King Vikram has a devil of a dilemma! In order to gain power and wealth beyond his wildest dreams, he must deliver a corpse to the sorcerer Shaitanish. The only problem with this simple task is that this particular corpse is home to Betal—an impish storyteller of a vampire with tricks up his sleeve. Betal gives the King a series of riddles to solve as he rides along on the King’s back. If King Vikram solves the riddle, but forgets to speak his answer aloud, the vampire will continue to haunt him—spoiling his plans for innumerable riches! Nobody is quite as foolish as King Vikram and Betal runs circles around the poor man, quickly turning him into a royal punchline.Stories like this one of Vikram and Betal date back over a thousand years and in Vikram and the Vampire , Natasha Sharma brings the classic story to life in a hilarious and modern retelling. Children from eight to eighty will enjoy the tale of a dimwitted king and the tongue-twisting, punning vampire who is destined to outsmart him.
I have grown up watching the famous "Vikram and Betal" Series on television and thoroughly enjoyed it. So when I learnt that my favourite author Natasha Sharma has released a book with her own twist to the famous tale, I simply had grab a copy to read. I knew I was in for a treat and I was indeed. Extremely well written book with a dash of humour, it did feel like the author was narrating the story in person. This is a book that children above the age of 9 will definitely enjoy.
Such a wonderful little book! Made me all nostalgic about the Vikram-Betaal tales I had read in my childhood in Chandamama. But these were even funnier and more enjoyable. Absolutely worth a read.
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