Music To Flame Lilies

by Megha Rao

I miss you. When Noor gets a message from her best friend, months after her death, she cannot help but go back to her hometown in search of answers, and perhaps even her best friend. Noor isn't prepared for the village that seems deeply rooted in magic where villagers pray to local ghosts, spend their evenings watching live possessions in the middle of a forest clearing, have innumerable stories of encounters with demons, or where she is told of people who are haunted to death. Then there's Kalki, the boy from the wrong side of the tracks, the local black magician, who is always in her way. He may be trouble, but Noor knows he can help her unravel the mystery of her friend s death, or so she tells herself. Caught between magic and reality, Noor is increasingly drawn to the mysticism and drama of her hometown, even as dark forces gather and danger closes in on her. Will she be able to run away? Will she want to?

213 pages, Hardcover

Published July 31, 2019

Reviews

[Kajal Savanur · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was very excitedly looking forward to this book. I don't follow Megha Rao anywhere on social media but have come across her works through friends. So I was familiar with her style of poetry.
This book seemed broken and absurd (in parts) to me. The story doesn't flow at all. It looks like the writer is struggling to pull it forward at times. To me, it felt as if Megha has tried to fit all her ideas in one little book - without really building the background for any one of those ideas properly.
You know what the book is about - by reading the summary and other reviews. I won't go into all of that.
The "lyricism" of the book - that people talked about - I failed to find it anywhere.
I read it one evening - expecting for something better to turn up eventually. I was deeply disappointed.
One of the most unremarkable books I have read in 2019.

[Tiyasha Chaudhury · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do I explain the beauty of love without falling in it? How do I explain Megha's world without living in it? Or perhaps, I did live in it.
Music To Flame Lilies stole every piece of my heart remaining and I dare say I have any more left. A love story so real in a place so surreal, where paranormal rushes to crush the normal. Where souls make love and bodies remain asleep. Where mysteries reside on death's platter. Where hearts decay yet never fall out of love. Where strokes of kohl and smoke of hookah is the treasure of a guy. Where temples and poets talk about religion, the type of we never knew about. This book has made me feel overwhelmed, the genre that is fiction, included the sub-genres: romance, fantasy and virtual reality. Megha Rao is a painter of dreams I wish to make a reality of. Truly a piece of art, love and devotion to literature. @_megharao @tara.press @musictoflamelilies —Tiyasha Chaudhury.

[Aakruti Sarangi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a kind of book you would want to read again when you are out of books. So beautiful it is.

[Prasannta · Rating 1 out of 5]

I need my brain cells back.

[Divya Babu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gravely disappointing. Had such high hopes.

[Varun Iyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Astha you are responsible for this

[Muskan | The Quirky Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Noor, devasted over her best friend’s death, sends her a message, seeking solace. And then comes a reply from the other side of the veil. Looking for answers, Noor travels back to the land of her childhood, hoping to find a way to connect to her dear friend again and solving the mystery of her death.
It isn’t easy to come across a piece as easy and flow-flowing as this one. The language alone is a reason enough to indulge yourself in this book. Makes sense, too, given Megha Rao’s amazing writing style! The setting of the book is unique, unlike anything I have come across before. Set in the world of black magic and supernatural elements, it did seem creepy to me at times. The characters are well described and wholesome.
As much as I loved this one, there are definitely some major shortcomings. I felt the characters were stereotypes into gender roles (the oh so manly man and the damsel in distress). Also certain things got really unrealistic and fell right out of the plot, such as Noor’s passion over painting. Initially she is showed to love painting and uses it as a window to deal with her emotions, but then it just disappears from her character.
The book was a 3.5 but the writing style definitely pushed it to be a 4. I am writing this review after 2 months of reading this book, and I still can’t bring myself with how the book ended. I highly recommend this book and I urge you to read it… if you can dare to.

[Fathima Ashab · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always read through her poems however long they maybe because there will be soul in them and will always keep me engaged till the end and her book was no different from them.
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This is a story of Noor who lost her bestfriend from her native so she goes back to her place Herga in Karnataka to find out what actually happened to her dead bestfriend, after receiving a reply from her number. It was really creepy. I don't know how to explain it clearly but it gave me a modern Jane Eyre vibe. This could be actually taken as a YA gothic fiction with love, romance, friendship, fantasy, ghosts, deaths and demons.
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There was a magic and mystery when she fell for a guy in the same place she wanted to find answers to Kirti's death. It was like reading her 200 pages long poetry with rich words, metaphors and of course music, especially to the flame lilies. It was good and I was so happy to read something by my favourite poet who is an author now. I also loved how she got to incorporate casteism, bigotry, feminism, spirituality, literature into this. It felt good to see them and already looking forward to her next book.
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Pick it up if you want to get lost in her magic. and somewhere you will find your magic too.

[Udita Alawadhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could hear the book in Megha's voice like she's reciting poetry throughout, 213-pages long poetry!! There's so much in this book- magic, spirits, love, fireflies and flame lilies, heartbreak, despair, and I absolutely loved how she, in her own ways, also mentions the stereotypes prevailing in our society.

Approaching the end, I was really scared, "Megha is going to break my heart, I’m sure." So.. yes, she made sure that her book takes away a part of me,
and that a part of it remains with me,
forever.❤️

I would go back and read this book, again and again.

[Natasha Borah · Rating 2 out of 5]

he blurb of the book seemed quite interesting and the title mystic.The writing style is lyrical and poetic, understandable since the author is a poet. So, some parts are really pleasing to read. But I felt that the story itself, along with the characters, lacked depth. Noor is pulled back to her mother's mystical hometown in search of answers to her best friend Kirti's death. Read full review at Natasha'z Words

[Prachiti Chitnis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kind of book I would carry around with me everywhere I go and re-read my favorite parts. :)

[Pallavi Sareen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“My fingers aren’t home to stars. They are war journals recounting an era of undoing myself.”
For a person familiar with Megha Rao’s poetry, this book will be nothing more than an extension of the lyricism and imagery that her words are capable of creating. For those who have never heard/read her, this book will be a fine experience for magical realism. Since I was quite familiar with her work, I couldn’t help but draw comparisons, find similarities in the prose and the theme that she usually encompasses in her poetry. There’s nothing wrong in that since it is that niche which has her pack pf wolves rooting for her through every facet of her life. So, there are two ways of looking at this book, combined with the essence of the writer and in isolation. Let’s see it both ways.
What is the story of Music to Flame Lillies?
Honestly, this isn’t the kind of book one reads for a compelling plot. But nevertheless, the story is quite engaging. Noor, an artist lives in London but after the death of her best friend, she doesn’t feel at home anymore. Her roots on the paternal side lie in Kashmir, which is another metaphor for her broken identity. But this book is not set in Kashmir. Instead, it focuses upon a small village called Herga in South India which is where her maternal grandparents lived. After Noor receives a message from her dead best friend’s phone, she decides to go back to the village which is surrounded by superstition and melancholy like you’ve never seen before. Majority of the chapters show Noor in Village Herga, feeling like an outsider, despite it being the place she grew up at.
Isolation
Isolation is a resounding theme in the book. And thus, if we look at this novel in isolation without considering the author who wrote it, it will appear just as the protagonist – beautiful, yet broken. The lyricism, imagery and the storyline of the book along with its characters are just so beautifully haunting. Noor’s journey from cynicism to belief; the set-up of a rural village that believes in Ghosts, Jinns and all things supernatural; a well that has taken the life of Kirti (Noor’s best friend) and her mother along with so many elements weaves into a perfect tale that resembles old myths. But the prose does appear broken in parts. It feels as if Megha has tried putting in parts of her poetry in conversations and in descriptions, solely for the sake of occupying space, even in places where it doesn’t fit. The mood of an event is guided by the descriptions, but in certain places, the prose felt disconnected with the story. It was still beautiful, but it didn’t feel like it was put in the right place. But that was only in certain chapters.
Supernatural – To believe or not to believe
You can read this entire book and still not know for sure whether it is right to believe in magic and supernatural happenings or not. That is the dilemma that Noor also dealt with, right till the end. The power that man has over supernatural versus the power that supernatural events have over a man’s destiny is a recurring theme. Was the well responsible for the death of Kirti or was it Kirti’s mother’s death that eventually led to hers? There are plenty of chapters where you would be tempted to believe just because the thought is so alluring. That is the charm of magical realism. It is riveting, it seeps inside your skin and makes you feel like you’re in a dream.
Where does Kashmir come in place, then?
Since I belong to Jammu and Kashmir, every time I see the place being mentioned, I immediately connect with it more. But Noor’s identity as a Kashmiri is similar to her identity as an artist. It is mentioned, it shapes who she is but it doesn’t hold any relevance to the story. The only time it matters that her family is living in Kashmir is to instil further isolation in her when there is a communication blackout and to convey that reality can be just as dangerous as magic.
The Magician
The review of this book would be incomplete without mentioning another significant character who carried the intrigue in the book on his shoulders. Kalki, the magician who has a swoon-worthy personality. Thinking of Kalki is like thinking of a biker with tattoos who quotes Derrida and Foucault. He is beyond stereotypes. He is the bad boy attraction with all the nice guy traits. He pets wolves, commands ghosts and in the end, is the only person who grips the attention of the reader more than Noor.
Quotes From Music to Flame Lillies
There are many beautiful quotes from this book and if I tried compiling them all, this post would be much longer than it is. But here are a few to give you a glimpse of what you can expect:
“We are all wishing the dead back to life. We’re half alive and they are possessing the rest of us even when they’re not around anymore.”
“Time undresses itself in front of me like a stripper. The clothes fall off one by one and she tells me she has to leave now. Her shift is over. There is nothing left here anymore except emptiness.”
“He is my favourite monster. Werewolf to my wild moonlight. Lotus to my forbidden waters. Born of half gods and animals. Light to my dark, darkness to my light. His name is a song on my lips, a poem of wonders seeping right into my bones, and it moves me, shakes me, terrifies me, burns me, kills me, revives me.”

[Reading With Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Music To Flame Lilies" beckons with a melody of love and mystery, resonating deeply from its opening pages. When Noor receives a mysterious missive from her departed friend, the story unfolds with a delicate balance of suspense and heartfelt reflection.

Megha's prose casts a spell, transporting readers to the mystical realm of Herga, where reality intertwines with folklore's whispered secrets. Noor traverses the enchantment and peril of her childhood sanctuary, while her meeting with Kalki ignites a romance both tender and profound—a dance of souls across the divide.

The novel's strength lies in its lyrical narrative, each chapter a verse in a symphony of emotions. Themes of fate, love, and the enduring echoes of memory echo through its pages, painting a tapestry of longing and discovery.

As the story unfolds gently, it offers moments to pause and ponder, drawing readers deeper into its spell. The characters' uncertain fates and the decisions they face create a web of suspense that builds towards a satisfying conclusion, resonating with both thought and feeling.

"Music To Flame Lilies" by Megha Rao is a engaging tale that lingers like a cherished melody, showcasing her mastery of storytelling and leaving us eager for more.

[Nidhi Srivastava · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been in love with this book totally, the day it arrived at my office I have been glued to it since then. When I started reading it, I picturized most of the events happening in London and then when the author mentioned Herga, I was a bit amazed with that. I read about the town in Karnataka, after reading some lines about the place. Well, the story has kept me glued to the book all this while with a beautiful narration of every situation by the author. The story of a girl, Noor who has lost her best friend Kirti. How one message from a dead person's phone changed her life forever? How running away from Kashmir brought back childhood memories of Noor, Kirti and the cursed village of Herga. The story revolves around ghosts, and supernatural powers prevailing in the village. The encounter of Kalki, Kirti's brother and Noor changed prespectives of both of their existences. Noor walked in to Herga again, inspite of repeated warnings, to know more about the suicide of Kirti and understand the relation of a text message from Kirti's phone number. The chemistry between Kalki and Noor would have created a rift in the family, yet she took a step of walking in his life and opening her soul to him. The magic activities and spirits bated the shit of me, but I have been grateful to the author that she brought this book into our lives. To find out more about the kohl eyed Kalki and Noor grab your copy. Even you could find some flame lilies of your lives.

[Sudha Saswati Nayak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahh My poor little heart. ♥️
An amazing amazing book written by my favourite Megha Rao who writes like She see right through me. I could relate the whole story to me because something similiar happened to me this year. I wish I could write it here. But I have been trying to move on since that incident. So no point of writing it down here.
Some sentences from this book hit me hard, like this one -
"The Universe can't stop people from loving each other. But it can stop them from being together. And my my, how well, just how very well it does that".

I don't have the exact words to write about it. But I can tell you what I felt or was feeling while reading it. It made me rethink about my own lovestory in ways that only can be understood by a Lover. It's simple yet complicated. It's pure yet evil.

You have to read this book. I won't do justice to the writer and the book if I tell you the whole story here or even if try to give you any hint. So please read it and tell me how much did you like it. May be??

Also, If you are planning to gift it to your Boyfriend/ girlfriend or any friend in general, Please go ahead. He/she will thank you from the bottom of their heart.

[Akshaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aah. I don't know what I feel about this book. It's so confusing. Megha Rao is one of my favourite spoken word poet. She has inspired me through out my passion for writing. But this book didn't succeeded to my hopes. I had high hypes about it.

This book is about Noor who goes back to this village called "Herga " in Karnataka after getting the news of the death of her best friend. And then the whole story focuses on the love that grows between Noor and Kalki, the brother of her best friend. The story is written in a poetic aspect since she is a poet and some phrases are really heart touching. The love between them are heartwarming and there is a suspense in the whole haunted and black magic elements that's describes the village. The ending was heart touching and sad. But overall, the book was just okay for me.

[Aditya Vemuri]

My Rating: 1.5/5

The book starts off interestingly but fizzles out halfway through. Barring the intriguing backdrop against which the story is set, nothing else works.

[SMRITI PATAWARI · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heart wrenching, and yet so poetic.

[Hussaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

# q o t d - What was your favorite ghost story as a kid?


Music to flame lilies has so far earned my maximum number of reads. Read further to know why.
In this book, Megha writes about fiction and fantasy so real, the reality escapes your mind altogether. The prologue starts with Noor (narrator) painting in a friend’s studio in the city of London. She has recently lost a friend, Kirti, to a suicide and her mind cannot stop tossing back to her homeland – Herga, India, where Kirti died. Noor can’t make herself believe of the death being a suicide, as she had always seen Kirti blooming like sunflowers. As she now vents over the loss of her dead best friend, she happens to text an impulsive text, ‘I miss you.’ However, the first cliffhanger is when she receives a text back – ‘I miss you too.’ After multiple panic attacks and a whole lot of baffling, she makes up her mind to go back to Herga, and find out as to what lead to Kirti’s death.
The plot twist is when the village of Herga, as told to them as bedtime stories, turns out to be haunted by spiritual existence for real.
On the road to find how Kirti lost her life, Noor falls in love with Kalki (Kirti’s brother), who claims to be in love with her even as kids.
However, Kalki deals with snakes, wolves, spirits, sorcery, a family curse and a well where Kirti and their mother committed suicide - part real, part imagined. The entire story flips around Noor confused if Kalki has practiced sorcery to gain her attraction, or is she in love for real?
Perhaps, you will get the answer at the very end. The touch of reality. Hearts heavy with love. And loss.


MY TAKE ON THE AUTHOR –
• Besides being a writer, Megha is also a painter. Close to colors. Which is why the book has plenty of metaphors dipped in various colors of life.
• Most of the direct comparisons in the book are written in ‘passive voice’ making it look well thought upon.
• Megha, until the first half, outlines ‘Kalki’ in all negative aspects and red flags and yet the attraction realm is visible. The idea is an indication of teenage love for men, dark and wrongful.
• Megha, for the most of times, mentions ‘electric elements’ while describing Kalki’s touch. Electricity cut downs being one of the oldest forms to mention a ghostly appearance.
• The book has seen ‘Sunsets’ as a metaphor for a considerable times. Maybe meaning deaths, endings or even a new beginning.

All your answers lie in the book. This baffling beauty is a MUST read. About friendship, love and ART.

MY FAVORITE PART –

• The prologue and the climax – both is about ‘paintings.’ About art.

Megha has remotely referred to a few books, authors and philosophers in her book. You might want to google a few for knowledge purposes –
PHILOSOPHERS / AUTHORS
1) Immanuel Kant
2) Confucius
3) Nietzsche
4) Bukowski
5) Dostoyevsky
6) Marx
7) Margaret Atwood
8) Plato
9) Rousseau
10) Kafka
11) Hegel
12) Plath
13) Marquez
14) Descartes
15) Allen
16) Ginsberg
17) Katherine Mansfield
18) Salvador Dali
19) Monet
20) Kierkegaard
BOOKS
1) Thus spoke Zarathustra
2) The Handmaid’s Tale
3) The Myth of Sisyphus

[Yashika Vohra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been a fan of Megha Rao’s poetry for quite a few years now so picking up this book was a no brainer for me. Right off the bat, I loved the name and the description on the book jacket had that mysterious element to it. It is about a girl who gets a text from her dead best friend (who has committed suicide a few weeks ago) and she returns to her hometown to figure out what happened to her and how did she get that text if the girl is supposedly dead.

I finished this book in one sitting in a matter of just a few hours. It was a light, easy read with a somewhat engaging storyline. There were a few instances in the book where Megha has described moments or places in such a way that it’s impossible for you not to imagine yourself there. Some sentences are almost like poetry and needless to say, there’s a lot of flowery language involved which isn’t surprising to note because Megha Rao has been a poet longer.

A couple of qualms that I had with the book were the fact that the story seemed way too rushed at times. And this became a problem for the characters as they did not seem fully fleshed and were quite bland according to me. Another hard to ignore problem was that a lot of meaning of the sentences seemed to get lost in the poetic narration. While it added to some scenes, it took away a lot of momentum in others.

Overall, it was a nice summer afternoon read with some sentences you’ll mark to come back to. The story is decent but forgettable. There’s a Nietzsche quote mentioned in one of the chapters ‘If something is to stay in the memory it has to be burned in’ but this book barely makes a mark let alone sears a hole in your heart.

[Kainat Sayyed · Rating 4 out of 5]

His voice sounds like sin. A soundtrack of dreams, music to flame lilies.

Megha Rao, Music To Flame Lilies.
🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹
I've always been a fan of Megha Rao and her art, I've been following her closely on instagram.And God, her work is as beautiful as she is. So lively, so surreal.

Music to flame lilies by Megha Rao, is a story which revolves around Noor, and her bestfriend's tragic death. To find the answers of her bestfriend's death Noor travels to her village, Herga; which seems very absurd and mystic. Full of demons and ghosts. Then Noor encounters Kalki; the local magician, for whom she fells head over heels.

I loved reading this book. Every line, every bit of it. It is very pleasing, well written, filled with beautiful metaphors and rich vocabulary. Every verse of it hits differently, that you might want to stop and absorb the beauty of it. It is poetic and lyrical.
_________________________
Here are some of the excerpts-

The universe can't stop people from loving each other. But it can stop them from being together. And my my, how well, just how very well it does that.
*
I wonder how there is so much toxicity around us and we still never lose hope. Hope is fragile, like ego, like the heart. But it is still alive in all of us, as a curse, as a blessing. It keeps us going forward, but it also aligns us always from reality. And as far as this beautiful man is concerned, all I have is hope.
*
I told the stars about you and they were jealous

Happy reading 💞

[Karishma · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this is what happened. Two years ago, I bought this book in the hope for more content from this girl who made a poet out of me. You have filled me with magical words, Megha, and the entire look of my Instagram as well as personal self changed. I received compliments from people (poets) I never ever expected would ever throw glances at me. I bought the book, because I had to. I had to read an entire novel from this person who has filled my life with endless magic, her majestic charm a guide to my survival. I had to read this book in one go. And I did. I loved it, it had yet again surpassed me, and everything I ever believed in. Kalki and the black kohl in his eyes, with the imagery of fireflies floating around him is what keeps me out of the darkness. Its been 2 years and it still stays with me, even if I hadn't had the chance to read it again. You know what else happened? My dad, who I've never seen holding a book, picked yours up and within a minute when I was expecting him to drop it and go back to his room, I looked up and there he was, immersed in it. He couldn't leave it. So there, Megha, you and your words, your novel, your letters to all of us wolves, thankyou endlessly for everything you give us. This pack needs you, and loves you more than anything.

[PastaSauceVampire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an amazing read. It's aesthetically pleasing and has a poetical writing. To people who say that "the book lacks depth", well the book is meant to be a quick and pleasurable read. It's beautiful and satisfying the way it is. Too much of "depth" would probably spoil it like Shakespeare. In our world, there are crores of literature pieces and there's no mandatory rule that each and every literature work has to be the same. Each book is different from the other. Some books have too much depth.. Some don't; Some have quick plotlines and some have too much draglines. Anyways, everyone has individual opinions. To me, this was a simple and poetical read. Reading this book gave the 'living in the day' and 'for the moment's pleasure' vibes. It's more like a 'romantic age'literature piece. HOW? It just finds pleasure and beauty in the little things just like how poems do. If you want a quick and aesthetically pleasing read, go for this one. It did satisfy me aesthetic drive though. Don't look for too much depth. Don't read it if you are a typical 'William Shakespeare' fan.

[Sanjana Rajpal · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I wonder how there is so much toxicity around us and we still never love hope, hope is fragile, like ego, like the heart. But it is still alive in all of us, as a curse as a blessing. It keeps us going forward, but it also aligns us away from reality."


Hope is the strongest of the points covered in the book. It hits you deeply in ways that can not be expressed. It gives you hope, Hope of loving, living, unraveling, and letting go. It describes the verses the heart can never say. 


Music to Flame lilies is the story revolving around the female protagonist, Noor, who is yet to recover from the loss of her best friend, Kirti. And, one day when she receives a text saying 'I miss you' from Kirti she cannot help but go back to her hometown looking for answers and also, her best friend. 


In her hometown Herga, she finds Kalki, Kriti's brother, and a local black magician. She had always been asked to stay away from him, but this time, she could not help but draw herself closer to him, because she knows he can answer all her questions, or she believes that to be true.


Caught between magic and reality, Noor gets drawn towards the mysterious tricks of her hometown getting herself caught in a vicious circle. The book is about her experience in Herga and finding the escape from the magic she is drawn to. 


The book has usage of strong words and instances that make us pause and look at things differently. With this book, Megha Rao has started a journey, part real, part imagined and we cannot help but embark on the journey with her. 

[Sharmila · Rating 3 out of 5]

.
Music to flame lillies by megharao is the story about a girl Noor who gets a message from her dead best friend Kirti where she is left with no option rather than to seek answers. She decides to go back to her village which is infused with black magic, live possessions and local ghosts.With various magical happenings in the village, Noor is found to face mysteries. Her fate crosses her path when she comes across an mysterious human.
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The book has all the magic to take you to the another world and to make you live in the another world. The book has all the emotions, feeling to make you believe that the story is real. You can actually feel the fear, the sadness, the love, the affection at the same time. Definitely a worthy read.

[Abhirami Rao · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poetry-style prose set to literary fiction.

Megha Rao is undoubtedly a wonderful poet and storyteller. However, this short read felt trapped between too many elements.

“His voice sounds like sin. A soundtrack of dreams, music to flame lilies.”

An unlikely romance blossoms in either elaborate bursts or an unnecessary build up within a scene. It felt broken and lost within itself, much like the protagonist in the beginning of the novel.

[Shirin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its an amazing book , its is so engrossing .Its takes you into a different world and lets you independently create it for yourself , it leaves personal space for you . I would definitely say that the writing style is mind blowing and the plot was really good.

[Mahima Bathla · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a lovestory, set in a different background. But it was such a drag to read. A tragic love story, nothing new. There were monologues of her characters’s opinions which didn’t fit. The Kashmiri Pandit, Hindu-Muslim part, didn’t fit.

[Vaishnavi Sharma(no longer active) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written!! Highly recommended if you are a sucker or musical and poetic writing style!!

[Shraddha]

eXCITED TO READ