Soul’s Despair | Vivek Bhanot | Book Review | Supernatural Thriller

Soul’s Despair by Vivek Bhanot is a supernatural thriller and the first book in “Inspector Danish Dev Files” series. So, read the book summary, book quotes, genre, reading age, and book review of Soul’s Despair by Vivek Bhanot in this post below.

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About Soul’s Despair by Vivek Bhanot:

No. of Pages: 192

Publication Date: 25th July 2022

Genre: Supernatural Thriller, Murder Mystery, Indian Writing

Series: Inspector Danish Dev Files Book 1

Reading Age: 16 years and above

Can be read as a standalone? YES

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Soul’s Despair by Vivek Bhanot Book Summary:

The one you seek is the one who seeks you.”

Soul’s Despair by Vivek Bhanot Book Quote

"The one you seek is the one who seeks you." – #BookQuote Soul's Despair @VivekBhanot_in | #BookReview #SupernaturalThriller on #NjkinnysBlog Share on X

A prominent businessman’s death leads Inspector Danish Dev to a crime where nothing is as it seems. With unanswered questions, no apparent motive for the crime, no suspects, and a foreboding sense of darkness haunting him, will Dev be able to solve this baffling case?

And is there really something supernatural here?

Soul’s Despair by Vivek Bhanot Book Review:

Book Cover, Title, and Blurb:

I got attracted towards this book when I first saw the cover and read the blurb. Both are intriguing and with the tag of a “supernatural thriller” on it, I was thrilled to explore this story.

However, the title is confusing and it had me assuming this book to be an emotional read.

Plot and narration:

The forest never forgets. It keeps alive the memories of all the grisly crimes committed within its periphery, waiting to avenge the souls that have been wasted in its fiefdom.”

Soul’s Despair by Vivek Bhanot Book Quote

"The forest never forgets. It keeps alive the memories of all the grisly crimes committed within its periphery, waiting to avenge the souls that have been wasted in its fiefdom.” – #BookQuote Soul's Despair @VivekBhanot_in | Read… Share on X

The plot is pretty novel, and promising. But the execution, in my opinion, could have been better. This story had so much potential. With a supernatural element, an emotional romantic angle, a wronged victim, and a plethora of shady characters, this book could have been phenomenal. But for now, it was a one-time read.

The author’s language skills are exemplary, and he uses them to his advantage. So, the narration while being in a simple language is still one where I learned new words and phrases. Then there were no grammatical errors which is another plus in my book. 

The world building fails to create the atmosphere that the story warranted. While there are scenes that are descriptive of dark and frightening elements, still I sat unmoved. So, I was not sucked in, and could not be one with the story. I stayed an outsider all through, and the story kept happening.

Also there are no ebbs and flows in the storytelling. Every twist and turn fell flat, and failed to garner the shock and excitement that it had the potential to incite. So, even when new discoveries were made I didn’t feel the emotional response I usually do when I am engrossed in a story.

I can’t fault the storyline but the storytelling could have been more immersive.

Characters:

Inspector Danish Dev is a rule abiding, and hardworking cop. But he is shown as someone who is bowed down by bureaucracy. His boss is shown as a man more concerned about his media image, and least concerned about his duty to bring justice. So, all through the book he is shown as pressurising Danish to close the case, and not ruffle any feathers as everyone involved is too high-profile.

I was also intrigued by Danish’s disbelief of the supernatural. And I wanted to see a shocking showoff when he was faced with the otherworldly but alas, everything happened in a lacklustre way. He started believing so easily that it didn’t sound real. Then the introduction of the medium and his sister’s faith in the medium were angles that were not explored. 

The behind-the-scenes police action is realistic but at times, the police looked unprofessional. Constables started shouting at the witnesses, then had a bickering match which looked too juvenile for this book.

Supporting Characters:

The supporting characters are varied, and each has a motive which is explained well. And I think their development is a highlight of this book. Every character is given a due backstory, a motive for killing the murder victim, and each is caught in a lie. So, I was suitably baffled and kept guessing who the real culprit was.

Bizarre incidents that baffle the mind are recounted by people from all corners of the world. However, life goes on, and the inexplicable is often eclipsed by cynical logic.”

Soul’s Despair by Vivek Bhanot Book Quote

"Bizarre incidents that baffle the mind are recounted by people from all corners of the world. However, life goes on, and the inexplicable is often eclipsed by cynical logic.”- #BookQuote Soul's Despair @VivekBhanot_in | #BookReview… Share on X

Kept me guessing until the end:

A major highlight of this book is the way the author kept me guessing until the very end. He shows the readers all the clues, and despite following each twist and turn, I was still shocked when the real murderer was revealed. Also he threw several red herrings that had me hooked throughout. So, even the sequence of the crime came as a surprise. For this I congratulate the author who kept me on my toes throughout!

Conclusion:

All in all, Soul’s Despair by Vivek Bhanot is a murder mystery where the crime sequence, and the killer both kept me guessing. A different kind of a story, this book had potential but it failed to tap it. Flat narration kept me from getting engrossed. And despite staying intrigued enough to know the killer’s identity, I still was not immersed as much in this story world as I would have liked to be.

So, for now it is a decent one-time read that will take you to a perplexing murder mystery with a mystical bend to it. 3 out of 5 stars to it and Njkinny recommends this supernatural thriller to readers interested in mystery, thriller, crime, and psychic themes.

Since this is the first book in a new series, the author leaves the readers fascinated to know about Inspector Danish Dev’s new cases. And I am eagerly waiting to read about the new adventures from “Inspector Danish Dev Files”.

Danish was sure that his tryst with the paranormal would not end here; rather, he would find his calling somewhere along the edge of mystical realms.”

Soul’s Despair by Vivek Bhanot Book Quote

"Danish was sure that his tryst with the paranormal would not end here; rather, he would find his calling somewhere along the edge of mystical realms."- #BookQuote Soul's Despair @VivekBhanot_in | #BookReview #SupernaturalThriller on… Share on X

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Meet Author Vivek Bhanot:

Vivek writes fiction. His themes include suspense, supernatural, mystery, and horror. He also writes for Young Adults. And won the 2nd Runner up prize at the prestigious Scholastic Asian Book Award in Singapore, in 2014, for his YA Fiction novel. He lives in Delhi with his wife and son. And is a Chartered Accountant by profession.

Follow him on Facebook | Twitter

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