Rishi Tripathi, a struggling actor in a relationship that is falling apart, finds himself in an alternative universe after hitting rock bottom. In this new life, fame and fortune are firmly in his grasp and it's everything he ever wanted.

Alas, it's never that simple. It quickly becomes apparent this new dream life comes with consequences Rishi does not want or expect, and finally he comes to the slow, painful realisation that he must find a way home to save himself.

I was impressed with this one. The concept of alternative realities does feel like it's been done to death over the last few years, but Singh does manage to bring a few original and creative elements to it, which seems like a feat in itself these days.

The characters, particularly the supporting ones, were certainly distinct, and I found the main character, Rishi, compelling as well as relatable to an extent. Singh also did an excellent job of bringing the city of Mumbai to life in both of the realities in this novel — it definitely felt like a character in its own right.

Overall, this was a rather enjoyable read and covered a lot of ground, from the more mundane questions of identity to the more out-there themes of mysticism and magic.

Slow Burn by Amal Singh is certainly worth a look.

With thanks to Flame Tree Press for the ARC.