Book Title: Chedipe – Indian She Vampire Author: Vikram E Diwan Format: Paperback Published By: Pallette Books No. of pages: 202. Genre: Fiction Category: Horror
Book Title: The book’s title is unique and mysterious. It is also interesting to read about a female vampire set in old India.
Book Cover: The book’s cover is an animated version of Chedipe, Captain Jonathan, and Erlene. The background details also give an idea about the story. I liked the cover image for its color palette and detailing.
Plot: The story is about Chedipe, the ancient Indian she-vampire who is believed to roam in the jungle and area around the river Godavari. There are some stories in folklore where mystery and fantasy combine and entertain the people. Chedipe is a human bloodsucker which is also her way to keep herself alive. In 1818, Captain Jonathan Smith, and his team encounter the deaths caused in the village by Chedipe. What happened next is the story about.
What did I like?
- Erlene’s characterization
- Chedipe’s evilness
- The little boy Guniya
- The then British India and the setup
What did I not like?
- Usage of the Hindi language on almost every page felt like a hindrance while reading a flow.
- The story felt dragging in some places.
- The lustful characterization of Chepide felt repetitive.
Who can read? This book is strictly for adults for its contents and language. Also, adult readers who are comfortable with mature language and horror can pick up this book.
How good are the characters? The story is set in 1818, in Central Provinces, British India. Captain Jonathan Smith, his female friend Erlene, and Subedar Jagannath Chakledar, the thug chief are the important characters who set the mood of the story. As the story progresses, readers get introduced to other characters that are an integral part of the story that is set up in different eras. All the characters including Chedipe and Barsha are well-written.
How good is the narration? This is my third book by author Vickram Dewan. How interest in horror and mystery is something to watch out for. Apart from his other two books, this book is of a different category in the horror genre – a vampire story. The unique features of the story are that the vampire is a female, and the story is set up in three different timelines. Initially, I struggled with switching between the timelines but, the story was interesting.
How good are the language and grammar? Simple English language with normal vocabulary is used in the book. But, there is also a considerable amount of Hindi language used and certain words are explained in the footnotes. Personally, too much of other language’s intrusion in the story is what I dislike and yes at times I struggled to keep the reading pace up. Also, as mentioned many mature elements are strictly for adults and readers who are comfortable with such language.
How good is the author’s writing style? Author Vickram Dewan is a good storyteller. In this book, apart from the mature elements, there is so much information about British India, how Indians and tribal women were treated, how the kingdoms of Persia and Iran were, and such things. Detailed explanations show the author’s research on certain concepts.
How entertaining is the book? Chedipe is a unique book that when read with extreme interest will surely entertain the readers. There are emotions, action, mystery, and suspense which makes it a good read.
Pick it up if: – you like Indian horror mysteries with history included – you wish to explore the Indian writers
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