After the Deluge; Dominique Varma, Rupa, Rs.295.
A well-researched fictionalised account of one of the most intriguing and mysterious periods of the 20 century. The story of a French couple’s reconstruction of the many expeditions undertaken by the Roerich family into Central Asia is a thrilling mix of adventure, mystery and suspense.
Rough Passage to the Bodhi Tree; Shiv K. Kumar, Random House, Rs.299.
A prince once gave up everything to attain inner peace, and created the world’s most treasured and well known coming-of-age story. In this retelling, the author injects the wisdom of a lifetime into this immortal tale, thereby fashioning Buddha’s story into possibly one of our own.
Sabotage; Anita Agnihotri, translated by Arunava Sinha, Aurum Books, price not stated.
A collection of short stories that deals with politics of all genres of class, region, ideology and human relationships embedded in the reality of voiceless submergence.
The Dead Don’t Confess; Monabi Mitra, Penguin, Rs.199.
Small-time film producer Piloo Adhikary is found dead on Diwali night. His wife is the prime suspect. But soon her body is found floating in a point. Crime Branch DSP Bikram Chatterjee has to wade through money laundering, shady business pacts, illegal arm deals to expose the dark side of the city’s affluent and influential.
Equilateral; Ken Kalfus, Bloomsbury, Rs.350.
Illustrated with B&W astronomical diagrams, this is an intellectual comedy extravagant in its conception and intimately focused on the implications of the Empire, colonisation, exploration, the Other and who the Other might be.
The Kite Flyers; Sharad Paul, Fourth/HarperCollins, Rs.399.
A coming-of-age story that vividly brings to life 1970s Madras with its politics of caste, geography, gender and language. It is also a fable of friendship, severance and redemption.
Roll of the Dice: Book 1 of Ajaya, Epic of the Kaurava Clan; Anand Neelankatan, Platinum Press, Rs.299.
At the heart of India’s most powerful empire, a revolution is brewing. Amid the chaos stands Prince Suyodhana, heir to Hastinapura, determined to claim his birthright and act according to his destiny. While the Mahabharata is usually told from the point of view of the Pandavas, this is the narrative of the ‘unconquerable’ Kauravas, who were decimated to the last mane.
