The Magicians of Indrostan is available worldwide as a Kindle edition (India url: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0774R2VMS). It is available in paperback directly from me. Send me a message to get a signed copy at a discounted price, with free shipping in India. Additional discount on bulk orders (it’s a popular return gift for birthday parties). It is also available as a paperback edition for amazon users in India and the US / UK / DE / FR / ES / IT / JP / CA / AU.
4.9 / 5 average rating on amazon.in:
https://www.amazon.in/Magicians-Indrostan-Shivani-Adib/product-reviews/9352793048/ref=dpx_acr_txt?showViewpoints=1
5 / 5 on amazon.com:
https://www.amazon.com/Magicians-Indrostan-Shivani-Adib-ebook/dp/B0774R2VMS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545219510&sr=8-1&keywords=shivani+adib#customerReviews
4.9/ 5 average rating on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36530121-the-magicians-of-indrostan
From amazon.com :
– “Gateway Fantasy for the 2010s
(Disclaimer: I was reading Lord of the Rings at 7 years old.)
Description is very good. I like the shops in the market and the magical beasts especially … AND how they are defeated.
I like how a lot of character is developed by dialogue. Maybe that’s because I consciously do the same in my work, so I know what I’m seeing and looking for. Having said that, there are a LOT of characters to keep track of, considering it’s less than 100 pages …
I LOVE how there are words and phrases that I wouldn’t expect most 10-year-olds to know right away. It doesn’t cater to kids; rather, it expects them to look for context and figure it out on their own. Failing that, it encourages them to look it up or ask someone.
The semi-twist at the end, with Marach, was somewhat expected … but then this is probably the youngest fantasy I’ve ever read in terms of target audience, so no lost points there.
And the end … ripe for a sequel. I can see there being so so so much more to this world. Literally a 15-20 book box set, assuming they’re all this length (84 pages). I love how it doesn’t take the “It was all a dream” copout OR the “It was all in their heads” copout.
I never read “gateway” fantasy. I started out with Lord of the Rings and Narnia … although Narnia was written for an 8-year-old, that was also … well, let me just say kids were different then. I know adults that can’t handle Narnia today.
But THIS? This is very well-written gateway fantasy for the 2010s. I hope to see this world expanded.” – T. S. Herfkens (5 stars)
From amazon.in:
– “Magic, fantasy, adventure!!
I recommend you read the this book. It is awesome! Saloni and Kunal take an unexpected journey to Indrostan with their travel loving Chacha. I love this book as it is a mix of everything I love- adventure, magic, fantasy, and great heroes!
-Ahana, age 9.” – Rajni A (5 stars)
– “Magically real delightful read!!
Welcome to the magical world full of fantasies, adventure and thrill!
A delightful read which keeps the reader hooked till the end. Most of all I loved the way the author penned down the battle scenes. Indeed a treat to my visual imagination.
Illustrations by budding artist is the icing on the cake!!
Waiting for many more delightful reads.” – Tina Bakhtiani (5 stars)
– “A very well written, beautifully illustrated page turner.
A wonderful book for young readers. I had just planned to skim read it before passing it on to my daughter but ended up devouring the entire story in one sitting! The characteristics of various characters, human and others ,were well developed and the way the battle scenes were described kept me hooked.
Five stars for the illustrations done by the author’s own daughter. Kudos for her imagination and attention to detail!
Me and my daughter are eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series.” – Shyamala (5 stars)
– “A Truly Enjoyable Fantasy..
This is a rare thing… fantasy books by an Indian author and that too for kids!! And a very special age group at that…
Having being fed on Enid Blytons, Hardy Boys and Nancy Drews myself at this age… this was a rare find … I gifted a few copies to my nieces and nephews of this age group, I couldn’t resist reading it myself… and all I can say is that I wish I got to read this when I was that young.. thoroughly enjoyed the book..
Looking forward to more… ”– Amazon Customer (5 stars)
– “Wonderful !!! Must read.
Thank you. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It was very easy to understand. Hope you keep writing great stories for all of us. Delighted!!!! Jaishna, 9yrs” – Kumar Ballav Mahapatra (5 stars)
– “Marvelous Magicians of Incredible Indrostan
‘ A rumbling noise came from ahead and a dark mass came nearer and nearer. ‘
Shivani aunty your book was so incredible. I was utterly engulfed in your marvellous book. I was totally engrossed in the book. My favorite character was Kunal. Your imagination had taken over everything else. I felt like I was in the shoes of Kunal whether it was reading adventurous books ( which I love to), eating yummy jalebis or going through the magical mirror. I really liked sudhir chacha too, he was just as how I had imagined a travel writer. The book took me from a place far far away from my home. I was really puzzled when the mysterious voice came in the middle of the battle. The only problem is that you can’t put the book down.
I really really love your book. Juhi the illustrator has done a fascinating job.” – Ashwin (5 stars)
– “Good read for elders too
Very well written .The story engages us and takes us to the imaginary world of Indrostan along with the writers imagination.Good read for elders too.Way to go Shivani..” – Bhaskar S (5 stars)
– “Five Stars
My daughter thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. Great work by Shivani” – Saraswathy (5 stars)
– “Magic!
I availed the offer of getting an author signed copy for my 10 year old. As usual, I read the book before she did. What I liked about the book was the well developed plot and characters. The language is engaging and special mention about the illustrations by the author’s 11 year old daughter,Juhi. They really appealed to my 10 yr old, so kudos, Juhi
Finished the book in less than an hour as I wanted to know what happens, and I was left looking forward to the next part.” – Mrs Prabhu (5 stars)
– “Great Read for Children
After a long time a children’s book which not only had a gripping story but also an awesome finale.
Saloni and Kunal, set off to magical Indrostan with their Sudhir Chacha, who is a renowned traveller and then starts the tale of their adventure. The peace loving magicians of Indrostan join their hands together after the evil magician Duridhan declares a war on them with his cronies and creatures.
What a fun read! It was read by 2 members of my family besides me and we all loved it. According to my mum in law, it was a real page turner and I concede. The characters were well developed and the writing was simple and effective. Perfect for children. The illustrations and covers were amazing and imaginative.
My six year old was read the book and he called it a cool and awesome story.
Loved it.” – royjs (5 stars)
– “Loved the fact that names of some of the characters …
Fabulously written book. Loved the fact that names of some of the characters have been adapted from Ramayana and Mahabharata . The climax was very gripping. Couldn’t put it down near the end. Illustrations are really sweet… Make it easy for one to imagine the situations. Would strongly recommend it for all of my age group. By Kartik Kak.
The above review has been written by my 10 yr old son and I agree with his views entirely. For me, the book came to life because of the wonderful descriptions of the people, places and situations. Looking fwd to a sequel, shivani.” – Amazon Customer (5 stars)
– “A beautifully illustrated magical world!
I have had the privilege of obtaining and reading a signed personal copy of the book. From the second my son and iIopened the book, we have not put it down. In a world where we are lost in the world of harry potters and narnia aslan , this story keeps your engrossed and glued for a long long time. My son being a huge fan of fantasy has had the privelege of association with the author family and I tell you he is mesmerized. The illustrations by her daughter has brought the world of magic in front of our eyes and her vivid imagination has kept us in awe.
I see this as budding series with interesting sequels. I would say its a huge support for grandparents to tell stories to their grand children with the illustrations and the current demand in mind ! …. Wonderful effort by shivani and team and we are waiting to see more plots and twists and turns of this series. Thanks for opening a new magic world to us.” – Gayathri Venkataraman (5 stars)
– “Awsome
In no time did they finish reading d books n they loved d characters n distort too” – Sapna Shetty (5 stars)
– “Five Stars
The kids loved the book. Shivani has great writing style. Hope to buy all of her books.” – Samvit R. (5 stars)
– “Four Stars
Books like these make you wanna be a child again” – Amit (4 stars)
– “My son says the story was awesome and he loved it! Shivani, he liked the magicians and how they won was wonderful!” – Priya Prakash (5 stars)
From goodreads :
– “My 1st book by Shivani Adib. I finished it in under an hour. Well thought out plot and characters, her writing is easy and engaging. Winner for me,all the way.” – Poornima (5 stars)
– “Imaginative, fluent, fast-paced, great fun. Illustrations to match. Greatly looking forward to more from this creative team. Five stars!” – Bharati
– “Fantastical stories abound in the relatively vast universe that is children’s fiction but ‘thriller’ suffixed after ‘fantasy’ you said ? Now that’s a rarity for sure ! If that’s the sub-genre that one is interested in though, look no further than the latest offering by an author who’s already making a quaint little name for herself in the said universe, Shivani Adib.
‘Magicians of Indrostan’ is a fast paced thriller for children, especially pre-teens but is just as readable for adults; case in point, this reviewer himself, who gobbled it up one afternoon at the expense of his beloved siesta, which in itself is high praise for the book indeed if you ask me !! The basic plot revolves around the adventures of the ever curious twins, Saloni and Kunal, with their beloved Sudhir chacha (uncle) as the facilitator, in the wondrous world of Indrostan with its magicians, wizards, healers, villainous creatures of all hues and what have you. It has a gripping story with, dare I say, shades of the legendary Lord of The Rings universe, the book moves along at a fairly fast clip and yet takes time to adequately flesh out all the main protagonists. The ending is smartly done, as it displays ample potential for a sequel and the basic premise lends itself to a promise of a series. The book is greatly enhanced by the brilliant illustrations by the author’s own pre-teen daughter, another one to look out for in the future.
All of the author’s books are put through the most grueling vetting process possible for a writer of children’s fiction, her own progeny. No story is deemed publishable unless the children, a girl and a boy (so, all bases covered there), proclaim it worthy and The Magicians of Indrostan wasn’t spared the grinder either and boy must one be thankful to the vetting committee for letting it see the light of the day !! In addition to the fabulous storyline and fast clip, the vivid descriptions by the author and the illustrations by the young artist, conspire to lend themselves to an animated bout of storytelling by the parents / other elders fro enthusiastic youngsters.
To sum it up, gripping storyline, fast pace, vivid locales and characters, with just the right amount of detailing to do justice to the main protagonists yet keep the runtime within the limits of the notoriously effervescent attention span of the average young reader, fabulous illustrations and the potential for a sequel and/or a series. Top notch and highly recommended for youngsters of course, but even for adults with a taste for the fantastical. Looking forward to the next one from this mother-daughter pair. Go for it !!” – Praveen Hosmane (5 stars)
– “This one came as a recommendation. I had planned on spreading the word among young readers, with no inclination of reading it myself. However, our book group here has settled on “Children’s Stories” as the theme for this month, and I decided to give it a go. Being a weekday, I finished the book in three sittings – reading as time permitted.
“The Magicians of Indrostan” is a fantasy story set in the magical world of Indrostan. The book begins with a set of twins, Saloni and Kunal, awaiting a visit from their uncle, Sudhir. Their parents have spoken highly of him and his travels, and the siblings want to hear all about his adventures. Sudhir’s trip is planned for a week, which comes to an end soon enough, and the children haven’t had enough of his adventure-filled tales. While departing, Sudhir promises to return, with new stories of his travels.
The rest of the book takes us through the trio’s travels around Indrostan – the magical country. Every resident in Indrostan performs magic. Word arrives that a notorious thief who was ostracized earlier is back for revenge. He has summoned and is controlling all kinds of equally notorious creatures to wreak havoc in Indrostan. The magic-filled battle forms the highlight of the book.
This is one fast-paced fantasy-thriller-action packed novel. I might have read it at one go if it wasn’t a work day. The blurb suggests the recommended age as 10+, but younger kids can be read to – the writing is so descriptive there’s lots of scope for enacting the scenes. Older kids and adults will also enjoy this one. Each of the chapters has been illustrated by the author’s daughter, and what fascinating drawings they are! The illustrations accompanying the descriptions create a clear picture in the mind, and this in particular can get kids really involved in the reading process. At a little over sixty pages, the length is also just right considering the attention span of the targeted age group. Give this one a go!” – Renata (5 stars)
– “Enjoyed witnessing the battle between the magicians of Indrostan and the obnoxious magical creatures. Equally engaging is the build up, Saloni and Kunal reaching the magical city and enjoying the hospitality of the good natured magicians.
The illustrations are awesome.
Looking forward to the sequel that I understand is coming soon.” – Nandita Ramesh (5 stars)
Ratings:
Abhineet– 5 stars
Shyamala – 5 stars
Vishal Anand – 4 stars
Shivani Adib 