Sinbad and the Trumpet of Israfil: The voyage promises to continue in a sequel

Long before he came to be known as the greatest sailor in the world, Sinbad was a young monster hunter in love. As a 12-year-old, he reaches the dreaded Island of the Damned with his middle-aged Master Reis. At the eerie island, vultures roam like predators and the smell of sulphur hangs in the air. Moreover, there is the fear of several dangerous mythological monsters, which lurk around the island and threaten to attack anytime.

The prophecy goes that the world will end when the trumpet of Israfil will be blown. The Caliph wants Sinbad to get the trumpet back and save the world, and only seven days remain. Armed with the knowledge of sorcery, Sinbad and his master—belonging to the Ninurta guild of Seids, as they are called—are on a mission. Having defeated monsters across the sea, they fight for justice and against evil, doing what others can’t and seeking what everyone is afraid of.

Sinbad has been commissioned by the caliph to fight a gigantic bird (like Garuda from Hindu mythology or Simurg from Persian mythology) that has been terrorising the island and hurting its residents. Troopers at the island believe that the creature is summoned by a witch who runs in the wild at nighttime—14-year-old delicate, cat-eyed Safeena Umair. A resident of the village before she was ostracised for being the Devil’s daughter, she takes revenge through the sinister creature. The village gossip goes that if they burn the she-devil, everything will return to normal.

Kevin Missal is the author of the national bestselling Kalki trilogy. The 24- year-old Gurugram-based writer, who has also penned the Narasimha trilogy and Raavanputr Meghnad, was only 14 when his first young adult book was launched. The young author’s vivid imagination is evident, as one enters his creepy world made up of hideous creatures such as vampires, ghouls, jinnis, qutrubs and dybbuks.

Missal has also taken great pains to research several morbid supernatural phenomena such as black magic, exorcism (when one purges a demon from a human body) as well as its opposite adorcism (when one invites a spirit inside). Amid all the mumbo-jumbo of this make-believe world, some pearls of wisdom are also thrown in along the way, such as the fact that a great seer is one who can not only see the future but also the present and the past, and that life is funny when you look at it from the other side.

Sinbad’s romantic encounters through his adventures further add colour to the tale. The storyline alternates between past and present, which sometimes makes it hard to keep track of the plot. The good news for fans, however, is that the voyage promises to continue in a sequel.