Book Review: The Path Of Sukshmaloka by Nihar Bhonsule

Good books often entertain and tell a memorable story. Yet, the best books are the ones that contribute to your life beyond  simple entertainment and  leave you  pondering about several existential questions

Title: The Path Of Sukshmaloka
Author: Nihar Bhonsule
Release and distribution: International
Genre: Indian Dark Fantasy
Subgenre: Urban Fantasy/Fantasy Drama/Horror/Epic Fantasy

The Path of Sukshmaloka by Author Nihar Bhonsule is one such power-package that not only entertains with its spellbinding narrative, but also leaves you  awestruck with several philosophic insights that contribute to your life beyond  the entertainment factor. Author Nihar Bhonsule gives us a story that is riveting, imaginative, bold and artistic to its best.

It is a tale that spreads across a spectrum of several highly interesting characters and the noteworthy aspect here is that it beholds the right balance of suspension of disbelief as well as stark realism that adds a sense of tangibility to the circumstances and events that occur in the book. Author Nihar Bhonsule offers a generous amount of good vocabulary, and a descriptive style that makes his work a treat for every profile of readers, including the fantasy buffs. In portions it’s a tear-jerker, in parts it is serious, and in sections even surreal and symbolic.

With fantasy being a popular genre, the lines of distinction in fantasy books have blurred out, over time. Yet, with The Path Of Sukshmaloka, readers can expect to be treated to a trend-breaking, new voice that has a lot of values and sensitivity. While that is indeed is a strong claim, it is firmly grounded on the fact that Author Nihar Bhonsule’s work is a rare work that is fair to all its characters rather than telling the story only from the protagonist’s perspective. The major highlight here is that the reader gets introduced to all the character stories and events and can  side with any character story that is most relatable to them. The diverse perspective also gives a good break from the central plot and turns the attention to a touching sub-plot.

The sheer magic of The Path Of Sukshmaloka is in the fact that it is a unique story that traverses cross genre often, and very tactfully, thanks to Author Nihar’s deft storytelling. The book begins with a captivating chapter that is set in the distant future of Mumbai. The city is torn down by a strange race of ‘Rakshasas’ who seemed to have ‘won’ in some unrevealed struggle. Yet, they are being fought by a mysterious hero called ‘The Dust-Man’, who is being assisted by his sidekick ‘The Street Archer’ and an enchanting dimension called ‘The Sukshmaloka’. The tension and suspense created in this chapter is filled with intensity. The book then divulges into narrating the events that led into this present-day destruction, and  how everything began. Nihar Bhonsule skillfully uses a non-linear narrative then, and lets the reader magically put the story together like a puzzle.

Highlight: The Sukshmaloka-Verse
This is a concept never-seen-before in any of the fiction out there. The concept of Sukshmaloka is what gives this dark fantasy work by Author Nihar Bhonsule its primary USP. It is an important law of the universe of the story and has a pivotal role to play in the central plot. Referred to as the ‘subtle dimension’ in the glossary, Nihar Bhonsule reveals very less of this law to the readers that are new to the book, and with justifiable intent, as the Sukshmaloka is a concept that you discover more and more about, as you progress through the pages. What’s also magical here is how the story gradually unfolds to let you discover for yourself the role of this dimension. 

Verdict: Most riveting Indian dark fantasy of recent times
Author Nihar Bhonsule is a creative power-house of imagination. You can make this out in the profound, philosophic insights that are intricately woven with the elements of fantasy. The Path Of Sukshmaloka is a detailed masterpiece, where all the dots connect. The storylines are fabulously tied together without blotch ups, leaving no scope for plot holes. The last few chapters lead you into a nail-biting build up, for a cinematic and emotional finale that is memorable, even weeks after reading the book.

It is both epic and relatable with its urbanized setting and intrinsic analysis of numerous perspectives and of human behaviour. It is emotional in some parts and heartbreaking in others. It is a character-driven work that is compelling and has a Grande premise and verse with a massive potential for a multiple book series.

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