In this article, I will review the latest novel by Aurijit Ganguli – The Mystery Mountains. Before this one, Aurijit wrote the novel titled The Shambala Sutras. The Shambala Sutras takes the readers to a mythical place Shambala, somewhere in the Tibetian mountains. In his latest book, Aurijit has taken the readers mainly to the mountain ranges of Peru, in search of light, ancient wisdom, knowledge of the things we could never imagine and linking things (once again unimagined) in a way that leaves behind all those mysteries in fiction you might have read! I know it’s a grand assertion to make. However, you need to read this work first, and then you would, perhaps, agree with me more conveniently than I could have imagined while writing this sentence. The Mystery Mountains is a hell of a read. A mixture of science fiction, mystery, adventure, history, mythology, spirituality, and realism – that’s what I can call The Mystery Mountains in one go. 

The novel begins with an introduction to the Raja Bali and Vamana episode from the Hindu scriptures. However, there is a twist. Pratyushpuri University – a name that caught my attention – a place of learning, scientific and scholarly pursuits, with zero discrimination on the basis of social, political, or economic status, resembles very much of the ancient Indian way, that existed in Jambudwipa. Well, the readers who will read the first chapter carefully will get the gist of the storyline rather better, completely and in a delightful way. SO, read the first chapter very carefully! 

Aurijit introduces his characters in the next few chapters. He does so in a fashion that the readers get a hold of the protagonists and also the storyline. Lisa and Arjun make their comebacks in the second novel by Aurijit. Their fate takes them together, once again, on a mission to locate and rescue Miguel Torero, a revolutionary anthropologist who reveals to the world that the antediluvian world was far more advanced and capable with their knowledge and tech that they could safeguard themselves from the great flood. Though the assertion seems far-fetched, it does raise one’s curiosity to read the novel to the end. 

I would also like to give Aurijit Ganguli full marks for the way he has created an atmosphere of tension and supply in the novel. He keeps his readers curious and supplies some clues in the next chapter. He does it frequently. And the novel goes on. A reader will find himself engaged till the very end, the great revelation about the pieces of a grand machine that a secret brotherhood built to ensure that the world has it in the times of need. And the time of need has been set in the premise of the novel – the debris of a comet hitting the earth in 2030, and it might cause heavy havoc on the people of earth. 

Arjun and Lisa get together for one mission, but the novelist changes the course of their mission a few times with twists that he has planned for the readers. Peru to India, Mountains of Peru to a temple in Kerala, from the lakes to the heights of a hill… the novel takes the readers to the ups and downs of the world, quite literally, revealing some of the shocking secrets that would chill the spines of many. For sure. 

I would certainly say that this is a very engaging novel everyone should read. The first and the second chapters set the pace for the readers. Afterwards, they must find it absorbing. Arjun, Lisa and Miguel trek to the heights of mysterious mountains encountering many strange things. That should be enough before they finally reveal secrets among themselves and find new friends who could guide them to find who are the chosen ones to guard the human civilisation’s bigger secrets in 2021… the timeframe of the novel’s storyline. Yes, with COVID-19. 

You might find maps, details of the places, introductions to the sites, and much other information useful for the growth of the storyline at times. Sometimes, you may find, the details become annoying as they slow the storyline down. It depends upon the readers’ reception entirely. People may have their preferences. 

Overall, The Mystery Mountains is one of the most satisfying reads I had in years. It truly blows your mind. It also pushes you into the posture of thinking saint many times. Enjoy it! You can get a copy from Amazon India by clicking the link below: 

Get a copy of The Mystery Mountains from Amazon – click here 

Review by Manish for BookWorm Reviews