The Wall

Sumer #1

by Gautam Bhatia

Mithila’s world is bound by a Wall enclosing the city of Sumer—nobody goes out, nothing comes in. The days pass as they have for two thousand years: just enough to eat for just enough people, living by the rules. Within the city, everyone knows their place.

But when Mithila tries to cross the Wall, every power in Sumer comes together to stop her. To break the rules is to risk all of civilization collapsing. But to follow them is to never know: who built the Wall? Why? And what would the world look like if it didn’t exist?

As Mithila and her friends search for the truth, they must risk losing their families, the ones they love, and even their lives. Is a world they can’t imagine worth the only world they have?

For fans of Isaac Asimov’s Nightfall and Ursula Le Guin’s The Dispossessed comes an astonishingly powerful voice in speculative fiction that explores what it means to truly be free.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Dystopia, India, Indian Literature

413 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 13, 2020

About the author

Gautam Bhatia is an Indian science fiction writer.

He is the author of the SF Duology, The Wall and The Horizon, both of which featured on Locus Magazine's Recommended Reading Lists in 2021 (Best Debut Novel) and 2022 (Best Science Fiction Novel). The Wall was a finalist for the 2021 Valley of Words Best English Language Novel Prize. Bhatia was long-listed for the Astounding Award for Best New Writer at both the 2021 World Science Fiction Convention (WorldCon), and the 2022 WorldCon.

Bhatia is also the co-ordinating editor of Strange Horizons, a weekly online magazine of fantasy and science fiction, which won the British Fantasy Award in 2021, and has been a finalist for the Hugo Awards every year since 2013. In 2022, he was nominated for a World Fantasy Award for his work with the magazine.

His reviews and essays on science fiction and fantasy have appeared in Strange Horizons, The Hindustan Times, Scroll, and The Wire.

In his spare time, he is a lawyer.

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

Very much speculative fiction or even fable rather than what I'd call SF per se. Sumer is an impassably walled city, as in, no gates. It's a sealed environment, created by the mysterious Builders, with a river and just enough space to grow food and necessities eg cotton, paper, wood for building. Obviously this requires a tightly controlled society, where heterosexual relationships are discouraged, childbirth is strictly legislated, marriage has a property requirement, and everyone has a firmly allotted place. Paper being in, obviously, quite limited supply, it's a heavily oral society so history can be manipulated by the people in power, who are committed to maintaining the precarious balance and, not unrelatedly, their place at the top of it.

Basically this is about freedom, what it really means, and what people will do for it. Mithila is the leader of a revolutionary group prepared to die or torpedo their lives to get out. It's not that Sumer is a terrible place to live, even, and she has no idea what's outside the Wall: she just cannot live within it, and is sacrificing family, love and future accordingly. Meanwhile others are terrified that questions and changes will upset the social order: they've had a dictatorship and a bloody failed revolution and these are not good things when stuck in a sealed environment. Are Mithila's dreams of freedom worth the potential cost?

It's an interesting read. A bit on the philosophical side for me, but that will be catnip for others. I found it a bit confusing at points as there's a lot of history, factions, and characters (of whom *five* have three-syllable names beginning with M and ending in A or I, give me a break, I'm old) but it's a well-developed world, a fascinating concept, and a very thought-provoking read.

[Nick Borrelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book kind of defied the usual genre conventions. Is it Fantasy? Is it Science-Fiction? Is it Speculative-Fiction? To tell you the truth it touched on many of these and it actually enhanced the reading experience for me because the sprinkling of all of these elements only served to strengthen the story in my opinion. Add to that a powerful social message at its heart and THE WALL is a special book that should be on everyone's reading list.

The main plot point of THE WALL is something that I usually enjoy in a novel. The idea of a structure that was built long ago for a specific purpose that nobody really questions or knows the true background of is an intriguing mystery. A mystery that keeps you turning the pages feverishly as little hints begin to emerge. And the main character Mithila is the vehicle through which we get these glimpses of what THE WALL represents and why nobody questions its existence except for her and a handful of dissenters.

The idea that there was once a history that predates the Wall and that it was in all likelihood very different from the world that Mithila and her fellow citizens of the city of Sumer are living in currently, also made this book a page turner in the truest sense. Will she ever discover that previous existence and get to experience it or will she be crushed by the hard line ruling council who are primarily interested in maintaining the status quo at all costs. Sumer is supposed to be a sort of utopia after all, but why doesn't it feel that way to her?

Many of the themes running throughout this book are familiar ones. Do we question what we have always known to be true and right just because we have been told so throughout history by the ruling class? And at the risk of losing many people and things that are important to us? Can one person really make a difference through their actions alone and promote change? Yes we've seen these before but author Gautam Bhatia delivered these in an entirely new way it seemed to me. His prose is fluid and the dialogue drips with an important social message that everyone should hear.

THE WALL is a captivating exploration of the yearning to break the barriers of a controlled and contained life. Even though at times this book was very intense, I never lost the feeling that I was reading an immersive and compelling story that never lagged or became sterile in any way. There are some brilliant moments of wondrous storytelling here and that should not be overlooked. The world-building is also some of the best I've come across. Gautam Bhatia has done an excellent job of creating a complex and vivid setting when it comes to the walled city of Sumer.

I enjoyed THE WALL by Gautam Bhatia and look forward to the next entry in his Sumer series with great anticipation. Do yourself a favor and snatch this one up as soon as possible. It's a great example of how a book can be both incredibly educating and insightful, yet thoroughly entertaining at the same time.

[Radhika Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I closed the book with an odd feeling of lightness, intermixed with slight anxiety. It’s been a while since I’ve read this form of fiction that makes me look forward to its sequel, and it’s also been a while since I’ve wanted a book to not end. Gautam Bhatia has certainly done a great job with his first fiction novel.

The Wall is a book about yearning for something that may or may not exist; it’s about loving something so much that you would sacrifice anything and everything that gets in your way; it’s about a Revolution.

The story revolves around Mithila and her group of, well, friends, and their earnest desire to breach the Wall that encloses the city of Sumer. People have lived and died for centuries within this Wall, and those who have attempted to voice their dissent against this enclosure, have met sorry ends. But, the knowledge of the consequences do not deter Mithila.

What follows is a beautifully written piece of work which tugs at your heartstrings at just the right moments. The words flow like poetry (oh, and there’s actual poetry within the novel), making it quite a smooth read.

At one point, I got slightly annoyed because I felt that Mithila’s narrative was dragging a bit too much, as she would just not shut up about the Wall. But, then you realise that that is exactly what her character is all about. Her obsession with the Wall is pretty much contagious, to the point that it makes the reader want to join her and breach it themselves. In that context, the novel quite poignantly portrays events leading up to an imminent Revolution, and that is enough to get anyone’s blood pumping.

Another point to be noted is that the author has designated the most powerful roles to females, and it has been done in a manner that makes it seem absolutely natural (which it should be !). There’s a scene when Mithila approaches Salva for the making of the Dhanurashi, and her identity is revealed at the end of the exchange. It’s not too major, but I was almost taken aback when I found out it was her who had that conversation with Salva. I guess we are so used to men conducting such confrontations that it feels unnatural to see a woman in such a role. Pretty much explains why we desperately need to normalise female-empowered fiction.

There is also the portrayal of the romance between Mithila and Rama which has been done so tastefully, and in no way overwhelms the essence of the novel, which is basically the Wall. Same goes for Lamon and his Fourth Mandala lover. The letter sent to Lamon is one of the most romantic things I’ve ever read.

Also, I’m not sure if it was the intention of the author, but the novel is interspersed with legal analyses (with respect to Sumer, of course) and knowing that the author is a lawyer would probably make the readers hyperaware of these subtleties. Not complaining about this though.

All in all, this is definitely worth a read. Cannot wait for the next one !

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Publisher Says: Mithila’s world is bound by a Wall enclosing the city of Sumer—nobody goes out, nothing comes in. The days pass as they have for two thousand years: just enough to eat for just enough people, living by the rules. Within the city, everyone knows their place.

But when Mithila tries to cross the Wall, every power in Sumer comes together to stop her. To break the rules is to risk all of civilization collapsing. But to follow them is to never know: who built the Wall? Why? And what would the world look like if it didn’t exist?

As Mithila and her friends search for the truth, they must risk losing their families, the ones they love, and even their lives. Is a world they can’t imagine worth the only world they have?

For fans of Isaac Asimov’s Nightfall and Ursula Le Guin’s The Dispossessed comes an astonishingly powerful voice in speculative fiction that explores what it means to truly be free.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE AUTHOR. THANK YOU.

My Review: The author is a social-media acquaintance of mine, one whose work in the world of Indian Constitutional law I admire unreservedly. He is also among those who run Strange Horizons magazine, which work I admire immoderately as well. I think it's fair to say I approached this read with the dread of a fan...

...who then became a stan. The pace of this book probably puts a lot of sci-fi fans off but, for me, it was a perfect and languorous introduction to a two-thousand-year-old utopia whose principles hadn't changed but whose use of them had. The oppressive weight of a society that is sure that it's Right can not be overdramatized. What Author Gautam did, choosing a pace for its affect on the reader, was evoke a deep and abiding dread, a building sense of wrongness, that worked so much better than a more whiz-bang approach would have done. I found the legal sections, pertaining to Sumer's laws, to be the grace notes I've always enjoyed in my speculative fiction. They set the stakes of the rebellion against the status quo better than any other choice...rebelling against a government, after all, is rebelling against its laws.

Mithila, our PoV character, is a woman on a mission: GET OUT OF SUMER. Her rebellion isn't against intolerable and burdensome living conditions, there's enough food and plenty of stuff that one actually needs. It's a deeper rebellion: Mithila needs to be free, to have the chance to make her own choices and decisions. It's simply too much for her spirit to bear to conform.

Young people have ever felt thus, it's true. In a utopian society where you simply can not speak your mind or ask questions that deserve and require answers, it really becomes a Hell for the Mithilas of the world. She and some like-minded friends aren't glad to be safe inside the walls of Sumer. They want OUT, and the ever-threatened consequences seem like small potatoes to them.

The Powers That Be can't take that challenge lying down...and don't...but the end of the story sees Mithila and her faction winning the war because, once you introduce doubt into the world, things fall apart pretty quickly. The eternal verity that monoliths aren't stable and can fall with a well-placed shove is demonstrable using physics (Stonehenge hasn't always been the way it is now). People's hearts and minds, once engaged on a project of destruction, are very powerfully motivated to see the project through. (There's a recent example of this in the US.)

But in the end, even a novel of ideas needs to bring its concerns to a personal level or it fails to entertain...a novel's first duty. The concepts of Wallrise and Wallset, exactly what you are thinking they are, break a seaside-dwelling ocean lover's heart. The concept of a horizon is so utterly beyond the ken of people who have always lived inside encircling walls...Imagine water extending from your feet, buildings and fields receding and disappearing, imagine the water filling the empty space elicits exhilaration in a few, terror in many...and doesn't that just scare you! And, lest you wonder if the world-building is dry and flavorless, I present you the concept of the Towers of Rebirth...remembering that Sumer is a closed society, with limited resources, imagine what "rebirth" might entail for a *real* scare....

Enough to move on to the sequel, it did, and procure same with my very own United States dollars.

[Yaroslav Barsukov · Rating 5 out of 5]

The human body is not meant to fly—that is, unless one is swept off their feet by a novel.

Mithila’s world is bound by a Wall. Nobody goes out, nothing comes in, and it’s been so for two thousand years. This is the order of things, passed down from the mysterious Builders and enforced by the Shoortan Priesthood. Welcome to the city of Sumer, where getting just enough is the way of life.

Although there are some clear parallels to Le Guin's The Dispossessed (remember “for seven generations there had been nothing in the world more important than that wall”?), Bhatia’s book reads more like a love child of Zelazny and Ted Chiang. It's Zelazny-rich—in poetry, metaphors, imagery—but also has this Chiangesque attention to detail.

What does it feel like to live in a forever-walled city? There are Wallrise and Wallset, sure, but it’s less about the things that are and more about what’s missing; more about the smara, as Sumerians call it (though, as we’ll find out, the word doesn’t mean what they think it means). In one scene, a character tries to get the others to imagine horizon, and Bhatia takes us through the array of employed metaphors, through the whole exercise. “Imagine water extending from your feet, buildings and fields receding and disappearing, imagine the water filling the empty space.” One of the listeners, a person living in this claustrophobic world, gasps in terror—and, because the process sucks us in, so does the reader.

I swear to you, the novel beguiles you to such a degree that you begin to experience smara yourself. Everything feels tangible, as though you can reach out and touch it—the twisted Towers of Rebirth (where bodies are turned into fertilizer—this is a closed ecosystem, remember?), the towers of the Forum, garuda birds swooping low over the city.

Beauty and ugliness coexist here. People are called by the numbers of their city circles. Time is measured in words eroding and losing their meaning. And yet, even when you ban free thought, when books become unaffordable because of the paper quotas, poetry remains—and something that begins underground is bound to end in the sky.

I’ve got to say one more thing. The protagonist of The Wall is a queer woman, and damn if such a POV isn’t difficult to pull off for a male cishet writer! I personally wouldn’t even dare try, but just as with every other character, Bhatia excels in Mithila’s characterization. Kudos.

A beautiful novel—I’m already counting the days till the sequel.

[Shreya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interested in beautifully written science fiction that offers a blistering critique of the class system, featuring relatably idiot characters, evil siblings, a plot twist every few pages, dramatic showdowns in the public square, and importantly, Gay Romance? Look no further. We need way, way more of the kind of forthrightly political fiction that Gautam has written, the kind that achieves moral clarity without compromising the full humanity of its characters.

[Vinayak Mishra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantasy is by far my favorite genre and after seeing countless 5 star reviews of this book on my Goodreads feed, I was VERY excited to pick it up.

It.did.not.disappoint.

#1. It's REFRESHING . It does not use and abuse so many of the usual fantasy tropes - the protagonist is not male, there is no wise old mentor and the central plot is NOT centered around some old prophecy/star crossed lovers story.

#2 The worldbuilding is one of the best I've read (No spoilers, read and discover Sumer for yourself). Very well thought out and again does not borrow too much from other sources. The Indian-ness of the book is subtle yet visible, enough to make Indian readers smile and to stop readers from other cultures from getting perplexed.

#3 The pacing seems questionable at points, but as you move along you realize how Gautam Bhatia is masterfully letting out just what you need in order to keep the story moving. There are no loose ends, everything clicks together well.

#4 My only complaint is that some of the central characters seem very one-dimensional , but perhaps this will be resolved in future novels in this series.

If you're into fantasy or science fiction, this is a book you should not miss.

Thanks Ribhav for gifting me the book, and Radhika for tirelessly recommending!

[The Biblioraptor (Ankit) · Rating 1 out of 5]

They market books these days saying "for the fans of *this* and *that*" but are simply incapable of even ripping these works off properly and producing unoriginal and dumb works of fiction, as a result. Ugh.

Fans of 'Nightfall' and 'The Dispossessed' wouldn't even use this as toilet paper. I went in expecting sci-fi and thought it was speculative fiction and then it waded the waters of the fantasy realm and then ended up being a fucking YA novel.

This is a book that didn't know what it wanted to be.

It was written in 2020 so it could better have just ripped of Attack on Titan and it still would've been better.

I can't believe I paid for this book.

In addition to this, I'm not even going to bother reading Samit Basu and others that I had in mind to give Indian SFF a try.

[Vakasha Sachdev · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fitting ode to Isaac Asimov's Nightfall, Gautam Bhatia's 'The Wall' does something few other speculative fiction books have truly sought to do (beyond very token attempts): to genuinely make you question the structures that your society is built upon.

In this, Bhatia's background as a constitutional scholar and lawyer certainly plays a role, which gives us, for instance, a powerful courtroom (of a sort) proceeding on the restriction of freedom of speech in the carefully controlled city of Sumer where the book is set.

Bhatia's expertise on the subject - he has literally written the book on freedom of speech in India - comes to the fore in this segment, but what makes this seemingly academic issue become a fantastic set piece for a speculative fiction book is how the story makes you realise that the true protection of the rights we hold so dear requires constant transformative change to the idea of those rights and the institutions that we rely on to safeguard them.

The isolated, walled city of Sumer, which initially seems a plot device that keeps the setting of the book starkly different to our own, becomes a powerful tool for us to examine the way we have allowed various societal structures to dictate our lives. This is not by just the hackneyed attempts at allegory that fantasy and spec fic authors starting from Tolkien have abhorred - instead, the book provides you with a sandbox to examine specific parts of the world around you, and test their usefulness.

What's fascinating about this approach is that an atheist may genuinely find themselves sympathising with the religious Shoortans, rationalists may find themselves wondering why the scientists of the Select wield so much power, and a believer in dissent and pushing boundaries may find themselves queasily asking whether the Young Tarafians aren't being a bit too reckless.

All of this happens within a narrative about a fascinating quest, not to find some magical object, not to fight some grand evil, but to truly understand ourselves as a society, by learning about where we've come from, and use that understanding to ensure we can go forward, rather than staying stationary. The mystery of smara is one that you as the reader will find yourself engaged in as much as the characters themselves, not just because of the quality of writing, but the idea of what it stands for itself.

Although a debut novel, Bhatia has an assured voice, having already published two academic books. However, this does also appear to have caused a certain unevenness in tone, as the description of events and his characters' motivations becomes too well-considered and controlled, without the foibles and natural flow that characterise us as people. This is however, something that can easily be addressed going forward, and should not diminish what he is trying to achieve here.

Which brings us back to what the book tries to do, or question the structures of your society. Mainstream Indian fiction (and the fledgling speculative fiction genre within it) tends to dance around a lot of these issues. Aspects of caste will be questioned, crumbling institutions will be highlighted, but you're not often asked to take a true leap of faith with your characters and truly shatter the bindings - whether because if the official impossibilities of doing so, or the writer's lack of imagination. Bhatia takes a risk by giving you a truly radical protagonist, who is willing to push boundaries even you may not be comfortable with. And there is no last minute salvation to be found from some clever sleight of hand within the system (I'm looking at Yoon Ha Lee's Machinery of Empire series here which seems like it really will push that envelope and then uses quite a cop out by the end).

I apologise for dancing around a lot of things in this review myself, but to use any spefics would ruin the book. Suffice to say that The Wall is a must read whether you're looking for something contemplative and profound, or even if you just want a good yarn. Whichever way you approach it, it will get the old brain cells churning, and will give you the chance to be acquainted with a new voice in Indian and hopefully global fiction, who's not going away anytime soon.

[Khushi Arora · Rating 4 out of 5]

goddamn that second half was bonkers! this book is soooo underrated and im happy there’s a sequel that awaits me. will probably write a detailed review after reading that. also Alvar needs to be protected at all costs 😭

[Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wall is different from your usual speculative fiction offering. At least I found it so. The politics of the world it's set in is intricate and the system of government in it, interesting. The yearnings and strivings of the characters are conveyed in beautiful, poetic prose and their philosophical musings and banter will have you taking frequent breaks, to allow for the richness and depth of this amazing piece of literature sink in. Something I believe won't even happen, till after several reads and a lot of introspection after. The book examines a wide range of interesting and serious themes. Personal freedom, civil liberty, the validity or extent of the validity of history, religion, free thought to a society trying to choose between existence and quality of life that's worth risking everything for. The conflict as characters agonize over the two choices, none an easy one. It manages to do all this in a way that still keeps you surging through its pages, never bored, always wondering what's next, a journey that ends in a gasp of delight/horror. No spoilers, but it's definitely worth checking out. And definitely a 5 star for me. 

[Bertie (LuminosityLibrary) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wall ties together many elements of speculative fiction, with superb worldbuilding, and analysis into real-world political and legal issues. The pacing is slow and thoughtful. Rather than being an action-packed dystopian novel, it brings forward questions about our existence and what we’d do for change. This book isn’t as strong on its character development, but I’d recommend it to people who enjoy thematic speculative fiction.

CW: violence, death, death of sibling, class-based oppression

Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review

If you enjoy diverse sci-fi and fantasy you should check out my Blog! You could also follow me on Twitter or Instagram.

[Charvi]

DNF because unfortunately I wasn't able to get into it. The world building is intense and confusing because it's not explained very well 🙈

[Ben Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Revolution will have your heart - and all of it - or it will have none of it"

Open to almost any spot in Gautam Bhatia's speculative sci-fi novel The Wall, and you will find language that is both beautiful and heartbreaking. The entire book is filled with a strong sense of yearning amidst entrapment, and prose like poetry pours from the pages. The story, the characters, the conflicts - all feel timeless and yet incredibly timely.

The city of Sumer is enclosed by a massive Wall, and for 2,000 years no one has gone out or come in. Mithila, obsessed with knowing what lies beyond, resolves to breach the Wall with a band of like-minded companions. Unfortunately, there are many in the city who like life just the way it is, with its laws and hierarchies, and will do anything to stop her.

This is a story of layers, both in the complexities of the plot and in the world that Bhatia is building for us. It's a little confusing at first to keep it all straight. So many character names, rival factions, organizational features to the city, and so on. But thankfully the author provides a detailed map and character list at the beginning of the book, which were very helpful. And once you get a few chapters into the story it all starts to stick, and suddenly I found myself fully immersed. Bhatia does a fantastic job with this immersion, interspersing the main narrative with songs, poems, quotes, manuscript excerpts, and side stories - all from the history/culture of the world he has created. It made me think of RPGs like Skyrim (although obviously without the "open world" concept haha), where you're constantly coming across items/texts which reveal additional details that help flesh out the world.

I absolutely love the main character Mithila, whose passion is infectious and whose desire for truth, knowledge, and freedom is deeply relatable. I rejoiced in her successes and cried out in frustration at her setbacks (side note: I also appreciate the inclusion of same-sex relationships where the emphasis is entirely on the relationship and not the fact that it's same-sex). There are a lot of great side characters as well, but Mithila will always have my heart as we are kindred souls of a kind.

Honestly, because there is so much going on in this book I could write pages for this review. To put it briefly: the characters are compelling, the mythology/lore is intriguing, the concept of the city is unique, and even though there's a lot of political subplots and meetings-in-forums they are never boring (actually, for someone who normally doesn't care for such, I was super engaged during those moments). The ending of the book is both perfect and perfectly frustrating (as epic cliffhangers go), but from what I understand this is just the first part of a larger story and I cannot wait to see what happens next!

Massive thanks to the author for sending me a copy all the way from India in exchange for an honest review!

[Palash Srivastava · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book not only had everything I look for in SFF, but everything I need in literature. Brilliant prose, a narrative which had the perfect pace, and a truly brilliant world building. Quite inexperienced at writing reviews, so I'll just list out my favourite things -
The romance is so well written. It doesn't overwhelm the larger narrative, and in the space which it does take up- it gives warmth. A wholesome gay relationship, without the author being needlessly smug about it.

The fictional world of Sumer has so many myths and a complex history- which adds so much context. Hope to read more about this Taraf guy. He seems really cool.

Gautam Bhatia doesn't give up his lawyer side but uses his deep understanding of how the legal form works to give us the amount of Constitutional and family law which is enough for his preexisting law student fan base to nerd out over, but not enough for the rest of the audience to go "ugh lawyers". And the legal system serves as a great world building tool.

Overall, it is a beautiful story of hope and revolution which speaks to the yearning for liberty each one of us has- a freedom which can only manifest when we learn to imagine outside of the limits which this system puts on our imagination.

[Aakarsh Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely a great debut from the author whom I know through his constitutional expertise. This book enables you to imagine the world author create through his writing. It also have most satisfying ending.

[Vijayalakshmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Garuda looked at him. ‘Fine,’ he said, ‘let the poet speak. If the world beyond is like a poem, which would it be?’

Alvar let himself rest against his shovel, and pondered. ‘Zaid’s, I think. Like nothing you’ve felt before — but once you have, you know it’s the only thing that will ever feel real.’ "

Quote from The Wall, by Gautam Bhatia

The first thought I had, when I finished reading The Wall, is that I needed the sequel to the book, immediately.

The second thought I had, is that I needed to read this book again. Because The Wall is simply the kind of book that has to be read twice, to be fully experienced.

My first reading was driven by curiosity. I was deeply invested in the characters, even the minor ones, and I just had to know what would happen. So I flew through the book, marking passages and quotes that struck me deeply.

My second reading has been slower, and at the time of writing this review, ongoing. Now that my curiosity is satisfied, I’m taking the time to think over the ideas in the book.

The Wall has that philosophical depth.

Sumer is a circular city, surrounded by an insurmountable wall. Mithila, our protagonist, wants nothing more than to see what lies beyond this boundary, the crossing of which is forbidden.

Sounds like a simple plot, right? However there are layers to it, that add complexity and flavour. Ursula K Le Guin, in her author’s note to The Left Hand of Darkness, talks about how science fiction is like a thought experiment. The Wall, though it fits within the larger umbrella of speculative fiction, and is not only science fiction (some may argue it is not sci-fi at all, but let’s just say I see glimpses of what might be), layers a number of thought experiments. about freedom, reality, justice, revolution, religion, love, family, responsibility etc. It is also sociopolitical commentary, and those who read deeply will surely see the parallels to our society.

The world building is top notch. It took me a while to get used to the geography of Sumer — a map given at the beginning of the book was useful, however, I could not zoom in to the map on my Kindle copy and so had to struggle to read it. That is my only complaint. But other than that, the world of Sumer is fascinating. Even though the book is set in a fictional world seemingly unlike ours, the effect is much like considering a ‘civilization in a box.’

That the author , Gautam Bhatia, has not sacrificed character development while pursuing a complex plot and world building, is to his credit. Even minor characters stand out as individuals rather than as caricatures. They casually defy gender roles, and are relatable.

On the whole, The Wall is a much needed and greatly welcomed addition to the Indian SF canon. I have my theories, based on the events and ‘clues’ in this book, about what may happen in the sequel, and I can’t wait too see if I’m right. In the meanwhile though, I’m sure I’ll keep discovering new things in this book with each reading.

[Daud Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully crafted... the writing is extremely elegant and poetic. Cliches and formulaic prose are so sparse that at a point you almost start missing them :P.

One of the most memorable parts for me was how the "pure love" between Mithila and her female paramour was portrayed. Sumer didn't "accept" the relationship so much as it was a completely non-remarkable part of their society. This was a refreshing change.

The world inside the Wall is such a treat to learn about. Its politics, social conventions, and even science seem to fit so seamlessly into the constraints imposed on this society. The lore of the past, continuously interpreted and re-interpreted, is shown to shape every aspect of Sumer's culture and religion.

I loved Mithila's character. Defiant and supremely independent in a society that actually doesn't seem to mind that in girls. She is unabashed about the fact that her reasons for crossing the Wall are decidedly non-utilitarian. The mere existence of a wall is reason enough to breach it. The author doesn't attempt to justify her non-concern for the dangers that might entail her actions, and that only adds to the authenticity of her character.

One grouse I have is that at too many points in the narrative, the protagonist's motivations weren't clear to me. I sort of have to go through with what is happening without exactly knowing why. Normally, things get cleared up in due course, but this didn't happen with the regularity I expected.

How Mithila found those people inside the tomb just at that particular moment in time, was unclear. In fact, the entire sequence was desribed far too abstractly for my taste. Immediate character motivations are only hinted at, and while you often get the hints, the satisfaction of knowing what exactly happened, often eludes you.

But that's just my preference. Those who revel in the metaphorical and aren't averse to deliberate ambiguity will find this book an absolute treat. In fact its surreal nature reminded me somewhat of the second and third novella of Gene Wolfe's "The Fifth Head of Cerebrus"

I would love if the next book in the series is a ltttle more grounded in its explanation and somewhat less abstract. I prefer to know what's going on (even belatedly), and not have to keep piecing it together from clues (but that, again, is just my preference).

In the end, it was a wonderful book to read and I can't wait to find out what's on the other side of the Wall :)

[Sapphire Bubble]

Please note this is not an attack on the author's capabilities or body of work. These are just my opinions based on what I have read.

I have seen other people enjoy this book, so I think it just wasn't for me. Maybe I am too stuck in my ways of how stories should be told or something to that effect.

This is in need of a serious restructuring and editing. I don't mean to be rude or explicitly mean, but it reads like a first draft that never passed through a professional editor's hand. It throws too much information at you immediately while giving you no markers that help you remember that scene or even recognise its importance. The prologue was 39 pages long, and it read like a chapter instead of a prologue. With the amount of information that is regularly thrown at you, the worldbuilding becomes too confusing and actually tiring to try and understand. Not only are the characters not described in a fashion that allows you to imagine them in your mind's eye, their role in the squad or the story does not become clear. Readers need to be given a reason or curiosity to see the story through, none of which I encountered. I think it has a lot of potential and an editor's careful touch would have brought it out, not only highlighting important parts of the story but also cutting out some unnecessary pages that just padded the book.

I was provided a finished copy of the book by the author. All my opinions are my own and unaffected by this fact.

[Warped Warble · Rating 1 out of 5]

What an awful book, but this brought me no disappointment, I am a sucker for punishment for I voluntarily chose to read this toilet paper alternative. Clunky writing, contrived plot, shoddy character building etc. Our esteemed, ostensibly, friend gets so many laurels for an inexplicable reason, one I obviously may never fathom. He once tweeted that the sorting hat process in Harry Potter is akin to the Indian caste system.!!! Potential indian public intellectual waiting in the wings, lmao. The writing was so jarring and puerile and his ramble went on and on. Only exemplar of Magic realism attached herein is that this egregious book is being read.

[Amrita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phew. This book was a ride. Idk what it was that I felt in my chest towards the end of the book, but an adrenaline rush would be a good guess. Speculative fiction (fantasy???) THIS close to India's religious and political climate, that creates a world that is frighteningly familiar and employs the parts that are removed from reality to serve as disturbing metaphors for social truths- blew my mind. The themes of law, caste, communism, religion, sexuality and extremism in this book are dealt with so deftly and delicately, that you barely see them coming but are left reeling at the brilliance of their use as plot devices. Brilliant brilliant brilliant. CANNOT wait for whatever happens next.

[Harshavardhan Ganesan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm so confused by this novel because it's got so many lovely plot points that are built up beautifully but recklessly abandoned. Swathes of pages devoid of any movement in the plot and world building that just feels uneasy. This wasn't an easy read and was highly uneven. That being said, when the author got it right, it really worked.

If my review sounds jumbled.... I was just taking a page out of the novel's encyclopedia.... I mean book ;)

[John Doe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not as good as I expected. Writing was amateurish and dry. Really had to struggle reading further. The scenes had too much unnecessary details.

[Nupur Thapliyal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wall by Gautam Bhatia is a story set around a dystopian world, a walled city called “Sumer” built by the Builders around 2000 years ago. The Author in his first Science Fiction has done complete justice in creating a fine balance between a far setting world clubbed with its historical relevance, religious beliefs, myths, a social order and a democratic setup enough to form a foundation to the City. Sumer is a city which has seen revolutions, transgressions, dissents by its citizens; however, it was not always like this. There was a world before the wall, but after one of the characters Malan crossed the “Raika” the Builders built the wall as a form of Praya (punishment) and left the citizens with bare minimum necessities to live their livelihoods for years to come.
The book constantly grasps the reader’s attention from a story wonderfully woven and a City beautifully designed (thanks to the map at the beginning of the Book). The best highlight of “The Wall” is that the story although is not analogous to democratic setups of most of the countries, but the events captivate the readers and the story feels very intimate from the initial pages. Coming to the characters of the book, the Builders are responsible for giving a social order to the city. The Council is accountable for ensuring democracy in the City headed by The Elders. The Shoortans are a group of people bound by their religious beliefs for whom religion surpasses ever other notion in a society. For them, the ultimate truths that bind the city of Sumer are encapsulated in the Black Book written by them. “Word is in the Book, the word is written and because it cannot be changed or altered, it must be true.” – P. 30 However, this isn’t the only book carrying hidden beliefs about the city. Another group known as The Unforgiven, also known as Savarian’s army which was long supposed to be non-existent, still live in the Dooma carrying an unlicensed book raided by the Shoortans.
The Scientists are responsible for finding answers to the strange scientific occurrences taking place inside Sumer. Lastly, the Young Tarafians, a group of youngsters who believe there is much more to city than the proclaimed legal order and asserted facts. They strive to seek answers to the most mysterious questions which no other citizen dare to even think. The most devoted character of the group is Mithila, whose passion to breach the wall is much more than merely violating the laws of Sumer. It is about hope, desire to fulfil the dreams of past revolutionaries who couldn’t break the Wall but left a dream for generations to come, a dream to see what lies beyond the wall. One such impassioned figure in her life is Taraf who was ostracized, a form of punishment devised by the Shoortans for those who are blasphemous. “Don’t believe in those who tell you that a dream can never die” –the last words of Taraf.
Mithila is one of the most important characters of the book and her struggles within the city hooks the reader till the very end. Apart from hope, she longs “smara” the yearning for a world without the wall. She longs for the smallest of things, a world without restrictions, fresh air, where the circles were broken and sun was unbound. Where in a world beyond the wall “Words would be alive. Breathing. Real.” Where she could hold hands of Rama, her unconditional lover, without the bounds of the city. This is a story of love, struggle, of fighting the odds of a society your ideas do not conform to and to never let the dreams of die. “When power by power confronted, in nameless struggle, by the Wall, And councils shaken by revolt, even though the war was lost, it is never lost.” Perhaps one such dream is denoted by the color of blue, wonderfully curated in the form of a song, also being Rama’s favourite: “Blue, I dream blue. Blue sky, blue river, blue lake at Wallrise. And Blue, the sash, around your waist, Blue. Before I gave you my dream, the river had it for me, to wash it in blue. Blue, I dream you, Blue.” The story is beautifully woven by poetry which slowly unfolds the unknown truths about the Wall at the right time.
The Wall is about struggles of a world where there is equality, freedom of expression and thoughts, where dissent isn’t blasphemy, democracy is alive in the fullest form and not just in books (Sumerian Code as per the Book) and much more. To keep the reader hooked, the Author binds the story with an unnamed narration called “The Voice in the Dark” which leaves the reader in search of answers and what is there to come in the next sequel of the wall.
In the end, it goes without saying that The Wall is a treat for the lovers of Sci-Fi specifically of Isaac Asimov and Ursula K. Le Guin. The Author has done full justice in living upto the expectations of such readers. The Wall, for me, is a book which goes beyond the boundaries of getting rated, but since it’s a goodreads ritual, it gets a 5 star. And I end this review by quoting Ursula K. Le Guin from Childhood’s End:
“Now I understand,” Said the last man.” Perhaps, I will say this at the end of reading the rest of the books from The Chronicles of Sumer.

[Surbhi Sinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

“There is a world to discover, isn’t there?”

Gautam Bhatia’s debut fictional novel is what I’d like to call a masterpiece in the making. A story of a walled city – Sumer - which knows nothing of the world beyond it and of curious minds who feel caged up inside. A story of revolution, of yearning, of smara.

The city of Sumer is divided into 15 mandalas (circles/rings) which is separated from the farmer’s land by a river Rasa which flows through the middle. The society has a matriarchal structure and the people don’t seem to be evidently homophobic, which is a welcome change from the world we live in today. Despite these developments, like every society there are flaws in this one too. There’s a difference in the opportunities you have based on the mandala you live in, you can consider the mandala system similar to that of a class-system, where the first five mandalas are superior to the next ten.

There are various groups/clans within the city with different ideals, the Shoortans who preach their incendiary doctrines, the Select who rise to oppose them, the Coterie who teach a new creed, the Young Tarafians who call for bringing down the wall and lastly the Hedonists who simply cause general chaos in the city because they have nothing more adventurous to do.

The focus of the book is mainly on the Young Tarafians and their leader Mithila. Her determination to breach the wall is inspiring while her will to sacrifice everything for what she believes in lights a fire inside you which might’ve been dimmed over the years of adulthood. The Shoortans and the council of Elders will infuriate you enough throughout the book to keep that fire raging.

The Wall speaks of various issues surrounding a society like class divide, power struggle, freedom of speech and expression, population and even the question way too many people seem to ask these days, “Who is a citizen?” My favourite chapter in the book was when the all the members of various groups gather together to try and ban the young Tarafians, dismissing their ideals like a crumpled bit of paper. The speeches given, the points made, the questions asked... it is most captivating.

But if I were to give you five reasons as to why you should read this book, they are:
1. The book is well-paced and the story structure is as such that while dropping enough hints of what may be yet to come, also keeps you wondering and hence you continue to keep reading on.
2. If you love beautiful personifications used for nature, you’ll definitely love this book.
3. Are you a sucker for MCs who will give everything they have to stand by what they believe in? Yes? Get ready to meet Mithila and her friends!
4. If you’re looking for a SFF that isn’t centred on a patriarchal Caucasian culture with a straight lead, then this one fits the bill
5. Lastly, The Wall is capable of stirring up a storm of emotions, especially towards the end and while it’s a duology and while you may have a lot of questions, the author does a brilliant job of not leaving you at a cliff hanger which will make you feel angry.

Gautam Bhatia has done brilliantly in bringing us an SFF in the form of Sumer and makes sure that he encapsulate just enough aspects of Hindu mythology and Indian culture.

I rate this book 4.5 out of 5 bookmarks, knocking off 0.5 because of the disconnect I felt in between chapters on rare occasions and also because I believe the cover doesn’t do justice to what a masterpiece this story is. I loved this book for how thrilling it was. I have not felt that way after reading a book in a very long time and will definitely recommend that you give it a chance on your TBRs.

I’d also like to thank Harper Collins India for this beautiful copy of the book and congratulate the author on his fictional debut!

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of the Terry Gilliam movie Brazil. It the simple story of a man ground down by existence, hemmed in at every turn. During his waking hours, he is crippled by insecurity and forced to conform. His life is an endless stream of banality but it is safe and secure. There is no challenge, but also no chance of failure. At night however, he dreams of flying, of escaping the confines of his life and embracing an endless horizon. He is drawn to the idea of there has to be something better. If only he is prepared to take the risk, to make that leap of faith.

This week’s read, The Wall by Gautam Bhatia, explores similar themes. A vast structure surrounds the city of Sumer and no one is permitted to travel outside. The story’s main protagonist, Mithila, is consumed with the idea that humans are driven by the need to be free. She has grown up in a culture where the wall dominates every aspect of life and she sees the inherent wrongness of it all. She has come to realise that when caged we are doomed to turn against one another. Control becomes everything, and the lure of power dooms us to failure and violent acts. There is a sense of tenacity in Mithila’s character that feels palpable. Her wanderlust and yearning is so easy to understand, I think it is something that exists deep within us all.

Bhatia uses The Wall to explore the nature of freedom and what this means to humanity. There is undoubtedly safety staying within the bounds of Sumer, but there is no growth. Generations have passed since the wall was raised and nothing has changed. The reasons behind the wall’s construction and it’s ultimate purpose have become lost in the mists of time. The strict hierarchy of the city remains all but stagnant though the majority are quite accepting of this. Possibility has become an anathema. It is only when people like Mithila rail against that system that there is a chance for real change.

Rather than the mindless bureaucracy evidenced in Brazil, the author uses religion as a backdrop for his fantastical dystopia. Over the years multiple factions have vied for power in Sumer. Each group interpreting ancient stories to fit with their own world view.

I have a lot of time for fiction like this that promotes such a high level of introspection. I’m fortunate enough to live in a society where I can take many of the freedoms I have for granted. I find myself asking, how would I fare faced with a boundary that is so all-encompassing it defined everything? I’d like to think I would be of a similar mind as Mithila, driven to discover what lies beyond, but it may be the bliss of ignorance would be too strong to resist. There is a lot to mull over in this novel. The author has done a genuinely impressive job of picking apart the human condition. Days after I’ve finished reading and I’m still pondering the ideas explored.

This novel happily defies any attempt at categorisation. Part fantasy, part science-fiction, The Wall is speculative fiction with a philosophical heart. The book ends in a suitably climactic fashion and I’ll admit I found myself a little conflicted*. I had a profound desire to know what was going to happen next but there was another part of me that felt ending the narrative in that single perfect moment couldn’t possibly be improved upon.

*in a good way

[Jigyasa Sogarwal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my genre. I do not really have much to compare or for that matter situate this book in the larger speculative fiction category. Perhaps more on this when my horizons have broadened in this genre of fiction.

Speaking of horizons, this book is about the horizon. The relationship individual self can have with one or many horizons. Some can never imagine it, some do not want to imagine it, some want to breach it, and for some horizon is the certainty they crave for. Please go ahead and read this book if horizons interest you, whether or not this is your genre.

Bhatia brings Sumer alive, 'The wall, Rasa, Forum, Dooma, Malliot road, the Maidan have lives of their own. By alive one means that through the narrative these places seem to occupy different meanings. The wall itself means so many different things to different people, the select, Young Tarafians, the Shoortans. Character of the city towers over everything else in the narrative for most parts. One is good 70 pages into the book when the first glimpse of human-ness can be seen in a sequence between Mithila and her Father.

Class conflict is a running thread. Lamon's race and Mithila's song speak of everyday acts of resistance. Revolutions in plural. Love is revolutionary, so our relationships. The beauty however lies in the way forbidden love is presented as nothing extraordinary, as normal. Poetry is another beautiful thread connecting the narrative that moves back and forth. In fact history is presented as triangular contest between - the written/legal, the oral and the poetic available with the subaltern.

Bhatia's story speaks in metaphors. Beautiful metaphors. The Wall itself is a metaphor. 'smara' is a metaphor. Also, some connections are only teased, perhaps they would evolve more in the subsequent parts in this series.

I did not read this book in one setting, I could not. In fact the first two parts need you to slow down and grasp the full extent of Bhatia's world. May be the next two parts can be read with a certain pace. I could be wrong but the writing would also enable that.

Yes, recommended read.

[Deepti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book even if it had some very convenient plot devices of being at the right place at the right time far too often!

It didn't start too well for me.. I have never liked reading the sam genre back to back, and having just managed to squeeze in an Agatha Christie after the Broken Earth Trilogy, the start, especially, didn't appeal. Another post apocalypse, sequestered and stratified society with some do gooders wanting something different. The only reason I needed to read this book, was because, my brother in law gifted it to me for the birthday, and was hounding me on what did I think of it? Hmm.... So I dropped it for a bit, absolutely disinterested and picked it up again after binge watching Bridgerton and therefore cleansing my mind of anything remotely sci fi.

And then... I really liked it. I found Gautam Bhatia s approach to society and structure and the reasoning and desires, flawless. An elite ruling class that bathes in privilege, but really desires, to govern with principles. These principles might clash, but nonetheless, have a stand behind it.A scientific set, the Select, who were impressive and rather similar to what I saw in Broken Earth,but, compelling, from their desire to dessiminate knowledge, acknowledge the unknown, and protect farming. The rigid Shoortans, the guardians of the wall, who have their strong reasons and resemble any right wing fundamentalist in their rigidity( not that the left wing are any less rigid), except, they actually are strong lgbt believers too. The Tarafians,the dissenters who dissent in youth and idealism, so on...so forth...this world creation was stunning in its intricacy and plan. I loved it! Couldn't expect any less from a first rate lawyer and activist turned writer!

The only thing that annoyed was how conveniently Mithila seemed to be there in all the necessary plot twists as an eaves dropper, or as someone who just seemed to be there, or find the right doors or passages. Pah.

[Livy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great first book to what will be an exceptional series.

From the epilogue, I was hooked on the story of Mithila as she struggles to try and cross the Wall whilst dealing with some very intense opposition from within her city. Following her and her friends as they longed for freedom was so interesting, with the inclusion of songs and writings crafted for the story this book was excellently written. The book was well paced and I liked how the tension built all the way through the story, and the ending certainly has me intrigued as to what will happen in the second book because it was very ominous!

I simply adored Mithila, I found her a wonderful and driven protagonist who learned that the way she went about things was not always right and had to give up so much in pursuit of a life beyond the Wall. Her companions in the struggle too were intricately created and I look forward to seeing what happens to them all in the sequel because they all still have some growing to do but I'm not sure how it's going to pan out after the events of this book.

Just am incredibly well written book. I can't wait to read more of this series!

[Cassidee Lanstra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Gautam for sending me a review copy of this novel! The Wall is smart and intricate in its world building. The novel was easy to devour! The text could be somewhat dry at times but the novel was very well-structured.

At times, I didn’t feel much of a connection with the characters but I do think that this novel was a great set up of what is to come. The ending leaves you wanting more and it promises to show us life beyond The Wall.

I can relate to other reviewers that have expressed disappointment at reading the whole novel without finding out what’s beyond, but the author knows how to hook a reader into reading their next book.

The setting within The Wall is very interesting. This is one of the few novels where I actually used the map, as this piece of the world has such a unique set up. I loved that aspect!

Great job, Gautam. I can’t wait to see where it goes. I cannot foresee a sophomore slump with book two, this has such a wonderful set up for an amazing continuation.