Some feisty women those were!

Mu summer reads comprised of two books of strong willed, spirited women. Although they belonged to different times and professions, reading them one after another was sheer pleasure.

Had to admit that this was first encounter with Lisbeth Salander- the hardened, determined & intelligent girl of the Millennium Series. Considering David Lagercrantz is leading this girl now to unknown villains and worlds of dark internet, it was a completely fresh start for me too.

To begin with, they’ve given several clues and back stories about our leading lady here that made me so much familiar with all the important characters here. The story moves from the obvious hacking attacks to more gritty stuff like artificial intelligence. We get to know a typical nerd scientist named Frans Balder; who along with path breaking research in ASI, AGI has tonnes of baggage from the past. After an omnipotent danger to his research and life, he moves home to Sweden nearer to his ex-family. Eventually his autistic son August comes to stay with him and before he can start being a father to him, danger strikes. What unravels is quite mind boggling – to start with I had to refer to the character listings and map several times just for making pace.

There is international espionage, respective government agencies, crime fighting units, hard core criminals, maniacs and with all this, there is an undercurrent of personal enmity and loathing. What looks like a story of world criminals and government espionages could very well be the story of family. One family who is fallen apart and dragging evil forces with it; on the other hand, there is Balder family who is on a path of rejuvenation. This is the real skill of the author, that not only he makes other author’s story as his own but the way he moulds it around that core without losing a grip of entertainment. It’s with sheer pleasure of finishing a good book (& probably anticipating a sequel) that you part with Lizbeth Salander.

This is another new author for me and what attracted me to this book was its subject. I like to read novels having fiction woven through real life historic event/people and this book has both. Although small in size, it does pack a punch- just like these Fleur de mal.

The plotline moves in two directions- post WWII and during WWI. That becomes the USP of this novel but sometimes it feels like it drags down the story a bit. But what keeps you hooked till the end is the sheer void created by both these wars and the way it affects people’s psyche.

On the look of it, Charlie St. Clair happens to be our lead protagonist here; having her own kind of battle scars, rebellion but quite determined to find the answers she is seeking. On her journey, she bumps into two war veterans as companions and from then on, the story keeps shuttling between ‘now-&-then’ periods of Eve Gardiner. And yes, there is that devilish Scott or rather two of them for good measure.

What happens and what has not happened is the main focus of the story; the narrative is fluid, captivating and keeps you on hooked even through all that French poetry. Of course, there are real life characters like Louise de Bettignies and her kingdom of spies, actual war stories, real life incidents and places ruins taking along their people with them. The more you read, the more you admire these flowers thrown in the furnace of war- some perish, some survive but only for namesake.

Will surely recommend this as a book to anyone having a liking to historical fiction and modern history.