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Shadow Town: Grave Encounters With The Other World by Sreemati Sen is a Bengali tribal horror tale set in a Bengali village where people worship nature and local deities. The line between superstition and science blurs, exposing the buried demon spirit. Read the full review and summary in the article below.
Author: Sreemati Sen
Cover
Plot
Narration
Characters
Release Date 10 December 2024
Pages 192
Book Review: Shadow Town by Sreemati Sen
Shadow Town by Sreemati Sen is a story where science meets the supernatural world. The author had wonderfully blended the Bengali tribal culture with science and superstitions.
The story highlights the truth that the educated city dweller does not want to believe, but cannot neglect its existence once it becomes a reality of life.
The beautiful cover and the title of the book complement the plot development and the flow of the tale. The story is written in simple English with a few words in Bengali and Santhali. This shows the thorough research by the author Sreemati Sen before writing this beautiful Bengali horror folktale. A glossary at the end of each chapter helps readers to understand local Bengali words easily.
The author had wonderfully crafted the character of Dr Deesha, the main female protagonist of the story.
Deesha’s helpful nature and her brilliant rapport with children and adults in the village win everyone’s hearts. Initially, she respected the villagers’ beliefs but did not believe them. But when the sleeping legend Kaal awakened to rule the world, she trusted in its existence and joined the villagers in the fight.
Dhonu, Sorna, Ojha, Nikhil and Reesha are the other characters that make the story more realistic and interesting.
The way local people respect the Ojha, Dai, and doctor touched my heart. In tough times, they always stand together like a community and are ready to fight the demons and spirits that are difficult to conquer.
The book is full of local folktales that keep the story interesting and the book unputdownable. The Secret of Rajbari is my favorite one from the book.
Overall, it’s an interesting story that celebrates the tribal culture of Bengal, written in a fictional tale. I enjoyed everything about the story. The story flows smoothly between reality and the spirit world with tales from the local people. I never felt that spirits and demons were emphasised while reading the story. In fact, they feel like the characters, which makes the story intriguing and compelling. I wish to read more about Nikhil’s and Deesha’s emotional connection.
The story is based on the fact that sometimes science cannot explain the truth of the supernatural world. This is a story of love, friendship, and tribal culture. If you love reading horror fiction, then I highly recommend Shadow Town by Sreemati Sen.
Also Read: Wild Card 3 by Asfiya Rahman
Book Summary: Shadow Town by Sreemati Sen
Dr Deesha decided to join the West Bengal medical service. It is mandatory to serve in a rural belt for a year. Before leaving, her twin sister Reesha advised her to respect the traditions and beliefs of local people to win their trust.
When she enters the Devagram village, people welcome her wholeheartedly. Everyone was ready to help her. With the help of Dhonu, a local boy, she slowly revived the medical clinic that had been without a doctor for the last few years.
Villagers warned her not to open the doors at night and not to visit a few haunted places, as demons and spirits capture people at night. Deesha brushed off their advice, thinking of them as old superstition.
But soon an epidemic broke out in the village, and people started dying. Deesha failed to identify the reason behind the deaths of the people. The healer of the village, the ojha, believed that it was the buried spirit of Kaal who was taking the lives of the people to rule the world.
Is there any logic to Ojha’s belief?
Will Deesha succeed in saving the lives of people?
Is Kaal a myth or a reality?
To know more, read Shadow Town by Sreemati Sen.
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