“The series is the start of many more adventures in the wild from an author who has written primarily about India’s birdlife before.”
NO MAJOR SPOILERS
Deepak Dalal’s Ranthambhore, though described as a Vikam Aditya story after its two heroes, also features a girl called Aarti, who finds herself caught up in an adventure involving a poacher and a tiger caught in a trap. Dalal describes the tiger’s world in great detail tracing its growth from cubhood to almost adult, He breaks up the description with the events in the human world that run parallel to those of the jungle. Govind Singh is on the trail of a millionaire poacher called Shankar Chand, his son Vikram is birdwatching in Ranthambhore and his son’s friend Aditya decides to break into the poacher’s house which leads to disastrous consequences. Then there’s Aarti trying to clean up Aditya’s mess through car chases and kidnapping. Dalal’s book is filled with thrills a minute including close encounters with a wounded tiger.
For those interested in conservation, Ranthambhore highlights the plight of tigers and Forest Officials unable to get the better of those who stalk the big cats for their bones and skin. The series the start of many more adventures in the wild from an author who has written primarily about India’s birdlife before.
Reviewed by:
Anjana Basu
Added 15th October 2020
