Cult of Chaos

by Shweta Taneja

The tantriks are now overground. They have their own council, police and justice systems. The White clan, Kaula, has emerged as the most powerful: their men are recognized tantriks, women intimate collaborators.

Then there is Anantya Tantrist, who has rejected the Kaula path. She is powerful and lives life by her own strict moral code. Who needs official seals anyway? When the world goes to hell in a handcart, badges and honours aren't going to save the day.

Incidentally, hell and chaos is just where the world is headed. In Delhi, little girls are being sacrificed in a tantrik ritual. A desperate daeva is trying to blackmail Anantya. Someone is trying to call up the God of Chaos. A three-headed giant cobra turns up in old Delhi. The White and Red tantriks are facing off, and there is one or more Black tantric brewing some dangerous shakti. As Anantya struggles to stop the madness, the supernatural underworld - peopled with creatures humanoid, barely human and inhuman - comes alive in all its bloody, gory glory.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Urban Fantasy

380 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 2014

About the author

Shweta Taneja is a fantasy author, comic writer and journalist based in India. She's written seven books and two hundred articles in a career spanning fourteen years. She's a Charles Wallace India Writing Fellow and was shortlisted for Best Writer Award in ComicCon India for The Skull Rosary.

Her graphic novel Krishna Defender of Dharma is part of CBSE and Kendriya Vidyalaya Recommended Lists. Her novels include Ghost Hunters of Kurseong, the bestselling Cult of Chaos an Anantya Tantrist Mystery, and How to Steal a Ghost @ Manipal.
Website: www.shwetawrites.com

Reviews

[Vishnu Chevli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Video Review Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EClYm...

The Matsya Curse (Anantya Tantrist Mystery #2) was reviewed by us almost a year back. Later on, we got the copy of "Cult of Chaos (Anantya Tantrist Mystery)". Yes, you heard me correct, we read & reviewed part-2 without reading previous one. There is 95% of independence between two volumes. Unfortunately, we were not able to take part-1 on priority, which made book the victim of bug called "Shelved" just like the 2nd page of Google. But we cannot do that injustice for a long time, so this Diwali we renamed that 2nd page as the 1st page and all those pending books became our priority.

As this is the first part of the series, the book started with an introduction (not plain paragraph & paragraph of details, it is in story format only) of the separate underground world of tantric. The world of Tantric was divided into 3 sects, who prefer & follow their own rituals. A governing body was in place to make sure things would be in control. Then there were all mythic creatures like Dasyus, Danava, Ghost, Rakshasas and what not. Among that world our protagonist, Anantya, lived life on her own terms. She was living away from her clan reasons known to her. To survive she started working as a Tantric Detective & helps CBI to solve cases associated with black magic. This is where our story starts when she was working on the case. Things started revealing gory truth that can destroy the human world. It was linked to her past so deep that she needed to fight on emotional front as well as the physical front. Read the book to know more.

Coming to our take from the book, it has the potential to start "Cult of Anantya" among readers. It is sad that Indian film/tv industry is not able to take benefits of such wonderfully written books. Yes, you heard me right, the book is capable enough for adaption for the screen. Characters, plot & visualization shows deep research rather than just another bedtime-story or on-the-spot-made-up-story. As I have already read 2nd part, I cannot say waiting for it but yes 3rd part may be equally interesting. The best part is the way storytelling merged with a fictional description of people & places. The cover art is also interesting enough to leave an impression for a long time.

The only issue is a little bit slow paced at multiple places.

Detailed Review Link - https://chevusread.blogspot.com/2019/...

[Shweta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am the author of this book, so of course I'm prejudiced, especially for Anantya, the girl who's doing everything in this fantasy that I would dream of doing. Playing the bad girl role to perfection. But I won't tell you to buy the book. Instead, just putting down here what other authors and mainstream media till now've said about the book.

What other Authors said:

‘Cult of Chaos is racy, rousing, rambunctious and rakshas-ful. Read immediately.’ – Samit Basu
‘An author with an impressive imagination and terrific storytelling skills’ – Ashwin Sanghi

What mainstream media is saying:
'Cult of Chaos promises to be a crime-busting story unlike any other.' - Asian Age
'The terrible, scary and horrific side of society is explored...' - Economic Times
'Taneja sure knows how to get the readers hooked and hang in anticipation..' - Mail Today
Anantya Tantrist is the new gumshoe in town' - The Hindu
'Her protagonist is so well developed that she can have Twitter discussions with her.' - New Indian Express
'...engages and piques your interest at every level...' - Deccan Chronicle
' She has explored a unique genre with her book.' - The Hindu
'Edgy thriller' - Mid-Day
'The country's first tantrik detective novel, which also talks about the key issue of women's safety.' - Business Standard

Read more reviews on my website
www.shwetawrites.com/anantya

If you pick it up, I do hope you embrace Anantya like I've done.
Enjoy!

[Sachin Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bizarre. Bewitching. Bold. (Mind) Blowing.

Reading Cult Of Chaos has truly been an experience - flights of fantasy and imagination unbound to new worlds of supernatural terror, Tantric thrills and pulse pounding action. I'm gonna have to take a break, a few deep calming breathes before I can relive this and be sane enough to write a review. Phew!

Originally reviewed on my blog here: bit.ly/1vGOWv5

Say hello to Anantya Tantrist: A notoriously bad-ass supernatural detective who has a penchant to smoke beedis, vent out in foul-mouthed profanity that would make a fisher-woman blush and has a never-ending love-affair with nameless dangers as an everyday occupational hazard.

On the surface, Cult of Chaos is billed as an urban fantasy set in the underbelly of Delhi with a liberal smattering of Tantrism and magic thrown in. But Shweta’s meticulous research and assured story-telling skills turns this premise right on its head. It’s a relentless avalanche of a novel that crams in so many novel ideas – Tantric concepts, supernatural beings that range from talking serpents who brew potions, ghosts (Oh so many!), Rakshasas to wholly new and intriguing races called Datyus ( Spies relying on disgusting smells!) or Dasyus ( Bat-like creatures with a predilection for movies!) – While yes there is an all-too comforting feel in the atmospheric Delhi that Shweta draws up, the events and the phenomenal world-building tears you away into an unfamiliar and dark underbelly – crawling with disgruntled Tantrik clans warring with each other, Daevas and Asuras in mortal bodies, a resentful Nagin and a prophesied dark lord of chaos among others.

Personally, what really excited me about the book was this mad bubbling brew of ideas and imagination that somehow gelled with an urban day-to-day setting (Anantya chugging along the crowded Delhi-Gurgaon highway cursing the traffic, for instance cracked me up like crazy!) and still made me shiver with both fright and anticipation. It’s a refreshing change from the genre as is now popular in India – where Fantasy is only inspired by mythological stories or perhaps a mix of history entwined with Dan Brownesque mystery-thriller format. Shweta goes on to break the mold and doesn’t check her punches - running amok with her imagination to give us a colorful account of a supernatural world juxtaposed against a modern-day Delhi where Apsaras do item numbers, CBI has special sections to deal with crimes of the “sup” nature and Tantriks are over-ground.

I really liked Anantya Tantrist. And her opening chapter, Cult of Chaos is an audacious, bold and exciting start to a new occult detective series that promises the moon and then some more. It's a proud new direction to Indian fantasy writing.

[Bookish Indulgenges with b00k r3vi3ws · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had attended the Book launch for Cult of Chaos at Atta Galatta, Bangalore. By then I had already attended a couple of book launch and I thought I knew what to expect. Instead, Shweta Taneja took me by surprise with her “Occult-Detective Quiz” at the launch party instead of the usual speeches and Q&A session. It was quite fun even though I failed miserably at the quiz and also did not win any of the book hampers! The launch kind of set the stage for the book, which I delved into with great expectations.

Welcome to a somewhat dystopian world where Tantriks live alongside normal people and have their own little world within this world. They have their own set of rules enforced by the council and their own law enforcement system. There are the White, Red and Black tantriks, whose magic and rituals differ from each other. Then there is our protagonist, Anantya Tantrist… who lives her life away from the clan but with her own set of rules and moral codes. But not everything is fine. There is something brewing among the tantriks and Anantya is under threat. With supernatural creatures running amok and war brewing, Anantya struggles to control the situation.

Oh my! This book is a result of an amazingly creative and imaginative mind at work. The blurb of the book and my dismal summarization of it do no justice to the world of Anantya Tantrist. You have to read it to experience it.

First of all, the world building is fantastic. A reader can recognize Delhi for what it is in the story and at the same time the place is something different on the whole. I loved the setting and the buildup as the author slowly unfolded this world of tantrist living among normal people. Then there is the character of our protagonist Anantya. She is unconventional and just something else. I absolutely loved her for her charms and brazenness and cheered for her throughout. I hope there will be more in the series, because I haven’t had enough of her yet and I want more. The author then goes on to infuse her simple yet comfortable language with a magnetic story-telling capacity that makes this book a totally gripping.

I read this book in one sitting and friggin’ loved it. Go ahead and get yourself a copy…. NOW!

[Aman Mittal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Indian writers creating the word of fantasy is rare. Mostly are busy writing of what happened in past, but Shweta Taneja’s Cult of Chaos— a fantasy sprinkled with the touches of dystopia is indeed an attraction to a reader.

Since the time I received the book, the cover meticulously designed, I knew this book will be a good one to read. To arouse my interest, I read first few pages and was amazed by the amount of humour used.

The story is set in Delhi and surroundings, which has been taken in upon by a different society. A society with humans as well as devas, asuras and more importantly Tantriks of different clans. They have their own council, police and justice systems. Each clan has its own set of followers but Anantya, a bright young Tantrist is taken in by the road to independence. She is powerful and lives life by her own strict moral code. Her glory lies in the help of humans and her own from where a new enemy has arisen. Incidentally, hell and chaos is just where the world is headed.

In Delhi, little girls are being sacrificed in a tantrik ritual. A desperate daeva is trying to blackmail Anantya. Someone is trying to call up the God of Chaos. A three-headed giant cobra turns up in old Delhi. The White and Red tantriks are facing off, and there is one or more Black tantric brewing some dangerous shakti (power). As Anantya struggles to stop the madness, the supernatural underworld - peopled with creatures humanoid, barely human and inhuman, comes alive in all its bloody, gory glory. If humour is not enough, the supernatural stuff touch might do the work for you.

The downside of the story is the Bollywood touch that author has experimented with, which after a point becomes platitudinise. Moreover, the momentum of the plot is lost somewhere in between at times because of it.

The setting of the story is what I liked the most. The reader who is familiar with city of Delhi will find it quite fantastic as much as the one who is not much familiar. Author has done her readers justice by keeping the language comfortable and inducing characters in the plot with the constant build-up.

3.5 out of 5!

[Uday Kanth · Rating 4 out of 5]

100 points to Shweta Taneja for the ingenuity of the story and the setting.

At a time when fantasy fiction in India is riddled with just re-writes of our Ramayana and Mahabharata, Shweta dares to create a new fantasy universe of her own. And sets it alongside the modern Delhi that we all know of, at once adding believability and intrigue to the premise. This is still a fantasy, mind you, it talks of a world filled with daevas, rakshasas, spirits, crazy animal mutants, and a lot of other supernatural beings (or "sups", as is the slang word for it is in the book). But there is talent is making us believe that such a world could exist, just like the magical world of Harry Potter, and the author achieves it splendidly here. Everything works in the boundaries that the book sets for itself, and nothing feels too silly or far-fetched.

I would love to read more of this new fantasy world!

And to say nothing about the protagonist Anantya who goes by the rather "flashy" surname Tantrist. But there's a reason for that too. I loved how well thought-out everything was. Anantya has a past, a dark one, yet it is not revelaed like a knowledge dump. Little hints are dropped along the way finally allowing us to piece things for ourselves. Anantya is a revolution in Indian fiction. She's a tantric, and is pretty unapologetic of everything she does. She has casual sex, smokes beedis, has a foul mouth and a dirty mind too. In which universe would you have imagined that someone like that would be the heroine in an Indian novel? But she's indeed the prime attraction of this book, you really take this journey along with her (the first-person narrative helping tremendously) and you really root for her. Her fearlessness is something I think will inspire a lot of young girls. Yet, I'm a bit unsure the allowed age group for this book, as things get pretty graphic at times - both violence and sex. Good thing the book has on the cover 'Mature Readers only'. And that's just not being mature in age, it requires a maturity in your outlook as well otherwise you would coin this book as plain blasphemy.

Some of the things that did not work for me are the numerous inspirations from Dan Brown books. It distracted me from the flow a bit. And the sudden change in the sidekick from Madhu to Shukra, I understand it had to be done to fulfill the story but maintaining a single sidekick would have enhanced my investment in him. And I thought that a lot of the end felt a bit anticlimactic, at a point I just know how it ended and not worry too much about what paved for the ending. But it was an exciting read nonetheless!

After a lot of time, I've started reading Indian fiction and I'm glad that people like Shweta are pushing the borders on contemporary literature with entirely new concepts such as these!

Highly recommended.

[Meghant Parmar · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a world within a world. But it's not the world of humans and mammals only. It's a world of asuras, daevas, asuras and tantriks too. Organizations and people blended together to make it a perfect society but there are problems brewing somewhere and it's up to Anantaya the tantrist to overcome and fight the odds. Her fight is not against a single enemy but from multiple enemies and it is bound to be a wretched affair. So will she be able to restore peace to Delhi and it's people? Will her clan survive the ordeal? What in the god's name is going to be unleashed? That's what the story is all about.

There is a book, there's a story, there's love in the air and there is koochie-koo. That's Delhi for us. But this time it has taken a sharp mind and a vivid imagination to fantasize and put pen to paper to bring forth the hidden realms of occult and supernatural. Something which is less talked about and more feared. A world where even the impossible seems possible. The seamless blend of normal humans with species only found in story books to scare children. The wizardry and enchantment of spells, the odd belief far buried under the depth of realism given a fresh breath of life. The world of tantrism and demi gods brought back to life in a modern affair with an affable mix of raunch, gut, scores of sorcery and loads of action on the streets of New Delhi. The book presents itself in a league of extraordinary source of information loaded with spice and entertainment. The colorful characters, the sizable yet dark setup, the hidden and dingy secrets and the good v/s evil is a couple of notches above impressive. The book deals with all kinds of emotions in a flurry and gives the best taste of old and new in a single bottle.

The downside of the book is it fails to give an impressive finish with a prolific start and exhilarating action. In accord to what it offers the bollywood finish could have been given a huge miss and let the rugged phenomenon step in. It all looks a bit too easy at the end.

All in all the book is a step ahead in the world of literature. It itself is a huge reason in the first place to pick up and delve deep into the tantrik minds of Anantya. A powerful narration with an equally enchantress protagonist gives the book a fresh lease of life. The story leaves no spare screws to surprise the reader till wits end. It's bolder camaraderie is a like-able entity. A strong finish it lacks but the entire melodrama with a different perspective is what sets the book apart. A strange step in to the world of chaos with no one to hold or cling on to. You are at your own once the story starts. A journey infamously ridiculed yet given a speck of shine. Be brave to step in the lands of unknown and enjoy a thorough ride.

[Varad Dudheria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hot beedi smoking & bike riding chick carrying a mandala and boneblade comes to your rescue… isnt that just fantastic ??... Set in dystopian delhi where the tantriks have set up their own organization and are at par with the other governmental organizations is the story of Anantya Tantrist (Cool Surname :D).

The story is fast paced merely spanning a week of horrendous killings at a sweet spot every night of the week with the same situations. The reader is introduced to a variety of creatures living on different planes and shape shifting for their needs ….. From yatus to rakshas from daevas to asuras from apsaras to nagas you get a taste of all of them playing their roles to solve the human sacrifices. With the help of her potions and mantras Anantya is daring enough to fight any demon. For a girl like anantya, human friends are very unlikely but she receives help from Shukra (The Cleanliness Loving Scientist), Madhu (The Law Abiding Officer) and Dakini (Her BFF).

I loved the gore, bloody sacrificial rituals, and sexual shakti (The book has lots of them :D). Throughout the story the protagonist is sleep deprived and gets it only when she faints for a while and wakes up naked sometimes tied to mayan ropes and sometime hanging upside down. Not forgetting the complicated family relations (…..sshhhhh).

All in all the the book is fast paced, and the language lucid (ignoring the mantras :D) and makes a good read for anyone who doesn’t get offended by loads of goat blood and a demonic baby ..

[Kalika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this book not the least because it starred a badass woman Tantric detective (or Tantrist) from Delhi. Cult, Magic (Black and White), Murders et al, this is a book that graphically depicts it all in a simple language and style. It took me some time to get into the rhythm and characters and all the stuff that was shooting out from all sides but once I did, I just couldn't put it down and stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to finish it. And even though the protagonist hates the f-word ("feminist"), this is totally a celebration of feminism. And no, the blood, gore and violence didn't bother me, so well did it sit in the story.
I can't wait to see what Anantya does next.

[Monika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really don't understand Tantrics or black magic, Neither do they fascinate me in anyways. So I had my doubts when I picked this up. But the book was surprisingly good to read. Fast paced, interesting thriller. I did feel lost at times with many kinds of magic and techniques but the fact that the author has tried to build a world where tantrics, ausras and humans all live together and where technology is making use (or mis-use) of magic is fascinating

[Rachna Nambiar Jain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it! The characters, the setup, etc are imaginative, creative and so well-crafted. I am officially a fan of Anantya - so full of spunk! There were even a few side characters that made me laugh out loud - Nawab Sahib, Prem Chhokra! The one "negative" I might point out was that it took me some time to get used to the new tantrik terms and characters. Once i got more familiar though, the book was un-putdownable, especially the second half! Great work!

[Sonali Chakravorty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always wondered why nobody attempted a modern take on the Indian paranormal, after all so many Indian writers are re-writing mythology! Someone finally did and how....
Its a part pot boiler, part feminist, part fantasy and just pure fun. As an introduction Anantya was great but in the following books I would like a little more depth to her - her demons need to be charted out.
All in all a fun read and look forward to the next two book.

[Jairam Mohan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mindblowing, simply mindblowing. The level of detail that the author has gone into while crafting the main protagonist and the milieu in which the story is set is something that needs to be read to be believed. Read my full review at https://mahabore.wordpress.com/2015/0...

[Uthara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like her "Ghost hunters of Kurseong", author Shweta Taneja has delivered another fast-pace, excellent read. The details about tantrism shows the good research that has gone into the writing. The main character Anantya and her trials and tribulations go at a very fast pace. I cannot wait for the second and third books.

[Nakul Shenoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this one. Already looking forward to the next adventure of this rather likeable tantrist.

[Alceste · Rating 3 out of 5]

Indian writers creating the word of fantasy is rare. Mostly are busy writing of what happened in past, but Shweta Taneja’s Cult of Chaos— a fantasy sprinkled with the touches of dystopia is indeed an attraction to a reader.

Since the time I received the book, the cover meticulously designed, I knew this book will be a good one to read. To arouse my interest, I read first few pages and was amazed by the amount of humour used.

The story is set in Delhi and surroundings, which has been taken in upon by a different society. A society with humans as well as devas, asuras and more importantly Tantriks of different clans. They have their own council, police and justice systems. Each clan has its own set of followers but Anantya, a bright young Tantrist is taken in by the road to independence. She is powerful and lives life by her own strict moral code. Her glory lies in the help of humans and her own from where a new enemy has arisen. Incidentally, hell and chaos is just where the world is headed.

In Delhi, little girls are being sacrificed in a tantrik ritual. A desperate daeva is trying to blackmail Anantya. Someone is trying to call up the God of Chaos. A three-headed giant cobra turns up in old Delhi. The White and Red tantriks are facing off, and there is one or more Black tantric brewing some dangerous shakti (power). As Anantya struggles to stop the madness, the supernatural underworld - peopled with creatures humanoid, barely human and inhuman, comes alive in all its bloody, gory glory. If humour is not enough, the supernatural stuff touch might do the work for you.

The downside of the story is the Bollywood touch that author has experimented with, which after a point becomes platitudinise. Moreover, the momentum of the plot is lost somewhere in between at times because of it.

The setting of the story is what I liked the most. The reader who is familiar with city of Delhi will find it quite fantastic as much as the one who is not much familiar. Author has done her readers justice by keeping the language comfortable and inducing characters in the plot with the constant build-up.

3.5 out of 5!

[Anirudh Jain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick Plot: A modern-day female tantrist has to battle demons, naagins and the scariest monster of all.... government bureaucracy to prevent a kinky, sex addict megalomaniac to turn Delhi into a feeding ground for an ancient forgotten God.

This is the first Indian urban fantasy novel I read and I must say it was on par with the Riordian standard for urban mythological fantasy. The setting is in Delhi but the underbelly is crawling with various raaksas, asuras and daaysus who want to live the normal human life. There are tantrik organisations, government bodies and other aspects which makes this world setting quite believable. Full points for world setting.

The protagonist, Ananya, is flawed, troubled by her past and has an affination for smoking beedis. If the name was never mentioned I would have assumed it was a male character, the character gives a feeling of a hardboiled steampunk bounty hunter feel and I am tired of it. Its great to see badass women but once I would like to see a female character displaying her feminine sense and sensibilities. Her thoughts and modus operandi will be different from men and that would make an interesting novel to read.

The ending is like a Bollywood movie, predictable and all ends well. If the author intended to make a series maybe a cliffhanger would have given the readers something to look forward to in the next novel but none the less it is a great read. Highly recommended if you want something raunchier than Amish Tripathi.

[Anunay Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific! Just all-round terrific. CULT OF CHAOS is an incredibly well-told story featuring devas, danavas, and every mythological beings in between. The story is set in an excellent fantasy world created brilliantly by Shweta with ingenious creativity and finesse. I loved the detailing of the world and the ways in which she remakes Delhi into a mythical version is excellent to say the least. Also, the writing is nothing to scoff about as the story is very good that's filled with ample amounts of suspense, thrill and twists. The lead character of Anantya is also very captivating.
All in all, I never imagined to love this book as much as I did. Most of the time, the fantasy and sci-fi books written by Indian authors aren't that good, but this book trumped that expectation of mine. It's an incredible fantasy tale set in a modern-adjacent Delhi that tells a very compelling tale, which is extremely compelling, right from the get go.

[Bookworm Tigress · Rating 3 out of 5]

What's the last fantasy novel you read? .... I was never a huge fan of fantasy novels set in the Indian context, mythological retelling perhaps, but never of Indian fantasy novels..

Till, Anantya came and kicked me on the butt for being such a snob. She is now a different story altogether. I can't say I have read another book where the protagonist have named her motorbike Chhotu... I don't believe in occult, and frankly it freaks me out more than it scares me, but this was a book that made me enjoy it. Writer Shweta Taneja knows the rules of her world and follows them closely. And, that is what works in the occult mystery.

I can't say that this book has amazing characters or an amazing story, but it has a conviction that makes you want to believe in all it, even though it may sound outlandish.

[Anjali Loves Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book transports us to a world beyond our own, a place where humans and magical creatures coexist. Anantaya, a skilled tantrist, must overcome multiple enemies to restore peace to Delhi. The story's unique blend of ancient beliefs and modern action keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Though the ending falls short, the powerful narration and enchanting protagonist make this book a noteworthy achievement in the world of literature. Prepare for a thrilling ride into the unknown with Anantaya.

[Kitri Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book, that I hope to see more of. Similar in style to the Dresden series (if you like those I think you will like this), but with its own take. The characters were unique and there is a lot of history that you can learn about in the future. I would like to know very much more about what happens to all of these people.

[One More Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it cover to cover, covers a rather hush hush topic of Tantric and makes it mainstream, some of the elements seemed forced but that's like 5%.
Over all it's a good read. Would recommend

[Abhyudaya Shrivastava · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spooky and racy!

Full review here:
https://abhyused.wordpress.com/2020/0...

[greencheetoshoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

i chanced upon this at the local book fair and after seeing the cover I had to, had to buy it and guurrl did it deliver

[Mani Khanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cult Of Chaos
-By Shweta Taneja


In an era when youngsters are more into the lovie-dovie stuff, comes the mysterious and adventurous novel Cult of Chaos.


Plot:

In a world that has their own tantric society council and laws, a girl is being sacrificed every full moon in the shadow of a black tantrik ritual. As soon as Anantya Tantrist comes to know about the dark happenings of Tantrik world, she pledges to stop and solve the mystery behind those acts. Every sacrifice that takes place lefts Anantya more agitated to find out about the ritual that is being performed.


Knowing that the final outcome of calling the Chaos God will destroy the entire city, she gets on this journey to save the city and humankind facing all the supernatural objects and activities that comes in her way.

Will she be able to get successful in achieving her objective of saving Delhi and the seven girls from being butchered?

What is the mystery of Cult of Chaos?

Who is behind the hustle bustle that is taking place in the tastrist sector?

Read this mind exciting book to uncover all the mysteries that followed.


Positives:

Created by the master artist Shweta Taneja, COC is not just a novel but the birth of a new world with a magical touch of tantrism. Right from the imagination she had penned in this book, to the language and characters planned, I will appreciate each and every part in this section to acknowledge author’s hardwork.

Simple and effective language is been used to make this book understandable. This book is not age group specific because every thrill and mystery lover will like it irrespective of their age. Grammar and spellings are taken care of pretty well. Dialogue writing, character-planning and description of the different creature mentioned are done wonderfully. Starting is excellent and curiosity creating but the book becomes a bit slow in the middle.



Negatives:

Ending on a perfect note of Anantya saving the world, the book could have been a bit short. Some of the characters and unnecessary scenes are stretched too much which could have been avoided to earn an extra score.



Final Opinion:

A wonderful effort, this will leave you awe-struck with its mind boggling construction of a new tantrik world in the boundaries of Delhi.


Final Rating:

Book Cover and Title: 4/5

Plot, language and Literature: 4.25/5

Character Justification: 4/5

Final Rating: 4/5

[Jonali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author-graphic novelist Shweta Taneja's ‘Cult of Chaos’ is a fantasy set in the underbelly of Delhi with a liberal smattering of Tantrism and magic thrown in. I won’t call it a dystopian world, it’s more like a time in future where Tantriks live alongside normal people and have their own little world within this world. Theirs is a society with humans as well as daevas, Danavas, ghosts, Rakshasas, Dasyus. The Tantrik world comprises of the White, Red and Black Tantriks whose magic and rituals differ from each other. They have their own council, police and justice systems. Among all this is the protagonist, Anantya, who was once part of the Kaula Clan – White Tantriks who believe in controlling Magic gained through sex. She defected owing to her father’s unholy intentions towards her and now lives life by her own strict moral code. She is independent and strong but not without vulnerability. She seeks help whenever the occasion demands and gets it as well. Though detested by her own people, she has a small circle of trusted allies that have her back. Anantya now peddles her services as a Tantrik detective helping solve cases that are bizarre and the CBI doesn’t have a logical solution to. She acts as a consultant on these occult and bizarre cases for her friend Madhu who happens to be part Rakshasa.
The story starts off with Anantya being manipulated to accept a case by Qubera and then getting called to investigate a bizarre case that has ‘Black Arts’ written all over it. It’s a boisterous journey from here on with a relentless pace that never falters. While Anantya runs around with the safety of the world riding on her shoulders, the readers get a glimpse of a complex society not unlike our own where the women struggle and the men desire power.
Ms. Taneja has done justice to her readers by spinning a beautiful – though at times gory – world for her readers. The language is simple. There’s humour to set off the convoluted business of Tantrism. The downside of the story is that there is a lot going on that causes some confusion. For me the end didn’t quite work out. It was chaotic and the abruptness felt forced. But I am definitely looking forward to the next installment of Anantya Tantrist detective series.
If you haven’t read it yet then you’re surely missing out all the fun and freshness that the book has to offer.

[Chelsea Mcgill · Rating 5 out of 5]

In an alternative modern-day New Delhi, supernatural forces have come into the open: the tantrics, who have always practiced a form of magic, have formed an official government organization; gods walk among mortals disguised as fat businessmen; nagas and other supernatural creatures haunt special, magical bars; and one lone woman tantrist works as a detective, trying to keep these supernatural beings from killing each other – or at least, clean up after they are done.

Anantya is an incredibly strong spellcaster who knows her way around potions and magic of all sorts. Being the only major female tantrist (except for her reclusive guru), she faces a lot of scorn and disapproval, and her fiery temper often gets her into trouble. For all that, she is an excellent, quick-thinking detective with a talent for surveillance and fighting - and a need to protect those who no one else will.

When a string of murders connected to illegal black tantrist rituals shocks the city, Anantya is called in to discover the culprits and their motivations. As the situation becomes more and more dire, she must use all of her skills, training, and contacts to stop these evil rites that hit closer to home than she even dares to think about.

Tantra, Daevas, Rakshasas, Nagas, and more

This novel was the exact kind of Indian-infused speculative fiction that I have been looking for. The author takes figures from Indian (and other) mythologies, mixes them with a historical/religious tradition, throws in a dash of magic, and pours everything into the modern-day metropolis that is New Delhi.

Read the rest of my review here: http://thegloballycurious.blogspot.in...

[Krithika Iyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What started of as a cacaphony of physical characteristics, temperaments, and catchphrases turned into an extraordinary adventure – detailed to extents which I had long believed Indian authors to be incapable of reaching. Anantya’s story is undoubtedly refreshing. What I loved most about it was the combination of tantrism, mythology, and science – with twists and turns and wild takes on all three subjects. I think that was what really made it truly impossible for me to stop reading – to know that something unexpected would be waiting for me on the next page. Thank you, Shweta, for bringing Anantya to life. She can teach all us women a thing or two about ass-kicking and not giving in to male domination.

[Tim Poston · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd have given it four stars, as a light-hearted romp through demonology, pain and murder (and Delhi traffic), if it weren't for the amazingly sloppy editing. For example, p70 introduces the obnoxious Central Tantrik Association, and refers six lines down to CAT, after which we have the Central Association of Tantriks through the book: the reader has to pause to figure out that these three are the same. A deliberately hard-to-follow plot (and the book has one) is one thing, but this is cruel and unusual punishment, and there is a lot of it.

The author gives credit to copy-editor Usha Surampudi: I wonder what the manuscript was like when she got it.

[Anish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!!