Half Light

by Mahesh Rao

High in the mountains of Darjeeling, a landslide traps the guests and staff of a crumbling hotel. Cooped up inside, two men exchange lingering glances. For Neville, this is one of many thrilling encounters - urgent kisses in stairwells and parked cars. But for hotel employee Pavan, their connection threatens to unravel everything he has kept hidden.

Years later, their paths collide once more, surrounded by the towering skyscrapers and ghostly smog of Mumbai. Neville is now a restless graduate, adrift in the city, while Pavan has started a new life, away from the hills. When Neville strides into his workplace demanding a meeting, their flirtation turns fraught, and long-buried secrets threaten to tumble into the light.

Set on the cusp of India's landmark ruling to decriminalise homosexuality, this is a tender, richly atmospheric and elegantly wry story of outlawed desire - and the fragile hope for a life beyond concealment.

Genres: LGBT, Queer, India, Fiction, Gay, Contemporary

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 11, 2025

Reviews

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: An affair between two men in India changes the course of both their lives forever in this searing queer love story about shame, hope, and identity.

“Rao sheds light without judgement…Thoughtful, tender storytelling at its finest.” —Marie Claire

High up in the misty mountains of Darjeeling, a landslide cuts off a crumbling hillside hotel from the outside world. Trapped together with other guests and staff, two men begin to exchange lingering glances. For Neville, a charismatic student, such encounters are nothing new—urgent kisses in stairwells, fleeting encounters in parked cars. But for Pavan, a shy hotel employee accustomed to hiding in plain sight, their growing connection threatens to upend the careful life he has built in secrecy.

Years later, the men meet again by chance, this time surrounded by the towering skyscrapers and ghostly smog of Mumbai. Neville is now a restless graduate, trying to find his footing in the city. Pavan has long since fled the hills and begun a new life for himself working in a luxurious city hotel. As their renewed flirtation quickly turns fraught, long-buried secrets from their shared past threaten to tumble into the light.

Set on the cusp of India's landmark ruling to decriminalize homosexuality, Half Light is an atmospheric, elegantly wry story of outlawed desire and the fragile hope for a life beyond concealment. From literary powerhouse Mahesh Rao, this tender exploration of the struggle for acceptance and understanding will appeal to readers of Douglas Stuart and Tom Crewe.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: In this year of our lord twenty-twenty six, the World has decided to valorize the ineffable experience of Yearning. Longing purposefully for someone, usually in its most effective iterations someone forbidden to you. I liked Heated Rivalry the book; I adored Heated Rivalry the TV series, because it yearned more obviously for me to invest in, cry over, relate to than in the text version.

I think this story would be even better filmed, too. Its couple aren't as charismatic, or even as much of a couple, as Shane and Ilya; but they have similarly disparate beginnings. Pavan is lower in class, and from a national minority:

𝐏𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐲. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐟𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐇𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐠𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐨 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫. 𝐀𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝-𝐦𝐞-𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐥𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞.

...and Neville is far better educated and insulated from Pavan's existential risks in acting on his gayness, in pre-decriminalization times, by being richer. Not that much happens in the story but they do a lot of soul-searching in gorgeously evoked scenery. They are existing as gay in a country with even farther to go towards QUILTBAG equality than the US.

It makes their interest in each other more difficult, of course, and it sharpens their desire to be in relationship. It's very much a story that foregrounds their interiority, which makes me feel the Yearn all the more. It is not a romance, though, don't hear me tell you that! It's a story of two gay guys who notice each other and wonder, separately, if it's even okay to yearn for the lovingkindness they see and can imagine in each other. Neville is able to shut down the desire for more by seeking casual sex with nobody-bodies. Pavan is more constrained in his sexual expression without the money and class position; their ideas of each other are thus similar: I can't get what I want but I want what I thought I had with him.

It's powerful, the yearning, it's cruel in the extreme to criminalize a person's identity over something as trivial as sexuality, and Author Rao doesn't let us forget the men's struggles are not simple or internally resolvable. I'll be honest: I didn't like either man much. I was never rooting for them to get past their fears and be together. I was fully invested in their yearning, for a just and fair world, for a life they could feel validated them as men, for a way to seek someone who loves them for themselves and they might love in return. Their differing repressive forces are equally unfair. Their ultimate fates aren't vouchsafed to us, exactly, but decriminalization does push Pavan into making some steps into a future under his control. Neville is a rich boy from start to finish, not inclined to be otherwise, so his course is merely more openly itself.

I had to take a star off the beautifully evocative tale set in vividly realized places because the men were so constructed as to make their didactic positions as catalysts for Pavan's growth and Neville's stasis their only real relationship. It makes the experience of reading Neville's arc feel as though I was voyeurizing vapidity. On the whole, though, I found so much enjoyment in the settings and societal developments feeling so real to me that I hope you'll send a copy to your local filmmaker!

[Liralen · Rating 4 out of 5]

2014: Two men meet in a hotel in Darjeeling. Neville, a hotel guest, sees promise of a hookup; Pavan, a hotel employee, sees mostly the likelihood of ruin.

2018: Pavan and Neville meet again, by chance, in Mumbai. The country is changing, and the Supreme Court is on the verge of handing down a decision that will (in effect) determine whether homosexuality is decriminalized.

In a few weeks they would be told by the court whether this time they would be allowed their freedom. The news pieces said it would be the last such opportunity in their lifetimes. It was written down for anyone to read and so Pavan supposed it was true. But it felt like a distant matter, which would have no bearing on his life, whatever was decided. (152*)

This makes for a fascinating read. I like stories about experiences and cultures that are not my own (I always learn something), but more than that, what interests me is the ways in which Neville and Pavan are so deliberately different. Neville isn't wealthy, but his family is comfortably middle-class; he has education and opportunities and, perhaps more than anything, the cosmopolitan and (when he wants it) anonymous background of Mumbai. Pavan, meanwhile, is from a rural place with far fewer options and far more opportunities to fall through quicksand; materially, he has less to lose, but he also has a whole lot less of a safety net than Neville does. Experience has taught Neville that he can push the boundaries with impunity; experience has taught Pavan that the closer he stays to the straight (no pun intended) and narrow, the safer he will be.

For much of the book I wasn't sure whether this was a pairing I was meant to be rooting for. It's not a pairing Pavan wants, necessarily; his risk–reward calculations are different than Neville's. It is a pairing Neville wants, but that's less because of Pavan himself and more because...well, initially because Neville is bored, perhaps, and later because he's not used to being told no. But if Neville doesn't come off terribly well, it's intentional and what makes him and interesting character, and I'd rather have interesting characters than bland perfection. (Though they way my heart leapt into my throat at the climax!) They're from different classes and possibly different castes (my partner, who is from India, asked if Pavan's last name was mentioned, which would tell him something about caste dynamics between the two men; I could not find a last name, so who knows, but in any case let's assume layers upon layers of complicated dynamics), and their actions cannot help but be informed by their individual backgrounds and circumstances. No tidy endings here, but a lot of food for thought.

Recommended as a snapshot of a time and a place and perhaps of human fallibility.

*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

[Pujashree · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am so torn over how to review and rate this. On one hand, it was a deeply atmospheric novel about the vast chasm of being queer in India across class and privilege lines. Being set in places deeply familiar to me, such as the misty mountains of Darjeeling and the roiling tangle of humanity in Mumbai, there is a deep sense of all the ways one can be seen and unseen in disastrous ways. On the other hand, the relationship between Pavan and Neville is not one you can really root for, especially in the back half of the novel. It starts out as something that could be epic but at every turn you're reminded of the very real fabric of society they live in that entraps them in different ways. I found it easier to relate with Pavan than Neville, even though I probably have more socioeconomic similarities with Neville. Both are deeply closeted, and the Section 377 ruling is a set piece in the background and it's curious how both characters relate or don't with that momentous event as queer men in India. Ultimately it's not a love story, but more of an intersectional character sketch of the two men who found each other, forced to confront their own desire and what it revealed about themselves. It's quiet and introspective, but ultimately not something that moves you in any compelling way. Thanks to Netgalley for the ebook ARC.

[endrju]

India is an enormous country, almost beyond comprehension for someone from this part of the world. Yet, I haven't seen much queer literature from India. Even less queer literature dealing with national minorities within India itself (there are caste and religious differences - but national ones?). In any case, the novel is quite engaging. In addition to dealing with the economic and political realities of the time, it features a compelling "will they-won't they" narrative, and Manesh Rao deftly plays with readers' expectations. I greatly enjoyed how he decided to play it out in the end, choosing the road less traveled. I want to read more Indian queer literature, so please recommend some if you read this review.

[Jamie Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

So gorgeous, a very subdued, rather introspective novel about access to desire, not only geographically but socially. What allows a man to "be gay"? Is it money, youth, lack of responsibility or general flamboyance? And what freedom do some men have over others to pursue those parts of themselves?

Admittedly, it's slow at the beginning, but the pace picks up and everything comes crashing down in the most spectacular way.

[Ellen Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful and raw story of 2 men that stretches over time. Hot and cold, on and off, and secrets from the past make this an emotionally explosive novel. I was so hooked on the characters and the energy between them. This is one of those relatable haunting books that doesn’t leave you for a long time. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Rosun Rajkumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's something almost vindictive about reading thru a book where the two protagonists are very unlikeable.

The atmospherics truly work here. Darjeeling and Mumbai are part of the story.

l loved the female characters.

Mahesh Rao is a writer I'll be looking forward to for more.

[Rahul Vishnoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

-Puts a Knife Through You-
Review of 'Half Light'

Quote Alert
"𝐏𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐲. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐟𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐇𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐠𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐨 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫. 𝐀𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝-𝐦𝐞-𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐥𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞."

Half Light chronicles a tenuous relation between two men that frays as the time stacks years upon them. This bond, that could have been, something, always teeters on the edge of nothing. Why? Because the world would never let them. The story flits between Darjeeling and Mumbai, the shame being the only constant between Pavan and Neville.

So what is it about?
In the misty mountains of Darjeeling, a landslide entraps the guests and staff of a dilapidated hotel. Cooped up inside, two men exchange lingering glances. For carefree Neville, this is one of many exhilarating encounters, stolen kisses in stairways and parked cars. But for Pavan, an employee desperate to avoid detection, their entanglement prises open his carefully contained and solitary existence with unforgettable consequences.
Four years later, their paths cross again amidst the towering skyscrapers and ghostly smog of Mumbai. Pavan has fled the hills, burying all memories of their encounter, while Neville is now a flailing graduate, craving something more than the naked torsos blowing up his phone. When he glimpses Pavan working behind the reception of a luxurious hotel, he demands a meeting, pursuing him with mischief and menace as the secrets of their time together threaten to tumble into the light.
Set on the brink of India’s ruling to decriminalise homosexuality, this is a tender, richly atmospheric and elegantly wry story of outlawed desire and the hope of a life beyond concealment.

The story continues to view it's characters through a veil of shame and forbidden pleasure. Have a look:
"The conversation had been vague enough to unsettle Pavan but also to make him wonder whether Jeevan had been talking about someone else. A dangerous word had been painted in red on the cupboard door but he still found it difficult to imagine that Jeevan had been responsible. He was a gruff and moody man, who swatted in irritation at people in the kitchen with a bamboo stick, knowing they were just out of reach. He snapped at laggards and twisted the ears of boys he suspected had disrespected him. But he had never been unkind to Pavan, who simply did as he was told."

The author brings a hammer upon the locks put on love. He also takes digs at patriarchy, domestic violence, religious bigotry. And he does that effortlessly. Pick it up this week.

[Ryan Axlut · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5 Stars: beautifully written (evocative, sensory, tender at parts and cruel in others), but personally, very disappointed. Premise and cover are so interesting that the delivery felt like one big letdown.

The prose is undeniably beautiful. It illicit a full sensory experience—I just found the whole thing rather dull once I finished. The story picks up towards the end with their ill-fated reunion, but that’s as far as the excitement goes.


Barely anything happens in terms of plot. It’s character driven, albeit very boring. Or at least, I found it uninteresting. Pavan was frustrating and the most boring part of the story. Lots of “no,” “I can’t,” just lots of uninteresting things said and done, if at all. This is a man of restraint. His vibe is paranoia and woe. His existence is joyless, and he fights tooth and nail to make it so. He only has one moment worth cheering in the end. Literally the last page. Beyond that, I found his portion insufferable. But I did like that it illustrated that cautious and self-aware does not equate a “good person.” Pavan was just as awful and cruel as Neville.

I found Neville extremely fascinating. He didn’t strike me as a good person, but neither did he seem like a bad person. He was just young and figuring himself out, exercising a selfishness we all know to well in our 20’s. I liked how provocative he was. And as a provocateur, he was dangerous, without fully realizing the extent of his "power." I really wanted him to move past Pavan. I liked when he acted out of emotion, even when he made the awful decision at the end. Not that I rooted for him, but that he was incredibly interesting to read.

What I liked the most was the way the interactions unnerved Neville--no other dalliance has ever had him so hooked, so to speak. It was in his discomfort, and the way he reacts to it, that I found the story most interesting and impressive.

What bothered me about Pavan was he was quite cruel to Neville for no reason. He was not the source of their circumstances--quite the opposite. Someone else Pavan knew was the reason for their current plight, and yet, he decided to displace his anger to Neville--the other victim in their circumstance. In this instance, I found Pavan to be a morally high grounded character with VERY LITTLE to stand on. He's just as bad, if not worse, compounded by the fact that he never lets himself experience joy. Like his overall presence, he was the plight to the story.

I think there was a lot left to be desired. Their initial trysts were drowned out by this will-they-won’t-they narrative that ultimately dragged. By the time they finally gave into each other, my interest was already fleeting and I found this portion a let-down. I couldn’t feel the draw/pull they had to each other. There wasn’t enough chemistry. And not even chemistry for their sexual tryst and tender moments, but even that volatile chemistry between two explosive components seemed rather dull.

I like introspective books. I like sensory driven books. I'm totally ok with very little happening with plot, so long as it's written masterfully. The prose just wasn't enchanting for me enough to feel like the story we were given was satisfactory. I think there’s no denying the writing talent of Mahesh Rao, and this could be a story that others will love more than any book they’ve read. As I've said, it's sensory rich and evocative with a great blend of tenderness and cruelty. I just found it to underwhelming.

[Dima · Rating 2 out of 5]

The protagonists, Pavan and Neville, are two young Indian men, both struggling with their homosexuality in an India that, even in the 2010s, is less tolerant than one might expect. Their paths first cross in 2014 at a small hotel in Darjeeling, where the reticent Pavan is drawn out of his shell by the more assertive Neville. After a traumatic event, they part ways, only to reconnect several years later in Mumbai, on the eve of the Indian Supreme Court’s decision to decriminalise homosexuality.

While ostensibly about the relationship between the two men, the book aims to offer a glimpse into life as a gay man in India. Pavan embodies repression and fear, constantly anxious about revealing his identity, while Neville represents a more outwardly confident, risk-taking persona, seeking connection through fleeting encounters. Despite their differences, both are shown to live under the same persistent fear of exposure, leading to deep loneliness that gradually erodes them.

The book’s main strength lies in giving voice to a community that remains underrepresented in literature. In that sense, it is a worthwhile read for those interested in gay rights and contemporary experiences in India.

That said, compared to similar works emerging from other regions, the execution falls short. The dialogue is often stilted, secondary characters feel one-dimensional, and the overall narrative is fairly conventional. The prose lacks the depth and maturity the subject matter warrants. Pacing is uneven: much of the book feels slow to the point of disengagement, only finding momentum very late on. Certain elements—such as the drunken story told by Neville’s mother’s friend—feel jarring and out of place.

Neville, in particular, is difficult to engage with. His portrayal comes across as sleazy and self-absorbed, without sufficient nuance to justify or complicate these traits.

Overall, difficult to recommend. While not a wasted read, it does not offer enough to make it essential.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Chris L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Acclaimed writer Mahesh Rao returns with ‘Half Light,’ a fictional look at the devastating effects of section 377 on the lives of two gay men, Pavan and Neville. Pavan works in hotels and he does his best to scrape by without being noticed. Neville is aimless and has been sheltered for most of his life. Both men are secretive about their affections and hide their sexual identities from friends, family and society because they fear imprisonment and rejection. When they encounter each other at a run-down hotel, their relationship will have long-lasting effects.

Rao shows what happens when someone's identity is criminalised. Under section 377, a gay man has to watch every movement, every gesture, and every word. He can rarely inhabit the world around him because he fears being discovered. Pavan and Neville are in a constant state of emotional and psychological duress. As a result, they do not form lasting connections with people because they never know if others will reject them or turn them into the police as long as section 377 is enforced.

Rao has created a sympathetic portrait of two men struggling to understand their place in a world that is often antagonistic to their very existence. Yet Rao highlights how Pavan and Neville have shut themselves off from those around them as a means of self-protection. Neville never gives his mother a chance to know the real him because he lives in a constant state of fear. He acts out because he has never been allowed to develop emotionally because doing so would require him to be truthful about his sexuality. Pavan has one moment towards the end where he is forced to reveal his sexuality to someone, and Rao writes this scene in a humanistic and character-based way.

The book is not a romance, but a melancholy and sobering look at what cruel and archaic laws do to people like Pavan and Neville. Rao writes with a researcher's understanding of what happens to gay men when they are turned into criminals for wanting to exist and be loved. Heartbreaking and beautiful.

[Haxxunne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elegant, iron and velvet anti-romance
—
In the early 2010s, Pavan and Neville’s paths cross in a remote hotel in Darjeeling. Urbane and bored, Neville tempts the anxiously closeted Pavan into a secret sexual affair; but when one of Pavan’s hotel colleagues catches sight of the two together and tragedy strikes, they are forced to part, keeping all the secrets between them. Four years later in Mumbai, when Neville catches a glimpse of Pavan on the street, Neville thinks that he can just insert himself into Pavan’s life but Pavan, although he doesn’t know exactly what he wants, knows that Neville could never be it. As their anti-romance edges towards a resolution, the decriminalisation of homosexuality in India plays out in public, adding tension and hope to the twisting narrative.

It’s refreshing to read a novel featuring gay characters that isn’t about coming out or dying (there are more than you think), as well as an anti-romance like Rao’s. There is no inkling that these two gay characters (although I’m not certain that either of them is actually gay; more below) will end up together, just because they’re both gay in a novel about gay themes. Like I said, I don’t think Pavan’s gay life is developed enough for him to call himself gay; and Neville seems more like a dilettante, unable or unwilling to grow up and playing sexual games with whoever he can: if he were a character in a more permissive society, I felt that he might cut a swathe through women and men without any compunction.

Regardless, this is a fine and elegant novel that tells a complex narrative with economy and style, careful to never expand its potential romance tropes and giving us, particularly in Pavan, a three-dimensional character with a satisfying arc, who ultimately forgives himself and takes the first step into his own future. It’s not about money or status (or caste, if we’re talking about India); it’s about confidence, and that only comes with time.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book starts in the misty hills of Darjeeling where in an average hotel Pavan works as a helper where Neville with his family gets stuck because of the landslide. Neville is a teenage boy from Bombay, all macho, suave and confident, just the opposite of what Pavan is. Pavan is a shy, introvert and a closed off person from a small village in Darjeeling.

Neville takes fancy in Pavan and provokes him to come out of his shell, to an extent he gets successful and they spend a night together but the incident that occurred the night before Neville was about to leave Darjeeling left their lives in a massive chaos.
Neville was shaken by the incident, whatever warmth he once had for Pavan turned into an icicle, his false bravado vanished in the smoke and he left Pavan out in the cold.

Four years later, they crossed each other's paths in Bombay. Pavan, more withdrawn and reserved than before and Neville, more open and superfluous than before. Neville tried to reconcile with Pavan, tried to make Pavan see him in a different light but it all went in vain because Pavan had once been burnt and is now more cautious.

This book is an epitome of queerness in India, it is about what it is to be a queer person in India. So much camouflage, so many pretences, so much suffocation and one has to live all through it because they can't be open about their true identity. It is because there is so much stigma around that society will not accept, their own parents will not accept them and they'd always live in an identity crisis making vague decisions like Neville did only to regret later.

The ending is perfect. Neville's flawed character is simply fabulous. Pavan's hesitation and reservedness is to the point as it should be. Although I kept biting my nails as to what will happen to these two, will they ever meet? Will there be a HEA? I am glad it ended the way it did because Pavan and Neville both needed to find their own peace.

[Deotima Sarkar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Half Light by Mahesh Rao is a novel in which the practice of self-control appears as a condition of the social sphere as well as a language of emotions. Mahesh Rao’s writing is a love story that is shaped as much by silence as desire.
The story begins in Darjeeling, where Neville, cautious and particular, meets Pavan, who is younger and more intuitive, and emotionally raw. The meeting is fleeting, passionate, and incomplete, less an affair than a fault line that will run between their lives. Later, in Mumbai, when they meet again, the past will not make its reappearance in thunderous pronouncements but in the form of memory, in doubt, in the power that lies in something that was never given free rein.
Neville is perhaps the more nuanced of the two. His motivations are informed by privilege, fear, and an almost skillful capacity for desire compartmentalised. While that is the case, Pavan brings to the story the pain that comes from loving more authentically, with consequences. Neither man is portrayed as relatively good or bad by Rao. It is left to the reader to grapple with the complexities.
Extremely visceral and strong queer reading experience that has happened to me lately. The refusal of this queer text to spectacularize queer suffering stood out for me. In this way, against the backdrop of an India before 2018, where homosexuality was ostensibly still underground, this text accurately reflects the struggles of secrecy, who leaves and who stays and who learns to exist by muting themselves you listen to someone, you tend to change.
Rao’s prose is economical and precise. He leaves space for pauses, for unsaid emotions, for the reader to notice what the characters cannot articulate. Half Light is not a novel of grand resolutions. It is about emotional afterimages: the way a brief intimacy can alter the course of a life, and how some loves remain half-visible, never fully claimed, yet impossible to forget.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a landslide, guests are trapped at a rundown hotel in Darjeeling. While most panic or complain about the dwindling resources, a young man from Mumbai, Neville, staying at the hotel with his mother and her friend, sees instead an opportunity to strike up an exciting affair with one of the workers, Pavan. While Neville determinedly pursues Pavan, Pavan struggles to keep his identity and desires locked away, as he has his whole life. When Neville finally gets through to Pavan, on one of the last days of Neville’s stay before the road is cleared and he is set to leave with his family, the two are forced to confront how society would view their relationship and people like them, in a would-be hate crime attack by another worker at the hotel. Years later, once Pavan has moved to Mumbai, the two meet by accident in the city and those days at the hotel are thrown back to the forefront of both their minds.

There are certainly things to like about this book, some very interesting class dynamics between Neville and Pavan that hangs over every one of their interactions, and even when not being explicitly addressed, is present in how it drives both their actions. This dynamic adds a compelling layer to an already complicated relationship, as it mostly takes place while homosexuality was still criminalized. But, this did unfortunately have some serious pacing problems, and I think it left a lot unexplored. For example, near the end, the law criminalizing homosexuality, Section 377, in India is repealed, which relieves Pavan, but he also wonders if this is his win to celebrate, if he can really claim himself as part of the LGBT community, as he hadn’t in any way participated in the lobbying or activism that had led to the law change, but up until this point there hadn’t really been any reflection or thought from Pavan on any of this - his relationship to the queer community, his thoughts on the possibility of Section 377 being repealed - although it had been occurring over the course of this story. It almost comes as a shock and is quickly shoe-horned in at the end in a way that is unsatisfying and left me wanting more from Pavan. But, on the other hand, I would have been okay with less from Neville, who was so stereotypically a young rich kid that it felt almost cartoonish in his apparent lack of empathy or thought for other people, and his lack of character arc or growth or frankly just any depth made this incredibly frustrating to read at times. I think this book would have benefited from being either a single POV from Pavan, or developing both characters, but Neville in particular, significantly more.

[_booksagsm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Half Light by Mahesh Rao is a quiet, slow-moving novel set in India that follows two men whose lives intersect in unexpected ways. Without needing any background going in, what stands out first is how vividly the book captures its settings, moving from the misty hills of Darjeeling to the dense, fast-paced city of Mumbai. The writing is careful and atmospheric, often focusing more on mood and internal tension than on plot. There is also a subtle but important backdrop of changing laws around sexuality in India, particularly the history around Section 377, which shapes the emotional world the characters live in.
The story centers on Pavan and Neville, two very different individuals who form a complicated connection. Pavan is reserved and guarded, while Neville is more impulsive and sometimes difficult to understand or sympathize with. Their relationship is not presented as a typical love story. Instead, it feels uneasy and at times distant, reflecting the fear, secrecy, and social pressures they navigate. This can make both characters hard to like, but it also makes them feel believable, as the book focuses on flawed, imperfect people rather than idealized ones.
The novel works best in its earlier sections, where the tension feels more immediate and contained. As it progresses, especially once the story shifts to Mumbai, the pacing becomes slower and more scattered, and some parts may feel less engaging. This is not a plot-driven book, and that may not work for everyone. Still, it offers a thoughtful and emotionally layered look at identity, loneliness, and connection. It is a good fit for readers who enjoy reflective, character-focused writing, but those looking for a fast or highly engaging story may find it challenging to stay invested.

[Mira · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Darjeeling, 2014. A landslide traps everyone at the Golden Peaks hotel - staff and guests. Pavan, a hotel employee, notices one of the guests lingering around him.

Neville is young and scintillated by chance encounters, of which he’s hoping one will be with Pavan.

Pavan has a lot more to lose, but when they do become involved, the consequences are such that neither would forget.

Fastforward to 2018, Mumbai when their paths cross again. Pavan works at a high end hotel while Neville still searches for thrills in dark corners, wayward on the subject of his career.

What follows is something that could unravel them both.

This book was really not what I expected it to be. I randomly picked it up in an airport bookstore, and am so happy I did.

It is a queer story, but told in a unique way - of the shame and stigma associated with homosexuality specifically against the backdrop of its decriminalisation in 2018.

But it’s more than the complexities of desire of two men who cannot be open in who they are, it is also a story of class and privilege, and the power dynamics that those introduce.

It’s a story of guilt, not just of desire, but of the things you do to defend yourself from discovery.

The most fascinating (and simultaneously awful) part of this book was Neville’s character - he is someone I had a lot of mixed feelings about.

But both main characters are complicated and flawed; they both struggle to move forward and feel safe within their sexual identities.

It is not a fast read, it’s one you want to take your time with.

Beautiful writing, lovely imagery with some generous peppering of humour, both in the descriptions of life, and in the characters of Audrey and Lorna.

I don’t know why to say too much more but I

[Hannah Jung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written and heartfelt book about learning to accept yourself and not feel shame in a society where being gay is illegal.

The story starts four years before the decriminalisation of homosexuality in India. Pavan and Neville have a chance encounter in a remote hotel which is temporarily cut off by a landslide. The men come from different backgrounds and have very different personalities, but both struggle with keeping an important part of themselves secret.

Four years later the two men meet again. Things become darker and more complicated as we see them at home and at work. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. It was thought-provoking and gripping towards the end, as you feel empathy towards one character and anger towards the other!

The writing was lyrical and evocative of the sights, sounds and smells of India, which were an important part of the overall atmosphere of the story.

I had originally thought this would be a love story, but it turned out to be about revenge, shame, guilt, fear and obsession.

[Matt Sutera · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for the ARC of this novel to be released later this year. I appreciated certain aspects of this more than others, but most of all felt this was a great look into the lives of queer individuals in India in and around the time of the decriminalization of homosexuality. Dual-POV between two male characters Pavan and Neville, both of whom were very different and very richly-drawn. I liked the differences in personality and how they handled their situations, which mirrored one another in a lot of obvious ways, but their views on it were wildly different at times. India is such a cool setting, and in the two timelines, I liked getting to see different environments as one timeline takes place in Darjeeling and the other in Mumbai - two vastly different parts of the country. I will say I felt things got a bit meandering and difficult to hold my attention at times, but I don't know that I was bored, just not as engaged. Still appreciate the opportunity to read this and thanks again for the ARC.

[Ryan Brandenburg · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5 rating overall for this novel. Mahesh Rao crafted a thoughtful, compelling narrative. The prose is elegant, with rich atmospheric detail about two Indian cities and their hotels.

The story follows Neville and Pavan over roughly ten years. They meet unexpectedly while confined to a hotel after a major flood—Pavan works there, and Neville is staying with his family. During this period, a profound tragedy occurs that reshapes both characters’ perspectives on life and their place within it.

Years later, the characters reconnect unexpectedly, and the novel examines whether they can move beyond past tragedies to build any kind of connection. I really appreciated its compelling “Will they or won’t they?” tension that Rao writes.

I loved this super unique storyline—it was so interesting to read something set in a place I don’t usually explore! Since it’s a quick read, I finished it in just a few days.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Pushkin Press, for the advance copy. The book hits shelves on September 15, 2026.

[Katy Wheatley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pavan works in a crumbling hotel in the hills of Darjeeling. Far from home he hides his true nature from everyone, although he isn't always successful. When Neville arrives with his mother and her companion, he makes a beeline for Pavan and when a landslide stops the guests from checking out he decides to amuse himself by seducing Pavan. Disaster follows and Pavan's life unravels in ways that spoiled, narcissist Neville cannot and will not comprehend. This is the catalyst for the second half of the book which takes place four years later when Pavan and Neville run into each other again on Neville's home turf. This time, when Neville attempts to assert domination, things take a very different turn. A book of quiet drama and increasing tension, beautifully handled by the author, this is a splendid read.

[Suki J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A thoughtful and understated story following the queer relationship between two young men: Pavan, a shy hotel worker in India, and Neville, a student with more life experience. This begins in 2014, at a time when homosexuality was still illegal in India, and the two men are forced to have hidden and brief and encounters for fear of being found out.
The affair ends with a tragic event, and they separate, meeting again by chance four years later in Mumbai.

I liked this story a lot, and particularly felt for Pavan, a man used to concealment and the ever-present worry that wrong one move could derail his entire life. Neville was more of a complicated character to root for, but with his own demons.

The book ultimately had a hopeful tone, and I was satisfied with the ending. A very good read.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took an initial interest in this as I’ve not read a lot of literature set in India, let alone queer stories set in India. This story had me immediately hooked and both characters intriguing and from very different backgrounds. It’s a really beautifully written yet very muted story.

It centers around Pavan and Neville and the brief encounters they have and subsequent secrets they share, spanning across four years around the time when homosexuality was decriminalised in India. Pavan and Neville being from such different backgrounds and therefore unable to understand how each other differ in their attitude towards their sexuality is shown really, really well.

I was surprised by the 2nd half and where the author went with it; I think expected more (positive?) interaction between the two but — thinking about it — I’m not sure that would have been the right and realistic.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC.

[Emily Planck · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

Being from the USA It has been really interesting to read a novel exploring homosexuality from a different cultural setting. We have our own history and hate associated but it puts it into perspective how much our culture has shifted to acceptance when reading a novel like Half Light that is set in modern times in a place where even being perceived as homosexual is not just taboo but downright dangerous.
There is a scene where Homosexuality is decriminalized by the Supreme Court and people are openly celebrating on the street. Pavan who has been hypervigilant on not showing any indication of even being associated with the community is witnessing people express themselves openly in public for the first time and it is quite an impactful moment.
This is a good read for someone looking to expand their worldview.

[B K178 · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Half Light* begins with a landslide, leaving our two male protagonists metaphorically stranded on uncertain ground. Set in 2014, the story explores a pivotal moment that will forever change the lives of Pavan and Neville. While not exactly a love story, it chronicles their coming of age amid India's efforts to decriminalize homosexuality. In a context still plagued by widespread homophobia, these two young men from contrasting backgrounds cross paths. Neville, from an urban family, and Pavan, from a rural setting, each approach their sexual and romantic desires differently. Rao explores profound themes of identity, shame, and fear, creating a well-written, atmospheric narrative that immerses the reader. Thanks to Steerforth, Pushkin, and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Steerforth and Pushkin for an eARC of this work!

Told between two points in time, it focuses on Pavan and Neville, two gay men, existing in a world where they are not allowed to be themselves. When a fateful night turns their lives upside down, how will the ripple effects impact them both?

I was a little hesitant about this work in the beginning. I wasn’t quite sure what it was, but it felt hard to get involved with the story. But, after a little more time, I was able to come to relate and connect with the characters, particularly Pavan. I also began to understand Neville as a person and found him deeply intricate and human.

This a great look at human connection, secrets, and coming to terms with one’s reality. It’s a fascinating look at acceptance - both from others and oneself. What an intriguing and spectacular book, I thoroughly enjoyed this.

[Todd]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. Unfortunately, this is a DNF for me at 25% and my first DNF of the year. I think that Rao is a good writer, however, the writing style in Half Light never engaged me. Although I appreciate the attention to detail and describing the scenery, Rao's writing was too atmospheric. The writing almost felt foggy. Even the moments between the two leads felt too distant for me to be invested in their interactions.

I also thought there were pacing issues. At 25%, the romance between the two leads was just starting to develop. I felt like the first quarter of the book set a lot of backdrop that we didn’t need.

If you are a fast reader or enjoy more atmospheric novels, maybe you’ll have a better time with this book. However, I’m confident that I would have been in a reading slump if I continued.

[Jamie Barringer (Ravenmount) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A landslide cuts off a remote inn for days, stranding a handful of guests and the inn's staff. What is simply an inconvenience for most turns into an opportunity for Pavan, one of the inn's staff, to explore his sexuality with the assistance of a guest, a younger more sexually confident man named Neville. For those few days of stolen moments and secret dates, it is fun, but then stuff happens, and it is not fun anymore.
This is a well written novel that explores different ways of experiencing human relationships, sexual or not, and follows both men as the Indian Supreme Court hands down their decision decriminalizing homosexuality.

[Satish · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a breath of fresh air reading about queerness in India, and how it takes shape between two people from completely different backgrounds. Both are struggling with the same need for acceptance, but it shows up in very different ways – Pavan feels deeply but plans every move carefully, while Neville throws himself into reckless behavior just to feel something at all.

All of this plays out against the backdrop of India, when homosexuality was still illegal but on the verge of being decriminalized. Two strong, opposing characters whose brief connection ends up shaping the years that follow.

[Dolf van der Haven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two guys meet at a hotel in Darjeeling, one more openly gay, the other closeted, and spend a night together. Then something terrible happens and they lose contact.
Four years later, their paths cross again in Mumbai, but the tension has increased and things don’t work out nicely.
The first part of this novel is a decent story, well written. The second part lacks clear direction, involves a lot of things that are slightly related (e.g. the decriminalisation of homosexuality in India), but ends a bit too open-ended for me. The writing is still good, but the plot development not so.