Sameer Gudhate presents the Book Review of The Ballads of Niam by Amit Verma

Some stories shout for attention. Others, like The Ballads of Niam by Amit Verma, quietly draw you in, and before you realize it, you’re completely absorbed. This is not just a book—it’s a journey through time, memory, and the oddly beautiful connections that make us who we are.

Amit Verma, a professor of Electrical Engineering in Houston, isn’t just an academic. His previous literary fiction works have been called “refreshing,” “brilliant,” and “an unpredictable gem.” With this book, he proves he can bridge the rigor of intellect with the magic of storytelling in a way that feels rare and refreshing.

At the heart of the story is Niam, a man carrying two burdens that are both absurdly simple and profoundly symbolic. His wife, Prisha, has tasked him with finding a name for their five-year-old daughter. At the same time, he must escort Ajani—the hyena—across Paris. Yes, it’s as unusual as it sounds, but it’s this very strangeness that makes it enchanting.

As Niam journeys through trenches, hills, continents, and even timelines, he isn’t just navigating physical space—he’s moving through memory, identity, and the strange in-between spaces of existence. His triple triplet lines and strong fate line become metaphors for resilience, hinting that his burdens, no matter how surreal, may not be bigger than him.

Amit Verma’s prose feels like sitting down with a storyteller who knows when to whisper and when to make you laugh. His language is fluid, often philosophical without ever feeling heavy. There’s a quiet playfulness in his narrative voice that turns even the most improbable scenes—like a man and a hyena walking through Paris—into something believable.

He has a rare ability to balance introspection with momentum. You’re never rushed, but you’re never stuck either. His writing invites you to linger, and honestly, I didn’t mind staying in Niam’s world longer than I expected.

Niam is far from perfect, and that’s exactly what makes him relatable. He forgets, doubts, and sometimes stumbles through his responsibilities, but he keeps moving. Prisha, his grounded and intuitive wife, is his anchor, while Ajani the hyena adds both whimsy and unexpected tenderness to the story.

Even the secondary characters—the mysterious women from Niam’s past, his old friends—are sketched with enough depth to feel real. Their dilemmas mirror the quiet, unspoken struggles we all face: memory, choice, and what it means to belong.

This book isn’t only about a quest. It’s about identity, love, and the invisible threads that tie our past and present together. It nudges you to ask yourself: How much of who we are comes from where we’ve been? And how do we carry our burdens without letting them define us?

The hyena itself feels symbolic—a reminder of the strange, untamed parts of our lives that we still somehow learn to live with.

The greatest strength of this book lies in its originality. The blending of the fantastical with the deeply personal is unlike anything I’ve read. There are moments where the pacing slows, but instead of feeling tedious, it gives you time to breathe and reflect—almost like the story is telling you to pause and feel.

By the end, I didn’t just read The Ballads of Niam—I carried it with me. It reminded me of my own quiet “quests,” the small but significant burdens we all shoulder.

If you’re craving something thoughtful, unique, and quietly magical, this is it. I’d happily recommend it and can’t wait to see where Amit Verma’s imagination takes us next.

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