Ena and her friends are taking a break from art school to explore the historic ruins of Taxila, near Islamabad. But what starts out as a light-hearted girls’ trip takes a more dangerous turn when Ena unwittingly invokes a Buddhist demon.
“The Demon’s Promise” has the feel of a classic fable, told in a modern and interesting way. The story revolves almost completely around the main character, Ena. Anjum does a good job of showing us her generous character throughout the beginning of the story, which is essential to the plot. She does this largely through Ena’s interactions with the secondary characters, which also lend depth to the tale.
Ena’s friendship with Sonia feels warm and genuine. Her interaction with the museum guide not only highlights her kind heart, but provides a plausible means of exposition for the story. She’s a very likeable character, and it’s easy to root for her.
I enjoyed this story very much. The grammar and punctuation need a bit of polishing, but that didn’t stand in the way of my appreciation of it. I recommend this as a good introduction to Anjum’s work.
Title: “The Demon’s Promise”
Author: Aliya Anjum
Genre: Fantasy
Publication: Kolachi Publishers; First edition (May 23, 2012)
Price: $0.99 (e-book, all formats)
Author’s Website:
http://www.amazon.com/Aliya-Anjum/e/B005QUQT5O
