Sinbad: And The Trumpet Of Israfil

by Kevin Missal

'Kevin Missal has given the age-old Sinbad tale a delightful spin. Beware, this fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping adventure is going to rob you of your sleep'-Anand Neelakantan

Before I came to be known as the greatest sailor in the world, I was a young monster hunter who fell in love.

As all legendary love stories go, things were . . . well, not smooth sailing. And of course, there was the problem of the Armageddon.

So I set sail across the seven seas to hoodwink a Greek god, crash a vampire wedding, mollycoddle a giant and face the Angel of Death.

And as the hourglass turned, I had:
Seven days to save the world.
Seven days to kill the only girl I have ever loved.

Bestselling author Kevin Missal pens this thrilling reimagination of Sinbad--the fabled sailor from the classic One Thousand and One Nights--who encounters fearsome mythological monsters!

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology

310 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 25, 2021

About the author

Kevin Missal wrote his first book at the age of 14, and at 22, the St Stephens graduate was a bestselling author with the first two books in his Kalki series which were runaway successes. Kevin loves fantasy fiction and has always been a fan of mythology. His books have been featured in publications like the Sunday Guardian, The New Indian Express and Millennium Post. He lives in Gurugram and he can be contacted at Kevin.s.missal@gmail.com.

Reviews

[Amisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am sure that most of us have grown up listening to the magnificent tales from the One Thousand and One Nights or as some of us may call it "The Arabian Nights". No doubt these stories were extremely adventurous and ingenious in nature, the story of Sinbad The Sailor was the most unforgettable story for me. Following up to that, I recently got the opportunity to read Kevin Missal's latest electrifying retelling of the infamous saga which is titled "Sinbad and the Trumpet of Israfil".
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In this spellbinding reimagination, Sinbad experiences an array of adventures, some of which were extremely interesting while unfortunately some of them failed to impress me. The adventures were very unique, ranging from an encounter with a Greek Deity, dealing with giants, crashing into a vampire wedding and of course the general trysts with death.
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There is also an added element of love and romance which is quite enthralling and has been incorporated very well. But speaking of the structure, it did seem confusing at times because of shifting timelines and the constant strife to pack many elements all at once. At the same time, I primarily enjoyed it because of its fast pace of narration. So, I can say this book has something for everyone. If you like fantasy, adventure and action then this is a right story for you. On the other hand, if you like some toe-gripping drama, sprinkled with emotions and romantic elements then trust me this is for you as well. And if you are like me who is always up for a surprise then this book is just what you need as your next read!
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Also this is the first book in the trilogy and I will be eagerly waiting to read the next installment to know how the rest of the epic unfurls.

[Nayna Bansal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book: Sinbad And The Trumpet of Israfil
Author: Kevin Missal
Publisher: Penguin
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Paperback
Pages: 326
Rating:4 /5

This is the first book in the Sinbad series and this is the first book I am reading Authored by this Author.
The book runs two time frames. One being four years ago and the other being present day. Sinbad falls in love with a very dangerous girl. He is supposed to kill this girl to save the world. Will he be able to kill her and save the world. If yes? How?
Language is easy and a bit like foreign authors. Writing style is also descriptive. There are many characters in the story and they are well sketched out. Sinbad was the man of the show. Really loved his characterization. The dialogues are beautifully built.

Cover page is really alluring and enticing. It made me nostalgic. Childhood memories comes flooding and spread a smile on my face. Title is eye catching . As soon as I read the title I sang at once in lyrical style ‘Sinbad the sailor man’.hehehe…The two swords on every page near the page number added to the vibrant vibes of the book.
The packaging was good . And the texture and feel of pages is good. I really like the yellowish pages of book. The font size , style and spacing also enables the reader to read easily.
I am really excited to read other books of this series. If you love fantasy, then give this book a try!
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[Nidhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of the book Sinbad is set in the Middle East and it's divided into two parts. One is 4 years ago and the other is present. Our protagonist, Sinbad is a Seid who has big responsibilities on his shoulders. He is supposed to save the world and fight against all the enemies of our planet.

Our superhero men fall in love with a strong girl but love has always been a complicated factor, right?

Hence, this love story is also going to face many ups and downs.
Sinbad is supposed to kill his love to save the world.
Can Sinbad kill the love of his life?
What's the purpose of a girl?
Why Sinbad has to kill her?

What an amazing book it is! The author has added value to my favorite character Sinbad with the amazing plots and writing style.

Well, this book is a complet package of entertainment covering romance, twists, drama, and tragedy, all in one. I also love the writing style of the author and the way the characters are developed especially Sinbad's character. The cover of the book is also very interesting and catchy.

[Books_myprecious · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Always remember, not every weapon has to be a weapon. Embrace what you are good at, and don't hanker for things you are not so good at. Hone the skills you already excel at"

1001 Arabian Nights is a book which makes me re-live my childhood. The news of a book on retelling of Sinbad gave me nostalgia. The moment I received this book, I was spellbound by it's cover.

When I started reading the book, I had no idea that I would be hooked. I wasn't able to keep the book down before I was done. I absolutely loved the writing style (This was my first read from this author).

The book includes 66 chapters, don't be scared they are small chapters. There are two time lapse stories going on, one of the present day and another of four years ago. They are carried forward in alternate chapters. I loved the way each chapter ends, it kept me guessing and made me want more of it.

Finally, a 5 star read. This book has it all - humanity, magic (especially black magic), giant, vampire, mission, friendship and what not. A must read, fast pacing book, I bet you won't be able to put down before you are done and then, you will be left hung and dry because next part is yet to be released. JUST CAN'T WAIT

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things I liked:-

#1: First thing I liked about this book is that it's fast paced cuz I don't quite like the ones which take too much time and don't explain the plot when it's needed but this book didn't disappoint me as some books, it explained everything it left as a mystery and was definitely a page turner. The writing style was also smooth and easy to understand. I literally didn't wanna let it go after starting it

#2: The characters was just so mind-blowing and interesting! The characters were well written and everything about them was explained which many people don't do for side roles like Azrael! The thing I loved about them was they were simple and made mistakes

#3: Sinbad was one of the best male leads for me, he's morally grey and there were times where he was clueless or scared. It was fun to read how he always somehow managed to get out of those situations. Pressa or peizhi is my another fav character, the way she talks, behaves and does everything was so good, I mean there needs for someone to be a cool kid out of all. I love her and Sinbad's interactions gosh!!

#4: The plot and storyline was fantastic and awesome! As a mythology and fantasy fan, I really really loved the way how good and evil were portrayed. The writer succeeded in showing us how there's evil in the 'good' and good in 'evil' and I am happy about that!

Things I Didn't Like:-

#1: For me the arrangement of the chapters could have been better, though I like how it is now but I would prefer some chaps describing the past in the first half of the book and then in the middle part of the book and after that, all about the situation happening right now. But still the way it is arranged is good for people who can't remember everything at once

#2: To be honest, during the whole story not even once I felt like safeena is the fl. She was more like a side character than a lead role. I kind of wanted to see her and Sinbad fight a bit and then come to a understanding but all's well the end's well!

So in conclusion mostly I don't have much to dislike and I love the book already and if about recommendation, you should definitely go for it if you are a fan of "The Arabian Nights". I am sure you will like it!!

[Prince Raj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review

I always love to read the book which has adventures journey with some magical touch and this book gave me that and I had a wonderful time reading it.

It had a good ending which gave me a delightful experience and I am looking forward to reading more of Sinbad and his tales.

Kevin missal now always amazes me with his writing and I feel happy to read him and his book inspired me to read mythological stories more and more.

I was very glad to read that the book has also given some light on the condition of women in society and also shown some courageous women who are far better than any men and that scene was very charismatic for me.

Recommend to mythological lovers and fantasy lovers.

Glimpse in a blink

A magical world with some gruesome creatures, blood-sucking vampires and the angel of death who has sided with evil forces and training a cat-eyed girl to become evil but she has a soft heart for one soul and he is Sinbad the monster hunter.

Sinbad has been assigned caliphate of Baghdad to track down the trumpet which has the power to wake up the beast which can unleash evil and destroy the whole world with his power, for to track down where is the trumpet he has to make a team sail towards the sea.

Safina the girl with cat eyes is now on the way to wake up the beast and to fulfil her destiny as she is the daughter of evil and is assigned to make the evil stronger and Angel of death is helping her to do it.

He is afraid to do what he has to do, about her the girl whom he loved and now he has to kill her to save the world.

An extraordinary adventures journey has started and Sinbad and his teams are ready to strike any danger in their way to save the world.

Will they be successful or not, to know more you will have to read the book.

Happy reading 😊

[Aza · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an adventurous and thrilling read this one was! While action was the most prominent factor in this one there was a bit of drama, romance, tragedy, etc to make it a perfectly entertaining book. As I read this one I kept thinking it would be a great series to watch.

Sinbad, our protagonist, is a Seid which is what a hunter of supernatural beings is called. The plot of it is so vast and well constructed that it cannot be explained in few words but it had great and exciting story which made me enjoy it immensely. The entire book is divided into two timelines which worked so well together. It hooked me up as a chapter ended and I had to know what happens next but then it went in past and that part was also so happening that I had to know what happened in past and that’s how I finished this one so quick.

Though it’s based in Middle East, it is inspired and has elements of many mythologies which was a delight to read about because I love mythological stories. I don’t know if any were accurate or just fiction but were still intriguing enough for me. There was so much happening in each chapter that it didn’t let your attention waver at all. There were ghouls, witches, vampires, mutant birds, nephillims, demons, angels, gods and what not. One would think the author has literally added everything imaginable but he did it with such flair it wasn’t excessive at all. Each chapter played like an episode and I loved them. It’s five adventurous stars from me and I can’t wait for the sequel!

[Ruchi Patel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read almost all the books by this author and I absolutely loved all. So I had to pick it up as soon as it’s released. And this was something new concept. Like I have heard Sinbad story in childhood but over years I forgot it. As we all know, he is the greatest sailor. But this was definitely bit different from what I expected. I will briefly summarise the blurb. Story runs in two frames simultaneously. Present day and four years ago. He set sail across the seven seas to hoodwink a Greek god, crash a vampire wedding and face angel of death. He has seven days to save the world. And there is a love of his life. Everyone face certain difficulties with love lives but this is something different. He has to kill the only girl he ever loved in seven days. Read the book to know about his actions. It was difficult to summarise the blurb as each and every events are equally important and further discussion will lead to spoilers. I loved the story. It’s written in well detailed manner paying attention to the smallest details. There are number of characters that makes the story interesting. Naming them is quite difficult here as they have different and hard to memorise. There are number of twists and turns plotted that makes it nail biting thriller too. The narration style of the author is captivating. I liked the language and vocabulary used by the author. Indeed good one. Looking forward to read more from the author.

[Kidliomag · Rating 5 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW:Sinbad and the Trumpet of Israfil

In this book, Kevin created a whole new drama around the famous tale Sinbad the Sailor. As we all know and read about Sinbad but this book takes you on an adventurous sea journey full of bumpy rides and into a dark world full of different creatures and characters.
This book is a mix of different genres like fantasy, history, horror, and a lot of drama that makes this book an engaging read for me.
The story is engaging, fast-paced and it's written from two different perspectives Now and then, that makes it easier to go through this book. Some scenes are so real that I feel like I'm watching a movie. This book is an interesting read, and I like the way the author narrated the whole story. I've read so many books by Kevin and he knows what his readers want from him, I'm looking forward to reading more books by him.
Overall a well-crafted fiction that keeps you immersed through the magical journey of Sinbad to become a great sailor.

Recommended to those who like to read Rick Riordan, Greek mythology, gods, demi-gods, fantasy, friendship, and love..

[Reader Vivek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sinbad


This is the story of a strong and clever boy Sinbad, who is a sailor and traveled through the world by ship.

I have seen few episodes of Jaanbaaz Sinbad, on television. But truly say never like him. But in this book, the author narrated him very nicely, I like the character by reading the book.

The story runs in two timelines. Present and past.

In past, the author has shown that Sinbad took instructions and teaching from his teacher. His childhood, and friends.

In the future author narrated the fighting scenes where Sinbad showing his courage and strength in front of demons and witches.

The author has written adventure and many fight scenes, which excited us while reading.

Engaging and page-turner book. Nicely written, and something different experience with past books. Amazing imagination sticks to a fictional story.

Language is easy, the cover is creative. Nicely done job to describe a supernatural fictional story. Go for this.

[Afreen Khalil Inscribed Inklings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sinbad and the Trumpet of Israfil by Kevin Missal📚



Sinbad and the Trumpet of Israfil was an Arabian YA fantasy books that totally won me over. As I'm a Muslim, I was familiar with a lot of the aspects in the book and it was very easy for me to get right into the book. But even for a beginner the author has simplified it enough for it to be interesting and comprehensive.

I grew up reading the Arabian tales and watching movies about Sinbad. So I was highly excited to read this book and the author satisfied my expectations. I'm more into adult fantasy and I was missing some elements in this book. I felt the found family trope could have been emphasized more. I felt like the feelings were not explored enough.

The plot was super thrilling. The characters in the book were charming and witty. It made me want to read book 2 ASAP. Sinbad and Safeena's friendship was nice to behold. It was a perfect start to the series with a good mix of romance, mystery friendship and action. I would recommend this book to all YA fantasy lovers.

Rating- ⭐⭐⭐⭐

- Afreen Khalil

[Eraneh Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had always heard about sinbad the sailor since my childhood and reading this book made me experience my childhood once again. This book is just a perfect blend of everything, like it has drama, romance, tragedy, thrill, adventure, fantasy, which didn't overwhelm me rather made me fall in love with it. The story moves parallely with the initiation of Sinbad and the things he learnt and went through four years back which made it pretty engaging. First I thought the stories were unrelated but then as we move on both the stories converge , maintaining supense and thrill till the ending. A perfect book of you were a Sinbad fan in your childhood or if you just want to read something amazing.

[Siddhant Agarwal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story has been told exceptionally well with parallel storylines, set 4 years apart as we meet Sinbad as an apprentice, and as a master hunter. Setting the stage for the reveal towards the middle of the book, Kevin maintains the suspense of the cat-eyed girl. The language is simple, and apt for the story as it is told. The author has also taken his time to set the stage for the main plot of the book to unfold and reveal the Trumpet of Israfil and I loved the scene when that happens, and I could almost visualize Ja’far. The description of places and people is quite vivid, and the author is successful in painting a picture of events as they unfold. From the runes on Sinbad’s tunic to the sword, and the “dancing captain”, each of the moments has been beautifully described. Each of the trials that Sinbad and his motley of followers face has been well crafted and well executed, so much so that there is breathing space between events and a reader is able to process the same. Kevin, in his signature style, has added some interesting elements that make the story fun like the scene between the Greek God, or the Baron. The climax, however, was something I did not expect, and specially from Idris.

Coming to the characters, Sinbad as a character is a wonderfully crafted one, and with his origin story in place, I am now excited to see how he develops over the series. His arc is very well crafted, with proper time being given to events that preceded the book to establish the story and the character. Another character I loved was that of Safeena, and the message the Kevin portrays through her character is very powerful and magnetic. Husayn is another character that surprised me, specially with the events that unfold on the island, given his starting point. Overall, the characters are the essence of this book, and they have been their time in the book to express themselves and tell their story.

The review of the book cannot be complete without due credit going to the team behind the team who designed the cover and the artwork inside the book. The essence of the Arabian Nights, and the idea of Sinbad just jumps out from it.

[Sky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sinbad consistently remains our number one character from adolescence through his numerous undertakings and activity stories and he was the best mariner, everything being equal. Sinbad and the Trumpet of Israfil, the writer has done incredible equity to the character by acquiring his life front of us through his dream book.

What a brave and exciting read this one was! While the activity was the most conspicuous factor in this one there was a touch of dramatization, sentiment, misfortune, and so forth to make it a completely engaging book

The plot of it is so huge and very much built that it can't be clarified in a couple of words however it had an incredible and energizing story which caused me to appreciate it tremendously. The whole book is partitioned into two courses of events which functioned admirably together.

In spite of the fact that it's situated in the Middle East, it is roused and has components of numerous folklores. There was such a lot of occurring in every section that it didn't allow your regard for falter by any stretch of the imagination.

In general, on the off chance that you appreciate dream class books, I will energetically suggest this book.

[Booksaddict2020 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have heard a lot about Sinbad and grown up hearing his adventurous tales. So was quite intrigued when I picked this book as it essentially talks about the same character with some twisted story and own drama and actions added.

The book has all the genres intermingled be it thrill, suspense, actions and a bit of humor at some places as well which could have been better. The story makes a seamless transition between the past and current timeline without being confusing.With witches, devils and a lot happening in each chapter, one can't afford to miss the surreal ride even for a moment.

The narration is endearingly built and the characterisation is superb. The cover is one of the best I have seen with images protruding forward in a 3D style and giving a realistic feel to the overall reading experience.

[Sumith Chowdhury · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a retelling of an old fairytale/folklore story which falls under the category of 'fantasy'. Children often love these kind of tales at it takes them to mythical, mystical & mysterious wonderlands. On the very same note, 'Sinbad the Sailor' is a fictional mariner & the hero of a story-cycle of Middle Eastern origin. He is described as hailing from Baghdad during the early Abbasid Caliphate. Furthermore, he's a merchant who lived during the 3rd Islamic caliphate. The stories of his adventure are filled with that of giant birds, sea monsters, whales as big as an island; goddesses & evil characters that are appealing to children & even adults as well. His tale became quite well-known as it pertains to adventures at sea & are mostly told in the Arabian Nights' Entertainments. The story of Sindbad the Sailor has been told in many versions, with slight variations in title & detail. Sometimes his name is spelled differently: The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor. The most commonly known one which is proved to be much accurate regarding any contextual reference is Arabian Nights, Windermere Series, illustrated by Milo Winter (1914). This story was later added to the original One Thousand & One Nights.

Similarly, likewise this modern retelling also manages to encapsulate magical creatures like vampires, nephilim, satan, seids/ hunters, demons, devils, magis on a thrilling voyage across oceans. There're two parallel timelines going sinuous to each other like a sine-cosine curve on a trigonometrical axis. Stories relating to the events are when Sinbad goes to an island along with his teacher to hunt a vile creature; while the other correlates to the demise of the world in less than a week.

Strictly speaking, the book is way too centralised towards the main character Sinbad & revolves around him predominantly. I wish it had reflected more upon the other characters as well. The cataclysmic touch in a mainstream reflective idealist PoV was missing.

Cover is beautiful, it has been designed well & beautifully crafted. Even the presentation reflects the subplot meticulously. Language is good. Narration is good accompanied by a decent vocabulary. There're many quotes which have been implemented successfully a throughout the book which adds a prominent yet promising impact to the book. Thus, the approach given to it alongside the appropriate application is what renders the storyline & storytelling in a much thought-provoking manner. That's why, the book is rightfully good with few flaws which needs to be worked on to make it more reflective & refined since it's an attempt on a retelling under fantasy genre. It seems childish at times. Otherwise, if we neglect the demerits by keeping it aside momentarily - it's becomes a really nice read.

[Sarthak Mohanty · Rating 5 out of 5]

"𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒘𝒆𝒅, 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏, 𝒊𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝒖���� 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆. 𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒊𝒔? 𝑼𝒔. 𝑾𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒘𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒙 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎." -𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒃𝒂𝒅

Sinbad, the young hunter, fell in love. Does it sound ordinary? But the story of his life is anything but ordinary! Growing up under the shadow of a mysterious organization led Sinbad to become an efficient hunter. Well, he didn't hunt animals, but monsters to be precise! The entire world and the seven seas were his play field, Gods and Demons, his companions and adversaries and every journey, a mission! And just like the not-so-ordinary life of the ordinary monster hunter, his love story too was exceptional. Probably because "He had 7 days to save the World, and 7 days to kill the only girl he had ever loved."

So, what are you waiting for? Hop on to the ship of the greatest sailor with author Kevin Missal and witness an exquisite tale of love and mind blasting adventure! 🔥

"Sinbad & The Trumpet of Israfil" is an adrenaline pumping reimagination of Sinbad, the fabled sailor from the timeless classic 'One Thousand and One Nights'. Although, am not familiar with the original story, but this retelling by author Kevin Missal is just completely spot on! The cover is quite attractive! The narrative, balancing 2 different timelines at the same time, is absolutely gripping! The language is very good & so is the character building! Apart from the fast paced action & spine chilling suspense throughout the plot, the emotional dilemma that every character goes through, has been highlighted quite beautifully. And just like every other Kevin Missal book, this too is full of underlying messages. About love, friendship, good and bad, and above all, HOPE. It was certainly a 5⭐ read for me. Highly recommended!❤️

[Kriti · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Trumpet of Israfil, the most powerful instrument, is stolen. And in the wrong hands, it would create havoc. The end of the World is near and Sinbad has only 7 days to bring it back and save the World. But how will he do it when his enemy is the love of his life?


" We are defined by our choices. Just because you're born a certain way doesn't mean you don't have a choice in what you are going to do in the future."


About the book :
Sinbad, along with Husayn, Pressa and the guild's senior Seid, Idris is set on a voyage to save the world and bring back the Trumpet of Israfil. But his journey was not going to be an easy one. He has to save Ashrafiyah, his vampire friend, from the Magnus. Because she's the one who can help them in finding the location of the Trumpet. There are many challenges in front of him but the biggest challenge is to defeat Safeena, whom he loves the most. On his journey he uncovers many truths about the Guild and the other Seids.
He couldn't repeat the same mistake that happened 3 years ago but can he trust Safeena, especially when she's the Devil's weapon and the one responsible for the crime of stealing the Trumpet of Israfil?
Will Sinbad complete his mission successfully or is there another twist in the story?

Read the book to find what happens next and join Sinbad on his adventurous journey.

Review :

The story is exciting and thrilling and I was so glued to it that I finished it in a day. The characterization is done well and everything about the book is interesting- the cover, title, plot and the characters. The cover is catchy and attractive. Sinbad's journey of becoming a hunter, his training with Master Reis and his first encounter with Safeena as well as the present time when he is on a mission to save the World is well described. This is book 1 in the Sinbad series and I couldn't wait to read the next part. Do give it a try if you like adventurous stories.

[Debabrata Mishra · Rating 4 out of 5]

👉𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊:-
📚ⓉⒾⓉⓁⒺ:- Sinbad
🖋️ⒶⓊⓉⒽⓄⓇ:- Kevin Missal
🗞️ⓅⓊⒷⓁⒾⓈⒽⒺⓇ :- Penguin publication
🔤ⓁⒶⓃⒼⓊⒶⒼⒺ:- English
📖ⒻⓄⓇⓂⒶⓉ:- Paperback
👉𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑:-
The name of author is enough to describe his legacy. He is a national bestseller for Kalki trilogy & very much famous for Narasimha trilogy as well.
👉𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 & 𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐋𝐄:-
Cover of the book is animated illustrative and eye catching. The way it is designed, it will draw your attention in one go. Title of the book is also very much relatable to the storyline.
👉𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒:-
The story about Sinbad who is a Seid & the set in two timelines one is present & other is 4 years ago.
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The current scenario is , Sinbad has to save the world from Safina who is an evil creature & also his love of life. Sinbad has only 7 days in his hand to rescue the world.
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The past plot is about Sinbad's journey to become a seid to rescue the world. Seid is basically the person who saves the mankind from supernatural evils & this whole book is a journey of that.
👉𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 & 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐆𝐄:-
Writing style of this book is top notch as author did a great job by putting forward such a fantasy gener novel in front of us. The writing style is engaging lucid gripping & most importantly connecting easily to readers. The language is moderate very easily understandable & you just blown away with the book.
👉𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐙𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍:-
There are too many characters as like other fantasy books. There are evils , seid , master , demons etc etc but every character is well described well matched with the storyline which is another +ve.
👉𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒:-
🙂A complete new gener by Indian Author
🙂Sinbad's character well plotted
🙂 Writing , language & narration all are bang on.
🙂Too much characters but described in a scrutinized way.
😒I expect some illustrations in this book which is missing.
👉𝐌𝐘 𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆:-
Cover & Title:-4.3/5
Synopsis:-4.5/5
Writing & Language:-4.4/5
Characterization:-4.3/5
Uniqueness:-4.4/5
Narration & Pace:-4.2/5
𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑:-🌟🌟🌟🌟
𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐍:-A mind blowing fantasy read.

[Priya Saladi · Rating 4 out of 5]

FAB - BOOK REVIEW OF "Sinbad and the Trumpet of Israfil" by Kevin Missal

Genre - Fiction (Adventurous)

Rating - 4/5

QOTD: A book that you completed reading in one sitting?

"Sinbad" this book is a package of everything you want, written by one of the most famous authors Kevin Missal. I had many expectations for this book, and the book did live up to my expectations. This is my first time reading a book by Kevin Missal, as you all heard many of them even I did . In fact, a lot, but somehow I couldn't read any of his books, so I think finally this is the time to read and get into his writing, so I picked this book up and entered into the world that is full of possibilities and curiosity.
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This book revolves around 2 stories, but we readers won't get confused at all. The first one is where Sinbad goes along with Reis to an Island to hunt a vile creature. This was the past story, and then we will get to know the present level as well, and that he should save the world, which is dying in seven days and for that he had to kill a girl, but that girl and Sinbad had a connection in the past. So what will he do? What is going on in his mind? Will he be able to save the world? When you read the book, these are questions that will pop up in your head.
When we are so much into the story, the author will let us get into the present, where he strives hard to save the world.
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This book is a fast-paced one, which makes the reader get indulged in the book, and this book will entertain us thoroughly. This book consists of those vampires and whatnot that we crave for! Indeed Kevin's writing is mystic and beautiful in its own form. I can't wait to read some more great books like this in the future by him.

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[Salil Lavgankar · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I had not read the author’s previous books, this book instantly attracted me with its cover and the blurb, with the chance to re-visit Sinbad’s story having only a vague reminiscence of the original story. Hence I had an open mind while reading the book, and is fully deserving of all the accolades that it has received.

The proper classification of the book would almost be a prequel to the main story of Sinbad becoming the known sailor of the seas of the world. The author re-imagines Sinbad to be a monster hunter belonging to Seids guild- mortals who practise sorcery and hunt monsters. The story moves in 2 timescales- the journey of Sinbad with his Master Reis and the present day where Sinbad is living covertly in Basra and is assigned by the Caliph to bring back the Trumpet of Israfil (an Angel) within 7 days which was used to put down the Beast- brother of Iblis (Shaitan) which is stolen by Safeena Umair- the Shaitan’s daughter but loved by Sinbad. In this journey, he is joined by motley crew of characters and takes him across the seas and the lands.

The premise of the book is best represented by the Preface (although not titled such) at the start of the book and is absolutely a rollicking read. The author keeps the narrative pacey, with the story in 2 timescales moving smoothly between the 2 with interconnecting characters. The language used is everyday easy-to-read, urban and non-pretentious but still having enough relevance to create the Arabic world of those times. The author builds the characters pretty well giving them a backstory in most cases. The only quibble I would have is sometimes in the latter half of the book, some of the character narrations almost feel like something out of FRIENDS or a rom-com serial.

Highly recommended for an almighty adventure ride, look forward to the 2nd book of the series

[Kiranmayi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review on my blog:
https://blog.medhaapps.com/2021/02/bo...

Sinbad has seven days to save the world, to kill the only love he ever knew. Before he reaches this goal, he has multiple creatures to hunt down, being the Seid that he had trained to be. What adventures await him on this journey makes the first book in the Sinbad series.

The story keeps going back and forth in time, and that kept me engaged in the narration as there is a always a mystery waiting to unravel in both the timelines. The past has Sinbad as an apprentice to his Master Reis, as a young lad all of twelve and now four years later as a grown-up hunter and sailor. There are multiple characters distributed between the two timelines and their character graph is well etched.

After I completed reading, the first thing I had to lookup was the age for which this book was relevant. I picked it because I read earlier works of the author and liked them, but as I navigated the book I realized it is more apt for young kids and not all adults may like it, owing to the fantasy genre.

Though I read about Sinbad and his stories as a kid, I honestly do not recollect much, which was a plus point while reading this one, as I could read it as a new story without much reference for comparison. Also, since this is book one, I am looking forward to reading next parts in this series.

A special mention to the cover design which is impeccable; also, the elements added intricately inside the book on each page like the swords, set the mood for the reader. The author succeeds in retelling a well-known story by adding his own imagination and interesting elements. Pick this one for a racy adventure on the mighty seas.

[Monika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you ever crash a vampire wedding? Or made a deal with a soft natured yet terrifying giant? Or trying to trick a Greek God? Or fought with a gigantic bird? No? Well.. our hero does all of that and lives to tell the tale. Read on more.

Sinbad, a monster hunter, has been given a mission to save the world in seven days and to kill the cause of it – the girl he loves. He sets out on a sea voyage with a unique set of crew facing dangerous challenges on the way. Along with present time, a past story also runs parallel with Sinbad and his mentor on a mission. Will Sinbad be able to save the world? What will happen to his love story?

Have you watched Sinbad on screen in any form, be it cartoon or live action serials/movies? This story is of that very same Sinbad only but with a little creative twist.

Sinbad the sailor is a world famous fictional character from One Thousand and One Nights, also famously known as The Arabian Nights. Author has reimagined the character as a monster hunter and has woven a magical story around him.

It is the first book in the YA fantasy adventure book series. It is set in the same time and location like the original one. There will be a lots of adventures and mini missions with all kinds of mythical Gods, angels and creatures. Sinbad’s journey into becoming a great monster hunter in shown in detail with his physical and emotional struggles.

It is a fun and light read, perfect for a weekend. Author has done a commendable job in creatively executing the story. It will keep you hooked from the very start with the anticipation of what will happen next? What new adventures are we going on? Pace is great with no dull moment.

A must recommend from my side.

[Sushma Shenoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Fresh Take on Sinbad in a Captivating YA Fantasy. This book was a delightful surprise in the realm of Indian YA fantasy. Initially skeptical about diving into the YA genre explored by Indian authors, I'm pleased to say that Missal's storytelling prowess turned this book into an unexpected gem.

Plot Overview:
Two parallel stories unfold in this novel. The first introduces us to a 12-year-old Sinbad, apprentice to Master Reis, a monster hunter. His encounter with Safeena, a girl destined to be the weapon of the Devil, sets the stage for a conflict of emotions. The second story follows a 16-year-old Sinbad, now an independent monster hunter, tasked with preventing Safeena from unleashing the Trumpet of Israfil and bringing about the end of the world.

What I Liked:
Memorable Characters: Despite a plethora of characters, each is impeccably crafted, making them memorable.
Pacing: The novel maintains a fast pace without feeling rushed, keeping the reader engaged.
Natural Humor: The humor in the dialogues feels authentic and adds a delightful layer to the narrative.

What I Didn't Like:
Limited World-building: I prefer more descriptive world-building to fully immerse myself in the story.
Familiar Elements: Some scenes, especially those depicting the guild and monsters, felt reminiscent of existing stories.

Overall Impression:
In a landscape where Indian authors are yet to extensively explore the YA fantasy genre, "Sinbad and the Trumpet of Israfil" holds promise. The narrative is engaging, the characters are vivid, and the humor is a natural highlight. While I yearned for more immersive world-building, the book succeeds in delivering a fresh take on the beloved character of Sinbad. I look forward to exploring more books in this series.

[Pinky Mahajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review – Sinbad and the Trumpet of Israfil
Author – Kevin Missal
Publisher – Penguin India
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Who doesn’t like a tale of romance, imbued with a dash of myth, demons, magic and monsters? Well, I distinctly remember reading books of folklore as a child being besotted and teleported to a world of wonderland that boasted of gigantic ferocious monsters, creatures of the dark, sinful vampires who fed on human blood and the perennial fight between good and evil.
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Stories of fantasy with cliffhangers always gets one running on adrenaline and this book ‘Sinbad and the Trumpet of Israfil’ manages to do just that. It’s an ethereal love story etched in time that depicts a sordid saga of a fallen angel, daughter of the devil who shoulders the weight of a humungous task, Sinbad our protagonist who traverses distances to save the love of his life and the world at large. This piece of fiction is an interesting read, beautifully structured and layered with vivid and descriptive prose that fires one’s imagination.
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The author weaves a tale that’s refurbished and inspired by Sinbad the Sailor. It takes one on unchartered destinations, interspersed with a series of mercurial and volatile events that makes the reader vacillate on the impending apocalypse that would end the world in 7 days. If you like reading fiction with a twist of fantasy and adventure then this is the right book for you.
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What will be the fate of Sinbad’s love? Will he kill his love to save the world from the unstoppable Armageddon? Will he conquer and relinquish the task at hand? If these questions intrigue you then you might want to read this book to find out! Enjoy the read.

[Abhinav Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

'So we are pirates now?'
No.
'We are sailors'
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So much excitement, action & magical adventure... This the story which placed Kevin at a different place in the Indian fiction world...
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SINDBAD
AND THE TRUMPET OF ISRAIL
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have you ever watched Alif Laila? Or Arabian nights?
Haha, both are same but why these in the review.
After a long time, I found that magic in this book.
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This the journey of a boy, actually making of a boy with qualities, they do not come to him but time will ensure that he will be that one and he become SINBAD.
The story based on the ancient folklore plus author Kevin missal's mystic writing skills. Covering the witchcraft, warriors, different worlds & bravery, the story is bounded by love but separated by plans. Plans which want to establish a pirate as a sailor.
The story itself contains a mystery which the characters what to uncover but the situation become critical when personal emotions took over the aims. Who is an angel, who is a demon and who is a saviour all are bound perfectly? The first part of the book builds Sinbad as an unforgettable character & traverse the path of the ancient world of the Arabian empire and sea.
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I like the whole story. The characters are well built with a lot of emotions & capability. The major quality between them is the fragile threads of emotions from which they are connected. Discussing the plot, as usual, it is packed and praiseworthy. Despite other works, this book contains some more detailing which is my favourite part.
Coming on the magical elements, they will surprise you page by page and the aura on that land will also amuse you.
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Rating it 5/5 from my side. Waiting for the journey ahead...

[Ibtesam Rahman · Rating 5 out of 5]

SINBAD AND THE TRUMPET OF ISRAFIL

The story is about Sinbad- sounds familiar right? Yep the same Sindbad from 1001 Arabian nights. The one who went on adventures and sailed across the seas for riches and had his fair share of stories to tell. Well, this time the author decided to revamp our childhood hero into somewhat of a hero who battles ghouls and golems, vampires and sea Gods.
Sinbad is a Seid, from the ninurta guild- people who fight the dark side.
The story is narrated in two parts - the present day when Sinbad is hired to save the world by finding his one and only love- Safeena- the devil's child and the past- when Sinbad first met Safeena.

The story well incorporates the elements of fantasy, adventure and found family trope. There's dark sorcery in the story and the mention of plenty of familiar characters straight out of those childhood stories we used to read.
I loved the friendship between Sinbad and Husayn and the sassiness of Pressa.

The book was Adventurous, thrilling, mysterious and dark but also hilarious at times. In short everything you want your fantasy book to be.
The characters are well penned and the background stories are well explained. The pace was little confusing at first but then I got a hang of it.
The narration was stellar. The language was fairly simple and easy to understand.

The one thing the author got wrong and I'd like to correct is- the use of the word- Bismillah.
Bismillah is uttered at the begining any task- it translates to 'By the name of Allah'. In the sense we begin any work by uttering the name of Allah so that the work is fruitful whatever it might be. In the book there were several instances were Husayn or Sinbad randomly uttered Bismillah and i had to double take just to make sure i was understanding the part correctly. At some places- it could have been
Astagfirullah for Allah forgive us, or Mashaallah- for how amazing this this, or Allahumdullilah - for praise be upon Allah. So that's the one thing that bothered me the most but was rather unnoticeable if you consider the whole book.

The sheer amount of twists and turns in this book, didn't let me keep the book down for a moment.
Overall a thrilling fantasy filled with action and adventure. A must read.

Recommended to all ages, specially kids and young adults.

[Khushboo · Rating 5 out of 5]

B99 reference:
Rosa: “You never told us Sinbad lives in your building.”
Jake: “If Sinbad lived in my building, I would have a tattoo on my forehead that said ‘Sinbad lives in my building.’”
And I am with Jake on this one. If this Sinbad lived in my building, I would have a tattoo on my forehead that said ‘Sinbad lived in my building.’ This book was an adventure in itself. The first thing that I want to draw your attention to is the artwork. Not just the cover, but the interior as well. The book has an attractive interior which will definitely enhance your reading experience.
Honestly, there is nothing that I did not like about this book.
The literature- Amazing!
The narration- Mind-blowing!
The characters- Good enough to fall in love with.
The adventure that Sinbad takes you on will definitely encourage you to read further. There is a little bit of everything in this book- romance, drama, tragedy, and a tad bit of comedy. Although action and adventure remain to be the main theme of this book. The author has managed to build a strong plot and lovable characters. In all honesty, there is much more than written words in this book. A lot happens in the background as well. And the author has managed to portray it with finesse. The unpredictability and curiosity to know what will happen next is what kept me glued to this book.
I highly recommend this book to people who like fiction and mythology. The author has taken the old legend of Sinbad and given it a modern twist. There is a high probability that I would pick up this book once again.

[SRUTHI VIGNESHIKA · Rating 4 out of 5]

"𝙰𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛, 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚠𝚎𝚊𝚙𝚘𝚗 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚊 𝚠𝚎𝚊𝚙𝚘𝚗. 𝙴𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚊𝚝, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚜𝚘 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚊𝚝. 𝙷𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚔𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚕𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚢 𝚎𝚡𝚌𝚎𝚕 𝚊𝚝"
Two stories run parallelly in this book. The one which happened 4 years back and the one which is happening now. Sinbad, a monster hunter is living in incognito in a remote area. But one day he was found and was said that the most important device which saves this world from chaos was stolen by someone. And he had only 7 days to save the world. He decides to help since the trumpet was stolen by none other than the only girl whom Sindbad loved, Safeena. He needs to kill her to save the world for she is not a normal human being but "The Devil's weapon".

𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥?
𝘞𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦?

This is a different story from the author of the famous Kalki trilogy. Sindbad is one of the stories from 1001 Arabian Nights. I loved reading this retelling. The world development and the fantasy elements were fantastic. There were Monsters, Giants, Gods and Goddesses from Greek mythology and what not. The story is fast paced. All the characters were lovable. Especially Kevin's way of building strong and independent female characters is my favorite part in all his books🥰😍. However, the romance part was juvenile and unimpressive. Otherwise, if you are looking for a fantasy read then do pick this book.

[Abhishek Mishra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was sceptical of picking this book because most of the YA fantasies I've ever read are an average read at best. But Kevin Missal is one of my favourite Indian author so I decided to read it. And it is an amazing fresh take on a popular character of Arabian Nights.

📚📚📚📚
Two stories run in parallel.
In first, a 12 year old Sinbad is an apprentice of Master Reis, a seid (a guild of monster hunters). He encounters a young girl Safeena who is destined to be the weapon of Devil. Sinbad sees innocence in the girl and decides to save her while being conflicted in his feelings about his master.

In second, 16 year old Sinbad works as an independent Seid. He is tasked to prevent Safeena from blowing the Trumpet of Israfil which would end the world. He and his group of friends has 7 days to save the world. How he manages to do that is the whole plot.

📚📚📚📚

What I like:

☑️As usual with Kevin's novels, there are a lot of characters but each one is perfectly written to be memorable.

☑️The novel is fast paced but is doesn't feels rushed.

☑️The humor in the dialogues never seems forced.

☑️The cover design and formatting is superb. This book deserves hardback, dust-jackets and sprayed edges.

What I didn't like:

🚫I prefer descriptive world-building like in The Hobbit. It was not there.

🚫Some scenes describing guild and monsters give you a feeling of Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Infact the monster baby plot was taken straight out of the game. I don't like when these happen.

Overall, the YA fantasy genre is not much explored by Indian authors, so it was a promising read. I'll definitely read more books in this series.

My ratings 4.5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟 .5