Swords of Darkness: Appearance of the Krito

Author: Swarnim
Publisher: Partridge India
(Pp146, ISBN: 978-1482819403)

First of all, what it makes Swords of Darkness: Appearance of the Krito interesting is the age of the author. The author of this teenage fantasy is barely a 14 years old boy. Written by a teenager, aimed at teenage readers, this debut novel is meant a lot to appease young readers. Inspired by the works of a host of renowned international fiction writers like JK Rowling, Rick Riordan, Eoin Colfer and others, Swarnim pens Sword of Darkness: Appearance of the Krito evolving around an adventurous journey of a twelve years old protagonist Ichiro Umatsuki. Ichiro lives on an island, Serran, with three of his siblings (Akiro and Motoyani, a ten years old twin and an eight years old sister named Ayami.) The four kids on Serran island is taken care by their guardian Larry. The children are well trained about combat techniques by a guild master on daily basis. This practice boosts them the fortitude of spirit warriors. The big turning point in the story takes place when Ichiro’s parents were killed in a war field. One day while the guild master is giving the children their last training lesson, it has been unearthed that Ichiro’s parents were not normal human beings. In the rage to take revenge over those who killed their parents, the children set to go to the island where Krito the suspected villain lives.

It is in the midnight. Ichiro turns 14. The foursome kids are geared up to walk down the paths leading to Krito’s island. Well equipped with armours and power, the four young warriors defeated a chunk of enemies on their ways to the island. When the story runs in full climax, nearing to an end, the author terminates it all of a sudden with a full stop for an end. Then it is as if saying ‘What next?’ Well, there is something to be continued in the next part. It means in the next 12 parts. Swords of Darkness has been planned to follow up in a series 12 volumes.

– Jyaneswar Laishram