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The Man Who Lost India
The year is 2022. China declares war on India. Pillage and plunder ensues. The war comes to an abrupt halt when a supernatural event saves the obscure town of Lalbag from annihilation. Even as China renews its efforts to invade Lalbag, a greater calamity awaits this sleepy town. A Chinese cop stumbles upon a dangerous secret that threatens to end the town’s immunity. A fierce and forbidden love between a servant and his mistress destroys two families. Meanwhile, the town’s richest man becomes afflicted with a terrible disease, the town beauty goes mad when her love betrays, and a psychic keeps turning water into blood, sending the town and its people deeper into tragedy.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 15, 2024
2 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Meghna Pant
19 books151 followersMeghna Pant is a multiple award-winning author, screenwriter, journalist and speaker. Her books – Boys Don't Cry (2022, Penguin), The Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad Good News (2021, Penguin), How To Get Published In India(2019, Bloomsbury), Feminist Rani (2018, Penguin), The Trouble With Women (2016, Juggernaut), Happy Birthday! (2013, Random House) and One & A Half Wife (2012, Westland) – have been published to commercial and critical acclaim. Pant has been named one of India's best writers by various publications.
She has been felicitated with various honours and shortlists for distinguished contribution to literature, gender issues and journalism, including the Frank O'Connor International Award, Commonwealth Short Story Prize, Laadli Media Award, Bharat Nirman Award, FICCI Young Achiever Award, Muse India Young Writer Award, FON South Asia Short Story Award and Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni has described Pant’s writing as ‘surprising and moving’, Ashwin Sanghi as 'provocative and inspirational', Jeet Thayil as ‘deft, merciless, expertly-tuned’ and Namita Gokhale as possessing 'intense human sensibility'.
Pant's short stories have been published in over a dozen global literary magazines, including Avatar Review, Wasafari, Eclectica, The Indian Quarterly and QLRS, along with anthologies like The Himalayan Arc.
Meghna has lived in Delhi, Singapore, Zurich, Dubai and New York City. She is currently based in Mumbai with her husband and two daughters.
She has been felicitated with various honours and shortlists for distinguished contribution to literature, gender issues and journalism, including the Frank O'Connor International Award, Commonwealth Short Story Prize, Laadli Media Award, Bharat Nirman Award, FICCI Young Achiever Award, Muse India Young Writer Award, FON South Asia Short Story Award and Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni has described Pant’s writing as ‘surprising and moving’, Ashwin Sanghi as 'provocative and inspirational', Jeet Thayil as ‘deft, merciless, expertly-tuned’ and Namita Gokhale as possessing 'intense human sensibility'.
Pant's short stories have been published in over a dozen global literary magazines, including Avatar Review, Wasafari, Eclectica, The Indian Quarterly and QLRS, along with anthologies like The Himalayan Arc.
Meghna has lived in Delhi, Singapore, Zurich, Dubai and New York City. She is currently based in Mumbai with her husband and two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 3, 2024
Another dystopian novel to read where your heart will cry over the very situation.
A war novel where a country suffers the power of another, sufferings that cannot be evoked.
Meghna Pant has beautifully described a situation in dystopian world which many tremble to think about if such situation arises.
A war novel where a country suffers the power of another, sufferings that cannot be evoked.
Meghna Pant has beautifully described a situation in dystopian world which many tremble to think about if such situation arises.
Read
March 22, 2024‘The Man Who Lost India’ is a captivating dive into a dystopian future, set in the year 2032 where China has taken over India, leaving only one town standing against the brutal onslaught. The story weaves through the lives of a family, unravelling secrets and mysteries amidst the backdrop of war and survival.
The narrative unfolds with Manu's journey into The Black Taj, a symbolic space of darkness and light. Here, his tumultuous relationship with Ida, a woman torn between love and duty takes centre stage. Their encounters are charged with passion, desire and the weight of unspoken truths.
‘The Man Who Lost India’ is a bold attempt at exploring themes of love, survival and the impact of war on individuals. The novel shines in its portrayal of intimate relationships amidst a backdrop of chaos and uncertainty. Meghna Pant's ambitious storytelling and feminist undertones make it a compelling read.
The narrative unfolds with Manu's journey into The Black Taj, a symbolic space of darkness and light. Here, his tumultuous relationship with Ida, a woman torn between love and duty takes centre stage. Their encounters are charged with passion, desire and the weight of unspoken truths.
‘The Man Who Lost India’ is a bold attempt at exploring themes of love, survival and the impact of war on individuals. The novel shines in its portrayal of intimate relationships amidst a backdrop of chaos and uncertainty. Meghna Pant's ambitious storytelling and feminist undertones make it a compelling read.
March 31, 2024
Full review on my blog:
https://blog.medhaapps.com/2024/03/bo...
The year is 2032 and India has been occupied by China, the entire country except Lalbag. China has been hit with extreme drought and they started colonizing all Asian countries to capture the rivers and other water resources. Lalbag, one of Punjab’s smaller towns witnessed a miracle on the night of Maha Shivrathri when the Shiv Linga shielded the town from the bomb dropped by the Chinese.
Four years later, in 2036, the Chinese are still stationed outside Lalbag waiting for an opportunity to invade it. The administration of the Chinese is in effect everywhere else in India and the Chinese cops patrolled the town, listened into all communication, mercilessly killing anyone who tried to flee or went against their rules. Seth, the richest man in Lalbag resigned to his destiny of living under the constant scrutiny of the Chinese but hoped his family could flee to Israel which was offering asylum to Indians.
Marrying his daughter Ida, the most beautiful girl in town, to the son of the second richest man is the only hope Seth had, as an avenue to arrange for an escape route for his daughter and hence his family. But Ida was in love with Manu, son of the family that served as Seth’s live-in servants from his father’s generation.
When this secret affair of Manu and Ida is unexpectedly revealed to a Chinese cop, Manu’s life is under threat — either give up his and his families’ lives or surrender to the Chinese the secret that has been guarding the town. Will Manu give up on the town’s welfare to safeguard himself and will the last Indian town fall, forms the rest of the story.
The author’s imagination of a dystopian world that is not set too far in the future (less than a decade from now) coupled with vivid description of a fictional world actually seems real. During the COVID-19 lockdowns the limitations on movement has already been experienced by everyone, so parts of this story reminded me of life from the lockdown days.
The story however majorly focuses on war and its effect on common people, what colonization and living like slaves in your own country looks like. Lovers cannot run away from their families to get married secretly, patients with life threatening diseases had to die due to lack of facilities. Reality is mixed with sarcasm when Chinese culture is forced on Lalabag’s residents.
The supernatural and mythical elements are well mixed by the author into the narration. Few details shared in the first half of the story are tied up by the author towards the climax, so even minor details mentioned in the initial parts have significance in the overall story. After the initial shock the author creates in the story, the middle parts drag at places. Also, the story revolves only around this town, which gets monotonous so adding threads from around the country would have added more interest.
Dystopian has never been a genre I preferred reading, but that opinion changed with this story, and I am definitely going to read more stories in this genre. If socio-political dystopian novel with supernatural elements set in the Indian context sounds like an interesting theme, then do pick this one.
https://blog.medhaapps.com/2024/03/bo...
The year is 2032 and India has been occupied by China, the entire country except Lalbag. China has been hit with extreme drought and they started colonizing all Asian countries to capture the rivers and other water resources. Lalbag, one of Punjab’s smaller towns witnessed a miracle on the night of Maha Shivrathri when the Shiv Linga shielded the town from the bomb dropped by the Chinese.
Four years later, in 2036, the Chinese are still stationed outside Lalbag waiting for an opportunity to invade it. The administration of the Chinese is in effect everywhere else in India and the Chinese cops patrolled the town, listened into all communication, mercilessly killing anyone who tried to flee or went against their rules. Seth, the richest man in Lalbag resigned to his destiny of living under the constant scrutiny of the Chinese but hoped his family could flee to Israel which was offering asylum to Indians.
Marrying his daughter Ida, the most beautiful girl in town, to the son of the second richest man is the only hope Seth had, as an avenue to arrange for an escape route for his daughter and hence his family. But Ida was in love with Manu, son of the family that served as Seth’s live-in servants from his father’s generation.
When this secret affair of Manu and Ida is unexpectedly revealed to a Chinese cop, Manu’s life is under threat — either give up his and his families’ lives or surrender to the Chinese the secret that has been guarding the town. Will Manu give up on the town’s welfare to safeguard himself and will the last Indian town fall, forms the rest of the story.
The author’s imagination of a dystopian world that is not set too far in the future (less than a decade from now) coupled with vivid description of a fictional world actually seems real. During the COVID-19 lockdowns the limitations on movement has already been experienced by everyone, so parts of this story reminded me of life from the lockdown days.
The story however majorly focuses on war and its effect on common people, what colonization and living like slaves in your own country looks like. Lovers cannot run away from their families to get married secretly, patients with life threatening diseases had to die due to lack of facilities. Reality is mixed with sarcasm when Chinese culture is forced on Lalabag’s residents.
The supernatural and mythical elements are well mixed by the author into the narration. Few details shared in the first half of the story are tied up by the author towards the climax, so even minor details mentioned in the initial parts have significance in the overall story. After the initial shock the author creates in the story, the middle parts drag at places. Also, the story revolves only around this town, which gets monotonous so adding threads from around the country would have added more interest.
Dystopian has never been a genre I preferred reading, but that opinion changed with this story, and I am definitely going to read more stories in this genre. If socio-political dystopian novel with supernatural elements set in the Indian context sounds like an interesting theme, then do pick this one.
July 20, 2024
"Peace does not fall from the sky, but war certainly does. Seth knows this. He also knows that tongues are keepers, not of the truth, but versions of the truth."
Fantastic premise but poor execution.
I have been intrigued by the title and the premise of the book for a time since this book was released. Let's delve into the good and the underwhelming aspects of the book.
Good Aspects:
Fantastic cover art by Pinaki De: The cover art is absolutely beautiful and apt for the theme of the book where the tiger and the dragon are roaring towards each other with the barbed fence between them. Additionally, the brick color adds to the menace of the war.
Accessible writing: I have found Meghna Pant's writing to be fluid and very accessible to the average Indian reader. As a result, I have been able to breeze through the book even though I had my issues which we will cover in the next section. However, the excessive usage of Of Honey and Milk was a bit irritating for me.
Underwhelming Aspects:
Unrelatable Characters: Although there were at least three characters who could have a lot of depth, all of them weren't relatable. I felt that all of them were weak and haven't seen any significant growth even though they faced severe hardships. Except for Seth, both Ida and Manu were fucking idiots! They had absolutely no control on the events happening in their lives. I understand that war changes everyone but this was a difficult read for me because of the indifference I felt towards the characters. I got the same feeling as that of the characters written by some of Indian writers who had won the Booker Prize where they had depicted the Indian characters as meek, incapable, poor and expressing a sheer sense of inferiority complex.
The Promise of Supernatural: I was super interested due to the supernatural event in the second chapter which saves the town of Lalbag as the last territory of India. However, I felt that the event wasn't utilized to the full potential. It was just there in the back ground and in the climax. Climax...uuuffffff!
Deus Ex Machina: I dragged through the book expecting a decent reward at the end due to the slow burn of the story. However, due to sudden climax, I felt a bit cheated. Everything happens suddenly without any logic and hence the book feels incomplete.
I understand that Meghna spent almost a decade in writing this book but it is a passable book.
Fantastic premise but poor execution.
I have been intrigued by the title and the premise of the book for a time since this book was released. Let's delve into the good and the underwhelming aspects of the book.
Good Aspects:
Fantastic cover art by Pinaki De: The cover art is absolutely beautiful and apt for the theme of the book where the tiger and the dragon are roaring towards each other with the barbed fence between them. Additionally, the brick color adds to the menace of the war.
Accessible writing: I have found Meghna Pant's writing to be fluid and very accessible to the average Indian reader. As a result, I have been able to breeze through the book even though I had my issues which we will cover in the next section. However, the excessive usage of Of Honey and Milk was a bit irritating for me.
Underwhelming Aspects:
Unrelatable Characters: Although there were at least three characters who could have a lot of depth, all of them weren't relatable. I felt that all of them were weak and haven't seen any significant growth even though they faced severe hardships. Except for Seth, both Ida and Manu were fucking idiots! They had absolutely no control on the events happening in their lives. I understand that war changes everyone but this was a difficult read for me because of the indifference I felt towards the characters. I got the same feeling as that of the characters written by some of Indian writers who had won the Booker Prize where they had depicted the Indian characters as meek, incapable, poor and expressing a sheer sense of inferiority complex.
The Promise of Supernatural: I was super interested due to the supernatural event in the second chapter which saves the town of Lalbag as the last territory of India. However, I felt that the event wasn't utilized to the full potential. It was just there in the back ground and in the climax. Climax...uuuffffff!
Deus Ex Machina: I dragged through the book expecting a decent reward at the end due to the slow burn of the story. However, due to sudden climax, I felt a bit cheated. Everything happens suddenly without any logic and hence the book feels incomplete.
I understand that Meghna spent almost a decade in writing this book but it is a passable book.
March 17, 2024
The Man Who Lost India plunges the readers into a world teetering on the brink of chaos. It is 2032 and China’s lust for power and supremacy remains unabated. The most inevitable action by China will be to conquer India to cement its dominance and the author gave us a flavour of how daunting that scenario can look like through this book.
The story unfolds in the obscure town of Lalbag, which unexpectedly becomes the focal point of the conflict between India and China. Seth, one of the richest inhabitants of Lalbag, is relaxing in the cocoon of his house, thinking China’s invasion will not penetrate his safe bubble. He was in for a rude shock. The author made me feel this work of fiction to be very real and raw. What I loved about this book is how the author amalgamated the factual geopolitical situation of China and married that with the storyline which made it feel as if I am looking at the future.
However, I was pleasantly taken aback by the the infusion of supernatural elements which added layers of intrigue and suspense. The author has masterfully blended the horrors of war with supernatural occurrences, creating a unique and captivating narrative especially while describing the divine intervention of ‘Lord Shiva’ in saving Lalbag from external attack.
I loved the diverse cast of characters, each with their own struggles, secrets, and desires. From the Chinese cop stumbling upon a dangerous secret to the forbidden love between a servant and his mistress, the author has managed to weave a complex web of relationships that add allure to the storyline.
I felt that the literature could have been crafted better to be more suave however it depends on the creative liberty of the author how best she wants to convey her message.
Overall, this book is a masterfully crafted tale that blends elements of war, supernatural, and human drama to create a truly unforgettable reading experience. Pant's rich storytelling and compelling characters ensure that this is a book that will stay with readers long after they've turned the final page. Highly recommended for fans of literary fiction with a touch of the supernatural.
The story unfolds in the obscure town of Lalbag, which unexpectedly becomes the focal point of the conflict between India and China. Seth, one of the richest inhabitants of Lalbag, is relaxing in the cocoon of his house, thinking China’s invasion will not penetrate his safe bubble. He was in for a rude shock. The author made me feel this work of fiction to be very real and raw. What I loved about this book is how the author amalgamated the factual geopolitical situation of China and married that with the storyline which made it feel as if I am looking at the future.
However, I was pleasantly taken aback by the the infusion of supernatural elements which added layers of intrigue and suspense. The author has masterfully blended the horrors of war with supernatural occurrences, creating a unique and captivating narrative especially while describing the divine intervention of ‘Lord Shiva’ in saving Lalbag from external attack.
I loved the diverse cast of characters, each with their own struggles, secrets, and desires. From the Chinese cop stumbling upon a dangerous secret to the forbidden love between a servant and his mistress, the author has managed to weave a complex web of relationships that add allure to the storyline.
I felt that the literature could have been crafted better to be more suave however it depends on the creative liberty of the author how best she wants to convey her message.
Overall, this book is a masterfully crafted tale that blends elements of war, supernatural, and human drama to create a truly unforgettable reading experience. Pant's rich storytelling and compelling characters ensure that this is a book that will stay with readers long after they've turned the final page. Highly recommended for fans of literary fiction with a touch of the supernatural.
March 15, 2024
-Of War and Miracles-
“Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.” The man who lost India starts with this revealing adage, setting the scene for a gory, violent yet thrilling saga.
Set in a dark world festering with war and bloodshed, TMWLI imagines a dystopian future where China has attacked and captured large chunks of India. It is 2032 and millions of people have lost their lives.
The last bastion to be conquered is Lalbag, the smallest town of Punjab.
The war comes to an abrupt halt when a supernatural event saves this town. A shivling in a temple transforms into a statue of Shiva and blocks the bomb. Even as China renews its efforts to invade Lalbag, a greater calamity awaits this sleepy town.
A Chinese cop stumbles upon a dangerous secret that threatens to crumble Lalbag’s defence. A fierce and forbidden love between a servant and his mistress destroys two families. Meanwhile, the town’s richest man becomes afflicted with a terrible disease, the town beauty goes mad when her love betrays, and a psychic turns water into blood, sending the town and its people deeper into tragedy.
The premise of the book is dark yet fresh. It’s scary to imagine a full blown attack on your own county and daunting to read about it in details. Pant has tactfully mixed drama, horror, supernatural and dystopian elements in a tale of unimaginable horrors. Pant doesn’t pull any punches and the drama at times has been dialled up to eleven.
My favourite lines from the book are-
‘Peace does not fall from the sky, but war certainly does. Seth knows this. He also knows that tongues are keepers, not of the truth, but versions of the truth.’
“Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.” The man who lost India starts with this revealing adage, setting the scene for a gory, violent yet thrilling saga.
Set in a dark world festering with war and bloodshed, TMWLI imagines a dystopian future where China has attacked and captured large chunks of India. It is 2032 and millions of people have lost their lives.
The last bastion to be conquered is Lalbag, the smallest town of Punjab.
The war comes to an abrupt halt when a supernatural event saves this town. A shivling in a temple transforms into a statue of Shiva and blocks the bomb. Even as China renews its efforts to invade Lalbag, a greater calamity awaits this sleepy town.
A Chinese cop stumbles upon a dangerous secret that threatens to crumble Lalbag’s defence. A fierce and forbidden love between a servant and his mistress destroys two families. Meanwhile, the town’s richest man becomes afflicted with a terrible disease, the town beauty goes mad when her love betrays, and a psychic turns water into blood, sending the town and its people deeper into tragedy.
The premise of the book is dark yet fresh. It’s scary to imagine a full blown attack on your own county and daunting to read about it in details. Pant has tactfully mixed drama, horror, supernatural and dystopian elements in a tale of unimaginable horrors. Pant doesn’t pull any punches and the drama at times has been dialled up to eleven.
My favourite lines from the book are-
‘Peace does not fall from the sky, but war certainly does. Seth knows this. He also knows that tongues are keepers, not of the truth, but versions of the truth.’
May 10, 2024
Just came back from Arunachal Pradesh with all of Indo-China war of 1962 fresh in mind and landed bang on Meghna Pant's The Man Who Lost India the desi dystopian if I may say presenting a gripping dystopian narrative set in the year 2032, where China's conquest of India looms large.
.
The story unfolds in the town of Lalbag in Punjab though, which unexpectedly becomes the battleground between nations. The plot as I see it blends elements of war, political drama, and supernatural occurrences, creating a captivating scenario that kept me on edge. The narrative follows characters like Seth, a wealthy inhabitant of Lalbag, whose perception of safety shatters when China's invasion reaches his doorstep. The woven complex web of relationships, from forbidden love to betrayals, definitely adds depth to the storyline.
.
The infusion of supernatural elements, particularly the divine intervention of Lord Shiva, adds an intriguing layer to the narrative, highlighting themes of survival amidst chaos.Although Pant's storytelling prowess shines through in her ability to craft a diverse cast of characters, each with their own struggles and desires, the only negative for me was the jarring writing which felt cutting at times.
.
From the Chinese cop uncovering dangerous secrets to the tragic love story between a servant and his mistress, the plot still means rich with intrigue and suspense, taking nothing away from Pant's compulsive idea, which I heard her speak about at litfests! Not many authors venture into these genres of blended dystopian and supernatural so I really recommend you all to give it a read!
.
The cover is also a very nice representation of the story!
.
The story unfolds in the town of Lalbag in Punjab though, which unexpectedly becomes the battleground between nations. The plot as I see it blends elements of war, political drama, and supernatural occurrences, creating a captivating scenario that kept me on edge. The narrative follows characters like Seth, a wealthy inhabitant of Lalbag, whose perception of safety shatters when China's invasion reaches his doorstep. The woven complex web of relationships, from forbidden love to betrayals, definitely adds depth to the storyline.
.
The infusion of supernatural elements, particularly the divine intervention of Lord Shiva, adds an intriguing layer to the narrative, highlighting themes of survival amidst chaos.Although Pant's storytelling prowess shines through in her ability to craft a diverse cast of characters, each with their own struggles and desires, the only negative for me was the jarring writing which felt cutting at times.
.
From the Chinese cop uncovering dangerous secrets to the tragic love story between a servant and his mistress, the plot still means rich with intrigue and suspense, taking nothing away from Pant's compulsive idea, which I heard her speak about at litfests! Not many authors venture into these genres of blended dystopian and supernatural so I really recommend you all to give it a read!
.
The cover is also a very nice representation of the story!
March 22, 2024
Any Futuristic novel you read this year?
Meghna Pant's new book The Man Who Lost India is a masterly crafted novel which is brilliantly chiseled from geopolitical aspects of today's world. It is a well nourished writing combination emerging from thoughtful imagination that is delving into the sci-fi genre from the geopolitical perspective with a dash of supernatural elements.
It's a dystopian sci-fi, but rather than sci-fi I found it's a political futuristic fiction.
An imaginary India is under the control of China. Author tries to explore the normal people's lives under the control of imperialist power that is improving towards the worst with a hinge of mystic.
Meghna's bold sarcastic take on social and geopolitical atmosphere, love, life and supernatural created euphoric impression, I must say her imagination power is highly compelling and appreciated.
Her metaphors are dark, reflecting mundane poignant life so excuisitly making readers engaged throughout the journey.
It's a brilliant and captivating cocktail blend.
The way author uses the current affairs in state craft and slowly switches to people's lives in the future world, it is utterly brilliant. The horrible life under the imperial power, the imprisonment of living vividly narrated with realistically portrayed characters.
Poignant ambiance, and socio-economic characteristics twists heavily outcast the plot making the atmosphere gloomy. Characters are extremely powerful with their idiosyncrasy significant structure that leaves a lasting effect on readers'minds.
The man who lost India is a bold, fiery, brilliant attempt to poke the lethargic soul. Ravenous her narrative, captivating her plot execution. A dystopian novel that will shriek your blood.
Meghna Pant's new book The Man Who Lost India is a masterly crafted novel which is brilliantly chiseled from geopolitical aspects of today's world. It is a well nourished writing combination emerging from thoughtful imagination that is delving into the sci-fi genre from the geopolitical perspective with a dash of supernatural elements.
It's a dystopian sci-fi, but rather than sci-fi I found it's a political futuristic fiction.
An imaginary India is under the control of China. Author tries to explore the normal people's lives under the control of imperialist power that is improving towards the worst with a hinge of mystic.
Meghna's bold sarcastic take on social and geopolitical atmosphere, love, life and supernatural created euphoric impression, I must say her imagination power is highly compelling and appreciated.
Her metaphors are dark, reflecting mundane poignant life so excuisitly making readers engaged throughout the journey.
It's a brilliant and captivating cocktail blend.
The way author uses the current affairs in state craft and slowly switches to people's lives in the future world, it is utterly brilliant. The horrible life under the imperial power, the imprisonment of living vividly narrated with realistically portrayed characters.
Poignant ambiance, and socio-economic characteristics twists heavily outcast the plot making the atmosphere gloomy. Characters are extremely powerful with their idiosyncrasy significant structure that leaves a lasting effect on readers'minds.
The man who lost India is a bold, fiery, brilliant attempt to poke the lethargic soul. Ravenous her narrative, captivating her plot execution. A dystopian novel that will shriek your blood.
March 18, 2024
The Man Who Lost India by @meghna.pant
Rating : 4.5/5
STUNNING. GRIPPING. INTELLIGENT.
These are the words i'd use to describe this book.
I've read Pant's Boys don't cry , and loved it. So I was very much excited to read this one because, well , I know that her writing is great 😉 . And she didn't disappoint me. It was amazing and it kept me hooked till the end.
This tale is an interesting blend of love , war , political drama , suspense and tragedy. All the characters were established well (and i felt like, everyone had a bigger chunk of the cake).
As expected, her writing was spectacular. She knows how to keep her readers engaged. It was unpredictable too , you'll never know what genre is going to pop up.
There's a particular scene i liked the most, where Lord Shiva saves Lalbag. It was a well written scene and i was able to get a lovely visualisation.
And this is the first time I'm reading a story in a dystopian kinda setup and I'm looking forward to read more novels in this genre.
To sum up it was a great read and do give this book a try if you like:
✨Dystopian stories
✨Political drama
✨Suspense
✨ Meghna Pant's books
Rating : 4.5/5
STUNNING. GRIPPING. INTELLIGENT.
These are the words i'd use to describe this book.
I've read Pant's Boys don't cry , and loved it. So I was very much excited to read this one because, well , I know that her writing is great 😉 . And she didn't disappoint me. It was amazing and it kept me hooked till the end.
This tale is an interesting blend of love , war , political drama , suspense and tragedy. All the characters were established well (and i felt like, everyone had a bigger chunk of the cake).
As expected, her writing was spectacular. She knows how to keep her readers engaged. It was unpredictable too , you'll never know what genre is going to pop up.
There's a particular scene i liked the most, where Lord Shiva saves Lalbag. It was a well written scene and i was able to get a lovely visualisation.
And this is the first time I'm reading a story in a dystopian kinda setup and I'm looking forward to read more novels in this genre.
To sum up it was a great read and do give this book a try if you like:
✨Dystopian stories
✨Political drama
✨Suspense
✨ Meghna Pant's books
October 31, 2025
this author is pathetic.
"The man who lost india" is an obvious phrase from the first season of the Crown, Winston Churchill criticizing lord Mountbatten.
don't let this mediocre book and author hijack the quote
"The man who lost india" is an obvious phrase from the first season of the Crown, Winston Churchill criticizing lord Mountbatten.
don't let this mediocre book and author hijack the quote
February 9, 2025
So much hype for so little of substance. Regret wasting a whole day on this.
June 13, 2024
A confusing but good work of fiction tries to be something huge but falls short.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews