Ohana Reviews

Review- Kayadhu Kalyaan

Reviewer- kinalhariya
Book- Kayadhu Kalyaan
Author- Kanhakisakhi

Blurb:

I like how it starts. The first paragraph was beautiful and gained my attention. However, the connection between the start and end of the blurb seems a bit off. I would suggest adding a bit more summary between them.

Preface:

Preface gives us the backstory, which might come in handy later. It shows us who the evil characters are and how they got the boon to be this powerful. The way the boon was asked is also special because it would make their end even more interesting. Everything is portrayed in a simple manner, which makes it easier to understand.

Moving towards the story,

Nice start. Beautiful description of the powers of sea serpents and their uniqueness from the usual stereotype.

The photos added were so attractive and eye-pleasing.

The information given is amazing. All the facts about the serpents, the palace and the King were nice to read. Descriptions are written brilliantly. It creates a vivid image. And the pictures along with that provide great imagery. However, all this it feels like reading about a place in Wikipedia and not a novel. 

(Do correct me if 'Kingdom of Sea Serpents' wasn't actually the start of the story.) If not, then it's fine the way it is.

In the chapter 'Birth'. I like the information provided before Nagraj's POV starts. But I think the same information can be provided in a more interesting way.

As his POV starts, the portrayal of the lake and flowers is mesmerizing. I loved the part of him finding the baby inside the flower.

Wonderful start to the story. Although the chapter was short, it made its mark. It was beautiful and unique.

The meaning of her name was greatly explained along with the duties that fell upon the child.

The way Sages twisted the words while speaking about her partner was a great foreshadowing.

Her mischievous nature was portrayed really well in actions. I loved her compassionate nature along with her cuteness. 

Not being able to scold her due to her cuteness seemed relatable and sweet.

The fear and excitement of entering into an unknown territory was shown well. An eerie feeling, the anxiousness and the panic as she realized where she was, it was penned down really well.

One thing-  It was written that Serena's heart pounded in fear.

→Was it a typo or another name for Kayadhu?

If it was her another name, then mention it before and if it was a typo then correct it asap.

Kayadhu really held true to her name. Her qualities were one of her kind, bringing hope and solace to wherever she went. I really loved this part.

The entry of the demon was shown brilliantly. The descriptions created a vivid image of him in my mind. However, the tense suddenly changed from past to present, breaking the flow of the chapter.

[Minor plot hole: 

The demon king was on the other side of the lake. But he was suddenly grabbing her by the arm, while no sign of his moving was shown.]

The father-daughter conversation was good but it could have been better. I liked the dialogues, how the connection seemed to be a bit missing. Their emotions, their fear didn't reach us as much as it should have.

*****

Characterization is done nicely. Unique qualities of Kayadhu are portrayed well. Nagraj's love for his daughter and kingdom also connects to us. Some more emotions can be shown to land more impact, but the current version is good too.

World building is done brilliantly. The kingdom of underwater, its creatures; everything is described simply yet beautifully.

I like the concept. This is something new to me. I have read and seen the story of her son Prahlad. But this was my first time reading about Kayadhu. The story is in its starting phase, so I can't tell much about the plot. However, the start was interesting and kept me hooked throughout.

The chapters are really short but they all are interesting. The story flows at a proper pace. 

Writing style is simple yet effective. It manages to grab attention while making it easy for all the readers to read and understand the story.

Grammar:

1)Missing punctuations. 

Starting chapters didn't have much issues, but the latter chapters had so many full stops missing.

2)Fluctuating tenses. 

Tenses kept fluctuating from past to present, especially after the chapter 'A curious girl'.

3)Typo.

In chapter birth

Largest lotus someth

→ the sentence is left incomplete.

Other than these minor errors, the story seemed grammatically well written.

Last words,

Story is sweet and interesting. Until now, I really loved Kayadhu's character. The demon King has just entered, so the real story is yet to begin. However, the story has kept me hooked till now. I am really curious to see how she deals with the demon king. Given how intelligent she is, along with being so kind, this would be really interesting. Looking forward to more updates.

Thanks for choosing me. Keep writing!