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Ahriman: The Spirit of Destruction: A Middle East Political Conspiracy and Espionage Thriller (The Ahriman Legacy Book 1) Kindle Edition

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 384 ratings

Espionage. Assassins. Middle East. 2021.

Three years ago, a traumatic op forced her into a quiet life as an analyst. But after new intel surfaces on a terrorist plot in her hometown of Kuwait, former intelligence agent Petra Shirazi has no choice but to return to the field.

Thrust back into a violent world she vowed to leave behind, Petra must face her personal demons and her guilt over the death of one of her sources.

A money trail exposes a massive wave of terrorist attacks—implicating the highest levels of the Kuwaiti and Iranian governments.

All signs point to the Ahriman, the Iranian mastermind behind the cruelest and deadliest attacks in history.

Pitted against her nemesis, Petra must confront her past if she is to stop the world from tilting into an abyss from which there is no return.

The race to stop the Ahriman begins.

Fans of global espionage thrillers like
Patriot Games, The Day of the Jackal, and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold will love this fast-paced spy novel from master storyteller Puja Guha.

Find out why The US Review of Books says:
"Like Grisham and Clancy... this title shines among the genre simply through superb storytelling."

Get your copy of this gripping thriller today!

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From the Publisher

spy ops, international spy mystery, assassin plot, enemies to lovers
female spy novel, espionage thriller, assassin story, international spy, Middle East spy thriller
Middle East spy thriller, strong female protagonist, romance suspense
Ahriman: The Spirit of Destruction: A Middle East Political Conspiracy and Espionage Thriller (Th...
Ahriman: The Spirit of Destruction: A Middle East Political Conspiracy and Es...
Road to Redemption: A Global Spy Thriller (The Ahriman Legacy Book 2)
Road to Redemption: A Global Spy Thriller (The Ahriman Legacy Book 2)
Resurgence of the Hunt: A Global Spy Thriller (The Ahriman Legacy Book 3)
Resurgence of the Hunt: A Global Spy Thriller (The Ahriman Legacy Book 3)
Reckoning from the Shadows: A Riveting Political and Espionage Thriller (The Ahriman Legacy Book 4)
Reckoning from the Shadows: A Riveting Political and Espionage Thriller (The ...
Battle for the Veiled City: A Riveting Political and Espionage Thriller (The Ahriman Legacy Book 5)
Battle for the Veiled City: A Riveting Political and Espionage Thriller (The ...
Customer Reviews
4.1 out of 5 stars 384
4.3 out of 5 stars 436
4.4 out of 5 stars 220
4.3 out of 5 stars 31
4.6 out of 5 stars 18
Price $2.99 $4.99 $4.99 $4.99 $4.99
Reading order 1 2 3 4 5

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Puja Guha is a writer who knows the world of international finance, politics, and intrigue in a way very few have understood it before. But it's her writing that shines above all else."
- Reed Farrel Coleman, New York Times Bestselling author of WHERE IT HURTS

"Inspired by great modern thriller writers like Grisham and Clancy, the author assembles an amazing action-packed narrative here that moves at the perfect pace throughout. Telling its tale in a disjointed chronological order, the audience learns everything necessary at the right time to keep the intrigue high and the story moving brilliantly along. For many readers, this book will prove to be one of the hardest to put down in some time."
- The US Review of Books (Reviewed by Michael Radon)

"Like many international thrillers, this novel -- which features strong and extensive historical background about Kuwait -- employs multiple points-of-view, and is a page-turner perfectly set up for a sequel."
- The Book Life Prize in Fiction, Publishers Weekly

"Puja Guha writes with real authority and authenticity."
- Lou Berney, Edgar Award-winning author of November Road


"Fans of high-paced and action-filled thrillers won't be disappointed."
- Brendan DuBois, bestselling mystery author, three-time Edgar Award nominee and James Patterson collaborator
What readers are saying:
★★★★★ "A gripping and exciting read. I had a sense that the writer knew this world of intrigue and danger. Highly recommended." - Charlotte S

★★★★★ "The Ahriman is everything I want in a villain." - Patty C.

★★★★★ "Well written. Well edited. The author has brains." - Texas Vine Voice

★★★★★ "Well written and difficult to put down." - V. Williams

★★★★★ "This book was on a par with the best, Clancy, Robinson, Rollins, et al. The storyline was full of surprises and intrigue. I can't wait for the sequel." - C. Picou

★★★★★ "Excellently written, thoroughly enjoyable, could not put it down." - D. Nancoo

About the Author

Meet Puja:
International Development Consultant. Global Citizen.
AUTHOR.

Born into a family of acclaimed Indian architects, Puja Guha traveled with her parents as they worked on projects around the world. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Puja completed her Master's degree in public policy at Sciences Po and the London School of Economics.

Today, she works as an independent consultant on international development programs - primarily in Africa and South Asia - traveling to some of the most economically-challenged countries in the world. Leveraging her scholarship, her ability to speak five languages, and her earnest goal of engendering global economic progress, she continues to learn about, support and embrace new countries.

Along her journey, she's been inspired by politics, culture and setting to write the Ahriman Legacy series, in which she takes readers along with her as her imagination enhances her experiences.

Puja has lived in Kuwait, Toronto, Paris, London, and several American cities including New York, Washington DC, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. She now lives in the Washington D.C. area.
Learn more about Puja at pujaguha.com.
Join Puja's mailing list at smarturl.it/PujaList to receive information about upcoming releases, giveaways, events and more.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00L1ISEUS
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 15, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.0 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 384 ratings

About the author

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Puja Guha
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
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Meet Puja:

International Development Consultant. Global Citizen.

AUTHOR.

Born into a family of acclaimed Indian architects, Puja Guha traveled with her parents as they worked on projects around the world. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Puja completed her Master's degree in public policy at Sciences Po and the London School of Economics.

Today, she works as an independent consultant on international development programs - primarily in Africa and South Asia - traveling to some of the most economically-challenged countries in the world. Leveraging her scholarship, her ability to speak five languages, and her earnest goal of engendering global economic progress, she continues to learn about, support and embrace new countries.

Along her journey, she's been inspired by politics, culture and setting to write the Ahriman Legacy series, in which she takes readers along with her as her imagination enhances her experiences.

Puja has lived in Kuwait, Toronto, Paris, London, and several American cities including New York, Washington DC, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. She now lives in the Denver area.

Learn more about Puja at pujaguha.com.

Join Puja's mailing list at smarturl.it/PujaList to receive information about upcoming releases, giveaways, events and more.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
384 global ratings

Review this product

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Customers say

Customers find the story engaging with a great plotline and many twists. They describe the book as an enjoyable read that keeps them hooked until the end. The writing style is well-praised, with a fast-paced, vivid narrative that keeps readers hooked. The characters are described as wonderful, believable, and confident. The book holds their attention and interest throughout with its immersive storytelling and captivating characters.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

40 customers mention "Suspenseful story"37 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the suspenseful story with its great plotline and many twists and turns. They find the book perfect for thriller fans, with an unbelievable conclusion and an excellent action adventure from a different perspective. Readers appreciate the refreshing take on the espionage novel with an in-depth focus on the Middle East.

"...Gives most of them (except for the most diabolical) a good, sympathetic backstory. Weaves between the past and present...." Read more

"...have fixed them right up, but it's not a reason not to read the excellent plot that Guha has woven together, which is really the most important part..." Read more

"...This is the type of read that is perfect for any kind of thriller fans out there who love a story that has a strong militaristic & political..." Read more

"The author had a great plotline going and then she detailed the stories momentum by constantly flipping between events in the past and actions in..." Read more

30 customers mention "Readability"30 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it an engaging story that keeps them hooked until the end. The author provides a well-crafted narrative that covers relevant topics. Overall, readers praise the book as a promising debut from a talented writer.

"Ahriman is an excellent first novel. Puja Guha got a lot of things right in her international thriller...." Read more

"...to put it briefly, “Ahriman: The Spirit of Destruction” is an excellent, hard-hitting read that has not only left me impressed, but also left me..." Read more

"...Well worth the read! I would give it 4.5 stars of that were possible." Read more

"...Who is the target? Puja Guha succeeds to deliver a great first novel, that juggles well action and political intrigues...." Read more

28 customers mention "Writing style"24 positive4 negative

Customers enjoy the book's writing style. They find it engaging, with a fast-paced and vivid style that keeps them hooked. The author portrays Middle Eastern scenes well, with believable background descriptions and research. The main character is described as heroic, smart, and knowledgeable.

"Petra is everything you want in a main character: heroic, smart, driven...." Read more

"...I loved the Middle East setting, Kuwait mostly, with it's strange 'democracy' where the 'king' is progressive and the congress wants to keep the..." Read more

"...a strong militaristic & political conspiracy theme, with a fast-paced vivid writing style to match that expresses each scene in an immersive and..." Read more

"...The background descriptions are quite believable. It is apparent she has visited several of the areas in which this novel takes place...." Read more

14 customers mention "Pacing"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book has a fast-paced story that keeps them engaged. They appreciate the quick-thinking plot and action, though some felt the time periods were a bit contrived. Overall, the book provides an excellent trail of events with twists and turns throughout.

"...Normally, I dislike it because, but it’s a faced paced prologue and its significance is realized later in the story with a big “AHA!”..." Read more

"...is about, so I won't go any further except to say that the plot moves along nicely and the ending worked well...." Read more

"This story was complex and fast paced. It has everything a thriller needs. Mystery, subterfuge, misdirection and suspense...." Read more

"...confident, knowledgeable woman who demonstrates great courage and quick thinking - but will she be able to unravel terrorist attack in Kuwait?..." Read more

13 customers mention "Character development"13 positive0 negative

Customers enjoyed the book's characters. They found the protagonist believable and a strong character. The plot twist was appreciated.

"...Great job of characterizing villains. Gives most of them (except for the most diabolical) a good, sympathetic backstory...." Read more

"...Aside from a great history lesson, Guha has a great plot twist, wonderful characters, and a great ending...." Read more

"...It is a well designed story that introduced the main character, Petra, in a way that gives us, through flahbacks, her history as well as a..." Read more

"...I loved the strong, believable female protagonist and how I was rooting for her throughout the book...." Read more

6 customers mention "Interest"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book fascinating and engaging. They say the writing holds their attention well. The scenes are described in an immersive way, and the story is complex yet not too long.

"...-paced vivid writing style to match that expresses each scene in an immersive and captivating manner...." Read more

"I thoroughly enjoyed this author's writing style; held my attention from the first paragraph. I look forward to the next book in the series." Read more

"The research put into this book is obviously deep and long. Ms Guha has woven a story that is nonstop adventure and heart pounding excitement...." Read more

"This story is complex, fast moving and always fascinating. The characters are well drawn and fascinating. It's a page turner." Read more

5 customers mention "Heroism"5 positive0 negative

Customers like the main character's heroism. They say she's smart, driven, and a strong female protagonist.

"Petra is everything you want in a main character: heroic, smart, driven...." Read more

"...Finally a strong female hero with a brain and some muscles!..." Read more

"Petra is a strong female coming against one of Iran’s deadliest assassin The nightmare of her past has to be dealt with now to do her job...." Read more

"...the strong, believable female protagonist and how I was rooting for her throughout the book...." Read more

4 customers mention "Page turner"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it engaging.

"This was definitely a page-turner!!!..." Read more

"...It was definitely a page turner and hard to put down!" Read more

"...The characters are well drawn and fascinating. It's a page turner." Read more

"Absolute page-turner..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2014
    Petra is everything you want in a main character: heroic, smart, driven. I also like most of Petra’s supporting cast, such as her boss and her recruiter who’s now retired. Except her boyfriend. The positive I can say about Grant is the character is used like he should be. He has a certain skill set that Petra lacks and needs in order to complete her mission.

    The Ahriman is everything I want in a villain. Great motivation with a strong, conflicted backstory.

    Great job of characterizing villains. Gives most of them (except for the most diabolical) a good, sympathetic backstory.

    Weaves between the past and present. The past covers Puja’s recruitment, early missions and lead up to a huge, global event that took place in the past.

    Writing is well done. The story reads easily. There’s a lot of information that gets covered early on the book, especially for someone like me who knows little about Middle Eastern politics. Luckily, Mrs. Guha works this in naturally, such as during briefings or in regular dialogue between characters. Instead of being bored by it, I found it fascinating.
    Mrs. Guha used the prologue well in her story. Normally, I dislike it because, but it’s a faced paced prologue and its significance is realized later in the story with a big “AHA!” moment.

    Just like one of my favorite things about this book was the characters, some characters were my least favorite. The President is a total douche. Which one? You’ll find out towards the end. It seems too strange that someone could become so powerful and yet be that big of a douche. I’m fine with the character being a jerk, just so outright. But maybe that’s a personal preference. I disliked the way Grant and think this was mostly due to how he weaseled certain characters into given him classified information.

    But don’t let a few bad apples stop you from reading it. I still enjoyed and I’m sure you will, too. I’m eagerly looking forward to the next one.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2014
    Ahriman is an excellent first novel. Puja Guha got a lot of things right in her international thriller. I loved the Middle East setting, Kuwait mostly, with it's strange 'democracy' where the 'king' is progressive and the congress wants to keep the people in a religious stranglehold where women have few rights. If a Westerner were asked which was better, a king or a congress, we'd probably say a democratic congress every time because we don't understand how things work in the Middle East.

    Aside from a great history lesson, Guha has a great plot twist, wonderful characters, and a great ending. Her novel is pretty amazing for a debut, and it was easy to lose myself in this intense novel.

    Petra, a spy for an shadowy company, has been out of the field for the past three years because of an incident that left her traumatized. When she's asked to got back into the field, Petra knows that she really doesn't have much of a choice so she revisits the place that left her emotionally scarred in order to stop an assassination that could change the world.

    What happens is of course what's the book is about, so I won't go any further except to say that the plot moves along nicely and the ending worked well. What didn't work as well was the rough language in the novel. It's okay in a movie to drop the 'f-bomb' but in a novel is startled me out of the plot. Also, there were a few too many explanations for things that really didn't end up mattering in the book. Backstory is nice in one of those sprawling family dramas, but in a suspense novel only a few lines are needed, otherwise it can leak tension out all the tension.

    A little less emotion in the characters,(think James Bond), otherwise the tough guys start looking sappy. All of this is minor and a good editor would have fixed them right up, but it's not a reason not to read the excellent plot that Guha has woven together, which is really the most important part of a suspense novel. And Puja Guha has done herself proud with Ahriman.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2016
    In an attempt to put it briefly, “Ahriman: The Spirit of Destruction” is an excellent, hard-hitting read that has not only left me impressed, but also left me with an author name to keep an eye on, in anticipation of future releases.

    This is the type of read that is perfect for any kind of thriller fans out there who love a story that has a strong militaristic & political conspiracy theme, with a fast-paced vivid writing style to match that expresses each scene in an immersive and captivating manner. What I admire most about this read is that it is genuinely hard to predict as each chapter transitions into the next. This is far from the kind of read that has a protagonist that goes through each obstacle in an almost superman-like manner. There’s some genuinely dire and complex plot twists thrown in that often had me truly questioning how on earth Petra was going to be able to through them, this translates to the book having a kind of vibe that will leave many readers on the edge of their seats and ultimately make it hard to put the book down – as was the case with me.
    In summary, I think this is a great start to the series because it has set up a very strong foundation with plenty of options and possibilities of what is next to come – I look forward to seeing how the author plans to keep the momentum up with the next addition. Highly recommended.
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2019
    The author had a great plotline going and then she detailed the stories momentum by constantly flipping between events in the past and actions in the present. This technique works well when used selectively, but this was more along the lines of an overdose!
    I award this novel 3 Stars.

Top reviews from other countries

  • catman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Corruption thrives everywhere
    Reviewed in Canada on September 12, 2020
    While finding the time travel confusing at times, all came together in end. A look into a world far from mine.
  • Boo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Breathless espionage thriller
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 2, 2020
    Superb edge of the seat writing. Another brilliant thriller from Puja Guha. If you only read one book this year, make it one of this author's for a real treat.
  • TraceybytheSea
    4.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing political thriller
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 20, 2020
    I enjoyed this very much. It's set in Kuwait, which makes it slightly unusual, and gives a flavour of the politics of culture of the country, including the climate and the way parliament works. It's set slightly into the future but is nevertheless quite authoritative in terms of creating a world of spycraft which seems very relevant to today. If you like exotic locations and fast-moving thrillers that reflect the geo-politics of the world and offer different viewpoints, I recommend giving it a try.
  • John Holland
    5.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable read, it was an unusual twist on ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 13, 2016
    An enjoyable read, it was an unusual twist on a common theme but it became obvious who was who, one of the more difficult parts was separating the two names beginning with "K" but l look forward to the authors next book ,with the characters of this.
  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Kuwait from the spies view
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 3, 2020
    I loved the fact t this was not a terrorist book even though Iran Iraq Kuwait was mentioned following petra Grant and kasem stories And finding out a bit about politics in war torn places would have liked a wee bit more action in it but enjoyed it and im starting book two Road to Redemption if you want something a bit different it told brilliantly this book is for you

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