The Spice Gate

The Spice Gate rends Amir when he travels through it to one of the other eight spice kingdoms. Whether they are known as bowlers, easters, snakers, or another epithet, the gatecaste—Amir included—are bound by the Gates, which only they can pass through. Despite their abilities, they are condemned to demeaning drudgery as they enable the cross-kingdom trade in spices. Seeking an escape route for his mother and soon-to-be conscripted young brother, Amir discovers a hidden ninth kingdom and finds himself caught up in a hunt for a traitor whose plans threaten the caste system that Amir, too, despises. Narrator Deepti Gupta evokes a mélange of motives and inner conflict as characters debate the sanctity of the mouth connecting the gates and the fate of rebel thronekeeper Madhyra. Though she renders voices distinct through pitch and tone, emotional authenticity is the real hallmark of her performance. Listeners unversed in Indian names and terms also have the advantage of Gupta’s fluent, immersive pronunciations but are reminded to download a supplementary PDF as well.