A FAST-PACED BOOK WITH A REFRESHING STORYLINE

Book Review: 'Dare Dreamers' by Kartik Sharma and Ravi ‘Nirmal’ Sharma

In the business world, Start-ups are the new cool. Many successful businesses of today started as Start-ups; and many entrepreneurs, both young and old, are embarking on such types of business ventures to develop viable business models to meet a marketplace need or problem. However, a start-up of superheroes is not much heard of, going even by standards of fictional or fantasy books. The authors Kartik Sharma and Ravi ‘Nirmal’ Sharma come up with such a book “DareDreamers: A Start-up of Superheroes”, which is based on the innovative premise of the characters forming a rescue venture to help people who are in danger.
The storyline follows the protagonist Rasiq, who is riding the highs of life due to his successes as an investment banker. However, life takes a different turn and he ends up losing everything he holds dear. Managing to salvage only his grit from the wreckage, Rasiq reboots his life and teams up with five uniquely talented superheroes to form a start-up called DareDreamers, which involves rescuing those who are in danger.
Apart from Rasiq: the mastermind, the team includes Nick: a crazy inventor, Halka: an inhumanly strong man, Arjun: a champion shooter, Natasha: a Bollywood stunt-double, and Dr. Vyom: a medical Sherlock Holmes. However, their skyrocketing success comes at a price- an enemy hell bent on tearing them down. Will the DareDreamers be able to defeat the villains? Will the superheroes be able to pull off victory against their wily adversary? Or will the DareDreamers become yet another failed start-up? The narrative then goes on to answer these questions.
The front cover of the book is fascinating, and shows the protagonist Rasiq wearing his corporate dress and cruising above the city, clasping the landing skid of a helicopter- in a classic superhero avatar; and readers will get to know more about the book cover on reading the story. The blurb at the back cover also gives a genuine insight about the story.
The book has an invigorating premise, and the character formation is very good. The characters have been explored in depth, and the authors have taken Kartik’s investment banking experience and Ravi’s entrepreneurial drive to create Rasiq, an amalgamation of their own selves. The characterisation of the other superheroes is also spot on, with fascinating elements taken from their peculiarities and incorporated well in the narrative. The portrayal of villains is also wily and nefarious, which gives more angles to the story and brings out the indomitable facet of the superheroes. The language used in the story is simple, yet elegant and the editing is deft and crisp, apt for this fast-paced read.
This is a book that perfectly balances suspense and thrill with profound emotions. The action sequences and the adventure quotient also uplifts this stirring narrative, and keeps the readers engrossed in this tale with a refreshing plot. This is an exhilarating tale of superheroes, which are not magical but very much human; and should be read for its riveting take on bright and brave characters that persevere and win against all odds.