River of Smoke - Amitav Ghosh

River Of Smoke is the second novel in the The Ibis Saga trilogy, which revolves around the opium trade, that led to the Opium Wars in China.
In September 1838 a storm blows up on the Indian Ocean and the Ibis, a ship carrying a consignment of convicts and indentured laborers from Calcutta to Mauritius, is caught up in the whirlwind.
When the seas settle, five men have disappeared - two lascars, two convicts and one of the passengers. 
Did the same storm upend the fortunes of those aboard the Anahita, an opium carrier heading towards Canton? 
And what fate befell those aboard the Redruth, a sturdy two-masted brig heading East out of Cornwall? 
Was it the storm that altered their course or were the destinies of these passengers at the mercy of even more powerful forces?
On the grand scale of an historical epic, River of Smoke follows its storm-tossed characters to the crowded harbors of China. 
There, despite efforts of the emperor to stop them, ships from Europe and India exchange their cargoes of opium for boxes tea, silk, porcelain and silver. 
Among them are Bahram Modi, a wealthy Parsi opium merchant out of Bombay, his estranged half-Chinese son Ah Fatt, the orphaned Paulette and a motley collection of others whose pursuit of romance, riches and a legendary rare flower have thrown together. 
All struggle to cope with their losses – and for some, unimaginable freedoms – in the alleys and crowded waterways of 19th century Canton. 
As transporting and mesmerizing as an opiate induced dream, River of Smoke will soon be heralded as a masterpiece of twenty-first century literature.

[Source: http://www.amitavghosh.com/riverofsmoke.html]

Goodreads Rating - 3.84 out of 5 (3559 Ratings, 497 Reviews)

My Review:
I had read the prequel to this book - Sea of Poppies a couple of years back and liked it immensely. 
This book  though very well written and interesting is rather tame with much less action and happenings as compared to the prequel. 
Nevertheless I enjoyed it and look forward to the final part of the Ibis trilogy viz; Flood of Fire, due for release this year.

Links:

• Author Amitav Ghosh's website
• My review of  Sea of Poppies - the prequel to this book

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