The Devil’s Gate – An Impossible Journey by Deepak Kripal – A Book Review

Quoted from the blurb

"Sidelined By Man, Animals Turned To Demons.

 Plundered by humans of their habitats, animals take a drastic step when they decide to send a team of a cat named as Katy and a dog named as Dug, to an invisible island known, as the Island of ‘Five Hundred Graves’. The island becomes visible only for a short time on the night of the full moon.

Legend has it that the island is inhabited by the demons. Katy and Dug are supposed to negotiate a deal with the demons, convincing them to allow the animals inhabit the island. Majority of the animal community believe that tinkering with the other world could bring their wrath to the animals. The team is sent to the island nevertheless.

But can a deal with the dead be materialized?

Are there really demons on the island? Is there any conspiracy involved?

Will Katy and Dug be able to negotiate, or will survival remain their only question in the deadly island?"

This is perhaps one of the very unusual books that I have read in recent times. I was quite curious when I read the blurb – c’mon it is not often that one comes across a book that has animals like cat and dog as the protagonists. It did take some time to get into the book, but once I got the hang of the story there was no looking back. The first time I saw this book, I was not impressed with the cover – a grotesque looking creature rising out of a door was not exactly inviting. But, the story in the book more than made up for it.

As a debut author, the author has done a great job in coming up with a book with such an innovative story line. There is so happening here – there is the mysterious island, the unusual characters of Katy and Dug, demons, monsters, the sophisticated designed Devil’s Gate, the palace of Vanora, Vanora’s curse, the evil Penacus and more. The style of writing is simple and lucid. The suspense builds up gradually and keeps the readers engaged. However, I do think that there were some snags at the editing end as there were quite a number of typos that could have been done away with.

There is an underlying message in the books that speaks of the plight of animals – how humans are constantly destroying their habitats making it difficult for them to live peacefully. I was thinking that it might be horror book, but it really wasn’t. The book is laced with light humor that makes it suitable for readers of all age. In fact, all the time I was reading the book; I could imagine each and every scene in an animated version inside my mind. I can very well imagine it being made into an animated film! I feel it can be great hit among kids.

The end of the book was quite a surprise and it is likely that the author has a sequel in mind. In that case, I will definitely look forward to read it. If you like reading fantasy novels, this can catch your fancy too.

I received a free review copy from the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

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