The World’s
Oldest, Most Powerful Secret Society by Anand Arungundram Mohan is a riveting
fantasy novel that shuttles between two timelines. At the beginning of the
novel, the story visits the King Ashoka’s kingdom. The author has re-instated
that the king was inspired by the kingdom of Rama, hence he selected and sent
nine men in search of great discoveries on communications, anti-gravity, time
travel and much more. However, the startling truth is that those books were yet
to be discovered or even if they got to be discovered well then it has to be
done by very special and deserving class of people. Thus, all nine men took one
another’s books and moved to hide those books in different parts of the world.
From the same time, one man named Raza travels extensively to hide a book based
on anti-gravity and he hides it somewhere in South India. This time is around
BC era.
Fast forward,
in 2006, nine children born in the same city – Hyderabad. They play and grow
together. Unlike decent kids, they are rebels and love breaking the rules. Well
one day, while playing cricket one of their friends Gopal dies instantly after
being hit in the groin. Things change here after, the novel picks up speed and
totally turns into an incredible fantasy, brims with missed adventure and magic
and gossiping and children rivalry. After Gopal, eight children are left and
they decide to bring back their friend. How and why… fills the rest of the
narration. Pick up this book to know how did children get to a hidden book of
anti-gravity and what next they have to grab to bring back Gopal and why were
they so desperate to bring him back…is there any possibly back story or some
dark secret.
As the story
chugs ahead, the children take up the charge of the plot and it becomes
unputdownable when they struggle for something amidst the new and unknown land
of Pakistan. Will they be able to come back safely? Or what was the need arose
that they had to go Pakistan without having permission and proper visas. How did
they go there?
Keeping all
the reins of narration lose, the novel turns out to be a great read without
overlapping into each other’s sphere. The language is lucid with witty
dialogues – overall it makes the story like a movie is going on before the eyes
of readers. Despite some pitfalls the novel sounds so surreal yet fantastical
in tone. It is a good effort by the author.
Comments
Post a Comment