Book Review: Hell! No saints in Paradise by A. K. Asif



*Publisher: Harper Collins India *ISBN: 978-93-5277-055-7 *Genre: Fiction *Cover: Paperback *No of Pages: 347 *Price: 599 Rating: 3.5/5

My View:

A good satire by the author, if Pakistan doesn’t change, same situation will arise what author has imagined in this book. Though I was bit confused when I started this novel whether to read it further or return it as I am totally blank about the rituals and the laws of Quran. Although I continued and enjoyed the rollercoaster ride of Ismael the protagonist of this book.

Now the writing style of author is simple and easy without difficult jargons except the teaching of Islam, he has a technique to build suspense, fantasy and comic altogether. This book is a good example of what will be the situation of earth if Nuclear power goes in the hands of extremist. One thing is sure what I came to conclusion that how this Islamic extremist (Mullah’s) brain washed their followers by giving false promise of virgin girls in heaven if they are martyred in name of Allah.  

I would like to share some of fantasy described in the book like Ayahuasca: a scared vine of Amazon jungle, Mut’ah: temporary marriage allowed in Islam, Bangh laced paped i.e. Crunchy tortillas, Martyr tanks like CNG, Hoor afza: a liquid whose affects like cocaine, a torture of Munkar and Nakir, journey of Hell and heaven, a place called ditch whose unusual queen Xenobia etc.   

What I liked in the book is hi-tech imagination of N-power in mosque, the funny image of diffused martyred jacked worn by a child in street (diffused because of rain), heaven and the dump zone.

And what I thought that this book should have been completed within 300 pages, somewhat stretched beyond limit, also too much of sex is minus point of this book, where protagonist having sex with 70 women is somewhat indigestible in this novel.

I don’t want to reveal the entire plot but through the blurb one can easily guess the basic of the book. Overall, I would like to recommend this book to those who loves to read fantasy and satire. Nice work by the author.

**I received a copy from Writersmelon in exchange for an honest and unbiased review**
Blurb:

2050, New York. In the aftermath of a grueling spiritual cleansing quest, Ismael, a Pakistani – American student, enters into an alliance with otherworldly beings who send him on a perilous journey of self-discovery. A non-believer, Ismael must return to Pakistan, now in the grip of a brutal fundamentalist government, and gain the trust of his estranged father, a prominent extremist in the Caliphate. To accomplish this, he must pose as a true believer. Will he survive long enough to infiltrate his father’s inner sanctum and complete his mission?

Hell! No saints in paradise is both biting satire and allegory that takes urban fantasy to dizzying heights.

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