Horizon

My pandemic - addled brain is suffering from an inability to focus, and no matter how interesting something is, I find myself getting distracted. While reading The Horizon, however, I never felt the urge to take my eyes off the page.A worthy end to the Sumer duology, The Horizon is both thrilling and thought provoking. The characters, already so beautifully written in The Wall, become flesh and blood in this sequel. There is both craft and care in the writing, and there were many points at which I whooped with delight; or wept, because I was heartbroken; or because the scene was written with so much tenderness. The scene where Mithila sees the sea for the first time, will stay with me forever.The Horizon ties up the loose ends, but leaves off enough for the reader to imagine for themselves (yaay head canon!). I especially appreciate the appendix, in which the author describes all the influences and ideas that went into the writing of the duology. That is as fascinating and fun a rabbit hole to dive into, as the story itself.I've already been recommending The Wall to everyone, and now I can happily do the same for The Horizon.

I like how different themes like politics, freedom, death, time, and ideas interplay among the different characters. I have read both the novels in this series, and they are really good, atleast for me. I would like to see more of this world, about builders, the select and geography of the world they are staying at.It's worth your read.

I had initially ordered this book on Amazon but due to the worldwide paper shortage (?) , ended up buying it at an offline bookstore. This is for context if you're wondering why this review is not verified.If you read the first part of the Sumer duology (The Wall) and were left wondering what happened next - this book has a few surprises in store. Despite the multiple parallel threads, the story skilfully holds your attention right until the end. The author weaves in a ton of clever references to politics and history without coming across as too blatant or obvious - a gripe I've had with some other books of this genre.This is an entertaining, absorbing book that somehow also manages to make you think about some of the deepest questions in society and politics. Highly recommended!PS - if you have not read The Wall you should read it before this book as properly speaking it is a second part and not a sequel (similar to how you should read The Fellowship of the Ring before The Two Towers)

I'm happy to say that a genre I rarely explore has satisfied my longing for an intriguing plot which has kept me gripped, every time I pick up the book.The Horizon is a commendable sequel to The Wall, a sequel that answers the questions the previous book lays for the reader. The Wall is breached by Mithila, and a group of like minded rebels take the story forward in two parallel narratives with one specifically detailing Mithila and the events that concern her. The Horizon, simply put, is the result of the actions that were taken place in the first book, the consequences of breaching THE WALL. The cost of dismantling a structured living, the chaos and the volatility glue the reader until the very end.What works extremely well is the detailed narration, this book is just as visually appealing as its predecessor, connected by characters which are developed to perfection which add value whenever they appear and the absolute uniqueness of the plot.Read THE WALL AND THE HORIZON!❤️

I read the Wall a while back, and marked it down as a literary work to be reckoned with. Bhatia weaves a tale of war and fantasy, the story of a walled city called Sumer, which is shielded from the world outside it and everything that it encompasses by a wall. But the people inside are hungry for more.For new knowledge, for unknown love, for freedom. Within the city, a class-system based on mandalas defines the limits of one's duties and privileges. It does come with certain positives- the governance of the society is essentially matriarchal.In the middle of it there stands the Young Tarafians and their leader Mithila. She is a figure of Power and inspiration, someone who will stop at nothing to breach the wall, even if it means that she has to sacrifice everything that she holds dear to her.The book is part of a duology, the second instalment being The Horizons. In the second part, we return to Sumer after two thousand years and find that the wall has been breached. As Mithila reaches out into an hitherto unexplored world, her sister Minakshi struggles to regain her control over a city that has succumbed to violence. In the midst of all this, it seems that crossing the wall comes with implications for not just the residents inside, but the whole world.A beautifully crafted story of sacrifice and war, human bonds and friendships, the complexities of emotions and everything that makes us what we are- both these books are worth your time. Bhatia knows how to connect nature with his writings, and does an amazing job of marrying the intrinsic call of the world around us to the world he writes about in his books. You will be excited, taken aback, and left with a plethora of thoughts. I highly recommend reading the two together, and letting the experience stay with you for an age.

I cherished how the author linked all the characters we read in the first book to the second book. Especially, the elaborate descriptions of people building the wall- the different groups of people with different responsibilities. Everybody has a section to play in the last venture of Sumer and they play it well. It was fascinating to take note of how effectively I would get brought into a world where the characters have recognizable names and a complex yet simple plot. The glossary helps for understanding the plot better. I cannot wait to read more from the author again! I highly recommend this book to lovers of complex world fantasy.