The Last Gambit by Om Swami - Book Tour - Review - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hello lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Om Swami and his new book, “The Last Gambit”!  For other stops on his Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Om Swami and to increase your chances of winning!

Thanks for stopping by!  Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!

The Last Gambit

by Om Swami

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GENRE: General Fiction -> Coming of Age

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BLURB:

Success by design is infinitely better than a win by chance. Vasu Bhatt is fourteen years old when a mysterious old man spots him at a chess tournament and offers to coach him, on two simple but strange conditions: he would not accompany his student to tournaments, and there was to be no digging into his past. Initially resentful, Vasu begins to gradually understand his master’s mettle.

Over eight years, master and student come to love and respect each other, but the two conditions remain unbroken – until Vasu confronts and provokes the old man. Meanwhile, their hard work and strategy pay off: Vasu qualifies for the world chess championship. But can he make it all the way without his master by his side?

Inspiring, moving and mercurial, The Last Gambit is a beautiful coming of age tale in a uniquely Indian context.

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EXCERPT TWO:

‘Do you know who the finest teacher is?’ he asked. ‘You!’

Ignoring my answer, he continued, ‘Experience is the greatest teacher, Vasu. Always replay your own games to see where you went wrong and what made you play the way you did. People don’t lose because they make mistakes, they do so because they repeat their mistakes. The first time, it’s not a loss but a learning.’

‘So, how do I avoid making mistakes?’

 ‘Just don’t repeat them,’ he said after coughing and clearing his throat. ‘Be it life or chess, that’s the only difference between a grandmaster and an amateur. An amateur expects to reach a different destination by walking the same path. He hopes for miracles or serendipities. A grandmaster, on the other hand, relies on his own effort and intelligence. He does not commit the same error twice.’

 ‘But Master,’ I said, curious, ‘I do try my best to not repeat my mistakes. Why do I still lose?’ ‘Because you nourish the body and starve the soul.’ I gave him a blank look because I didn’t have a clue about what he just said. ‘Do you know the soul of chess, Vasu?’

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REVIEW:

This is one of those books that is all about apples, but really isn’t about just apples.  As you peel each layer or say page there’s actually more to the story and you’re actually learning not just about those apples or even just other fruit, but the whole food system.  Okay, yes, this book has nothing to do with apples lol, but that was the first analogy I thought of.

This book’s outlined story is about a young teen boy learning to play chess from his chess grandmaster.  The teen boy, Vasu, struggles at school and with bullies, but through hard work his grandmaster continues to teach him lessons that apply both on and off the chess board.

This book’s inner story touches on friendship, family, love, mentorship, hard work, second chances, strength, forgiveness, and so much more.

I have always wanted to learn to play chess.  I have an app on my tablet that I sometimes play, but I’m still not very good at it lol.

Although this book has a strong chess focus, you do not need to have a chess background to understand or follow along in this book.  As a total chess novice, I was able to keep up.  However, I will note, that if you do come from a chess history you might enjoy the book even more and appreciate some of the passages more passionately.

I really liked the main characters.  They were honest, realistic, and genuine.  They were very well developed and greatly represented.

This book touches on Indian culture and customs.  Sadly, I not very familiar with their traditions, so I really enjoyed reading about them in this book.

There is so much symbolism throughout this book.  I enjoyed finding the different layers and multiple meaning messages throughout the book.

I believe people always have room for learning and this book not only offers up some very important and valuable lessons – it was a joy to read!

This book is engaging, enlightening, thought-provoking, stimulating, inspiring, motivating, and compelling!

This book has so much to offer its readers and I would absolutely recommend this book to readers of all ages and all genres!  I was impressed with this book and I think you will be too!

**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations.**

Did you find this review helpful?

If so, please, please, please mark it as helpful on Amazon here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/review/R1NJUFBMG7HGT9

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AUTHOR BIO:

Om Swami is a monk who lives in a remote place in the Himalayan foothills. He has a bachelor degree in business and an MBA from Sydney, Australia. Swami served in executive roles in large corporations around the world. He founded and led a profitable software company with offices in San Francisco, New York, Toronto, London, Sydney and India.

Om Swami completely renounced his business interests to pursue a more spiritual life. He is the bestselling author of Kundalini: An Untold Story, A Fistful of Love and If Truth Be Told: A Monk’s Memoir.

His blog omswami.com is read by millions all over the world.

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CONNECT WITH OM SWAMI:

Blog:

http://omswami.com

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7734870.Om_Swami

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34090040-the-last-gambit

Amazon Author Page:

http://amzn.to/2u7FVih

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AMAZON BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon Kindle:

http://amzn.to/2yyKvFX

Amazon Paperback:

http://amzn.to/2wJrl2x

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Om Swami will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase made I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.