When the gods play a game at the cost of the world, can it be saved? This is what Basu’s The Unwaba Revelations is all about. The book, divided into two parts (Book Five and Book Six), is a well crafted work on an epic battle that ravages the earth. Monsters, mayhem, mud-swamps; conspiracies, catastrophes, chimeras; betrayal, buccaneers, bloodshed— this book has it all.

The first few chapters, which can be called an introduction, may seem boring, but then one realises that it’s only Basu’s way of preparing his readers for the final showdown of the GameWorld Trilogy. ‘The Unwaba Revelations’ carries on the roller coaster journey that began with ‘The Simoqin Prophecies’ and starts off where ‘The Manticore’s Secret’ closed.
This time, to entertain the gods, creator of the world Zivran, devised a game wherein people are free to act as they pleased and the gods only watch— the riskiest game ever played so far. The game is extreme sport for the gods. And to those who wish to save the world it’s a game of survival.
Beating the odds
The Dark Lord Kirin and his lady interest Maya, aided by the Unwaba— a chameleon who does not want to be called a lizard— must find a way to save the world by navigating flaws in the rules of the game.
To beat the gods at their own game they have no other choice but to become ‘invisible’. But to do that they have to disguise as common beings which is not easy. After all to become a common being for a hero is a hard thing to do.
Even as they undertake their mission, fierce battles are fought among various forces. For those participants in the war, it is the war to rule over the other; but to the gods it is a game they must win to protect their pride.
Basu, definitely, has a way of telling his stories. Take for instance— Big moons, empty trees, gypsies dressed up to look scared and bloody to robe people, thunder round the clock, serfs hiding in the bushes, howling and screaming at night for atmosphere, bats, crows, the works— this is how he describes the land of the werewolves: amazingly, alive! The book is mesmerising to the mind’s eye.
If you are looking for detailed and explicit story telling, this book is a must. But it may tax the impatient reader since there are many unfamiliar characters that jump in here and there— like the warriors who try to prove their heroic deeds at any given opportunity. You may also be left wanting for clarity in the settings as events shift from place to place.
However, Basu’s sense of humour embedded at regular intervals provides reason to start all over again. His take on the mistakes of the gods is fun. One can’t help but grin as he introduces a bird, the phoenix, that needs to warm up its eggs by flying through fire!
You name it, there is the right mix of spices that makes this book an interesting read.
You may have come across hundreds of games people played, but when was the last time you had the chance to understand a game played by the gods, that too with their own creations? This action-packed thrilling epic is a must read for all adventure buffs.
Robert L Sungte

The Unwaba Revelations
Author: Samit Basu
Penguin, 2007, pp 508, Rs 295.