Book Review – The Emissary By Milan Bakrania

I’m very excited to be bringing you this book review right now for several reasons. The first of which is that Milan and I are old friends. His brother and I were in the same class at school. Since we spent so much time together I also got to know his younger brother, Milan.

The second of which is that this is Milan’s first book and I’m very honoured to be the first to review it. Lastly I’m excited because now that I’ve read it I strongly believe it’s going to make an impact in this world.

The story is about a young man named Jayesh (my brothers name which he was also very excited about) who encounters a young boy at very turbulent time in Earth’s future history. This encounter changes the way that Jay thinks and sets him on a path of spreading a powerful message of hope to the world. There is a twist to the story…

This book is The Alchemist meets Ghostbusters II! (Eh? I hear you ask!) You’ll have to read it to find out. As I mentioned this is Milan’s first book and he has truly not disappointed. To get to the published stage is an incredible feat in itself. I asked Milan about the process:

“As with everything, The Emissary began with a single thought, not about a novel or writing but of an idea. What would happen if you met someone extremely divine (not giving too much away there!) in the middle of a busy highway?

It sounded strange at the time but held exciting premise. For days, the idea remained at the forefront of my mind. And then it happened…I could no longer hold back. As soon as I put pen to paper, I managed to churn out the first few chapters in just a matter of hours.

After which the flow could not be controlled. Every waking hour was filled with ideas and inspiration. I had to keep a notebook with me at all times to record my thoughts.

Within two months, the raw draft of a main plot was ready. The protagonist now had a location, back story, friends and a name, Jayesh Shatri! My decision to set the story in an unstated future time meant that I could play around with the location details of New Mumbai and let my imagination run wild.

To give an international feel I added some characters who were unknowingly part of the story namely Julie, the Rajasthani father, his daughter Shanti, President Ibaku, Frank Bishop, Marianne and the enigmatic Yaar.

Being inspired by the famous Krishna-Arjun dialogue from The Bhagwad Gita (Hindu Holy Book) I decided to create an etheral-style conversation between Yaar and Jayesh in the middle of India’s busiest highway.

This became the focal point of the book. A unifying moment that would tie up all the loose ends and explain the confusing plot line prior to their meeting. Along with Jayesh, his friend Manisha plays a pivotal role in explaining the vivid prologue of a time lost in the waves of time and the emergence of our civilisation.

Once proof-read and edited, I was able to muster up interest within a month. Some publishing houses were not interested, others were busy but it so happened that two houses were very interested in the unique plot line.

Being my first book, I wanted a big part in the overall look of the final product. I, therefore, took it upon myself to register a domain name and create a website (www.the-emissarybook.com). I also designed and created the front/back covers.

Once approved, the book was ready for the printers and I received the first copy within 3 months of starting the full process. As I was fully involved in the design of my book, the satisfaction of seeing it in print was overwhelming.

It all began with a single thought and now The Emissary is finally ready for release. Even though I have created a career from a hobby, writing still gives me tremendous joy and satisfaction, so much so that my second book, Flicker is nearing completion.”

- Milan Bakrania

I would like to say that The Emissary will keep you gripped from beginning to end. It will open your heart to the subtle reference of where humankind is at and what we need to do to shift where our planet is at. It’s a beautiful simplistic story coupled with great wisdom that will leave you smiling from ear to ear.

P.S. If you would like to review the book you can get Milan’s contact details by clicking here. It can also be pre-ordered from Amazon.

P.P.S. The book is due to be released on June the 7th.