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catsinbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
spatterson12's review against another edition
3.0
The hype I had going into this one was in parallel for First Lie Wins. I really need to unsubscribe from a few bookstagrammers because we just don't align on thriller definitions. I saw Age of Vice EVERYWHERE at the beginning of 2023, but the length intimidated me so it sat on the shelf for a while.
I finally prioritized it the last two weeks to continue my "read-what-I-borrow" momentum and it kind of fell flat for me. It could've cut out at least 150 pages and would've told the same story.
The most wild part to me was when a kidnapper entered the chat and we had at least 60 pages of him giving his background story – in the last 1/3 of the book. LOL what? And as he told this story, he had to tell us that he has given this exact story twice recently and that's why it was so well rehearsed.
It's always funny when a villain suddenly has to lay out their reasons rather than just getting the job done.
In a weird way, though, all these slow moments and villain origin stories – they feel true to an action movies or series. The problem is I don't really engage in those. I can see how this will easily translate to screen, though. I can visualize how this would fit in the '00s genre of Brad Pitt films (clearly he's a white American, so not him exactly, but you get it).
This is said to be part of a trilogy, so I could see myself reading the second one eventually, but I'm not in any rush.
Now these slow moments. Kapoor really swings to opposite ends of the spectrum in her writing, because we're either taking our sweet time building characters or we are experiencing some DEVASTATING (more mob-themed) events in prison.
Book summary for my own benefit. Spoilers galore:
Part 1 is more focused on Ajay. He lost his father and went to work for another man. This is the start of these characters believing everything they're told at face value – like Ajay being told that his family was getting money for all the work he was doing. Once he leaves that family, he finds his own work, which leads to Sunni. He works for Sunni for a few years and is basically his killer robot servant. He does return to his hometown, only to find out his mom is DONE with him, his baby sister doesn't know who he is, and his older sister is MIA. This part ends with some terrible prison trauma and abuse. TW: rape
Part 2 is focused on Neda. We get some of her POV from Ajay events shared in Part 1. We also understand her relationship with Sunni more and watch her fall for tricks, like showing up at a hotel to see him only to be followed and involved in a wreck or when she has an unexpected pregnancy and is told Sunni doesn't want anything to do with her. This section was so long, but I did enjoy Neda's perspective. She also reconciles with her lack of ethics in journalism and chooses a new path (eh, is kind of forced to). We get the high speed chase that leads to Neda being sent away and Ajay forced to take the place of the guy who actually murdered the girl and her unborn child.
Part 3 is so short. I was not prepared. Essentially, Sunni is faced with the realization that he's "ruthless" and similar to his dad. He cut out everyone he cares about with that crash. Men do not like to be compared to their overlord fathers.
Part 4 we get a new driver in Eli who seems sketch, and then Sunni gets kidnapped by Sunil who tells such a long story about his own life. I see a lot of reviews saying people hate this character, but you know, I was fine with it because it wasn't just retelling events for a third time. Sunil was bailed out of jail to take a hit on Sunni, too bad he couldn't follow through. Main character energy gets distracting I supposed.
Part 5 we get Sunni marrying some random woman his father found for him. Sunni learns about his unborn child, Ajay is released from prison for the day. Bunty tells Ajay if he kills Sunil, then his sister (who he's had an almost naked photo of for a few years) will be safe. When Ajay meets Sunil and is close to murdering him, Sunil is then like is that even your sister in the photo? These people have played you. So Ajay escapes to the mountain, Sunil is wherever, Sunni partners with Singh to have his dad arrested and killed, and maybe Vicky is Sunni's bio dad.
We don't know.
PS these people are like REALLY into cigarettes. I need a count of how many time they're mentioned.
I finally prioritized it the last two weeks to continue my "read-what-I-borrow" momentum and it kind of fell flat for me. It could've cut out at least 150 pages and would've told the same story.
The most wild part to me was when a kidnapper entered the chat and we had at least 60 pages of him giving his background story – in the last 1/3 of the book. LOL what? And as he told this story, he had to tell us that he has given this exact story twice recently and that's why it was so well rehearsed.
It's always funny when a villain suddenly has to lay out their reasons rather than just getting the job done.
In a weird way, though, all these slow moments and villain origin stories – they feel true to an action movies or series. The problem is I don't really engage in those. I can see how this will easily translate to screen, though. I can visualize how this would fit in the '00s genre of Brad Pitt films (clearly he's a white American, so not him exactly, but you get it).
This is said to be part of a trilogy, so I could see myself reading the second one eventually, but I'm not in any rush.
Now these slow moments. Kapoor really swings to opposite ends of the spectrum in her writing, because we're either taking our sweet time building characters or we are experiencing some DEVASTATING (more mob-themed) events in prison.
Book summary for my own benefit. Spoilers galore:
Part 1 is more focused on Ajay. He lost his father and went to work for another man. This is the start of these characters believing everything they're told at face value – like Ajay being told that his family was getting money for all the work he was doing. Once he leaves that family, he finds his own work, which leads to Sunni. He works for Sunni for a few years and is basically his killer robot servant. He does return to his hometown, only to find out his mom is DONE with him, his baby sister doesn't know who he is, and his older sister is MIA. This part ends with some terrible prison trauma and abuse. TW: rape
Part 2 is focused on Neda. We get some of her POV from Ajay events shared in Part 1. We also understand her relationship with Sunni more and watch her fall for tricks, like showing up at a hotel to see him only to be followed and involved in a wreck or when she has an unexpected pregnancy and is told Sunni doesn't want anything to do with her. This section was so long, but I did enjoy Neda's perspective. She also reconciles with her lack of ethics in journalism and chooses a new path (eh, is kind of forced to). We get the high speed chase that leads to Neda being sent away and Ajay forced to take the place of the guy who actually murdered the girl and her unborn child.
Part 3 is so short. I was not prepared. Essentially, Sunni is faced with the realization that he's "ruthless" and similar to his dad. He cut out everyone he cares about with that crash. Men do not like to be compared to their overlord fathers.
Part 4 we get a new driver in Eli who seems sketch, and then Sunni gets kidnapped by Sunil who tells such a long story about his own life. I see a lot of reviews saying people hate this character, but you know, I was fine with it because it wasn't just retelling events for a third time. Sunil was bailed out of jail to take a hit on Sunni, too bad he couldn't follow through. Main character energy gets distracting I supposed.
Part 5 we get Sunni marrying some random woman his father found for him. Sunni learns about his unborn child, Ajay is released from prison for the day. Bunty tells Ajay if he kills Sunil, then his sister (who he's had an almost naked photo of for a few years) will be safe. When Ajay meets Sunil and is close to murdering him, Sunil is then like is that even your sister in the photo? These people have played you. So Ajay escapes to the mountain, Sunil is wherever, Sunni partners with Singh to have his dad arrested and killed, and maybe Vicky is Sunni's bio dad.
We don't know.
PS these people are like REALLY into cigarettes. I need a count of how many time they're mentioned.
caillte's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Toxic friendship, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual violence and Sexual assault
Minor: Abortion
amandat's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
There's no ending to this book. Clearly, it's setting up book #2.
ttnnllrr's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was a trip. We follow three main characters: Rich Kid Sunny Wadia, son of India’s most notorious crime lord, his personal servant, Ajay, and a journalist who finds herself mixed up in the mess via unexpected relationship, Neda.
The book begins with a tragedy. Five homeless people are heartlessly run over in the middle of the night in the heart of Delhi. The police find Ajay drunk at the wheel of the car and he is immediately brought to jail.
Then, slowly, we are shown the lives of these three characters leading up to this exact moment. As we gain the story and perspective of each character, we see how things progress, we fill in missing pieces, we learn how the tragedy came to be.
The reader begins to understand just how much reach the Wadia family truly has and begins to see the ripple that cascades through India after each action and decision.
This book was intense, dark, and engaging. Kapoor’s writing is so interesting. The structure and style of the story itself was just as entertaining as the subject matter. It was a very long family drama, and I may not have understood each and every aspect, but I did really enjoy it.
Also I was rooting for Ajay the entire time, he was by far my favourite character (though I did also have a soft spot for Eli), and I wanted him to get out of jail and be able to see his sister again! That being said, I know he was tricked at the end of the book into thinking the girl in the picture wasn’t his sister and to abandon his ties to the Wadia family, I just really hope it was the right choice! I hope the girl wasn’t actually his sister and I REALLY hope that they aren’t able to hunt him down and kill him, though of course that wouldn’t be surprising…
The book begins with a tragedy. Five homeless people are heartlessly run over in the middle of the night in the heart of Delhi. The police find Ajay drunk at the wheel of the car and he is immediately brought to jail.
Then, slowly, we are shown the lives of these three characters leading up to this exact moment. As we gain the story and perspective of each character, we see how things progress, we fill in missing pieces, we learn how the tragedy came to be.
The reader begins to understand just how much reach the Wadia family truly has and begins to see the ripple that cascades through India after each action and decision.
This book was intense, dark, and engaging. Kapoor’s writing is so interesting. The structure and style of the story itself was just as entertaining as the subject matter. It was a very long family drama, and I may not have understood each and every aspect, but I did really enjoy it.
toreadistovoyage's review against another edition
4.25
What a sprawling epic. Full of richly developed characters, layered storylines, intricate histories. The last 1/5 or 1/6 seemed…rushed? less focused? chaotic? Whatever the case may be, it didn’t lessen my enjoyment of this book.