Book Review - Dead never die

A spooky three-story ebook by author Siddharth Nirvan

Based on the rural legends of Rajasthan, ENT surgeon Siddharth Nirvan has dished out a treat for readers in the horror genre.

Cover:

The design is very much, the way a horror book cover should be. It is scary, simple and evokes the right emotion. The colour combination of black and grey with the word ‘Die’ in red is well thought of. The face on the cover is something one can easily relate with a character in the book.

Stories:

There are three stories in the ebook, each one stands on its own.

The Cursed Village of Churela as the name suggests, is about a village that gets abandoned on a particular day every year, to avoid getting sacrificed by churels as per the legend. What happens when a group of youngsters accidentally pass by on such a day? Well, they face the consequences!

The pandit of Sudhabay Kund is a riveting story about a lady who comes to the kund to interview and understand more about exorcism from a pandit. She discovers that as per the legend, if a pandit of the kund becomes a victim of an unnatural death, he returns to haunt unless he is beheaded. And then the past comes alive.

The bride from Rayna is a gripping tale of a family which accepts a bride from a village that is known for its women turning into bats who can eat their prey alive on a full-moon night.

Each story is based on modern-day situations in rural Rajasthan which suddenly take a turn in the backdrop of the legend which comes true. This leads to fear and chaos, and the characters in the story have to face or crumble against the power of the legend.

All three stories are fast-paced, build the fear right from the start and maintain it till the end. Siddharth has used local slang effectively and it blends naturally with the narrative.

Overall, a highly visual and smooth read and of course difficult to put down without completion of a story. Highly recommended.