Book Review: God Is A Gamer by Ravi Subramanian

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Book Name: God Is A Gamer

Author: Ravi Subramanian

Publisher: Penguin Books India

Pages: 310

Price: Rs 299/-

Boldly embellished in gold above dark clouds hovering over Washington’s Capitol building, Ravi Subramanian proclaims aloud God is a Gamer. To further the amp quotient, the author casually underplays the drama around an age old question- ‘Is revenge a crime?’ I say underplay for it is only towards the end that he unveils his grand scheme, a scheme that is all about vengeance subtly pushed to the corner amidst the grander scheme of suspense and story-telling. Does Subramanian’s God is a Gamer live up-to your expectations? Does the book capture your interest and keep you hooked to its pages? Let’s find out.

The Plot

The story begins in the power houses of New York where we witness a certain drama unfolding as powerful businessmen and an even more powerful Senator indulge in games of manipulation. Their ambitions yet unclear, the prologue is an unfurling of the play to follow- a play that revolves around the vision of a certain unknown Satoshi Nakamato and his dream of a virtual currency in an anonymous world. When Senator Gillian Tan is killed in a car explosion at the Washington DC and one of India’s leading banks falls prey to a phishing scam, the two seemingly disconnected events seem to bear no relevance to each other. Special Agent Adrian Scott of the FBI is called in to investigate the murder of the Senator and meets a series of dead ends. As the NYIB is dealt another blow in the form of an ATM heist, the FBI finally makes a breakthrough and Adrian Scott realises that the corridors of power are much more complicated than they seem.  When Nikki Tan, wife to Gillian Tan, is attacked in her own house, Adrian Scott uncovers a certain ring with a ‘Bitcoin’ private key etched on the surface.

 In India Malvika Sehgal, the head of NYIB, commits suicide and Aditya Rao’s company eTIOS is thrown into chaos after the ATM heist. Tanya, Malvika’s daughter, is convinced that her mother has been murdered.  As Aditya’s long lost son Varun takes the reins of his father’s gaming company IndiScape, the suicide of Malvika Sehgal gets murkier and the CBI is called in to investigate the case. As the book questions-‘What happens when you cross Gamer, Banker, Politician  and Terrorist with virtual money?’ Read the book to find out.

Is it worth your time?

To be honest I haven’t read Subramanian’s previous works and after reading God is a Gamer, I definitely plan to get my hands on those. His fictional works include If God Was a Banker, Devil in Pinstripes, The Incredible Banker, The Bankster and Bankerupt. Non-fiction includes I Bought the Monk’s Ferrari. God is a Gamer was an outstanding thriller with just about the right amount of suspense, complicity and spice to keep you hooked to its pages. I can even say it is one of the few good books on the Indian market as of now with absolutely predictable and clichéd stories flooding the shelves. In India, it doesn't take much to hit the best-seller list and quality books are hard to find. The characters in the book are interesting and twisted, the plot is fast and unpredictable and the writer’s presentation perfect. God is a Gamer is impressive and grand, with just about the perfect dose of suspense and zing. And somehow, you can’t keep the pages turning fast enough.

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Thumbs Down

At times, the use of certain financial terms and the disconnected weaving in and out of the plot might baffle the reader but the book as a whole delivers on its promise.

Verdict

If you love thriller, you should definitely get your hands on it. After a series of insufferable books by Indian writers that make you want to bang your head against the wall, here is something finally good enough that deserves its place on the best-seller list.

Rating: 4/5

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