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The Vault of Vishnu, a review



Whenever we read an author for the first time, we are curious to see if the book caters to our pre-conceived expectations about the author's work. Ashwin Sanghi is well known for his thrillers mixed with mythology, history along with political twists and turns. His book 'The Vault of Vishnu' reads on well as a thriller interlinked with Indian history. However, for readers who grew up on western thrillers and expect the fast pace of such a genre, some sections become a bit of a drag.

 My interest was piqued when I saw that the Chinese monk Xuanzang's journey to India was similar to that of the book 'Journey to the West,' the serialised Chinese version I had seen long ago and loved. The author's narration of the monk's journey is interesting. However, a good thriller seems to be lost among a huge amount of research. I feel the mention and explanation of the places which the monk visited during his journey were not necessary in so much detail in a thriller. Yet, the author has blended well the present day poitics of war and bureaucracy with the historical journey of the Chinese monk and the politics of his times in China and India. The protagonist of the thriller Pam Khurana and her quest for the reason behind the Chinese super strength is quite interesting and unique. The best part of the book, to me, was about the reclusive scientist and his daughter, and also the tribe which protected ancient knowledge and their connection to Hanuman, the destroyer of ego. Their past story is what makes the book interesting, apart from its connection to the Chinese warfare of today.

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