Tantalising treat from Taranauts

They are back. The Three Musketeers or the marvellous and mighty Taranauts of Mithya are at their wise and wacky best. Sweet-faced Zvala, the child of fire; agile and athletic Zarpa, the child of a super serpent; and magnetic Tufan, the child of wind leave no stone unturned to achieve their mission. They take you on a wondrous journey beyond the galactic realm. Thanks to their gifted and imaginative creator Roopa Pai, they can turbo-charge you to edge-of-the-seat suspense. The Taranauts — Zvala, Zarpa, and Tufan — and their assorted army of sci-fi legionnaires with awesome gizmos ensure that you have a fabulous time as they go about their mission.

This time around DoubleZeeT (Zvala, Zarpa and Tufan) are on ‘Mission Rescue’. They must save eight GLO rubies stashed away in the deep recess of rocky cells, staving off fearsome Budbudana and braving the perilous cliff paths of Pur Butte. What’s fascinating about Pai’s fantasy-filled world is the inclusion of teenage tussles of the very real kind! Also, pay attention to her super cool turn of phrase!

Get ready for the ride to the stratosphere, where the Taranauts solve puzzle after puzzle, as they zip-zap-zoom to liberate the rubies. Priya Kuriyan’s pencil sketches are a treat.

Subrahmanyan Viswanath
Taranauts; The Race for the Glo Rubies By Roopa Pai
Price: Rs 145
Publisher: Hachette


When a 14-yr-old writes a mystery...

The ‘Harry Potter’ series by J K Rowling and ‘Lord of the Rings’ by J R R Tolkien have fired the imagination of many a teenager. Like Kevin Solomon Missal, who is in Grade 10 of Faith Academy School, New Delhi.

The book, ‘Damien Black: The Battle of Lost Ages’, which Kevin wrote during two months of summer vacation, is clearly inspired by the fantasy genre. In fact, ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’ get a mention in his debut novel.

The protagonist, Damien Black, is the last in the bloodline of the Hunter clan. It’s his destiny to hunt down Dark Creatures, who come from Parallel Earth or The Underworld. But Damien’s love for humanity drives him away from the Hunters’ path. When he learns that Azazel, the Demon of Darkness, is trying to raise Lucifer the Creator which could possibly be the beginning of end, he is sure that responsibility is being thrust upon him.
Now, his job is to destroy the Black Skull, which could save the Earth and prevent the rise of Lucifer, but little does he know that Azazel is one step ahead of him. Will Damien prevent the rise of Lucifer? Is this the beginning of end? Join Damien Black in his adventures to find the answers. Characters such as Elena (school perfect), Trojan (student), Azazel (Demon of Darkness), Athena (Damien’s golden retriever) and Osiris  (Damien’s uncle and guardian) have been etched well.

Michael Patrao
Damien Black: The Battle of Lost Ages
Author: Kevin Solomon Missal
Publisher: Diamond Books
Price: Rs 100