The Shadow of Darkness by Priyanka Baranwal on 01/12/2017
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 390
Format: Paperback
Goodreads
Not all nightmares arouse questions, some give away answers too.
The Shadow of Darkness is the second book in the series of “It’s Never Too Late”, picks the journey of a mother and a daughter from the first book. Written by Priyanka Baranwal, an Indian author who has a very detailing writing style, this novel revolves around the theme of childhood trauma.
The blurb of the book is so well written with the ease of simplicity, that I am going to share with you since I cannot express it with more clarity.
When Maya fought two criminals one night and saved herself and her five-year-old daughter, Sejal, she thought the worst was over. But was it really? Or, there could be something worse than the worst? The childhood trauma that little Sejal did not deserve resulted in nightmares, trust issues, and bizarre habits. Even after thirteen long years, the night continues to haunt and debilitate her senses with its magnificence, and as if it wasn’t enough, an encounter with the remains of past slips her deep into a treacherous darkness.
Sejal has a loving family, a comfortable life yet disappointment is the only thing now echoing inside her. Will its shadow ever leave her side? Then we see a shining light in the dark brooding sky – Kartik. Is he the answer to her quest for peace? Will Sejal be able to find love, strong enough to fight all odds and bring her out from the darkness? Will the light of hope win over its foes? The Shadow of Darkness holds the answer to every question.
The plot starts with a nightmare and end with one. As I mentioned the quote from the book, not all nightmares end in a tragedy. It revolves around the Sejal, the protagonist of the novel, who after surviving a tragic event in her childhood, is suffering from a childhood trauma. One thing that trauma causes her is nightmares. These nightmares, she soon starts to believe is a form of a reflection. These nightmares clearly represent the “shadows” of darkness.
It is a journey for a reader to take along with the protagonist in the darkest corners of a character’s mind. It is a journey that represents the organized imaginative effort the writer has put it. The main theme of childhood trauma it tends to cover is the lesson we all should learn from, whether some of us have been a victim ourselves or others who are around. Healing takes time and is a struggling process, but by putting any amount of effort is worth or it seems worth as the message of this book is.
The characterization is good but I think the most appreciable character is the protagonist in this book since it is her journey. However, other characters are well formed. These characters cope with the plot well. Written using third person narrative voice this book has a calm pace and given the length of the book, it will take some time for a reader to go through. However, I think this justifies how important the storyline is to the writer. She makes no hurry and covers every aspect of both writing and theme she want to address in her words.
I’d recommend you to read this book if you want to read a unique way of how fiction can be written, and a bit of warmness for your soul in this cold weather.
4 out of 5
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