A Book Review - The Curse - A Dystopian Thriller by Randeep Wadehra

I found the details about this book in the mail by TheBookClub. They were conducting book tour for "The Curse - A Dystopian Thriller" by Randeep Wadehra, and that made me check the book in depth. Well, I didn't find many reviews as the book was recently released, but the description was eye-catching. Though genre, dystopia, and blurb were looking out of sync, I decided to take a chance. And finally, here I am discussing it. (Though I am 1-2  weeks late by the schedule, I think it's better late than never)

Book Blurb

Through peace, it’s justice we seek!

The hunter will meet the fate of the hunted

And the mighty will serve the meek!

Twenty years ago, a corrupt President, a greedy industrialist, and a sycophant policeman uprooted the tribal people from their own land and burned their houses. Twenty years later, the Republic of Bodh is in danger from a similar evil troika.

The curse uttered by a frail tribal woman during the carnage twenty years ago has inspired Jwaala, the only female leader in the senate, to reform the Republic of Bodh.

But the same curse has turned Saaya, once an innocent victim of the massacre, into a relentless killing machine with a mission to prey on the predators.

Even when the Republic spirals into a storm of scandals, the greedy and corrupt President Chaupat is torn between his lust for a dancer and his unrequited passion for his wife Kaamini.

Will Saaya succeed in his mission or will Chaupat thwart his efforts?

Will Jwaala, orphaned in a violent attack, be able to turn the curse for the greedy into a blessing for the poor? Will she succeed to save the Republic from another ensuing bloodshed?

The Curse is a gritty political thriller about people who have lost much to greed but want to transform their nation. 

As per blurb, the book was more of a political thriller. So words like corruption, politics confused me. Once I started reading the book, I got cleared. Though the author has used today's India's burning issues in the plot, he had shown them as a part of an imaginary country. A country where the system was in complete jeopardy, where corruption had reached to its roots, where money and power spoke and ruled with ironclad. Amidst that system, rose a savior (for common people) known as Saaya. His ways were extreme, and he claimed that the need of the hour was violence. Then there was a greedy ruling couple (Kind and Queen) and his minister (the most corrupted one). Read the book to know more.

Though the language used is in control, I would recommend that 16+ should read the book. The story is fueled with emotions, it shows how personal gain of few is fulfilled by sacrificing thousands. Saaya in many terms shows those ignored people who needed proper attention. The story is a bit dark and bold, you will find less number of such content, especially in Indian literature. One should read this book if he or she would like to understand human behavior and political dramas.

I would give 4 out of 5 stars to this bold story of love, lust, and greed.

Book can be found at Amazon India & Amazon USA

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads