his magic whom he calls violet. The princess, the daughter of the original queen, the protagonist of this story, resides in India and is unknown of the fact of her being the princess or the existence of Zyanpagua when she is introduced to her readers.
Some might question the way story unfolds in the starting chapters but I think its perfect from a children’s POV book. A child, unlike an adult, in most cases, will find difficult if the story doesn’t make twists and turns. I credit here the author for keeping the plot in motion through out the book.
There were few things I did not agree with, but hey, it’s a fantasy. The book is introduced to major characters through illustrations in between which I think is an excellent point of introducing them all the children who might end up reading it. Also, in their case, the visualisation with the text helps.
Thus, I would recommended this book to all children.
The book is about Zyanpagua, a fantasy land separated from Earth where an evil king regulates who has captured the queen of Zyanpagua with his magic and has vanished the king, again with the help of his magic whom he calls violet. The princess, the daughter of the original queen, the protagonist of this story, resides in India and is unknown of the fact of her being the princess or the existence of Zyanpagua when she is introduced to her readers.
Some might question the way story unfolds in the starting chapters but I think its perfect from a children’s POV book. A child, unlike an adult, in most cases, will find difficult if the story doesn’t make twists and turns. I credit here the author for keeping the plot in motion through out the book.
There were few things I did not agree with, but hey, it’s a fantasy. The book is introduced to major characters through illustrations in between which I think is an excellent point of introducing them all the children who might end up reading it. Also, in their case, the visualisation with the text helps.
Thus, I would recommended this book to all children.
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