The tenth unknown by Jvalant Nalin Sampat.

"The tenth unknown", a debut novel by Jvalant Nalin Sampat. This is a historical fiction.

Samrat Ashok discovers 9 books in royal library. These books  contains secrets about warfare that includes propaganda, weaponery, rocketery, aeroplanes, space travel, communication without using a messenger etc. He entrusts 9 individuals to hide the books, in 232 BC,  and pass on the responsibility to next generations because of the importance of information and to prevent it from falling in wrong hands. He also makes them promise that their loyalty will be only to humanity and not to any king or kingdom. He calls them the 9 unknowns.

It's 1938, Hitler's Nazi forces accidentally unearth the first book and using its contents Hitler garners public opinion of the nation in favor for war. Now he wants remaining books from British India. British come to know this and want the books for themselves.

The clue to location of next book is to be found near the previous book, hence the books can only be found in sequence. The present day 9 unknowns come to know of the German and British interest and decide to find the books before them. The onus is on young Prithvi Rathore, a rich care free and intelligent man, whose grand father is the head of 9 unknowns.

The chase begins all over the world. The books are located in various parts where Hindu or Buddhist religion had reached. Will Prithvi get the books? Can he match the might of British and Nazi empires? How long does it take? Does this impact the outcome of world war? Who is the 10th unknown?

The book shows that Americans get hold of two books and that enables them to manufacture atom bomb and send man on moon. Fascinating idea, isn't it?

Although the story takes place few years before independence, the author has not used period language. He has used modern language of today in a story of yesteryears. I think by doing this author has missed a great opportunity to create the impact and atmosphere of that time.

The book takes the readers on a roller coaster ride. The backdrop of world war is used intelligently. Some of the real incidents and characters are used to supplement the fiction very well.

Rather than publishing this as a pocket book, Niyogi Books (the publisher) has used large page size, good font and adequate spacing to make the reading experience better.

The author refrains from specifying what happens to the recovered books at the end and how they were hidden again. This may be a seed for a sequel.

A good book. Recommend reading for a change.