The Shadow Throne

by Aroon Raman

India faces nuclear armageddon

A mysterious murder at the Qutub Minar triggers a call to ace journalist Chandrasekhar from his cop acquaintance, Inspector Syed Ali Hassan. The victim is unlike anyone Chandra has ever seen: a white Caucasian male who has all the looks of a throwback to Greek antiquity. Soon after, Hassan calls in to report the case has been taken away from him – in all likelihood by RAW – the Research & Analysis Wing, the uber-agency of Indian intelligence.

What began as a murder enquiry soon morphs into a deadly game of hide-and-seek within the shadowy world of Pakistan’s ISI and India’s RAW; and Chandra, his friend history professor Meenakshi Pirzada and Hassan find themselves in a race against time to avert a sub-continental nuclear holocaust.

As the action moves to its hair-raising climax among the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan, Chandra must face up to the fact that Inspector Hassan is not all that he seems …

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Adventure, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Spy Thriller, Mystery Thriller

332 pages, Paperback

First published August 16, 2012

About the author

A Masters Degree in Economics from JNU and then an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania have given me an unusual education - a full spectrum from the left to the right!

Till 2014, I ran my own manufacturing and research companies, both of which have since been successfully divested to multinationals.

I'm now taking that old Chinese proverb seriously: 'Enjoy life: it's later than you think.' So what I really do is travel to strange and offbeat places, meet as many people as I can from all walks of life; in short explore every nook and corner that I possibly can of this enormous canvas called life.

I also write. Books have inevitably been an important part of my journey. Conan Doyle was once asked who he wrote his Sherlock Holmes stories for and he replied, 'For the man who is half a boy and for the boy who is half a man.' It has been so with me ever since. Doyle, John Buchan, Rider Haggard and Kalki’s novels in Tamil fired my imagination at an early age with their classics of detection, adventure and history and I’ve been hooked to a good yarn for as long as I can remember.

My three books are all in the thriller and adventure genre . My first, The Shadow Throne is a nuclear conspiracy plot that The Hindu called a 'roller-coaster of nail-biting suspense.' I followed that up with a Mughal period adventure called The Treasure of Kafur, for those who love a fast-paced story set in history, My third, Skyfire, was released in December 2016. It's also a thriller centred around weather manipulation and has been very well received. I'd like to think all my books will grip you and not let you go till the very last page!

When I'm not writing and traveling (and trekking in the Himalayas), I support a number of NGOs focusing on disability and the cause of deprived and missing children.

I also speak to schools and colleges, corporates and general audiences on topics as varied as converting one's life into a thriller, sparking the creativity within each of us, and similar topics. All talks are peppered with a lot of fun and examples taken from some of my own unusual and strange experiences.

Do visit my website for details about me, my writing, speaking, and other activities. I specially welcome those who want to get involved in voluntary activities with NGOs.

Reviews

[Komal · Rating 4 out of 5]

*The copy was received by the author in exchange of an honest review. No chocolate, Nutella, ice-cream, HP merchandise money was exchanged for the same*

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Continued reaction throughout the book:

Okay, so I completed this book in a sitting. Literally in a sitting. I was exhausted from my exams and still managed to finish this.

What does it tells you about the book?

It's addicting stuff. Seriously addicting.
Considering that this was a debut novel by the author, I was pleasantly surprised.
I especially loved the writing. Normally, in political thrillers, the author uses all his/her energies in creating an engrossing plot and the writing goes down the drain. But in The Shadow Throne, the author walks the fine line brilliantly.

Now, starting with the summary:
The novel revolves around a journalist, Chandrashekhar, called in by Inspector of Police Syed Hassan when a murder that takes of a Caucasian male. A simple murder investigation leads to a smoke and mirror game between two intelligence agencies of the world: India and Pakistan. Chanrdrashekhar, his historian friend Peerzada and Hassan go deeper into the mire which ultimately leads into a deadly result of nuclear strike, with millions of life at stake.

Now, I want to make this clear right off the bat: I don't understand the convoluted world of politics or the fast-paced intelligence related jargon. Keeping this fact in mind, to say that I liked the book, is saying a lot.

Raman manages to weave a tapestry so rich in detail and excellently elucidated that it managed to hook me right in.

The book started off well with a well placed setting and intriguing circumstance. The characterization was very well done with developed, believable characters. The author manages to keep the pace of the book fast and gritty without clumsily jumping around various events. I especially liked the fact that there wasn't too much history thrown into the mix like the Dan Brown novels. Raman sticks to his plot and gives the background that is precisely required and no more.

Just this one factor that I think tipped the scales against it: As the book progressed, the plot meandered to convenient plot devices. It was like this huge build-up to a promising climax and POOF! you are left disappointed. The characters got into tough situations but then the author loses heart and resorts to easy solutions.

Apart from the above point, I really liked the book and would definitely watch out for more of Mr. Raman's books in the future.

If you are looking for a fast paced, blink-and-you'll-miss-it kinda novel with dollops of suspense and history, cultural stuff thrown in it, I highly recommend this one.

[Bookish Indulgenges with b00k r3vi3ws · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspector Hassan is called to a crime scene at the very famous Qutub Minar. He calls in his journalist friend Chandra and they are soon joined by Meenakshi, a history professor. The murder victim seems to be a Caucasian white male – only his appearance is like that of an ancient Greek! Soon it becomes apparent that this is not just a murder case. There is something else going on at a much larger scale and not everything or everyone maybe what they seem to be. The trio has to work against quite a few odds to solve this international conspiracy that spans across the borders.

Okay, so it is no big secret that unless it is Amitava Ghosh or Anita Desai, I am not a big fan of IWE. With the bookstores overflowing with titles from youngsters that make me cringe to actual cheesy contents of the books to the overdose of IIM/IIT campus stories, I have been turned off from this genre for quite some time. But then recently, thanks to friendly recommendations and review copies, I have actually experienced some very good writing. From Memoirs to thrillers to short stories, it seems that a new generation on authors are finally emerging who are moving away from stereotype characters using ‘not-so-cool lingo’.

The Shadow Throne by Aroon Raman is one such novel. No it is not a Dan Brown Clone or wanna-be James Patterson. Aroon Raman has instead created his own cliché that has its readers’ attention right from the word go. The complex plot line and the vast area covered by the author keeps us involved throughout. There’s nuclear weapon and then there’s some political drama – both attention grabbers, right? I found the portrayal of both ISI and RAW very interesting. And well, anybody in the Asian subcontinent, or rather everybody in this world knows about the sometimes on – sometimes off friendship and rivalry between India and Pakistan. This novel actually cashes in on it but from a rather different point of view – what if a third party planned to destroy both India and Pakistan? Will the two countries be able to forget the grudges of the last few decades and work together?

The narration of the storyline and the description of the surroundings that the author provides are simply beautiful. The character development is perfect – not too much or too little but just the exact amount of information is provided for us to feel as if we ‘know’ them. The smooth flow of the story and the climax build up are two other things that I really liked – though after the build-up, the climax fell a teensy bit short in my opinion.

Overall, a nicely paced enjoyable thriller that I would recommend to thriller enthusiasts.

[Abhinav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Move over, Mr. Ashwin Sanghi. Okay, not that much. Just a bit. Just enough to let Aroon Raman stand beside you, for he too is a strong contender for being "India's answer to Dan Brown" - that's atleast what their respective publishing houses claim.

'The Shadow Throne' begins with a murder at the premises of Delhi's Qutub Minar in mysterious circumstances. Inspector Syed Ali Hassan is in charge & he calls freelance journalist Chandrashekhar over to the crime scene. But before the two can uncover any hard evidence, the body is whisked away by people with far more clout, most probably India's premier intelligence agency Research & Analysis Wing (RAW).

As Chandrashekhar tries to work with the information on hand, he summons the help of his friend - history professor Meenakshi Pirzada. She happens to stumble upon a clue that points to a secret religious cult planning its resurgence with inside help & suddenly they all find themselves in the shadowy mirth of international espionage, as India is threatened by a nuclear strike. Chandrashekhar believes the answer lies in Afghanistan, but he does not know whom to trust since Hassan is apparently not what he claims to be & Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) is involved as well. Can one good man save his country from Armageddon?

'The Shadow Throne' is not the first novel the author has written, but it happens to be his first published one. And what an effort it is. The writing is good & the plot is tightly-paced, just like any decent thriller should be. The characters of Chandrashekhar & Hassan are well-written but I felt that Meenakshi Pirzada doesn't really get her due (something a few other reviewers have noted as well), but I'm willing to condone that in a debut novel. Except for one particular twist in the second half of the book (deus ex machina!) I felt each one had a perfectly logical explanation & never looked out of place, giving its narrative the dose of adrenaline & suspense as the protagonists battle time & hostile forces to prevent the catastrophic event.

Yes, the influence of Dan Brown's style is evident to a certain extent but it's difficult to find fault with this book on any of the major counts - the writing definitely matches the standards of good thriller novels, the dialogue isn't cliched & the plot is highly original & it weaves the current Indian political scenario into it & resonates far more than other books written on similar lines. And what really impressed me is that the author didn't fall into the trap of forcibly creating a romantic angle, which makes it stand apart from the usual fare.

So my rating for 'The Shadow Throne' isn't exactly 4 out of 5 stars - more of a 3.5 stars & upwards. Definitely recommended for readers of Indian popular fiction & those who enjoy a racy espionage thriller.


P.S. I received a copy of this book from the author & I solemnly maintain that my review was in no way influenced by the same.

[Pragya]

1.5 stars

This book started off really well. Wonderful backdrop, nicely fitting characters and lovely descriptions. I thought it was quickly becoming one of those mystery/ thrillers I end up loving. It had that Dan Brown feel, mixing traditional with modernity, Indian with conventional world. It was turning out to be a good murder mystery. But alas things were good only for a short time.

It all changed as the book progressed. The book lost its grasp on me, I struggled hard to keep making sense of it.

The characters were intriguing, the mystery element good, the pace nicely done, so what went wrong? I guess the revelation of the mystery, the element did not have that touch which would have rendered the book amazing. I wished it was something else, something different, something more. I was literally left thinking 'if only things were a bit different'.

[Ravi Jain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since Chetan Bhagat published his first teen novel “5 Point Someone” in 2004, a plethora of authors have flooded the Indian Literary scene. Many giants have emerged like Ashwin Sanghi, Amish Tripathi and Ravi Subramanian. Similarly, there were many others who came & disappeared equally quickly like “Samit Basu of Turbulence” or “Anuja Chandramouli of Arjuna.” Aroon Raman gives me a hope that he is gonna stay here; but he has to work on his writing style and climaxes a bit.

Full review here: The Shadow Throne Book Review

[E.T. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Usually I avoid books that talk of saving the world from a catastrophe but was tempted to pick this up because I loved the author's "The Treasure of Kafur". Unfortunately this is childish stuff - 0 research with a weak story with no surprises/twists. It makes Ashwin Sanghi look good.

[Aparajitabasu · Rating 4 out of 5]

My third Indian literature by a modern author and this is the first I actually liked. Presenting The Shadow Throne by Aroon Roman.

Here is the summary of the book:

India faces nuclear armageddon. A mysterious murder at the Qutub Minar triggers a call to ace journalist Chandrasekhar from his cop acquaintance, Inspector Syed Ali Hassan. The victim is unlike anyone Chandra has ever seen: a white Caucasian male who has all the looks of a throwback to Greek antiquity. Soon after, Hassan calls in to report the case has been taken away from him – in all likelihood by RAW – the Research & Analysis Wing, the uber-agency of Indian intelligence. What began as a murder enquiry soon morphs into a deadly game of hide-and-seek within the shadowy world of Pakistan’s ISI and India’s RAW; and Chandra, his friend history professor Meenakshi Pirzada and Hassan find themselves in a race against time to avert a sub-continental nuclear holocaust. As the action moves to its hair-raising climax among the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan, Chandra must face up to the fact that Inspector Hassan is not all that he seems …

Out of all the modern literature i have read, I always had some problem or other with one of them but it is safe to say that I genuinely liked this book. This is a thriller genre....and a million things could go wrong with this but its safe to say that Mr. Raman presented things rather beautifully and managed to get us readers enthralled.

It all began as a strange and mysterious murder case at Qutub Minar. The inspector on case Syed Ali Hassan brings in his friend, an ace journalist Chandrashekar. The victim, a Caucasian male has the appearance of a throwback that predates the time of the ancient Greeks. Things escalate to new lights. Some thing more and much bigger is going on here. There is a mother of all conspiracy going on here and Hassan, Chandra and another accomplice Meenakshi are pooling every resources to put a stop to this madness before India faces Nuclear Armageddon.

Finally, trying to not divulge the story, it is safe to say that The Shadow Throne is an amazing read. While we have three main characters here but much of the attention is sure to be on Hassan and Chandra since they are the ones trekking throughout the book to stop the bad from happening. The perspective also changes a lot but very much balanced here. Also loved the way Mr. Raman wove the twist and turns and facts throughout. I confess though I did not feel connected with the characters, they were it felt just there. The plot was rather much more interesting than they were. My God was it an interesting read. A thumbs up for me!

"An Indian MISSION IMPOSSIBLE"

[Rachna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book thoroughly. Fast, pacy and well-written - can easily imagine it being translated into a Bollywood film!

[Shrikanth Venne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again a Bollywood type movie book where there is a hero who is a journalist who is well known in journalism then his beau a history teacher then a police inspector who is a dare devil and a friend of hero and a nail in the stack of hay that is a good person within the enemy team, and many other supporting good character and a group of enemy . So this book A shadow Throne dealt with these character namely chandra shekar, meenakshi, inspector hassan, and dinna. These 4 characters try to stop a nuclear attack in India. Always the attack happens from Pakistan but in this book author has shown Pakistan in a good side. It's like nuclear attack is planned but not by pakistan but to be blamed on Pakistan. This attack starts by a murder of a asiatic greek foreigner inside the compound of Qutubminar. This asiatic Greek is linked to the kushan empire. So the main characters a typical South Indian journalist chandrashekhar and the inspector Hasaan try to stop the attack. How they stop is the answer in the book. Author has beautifully crafted the story and also liked the uniqueness of not showing pakistan in the enemy lime light but little different. Author also has good command in the script as it does not waver from the storyline. Overall i would say it's a really good goodread... 🙂

[Addy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, another opportunity lost. I wish the author had concentrated more on research and less on semantics. Some of the action scenes were just silly and dealt a crushing blow to one of the most important factors - realism and. Also, the author seems obsessed with using fancy words and sentences where a simple one will do.

[VaultOfBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

By Aroon Raman. Grade: A
The book interested me right from the first impression. There are few good thrillers by Indian writers, and this lead title by Pan Macmillan India looked promising.
India faces nuclear armageddon…
A mysterious murder at the Qutub Minar triggers a call to ace journalist Chandrasekhar from his cop acquaintance, Inspector Syed Ali Hassan. The victim is unlike anyone Chandra has ever seen: a white Caucasian male who has all the looks of a throwback to Greek antiquity. Soon after, Hassan calls in to report the case has been taken away from him – in all likelihood by RAW – the Research & Analysis Wing, the uber-agency of Indian intelligence.
What began as a murder enquiry soon morphs into a deadly game of hide-and-seek within the shadowy world of Pakistan’s ISI and India’s RAW; and Chandra, his friend history professor

The Shadow Throne by Aroon Raman
Meenakshi Pirzada and Hassan find themselves in a race against time to avert a sub-continental nuclear holocaust.
As the action moves to its hair-raising climax among the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan, Chandra must face up to the fact that Inspector Hassan is not all that he seems …
The book starts off with a bang. A giant with what looks like a flattened skull has been murdered at Qutub Minar, and the on-site inspector gives a seemingly innocuous call to his journo friend Chandra. Chandra, our protagonist, has been dealing with the loss of his wife to cancer – badly, I may add – and immediately goes over to check out the curious case. But he has only just returned home from the Qutub when Hassan calls him up and tells up that he has been removed from the case, and RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) has taken over.
…I cursed myself for my weakness. For all my misgivings, when it came down to the wire, I was a journalist, a goddamn newshound. I was very afraid, but the story was so implausible it had the smell of truth. And I was hooked.
Things are not what they seem. A long dead cult group called Ziphos Soter (Sword of the Saviour) is trying to divide Pakistan so that they can get a new nation of their own. For that, they plan to assemble missiles in the Bamiyan Valley of Afghanistan, cart them to Pakistan and launch them to India and China. This would make sure Pakistan is cornered into a tight corner, under fire by the United States, will give in to their demands. ISI suspects this, and knows that if the missiles are launched, Pakistan will be destroyed. Nobody is going to believe that it wasn’t involved, and if India returns fire…
Going to Indian ministry with the information that somebody from India is planning an attack on India is moot, so the JD of the ISI recruits Hassan and Chandra and transports them to Afghanistan to find out how Operation Shadow Throne can be stopped. But what is the probability of two ordinary men succeeding when millions of worth of resources have failed? Pretty high as it turns out.
The plot, as outlandish as it may sound, sets the stage for a fast-paced thriller that engrosses you from page one. The book is very well researched, and the action which is set in Chandni Chowk and Qutub Minar, instead of, say New York Museums and piazzas of Rome, gave me an adrenaline high. The writing is smooth, and solid, with just the right amount of descriptions and subtext. The build-up isn’t too slow, and reading about this murky – but highly efficient – world of political espionage and nuclear warfare would appeal to any thriller enthusiast.
This new writer will find many fans, me being one of them.


Originally reviewed at www.vaultofbooks.com

[Amit · Rating 2 out of 5]

A 332 page "not sooooo" fast paced thrill ride.


The book focuses on a fictional eventuality that India will face a nuclear holucast from the other side of the border.

This is actually the second book I have read from a debut Indian author, the first one being Juggi Bhasin's The Terrorist. Now I am faced with comparing them due to the fact that they basically have the same foundation, India vs Pakistan. Actually living in the sub continent any sort of competition between these 2 countries should set the stage for a thrill ride but this book fails to do so. Unlike The Terrorist, this book lacks depth. Juggi Bhasin focused on many things in his book and done perfect justice to each one of them regarding Indian politics, life in the army and in terrorist camps and how the turn of events eventually affected their families.
This book also does the same by focusing on many things mentioned before but fails to do them justice, only a brief mention of each of them is provided.

While Juggi has also focused on character development achieving brilliant results, Raman has basically thrown that concept out of the window.

I would have given this book 1 stars had it not been for the originality of the plot which has earned it a 2 star rating. The sad part is, the book could have offered so much more.

In the end of the book, Aroon mentions that it took him 6 months to write, which is actually quite short when one is writing a book on the subject. I wish he had spent more time focusing on minor details rather than releasing the book in such a hurry.

I picked this book up thinking that it would like another Juggi Bhasin type book with a different plot line and under different circumstances but it failed to deliver and of course, it has the absolute worst trailer to date.

To those of you planning to buy this book, please refrain from doing so, borrow it from friends, relatives or libraries if you can.

If you want a better book on the same subject you can pick up The Terrorist by Juggi Bhasin which is currently priced at Rs.250 but you can grab it at a discount online at HomeShop18 at an awesome price of Rs.168.

An for those of you who still want to purchase The Shadow Throne, currently priced at Rs.250 can do from HomeShop18 at a discounted price of Rs.150.

[Merril Anil · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all a huge thanks to the author for lending me a copy to read and review and for the fact that he helped me discover a new author, giving me a very good read. The book has installed in me a new confidence for the indian authors.

I had read treasure of Kafur from the same author which i believe is his second book but interestingly i found the styles of both these books quite different while both are equally good in narration and plot, The shadow throne is on a completely different level with genius plot and research and on top of that the book is engaging, fast paced and exactly what i would have expected from a Dan Brown book, except that this was written by Aroon Raman. I loved reading book with Indian background, especially Delhi alleys for its playground.The book is something that you would love and admire for its efforts and that too coming from an Indian author. (yes i am very biased to western authors and kind of do not trust Indian authors because of the kind of arrogance they keep in their language when the plot runs weak in the knees).

Having sad that i would also like to say that i would prefer to see the author coming up with books more on the line of style that he has used in shadow of throne and not following exactly what he used in treasure of kafur. Treasure of Kafur had a bit hard language with lots of hard words and somewhere, yes the language arrogance could be seen peeking but fortunately the plot of that book was way too strong to be distracted by the hard biting words.Shadow Throne on the other hand had the purest and simplest language only enhanced with the beauty of plot and narration.

According to me, it is not difficult to write using avant garde language, but it is, when you have to write something so simple and pure that could impress anybody in its first read and that was shadow throne for me.

Shadow Throne is fast paced, Dan Brown sort of thriller that will keep you on the edge and you would not even realize that you have finished it in one go...its that good, and that too coming from an indian author (yes i m a hypocrite, who being indian,do not prefer Indian authors ...so sue me for my lack of taste

[Akyraa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so I got a signed copy from the author for an honest review...yay me ;)

I must say that this is not a genre that I read a lot but I completed this book in a single sitting.

It was really good for a debuting author.

I especially loved the writing. These days there are so many books getting released without getting edited that it's exhausting for a reader to find a good one where you don't have to guess what the author might be saying.

Now, onto the summary:
India faces nuclear armageddon.

A mysterious murder at the Qutub Minar triggers a call to ace journalist Chandrasekhar from his cop acquaintance, Inspector Syed Ali Hassan. The victim is unlike anyone Chandra has ever seen: a white Caucasian male who has all the looks of a throwback to Greek antiquity. Soon after, Hassan calls in to report the case has been taken away from him – in all likelihood by RAW – the Research & Analysis Wing, the uber-agency of Indian intelligence.

What began as a murder enquiry soon morphs into a deadly game of hide-and-seek within the shadowy world of Pakistan’s ISI and India’s RAW; and Chandra, his friend history professor Meenakshi Pirzada and Hassan find themselves in a race against time to avert a sub-continental nuclear holocaust.

As the action moves to its hair-raising climax among the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan, Chandra must face up to the fact that Inspector Hassan is not all that he seems …

Now, to be perfectly clear, I am not much interested in politics or all the intelligence stuff, but this book still managed to keep my interest upto the end and that is saying a lot. The ending didn't do much for me, it was like there was a big buildup for an amazing end but it fell down flat for me totally...

Apart from the ending, I really liked the book and would definitely watch out for more of Mr. Raman's books in the future.

If you are looking for a fast paced novel with dollops of suspense and history, cultural stuff thrown in it, I highly recommend this one.

[Neha Gupta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Indian authors are greatly inspired by their foreign counterparts, whether in films or books, this one is no exception - being Indian version of Dan Brown. The key ingredients are all there:
1) historical context - revenge of Kushans with flat heads
2) impending war & nuclear meltdown - India Pakistan nuclear stand-off
3) no heroes just common but brave men - a journalist, a History professor and a tainted Police officer
4) Villain's den - somewhere close to Indian sub-continent but out of its control, interestingly Bamiyan Buddhist caves
5) Slagging Government agencies - RAW & ISI

and you can very well make out the plot and guess the ending too. Aroon has made a good attempt at historical political thriller but there is nothing ground breaking. Most ordinary conversations are assumed to be smart and plot turning. Why would RAW and ISI put all their trust in two ordinary men who just seem to be there at the right place and right time without really making any smart moves. The entire intelligence machinery of both the countries comes crumbling when an ordinary Delhi University Professor makes out the big historical connection, whereas the Government's officers and highly trained agents are only out to get these ordinary but brave warriors of peace and patriotism.

Probably I am not that into thriller genre, but even if I was I wouldn't rate it too high. So here it is read it because its a fine attempt but lags a bit to get 3 star from me.

This is an author requested review, but completely my own opinion

[Ajitabh Pandey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very nicely written book inspired by the recent happenings in the country and neighbourhood. The plot is simple, writing is simple and the flow of the story does not break anywhere. The story is very fast paced and the author neither provide extra unnecessary in depth descriptions (usually characteristics of Lee Child) nor provides too much historical context (usual characteristics of Dan Brown).

The story has five main characters -

* Chandrashekhar, a reputed freelance journalist
* Inspector Syed Hassan
* Meenakshi Peerzada, a historian
* Nalini Pant, Asst Director Joint Intelligence Committe
* Gull Mohammed, ISI official

While the story progresses very smoothly, towards the end it seems like it was very quick to end, but nevertheless I liked it.

Given that this is the first book by the author, it is highly appreciated. And yes since most of the upcoming Indian authors have decided mythology or love stories as their plot, I would like to see more Indian action plots such as being written by Mukul Deva

All the best Aroon, looking forward to your next book.

[Navaneeta · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, I share a hope-disgust relationship with Indian popular literature. So much so that I read books only when they come highly recommended by people whose judgements I respect. I did like one book each of Karan Bajaj, Ashwin Sanghi and Ravi Subramanian. But this time, I took a risk and took up The Shadow Throne without any recommendation and I was happily surprised.

For an Indian thriller, it is very good. I couldn't earlier imagine what it would be like to read a thriller with Indian heroes, if the hero would be suave enough to interest me (hello! I am just being honest here, okay!). But this book succeeds in holding one's attention without the so-called suavity of Dan Brown's heroes or Ian Fleming's. Chandrasekhar is not the typical protagonist of a thriller, nor is Meenakshi. Inspector Hassan comes close to the type yet Aroon Raman seems reluctant to typecast his character, thus saving him. The sights and sounds of old Delhi come alive through the descriptions, giving me hope that the writer may go on to dabble in other genres as well.

For a debut novel, the author has done an extremely good job. Superb editing, and the aspect for which I am most thankful, good English.

[S.V. Divvaakar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had picked up this book a couple of months ago but found time to read it only recently. It is a well-written modern story covering a plot that many Indian and Pakistani people would have mulled over even if in passing. I have often wondered, 'Will some miscreant press the N-button in south Asia?'
Aroon titillates with the tightly written plot, and uncovers a completely new dimension to the power games in south Asia. I liked the detailing - the engineer's diligence shines through- and the flow is smooth. Being a Delhite, I could trace the locations easily, which enhanced the reading experience.

The ending: good guys win, of course, as they should. But a part of me also looks forward to vicariously live a post n-bomb situation for us to feel the horror that awaits us should that subhuman act ever come to play out. But I do understand; how many living folks can depict that horror which happened only once in the life of humanity, in 1945 Japan?

Another good thing about Aroon's book is that I learnt at least ten new words- I believe I'd never heard them before. It helped that I read with an iPad dictionary beside me.

Good show!

[Akanksha Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this way back and finished it too but because I had taken a short break from Goodreads for a while I was unable to update it. Now let's get back to the book....I finished it in a day....the book is unputdownable....I am a die hard Dan Brown fan so I was a bit apprehensive about this book....but let me just make it very clear right here that this is not a bad copy.....it is competely original. Now India cannot boast of many decent thriller authors but Aroon Raman deserves a place on that list. I loved the freshness and orignality of the book more than anything else. For Indian readers....you will love the Indian backdrop. The plot is great and the story is fast paced. I like the fact that the book is properly researched and there are no discrepancies ( it's quite rare).....Loved the characters and the way they are portrayed....all in all a book worth reading for anyone who likes the mystery,thriller or adventure genre.

[Smitha Prashanth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its a wonderful novel ! i just loved it !!

[Prathamesh Deshpande · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review - Shadow Throne by Aroon Raman

My Rating 3/5

I had picked up this book some years back from a Landmark bookstore and was lying in my ‘to read’ list since ages. Eventually, I got around to reading it due to my new year resolution of reading my unread stock this year.

The book is a typical action thriller based on the already beaten and battered storyline of Indo Pak crisis and the ISI - RAW cat and mouse game.

The Plot - The intriguing part of the book which drew me towards it was the plot (the blurb at the back of the book). So this is how the plot goes, there are certain rogue elements in the Indian intelligence services, the RAW/IB et all who come up with a genius plan of destruction of Pakistan by launching nuclear war heads from Pakistan air space near the Af-Pak border into India and China to trigger a nuclear war which would lead to total destruction of Pakistan.

The plot unveils with a mysterious suicide/murder at the Qutub Minar in New Delhi which is investigated by an Inspector Hassan along with some help from his free lance crime reporter friend, Chandrashekhar. One thing leads to another and the two unravel the sinister plot stated above through their investigation which gets the ISI in the mix and slowly the RAW as well.

There is an intriguing angle to the story with the linkage to the Khushan dynasty and how a lost tribe/ sect is made a pawn in the overall game of nuclear war.

One thing you will like about the book is that it is an action packed page turner. There is something happening on every page and it keeps you hooked. In short, its a very good quick read.

The Put offs:

There are always somethings in a book or the way of writing which put you off to the extent of you getting agitated while reading the prose. I am listing down some of the things which really irked me:

1) Absolute lack of proof reading - The number of typos I came across in the book is actually atrocious. There were times I had to double check on what I read to understand whether I am reading it right or is there a typo. So you read, then you re read, then you think what it should have said and then you proceed. A mystery within a mystery, I guess. Maybe the publishers thought why not give the readers two mysteries at the price of one. I may be very harsh, the version which I had was one of the first editions and the errors may have been corrected later on.

Please note, this is in no way a verdict on the author, its the publishing house that needs to stand up for such goof ups

2) Character Building - The lack of it basically. Now come on, its an espionage cum bureaucratic cum armed forces thriller. There has to be some amount of character building. The story revolves around two main guys, the reporter and the cop stated above. The character building around these guys is so less. There comes a point in the story where the reporter builds a mental map of a cave by remembering the turns, the angles , etc but there is no build up as to how and why the crime reporter would have such brain powers. The cop is shown as an intelligence operative who is operating under cover and thats that. So all you want to assume about a spy based on that, he is all of that. Now, I am a fan of cat and mouse games, and here is a plot which was screaming for a similar story line. But there is so less written about the other side. Its when you know the character of the villain that you really appreciate the heros in the story for what they are. But it is all missing, the best description of the other side is the description about their physical appearances. There is also one guy named Pant who is shown as the guy who gets all the tangles untangled and the manipulator but again thats all that there is about him in the book.

The End - Ok, this not a tragic story, we all know what happens in the end, the good guys save the world from nuclear war. But the 320 page build up ends with a 10 page climax and thats it.
One thing just did not go down well with me, the cop is captured by the other side, torchered (shoulder bone broken/ nails removed/ electric shocks given) but in the end, within supposed 24-36 hours of this ordeal he creates a diversion for his reporter buddy by drawing the enemy to chase him so that the other guy can send the nuclear launch co-ordinates to the Indian intelligence good guys to intercept the missiles. And the best part, the reporter is rescued , disaster averted and he is in the hospital and he realises that the cop has also been rescued and he was able to ward off the enemy. How, I mean how? Found it really difficult to wrap my head around that. It felt like one of the 1960-70s Amitabh Bachchan movies where the writers were wary of killing the character off because they thought the audience will not take kindly to it.

All in all, good book... would have been better if the author would have gone into the in depth character building... but then we are spoilt by the Forsyths of the world.

Good read but you wont be missing out on anything if you give it a miss...!!

[Cynthia Rodrigues · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read Full & Detailed review: https://cynthology.blogspot.com/2012/...

I just got off a fantastic roller coaster ride. The Shadow Throne by Aroon Raman is a masterful thriller, complete with the twists and turns required to keep you on edge. Reading this book gave me an indication of just how much the Indian thriller, with its own compulsions and context, has grown.
The writing is masterful and taut, and the research sharp and impressive. Raman’s descriptions of the Bamiyan in Afghanistan are beautiful, and serve to evoke the scene right before your eyes.
The author shows himself to be equally adept at handling the first person point of view of Chandra and the third person omniscient narrator’s point of view on behalf of the other characters in the book.
His description of Meenakshi, Chandra and Hassan helped ground the characters, moor them to earth, in their close similarity to ordinary people, not some fantastical notions of what a romantic hero should look like. Chandra is out of shape and overweight and Meenakshi is petite. The fact that some of them are battling their own demons makes them even more real.
The only false note is sounded by the questionable editing. Sadly there were just too many grammatical and spelling errors, which were annoying.
I also felt that there were some questions that were left unanswered. Despite being told that there was a high-level mole who was aiding the rogues, the identity of the person remains unrevealed.
I also appreciated the fact that Indian words like vetal, and a smattering from Tamil have been snugly given their due in the narrative, without resorting to a translation or even the customary italicisation. That’s a true tribute to Indianness, not having to explain the everydayness of things we take for granted.
Despite being rooted in Indianness, Raman shows a rare finesse when it comes to talking about things that we have so far seen in Western thrillers alone.
Time to say, desi thrillers, Zindabad!

[Sushmita · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I felt very strongly that religion was dividing us, that the way forward for this country had to be to open our hearts and minds, to trust in each other - Muslim, Christian, Sikh and Hindu- no matter what. But that was in comfort of the collective. Here, now, it all came down to one man: Inspector if Police Syed Ali Hasan - a Muslim. Going for a clandestine meeting with a Pakistani Intelligence Officer."
Fast paced, thrill ride, well written descriptions..
I do not like history that much but this is beyond anything..
The novel follows - a gruesome murder, an ancient secret, a sinister plot to destroy millions with or without involving Pakistan; a perfect combination for Indian thrillers ..
The start was interesting but eventually you'll be bored .. you'll lose track..Lack of Surprises and twists ..
Mr. Raman ended up in a Bollywood style, sometime you can guess the next incident and it'll actually go with your assumptions (which I didn't like) ..
It leaves us with some questions unanswered , like; What was Sena doing in Delhi before ending up dead ..
Apart from all these I gained a lot of knowledge about Indian Military and Intelligence, which can compensate the other things.
It can be used as motion movie script ...
Overall it's a nice book in it's own manner.
3.5/5

[Mukundan Srinivasan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well.. This was my first book that was purchased from a store way back and got to read it now.. I was first hit with the way characters were introduced and built up. No proper depth and connect with the story .. A death at qutub minar.. A lost civilization from far away land trying to restore their glory conjoins with some astray offjcers in Indian intelligence to orchestrate a nuclear attack on Indian soil.. Which has to be stopped by 2 people.. one of which is a civilian, alone and lost in foreign land 🙄... I accept that fictional stories cannot have logic in all aspects but this is far extreme and story line was too predictable.. The one thing I cannot come to terms is that why the first clue was written in the way it was written.... Why not simply write down the name of the place.. Sad that this is my first review that has spoilers.. May be this would have been a good thriller if I had read it when it was first published.. One thing I felt good about this book was the elegance in language... An average read if you don't mind gaping holes..

[Aravind · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel follows the stock theme of many Indian thrillers - a gruesome murder, an ancient secret, a sinister plot to destroy millions with or without involving Pakistan - though with some nice, interesting characters. The 'ancient secret' part hasn't been given adequate space, making one wonder if it has been inserted just to hook the readers as the plot minus this element is still good enough. The story starts with a lot of promise, but loses steam midway, and ends without much impact. There are some vital pieces missing, e.g. what that Big guy was doing Delhi before ending up dead.
The Shadow Throne is a quick, okay-ish read that could have been a lot better.

[SPS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book you never even heard of just because your friend recommended it and it turned out to be - ABSOLUTELY AMAZING?!

It's truly a wonder how I never knew this title when books like these should be on the bestselling list. This book has thrill, suspense, murder, mystery and everything you'd dream of. It keeps you on the edge and you simply can't put it down.

The way of writing that brings out the reality of the situation is simply phenomenal. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. The reality of the setting makes it hard to believe that its fiction.

This book is - 'ADDICTIVE'.

[Jannani · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book did not evoke any sort of intrigue in me. All the information is basically given out in the summary at the back. The book was well paced and the characterisations were done well but it did not deliver on the mystery and intrigued that it promised. It felt very predictable. It was a fairly decent read but from the description, I was expecting a more Dan Brown esque writing style which it did not deliver. All in all, a very mediocre work of fiction that could've been done better.

[Thangaraj Kannan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is good.
But it could have been much better if there was some detailing gone into it.
There was no need to bring in an conspiracy into it.
It would have been just a story of one nation fighting with another.
There are many loopholes in the story.

So overall, it could have been even better if there was more detailing.

[Harshil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book was moving on initially pages but when it went ahead book became flat and monotonous. Book was khichdi of murder mystery, nuclear attack and historical fiction. Author tried all the stuff and failed in all.

[Balraj Shukla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine this... A racing car moves at an exceedingly high speed compared to its potential. It does reach the finish line... But white fumes from the engine has engulfed the car, depriving it to enjoy the perks of its hasty effort.