The Tenth Riddle is the third book by Sapan Saxena. It was released in October 2021 and is published by Locksley Hall. The novel follows murder of erstwhile princess of Goner, Rajasthan and how her murder is linked to a deep rooted secret in the history of Indian sub-continent. The novel deals with mythological themes, specifically centered around the prime Hindu goddess Adi Parashakti or Mahadevi and her ten forms of Mahavidya.
 | |
| Author | Sapan Saxena |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Indian History, Myth, Fiction, Devi |
| Genre | Mystery |
| Publisher | Locksley Hall |
Publication date | October 2021 |
| Publication place | India |
| ISBN | 978-8-195405-51-0 |
The novel was launched in Lucknow by Kaushal Kishore, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India. The launch was also attended by Shaista Ambar, President of All India Muslim Women's Personal Law Board[1][2][3] [4] [5]
In his interview with News Now, Sapan Saxena shared that "he has tried to explore the concept of sacred feminism with the context of a murder mystery"[6]
Plot
editThe book opens six years back from the current day with the murder of erstwhile princess of Goner, Avni Saraswat. In the present day, the lawyer of the royal family reaches out to the National Commission for Women which further approach the offices of Intelligence Bureau(India), New Delhi. Deputy Director Shoumik Haldar along with bestselling author Ishan Vajpayee and Shakti Sinha, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Jaipur form a team to crack the case. They travel to Goner and realize the case is much darker and murkier than what they originally anticipated. They come across ten riddles, each based on the ten forms of Mahadevi, called the Mahavidya and solve them one by one.
Marketing
editBecause of the COVID-19 induced travel restrictions, marketing of The Tenth Riddle was majorly done in online sphere. Sapan usually has a trend of revealing the title first, then the cover, then the trailer and finally, launch the book. This trend continued with The Tenth Riddle as well. The marketing campaign kickstarted with Press release of the book which was hosted at Cappuccino Blast, Lucknow.[7] [8] [9] [10]
Reception
editThe Tenth Riddle received mostly positive reviews from critics across major national dailies of India. Within two months of its release, Delhi Wire put The Tenth Riddle in their list of "Top 10 Books You Shouldn’t Miss Reading This November."[11]
The Pioneer considered it an interesting concoction of history, mythology, ancient secrets and, a tinge of feminism.[12]
In the third month of its release, News Now put The Tenth Riddle in its list of "BOOKS YOU DEFINITELY SHOULDN’T MISS THIS WINTER".[13]
On December 16, 2021, The Asian Chronicle featured Sapan Saxena along with The Tenth Riddle as Sapan claimed "I want to always gift my readers something new and unique to read. A lot of effort goes into the same and it clearly shows in the reviews.".[14]
On November 16, 2021, The Tenth Riddle was trending on top 3 spots of Twitter trends on a national level.` Samata Dey of IndiaCafe24 calls the book "a well-drafted and well-crafted book that is worth a read if you love a thriller with a touch of mythology."[15] Aditi Debnath on the Medium writes "The story had a perfect blend of mythology and thriller. With simple writing, the author roots out with varied ill ancient practices which took place in our country"[16]
References
edit- ^ Mishra, OP (23 November 2021). "Beti Bachao Sangoshti mein uthi awaaz". Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ "Bhartiya Nagrik Parishad" (PDF). 25 November 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- ^ "Launch of The Tenth Riddle". 25 November 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- ^ News, ABP (24 November 2021). "Launch of The Tenth Riddle". Retrieved 25 November 2021.
{{cite news}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "Launch of The Tenth Riddle". 23 November 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ Malhotra, Chirdeep (16 December 2021). "ON WRITING A BOOK WITH THE CORE THEME OF SACRED FEMINISM". Retrieved 16 December 2021.
- ^ "Lucknow's Sapan likes Thrilling". 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
- ^ Shrivastava, Ashwini (21 October 2021). "Combo of Mystery and Mythology". Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- ^ Khan, Imran (21 October 2021). "Lucknow's Sapan presents The Tenth Riddle". Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- ^ Bajpai, Priya (21 October 2021). "Combo of Mystery and Mythology is The Tenth Riddle". Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- ^ Wire, Delhi (19 November 2021). "Top 10 Books You Shouldn't Miss Reading This November". Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ "The Tenth Riddle… A crime thriller with riveting plot". 2 December 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ Malhotra, Chirdeep (2 December 2021). "BOOKS YOU DEFINITELY SHOULDN'T MISS THIS WINTER". Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ "Best selling author Sapan Saxena creates another winner!". 16 December 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
- ^ Dey, Samata. "The Tenth Riddle – Mystery, Riddle, Mythology and Suspense – A Perfect Combo Thriller".
- ^ Debnath, Aditi (13 December 2021). "The Tenth Riddle By Sapan Saxena Book Review". Retrieved 13 December 2021.