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1857 - The Sword of Mastaan
Lonesome songs of patriots dead... forgotten by the bards of Hindustan.
The haunting tale of a cursed ancient city, and of a ruthless foreign marauder.
Condemned to the crypts of history... a dark chapter, etched in red ink by white opium hands. It is the tale of a war immortal, long buried in the false coffins of a so-called rebellion.
As the magnificent Bandookbaaz risks everything in favor of life, the metropolis of Delhi emerges as the epicentre of an imperial genocide. A nation erupts in violent revolution – even as one extraordinary man stands between the hate of millions... and the love of one.
The Devil himself infiltrates the realm of men – guised in the unholy trinity of Theo the Reaper, Nicholson the God, and Hodson the Executioner.
Mastaan, Chhagan, Zafar, Manglo, D’Cruze, Shahbaaz, the Dervish, Fay and Ghalib - all are mere pawns in the savage hands of fate.
Befell a curse, on a trail of blood,
the measure of time forgotten;
He waits, he grunts, the dark djinn hunts,
till the grave of Delhi turns rotten.
About the Author
Vineet is a first-generation entrepreneur. At age 22, he started his company Magnon from a small shed. Today, Magnon is among the largest marketing & advertising groups in the subcontinent. Vineet has also led the global top-ten advertising agency TBWA as its India CEO, making him perhaps the youngest ever CEO of a multinational advertising network in the country.
He has won several entrepreneurship and corporate excellence awards, including the CNBC Mercedes Benz Young Turks Award 2013 and the Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2016. He was recently listed among the 100 Most Influential People in India’s Digital Ecosystem.
Vineet’s second venture, Talentrack, is disrupting the Indian media & entertainment industry. It is the fastest-growing hiring and creative crowdsourcing platform for the sector.
Counted among the country’s most admired authors, Vineet has written seven books before 1857 – The Sword of Mastaan. An HT Nielsen chart-topping author, his business and inspirational books Build From Scratch (2004), The Street to the Highway (2011) and The 30 Something CEO (2016) have been highly acclaimed.
Vineet’s iconic Harappa Series has sold over 2.5 lac copies, making it one of the biggest successes in the history of Indian fiction.
Reviews
Vineet Bajpai... undoubtedly India’s new literary superstar – TIMES OF INDIA
Mastaan... has the potential to alter the discourse of history – OUTLOOK
Vineet... has taken the country by storm – DNA
Vineet Bajpai... India’s answer to Dan Brown – HINDUSTAN TIMES
The haunting tale of a cursed ancient city, and of a ruthless foreign marauder.
Condemned to the crypts of history... a dark chapter, etched in red ink by white opium hands. It is the tale of a war immortal, long buried in the false coffins of a so-called rebellion.
As the magnificent Bandookbaaz risks everything in favor of life, the metropolis of Delhi emerges as the epicentre of an imperial genocide. A nation erupts in violent revolution – even as one extraordinary man stands between the hate of millions... and the love of one.
The Devil himself infiltrates the realm of men – guised in the unholy trinity of Theo the Reaper, Nicholson the God, and Hodson the Executioner.
Mastaan, Chhagan, Zafar, Manglo, D’Cruze, Shahbaaz, the Dervish, Fay and Ghalib - all are mere pawns in the savage hands of fate.
Befell a curse, on a trail of blood,
the measure of time forgotten;
He waits, he grunts, the dark djinn hunts,
till the grave of Delhi turns rotten.
About the Author
Vineet is a first-generation entrepreneur. At age 22, he started his company Magnon from a small shed. Today, Magnon is among the largest marketing & advertising groups in the subcontinent. Vineet has also led the global top-ten advertising agency TBWA as its India CEO, making him perhaps the youngest ever CEO of a multinational advertising network in the country.
He has won several entrepreneurship and corporate excellence awards, including the CNBC Mercedes Benz Young Turks Award 2013 and the Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2016. He was recently listed among the 100 Most Influential People in India’s Digital Ecosystem.
Vineet’s second venture, Talentrack, is disrupting the Indian media & entertainment industry. It is the fastest-growing hiring and creative crowdsourcing platform for the sector.
Counted among the country’s most admired authors, Vineet has written seven books before 1857 – The Sword of Mastaan. An HT Nielsen chart-topping author, his business and inspirational books Build From Scratch (2004), The Street to the Highway (2011) and The 30 Something CEO (2016) have been highly acclaimed.
Vineet’s iconic Harappa Series has sold over 2.5 lac copies, making it one of the biggest successes in the history of Indian fiction.
Reviews
Vineet Bajpai... undoubtedly India’s new literary superstar – TIMES OF INDIA
Mastaan... has the potential to alter the discourse of history – OUTLOOK
Vineet... has taken the country by storm – DNA
Vineet Bajpai... India’s answer to Dan Brown – HINDUSTAN TIMES
283 pages, Paperback
Published November 26, 2021
34 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Vineet Bajpai
15 books370 followersVineet is a first-generation entrepreneur. At age 22 he started his company Magnon from a small shed. Today Magnon is among the largest digital agencies in the subcontinent, and part of the Fortune 500 Omnicom Group.
He has led the global top-ten advertising agency TBWA as its India CEO. This made him perhaps the youngest ever CEO of a multinational advertising network in the country.
He has won several entrepreneurship and corporate excellence awards, including the Entrepreneur of the Year 2016. He was recently listed among the 100 Most Influential People in India’s Digital Ecosystem.
Vineet’s second company talentrack is disrupting the media, entertainment & creative industry in India. It is the fastest-growing online hiring and networking platform for the sector.
He has written three bestselling management & inspirational books – Build From Scratch, The Street to the Highway and The 30 Something CEO.
He is an avid swimmer, a gaming enthusiast, a bonfire guitarist and a road-trip junkie. He is 39.
He has led the global top-ten advertising agency TBWA as its India CEO. This made him perhaps the youngest ever CEO of a multinational advertising network in the country.
He has won several entrepreneurship and corporate excellence awards, including the Entrepreneur of the Year 2016. He was recently listed among the 100 Most Influential People in India’s Digital Ecosystem.
Vineet’s second company talentrack is disrupting the media, entertainment & creative industry in India. It is the fastest-growing online hiring and networking platform for the sector.
He has written three bestselling management & inspirational books – Build From Scratch, The Street to the Highway and The 30 Something CEO.
He is an avid swimmer, a gaming enthusiast, a bonfire guitarist and a road-trip junkie. He is 39.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 12, 2022
Coming from a creative warhorse and genius, it is no surprise that Vineet’s writings hold your attention till the end. I bet once you start reading you will not be able to put it down till you have completed the novel. Even then you will be left gasping for the next in the series.
One reading will not be doing justice to the two books out so far in the series. It is only when you read it the second time, you would realize with what finesse and craft Vineet has managed to layer historical records with a heart-warming love story. A novel worth being taught in the schools for its historical authenticity and emphasis on human values!
One reading will not be doing justice to the two books out so far in the series. It is only when you read it the second time, you would realize with what finesse and craft Vineet has managed to layer historical records with a heart-warming love story. A novel worth being taught in the schools for its historical authenticity and emphasis on human values!
February 13, 2021
I was little disappointed with the first part, but the second part has turned out as superb. I have been a huge fan of the author after the harappa series.
June 25, 2021
Impressive Read
The second part of the historical fiction centered around India's first war of Independence in the "Mastaan" series by Vineet Bajpai is as interesting as the first. With the spark of mutiny lighted by the hanging of Mangal Pandey, the revolt against the East India Company has begun with many princely states joining the freedom movement. The company citing this movement invokes its famous Divide and Rule policy in the name of religion and caste creating a rift in the mutineers. The protagonist is at a crossroads and dilemma with love for the motherland on one side and the love for Fay on the other side, wishing for her safety and safe passage out of Delhi. Meanwhile, three indomitable British generals are leading their troops to lay siege on Delhi. The story also touches upon Manikarnika aka Jhansi ki Rani and her unfeigned support to the cause of independence. Likewise, there is mention of people who have cowardly fractured and backstabbed the freedom movement in favor of the Company. What does not fit into the plot is the role of the occult and how the death of Tipu Sultan decides the fate of Delhi. The afternotes in this sequel are very impressive as it gives the readers an insight into the origin of the land called 'Bharat' and its transformation to modern 'India'. Waiting for the third book in the Trilogy 'Delhi - City of the Blood Gates' to comprehend the valor of Mastaan in protecting the siege of Delhi. Great Read.
The second part of the historical fiction centered around India's first war of Independence in the "Mastaan" series by Vineet Bajpai is as interesting as the first. With the spark of mutiny lighted by the hanging of Mangal Pandey, the revolt against the East India Company has begun with many princely states joining the freedom movement. The company citing this movement invokes its famous Divide and Rule policy in the name of religion and caste creating a rift in the mutineers. The protagonist is at a crossroads and dilemma with love for the motherland on one side and the love for Fay on the other side, wishing for her safety and safe passage out of Delhi. Meanwhile, three indomitable British generals are leading their troops to lay siege on Delhi. The story also touches upon Manikarnika aka Jhansi ki Rani and her unfeigned support to the cause of independence. Likewise, there is mention of people who have cowardly fractured and backstabbed the freedom movement in favor of the Company. What does not fit into the plot is the role of the occult and how the death of Tipu Sultan decides the fate of Delhi. The afternotes in this sequel are very impressive as it gives the readers an insight into the origin of the land called 'Bharat' and its transformation to modern 'India'. Waiting for the third book in the Trilogy 'Delhi - City of the Blood Gates' to comprehend the valor of Mastaan in protecting the siege of Delhi. Great Read.
February 8, 2021
It’s a history book of 1857 first Indian independence war. Mastaan and his troop are sometimes mentioned with real British of that time, but 70% of the text is devoted to three real British officers who did exist at the time of 1857 war of independence and did play a role.
The author has not made any secret of what Zafars third wish was and hence made the plot of third book also very clear.
However, it is a fast paced book since it covers a period of few months. The occult part is yet to make sense and does not really fit in very well. Why should a southern king’s curse on a person affect the fate of Delhi?
Was most impressed with notes after the book concluded where the author establishes the "winner's lies" that Bharat was made by British. Am interested in the third book, again as a view of history from the supposed losers perspective, not really invested in Mastaan and his merry men.
The author has not made any secret of what Zafars third wish was and hence made the plot of third book also very clear.
However, it is a fast paced book since it covers a period of few months. The occult part is yet to make sense and does not really fit in very well. Why should a southern king’s curse on a person affect the fate of Delhi?
Was most impressed with notes after the book concluded where the author establishes the "winner's lies" that Bharat was made by British. Am interested in the third book, again as a view of history from the supposed losers perspective, not really invested in Mastaan and his merry men.
July 27, 2025
1857: The Sword of Mastaan
In the second book, readers are thrust into the very heart of the uprising. With supernatural elements weaving through the narrative, secret alliances come to light, and Mastaan faces a pivotal choice between the shadows of his past and the blazing path ahead. As Delhi transforms into a battleground, the tension escalates, revealing betrayal lurking beneath the surface of loyalty.
In the second book, readers are thrust into the very heart of the uprising. With supernatural elements weaving through the narrative, secret alliances come to light, and Mastaan faces a pivotal choice between the shadows of his past and the blazing path ahead. As Delhi transforms into a battleground, the tension escalates, revealing betrayal lurking beneath the surface of loyalty.
August 4, 2023
Fiction and History get entwined
Enjoyed the tale of Mastaan in the backdrop of the rising of 1857! The background lends credibility to the story . It's a saga of death , deceit , gore and bravery despite odds . The last chapter's patriotic flavour of Bharatvarsha was the ultimate !
Enjoyed the tale of Mastaan in the backdrop of the rising of 1857! The background lends credibility to the story . It's a saga of death , deceit , gore and bravery despite odds . The last chapter's patriotic flavour of Bharatvarsha was the ultimate !
July 19, 2021
A fast paced novel , in which author brings back the Delhi of 1857... even reflect his idea about the uprising.. giving the heroes a perfect tribute with a fictional character of Mastaan. Eagerly waiting for the third part of triology.
January 25, 2022
Just like the Harappa series, Vineet Bajpai doesn't fail to stitch a tale of courage, valour and love for the freedom fighters of the First war of Independent India. This book is a great fictional work and a true dedication for them.
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April 11, 2023Speechless writing
December 11, 2022
Book 1/35 - 2022.. An exciting and fast paced book 2 of the Mastaan series by @vineet.bajpai . The story picked up from where it was left in book 1, the character shaping is excellent with a knack to introduce twist at the right moment. I am more curious to know about the fate of the multiple side characters who are as important as the main protagonist. If someone likes history and is interested in reading a fictional take on the 1857 mutiny, please pick this series. You will not be disappointed for sure..
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews