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The Liar's Weave
Born into an alternative history of our world where birth charts are real and one's life is mapped out in the stars, Zahan Merchant has a unique problem: he is born without a future. This cosmic mistake gives him an unusual power: the ability to change reality with his lies.
But there is a catch, of course. How like the Gods to build a catch.
Zahan's older brother Sorab becomes the only one to share his secret, and help him keep it, while from afar, the Greatest Astrologer That Ever Lived (the Second), Narayan Tarachand, continues to quietly ponder the mystery of the child whose birth chart he couldn't decipher. But when Zahan's adventures with his best friend Porthos – who has his own secret – brings them to the attention of the hatadaiva, the ill-fated who must bear the brunt of fate's cruelties, his power becomes more dangerous to him and those he loves.
From a Parsi colony in early-twentieth-century Bombay to the urban hinterland of Vidroha, forest of outcasts, Tashan Mehta's debut novel transports the reader to an India both familiar and strange, where the consequences of magic on reality can be wondrous yet heartbreaking.
But there is a catch, of course. How like the Gods to build a catch.
Zahan's older brother Sorab becomes the only one to share his secret, and help him keep it, while from afar, the Greatest Astrologer That Ever Lived (the Second), Narayan Tarachand, continues to quietly ponder the mystery of the child whose birth chart he couldn't decipher. But when Zahan's adventures with his best friend Porthos – who has his own secret – brings them to the attention of the hatadaiva, the ill-fated who must bear the brunt of fate's cruelties, his power becomes more dangerous to him and those he loves.
From a Parsi colony in early-twentieth-century Bombay to the urban hinterland of Vidroha, forest of outcasts, Tashan Mehta's debut novel transports the reader to an India both familiar and strange, where the consequences of magic on reality can be wondrous yet heartbreaking.
330 pages, Hardcover
Published June 23, 2017
17 people are currently reading
689 people want to read
About the author
Tashan Mehta
4 books98 followersTashan Mehta is a novelist whose interest lies in form and the fantastical.
Her debut novel, THE LIAR'S WEAVE, was shortlisted for the Prabha Khaitan Woman's Voice Award. She was part of the 2015 and 2021 Sangam House International Writers' Residency (India) and was British Council Writer-in-Residence at Anglia Ruskin University (United Kingdom) in 2018.
In 2019, she participated in FIELDWORK 0.2, a multidisciplinary residency that explored alternative infrastructures for the future. She was commissioned by the Barbican (London) to create an artefact that captures the essence of the experience; ON UNKNOWN THINGS was printed for limited release in 2021.
Her short story ‘Rulebook for Creating a Universe’ has been published in MAGICAL WOMEN and PodCastle, and was shortlisted for the 2020 Toto Funds the Arts Award. Her work features in the GOLLANCZ BOOK OF SOUTH ASIAN SCIENCE FICTION: VOL II, and she is working on her next novel.
Her debut novel, THE LIAR'S WEAVE, was shortlisted for the Prabha Khaitan Woman's Voice Award. She was part of the 2015 and 2021 Sangam House International Writers' Residency (India) and was British Council Writer-in-Residence at Anglia Ruskin University (United Kingdom) in 2018.
In 2019, she participated in FIELDWORK 0.2, a multidisciplinary residency that explored alternative infrastructures for the future. She was commissioned by the Barbican (London) to create an artefact that captures the essence of the experience; ON UNKNOWN THINGS was printed for limited release in 2021.
Her short story ‘Rulebook for Creating a Universe’ has been published in MAGICAL WOMEN and PodCastle, and was shortlisted for the 2020 Toto Funds the Arts Award. Her work features in the GOLLANCZ BOOK OF SOUTH ASIAN SCIENCE FICTION: VOL II, and she is working on her next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 20, 2017
The Liar’s Weave by Tashan Mehta is a genre which is not a popular one hence you will like this book only if you are open to delving into others’ fantasies.
It relates to birth charts which are supposed to be written by powers that be and one will live one’s life as per this chart, unconsciously to a certain extent, so that all mishaps can be attributed to the ‘so it was written’!
But what happens when a child is born without a birth chart?!
Read this book to find out! The language is excellent and grammar Nazis can relax! It is not a book that can be finished in a sitting but to be chewed and digested over a period of time.
Had received this book to be reviewed from Juggernaut.in
It relates to birth charts which are supposed to be written by powers that be and one will live one’s life as per this chart, unconsciously to a certain extent, so that all mishaps can be attributed to the ‘so it was written’!
But what happens when a child is born without a birth chart?!
Read this book to find out! The language is excellent and grammar Nazis can relax! It is not a book that can be finished in a sitting but to be chewed and digested over a period of time.
Had received this book to be reviewed from Juggernaut.in
July 4, 2022
my fifth reread and i don't know how she does it but tashan mehta wrecks me every time - this book is perfect
January 28, 2024
A very surreal book at times, I enjoyed it, but it was a fair stray away from my normal reads. Interesting for the whole time though.
January 5, 2024
In an alternate history where birth charts are real and the future is already written and mapped and micromanaged by said birth charts, Zahan Merchent is a cosmic mistake. His fate is in a limbo, meaning he has no steady birth chart. This cosmic mistake allows him to wield an unusual power: the ability to weave reality with his lies. But of course, there's a catch: they must be believable. If his lies are caught, the order of reality is restored. Now imagine the consequences.
Ever since I read the otherwise an okay-ish anthology Magical Women, one story that stood out the most was Tashan Mehta’s – The Rulebook for creating Universe. I was instantly hooked. So I wanted to explore other works of the author, and this was it. The premise intrigued me. (So much so, in my head I was hyping it for more than necessary.)
But unfortunately, this turned out to be an underwhelming read. It did not meet my expectations. Let’s start with the setting – the alternate history, more specifically pre-independent India. The setting is the back-bone of the story. But here it was never utilised significantly. There were just fleeting mentions of the certain events here and there, but overall it did not add anything to the story at all. It could have been set in post-independent India or anywhere for that matter tbh. The second, the prose. I’m a sucker for good prose and by that I don’t necessarily mean the Purple. But this was neither here nor there. It was just plain…weird? Not only did it made hard to follow through the story but also quite jarring and off-putting. Characters were kinda under-developed, not quite memorable and devoid of producing any emotional impact. I was never in on the journey, so to speak. Not to mention I had already guessed the major two plot twists in the first 50 pages itself.
This was such a unique and fun premise. Think of the far reaching impact it could have made on the very fabric of reality, the uncountable paradoxes, the entanglement of pocket realities and the tussle between free-will and Predeterminism instead author chooses an easy way out and gives us a dumbed-down version of a rather fun, inventive and an infinitely complex speculative fiction.
Ever since I read the otherwise an okay-ish anthology Magical Women, one story that stood out the most was Tashan Mehta’s – The Rulebook for creating Universe. I was instantly hooked. So I wanted to explore other works of the author, and this was it. The premise intrigued me. (So much so, in my head I was hyping it for more than necessary.)
But unfortunately, this turned out to be an underwhelming read. It did not meet my expectations. Let’s start with the setting – the alternate history, more specifically pre-independent India. The setting is the back-bone of the story. But here it was never utilised significantly. There were just fleeting mentions of the certain events here and there, but overall it did not add anything to the story at all. It could have been set in post-independent India or anywhere for that matter tbh. The second, the prose. I’m a sucker for good prose and by that I don’t necessarily mean the Purple. But this was neither here nor there. It was just plain…weird? Not only did it made hard to follow through the story but also quite jarring and off-putting. Characters were kinda under-developed, not quite memorable and devoid of producing any emotional impact. I was never in on the journey, so to speak. Not to mention I had already guessed the major two plot twists in the first 50 pages itself.
This was such a unique and fun premise. Think of the far reaching impact it could have made on the very fabric of reality, the uncountable paradoxes, the entanglement of pocket realities and the tussle between free-will and Predeterminism instead author chooses an easy way out and gives us a dumbed-down version of a rather fun, inventive and an infinitely complex speculative fiction.
August 24, 2017
Could've been so much more! And so much better! But a good first book. Fans of Rushdie and Murakami may want to give this a whirl.
July 23, 2024
the only story that i loved in the 'magical women' anthology was tashan mehta's 'rulebook for creating an universe'. i was waiting and hoping for her to write a full book, and i missed the releases of 2 whole novels! since i stopped reading much for the last couple of years.
this book gave me back the joy of reading!
i was apprehensive about the reading a story whose central vein was astrology and hindu religious institutions – in the current right wing milieu of india where superstitions are weaved as truths by the state, and much worse is being said and done fuelled by religious extremism – but i needn't have worried. the plot moves smoothly, and the protagonist breathes iconoclasm by his very existence.
this is story of world where injustice is writ in the stars – fortune bestowed upon a few, and counterbalanced by absolute misfortune heaped into the lives of others. what happens when one person, and then a group of people seek to right that wrong? how important are the means, and not just the ends? what happens when dishonesty hides its intentions, even from the sympathetic and the helpful? the multiple tragedies in the story are revealed in layers – imposition by arbitrary laws that destroys a people, jealousy and doubt that twists love into something painful and afraid of confronting the truth, betrayal, manipulation by men of ge world: for power, for love, even for a righteous belief.
inspite of the tragedies, the story is an enthralling one. i loved the experience, while my heart ached for the innocent ones caught in the web of other people's plans.
something that does niggle at me is the manipulation of a woman into a marriage, even though this universe does not allow free will in any true sense. i liked how she speaks up herself when revealed the truth, but i also don't like the way she seems to forgive (angry, but still rooting for the partnership) the magnitude of deception.
this book gave me back the joy of reading!
i was apprehensive about the reading a story whose central vein was astrology and hindu religious institutions – in the current right wing milieu of india where superstitions are weaved as truths by the state, and much worse is being said and done fuelled by religious extremism – but i needn't have worried. the plot moves smoothly, and the protagonist breathes iconoclasm by his very existence.
this is story of world where injustice is writ in the stars – fortune bestowed upon a few, and counterbalanced by absolute misfortune heaped into the lives of others. what happens when one person, and then a group of people seek to right that wrong? how important are the means, and not just the ends? what happens when dishonesty hides its intentions, even from the sympathetic and the helpful? the multiple tragedies in the story are revealed in layers – imposition by arbitrary laws that destroys a people, jealousy and doubt that twists love into something painful and afraid of confronting the truth, betrayal, manipulation by men of ge world: for power, for love, even for a righteous belief.
inspite of the tragedies, the story is an enthralling one. i loved the experience, while my heart ached for the innocent ones caught in the web of other people's plans.
something that does niggle at me is the manipulation of a woman into a marriage, even though this universe does not allow free will in any true sense. i liked how she speaks up herself when revealed the truth, but i also don't like the way she seems to forgive (angry, but still rooting for the partnership) the magnitude of deception.
August 16, 2017
Full & Detailed review: https://cynthology.blogspot.com/2017/...
The novel integrates ancient Indian myths with Hindu mythology, creating characters and locales that are part-truth and part-fiction. As a premise, it is intriguing and frightening.
The story is written in the present tense, in the third person PoV of the characters.
The novel is set in Hindu Colony, Parsi Colony and in Vidroha, besides Benares. The writing in Vidroha is rich and dense, while that in the two colonies is almost genteel, sparse and succinct.
The story is set against the backdrop of the struggle against the British for independence. Zahan initially wants to use his dancing tongue to guide the fate of his country. But the struggle for Independence is merely a placeholder. And that made me feel cheated.
The names of the characters were unreal, and yet they seemed relatable. Yaatri signifies the journey, Porthos is a character from The Three Musketeers, while Zahan is as Yaatri describes him, Zzzz-haan. Like a bee and an exhale.
The characters have their own compulsions. Porthos wants to know if he is ill-fated. The others in Vidroha want their ill-fortune transformed. Tarachand is bothered by the anomaly of Zahan.
The author, young as she is, has a firm grasp of the emotions of the characters, as they struggle in vain to live their lives. The bond between the two brothers, Zahan and Sorab, was poignant, and I felt for Zahan, and the loss of his relationship with Sorab.
My beloved St Xavier’s College and my favourite Bombay city feature in this book.
I was sorry to see Zahan go, at the end of the book. There seemed so much more that would happen in his life. Surely the gods would not let him go his peaceful way. What is that thing they say about a liar? Once a liar... always a liar.
The novel integrates ancient Indian myths with Hindu mythology, creating characters and locales that are part-truth and part-fiction. As a premise, it is intriguing and frightening.
The story is written in the present tense, in the third person PoV of the characters.
The novel is set in Hindu Colony, Parsi Colony and in Vidroha, besides Benares. The writing in Vidroha is rich and dense, while that in the two colonies is almost genteel, sparse and succinct.
The story is set against the backdrop of the struggle against the British for independence. Zahan initially wants to use his dancing tongue to guide the fate of his country. But the struggle for Independence is merely a placeholder. And that made me feel cheated.
The names of the characters were unreal, and yet they seemed relatable. Yaatri signifies the journey, Porthos is a character from The Three Musketeers, while Zahan is as Yaatri describes him, Zzzz-haan. Like a bee and an exhale.
The characters have their own compulsions. Porthos wants to know if he is ill-fated. The others in Vidroha want their ill-fortune transformed. Tarachand is bothered by the anomaly of Zahan.
The author, young as she is, has a firm grasp of the emotions of the characters, as they struggle in vain to live their lives. The bond between the two brothers, Zahan and Sorab, was poignant, and I felt for Zahan, and the loss of his relationship with Sorab.
My beloved St Xavier’s College and my favourite Bombay city feature in this book.
I was sorry to see Zahan go, at the end of the book. There seemed so much more that would happen in his life. Surely the gods would not let him go his peaceful way. What is that thing they say about a liar? Once a liar... always a liar.
August 17, 2017
“The liar’s weave” by Tashan Mehta
“The liar’s weave” by Tashan Mehta is a character driven fantasy fiction, which narrates the story of Zahan who’s born into ‘an alternate history of our world, where birth charts are real’. Perfect blend of Indian tradition and fantasy, the scenes are described pretty well and yet, it leaves a gap for the reader’s imagination to flow. Although the first few chapters could’ve been made a bit more short and snappy, trust me, if you read through the first few pages, you’ll be gripped into it, and you just won’t put the book down, unless Zahan Merchant’s death is revealed. The world building was excellent. Though the genre is not completely ‘magical realism’, there were some such elements which were included throughout the plot, and that really differentiates this book from other books available in the same category. I also read Tashan Mehta’s interview on juggernaut’s app. I was amazed to learn the amount of research put into this book, and of course, it is reflected in the pages of this amazing piece.
“The liar’s weave” by Tashan Mehta is a character driven fantasy fiction, which narrates the story of Zahan who’s born into ‘an alternate history of our world, where birth charts are real’. Perfect blend of Indian tradition and fantasy, the scenes are described pretty well and yet, it leaves a gap for the reader’s imagination to flow. Although the first few chapters could’ve been made a bit more short and snappy, trust me, if you read through the first few pages, you’ll be gripped into it, and you just won’t put the book down, unless Zahan Merchant’s death is revealed. The world building was excellent. Though the genre is not completely ‘magical realism’, there were some such elements which were included throughout the plot, and that really differentiates this book from other books available in the same category. I also read Tashan Mehta’s interview on juggernaut’s app. I was amazed to learn the amount of research put into this book, and of course, it is reflected in the pages of this amazing piece.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2018
Plot: Zahan is something unusual – in a world where people’s lives are mapped by a birth chart decided by the Gods, he is born without one. And he also has a unique skill – the ability to change reality based on his lies. Or at least, reality for others. When he and his friend Porthos, who has a problem of his own, discover a colony of “hatadaiva” (the ill-fated) in a world they call Vidroha, a hinterland in a forest of outcasts, the web of lies he has created starts to pull in around him – can he use it for good or is it destined to always be something dangerous?
Meanwhile, he is watched over by the Greatest Astrologer That Ever Lived (the Second), Narayan Tarachand, from afar, trying to solve the riddle that is his life.
My thoughts: In fact, this is written by my best friend’s best friend! I’ve met Tashan before and she is a wonderful woman with an amazing imagination and honestly BEAUTIFUL writing style. I try not to give “marks” to books of friends because I feel I can’t really be impartial, but honestly this was brilliant.
Being set in India, a place I’ve never been or even read all that much about, I worried that I would find it difficult to relate to or to picture the places described. But thanks to Tashan’s spellbinding descriptions, the places and characters came alive. I did at first struggle to grasp a couple of concepts of a culture that was entirely different to my own and in a different era, but the story and the words stand for themselves to create something that utterly captivates you.
The scenes swapping between the world of Vidroha and those set in the colonies was seamless, but they clearly stood apart from each other. The language in Vidroha brought to mind dark carnivals, sitting on the edge of danger – almost like the twisting words were the twisting vines of the jungle themselves, but also creating the net that the whole novel ensnares you in as well as the net Zahan finds himself tangled in with his lies. As you can tell, the writing is what really did it for me with this book – I was just utterly in awe of the way that Tashan could put together words in such a flawless way.
As I said, I find it difficult to review books by people I know, but I can honestly say that this one was amazing. It’s a little tricky to get hold of in the UK, but if you can find it, I highly recommend it.
Meanwhile, he is watched over by the Greatest Astrologer That Ever Lived (the Second), Narayan Tarachand, from afar, trying to solve the riddle that is his life.
My thoughts: In fact, this is written by my best friend’s best friend! I’ve met Tashan before and she is a wonderful woman with an amazing imagination and honestly BEAUTIFUL writing style. I try not to give “marks” to books of friends because I feel I can’t really be impartial, but honestly this was brilliant.
Being set in India, a place I’ve never been or even read all that much about, I worried that I would find it difficult to relate to or to picture the places described. But thanks to Tashan’s spellbinding descriptions, the places and characters came alive. I did at first struggle to grasp a couple of concepts of a culture that was entirely different to my own and in a different era, but the story and the words stand for themselves to create something that utterly captivates you.
The scenes swapping between the world of Vidroha and those set in the colonies was seamless, but they clearly stood apart from each other. The language in Vidroha brought to mind dark carnivals, sitting on the edge of danger – almost like the twisting words were the twisting vines of the jungle themselves, but also creating the net that the whole novel ensnares you in as well as the net Zahan finds himself tangled in with his lies. As you can tell, the writing is what really did it for me with this book – I was just utterly in awe of the way that Tashan could put together words in such a flawless way.
As I said, I find it difficult to review books by people I know, but I can honestly say that this one was amazing. It’s a little tricky to get hold of in the UK, but if you can find it, I highly recommend it.
September 20, 2022
It's great!
April 14, 2024
The general setting and plot is definitely original, based on the idea of an astrology-based magic system in India. However, the story itself was weirdly meandering and not well-paced at all. Character development was lacklustre. The two main characters were ok, but their decisions and actions were not always coherent. The book also lacks a female main character and I am not a fan of the way the only adult female character was treated. Generally, the book has a bit of a surreal feel and this I think detracts from the story.
February 15, 2024
One of the better speculative works in India, the setting pre-independence India is interesting but as noted by others, rather under-utilised.
Our protagonist Zahan Merchant, has pretty interesting powers which can be best understood as a sort of reality manipulation.
Many characters are underdeveloped, but in my opinion, Zahan's sensitivity is well depicted, the book is decently paced. Imo the biggest shortcoming is the scope, the premise has a lot of potential.
Our protagonist Zahan Merchant, has pretty interesting powers which can be best understood as a sort of reality manipulation.
Many characters are underdeveloped, but in my opinion, Zahan's sensitivity is well depicted, the book is decently paced. Imo the biggest shortcoming is the scope, the premise has a lot of potential.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2022
We spoke to Tashan Mehta on our podcast 'Books and Beyond with Bound'.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3xoR...
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3xoR...
September 11, 2017
Beautiful book, couldn't keep it down even for a second, and every time I did I would want to go back to it to devour it more. I have loved everything about this book, from the beginning till the end. It's a delightful read and I cannot wait to read more of Tashan Mehta, she is one author who has the ability to become a very renowned author because her words cut right through you, and it's a rarity.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews