MAGICIANS OF MAZDA Paperback

The Magicians of Mazda" by Ashwin Sanghi is a gripping historical thriller and the seventh installment in his popular Bharat Series. The narrative seamlessly weaves between two distinct timelines: one in 720 CE, following 18,000 frightened Zoroastrians fleeing persecution from Iran's Umayyad Caliphate and finding refuge in Gujarat, India: and another in the present day, where Parsi scientist Jim Dastoor is abducted from his Seattle lab and taken to Tehran. The Ayatollah believes Jim holds the key to uncovering the ancient relic known as the Athravan Star, and his men will stop at nothing to acquire it. From the ancient ruins of Persepolis to Taliban camps in Afghanistan, and from sacred fire temples in India to the icy mountains of Kashmir, Jim and his historian wife, Linda, are drawn into a relentless and terrifying chase across vividly depicted landscapes, all while Sanghi deftly explores the profound historical and philosophical connections between Zoroastrianism and ancient Indian traditions.