this is probably a 3.5 stars. However, I'm going to round up because the writing is truly beautiful. The plot wanders and the reader is left in the dark for most of the book. BUT it's an incredibly complicated world that has been built - one that feels foreign and exotic. And while I felt overall the book was missing something, I still liked it. Oh and I'm not buying anything these critics shouting "instalove" are selling. The book is so deeply rooted in Indian mythology/mysticism, you really have to embrace the themes of eternity and reincarnation.