Blog Tour Review: Game of the Gods

GAME OF THE GODS

By Paolo Maurensig
Translated from the French by Anne Milano Appel

Published January 14, 2021
148 pages

Inspired by the true story of Indian chess master Malik Mir Sultan Khan.

The story of a lowly servant who, for an instant, becomes a king.

In 1930s British India, a humble servant learns the art of chaturanga, the ancient Eastern ancestor of chess. His natural talent soon catches the attention of the maharaja, who introduces him to the Western version of the game.

Brought to England as the prince’s pawn, Malik becomes a chess legend, winning the world championship and humiliating the British colonialists. During World War II his skills as a refined strategist eventually drag him into a strange game of warfare with far-reaching consequences.

Inspired by the unlikely true story of chess master Malik Mir Sultan Khan, Game of the Gods is a fascinating tale of karma and destiny, by the author of the multimillion-copy bestseller The Lüneburg Variation.

My Review

♟️♟️♟️♟️

Game of the gods was a magical read where one feels transported to the world of games, exotic lands and personal journey. The reader can easily feel that they are absorbed into this fantastic world created by Paolo Maurensig where the settings, the geography and culture blend together, providing a refreshing experience, like a phenomenal taste of new kind of tea. The dreams of the main character are assisted by his motivation and capability, feeling as he grows, that the game is more than pieces in a board but a part of himself, facing each challenge as if he impersonated the pieces.

This book is an easy read, yet complex and profound, having interesting points for all kinds of readers. Furthermore, I would recommend this book if you enjoyed watching The Queens Gambit or are a big fan of culture and history.

Meet the Author

Paolo Maurensig was born in Gorizo, and lives in Udine, Italy. Now a bestselling author, he debuted in 1993 with The Lüneburg Variation, translated into over twenty languages. His novels include Canone Inverso, The Guardian of Dreams, and The Archangel of Chess. For his novel Theory of Shadows, he won the Bagutta Prize. A Devil Comes to Town, previously published by World Editions, is a brilliant, satirical novella about literary publishing. Game of the Gods is Maurensig’s latest novel and was awarded the prestigious Premio Scanno 2019 Literary Award.

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