Shakti: Your Power. Our Rules.

Rajorshi Chakraborti

Penguin

This is a novel that is woven together by countless layers of plot, character and metaphysical mystery. My first impression was bewilderment as I tried to work out what was going on. The setting is modern India and the story follows three female heroes who appear to have been given an amazing gift: the ability to mind-read.

The first part involves a nasty murder of a young man, committed by a 15-year-old girl. The story then switches to focus on young teacher and Agony Uncle columnist Jaya, who has just received a message from Shivani, who wishes to forgo the column and meet to share some of the strange and fearful powers that she seems to suddenly have. Another quick switch of time and character leads to Arati, a humble woman who is grieving for her lost child.

The women become connected by a power of mind movement, presented as Gifts, where they can connect with the thoughts and desires of others, and therefore influence consequent actions. With some loose introductory events, the stories of the three women meld into a kaleidoscope of relentless action and bewildering interaction, speeding up through the rest of the novel.

I sometimes felt that a lack of dimension was overlaid by too many supplementary characters, and that the complexity of the story masked detail. This is only the first volume of a series, so more will be explained forthwith!