Name of the Book :The Emperor's Riddles
Author:Satyarth Nayak
Publisher: Amaryllis
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,645,134 in Books
No. of Pages: 406 pgs.
Disclaimer: I got this book from the Author in exchange for my honest opinion.
Blurb
Carrying quotes from India's best selling mystery writers on its cover, this new mystery thriller, described by Hindustan Times as 'a gripping tale of intrigue', has already made it to several Top 10 Bestseller charts.
More terrifying than the savage murder of historian Ram Mathur on the ghats of Ganga, are the questions that follow. Desperate for answers, Sia turns to esoteric writer & friend Om Patnaik. But what begins as a hunt for the killer, becomes an extraordinary trail of riddles strewn across the country, that must end at the gates of an enigma.
An ancient enigma so powerful that even gods would kill for it!!!
In another time and space, rules an Emperor who plays with phenomenal forces that make him supreme…who faces these very forces when they threaten the survival of the human race. An Emperor who must ultimately pay homage to the enigma…
As Patnaik and Sia race from one riddle to another, towards a royal secret that has remained alive for centuries….will the final truth, save them or destroy them forever?
The path beckons. Can you solve The Emperor’s Riddles?
Buy@
Review
The story is divided into three parts.
Buddham saranam gacchami
I go to the Buddha for refuge
Dhammam saranam gacchami
I go to the Dhamma for refuge
Sangham saranam gacchami
I go to the Sangha for refuge.
The echoes of these beautiful words are enough to entice a reader. This story shuttles between the past and the present - without killing the essence and the beauty of each era. Frankly speaking, this is no light read. It took me some time to get into the flow of the story. But after you catch the thread of the story, it is so gripping and 'unputdownable'.
The story begins with the death of Ram Mathur. The death itself is very strange and gruesome. His eyes are gouged out and yet he seems not to suffer in pain but had died with a smile on his face. Why? He had carved the name Ohm on his face with a trident. Ohm not as the most holy word in the Hindu scriptures, but the name of the protagonist Ohm Patnaik.
Ohm Patnaik is summoned by the police of Varanasi and Ram Mathur's daughter Sia to come and help out in solving the mystery. How he is connected to the death is a great bafflement for him. This starts a series of riddles which was triggered by an email left by Ram Mathur after his death. Along with Sia, Ohm starts his quest in solving 9 riddles which would not only solve ancient secrets for them but also solve the murder of Ram Mathur.
Constant danger lurks in the form of Scorpion - the serial killer who was targeting men related in terms of their destiny. Why and how is the most interesting part of this story and without screaming spoiler alert, I cannot give in the details. But all I can say is that the riddles would be the most interesting thing in this book. You would want to solve them to find out what this is all about. :)
Rating
I seriously have to think of adding the decimals in my star. This book deserves more than 4. But falls a bit short of 5. (Many might think otherwise). So here I go...
Too many characterizations made the story baffling is some parts. Some of the characters could be done without. In some parts the characters appeared suddenly and I had to go back a few paragraphs to understand what they were doing there.
The Past and the Present have been woven beautifully. A very well done research on the part of the author.
The end was an UH moment. Did not see it coming at all. In fact, I had been questioning myself from time to time, analyizing and playing detective with great enthu. I could not.
The riddles were very well thought of. I really want to ask Satyarth a few questions regarding this. An interview will be coming up soon. He really had a mind of a detective to have thought of this plot.
I saw a few glimpses of Da Vinci code. I mean it as a compliment. This story had many complexities which slowly unfurled using the riddles.
Your review makes me want to read this one. Riddles are fascinating and I'm sure this one has enough to riddle the reader's mind.
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting read Rubina! Enjoyed reading your review. It kind of reminds me of The Krishna Key by Ashwin Sanghi. Should check this one out surely! Thanks :)
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