The Tales Pensieve

“…Trying to move away from his turbulent past,

He sings a song palpable, but fast…

Cold and hungry like a herd of cattle,

He moves forward, like a man who’s out to battle.

His desire unfolds the light of the day,

As he sees the leaning grasses in May…..”

This song initiates the tale of a thief rising to be a hero, legends had foretold about a Maayukh who would return the Equilibrium to this world and save mankind.

 Mysterious and mystical, Equilibrium is Gen X meets mythology, weaving the tale of Arya, a teenage thief who grows up in the high-tech Carbyn, the world’s largest metropolis city at the brink of destruction, burdened with the hurricane task of saving the world.

Science fiction is a genre which is meticulously put together in a way that the reader might get transported to a complete enchanting world. We have had amazing tales unfolded in front of us in various other novels of the genre; Young author Paras Joshi has tried to do the same thing with his debut novel, Equilibrium – The Avaasya Trilogy.

“Our one last hope to avoid this confrontation rests on you, the ring choose to appear to you” seems to echo Arya’s mysterious connection with both the worlds’ and the Ring of Aavaasya.

Arya, the protagonist is an expert in breaking any lock leading to the chambers of antique treasures which he and his partners in crime Sabina, Mr Hooter and Anthony steal to survive in the forgotten and poverty stricken Northern Grid of Carbyn city of Sealand. Growing up in the dusty, polluted Carbyn City, Arya seemed to have lost his way in the fast growing world. He is filled with rage and anger on having lost his parents, his hope in life and his aim.

We see the gang gathered to plan another heist and simultaneously the ancient and mysterious Gurujana council searching the ring of Aavaasya. The high-tech Carbyn’s skyscrapers, aero scanners, energy weapons, 3D holographic map, motion sensors, pressure sensitized illumination, automated footbridge stands contrast to the royal world of old Carbyn’s gold throne, palaces, natural powers, mountains, greenery and supernatural creatures.

Arya, the Gurujanas, the Saatvika’s, the ring of Avaasya, equilibrium, judgment day, the imperial family, Citadle,Zavata, secrets of ruins, Tamisra, wielders, ulkas and everything is presented to us in such a hurry that it confuses the reader in the beginning. Too many things happen at the same time, keeping the devastating events controlling the plot of the book together becomes difficult; most importantly it tells rather than it shows. There is too much information in the prologue; the plot speeds away in the first half giving us a confused background on which the trilogy is based.

But as we approach the mythological part of the novel, the tale of Old Carbyn, the Saatvika’s eternal war to maintain the balance of Tamishra and Languat, our interest in the story grows. The twists and turns make us want to know more about equilibrium. The action scenes like the breaking into Rumia to steal the ring by Arya’s gang of thieves, Arya’s escape from the secret maze vault, the attack of Ulka’s, the supernatural fight by Ayrof in the woods, his capture and the secrets are cleverly weaved.

The trekking to Saatvilok by Arya and Ayrof through the mountains and woods to preserve the ring, the unfolding of the history and secrets of Old Carbyn city, the ancient prophesies, the dark forces, the war, the chaos, the grandeur of the kings and Citadle, Zavata palace and the uprising to overthrow the royal rule – the mythological journey of the novel is dealt rather nicely, one gets drawn completely into it. Lovers of mythology can be glued to this part of the story as it keeps them hanging in the air to know what will happen in the next phase of the trilogy.

Arya as we get to know him more seems childish, lost, lonely and confused at first because of his immediate acceptance of becoming the savior of the world. Without weighing the situations he jumps into trouble, he has no voice in the events of his life and he just goes with the flow. But being only a teenager one cannot expect him to act courageously and fight against all odds, so his behavior is justified with the hope that in the next part of the book he will mature better to handle various situations.

Among so many characters coming and leaving, Ayrof seems to be the epicentre revealing the story from different angles to the readers; he is a close ally of Arya, his protector against the dark forces, his white beard and silver robe, his beautiful house in the mountains reminds us of Gandalf from Lord of the Rings movie, his assured and stern decision, his courage, knowledge and expertise all seem to be traits of a true Surva.

The classic take of Arya loosing his parents not to a car accident but to lighting, Sabina’s dancing while the break in Rumia, few blatant tragedies like his strained relationship with his father for his less love for science, his stumbling into thievery after fire consumed his house and a blast in the antique shop his job is loosely put together. “You were after all destined for it…” Arya’s story now takes a turn; it’s from rags to riches. What he was in the diminishing grid where only hunger and sins survived now saw himself sitting among royalty, eating the best of food and deciding upon the fate of the universe.

The creator in this sci-fi plot to us sounds like an engineer who designed, predicted the rise and fall of this world, formed a defense mechanism to maintain it’s balance, he tied time in an infinite loop, a circle which when forced will reset itself, so this way even if the world collapsed, it would again be build, thus the ring of Avassya.

The language used for narration is sharp and the mythological aspects seemed to have been researched well. To take up an imaginative project like this at such a young age; we appreciate the author for such a step. In the future the author can do wonders. We expect an exciting journey of Arya in the second part of the trilogy and as the first part leaves us puzzled with a question ‘Why did you had to come back son’? We seek answers in the next part.

The reader’s interest leaps to know what will happen when Arya would reach Saatvilok? Who is this mysterious Maayukh? Can the Equilibrium be saved in time? Will the world head towards Vivekavasara-Destruction or will Arya’s courage turn the destructive events? To know all these, to know the world of Arya the readers must read Equilibrium themselves.

And those who have never read before, this sci-fi could be an interesting book for you to start with.

Title: Equilibrium
Author: Paras Joshi
Publisher/ Imprint: Fingerprint! Publishing
Pages: 236
Genre/ Sub-Genre: Fiction/ Scientific
Rating: 3.00 of 5
Reviewed for: Publisher

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