| Name of the Book | Becoming the Light |
| Author | Allan Aley |
| Publisher and Year of Publishing | Pen Thrill, 2021 |
| Price | ₹250 |
CHECKLIST RATING: 5/5
REVIEWER: Toto Zhimo, BA 6th Semester, English Honours, Tetso College
It was a long wait, but I was as excited as a child to finally get my hands on this book and read it. I obtained a copy just last Thursday from the post office, purchasing it from an Instagram store called @thenagabookshop.
The cover of the book is captivating! I believe the illustrator did a fantastic job depicting the Naga warrior standing firm, making it visually striking and appealing to anyone interested in buying the book. I was instantly intrigued.
The book contains twelve chapters. Learning from the prologue, I was excited to discover that this fictional book is the first Naga book featuring a Naga superhero. It filled me with a great sense of pride to know that we Nagas are making progress in various ways. Personally, I enjoy reading works by Naga authors; they make me feel at home. “Becoming the Light” is no exception—it immerses you in a state of bliss.
The book begins by introducing different tribes, each possessing their own unique superpower that sets them apart from one another. As the story progresses, we delve deeper into the environment and the superpowers that each tribe possesses, understanding what makes them stand out from the others. Like any story, the protagonist is faced with tough challenges to overcome evil and seek answers to their questions. However, “Becoming the Light” takes readers on a journey that combines almost sci-fi-like situations with traditional themes, making the book even more interesting. Certain scenes in the book gently remind me of “Son of the Thundercloud” by Easterine Kire, another beautiful book.
The writer holds significant control over the entire book, primarily narrating and providing us with insights into the characters’ thoughts. Our protagonist doesn’t speak much, but with the second edition of “Becoming the Light” in progress, I am looking forward to seeing the protagonist taking more charge of the narrations.
If you are a lover of fiction, particularly Naga writers like myself, then this is a must-read. I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to read “Becoming the Light.” It offers a new perspective on imagining Naga fictional characters.
CHECKLIST is a review column initiated by Tetso College that aims at giving students, reviewers and writers a platform to review and reflect upon books, movies, television shows, documentaries, magazines, restaurants and catering services, games, software, and product reviews. The reviews should be a reflective writing encompassing the writer’s opinions about the subject matter while avoiding unprecedented subjective bias. This is an unsponsored review column. The views expressed here do not reflect the opinion of the Institution.
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