Title: AgniBaan : Guardians of the Fire Chamber
Author: S. Venkatesh
Publisher: TreeShade Books
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery Thriller
First Publication: 2021
Language: English
Book Summary: AgniBaan : Guardians of the Fire Chamber by S. Venkatesh
535 CE
A young warrior sails from Egypt to a secret destination in India, carrying a mysterious package from the Great Pyramid. He guards a secret for which wars have been fought, for which men have staged the most ruthless massacres.
But the forces of darkness are not far behind.
Present day
The favorite for the US Presidential election is assassinated. Nuclear submarines are destroyed. An Indian army convoy faces a deadly border attack. And a terrible fate awaits Delhi, as the city hurtles towards a long night of destruction.
Yet, this is just the beginning.
As the trail of the AgniBaan races from desolate lakes to dense jungles, from lost cities to hidden temples, from the US election campaign to bloodthirsty underground duels, it is clear that an ancient prophecy is coming true.
Empires will fall. Darkness will prevail Hell’s fury shall be unleashed
Book Review: AgniBaan : Guardians of the Fire Chamber by S. Venkatesh
Humans are greedy by nature since their inception and their desire for controlling others make them more ruthless. S Venkatesh makes this human trait the focus of his latest historical thriller, AgniBaan. Built around two interwoven stories, one from the 535 CE and one present day, the book is set in Egypt, US and India. Author S Venkatesh mixes a decent understanding of folklore and history and came up with a great conspiracy in this fast paced quest for the AgniBaan.
The story opens in 535 CE. With a mysterious package from the Great Pyramid in Egypt, a young warrior plies the blue seas toward a secret destination in India. Secrets he harbors have motivated men for wars, to organize the worst massacres. Unbeknownst to young warrior, there are others on the trail, people willing to kill to acquire what they believe he possesses.
In present days, an assassin takes out Peter Decker, the American Presidential frontrunner, during his visit to India. In India, an army convoy is attacked by militants along the border. And now Delhi’s fate is grim, as it hurtles towards a long night of destruction. It is evident that an ancient prophecy is coming to pass as the AgniBaan trails from desolate lakes to dense jungles, from lost cities to hidden temples, from US election campaigns to blood-thirsty underground fights. As the story progresses, it becomes a game of “who do you trust?”, with plenty of actions, twists, and other perils.
S Venkatesh writes detail-oriented, history heavy action-adventure. It took me a bit to get used to his writing style, but I have to say it really worked for me. I found the history aspects quite interesting and intriguing. He takes some history, puts in a plot, covers it with detail, and keeps the action going. I loved Dhruv, one of the two main characters of this story, who is a serious brainiac with innate detective instincts. Megha, another protagonist in the story, is a strong and pivotal character in this novel. Both Dhruv and Megha really carry the show. One of the things I really liked about the author’s writing in this story is occasionally he puts in a chapter taking us back to the 535 CE and the warrior whom we met in the prologue.
The story is well-paced, the plot twists and turns engagingly. There were no stopping and thinking moments from opening to shutting the book. The characters are sufficiently motivated to propel the action to its conclusion. I liked how S Venkatesh allowed the two principal characters to examine their situation during the course of the story, questioning and scrutinizing their relationship. I really appreciate all the research that went into this book. All the geographical and theological knowledge sprinkled throughout the story makes this book more engaging. It is really interesting to see how story hopped from the US to India to ancient Egypt and always at just the right moment that your appetite was wetted ready for you to return to the previous place and set of characters.
AgniBaan by S Venkatesh is essentially exactly what I’ve been looking for: a smart historical action-adventure-thriller with interesting characters, involving ancient mysteries and conspiracy theory. Author S Venkatesh doesn’t let his readers down when it comes to things blowing up, characters in serious jeopardy, and violent, gruesome deaths. If you’re up for a novel about secret societies guarding ancient mysteries or you’re a fan of Dan Brown’s books, then AgniBaan by S. Venkatesh should do the trick.
