Bargain eBooks #194:

The Tale of Asha, Volume 1: Death by Joseph Lewis

Type: Short Story Collection

Genre: Historical, Fantasy

Price: $0.99

Where to Get It:

Amazon.com (Kindle)
Barnes and Noble (Nook)
Smashwords (all eBook formats)


The Tale of Asha series follows the strange adventures of the herbalist Asha and the nun Priya as they travel across India.

Volume 1: Death contains three stories.
1.The Lotus Cave (free on Smashwords)
Asha, a traveling herbalist, investigates a local legend about a demon that drank up a river and the young Buddhist nun who restored the river but never returned from the lotus cave.

2.The Fever Mist
Asha and Priya tend a young boy with a burning fever who is so sensitive to light and sound that he must hide in a blacked out house. Only his father’s confession can lead Asha to a cure, but the only cure may be death.

3.The Shining Scales
Asha and Priya meet a man who lost his wife and his sight, yet remains serenely content with his fortunes. Asha is almost ready to give up her travels for him, until she hears a mysterious ringing in the night.


What they're saying about it:

"This collection of short stories is fantastic. You're taken into a world like ours, but slightly different. Everything is perfectly described, with no wasted words -- you can feel, hear and smell the rain and fog. See the lushness of the forests, the beauty of the lake and the haunting sadness of the ruined village. Each story will draw you in and not let you go until the very last sentence. You'll think about the stories and wonder about the further adventures of Asha.

Treat youself to a journey into a lush and beautiful world that almost like ours -- you'll be glad you did."--Amazon Reviewer


"A Tale of Asha, Volume I is an engaging little book told as 3 connected short stories. The author's forward describes a parallel universe, where the reader might recognize certain objects, places, or references, but the actual setting is not "Earth as we know it". The book keeps the character list short and provides a far amount of background on Asha, Priya, and a couple of other characters while focusing on the story presently happening. The character development left me wanting to know more, especially about Asha's time training with the doctor, but perhaps that is to come in the future books.

The imagery is excellent - descriptions of deep forests and wide lakes, written in the kind of detail that lets an imaginative reader get a clear enough mental picture that you almost feel like you are there. All-in-all, A Tale of Asha is an engaging story and left this reader wondering "what happens next" in the story and looking forward to additional volumes."--Amazon Reviewer