Colonial Chaos, Magic & Me: A Wild Ride with Sir Henry
Sir Henry N.A.M.T.U.D Potpourri and the Matrona Fortuna by D.D. Sorokhaibam completely surprised me.
From the very title I was not sure what it was about but the cover picture actually was so intriguing and I also saw it on my friends post that I thought I want to read it too. And thank god I picked it up as well as I devoured it for almost a month!
I picked it up expecting a slow-paced historical fiction set in colonial India but fortunately what I got was a fast-moving, magical, and mind-bending journey that I didn’t want to put down and being a fast pace story lover I thouroughly enjoyed it.
The story begins with Dayton Clemence, a young British newsman arriving in India during a deadly cholera outbreak.
What feels like a usual assignment soon turns upside down when he meets the strange and fascinating Sir Henry.
The book drew me in with its rich setting. Even the mysterious characters adddd such a dark mystery vibe to everything. But what really held me was the unpredictable mix of fantasy and history.
It made me pause and rethink everyday traditions and sayings I’ve heard since childhood. The writing didn’t feel heavy, even with so much going on in parallel, again there was something oddly soothing about how it mixed ghost stories, forgotten knowledge, and emotional urgency. Such stories are like a breath of fresh air. Every once in a while they break the monotonous reading vibes! Plus the rainy weather here, added more depth to it.
-Dayton’s transformation felt personal and believable.
-The eerie moments weren’t loud but they lingered.
-I found Sir Henry’s wisdom oddly comforting.
-The elixir quest had real emotional weight.
-I loved the bond between the characters as well.
-The subtle commentary on colonial power made me think.
-I found joy in the myth-bending elements hidden in the plot.
-The ending gave me chills and questions I want answered in the next book.
This was my first book by the author, and I’m definitely picking up the next one.
I highly recommend it to all.
Go check it out!