Fiction

Age of Vice

Age of Vice

  • Downloads：3970
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2023-01-04 21:22:02
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Deepti Kapoor
  • ISBN：B09X1YP2CF
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

19 hours， 28 minutes

This is the age of vice， where money， pleasure， and power are everything， and the family ties that bind can also kill。

New Delhi， 3 a。m。 A speeding Mercedes jumps the curb and in the blink of an eye， five people are dead。 It’s a rich man’s car， but when the dust settles there is no rich man at all， just a shell-shocked servant who cannot explain the strange series of events that led to this crime。 Nor can he foresee the dark drama that is about to unfold。

Deftly shifting through time and perspective in contemporary India， Age of Vice is an epic， action-packed story propelled by the seductive wealth， startling corruption， and bloodthirsty violence of the Wadia family — loved by some， loathed by others， feared by all。

In the shadow of lavish estates， extravagant parties， predatory business deals and calculated political influence， three lives become dangerously intertwined: Ajay is the watchful servant， born into poverty， who rises through the family’s ranks。 Sunny is the playboy heir who dreams of outshining his father， whatever the cost。 And Neda is the curious journalist caught between morality and desire。 Against a sweeping plot fueled by loss， pleasure， greed， yearning， violence and revenge， will these characters’ connections become a path to escape， or a trigger of further destruction？

Equal parts crime thriller and family saga， transporting readers from the dusty villages of Uttar Pradesh to the urban energy of New Delhi， Age of Vice is an intoxicating novel of gangsters and lovers， false friendships， forbidden romance， and the consequences of corruption。 It is binge-worthy entertainment at its literary best。

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Reviews

Alec ，

Oh， that was…that was a lot。 I’ll admit that I can be a sensitive reader， but Age of Vice slithered down my throat and whisked my insides in a way that very few books have。 Deepti Kapoor does not spare anyone; the book is a saga that takes readers from the Indian countryside to the streets of Delhi， complete with gang violence， human trafficking， drug use， sexual assault， gentrification， etc。 Think Public Enemy meets Slumdog Millionaire。 The dark side of human nature is spotlighted time and agai Oh， that was…that was a lot。 I’ll admit that I can be a sensitive reader， but Age of Vice slithered down my throat and whisked my insides in a way that very few books have。 Deepti Kapoor does not spare anyone; the book is a saga that takes readers from the Indian countryside to the streets of Delhi， complete with gang violence， human trafficking， drug use， sexual assault， gentrification， etc。 Think Public Enemy meets Slumdog Millionaire。 The dark side of human nature is spotlighted time and again， sometimes excessively so in the way of crime stories， and I will need some time to really sit with the development of our three protagonists。 I’m surprised by how genuine they felt， and their fates by the end left me feeling hollow。 I’ve heard there will be a sequel， and I’m going to need it ASAP。I will say that the actual writing， thought often brilliant， didn’t always work for me。 Throughout， the narrative could be a little vague， and this only became worse toward the end。 。。。more

Christine ，

One doesn't read this book they live it。 Excellent。 One doesn't read this book they live it。 Excellent。 。。。more

David C Ward ，

Everything that leads up to and follows a car accident caused by some of Delhi’s privileged， and one poor boy from the hills。 It’s all about corruption， both personal and societal， and the power of money。 3。75 stars because while the narrative from multiple points of view leading up to the accident is excellent things lose focus thereafter with the coverup and it’s consequences。 The family issues are both overwrought and incomprehensible in terms of motive and chronology。

svt ，

I was gonna give this a solid four， but the last 150 pages or so dropped this down to a three for me。 Most of the book was engrossing and unputdownable。 The last section of the book， however， was a little too fast-paced and confusing - there's a lot of information that rapidly and suddenly is thrown at you。 Overall， a very interesting read though！ I was gonna give this a solid four， but the last 150 pages or so dropped this down to a three for me。 Most of the book was engrossing and unputdownable。 The last section of the book， however， was a little too fast-paced and confusing - there's a lot of information that rapidly and suddenly is thrown at you。 Overall， a very interesting read though！ 。。。more

Jackie M ，

Do you ever finish a book and just sit back and stop for a second？ I had no words at the end of Age of Vice。 This is a sweeping saga of the rich and powerful in India， focusing on the Wadia family。 The Wadia family’s web of influence and control is unfathomable in its scope and terrifying in its violence。 Those who are drawn into the family’s orbit are intrigued， enticed， used， and discarded… no one is left untouched， their innocence ultimately stripped away。This novel is a heavy one， rich in it Do you ever finish a book and just sit back and stop for a second？ I had no words at the end of Age of Vice。 This is a sweeping saga of the rich and powerful in India， focusing on the Wadia family。 The Wadia family’s web of influence and control is unfathomable in its scope and terrifying in its violence。 Those who are drawn into the family’s orbit are intrigued， enticed， used， and discarded… no one is left untouched， their innocence ultimately stripped away。This novel is a heavy one， rich in its storytelling and honest in its delivery。 It digs into the history and culture of India， the caste system， the power of the wealthy， the struggles of those in poverty， and the dreams and desires of those who wish for a different life。 Age of Vice should be made into a movie， quite honestly。 I’m already predicting that it will be a BOTY contender， as well as a GoodReads nominee for best fiction novel in 2023。 It’s explosive， dramatic， heart-wrenching， and excellently written。 It does go into a lot of detail， so don’t go in expecting this to be a quick read。 This is a book for those who love deep and dark family sagas， filled with crime， power， manipulation， and the cost of loyalty。Read if you like:-The Godfather movie series or The Irishman-family sagas-learning about the history and culture of India-multiple perspectives-in-depth characterizationRating: 4。5/5 。。。more

Brown Girl Bookshelf ，

Enter the cutthroat world of the Wadias， where power and corruption reign supreme。 In Delhi’s dark underbelly， no one truly knows themselves nor their companions。 There is Ajay， a young man sold into servitude from childhood， who doubles as a faithful servant and assassin for Sunny Wadia; Sunny， a playboy and scion of a powerful family; and Neda Kapur， a sarcastic and skeptical journalist who becomes entangled in the Wadia’s dangerous world。 The plot centers around a mysterious car accident that Enter the cutthroat world of the Wadias， where power and corruption reign supreme。 In Delhi’s dark underbelly， no one truly knows themselves nor their companions。 There is Ajay， a young man sold into servitude from childhood， who doubles as a faithful servant and assassin for Sunny Wadia; Sunny， a playboy and scion of a powerful family; and Neda Kapur， a sarcastic and skeptical journalist who becomes entangled in the Wadia’s dangerous world。 The plot centers around a mysterious car accident that kills five people， with Ajay as the scapegoat。While all of the characters have significant flaws， the in-depth exploration of their psychological states and motivations helps readers see them as anti-heroes。 Ajay exists as a pawn of wealthy men。 Sunny dreams of creating new cities and forging his own path， yet numbs himself with alcohol and drugs to evade the chokehold of his family's empire。 Neda reckons with a life marred by the moments she did not speak up when witnessing evil and injustice。 Don’t let the book’s hefty size deter you， I couldn’t believe how quickly I read over 500 pages。 Kapoor's writing consciously oscillates between a fast and slow pace， keeping readers subtly immersed in the Wadia’s world。 Interwoven in the story are historical and political references unique to India， especially Delhi and Uttar Pradesh。 “Age of Vice” would make a terrific movie， especially as it was strongly reminiscent of “The Godfather。” Fans of the franchise will undoubtedly appreciate this version set in contemporary India。 Follow Brown Girl Bookshelf for reviews and recommendations of South Asian authored work @browngirlbookshelf on Instagram / FB， or www。browngirlbookshelf。org。 。。。more

Josephine Gale ，

“Age of Vice” is an epic tale that is difficult to pin onto one genre。 It starts off with a crime in 2004 in New Delhi where a speeding car hits a number of street sleepers， killing several of them including a pregnant woman。 Over the course of the next chapters in the book， we find out more about the characters who are involved in the crash in one way or another: Sunny Wadia， son of a criminal but highly influential father; Neda Kapur， a journalist who is unsatisfied with her life and feels dra “Age of Vice” is an epic tale that is difficult to pin onto one genre。 It starts off with a crime in 2004 in New Delhi where a speeding car hits a number of street sleepers， killing several of them including a pregnant woman。 Over the course of the next chapters in the book， we find out more about the characters who are involved in the crash in one way or another: Sunny Wadia， son of a criminal but highly influential father; Neda Kapur， a journalist who is unsatisfied with her life and feels drawn to the enigmatic Sunny; Ajay who has a hugely difficult childhood and ends up being involved with Sunny and the Wadia’s; and other very relevant characters too。 While we discover more about the crime， we also get drip fed the family history of the Wadia’s and those around them。 What makes this quite a unique book is that it doesn’t end with finding out who committed the crime， but we then see the consequences of everyone’s actions。 So it slowly turns from crime thriller to crime family saga but also covers politics in India and the huge differences between the richer and poorer members of society。If I say much more， I’ll give away too many spoilers。 But what I can say is that the author weaves together so many different stories， almost entirely with ease。 I would say that I did get a bit confused towards the end remembering who was on whose side （it is a long book after all！） but I did really enjoy it and found the majority of the book to be really gripping。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book。 。。。more

Marta Block ，

4。5 starsSex， drugs， rock and roll， all wrapped up in a powerful organized crime family - Age of Vice will take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions and allegiances。 Told from three different perspectives in early 2000s India， Kapoor weaves a tale of crime， deception， and omnipresent corruption。Sunny Wadia is the golden boy， heir to the Wadia fortune and power。 He has everything so many think they want but he is wildly unhappy。 Ajay， born in the foothills of the Himalaya， is poor and low cas 4。5 starsSex， drugs， rock and roll， all wrapped up in a powerful organized crime family - Age of Vice will take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions and allegiances。 Told from three different perspectives in early 2000s India， Kapoor weaves a tale of crime， deception， and omnipresent corruption。Sunny Wadia is the golden boy， heir to the Wadia fortune and power。 He has everything so many think they want but he is wildly unhappy。 Ajay， born in the foothills of the Himalaya， is poor and low caste。 Early tragedy causes him to be sold at 8 years old and his years of servitude begin， eventually leading him to Sunny’s side。 Neda Kapur is an enterprising journalist set on reporting the truth in a society that doesn’t always embrace honesty。 Work is mixed with pleasure as she falls into Sunny’s orbit， with long-lasting and devastating consequences。Intricately woven narratives and distinct voices of the characters make the hefty 548 page book fly by。 The first in a trilogy， the ending leaves the reader wanting more！ 。。。more

Carmensutra ，

I wish I would have known this was the first in a trilogy when I started because it would have both tempered my expectations and kept me from reading a book whose conclusion won't be known for years yet。 The characters were wonderfully drawn， the underworld was slimy complete with lots of personal vendettas and human complications。 I wish I would have known this was the first in a trilogy when I started because it would have both tempered my expectations and kept me from reading a book whose conclusion won't be known for years yet。 The characters were wonderfully drawn， the underworld was slimy complete with lots of personal vendettas and human complications。 。。。more

Amanda ，

Welcome to the Age of Vice and welcome to me shocking starting my 2023 off with an over 500 page book。 I know who is she， but after seeing all the praise for this one it couldn’t not be my first 2023 read cause we have to start off with a bang or with a crash。 I don’t have words for this book， it’s epic it’s cinematic， it is shocking， it it’s lyrical， it is brutal。 It’s epic and opulent and worth all the praise it’s gotten。 When people ask how I spent my first few days of 2023 I can say I spent Welcome to the Age of Vice and welcome to me shocking starting my 2023 off with an over 500 page book。 I know who is she， but after seeing all the praise for this one it couldn’t not be my first 2023 read cause we have to start off with a bang or with a crash。 I don’t have words for this book， it’s epic it’s cinematic， it is shocking， it it’s lyrical， it is brutal。 It’s epic and opulent and worth all the praise it’s gotten。 When people ask how I spent my first few days of 2023 I can say I spent it immersed in the Wadia family and mentally in New Delhi。 As someone who is normally scared by a big book this one is worth all the words。 I couldn’t look or listen away。 。。。more

Shannon ，

Read this one solely because of the hype and honestly it was just okay。 I think it could have been a lot shorter if I'm completely honest。 There were a LOT of alternating POVs and I definitely felt confused in places， especially the last few chapters！ I did like some of the storylines and would recommend it for fans of The Godfather movies or Slumdog millionaire。 Good（ish） on audio。 Read this one solely because of the hype and honestly it was just okay。 I think it could have been a lot shorter if I'm completely honest。 There were a LOT of alternating POVs and I definitely felt confused in places， especially the last few chapters！ I did like some of the storylines and would recommend it for fans of The Godfather movies or Slumdog millionaire。 Good（ish） on audio。 。。。more

LoneStarWords Deb Coco ，

。。。this is the lesson you should know。 You have to adapt or die。Age of ViceDeepti Kapoor•You've seen the hype for months and I have to say that the first buzzy book of 2023 is worthy。 Thank you PRHhaudio and Riverheadbooks for the ALC - the audio is a remarkable feat especially given the scope and length of this book。•I began listening to Age of Vice in mid December but because it's heavy and long， I put it on the back burner during the holidays。 I picked it up again the other day and was at the 。。。this is the lesson you should know。 You have to adapt or die。Age of ViceDeepti Kapoor•You've seen the hype for months and I have to say that the first buzzy book of 2023 is worthy。 Thank you PRHhaudio and Riverheadbooks for the ALC - the audio is a remarkable feat especially given the scope and length of this book。•I began listening to Age of Vice in mid December but because it's heavy and long， I put it on the back burner during the holidays。 I picked it up again the other day and was at the point in the story when it became compulsively readable -- from there I could not stop。•Age of Vice is set in modern day India and opens with the story of Ajay， a young boy who is sold by his family and has to make his own way in the world。 This section of the book is heavy and very sad。 But the story then shifts to focus on the Wadia family， who control much of Delhi via crime and corruption and we segue from a tale of poverty and desperation to one of opulence， excess and violence。 Sunny Wadia is the son of the head mobster and the main focus of the rest of the novel。 The intimidation he endures from his father is painful to read - heads up that this is not a warm and fuzzy book。•Age of Vice is a thriller in every sense of the word because for much of it I was on the proverbial edge of my seat。 But it's a thriller with depth; there are actually just three main characters so we get to know them very well and understand their motivations。 The main female character， Nada， is both complex and interesting - she is a love interest of Sunny and their relationship allows us empathy for him。•This is a novel about family， crime， corruption， power and revenge， all wrapped in great writing by a masterful storyteller。 I've heard that this is the first book in a trilogy and I'm hoping that is true because wow， did it ever end on a cliffhanger。 I also see this being adapted for the screen because I felt as though I were watching a movie - it's got all the elements to be a blockbuster。 。。。more

Tom Mooney ，

3。5This was good。 But also a bit frustrating。 A couple of annoying aspects stopped it from being a really great novel。The Wadia family controls everything in Delhi; money， politics， labor。 Power。Age of Vice focuses on Sunny， the twenty-something new generation of the family。 A young playboy who parties hard and dreams of transforming Delhi's river area into a modern cosmopolitan utopia， he also invests in art and other passion projects。 But the money he uses is tainted with blood。 The blood of t 3。5This was good。 But also a bit frustrating。 A couple of annoying aspects stopped it from being a really great novel。The Wadia family controls everything in Delhi; money， politics， labor。 Power。Age of Vice focuses on Sunny， the twenty-something new generation of the family。 A young playboy who parties hard and dreams of transforming Delhi's river area into a modern cosmopolitan utopia， he also invests in art and other passion projects。 But the money he uses is tainted with blood。 The blood of the poor， the blood of bulldozed communities。 Though he dreams of breaking away from his family's vicious hold on the city， he is inexorably bound to their reign of terror。There's so much to like in this novel。 The setting is great， the writing is strong， there's loads of action and great characters。But the device of telling the story from so many perspectives becomes a little tiresome， as you get the same scenes told over and over。 The first third of the book follows Ajay， a slum boy who becomes Sunny's assistant （loved this part）。 The second follows Neda， a local journalist who becomes Sunny's lover （liked this part）。 Then we get Sunny's perspective （this was less good）。 It's also way too long。 At 350 pages， with less repetition， this would be， hands down， book of the year。Still， a really good read。 。。。more

Mary Picken ，

Age of Vice is a big book and I hung on every word。 This is a prime example of how crime and literary fiction merge together to create a huge story of political and social significance。 Seen through the eyes of 3 people， it is told from the perspectives of Ajay， Sunny and Neda。 A vast， sweeping narrative of politics， corruption and the power of gangsterism in India， it is uncompromising。 Ajay is the character who provides the central core of this novel and the story begins with him as he emerges Age of Vice is a big book and I hung on every word。 This is a prime example of how crime and literary fiction merge together to create a huge story of political and social significance。 Seen through the eyes of 3 people， it is told from the perspectives of Ajay， Sunny and Neda。 A vast， sweeping narrative of politics， corruption and the power of gangsterism in India， it is uncompromising。 Ajay is the character who provides the central core of this novel and the story begins with him as he emerges from a fatal car crash and is taken to prison。Born into poverty in Uttar Pradesh， Ajay and his family are conned out of what little they have until his mother has no choice but to sell Ajay to child traffickers in order to have enough to feed the rest of her family。 Sonny keeps his head down and works hard， making himself indispensable until he finally attracts the attention of playboy Sunny Wadia。Sunny loves to party and as the son of Bunty Wadia， a corrupt and venal politician whose tentacles spread throughout Delhi and further afield， he is never short of drugs， money and alcohol。 Ajay becomes his servant， rolling his joints， procuring his drugs， cleaning up after his legendary parties， even taking care of the women Sunny so carelessly discards。It’s a hedonistic lifestyle and Sunny is caught between wanting to please his father and yet realising that he needs to be his own man with a way to realise his own dreams and aspirations even though they do not accord with his father’s wishes。Neda is a journalist。 She comes into Sunny’s life and sees him for what he is。 Yet she is also deeply attracted to him， perhaps because of his flaws as much as anything。 She can see that he battles silently with his need to be his own man， though his father exerts an iron grip on Sunny， determined to mould him into his successor。But Bunty Wadia is not the only villain of this piece。 Vicky Wadia， his brother， has none of the social veneer that Bunty uses to present as a businessman in New Delhi。 Vicky is an out and out gangster， operating in the shadows， ruling through violence and fear， clearing the way for the Wadia family to run every aspect of legal and illegal commerce throughout the region。Age of Vice is a story of extremes; extreme poverty and child trafficking; extreme wealth and venality; corruption and terrible violence。 It is the story of how power corrupts and offers evidence of how absolute power corrupts absolutely but political power is where the money is to be made。 The capitalist dream lives large in India and however shallow and meaningless it often is for those who ‘succeed’。Age of Vice depicts so clearly the consequences of what Sunny has to do to help his father gain and retain power， and how that impacts him and on those closest to him。 It’s a heart-breaking， brutal story of epic proportions， told with a literary flair and a really searing philosophical undercurrent that exemplifies what really matters。 It is also a story of friendship， loyalty and love and how easy it is to lose your way when all around you are lying not just to you， but to themselves。Verdict: I adored this story。 Deepti Kappor is a visual storyteller and her characters spring to life on the page。 It is a story of how easy it is to be sucked into the middle of a vortex and how impossible it is to get free of the maelstrom。 There’s something about this first car crash that symbolises everything that is to follow。 Sunny’s life is a car crash just as India’s political and economic system is an accident waiting to happen。 Age of Vice is a brilliant *must read* start to the New Year。 。。。more

Julie Lanham ，

This is a long book which I typically wouldn’t be drawn to but the author writes in a way that you’re transformed to the location and you are living what’s happening。 I couldn’t put this book down。 A lot of flipping back and forth between characters and timelines。 Sometimes a bit of a challenge to keep track of， however， there is typicality enough detail to bring it all together。 The loved main characters， Sonny and Ajay。 My heart actually aches for them and what they endured even though they ar This is a long book which I typically wouldn’t be drawn to but the author writes in a way that you’re transformed to the location and you are living what’s happening。 I couldn’t put this book down。 A lot of flipping back and forth between characters and timelines。 Sometimes a bit of a challenge to keep track of， however， there is typicality enough detail to bring it all together。 The loved main characters， Sonny and Ajay。 My heart actually aches for them and what they endured even though they are reckless。 Would highly recommend。 。。。more

Monika ，

Have to wake up early for work tomorrow morning but I stayed up to finish this！！ It says a lot about this book。 A must read and already a tough contender for Best of 2023！！

Lisa ，

Age of Vice takes place in India and jumps between point in times which I think was overall ok。 I was a little confused here and there but the plot needed the different times and perspectives。 The plot involves the Wadia family， in particular Sunny， the heir to the “throne，” Ajay， a servant of the Wadia family with his own interesting story， and Heda， a woman who got stuck in the middle of the Wadia reign。 I loved the first 400 pages of the book。 I loved Ajay’s story the most and couldn’t put th Age of Vice takes place in India and jumps between point in times which I think was overall ok。 I was a little confused here and there but the plot needed the different times and perspectives。 The plot involves the Wadia family， in particular Sunny， the heir to the “throne，” Ajay， a servant of the Wadia family with his own interesting story， and Heda， a woman who got stuck in the middle of the Wadia reign。 I loved the first 400 pages of the book。 I loved Ajay’s story the most and couldn’t put the book down。 There was a lull right around page 400 where it lost my interest momentarily but it did become engaging again by the end。 Kapoor is exceptionally skilled at character development， making the reader feel invested into what happens to each of them， even the unlikable characters。 She does a wonderful job at portraying the caste system in India and how that impacts people at the different levels。Overall I would recommend this book。 It is an excellent read but know that it is a very long book and at times can be confusing， however， it is still worth the time investment in the end。 Thank you Riverhead books for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Elizabeth ，

So long！ Good， but so so long。

Marjie Lam ，

4。5 stars

Jamele （BookswithJams） ，

Age of Vice is a thick one， but trust me it is well worth the read。 I listened to the audio and really enjoyed it that way。 This takes place in India， mostly in New Delhi， and focuses on three lives that are interconnected - Ajay， Sunny， and Neda。 There is murder， corruption， greed， power all woven within the story， and the lives of these three individuals are a counter to these elements as much as they can be， and you find yourself rooting for all of them， Ajay the most for me。 As you can expec Age of Vice is a thick one， but trust me it is well worth the read。 I listened to the audio and really enjoyed it that way。 This takes place in India， mostly in New Delhi， and focuses on three lives that are interconnected - Ajay， Sunny， and Neda。 There is murder， corruption， greed， power all woven within the story， and the lives of these three individuals are a counter to these elements as much as they can be， and you find yourself rooting for all of them， Ajay the most for me。 As you can expect， the audio was long， but Kapoor wrote this in such a way it does not drag， and I found myself enthralled with these characters and the world they lived in， and I was just enjoying my time in this book until the ending， which was so jaw dropping and abrupt and fantastic all at the same time。 I understand this will be a trilogy so I will allow this cliffhanger haha but ugh now I must wait for the second book！ I definitely recommend this one， January is starting out strong with its books and this one not to be missed！Thank you PRH Audio for the ALC to review。 。。。more

Wendy ，

Well， this was a ride。 It’s being touted as the biggest release of the year。 Quite a statement for a January 3 release！ Thank you @riverheadbooks for this advance copy！This crime thriller clocks in at 547 pages but once you get into it， you will race to the end。 I tried to read it a few weeks ago but just wasn’t in the mood for this kind of book before Christmas。 I picked it up again 2 days ago and finished it last night。 It’s not the kind of book I usually read and there were a lot of icky scen Well， this was a ride。 It’s being touted as the biggest release of the year。 Quite a statement for a January 3 release！ Thank you @riverheadbooks for this advance copy！This crime thriller clocks in at 547 pages but once you get into it， you will race to the end。 I tried to read it a few weeks ago but just wasn’t in the mood for this kind of book before Christmas。 I picked it up again 2 days ago and finished it last night。 It’s not the kind of book I usually read and there were a lot of icky scenes I didn’t like but the story itself is really good。 I’ve seen it called “The Godfather set in India” and that is accurate。 It mostly takes place in Delhi， in the early 2000’s and centers around a crime family controlled by a ruthless leader who will stop at nothing to keep his power。 Money， corruption， violence， revenge and even love are the main themes in this family’s story。Age of Vice is the first of a planned trilogy， which is clear in the way it ends。 It just STOPS after 500 action-packed pages and a crazy sequence of events！ I guess we’ll have to wait to see what happens next。 Honestly， this would make a fantastic movie！ It’s gritty and dark and violent at times， but also has complex characters you can’t help but root for as they try to survive and hope for a future in this dark world they live in。 。。。more

Fareya ，

Not sure what to pick as your first book of 2023？ Let me suggest Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor。 Both a crime thriller and family saga， terribly violent yet brimming with emotion， Age of Vice is a compulsively readable， character driven story that held my complete attention from start to finish。 Full of drama， suspense， romance， politics， corruption and non stop entertainment， this 500 plus page book， was a pulse pounding reading experience！ Once you start with this， I promise you won’t be able to Not sure what to pick as your first book of 2023？ Let me suggest Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor。 Both a crime thriller and family saga， terribly violent yet brimming with emotion， Age of Vice is a compulsively readable， character driven story that held my complete attention from start to finish。 Full of drama， suspense， romance， politics， corruption and non stop entertainment， this 500 plus page book， was a pulse pounding reading experience！ Once you start with this， I promise you won’t be able to put it down。 And OMG that cliffhanger at the end has me itching for the next book NOW！！ The author is an exceptional storyteller and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us with the next two books in the trilogy！ Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor is going to be one of the hottest books of 2023， so I highly encourage you to go hit that preorder button or grab it from the shelves when it hits the stores tomorrow， Tuesday， January 3rd。**A free paperback ARC was provided by Riverhead Books。 All opinions are my own** 。。。more

Nidhi Shrivastava ，

“Our dreams let people die。” She turned away from him， “tomorrow we move on。” Being one of my most anticipated 2023 reads， I was so excited when I saw the copy of Deepti’s debut novel at my doorstep。 The novel is told through the perspectives of Ajay （a lower caste Dalit servant who is thrown to the wolves after he loses his father to upper caste goons in his village）， Neda Kapoor （an investigative journalist whose life transforms after she meets the elusive billionaire son， Sunny Wadia）， and of “Our dreams let people die。” She turned away from him， “tomorrow we move on。” Being one of my most anticipated 2023 reads， I was so excited when I saw the copy of Deepti’s debut novel at my doorstep。 The novel is told through the perspectives of Ajay （a lower caste Dalit servant who is thrown to the wolves after he loses his father to upper caste goons in his village）， Neda Kapoor （an investigative journalist whose life transforms after she meets the elusive billionaire son， Sunny Wadia）， and of course Sunny Wadia （who belongs to the notorious industrialist Wadia family and straddles between impressing his father and fulfilling his dreams）。Deepti’s novel deserves all the attention it has been getting。 Not only has @bookofthemonth picked it as one of its selections， @rgay has also chosen it for her audacious book club as well。 Part crime-thriller and family saga， Kapoor’s heart-thumping novel will give you an adrelin rush。 For me， Kapoor’s novel reminded me of Arvind Adiga’s The White Tiger。 The story of a Dalit boy turned into a taxi leader who had “made it” and usurped his master’s place。 At least that’s what I thought， but Kapoor’s novel couldn’t help but remind me of the notorious Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s 2002 hit-and-run case when he killed innocent people on the pavement as they were sleeping。 The case made headlines， and eventually he was acquitted in 2015。 But， the lives of the innocent people in India， often migrants from villages or poor don’t have the same human rights upper and middle classes do in neoliberal India。 And， this is where Neda Kapoor steps in as an idealist journalist seeking social justice for the poor inhabitants of Delhi who were constantly being made homeless by the rich industrialist families like the Wadias。 Although Neda is impacted by her job of seeking and telling the truth， she is also drawn to the mysteriousness that Sunny carries with himself。 He is often weak， has traits of toxic masculinity， and desperate for his father’s affection。 As the incident of countless deaths by the Wadia’s family hits the news， Ajay is made the sacrificial lamb。 Neda is sent away， and Sunny is made the mascot for the Wadia family。 His dreams to recreate Delhi as the reimagined Singapore and Hong Kong are dashed as he is thrown into the cyclonic world shaped by his family’s criminal ties to dominate the oft-misogynistic and violent states of Uttar and Madhya Pradesh。 Land politics at the heart of it all。 The final twists at the end of the novel will keep you wanting more！ And， I am so excited that the novel is part of a trilogy！ I can’t wait to see what happens next！ I can’t recommend this novel enough - get your copy as fast as you can and dig in！ 。。。more

Katie Mac ，

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。This leans more postmodern than I was expecting， but that lends itself to the absurdity of the excess， crime， and corruption of the Wadia family and their associates。 I would have been perfectly happy to read a book written entirely in Ajay's POV， as he's the most compelling （and， to be fair， the best-intentioned and least corrupt） character， but including Neda to act as Sunny's foil is an inspired I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。This leans more postmodern than I was expecting， but that lends itself to the absurdity of the excess， crime， and corruption of the Wadia family and their associates。 I would have been perfectly happy to read a book written entirely in Ajay's POV， as he's the most compelling （and， to be fair， the best-intentioned and least corrupt） character， but including Neda to act as Sunny's foil is an inspired and refreshing choice。 It's an impressive epic that falls apart a bit at the end but is a thrilling ride nonetheless。 If you like reading about terrible people doing terrible things and want to learn more about India's socio-cultural landscape， don't let the 500+ page count intimidate you。 。。。more

Soozee ，

A powerfully written story about modern day India。 The chief protaganists are Sunny Wadia， son of a vicious man who has built up his 'empire' and allowed his son to waste his life in drugs and drink， partying all the time; Ajay who is a very poor man， sold by his mother at a young age and endlessly exploited， and a journalist Neda， who hasn't found her place in the world just yet。 The book begins with a Mercedes ploughing into the crowd， killing innocent bystanders， and the blame falling squarel A powerfully written story about modern day India。 The chief protaganists are Sunny Wadia， son of a vicious man who has built up his 'empire' and allowed his son to waste his life in drugs and drink， partying all the time; Ajay who is a very poor man， sold by his mother at a young age and endlessly exploited， and a journalist Neda， who hasn't found her place in the world just yet。 The book begins with a Mercedes ploughing into the crowd， killing innocent bystanders， and the blame falling squarely on the shoulders of Ajay。 But there is much more to this 'accident' than first appears， and the story is told in a clever and winding way， drawing the reader in。The picture of modern Delhi is not at all attractive - pathetic little men who think having money and power gives them the right to trample on others， abusing and discarding them， buying their way out of trouble instead of learning to take responsibility for their actions。 The poor people reinforce this idea， idealising and following the rich bullies， wanting not to overthrow their tyranny but to become like them themselves。A rich tale， told well。 Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Church ，

A great read。 Enjoyable at every turn and not normally a book I would have even tried。

Jay Dwight ，

3。5 stars An epic saga， covering in all over 20 years。 Think the Sopranos set in India。 We have crime， corruption， gangsters， violence， dirty money and family。 We see the glitz and glamour of wealth， the drawing of innocence into the web， and the tragedy of lives falling apart。 An engaging read。

Suzanne Marilley ，

I read the proofs of Deepti Kapoor’s propulsive novel， AGE OF VICE。 The book transports the reader across northern India through the mountains， into to Delhi， and includes excursions through India’s vast landscapes， regions， complex integration of caste with class but casts her diverse characters in our current grip of environmentally， politically， and morally conditioned dilemmas。 This novel gets under the skin and awakens attention to crises driven by human vulnerability to cowardice。 Thankful I read the proofs of Deepti Kapoor’s propulsive novel， AGE OF VICE。 The book transports the reader across northern India through the mountains， into to Delhi， and includes excursions through India’s vast landscapes， regions， complex integration of caste with class but casts her diverse characters in our current grip of environmentally， politically， and morally conditioned dilemmas。 This novel gets under the skin and awakens attention to crises driven by human vulnerability to cowardice。 Thankfully， Kapoor chooses to put courage first。 。。。more

ily ，

Age of Vice is a complex crime drama of lives entangled in money， power， corruption and its greedy consequences。 Set among the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi， contrasting the lives of the ultra-wealthy and the poor farmers and makeshift settlements in the way of their plans for expansion， the book first sets the scene with a gruesome， deadly car crash before it catapults the reader into Ajay's story。 Sold into work as a child and forced to fend for himself， Ajay crosses paths with Sunny Age of Vice is a complex crime drama of lives entangled in money， power， corruption and its greedy consequences。 Set among the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi， contrasting the lives of the ultra-wealthy and the poor farmers and makeshift settlements in the way of their plans for expansion， the book first sets the scene with a gruesome， deadly car crash before it catapults the reader into Ajay's story。 Sold into work as a child and forced to fend for himself， Ajay crosses paths with Sunny Wadia， son of a powerful business mogul with cash to throw away。 Ajay serves Sunny and the Wadia empire， witness to a life of crime， drugs， and shady dealings that forecast its downfall。 The story is beautifully， charmingly written - glitzy and glamorous with a knife-sharp edge。 It is told from multiple perspectives， split across decades as each character's layered story unfolds and curls into the next。 While these switches in POV and jumps in time offer a quick break to surface for air before plunging back into the dark depths， the sprawling length of the novel made it difficult to keep track of events and timelines - however， I do consistently read 200-300-page books， and devoured this book in time to finish it before the new year， so my working memory of the book may not be as sharp as someone used to longer novels！ By the nature of this book， I recommend looking into its trigger warnings which include murder， death， drug and alcohol abuse， rape， and other violence。 This book is selected as Indigo's January Staff Pick of the Month and I am happy to vouch for it for anyone interested in a ruthless crime thriller filled with death， debauchery and scheming。 Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for honest feedback。 。。。more

Aditi （roommates_who_read） Mankodi ，

It might only be January 3rd and I might have finished this book on the last day of 2022， but this book is already a contender for top book of 2023！ The premise of this book is very intriguing and immediately made me want to start reading。 I feel like this book grabs your attention from the first page and does not let go through out， an impressive feat considering this book is over 500 pages long。 This book bends genres， by combining thriller vibes with a family saga。 The wealthy Wadias are an i It might only be January 3rd and I might have finished this book on the last day of 2022， but this book is already a contender for top book of 2023！ The premise of this book is very intriguing and immediately made me want to start reading。 I feel like this book grabs your attention from the first page and does not let go through out， an impressive feat considering this book is over 500 pages long。 This book bends genres， by combining thriller vibes with a family saga。 The wealthy Wadias are an influential family who control much of Uttar Pradesh in India， politically and socially。 The story is focused on three of the characters; Sunny， heir to the Wadia empire， Ajay， his servant and right hand man， and Neda， a journalist and sometimes Sunny’s girlfriend。 Through the lens of these characters we learn about what happens in the book and meet the ensemble cast。 All three are incredibly compelling characters and I felt that they were very well developed。This book is epic in scope。 It is the first in a trilogy and well over 500 pages long。 However， it does not feel that way at all！ The action jumps off the page and I was turning the pages the whole time。 The grip this book had on me， I literally could not stop reading until I finished the book。 The writing is so incredibly well done！ There are quite a few CWs for this book， so be sure to check them out before reading。 Age of Vice comes out today， and I would highly recommend getting a copy！ This book is so well done， I can’t wait to see what’s next in this series and look forward to reading more from Kapoor！ 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Age of Vice

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Age of Vice&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Age of Vice&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0