Age of Vice
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- Create Date：2022-12-31 10:51:38
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Deepti Kapoor
- ISBN：1443462047
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Summary
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。
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。
Reviews
mostlybookstuff
，
#AGEOFVICE by #deeptikapoor is a fast-paced crime drama， brimming with action， intrigue and some seriously tormented characters。 The dialogue ricochets。 The setting is cinematic。 You’ll fly through the 500+ pages in no time。 This is the first book in a planned trilogy and yet my takeaway was nothing less than a total marvel， even the cliffhanger ending is a complement; a brutal part to the whole。Set mostly in the early aughts， from snow-capped Himalayas to harried New Delhi streets， we trace th #AGEOFVICE by #deeptikapoor is a fast-paced crime drama， brimming with action， intrigue and some seriously tormented characters。 The dialogue ricochets。 The setting is cinematic。 You’ll fly through the 500+ pages in no time。 This is the first book in a planned trilogy and yet my takeaway was nothing less than a total marvel， even the cliffhanger ending is a complement; a brutal part to the whole。Set mostly in the early aughts， from snow-capped Himalayas to harried New Delhi streets， we trace the tragic paths of Ajay – loyal servant， Sunny Wadia – playboy and son of Bunty Wadia， the most powerful man in India， and Neda Kapur – no nonsense journalist， as their lives weave intricately tighter， caught in the allure of allegiance as well as the heady addiction of forbidden romance。 Where each once aligned themselves to a higher calling; for Ajay， the reunion of family， for Sunny， a vision of utopia， and Neda， adherence to a moral code; they find themselves entangled in traps of their own making， playing mere bit parts in a world of power and corruption。 Welcome to the #AGEOFVICE， y’all。 This book is a good time。Many thanks to @mystery。book。club hosts @elle_mentbooks， @bostonbookfanatic and @jordys。book。club for including me in this month’s discussion and to @riverheadbooks for the signed and #gifted copy。 #AGEOFVICE comes out 1/3/2023， the first #pubday of the year！ 。。。more
Ron Charles
，
Forget the fireworks in New York， London and Dubai。 The most dazzling explosions to herald 2023 come from Deepti Kapoor’s novel “Age of Vice。”Swinging from the hovels to the palaces of contemporary India， this hypnotic story poses a horrible dilemma: For days， I was torn between gorging on “Age of Vice” or rationing out the chapters to make them last。 Finally free from the book’s grip， now all I want to do is get others hooked。Kapoor was born in northern India and worked for several years as a j Forget the fireworks in New York， London and Dubai。 The most dazzling explosions to herald 2023 come from Deepti Kapoor’s novel “Age of Vice。”Swinging from the hovels to the palaces of contemporary India， this hypnotic story poses a horrible dilemma: For days， I was torn between gorging on “Age of Vice” or rationing out the chapters to make them last。 Finally free from the book’s grip， now all I want to do is get others hooked。Kapoor was born in northern India and worked for several years as a journalist in Delhi， an experience that clearly informs this lush thriller。 More than two years ago， having spotted Kapoor’s ferocious plot， arresting characters and electric dialogue， FX locked down “Age of Vice” for a series; rights to the novel have already been sold in 20 countries。This is a rare case of a book bounding as high as its hype。On the first page， a Mercedes speeding through Delhi careens off the street and slaughters five people， including a pregnant woman who had just arrived in the city。 That deadly accident ricochets through one of India’s most powerful crime families — and from there the intrigue never pauses to take a breath。When authorities arrive on the grisly scene of the crash， they find a。 。 。 。 To read the rest of this review， go to The Washington Post:https://www。washingtonpost。com/books/。。。 。。。more
Crystal Zavala
，
Amazing！ It’ll definitely be a re-read。
Margaret
，
This a long book， but so wonderfully written that it never drags and I became invested in both the lives of the characters， especially Ajay， and the setting。 It is a fascinating look at wealth and corruption in India。 I admit the ending left me a little confused， as it felt unfinished， but then found out it is meant to be a trilogy。 I look forward to reading more about the characters and optimistically hope they get their life together。 4。5/5 stars
Jason
，
The story （which takes place in India） mainly revolves around the Wadia family; the father， Bunty， and the son， Sunny。 Bunty Wadia is a mobster and has his hands in everything。 Sunny is…。different。 Different from his father。 Or wants to be different。 There are other characters （important ones）， such as Ajay and Neda （the story actually starts with Ajay as a child in 1991）。 Kapoor brings them all to life。 The writing is absolutely incredible。This story has crime （to include organized crime）， pove The story （which takes place in India） mainly revolves around the Wadia family; the father， Bunty， and the son， Sunny。 Bunty Wadia is a mobster and has his hands in everything。 Sunny is…。different。 Different from his father。 Or wants to be different。 There are other characters （important ones）， such as Ajay and Neda （the story actually starts with Ajay as a child in 1991）。 Kapoor brings them all to life。 The writing is absolutely incredible。This story has crime （to include organized crime）， poverty， love， internal conflict， family drama， etc。 It was both （and equally） a character AND plot drive novel， which is rare （in my experience）。 I can’t even tell you what genre it is。 I could say a thriller， and I’d probably be right。 I could also classify it as literary， and I’d also be right。 A literary thriller？ Maybe。 Kind of。 Yes， the story is over 500 pages but don’t let that put you off。 I couldn’t put this down。 It slowed a bit at around 200 pages but that was only to switch POVs， which I was grateful for。 And when I say slowed down， I mean it was still cruising along on the literary-thriller highway。 It never truly slows down。 Prepare to ignore everyone you know for a few days。I feel like there was social commentary in here somewhere， but I’d rather not comment on that because I don’t know enough about India。 Maybe someone with more knowledge can tell me。Read。 This。 Book。 Then message me so we can talk about it because UGH。 The ending。 I need to talk about it。 Thank you SO much @riverheadbooks for the advanced copy。 I’m going to recommend this （i。e。， badger unendingly） book to everyone。 。。。more
shannon
，
ooo okay this book is definitely going to be a HOT one in 2023！！！AGE OF VICE is 100% a crime thriller at heart， but deepti kapoor did such a fabulous job amping up the drama and cinematic elements that it felt like a movie playing in my head！ the themes of corruption and power leading to further ramifications on our world was so above my pay grade， but the way that it was written felt so easy to devour and absorb！each POV was equally entertaining， mysterious， and engaging for me。 each character ooo okay this book is definitely going to be a HOT one in 2023！！！AGE OF VICE is 100% a crime thriller at heart， but deepti kapoor did such a fabulous job amping up the drama and cinematic elements that it felt like a movie playing in my head！ the themes of corruption and power leading to further ramifications on our world was so above my pay grade， but the way that it was written felt so easy to devour and absorb！each POV was equally entertaining， mysterious， and engaging for me。 each character was totally different from the next but had similar characteristics that made them tick on the inside， wrapping them into the same daily battle。 alliances between the characters walk the tight rope of being real versus fake， and the descriptions of the past， present， and future really fleshed out these humans。plus， you add in a forbidden romance and a gangster family， and you've got me sold！this book was so freaking long， and that was probably one of my only complaints :） it definitely could have been at least 100 pages shorter， and the plot did drag a lot in the beginning as the readers struggled to figure out where this story was even going。 I spread out my reading over a week and found the breaks to be good for my brain and speculating what was going to happen next。this book is literally a compilation of the worst human traits wrapped into a gang story， and yet， it was the most humanized book I've read this year。 a simple wow from me！！！a huge thank you to riverhead books for sending me this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review！ definitely pick this one up in january！！rating: 4 starswine pairing: chianti red blend 。。。more
Shelby Thompson
，
Thank you to Riverhead for the review copy - out 3 JAN“Did my father cut corners on the way？ Yes。 This is India。 The game is rigged， the rules are stacked， you people make the rules in the first place。 You already have everything， and you don’t want to share。 So sometimes things must be taken。”Three people survive a horrifying night in Delhi， sending their lives ricocheting out in new， dark trajectories as they struggle to make sense of a city and a country on the verge of everything。 Anju， Neda Thank you to Riverhead for the review copy - out 3 JAN“Did my father cut corners on the way？ Yes。 This is India。 The game is rigged， the rules are stacked， you people make the rules in the first place。 You already have everything， and you don’t want to share。 So sometimes things must be taken。”Three people survive a horrifying night in Delhi， sending their lives ricocheting out in new， dark trajectories as they struggle to make sense of a city and a country on the verge of everything。 Anju， Neda， and Sunny show us different sides of the nouveau riche in India in the early 2000s。 The servant， the journalist， and the reluctant master， all cowards in their own way， and all with blood on their hands。 Not gonna lie， I thought this was going to be more Gatsby， less Godfather， so my expectations were skewed from the start。 The three perspectives work chillingly well for the most part， but the thing that kept derailing it for me was Neda。 Anju was a coward in order to survive， Sunny a coward in a perverse bid for his father’s love; but Neda was a coward because she was passive。 Neda is the clearest audience stand-in， the bystander effect personified， but that doesn’t make her any more appealing to spend ⅓ of this chunky book with。 This is the first in a trilogy though， and the expansive breadth of this installment leaves more than enough room for all of these characters to grow in -presumably- twisted ways。 Read if you:Have been the only sober person at a coke party。 Are tempted to give up your life and go live in a beach shack Know how many states and territories are in India （buy a map if you don’t） 。。。more
Krissy （books_and_biceps9155）
，
Thank you to @riverheadbooks for my amazing package for Age of Vice。 Let’s get the elephant out of the room right away-this book is chunky！ Its also quite heavy lol However， don’t let that deter you from picking this up！ I sped through it so fast I read it in two days！ This was filled to the brim with action， suspense， murder， corruption， mobsters and even a kidnapping。 It is sprawling and will take you all over India， mainly Dehli。 I just loved the setting and atmosphere。 The author does a wond Thank you to @riverheadbooks for my amazing package for Age of Vice。 Let’s get the elephant out of the room right away-this book is chunky！ Its also quite heavy lol However， don’t let that deter you from picking this up！ I sped through it so fast I read it in two days！ This was filled to the brim with action， suspense， murder， corruption， mobsters and even a kidnapping。 It is sprawling and will take you all over India， mainly Dehli。 I just loved the setting and atmosphere。 The author does a wonderful job of making you feel like you are right there in India。 Although this book is quite long-there are not too many characters in it which is nice。 It is easy to follow and we have three main characters: Ajay， Sunny and Neda。 I really liked how the book was broken down by parts and by character。 My favorite of the characters was Ajay。 He is such a wonderful， tortured soul that gets used and manipulated over and over again。 This is part of a trilogy and I need it NOW！！！！ I could not believe the ending。 My jaw dropped and I am most definitely waiting with batted breath to see what happens next。 This was simply wonderful！！！ 。。。more
Karma
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This one sent me reeling， definitely a new favorite book and a new favorite author。 Epic family saga centered around three intertangled main characters and their vastly different perspectives: Sunny is the playboy rich son of a mobster， Ajay， sold at 7 years old for labor， becomes his ever-loyal servant， and Neda， Sunny's love interest。 Caste， religion， crime， power， corruption， lies。。。 this is a long book but un-put-downable and cinematic。 I understand it's the first of a trilogy， which is very This one sent me reeling， definitely a new favorite book and a new favorite author。 Epic family saga centered around three intertangled main characters and their vastly different perspectives: Sunny is the playboy rich son of a mobster， Ajay， sold at 7 years old for labor， becomes his ever-loyal servant， and Neda， Sunny's love interest。 Caste， religion， crime， power， corruption， lies。。。 this is a long book but un-put-downable and cinematic。 I understand it's the first of a trilogy， which is very exciting; I hope the story picks up again with Ajay， definitely my favorite character of all。 。。。more
Bridgette Riebe
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 StarsAge of Vice Deepti Kapoor Synopsis: this book follows multiple different characters in Delhi。 The book dives into the different ways that money， power， and corruption exist within India。 The story follows 3 main characters， each who have different interactions with the Wadia family。 The story takes place over many years and follows the various personalities and perspectives of the main characters。 My review: this was a long read， but overall worth it！ I was absolutely obsessed ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 StarsAge of Vice Deepti Kapoor Synopsis: this book follows multiple different characters in Delhi。 The book dives into the different ways that money， power， and corruption exist within India。 The story follows 3 main characters， each who have different interactions with the Wadia family。 The story takes place over many years and follows the various personalities and perspectives of the main characters。 My review: this was a long read， but overall worth it！ I was absolutely obsessed with the story of Ajay and wish that there was more focus on his story alone。 The first half of the book was action packed and compelling but the second half got a little bit confusing as the stories were intersecting and Sunny Wadia’s physical and mental state unravels。 This book definitely had a lot of action and reading about the ways that corruption exists within India and families of wealth was fascinating and wonderfully written。 The book ended with a cliffhanger but makes me eager to read the next book in the trilogy！ ** thank you to riverhead books for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review** 。。。more
Benjamin
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Disclaimer: I won an advanced copy through a Goodreads Giveaway。 After entering so many Giveaways over the years and never winning， I assumed they only went to people with large followings and lots of reviews。 I'm glad I did win， however， because it's not the type of book I would have picked for myself and I ended up really enjoying it。 I usually shy away from longer books， but the plot was propulsive and really moved for a 544 page crime epic。 It's the story of three twenty-something Indians in Disclaimer: I won an advanced copy through a Goodreads Giveaway。 After entering so many Giveaways over the years and never winning， I assumed they only went to people with large followings and lots of reviews。 I'm glad I did win， however， because it's not the type of book I would have picked for myself and I ended up really enjoying it。 I usually shy away from longer books， but the plot was propulsive and really moved for a 544 page crime epic。 It's the story of three twenty-something Indians in the early-aughts。 Sunny is the heir of the biggest crime boss in Delhi， Neda is the reporter drawn into Sunny's orbit， and Ajay is the driver/bodyguard whose life is just a series of tragic circumstances forced upon him by the greed and power of others。 I enjoyed the structure of the book， following each of them for a time and seeing the same events through each of their eyes。 The novel transports you through all levels of Indian society， from the dark underbelly to the glamorous five-star hotels and restaurants of the VVIPs。 The story was immersive and full of characters that will live with me for quite a while。 。。。more
Amber
，
At 3 a。m。 in New Delhi， a speeding Mercedes jumps the curb， killing five people。 It seems to be an open-and-shut case。 The driver Ajay is drunk， except Ajay is not merely a driver but a servant for the most influential family in India， and the car is registered to a powerful politician。 AGE OF VICE is part crime thriller and part family saga that follows three characters from different socioeconomic statuses yet whose lives are tightly intertwined。 From the start， Kapoor's fast-paced and grippin At 3 a。m。 in New Delhi， a speeding Mercedes jumps the curb， killing five people。 It seems to be an open-and-shut case。 The driver Ajay is drunk， except Ajay is not merely a driver but a servant for the most influential family in India， and the car is registered to a powerful politician。 AGE OF VICE is part crime thriller and part family saga that follows three characters from different socioeconomic statuses yet whose lives are tightly intertwined。 From the start， Kapoor's fast-paced and gripping style captivated my attention， and I was compelled to finish this book in two days！ While it can be read purely as a mystery， the lustrous writing about the lives of the three main characters struggling in their own ways to find meaning and belonging in modern India is a rare gem not often seen in the thriller genre。 Additionally， Kapoor's observations of the westernization of India during the Millenium are profoundly insightful and encourage me to think about the balance between modernizing for economic advancements and preserving one's rich cultural heritage。 Through alternating POVs， Kapoor brilliantly depicts what it means to be free， how we fall prey to our vices， and the means we have to survive an ever-changing world。 AGE OF VICE is the first in a trilogy， and I can't wait for the sequels！Thank you to Riverhead Books for the free gifted copy。 。。。more
Margaret McCulloch-Keeble
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I hate saying anything bad but this was just a relentless list of corruption and decadence。 There was no real plot just an endless list of horrible incidents that were linked in some way。 I'm guessing the author hasn't worked for the Indian Tourist board because she portrays the country in an awful way。 It may be an honest observation， but it's certainly unflinching and I would say not for the faint hearted。 I hate saying anything bad but this was just a relentless list of corruption and decadence。 There was no real plot just an endless list of horrible incidents that were linked in some way。 I'm guessing the author hasn't worked for the Indian Tourist board because she portrays the country in an awful way。 It may be an honest observation， but it's certainly unflinching and I would say not for the faint hearted。 。。。more
Bruce Raterink
，
An epic story of greed， cruelty， crime， family， love， and survival told from multiple perspectives over several timeframes。 Surprisingly， with such a myriad of characters sprawled over the 500+ pages， there wasn't one page that didn't hold my complete interest。 The characters were vividly portrayed and the pacing was perfect keeping me turning the pages late into the night。 Highly recommendedThanks to NetGalley and Riverhead Books for an advanced reader copy。 An epic story of greed， cruelty， crime， family， love， and survival told from multiple perspectives over several timeframes。 Surprisingly， with such a myriad of characters sprawled over the 500+ pages， there wasn't one page that didn't hold my complete interest。 The characters were vividly portrayed and the pacing was perfect keeping me turning the pages late into the night。 Highly recommendedThanks to NetGalley and Riverhead Books for an advanced reader copy。 。。。more
Cheryne
，
Not my usual kind of read but this was GRIPPING。 Here to confirm the “can’t-look-away urgency” description 😳Begins with a gruesome car accident， multiple deaths， Ajay the servant boy found at the wheel of the wreckage。 Through a servant， a playboy heir， and a journalist we’re taken throughout Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi， into prisons and lavish homes， and into the depths of greed + corruption🚨 crime thriller + family saga📑 unfolds in five parts， multiple distinct POVs， 500+ pages but it moves fa Not my usual kind of read but this was GRIPPING。 Here to confirm the “can’t-look-away urgency” description 😳Begins with a gruesome car accident， multiple deaths， Ajay the servant boy found at the wheel of the wreckage。 Through a servant， a playboy heir， and a journalist we’re taken throughout Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi， into prisons and lavish homes， and into the depths of greed + corruption🚨 crime thriller + family saga📑 unfolds in five parts， multiple distinct POVs， 500+ pages but it moves fast！！✍️ such immersive writing！！ the understanding of each character + the growth we get to explore， their past and present， just wowwwww⚠️ all that leads to vices & the grasp it holds - dark at times， layered discomfort， unsettling moments （check for content warnings）。 presses into the westernization of culture， the immense resource gap and what it creates， and what humanity is truly capable of when power is at stake🥊 action-packed， suspenseful， and intoxicating， truly unlike any other readIt’s electrifying， indeed。 I’ll definitely be reading the next book in this trilogy！！ Thank you Riverhead Books for the gifted ARC！ 。。。more
Liz
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A sprawling and epic tale that follows a vicious crime family in New Delhi and the people in their orbit their misdeeds affect。 We initially meet a young servant boy who is in a car crash that alters his fate and that of others。 Slowly we learn about the other characters; Playboy Sonny， his scion of a dad Bunty， beautiful journalist Neda， cruel Uncle Vicky and others。 Even though this is long I was mesmerized the whole while through。 The structure can be odd at times and I was a little confused A sprawling and epic tale that follows a vicious crime family in New Delhi and the people in their orbit their misdeeds affect。 We initially meet a young servant boy who is in a car crash that alters his fate and that of others。 Slowly we learn about the other characters; Playboy Sonny， his scion of a dad Bunty， beautiful journalist Neda， cruel Uncle Vicky and others。 Even though this is long I was mesmerized the whole while through。 The structure can be odd at times and I was a little confused but because of the compelling story and writing， honestly it didn’t matter。 This book showcases some serious depravity of men， excess， the Indian Caste system， familial conflict and love all wrapped up in a memorable tale。 Apparently this is part 1 of a trilogy。 At first I wasn’t sure I’d want to read three parts but after finishing this book， I’m all in。 Sign me up！ 。。。more
Dakota Bossard
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4。5/5 - holy moly
Dmitry
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My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review。The books tells the story of contemporary India through its criminal underbelly。 At its core are three seemingly unconnected protagonists， whose paths intertwine through a series of personal disasters and traumas。 Ajay is a dalit， whose life is turned upside down when his mother sells him into slavery in the early 90s。 Sunny is the dandy son of a politically connected gangster My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review。The books tells the story of contemporary India through its criminal underbelly。 At its core are three seemingly unconnected protagonists， whose paths intertwine through a series of personal disasters and traumas。 Ajay is a dalit， whose life is turned upside down when his mother sells him into slavery in the early 90s。 Sunny is the dandy son of a politically connected gangster-turned-business-man。 Neda is the daughter of a left-leaning liberal and educated couple in Delhi。 Their lives， as well as those of their friends and family， is explored in meticulous detail， with the relationships and power struggles that make contemporary India tick。 It is also a story that is soaked with deep cynicism about the ability to escape， at least within India， markers of caste， sex， education， heritage， etc。 It is probably the best novel I read this year。 It also stands out among the many books written about post colonial India （e。g。， The White Tiger， A Fine Balance）， as it uses the format and the rhythm of a thriller （a mafia thriller， at that） to expose and lay bear complex topics that sit at the core of India's social tensions。 The intertwining of the two is remarkable - while the human aspect part of the book keeps tearing at the reader's soul the thriller part forces one to keep going in an almost addictive way。From a pure form perspective the book is excellent - the pacing is spot on， the characters feel like you got to know real people， the almost telegraphic nature of the language creates a rhythm to reading that I rarely experienced （other than perhaps with Octavia E。 Butler）， and the movement back and forth in time and location was done in a way that contributed to the plot rather than becoming a trick。I think most readers would love it: it's a great thriller that keeps the heart beat up， it's a nuanced and sensitive character study of torn individuals， and it's a stark reminder of what life in India can really be like for some peopleIt is full of lifelike characters with complex and compelling backstories， 。。。more
Sarah Burton
，
Age of Vice captivated me from the start with a dramatic and devastating car crash， Deepti Kapoor then takes you through the lives of the three main characters on how they got to this point and how it affected them going forwards。 Full of excess， hardship， traditions， corruption and at times violence - I loved it。Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read Age of Vice。
Dea Farrell
，
Thank you Deepti Kapoor， Riverhead Books and Goodreads for the gifted ARC。This novel begins in New Dehli with a car crash that leads to five people dying。 There's a poor man behind the wheel of a rich man's car， but no one can quite explain how he got there or if he really caused the accident。 We are taken back in time when we learn of the lives of Ajay， Sunny， and Neda。 Ajay goes from being a poor boy to a servant to working up his way in the ranks working for the notorious Wadia family。 While Thank you Deepti Kapoor， Riverhead Books and Goodreads for the gifted ARC。This novel begins in New Dehli with a car crash that leads to five people dying。 There's a poor man behind the wheel of a rich man's car， but no one can quite explain how he got there or if he really caused the accident。 We are taken back in time when we learn of the lives of Ajay， Sunny， and Neda。 Ajay goes from being a poor boy to a servant to working up his way in the ranks working for the notorious Wadia family。 While working for the Wadia's， he's the driver， bodyguard， and errand runner for Sunny。 Sunny is an heir who wants nothing more than to be better than his father， no matter the price。 Neda is a journalist who gets drawn into Sunny's world when she's pulled by a deep attraction to him， but is conflicted on whether to get out of the relationship or stay。 These three lives are entangled together in ways that may lead to consequences that none of them expected。 At over five hundred pages， this isn't a quick read， but don't let that deter you from grabbing this novel。 Deepti Kapoor is a master storyteller。 Immediately， you are taken into a world of power， money， drugs， corruption， parties， politics， poverty， violence， revenge， and romance。 You get so drawn into the stories of Ajay， Sunny， and Neda that you begin to forget how long the book is， and the next thing you know， the story is over， and you're wanting more。 The character development in this novel is one of the best I have read this year。 I could easily see this book being adapted to a movie。 I'm really regretting letting this one sit on my shelf for so long before reading it。 Release Date: 01/03/2023 。。。more
Jasmine
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Age of Vice， set in India， is a compelling crime thriller mixed with a family saga。 It begins with the police finding a young man named Ajay inebriated in a flashy Mercedes surrounded by a group of dead bodies。 The police suspect he just rammed through the crowd sleeping on the pavement。 At first glance， the police see Ajay as a man vested in wealth， but upon closer inspection， they realize he is a servant。 When the police ask him what happened to cause him to crash his employer’s car， he remain Age of Vice， set in India， is a compelling crime thriller mixed with a family saga。 It begins with the police finding a young man named Ajay inebriated in a flashy Mercedes surrounded by a group of dead bodies。 The police suspect he just rammed through the crowd sleeping on the pavement。 At first glance， the police see Ajay as a man vested in wealth， but upon closer inspection， they realize he is a servant。 When the police ask him what happened to cause him to crash his employer’s car， he remains silent。 The story unfolds from here， starting with Ajay’s impoverished youth to how he eventually came to work for one of India’s most wealthy and powerful families; and how he wound up in that vehicle。 It is a story of violence， crime， and extravagance juxtaposed with extreme poverty。 It has three main POVs and a few extra thrown in for good measure。 It is an epic book， clocking in at over 500 pages， but it did not feel excessively long。 Sometimes there would be pages of dialogue， but then it would be followed by a single paragraph taking up the whole page， so it felt balanced。 I thoroughly enjoyed Ajay’s sections。 I would have been happy reading a whole book from just his pov。I’m not super into reading about bad people doing bad things， aka crime novels， but Neda and Ajay were enough to keep my interest going。 Although， the other characters brought more clarity into what was going on in this climate。 I believe Age of Vice is the first book in a trilogy， so the cliffhanger ending makes a lot more sense。 My one qualm would be that there was loads of build up， but towards the end， it felt slightly rushed and chaotic。 However， it did have a cinematic feel to it。 Hopefully， the next book will clear everything up。 I highly recommend trying this if you enjoy thrillers and crime novels。 Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review。 https://booksandwheels。com 。。。more
Tilly Fitzgerald
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Well holy shit this was good。 Sometimes when a proof is this fabulous I worry because the book has a lot to live up to， but honestly this was just exceptional and I’m pretty confident it will feature in my best reads of 2023！ This is the story of the corrupt Wadia family， told through three very different perspectives - Ajay， who has survived so much loss and devastation to become a hardened servant to Sunny Wadia， playboy and heir to the Wadia empire who can never live up to his father’s expect Well holy shit this was good。 Sometimes when a proof is this fabulous I worry because the book has a lot to live up to， but honestly this was just exceptional and I’m pretty confident it will feature in my best reads of 2023！ This is the story of the corrupt Wadia family， told through three very different perspectives - Ajay， who has survived so much loss and devastation to become a hardened servant to Sunny Wadia， playboy and heir to the Wadia empire who can never live up to his father’s expectations， and isn’t sure he wants to。 And then there’s Neda， the bright young journalist who falls for Sunny whilst also looking into the reality of his family。 One terrible night will tear them all apart…Ok so this is a big book （500+ pages） but I honestly don’t think I’ve read anything so compelling in a while - and by the end I wasn’t even ready for it to end because I was so deep into this world。 First of all， the various locations around India are incredible， and there was a certain chapter which had me desperate to be sitting on a Goan beach with a cold drink in hand。 But of course， most of the story doesn’t paint an idyllic， happy tourist version of India and it’s a story rife with crime， corruption and devastation。 Ajay’s story was the one which I found most gripping and also happens to be the biggest， which I thought was especially powerful given that his is the craziest journey - from total poverty to the lavish lifestyle of the Wadias， and then jail。 He’s a character that will probably tear you in two a bit - at times completely sympathetic but then every now and then this darkness and violence takes over and scares you。 There are no one dimensional characters in this story and I felt like each narrator was brilliantly realised。 I can’t even put my finger on what exactly it is about this novel that I loved so much - there’s crime， romance， violence， heartache and so much more。 It’s as addictive as a thriller but written like a literary prize winner， it’s deep， it’s shocking， it’s thought provoking。 It’s just brilliant， brilliant storytelling and I really can’t recommend it enough 👏 。。。more
Fran McBookface
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Punchy & direct， often brutally violent Age of Vice is a story told at a relentless pace。 There are 3 different characters in this book each telling a story from their perspective。 We have Ajay who is just a child when he is taken from his family and sold into service。 Years later， when he impresses the glamorous Sunny Wadia， he is taken into his employ and a new life begins。 Sunny is the son of the powerful and corrupt Bunny Wadia， a man running a corrupt mafia-like operation that pervades ever Punchy & direct， often brutally violent Age of Vice is a story told at a relentless pace。 There are 3 different characters in this book each telling a story from their perspective。 We have Ajay who is just a child when he is taken from his family and sold into service。 Years later， when he impresses the glamorous Sunny Wadia， he is taken into his employ and a new life begins。 Sunny is the son of the powerful and corrupt Bunny Wadia， a man running a corrupt mafia-like operation that pervades every level of life in the country but Sunny wants out。 Neda is a journalist who falls for Sunny Wadia and into his excessive lifestyle and complicated life。 The author has skillfully given us three individuals full of human indecisions， doubts and flaws。 While I sympathised with all the characters at certain points in the story， they could all also be pretty unlikeable。India itself was an integral part of the story and was my favourite character。 Even though much of the book shows the dark underbelly of the country， it is a place I find endlessly fascinating。 I really enjoyed this pacy story with its gritty and powerful prose and it’s certainly one I’ll be recommending。 。。。more
Bea Masters
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I won a copy of this in a Goodreads giveaway。 The settings were bright and vivid and i enjoyed the way the different narrators revealed different aspects of the story。 I’d definitely recommend it to people looking for epic sagas about depressing men。 Ultimately， it wasn’t a good fit for me， since i have some hang ups about books about people using drugs and alcohol。 The plot was complex and challenging—I kept wanting to google an explanation of what was happening。 I don’t really mean that in a b I won a copy of this in a Goodreads giveaway。 The settings were bright and vivid and i enjoyed the way the different narrators revealed different aspects of the story。 I’d definitely recommend it to people looking for epic sagas about depressing men。 Ultimately， it wasn’t a good fit for me， since i have some hang ups about books about people using drugs and alcohol。 The plot was complex and challenging—I kept wanting to google an explanation of what was happening。 I don’t really mean that in a bad way—i feel the same about many movies。 I think this would hold up to a reread， and presumably the sequels will give more context and details。 Im not sure if I will read the sequels。 I care about the characters and want to know what happens， but if they keep spiraling down i can’t handle it。 。。。more
Milly Reynolds
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A huge book - 560 pages - but wow！ Set in India in the 2000s， it starts with a fatal car crash and the arrest of a servant who cannot explain himself and it finishes with a climax that just explodes！ Told through three perspectives and written in a non-linear structure that does throw you off course occasionally， we follow Ajay， Sunny and Neda and I thoroughly expect that for you， like me， Ajay will be the one you feel for as his story is heart-breaking and the decisions that he has to make diff A huge book - 560 pages - but wow！ Set in India in the 2000s， it starts with a fatal car crash and the arrest of a servant who cannot explain himself and it finishes with a climax that just explodes！ Told through three perspectives and written in a non-linear structure that does throw you off course occasionally， we follow Ajay， Sunny and Neda and I thoroughly expect that for you， like me， Ajay will be the one you feel for as his story is heart-breaking and the decisions that he has to make difficult。 Sold by his mother he eventually comes into the service of Sunny Wadia， the playboy son of Bunty Wadia - a wealthy business from Uttar Pradesh who runs Delhi through corruption and violence。 With his money， he controls everything and everyone who steps into his circle。 Sunny is the son and heir and his extravagant lifestyle is famous。 We see life through his eyes， the son trying to live up to his father's expectations。 Our final main character is Neda， a journalist who falls under Sunny's spell。 In this book we see their lives as they are changed in various and many ways， particularly by the car crash from the beginning of the book。 Other characters also step onto the stage， an interesting one being Bunty Wadia's brother， Vicky， who is shadowy and dangerous。 It is a long time since I have read such an epic book like one。 This is a story， a thriller， full of action， corruption， gangsters， luxury and poverty that kept me engrossed。 The ending left me on a knife edge and from what I have read， I understand that this is the first book in a trilogy。 I can't wait。 。。。more
Novel Visits
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There were A LOT of characters and that became confusing， especially in the last 20%。 I really liked the first 80%。 I need to let this one settle， before being absolutely sure on my star rating。 Maybe 3。75？ Full review to follow。
Stacy40pages
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Age of Vice by Deepit Kapoor。 Thanks to @riverheadbooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️A car jumps a curb in New Delhi and five are dead。 It’s a rich， well known man’s car， but his driver is arrested and won’t say much or explain the dramatic events that led up to this。 It may seem intimidating because of its size but you will get sucked right in immediately。 The story switches its character focus from time to time so there were parts that I found less interesting than others， but I’d always be grab Age of Vice by Deepit Kapoor。 Thanks to @riverheadbooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️A car jumps a curb in New Delhi and five are dead。 It’s a rich， well known man’s car， but his driver is arrested and won’t say much or explain the dramatic events that led up to this。 It may seem intimidating because of its size but you will get sucked right in immediately。 The story switches its character focus from time to time so there were parts that I found less interesting than others， but I’d always be grabbed right in。 India is like a character itself， which anyone who has read Shantaram can attest to。 Age of Vice really takes you there。 I’m looking forward to the rest of the series。 “This is India。 The game is rigged， the rules are stacked， you make the rules in the first place。 You already have everything， and you don’t want to share。 So sometimes things must be taken。”Age of Vice comes out 1/3。 。。。more
Asha
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Age of Vice is the first book I’ve read from Deepti Kapoor。 This literary fiction/ crime thriller dives into power， family， social class， and revenge。 Wow！ What an intense action-packed book！ I loved that the story sucked me in from page one。 The book is told in multiple POVs and is written in a style where each character is deeply complex and each voice is very distinct。 I loved the combination of family saga/drama， thriller， suspense， and forbidden love。 There were a few parts that were a bit Age of Vice is the first book I’ve read from Deepti Kapoor。 This literary fiction/ crime thriller dives into power， family， social class， and revenge。 Wow！ What an intense action-packed book！ I loved that the story sucked me in from page one。 The book is told in multiple POVs and is written in a style where each character is deeply complex and each voice is very distinct。 I loved the combination of family saga/drama， thriller， suspense， and forbidden love。 There were a few parts that were a bit graphic but I understand that was part of the storytelling experience。 As for the audio， I thought the audiobook narrator chosen did an amazing job and loved the way he did various accents。 I do think they should have had multiple narrators since there were multiple POVs。 Also that ending had my mind blown and now I can’t wait hear news about the sequel。 I can definitely see this book becoming popular next year。 Highly recommend picking it up！Thank you Riverhead Books for the free ARC & PRH Audio for the free audiobook。 。。。more
Jill
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In a time of metafiction， post-modernism， dystopian fantasies， and other clever authorial techniques， the art of the epic storyteller seems increasingly in jeopardy。 There is Stephen King， William Kent Krueger， Richard Russo， Ann Patchett – everyone’s list will differ。In her heart of hearts， Deepit Kapoor is a storyteller， and in around 550 pages， she spins a story that is so cinematic that it’s hard to imagine it not being on the screen soon – and indeed， I just read that it will be。In the age In a time of metafiction， post-modernism， dystopian fantasies， and other clever authorial techniques， the art of the epic storyteller seems increasingly in jeopardy。 There is Stephen King， William Kent Krueger， Richard Russo， Ann Patchett – everyone’s list will differ。In her heart of hearts， Deepit Kapoor is a storyteller， and in around 550 pages， she spins a story that is so cinematic that it’s hard to imagine it not being on the screen soon – and indeed， I just read that it will be。In the age of vice， money and wealth， greed and corruption， forbidden pleasure and family power intertwine， and those who don’t have the cunningness and cruelty to adapt will be unable to make it。 The story is told through three perspectives: Ajay， a young boy who becomes an indentured servant and eventually is noticed by Sunny – the scion of the powerful and corrupt Wadia family。 Also falling into Sunny’s orbit is Neda， a young and attractive journalist who loves him but hates the hold his family has on him。 Each of these three characters ultimately sees himself or herself as a victim， not a willing accomplice。 And each of them learns a hard truth: that some people are born to rule and thrive and ultimately fail。 For the rulers， life’s outcomes are viewed as their God-given right。 The wheel of life， the author suggests， will keep turning toward the dissolution that will swallow us all。The fact that the novel is set as India sits poised to modernize and change adds intensity to the propulsive plot。 As the characters weave their way through a morass of seduction， brutal violence， evolving allegiances and desire， the reader will keep turning pages to get to the explosive ending。Age of Vice， in all fairness， won’t be for everyone。 It is billed as a literary crime thriller and there were times I felt that Deepit Kapoor was leaning too heavily on scripting the dialogue and action。 For those who loved， say， The Godfather， this is a can’t miss。 I closed the book believing that this will quickly climb the best-selling charts and will be a word-of-mouth phenomenon。 I thank Riverhead Books for the privilege of being an early reader in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Gina Zahra
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Very enjoyable read。 I love a well done BIG book and this did not disappoint。 I read the other reviews and a number of readers DNF - I think they would have been rewarded if they had stayed the course。 The multiple character story lines converge and wrap up well。 I do agree that Ajay was the most sympathetic of the characters but the development of Sunny and Neda was so well written that I enjoyed their stories as well。
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