~ Is revenge a crime?
Author: Ravi Subramanian
Publisher: Penguin Books India
Price: Rs. 299/-
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 3/5
ISBN- 9780143421399
Owing to some prior engagements, I am a little late in putting up this review, but here it is. My review of the book, ‘God is a Gamer’ –
Plot – The first few pages provide an insight to the readers about the currency of the dark web, ‘Bitcoins’, when WikiLeaks decides to unfold some dirty secrets of the US government.
The assassination of a powerful US senator, Gillian Tan, also a close friend to the American President, puts the investigating officer Adrian Scott and his companion Tony in a daze.
Meanwhile, the mysterious death, labelled to be suicide, of an influential banker Malvika Sehgal, by plunging off a high-rise building in Mumbai flummoxes the Indian media when the name of the finance minister is put on the suspect list. Tanya, the daughter of the dead banker, is hysterical about her mother’s death.
The phishing attacks on one of the most prestigious banks of India, NYIB puts Swami’s career as well as their outsourcing partner, eTIOS’s (the BPO) credibility on stake.
Aditya and Sandeep, the founders of eTIOS and Indiscape, a gaming company, are trying very hard to keep the revenue flowing by following the traditional methods of business. Townsville, the new game launched by Indiscape didn’t become as popular among gamers as expected before the genius Varun, Aditya’s son, enters and turns the company’s fortunes around.
The story takes a turn when Tanya and Varun strike a cord and fall for each other… or maybe not?
Simultaneously, the trading through the dark web is turning the life of people upside down. Bitcoins have become the new gold. As the greed increases, so does the crime.
Blasts, murders, accidents and encounters… The FBI, CIA and CBI are all on different trails… or the same?
The motive is unknown and so is the culprit. Adrian’s mind is working restlessly but the conclusion seems far away. Would this case be his career-defining case?
Welcome the future of trading! The currency of the dark web – Bitcoins! The first ever bitcoin thriller by Ravi Subramanian justifies the title throughout the book. Like his previous works, this book too has several stories running parallel till the completion of 75% of the book after which the stories start to link. The culprit can be guessed easily when one reaches the last quarter of the book. However, the epilogue is quite unexpected and makes the story quite clear.
Pros:
• Fresh subject – Bitcoins
• Short chapters
• Gripping twists and turns
• Simple language.
Cons:
• Too many stories running parallel
• Overflow of characters
• Easy to guess mystery
• Too technical at places
Personal opinion – I haven’t read any book of Ravi Subramanian except this but reading about him told me a lot about his way of writing. I’d say, his way matches Ashwin Sanghi in a way and they both have done a commendable justice with their respective books. God is a Gamer, for me, was a little boring. There came certain points when I felt the rush of just getting over with the book which according to me marks the book down. For an instance, if the book could have engrossed me, I wouldn’t have noticed the typo on page number 216, line number 11. The author has done a thorough research about the Bitcoins but I feel that they could have been used more in the story. When I call it the first bitcoin thriller, I want to read something exclusive about bitcoins. Moreover, the author has used the real names of companies like Visa, MasterCard and so on. I wonder how the companies agreed upon their names being used negatively.
The book, according to me, is an unhurried read. I didn’t feel too excited about what would happen next because I would forget the last chapter as a totally different story played in the coming chapters. I’m referring to the several stories running parallel. Too many characters confuse the reader and make him lose the focus.
But overall, this book did enlighten me on the concept of the currency of the future, bitcoins and that gives the book an advantage. The author has profusely used banks showcasing his banking knowledge and I enjoyed every bit of it. So, to sum up, I would say, ‘you should give this book a try because it has got something that no other book offers… an insight to the digital currency - Bitcoin’
Happy Reading and wish you all a very Happy Diwali, the festival of lights!
