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The
Magic of Maya
Author: - Nanditha Da Cunha
About the book: Seven
leaps across seven skies.
And before she knows it, ten year old Tara, daughter of a fisherman, is
spirited away from her village one peaceful morning, by a magical singing
scarf, to the musical wonderland Maya - collage of three brightly Coloured
lands; Rizenglow the cheerful yellow State inhabited by the singing Flattes
and Sharpes, Ritmo, the energetic red State, home to the dancing Ritmos
and Offbeats, and Cian the watery blue State populated by Jumbles such as
the Sea-Sirens and the Ciantists.
But no sooner does she land, than she is thrown headlong into a crisis that
threatens inhabitants of both Maya and her village, Govan, on Earth. The
autocratic 'Destroyer' is looking to seize power over Maya by taking control
over its musical underground pipes that carry music right upto the consciousness
of all Mayans.
All of a sudden, Tara finds herself an active part of a quest to travel
across Maya to collect ingredients for a spell that would save the musical
pipes of Maya and those she loves back home in Govan, her only companions
being the cheeky singing scarf, Pallat, a lazy Flatte named Dholakia, and
the dancing prince of Ritmo, Tal. But can these three outwit the scheming
Destroyer?
Together they travel from the plains of Rizenglow to the castle of the Caliph
of Ritmo, fall down the purple crack in between Ritmo and Cian and eventually
reach the waterworld of Cian, only to disappear into the black hole of Maya
known as Kalistan. Together they meet delightful races such as the mysterious
Cicis, who sing the lives of humans from Earth below and the Ciantists,
the brainiest Mayans from Cian, who experiment with colour and sound.
They meet with mixed success, as they encounter resistance from one of the
three rulers of Maya, the hypnotic Caliph Sojah, from an eccentric red flying
spider Maneck Tarantella and from the looting Stone Bandits.
Tara is an intelligent and assertive child, and the more difficult her mission
becomes, the more resolved she becomes to complete it. She grows in maturity
and patience, as she comes closer to the end of her quest, and finds true
companions and friends when least expected. Yet just how close would she
come to a secret her parents have kept from her ever since they landed in
Govan…
"The Magic of
Maya took me back to my childhood and transported me to a world of fantasy,
illusion, even dark, sinister forebodings.
Lucidly written, with a fine sense of rhythm, Nandita's debut sparkles
like a well -cut gem."
-- Shobhaa Dé
"A modern day Alice in Wonderland, with action -- fast and frenetic
-- swirling between parallel worlds.... There's enough magic here, and
wordplay, to keep the young reader engrossed and entertained. With "The
Magic of Maya" in hand, who needs television or computer games?"
--- Anil Dharker
"Once opened, "The Magic of Maya" is a magical journey
that entices you into a world of melodies and lets you escape into a fantastical
world.
A must read for all young readers."
--- Raell Padamsee
About the author: Nandita
da Cunha is a management consultant from Mumbai. She did her Post Graduation
in management from XLRI, Jamshedpur, India. She is also a pianist, and
has passed the licentiate examination from the Trinity College of Music,
London.
A Goan at heart, Nandita enjoys traveling and reading when time permits.
She is married and lives with her husband Sanjay Durante, a banker, in
Mumbai
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