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allisonwonderlandreads 's review for:
The Bombay Prince
by Sujata Massey
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Perveen Mistry series continues to dive deeper into the experience of colonial power in 1920s India. In this third entry, the Prince of Wales' tour of India is accompanied by protest, riots, and police brutality. The historical and political threads of the plot were powerful, the beating heart of the narrative. It was impactful to see how Perveen struggles with the different political beliefs within her family circle and her own wish for Indian independence. The story features examinations of how race, class, and gender further complicated experiences of the freedom movement. Perveen faces fear and violence as tensions rise, and she must carefully consider her own safety, her reputation as the first woman solicitor in Bombay with the hope of a legacy for other women, and her moral, political views.
While the political heartbeat was steady and strong, the mystery meant to serve as the engine for this narrative fell a bit short for me. I continued to enjoy the legal details of the series. In this one, we accompany Perveen to a coroner's inquest, which was fascinating to see play out. However, I felt the mystery investigation stalled out in favor of broader commentary, and it lacked the punch of the previous two books in that regard.
From the character front, Perveen continues to be an inspiration and a complex, ambitious protagonist I love to cheer for. In terms of her personal life, I felt like the story in this book made little progress compared to its two predecessors. Her family and romantic relationships teetered onwards, stuck at various impasses due to the more pressing political concerns. While this was fair, I missed that more personal touch of involvement in Perveen's life. It did seem that the book was preparing us for future conflict with the potential for a love triangle. I look forward to seeing it play out, and I have my fingers crossed for a happy resolution for Perveen.
I'm deeply invested in this series. This just doesn't happen to be my favorite installment. To be fair, the first two books set an incredibly high bar. I still found the historical, sociopolitical commentary valuable and highly recommend the series.
While the political heartbeat was steady and strong, the mystery meant to serve as the engine for this narrative fell a bit short for me. I continued to enjoy the legal details of the series. In this one, we accompany Perveen to a coroner's inquest, which was fascinating to see play out. However, I felt the mystery investigation stalled out in favor of broader commentary, and it lacked the punch of the previous two books in that regard.
From the character front, Perveen continues to be an inspiration and a complex, ambitious protagonist I love to cheer for. In terms of her personal life, I felt like the story in this book made little progress compared to its two predecessors. Her family and romantic relationships teetered onwards, stuck at various impasses due to the more pressing political concerns. While this was fair, I missed that more personal touch of involvement in Perveen's life. It did seem that the book was preparing us for future conflict with the potential for a love triangle. I look forward to seeing it play out, and I have my fingers crossed for a happy resolution for Perveen.
I'm deeply invested in this series. This just doesn't happen to be my favorite installment. To be fair, the first two books set an incredibly high bar. I still found the historical, sociopolitical commentary valuable and highly recommend the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Violence, Murder, Colonisation
Minor: Child death, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy