Official Review: Labyrinth of the Wind by Madhav Misra

[OB Brian]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Labyrinth of the Wind" by Madhav Misra.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The atmosphere in Iran in 1978 was far from cordial. With the government and religion at loggerheads over the mass shooting of demonstrators in Qom, the massacre in Tabriz, and other killings that the state instigated, the country was tense, especially Tehran, the capital city. This dispute would lead to the ousting of the Shah in January of 1979, ending the reign of the Pahlavi dynasty. Anyway, Labyrinth of the Wind by Madhav Misra narrates the story of Ayan Pathak as an expatriate amid this unrest.

Ayan, the chief financial officer at Iran Power, carries on with his life as usual. Well, almost usual considering he witnesses as the government kills a young civilian by the road on his way to work, and Gaby, his girlfriend, returns home to Germany. However, when his boss instructs him to help the government with the illegal acquisition of uranium to facilitate the development of nuclear weapons, Ayan knows he is trapped. Participation in this deal promises him the financial freedom that will enable him to be with Gaby─if he does not end up in jail first. However, it violates treaties Iran signed regarding nuclear power, and the fact that he knows about it makes him a loose end should he refuse to participate. With no chance of going back, and as Tehran’s mood swings become less and less predictable, Ayan must navigate the situation carefully if he wishes to breathe any more oxygen.

In a word, this book is exhilarating. The author skilfully blends corruption and treachery with historical events to create a beautiful work of fiction that will leave you furious, frightened, relieved, and blissful. The addition of just the right dosage of romance and fistfights here and there makes this narration a mesmeric roller coaster ride. However, it also makes the read unsuitable for a younger audience and readers who do not appreciate adult content and violence.

Misra vividly describes places, events, and characters, enabling readers to feel one with the story. As the tale unfolded, I found myself angry at the protagonist in one instance and patting him on the back (in my head, of course) in another for the choices he makes. Whichever it was, I remained glued to the novel, an aspect I loved most about this title.

Nonetheless, Labyrinth of the Wind was not without flaws. It contains a few grammatical and typographical errors that speak ill of the book. The mistakes were trivial and did not hamper my reading. Nevertheless, they need to be rectified; hence, I recommend another round of editing.

That said, I gladly award this work a rating of four out of four stars. The faults mentioned above have not warranted a penalty since they were few and barely noticeable. I recommend this novel to young adults and a mature audience, especially lovers of historical fiction. Labyrinth of the Wind is a novel you do not want to miss.

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Labyrinth of the Wind
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[GoodLuck ES]

Expatriate amidst an unrest, and given such a tough job by his boss, It'll be interesting to see how he turns out.

Great review.

[Kavita Shah]

Wonderful review! It's trouble when you're stuck in situations where government and illegal stuff is involved.

[Kennedy NC]

Civic unrest within a country seems to be something never really written much about. Great review.

[teacupstorm]

Good job with your review. It sounds like you really enjoyed it and your review is very eloquent, it makes me want to read it. It sounds like a very detailed and interesting novel.

[Maria 29]

Awesome written review! I highly appreciate it, even though I am not a fan of history:)

[Becca Olsson]

Wow, what an interesting topic to build a narrative on! I’m very excited to add this book to my must read pile. Thanks for the great review!

[markodim721]

Congratulations to the author on a great story and plot dynamics that can serve as an example for everyone.

[OB Brian]

Expatriate amidst an unrest, and given such a tough job by his boss, It'll be interesting to see how he turns out.

Great review.

Thanks for the comment

[OB Brian]

Wow, what an interesting topic to build a narrative on! I’m very excited to add this book to my must read pile. Thanks for the great review!

Thanks for your comment Becca. You won't be disappointed.

[OB Brian]

Awesome written review! I highly appreciate it, even though I am not a fan of history:)

You just made me smile. Thank you.

[OB Brian]

Good job with your review. It sounds like you really enjoyed it and your review is very eloquent, it makes me want to read it. It sounds like a very detailed and interesting novel.

It is a captivating story. Enjoyment is guaranteed. Thanks for the comment.

[OB Brian]

Wonderful review! It's trouble when you're stuck in situations where government and illegal stuff is involved.

Thank you

[OB Brian]

Civic unrest within a country seems to be something never really written much about. Great review.

Thanks for the comment

[OB Brian]

Congratulations to the author on a great story and plot dynamics that can serve as an example for everyone.

Indeed.