The first historical fiction that I ever read was when I was in sixth grade,and interestingly it was by Alex Rutherford.I was pretty much smitten by The Empire of the Moghul Series,and still am.
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This novel is an amazing,breathtaking novel of Alex Rutherford.It is based on the advent of the East India company in India and how they grasped the whole land of fortune-Hindustaan.
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Nicholas Ballentyne pretty much had everything,from talent to wealth.But suddenly he was sent to Hindustaan to be writer in the East India Company by his uncle James Ballentyne.Not to mention, Nicholas was upset.
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But there he befriended the notorious Robert Clive and stayed beside him pretty much the whole time.Robert was determined to make a fortune and fame in Hindustan,and that he did as we all know him from out History Books.Their friendships saw a lot of ups and downs, angst and love.
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What I liked about the book:
1.The author threw light on the lesser-known story of Robert Clive.
2.As a history student,it brought me great delight to read about the insides and workings of The East India Company and the private life of Robert Clive and Ballentyne.
3.I LOVED the language and narration and the plot.
4.It was great to know that the characters that we consider bad and evil have emotions in them,be it fictional or not.
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What I didn’t like:
1.At some point it was like Rutherford was trying to defend the East India Company and their dids.
2.The book was absolutely slow untill the first 70-80 pages for me,but then it definitely gained good pace.
3.The storyline was lost in the middle for there were too many characters included.
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Final thoughts:
Historical Fiction lovers,READ IT,you are bound to fall in love with Rutherford’s writing style and the book as a whole.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
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And huge thanks to @hachette_india for giving me the opportunity to conduct the readalong and be a part of this awesome journey. Also,the frame is so pretty-pretty, isn’t it? 🙈
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The Book Monster 