FORCE OF FIRE

Narrator Ulka Simone Mohanty brings to life a vibrant world based on Bengali folklore. A fire-breathing rakkhosh (demon) named Pinki attends Ghatatkach Academy of Murder and Mayhem with her three young cousins. Pinki is frustrated growing up in the shadow of her parents, who were famous resistance fighters. Mohanty conveys her insecurities with relatable angst. When Pinki meets Sesha, the son of the tyrannical serpent overlord, she agrees to betray her family lineage and help him if he promises to teach her to control her fire. As the adventure unfolds, Mohanty humorously portrays a range of creatures, including the cloyingly sweet Moon Maiden, Pinki's lisping younger cousins, her effusively affectionate mother, and the hissing aristocratic snakes. S.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2021]