It is not often that a novel manages to weave together the pulse of a military thriller, the intrigue of a sci-fi narrative, and the depth of India’s ancient mythology. Dr. Colonel Naveen Malhotra’s Sudarshan Protocol: The Cosmic Awakening does just that—placing readers at the intersection of destiny, science, and legend.
The story begins with a mysterious signal emanating from deep within the Vindhya ranges, setting off a chain of events that draws together India’s best scientists, warriors, and mystics. At the centre is Colonel Advait Sen and his Garuda Unit, an elite force tasked with uncovering the origins of this cosmic riddle. What they unearth is staggering: ancient ruins hiding the fabled Astras—divine weapons long thought to exist only in myth—and the secret of an ancient system called the Sudarshan Protocol.
But Malhotra does not serve us a simple good-versus-evil tale. The Garuda Unit faces a formidable adversary in the Vratyas, a secretive order led by the enigmatic Samant, whose brilliance is matched only by his inner turmoil. The battle is as much psychological and philosophical as it is physical, hinging not on firepower alone but on belief, betrayal, and the fragile thread of human faith.
What elevates this novel is the way it blurs boundaries—between myth and science, history and imagination, destiny and free will. The Eye of Vishnu, the looming activation of the Protocol, and the cycles of creation and destruction give the narrative a cosmic scale rarely attempted in Indian fiction.
Stylistically, the book is fast-paced, cinematic, and rich in detail. Readers accustomed to Western techno-thrillers will find a familiar adrenaline, but Malhotra anchors it firmly in Indian soil, drawing from the Mahabharata, Vedic lore, and the living pulse of Indic philosophy. The result is both thrilling and thought-provoking, making readers question not just what will happen to the world within the story—but what it means for humanity’s place in the universe itself.
A heady mix of mythology, military strategy, and metaphysical exploration, Sudarshan Protocol: The Cosmic Awakening is a rare Indian sci-fi mytho-thriller that dares to think big. Dr. Colonel Naveen Malhotra delivers a gripping tale that entertains while nudging us to reflect on creation, destruction, and the fragile role of belief in shaping our future.
Timesrelease