Astra

by Aditya Mukherjee

The world should burn . . . burn like a star! The balance of the world is askew. The winds speak of a terror from the south. Ravana, the Lord of Lanka, is on the march. Seers whisper that he has awakened Starsong, a mythical astra of the gods. And that he thirsts for this weapon that will make him invincible. But there is one thing that he hasn't considered. Up high in the glistening tower of the city of Ulka is a boy, held captive. Today is the day Varkan, the young prince of Ashmaka, will taste freedom. Today is the day he will lay claim to his destiny as the wielder of Starsong. And along the way, perhaps he will change the destiny of the world itself.

256 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2019

About the author

Aditya Mukherjee is Professor of Contemporary Indian History, Centre for Historical Studies and Dean, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. He was educated at St. Stephen’s College and JNU. He is the Editor of the ‘Sage Series in Modern Indian History’ published by SAGE publications, (fifteen monographs already published) and was editor of the Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru (2009-11).He is Member of the Council of The Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR) since 2009.He specializes in Economic History, particularly business history and the political economy of post-colonial development. He was President of the Indian History Congress for Modern India, 2007-8. He has been Visiting Professor at Duke University, U.S.A.

Reviews

[Pari · Rating 3 out of 5]

“… after Ravana has captured Sita to avenge his sister… War is here, and the astras have awoken.”

‘Tis a race against time as both the forces move towards War; which side will emerge as victors? The King of Rakshasas or a young boy?

From ‘Astra: The Quest for Starsong’ flows many valuable, moral lessons. For instance, with great power comes great responsibilities, one should have control over one's self and not lose one's head over a personal achievement, talent or strength, one should control one’s anger, excessive wrath and aggression can only lead to destruction, greed leads to one’s downfall, Nature and the Cosmic Balance should be respected and maintained and also, in an old Yakshini’s words, “Individually you humans each seem innocent. But together you gouge out the forests, defile the Earth, and wage war and violence on all creatures.”

I loved the depiction of ‘The Falcon Tribe’ and the ‘Court of the Golden Queen’. Also, the transition between scenes was generated well.

But on the other hand, I did not like the writing style or the narration. I would start liking a scene, my expectations would rise only to culminate in a not so powerful ending. It was not as striking as I wanted it to be but in some parts it felt puzzling. I wouldn’t compare it to Harry Potter as although the plot line sounded promising, the delivery was weak.

Maybe this fantasy/ adventure/ mythological action drama will be enjoyed by children but I don’t think it is capable of holding the attention of an adult for long.

[Gayatri Saikia | per_fictionist · Rating 3 out of 5]

The world should burn . . . burn like a star!

Astra : The Quest for Starsong, sketches the journey of Varkan, prince of Ashmaka who is the wielder and protector of Starsong, one of the astras.

The story is set before the abduction of Sita by the lord of Ravana and Ravana's quest to bring all the mighty astras under his wing and thereby rule the kingdoms of both the humans and Asuras. Ravana, who already owns the Pushpaka Vimana has now set his eyes on Astra. It is now the sole responsibility of Varkan and his friends to stop this raging war.

The story opens up with Varkan being held captive in a high tower by his uncle and we get to know that his mother has been prisoned too.

"Astra : The Quest for Starsong" starts off with a rather strong start although I would agree that the beginning felt quite abrupt and could've been a bit lucid.

The book in my opinion would cater fo the middle graders perfectly merely for the fact that it is fast paced.

The characters however lacked polish and felt abit underdeveloped for my taste and I would've definitely preferred to know more about Tara and her grandfather.

Overall, I would recommend ASTRA to fans books inspired by Indian Mythology.

[Khyati Gautam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping tale of Astras and Astra wielders which will take you along so many empires and kingdoms vying to keep the weapon safe in the hiding because none except celestials could bear it. Ravana who is already in possession of the Pushpak Vimana is all set to find the Astra, the bearer of which could go mad, the Starsong. Varkan, prince of the land of falling stars, is a young boy who is given the charge of keeping the Astra safe. In the journey, he comes across unforeseeable circumstances. Would he be able to save it from going into the hands of Ravana to wreak destruction? 

A fast-paced story of a young boy who acquires the power of the notorious Astra forms the backbone of this book. Written in a lucid language and simple tone, the book has moral lessons to be learned behind its plotline. The book highlights the importance of keeping a powerful weapon safe and away from the wrong hands so that its effect isn't drawn towards the darkness. The story has characters who are young children, namely Varkan and Tara, who fight against the evil powers to bring good to their world. Their indefatigable spirit is worth reading and admiring. The way in which Varkan conquers the voice of the Astra and frees himself is inspiring. That teaches that one must have full control over one's powers. Also, the character of the elephant Daboo who symbolized the value of loyalty and friendship is amazing. What interested me was the relation of fantasy fiction to the mythological tales we have been listening to since our childhood. Moreover, the simplicity of the language had its own share in letting me wind through the book in a single go. Children would definitely find reading it enjoyable because there is good and evil, monsters, gypsies, sorcerers, magic, and adventure which would keep the young thriller freaks hooked to their seats. 

Overall, the book was a nice reading experience for me. 

[Booxoul · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was approached to review the book, I agreed instantly for two reasons. My weakness: beautiful cover and second, I enjoy reading Children’s books.

‘Astra: The Quest for Starsong’, though a very short read, it falls into three genres:

Mythological
fantasy
adventure
“The World Burn… Burn like a star…

So they say that the first impression is the last impression. And in this case, I definitely do not agree with this saying.

You ask why?

Opening Lines: Rock amidst cloud.

Page Counts: 2564 pages

Publisher: Puffin

Publication Date: May 25th, 2019

Well, let’s start with the beginning.

The book begins in an abrupt way but impressively. But as the readers move along and embark on a journey with Varna, certain things feel this jointed as if the authors were in a rush to finish the book.

Halfway through the book, I was so confused about the ages of Varkan and Tara. They kind of were behaving very grownup-ish. I wanted to see a little childishness in them just so I could as a reader could connect with their characters.

Not everything in the book is negative. There are some really hilarious moments as well.

The narrative of the book is good though at times felt rushed.

The Duo Authors have done a remarkable job with characters. I fell in love with Varkan, his Little elephant and Tara.
Especially Tara, as her sassiness and her presence of mind won my heart.

Overall This book ‘Astra: The Quest of Starsong‘ is a good read for 11 years to 15 years of kids. About the adults, I am not sure whether they would like the book.

My Rating: 3/5 stars

[Anukriti Malik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set before the abduction of Sita, Raavan is determined to rule the mortal world and his quest to find Astra to be the all powerful. He has awoken the Starsong - the most powerful Astra that belongs to the Gods. At somewhere else, Varkan, the prince of Ashmaka is held captive by his uncle in a tower. He somehow escapes the tower, only to face the Rakshas sent by Raavan to take the Astra since the Astra belongs to his family.

There are some issues with this mythological fiction. The book starts at a very slow pace where Varkan is captured in a tower. It took me a while to connect the story together. The writing style isn't the best and at points I felt totally disinterested in the story. The book does have a lot of moral lessons pertaining to greed, hunger for power and responsibilities that can be good for children to understand at a young age.

[Barsha Roy Chowdhury · Rating 3 out of 5]

The world should burn… burn like a star!

Set in ancient India, this book narrates a wondrous journey of a boy, who is destined to change the destiny of the world itself.

‘Astra- The Quest for Starsong’, authored by Aditya Mukherjee and Arnav Mukherjee is a story set in the time when Sita was abducted by the lord of Lanka. Ravana is on the march to find all the astras in the world that will make him invincible. He already had the Pushpak Vimana in his possession and now, he thirsts for more weapons and the weapon wielders.

Up high in a tower in the city of Ulka, a little boy named Varkan was held captive by his uncle. After years of captivity, he finally found a way to free himself and his mother. Varkan was the prince of Ashmaka and also the wielder of the astra- Starsong. The rakshasas were hunting for his astra. He could not let the rakshasas get their hands on him or the astra. So he, along with his elephant and two gypsy companions, sets out on a perilous journey to find a safe place to hide the astra. How long before Ravana finds him or the astra and use it to menace the humans? Read the book to find out.

My views – This short book of mere 223 pages took me a long, long time to finish it up. I felt like this book will put me into a deep reading slump. The plot was okay, could have been better. But, the narration here makes it worst. Everything is so unclear and so confusing. I had to read the first few pages thrice to understand the plot. The whole time, I had this urge to put the book down. I wish the narration could have been better, and the past happenings were explained more in details just so I could connect to the characters and the book. I usually imagine all the scenes while I am reading a book, especially if I am reading a fantasy novel. But the story telling is so vague that I couldn’t get myself to imagine any scene. I had high expectations after reading the blurb, and specifically the comparison with Harry Potter set in ancient India got me all excited to read something unique. But there’s lack of plot twists, and lack of a good storyline. The language however is easy to understand but overall, I am disappointed with this book.

[Murtaza Kuwarawala · Rating 3 out of 5]

The world should burn . . . burn like a star!



Blurb (From Amazon):



The balance of the world is askew. The winds speak of a terror from the south. Ravana, the Lord of Lanka, is on the march. Seers whisper that he has awakened Starsong, a mythical astra of the gods. And that he thirsts for this weapon that will make him invincible.

But there is one thing that he hasn't considered. Up high in the glistening tower of the city of Ulka is a boy, held captive. Today is the day Varkan, the young prince of Ashmaka, will taste freedom. Today is the day he will lay claim to his destiny as the wielder of Starsong.

And along the way, perhaps he will change the destiny of the world itself.



My Take on the Book:



Off late we have seen a lot of books based on the Hindu Mythology and each one is unique in its own way. Though the base of each story is always the same, what makes a book apart is the narrative that takes its course. One must ofcourse give that to the authors of this book for taking an entire different course which is along the same timeline when Ravana has captured Sita. Apart from having new characters, unfortunately the book doesn't offer much since it follows the same plotline as Good vs Evil and how an all powerful weapon should be used wisely. There is a lot more potential for the authors though since they have learnt to balance various elements of a story but the character build up might need to be more refined.



My Ratings : 🌟🌟🌟 (3 out of 5)

[Kinjal Parekh · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7🌟/5
The target audience for this book has to be children and not adults. The drama and narrations are apt for child audience but won't be able to hold up to expectations for adults/young adult readers.

The story is fast paced full of action, fantasy and mythology with moral messages to be delivered.

The story casts the Astras and Astra which talks about huge and fancy empires and kingdoms to keep the weapon safe in the hiding because only the celestials could have them. Ravana is all set to find the other Astra from the reach of Varkan - the prince of the land of falling stars, is a young boy who is responsible to keep the Astra safe. What would be thw consequence? What would result out of this?

It was interesting to read about the fusion of fantasy and mythology full of magic, monsters and insane adventures. The language used is very simple but would be an off set for adult readers. The book can be a perfect gift for children of around the age group of 11 to 16.

The cover of the book is very aesthetic and attractive and perfect for the story line.

[Geeta Nair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fantasy fiction with a touch of mythology, Astra is all about the mythical astra of the Gods deemed to be extremely powerful so much so that if wielded by the wrong ones they can spell doom not only for mankind, but for all races and all species. When Ravana the King of Lanka, evinces interest in something, no one can stop him. With the ‘Pushpaka Vimana’ one of the few astras available, at his disposal, he now eyes the ‘Tarageet’ or Starsong an astra that has the power to make him invincible. Hidden up far north in the Kingdom of Ulka, the Starsong makes the wielder not only invincible, but can drive him or her mad too, mad to the extent that once it takes over the soul of the wielder, there is no point of return. However what Ravan’s cohorts don’t factor in when they reach Ulka, is the escape of Varkan the young prince of Ashmaka, with the Starsong. What follows is a saga of war and destruction. Will the Starsong fall into the hands of Ravana or will it show its true power and make Varkan mad?.......To know the answer to this and many more questions that are sure to arise along the way to the climax, one will have to read the book.

Replete with twists and turns, Astra is not just the story of the Starsong or its wielder, but is also an insight into the strength, the resilience of the one not ready to easily surrender his soul. The fight between right and wrong, light and darkness is a bitter and exhausting one. Yet it is not impossible. Friendship, loyalty and respect are at stake and human emotions find a voice here.

The characters are well-etched and have the capacity to evoke strong emotions in the reader. The battle scenes as well as Varkan’s encounter with various tribes on his mission to keep the Astra safe, provide interesting reading. However the book does have its lows more on account of the setting of sequence of events which I believe is because of the style of narration adopted. Had the authors built up a background involving Varkan’s childhood and imparted a little bit more information on his father King Tarktha and mother Queen Raesa as well as the how and why of Varkan’s imprisonment before plunging into the first chapter i.e. The Imprisoned Prince, the story would have been more interesting and less confusing.

Overall the book is sure to appeal to young minds.

[Falakjoshipura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book name - Astra The Quest For Starsong
Author name - Aditya Mukherjee
Arnav Mukherjee
Published by - @puffinbooks

Astra - The Quest for starsong is a story of a boy Varkan who is assigned the responsibility to save an Astra which can be provem deadly if it goes in the hands of evil Ravana. Ravana is all set to capture that Astra to gain more powers. The story revolves around the fight between good and evil. To dive deep into this fantastical extravaganza you'll have ti read this book

Storyline -
As mentioned above the story mainly revolves around good vs. evil. It's all about powers and responsibility that strength brings with itself. It seems like an Indian Harry Potter witu a weak narration. The book isn't successful in getting hold of its reader. Yes, it can be definitely interesting for a child and for young population but for adults, it will seem like a weak narrative with jumbled up characters.
Narration and writing style - narration didn't impress me at all, but writing style of this book is simple yet lucid. It highlights the backdrop of fantasy set in the ancient India. It is a well penned book but storytelling could have been better to make it even more interesting

Characterization -
Characters seem jumbled up and mixed up due to unclear and confusing storyline and lack of development of characters

Plot and pace -

The pace seems totally fine, plot is not so much interesting and predictable but it's definitely worth reading for children because it help in instilling values, moral and ethics in the children in a simple manner. It's a good book to be cherished by young adults because it gives many valuable lessons to its readers making it thoughtful yet simple and less complicated.
Cover attracted me a lot because if it's extravagant designing

Recommended?

Definitely, for children. For adults it's upto your choice of reading and genre preference

Ratings - 3.5/5🌟

[Chetana Thakur Chakraborty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Astra: The Quest for Starsong by Aditya Mukherjee and Arnav Mukherjee is mythological/fantasy fiction set in ancient India.

Ravana, the King of Lanka sets on a march to find all the divine weapons (astras), in order to become most powerful and invincible. Seers whisper that he has awakened the Starsong, a mythical Astra which belonged to the Gods. Ravana thirsts for this particular weapon, which will make him invincible. High up in the glistening tower in the city of Ulka, a young boy named Varkan, who is the prince of Ashmaka, was held captive by his uncle. He finally manages to escape from the prison with his mother. However, danger awaits him on his way. The Rakshasas, the army of Ravana, attack him to take away the divine weapon or Astra, Starsong, which originally belongs to the family of Varkan.
Will he be able to protect himself and the Astra Starsong from Ravana? What will happen in the perilous journey? Read the book to know more.

I had expected this book to be rather interesting as I love mythological fictions. But this book failed to impress me. It had a number of flaws. The plot could have been much better. It fails to interest the readers. At times, it was really boring. The narration was not very clear. It has so many characters that it became confusing. Not very impressed with this book.

[Somya Sharma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review- The book Astra is written by Aditya mukherjee and you can say its a mythology book based in the time when Sita was in Lanka!
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I really thought that this book will make me glued to it till i finish it but unfortunately it didn't!
It was a okay okay read for me not upto my expectations!
As the storyline tells us the ancient time when a boy decided to save the world from Ravana who was searching for all the astras which will make him more and more powerful.
The name of the boy was Varkan and he was captured by his Uncle in a tower somewho he made himself free from there.
As he was the king of Asmaka a lot of rakshas were at back of him to get his Astra!
Hence,this is his journey with his companions to move too a safe place and hide his astra from Ravana and others.
It would be good if you read this and get to know that😇
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The book was fine not upto the expectations when you hear Ravana n Sita n all that ancient stories! The plot gets boaring at times but i think all the mythology lovers will fine it a better read👐

Ratings-3.5/5😇

[Mhonchumi Kikon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This month I am on a spree of reading YA fantasy and I must say it feels magical. Truth be told, but I am a sucker for fantasy read. Growing up, it was always one of my favourite genres and till today it holds a soft spot deep down my bookworm spirit. The latest book which I finished reading this weekend is a fantasy meets myth book, I am talking about Astra- The Quest for Starsong by Aditya Mukherjee and Arnav Mukherjee. The book took me on a mystical ride of a young starsong who is on his quest to find freedom, thereby leading him to an adventurous journey.
Set in the time of the Ramayan, Astra is a story about a teenager named Varkan, who is the scion of Ashmaka, he is held imprisoned by his own uncle, up in the tower of the city of Ulka. After constantly trying to escape, he managed to taste freedom and finally escaped from the captive. He will soon discover his claim and his destiny of being the wielder of starsong.
Know more about the book on my blog post: https://bit.ly/2ZhxSLU

[reading_ gurl_ hermione · Rating 4 out of 5]

😵 The cover is so so beautiful .
I loved the characterization of art on the cover . The blurb is very intriguing .
It took me to realise the story of Ramayanam .
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😵 The story is of ancient world and about Ravana finding all astras . He has already had one but , he want all powers to rule the world . This is also a story of a boy called varkan , who want set world in safe . The adventures and savings all together mixed in the book .
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😵The story is want to be more than okay .
It was just an okiesh read.
It was just 223 pages but really it took me like 1 week I think .
A good book to read but need to be better and wanted editing .

[Siddhi Palande · Rating 3 out of 5]

✔The book is a fantasy adventure cum a mythological fiction. .
✔It is set during the times of Ramayana. It is the story of scion of Ashmaka, Varkan who conquers a celestial weapon called Starsong. .
✔The book amused me at some point and thrilled me too with it's character sketches and mystical elements. .

More about it on my blog https://ofbookbabiesandmore.wordpress...

[Dhwani · Rating 3 out of 5]

A jam pack combination of Fantasy fiction, Mythology and Action. I had both good and bad times reading it. The narration was hilarious at times but the plot at times killed and the narration too. The number of characters lead to a lot of confusion. The cover of the book is good and the fact that I got to imagine Ravana in another story impressed me. The way it was written could have been a little better and I would like to recommend this book to kids instead of adults.

[Chaity Sarkar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fantasy based on indian mythology and for a change not a complete retelling. It does talk about the time of Sita's abduction in the ramayana but as of the first book the plot explored an independent adventure. Fast paced and placed with splattering humour a rather interesting read. The writing is eloquent and lucid.

[Audriza Banerjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover is very attractive. The blurb is concise.

The storyline is well paced and plot is unique and gripping.

There are many moral value flows in the book too.

At times it was confusing though.

It is a great book for children and not adults.

The character of Varkan was well developed and I liked it.

The narration could have been better because at times it became monotonous.

[Varsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what Indian fantasy should be like!
It was so refreshing to read a middle grade book like this where the mythology doesn't overpower the story.It felt so effortless and I love the moral ambiguity imbued throughout the book.

[Manvi Narang · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mythological stories have always held a unique place in the mind and souls of many people. Astra is one such middle grade novel that will have readers exploring responsibilities, challenges, power, greed and mythology, of course.

Everybody loves freedom. And After being trapped for a long time everybody loves to taste the stars but for Varkan, the young prince of Ashmaka tasting freedom from the clutches of his uncle lead him to change the destiny of the world. Suffering through the chaotic path of devastation and destruction, Varkan along with his elephant and 2 friends -----on a journey to find a safe place to protect the Astra from the evil cluches of the Ravana, who’s hellbent on collecting the mythical weapon ‘Starsong’, that will give him infinite power and will make him invincible.
Follow Varkan on this surreal journey of his to save the world and humanity.

The best thing that I liked about this book is the myriads of morals and lessons that it means to teach young minds. The book is a confluence of how dealing with responsibility is important and how power hungry people can lead the way of ultimate chaos. This book can have a wondrous impact on young readers but for adult readers, I wouldn’t suggest this book as the narration was pretty boring in between. The plot was good but not captivating enough. It lacked a certain twist that would have been appreciated during the course of the novel.

Overall, it was an average one time read full of mystical references and right morals! Recommended for young readers!

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟/ 5

Thankyou for giving me an opportunity to review this book!