AD 455, Central India

The marauding Svetahunas manage to take prisoner Harshavardhan, among the bravest of Bharatvarsha’s warriors. In captivity, he fashions a game of combat strategy with black and white pebbles, preparing for the day when the Svetahunas and his people face-off in battle—a war that will determine the future of Bharatvarsha. His compatriot Kalidasa, a famed poet, shares Harshavardhan’s captivity and the hope to save their country.

Present day, New Delhi

When her estranged father Rajinder Joshi dies suddenly, Vinita is called in from New York to take charge of his forty-year-old company, AveoGen, now floundering for lack of leadership. As she sorts through his papers and effects, Vinita discovers tantalising clues to Rajinder’s long-standing obsession—the origins of chess and the identity of its creator. Shuttling between boardrooms and unknown historical sites, Vinita must battle both her inner demons and her father’s many enemies to arrive at the truth.

Nihshanka Debroy’s impressive debut flits seamlessly between two eras to deliver an unputdownable thrille

Nihshanka Debroy was born in Burdwan, West Bengal, and educated in Delhi and the U.S. He spent his childhood bent over chessboards and savouring mystery and adventure novels. He is a former Under-12 Delhi chess champion, who twice represented his state at the national level and competed with several opponents who are now grandmasters and international masters.

Since his early years, Nihshanka's passion for chess has run parallel with his even older love for the written word. Through his writing, Nihshanka explores ancient Indian themes through a modern Western lens.

Nihshanka now lives near Atlanta, Georgia.