The first thing I did after reading the Ladakh series by Deepak Dalal was sit in front of my computer and search for snow leopard sighting trips to Ladakh on the internet.

That’s what his books do. They make you fall in love with the animals, the places, the characters, and the story so much so that you want to visit and experience the place yourself. Deepak Dalal’s passion for the elusive snow leopard and his fascination with Ladakh lend his descriptions a poetic turn. They bring to life what is but simple prose.

Both Ladakh Adventure and Snow Leopard Adventure hold your attention as Vikram and Aditya, two schoolboys, unravel the mystery of Tsering, a young Tibetan boy. From the get-go, Vikram and Aditya are forced to be on the run to protect Tsering from his kidnappers. The story is gripping and the pace relentless. Vikram and Aditya’s evasive tactics have you on tenterhooks as they go up against Tsering’s tenacious abductors time and again. Although the long descriptions of the surroundings may interest and hold the attention of a few, the escapades definitely make the book a page-turner. Besides, the treks through Ladakh’s breath-taking hills and valleys add to the thrills.

The Vikram Aditya series by Deepak Dalal are stories that are filled with adventure, action and drama, set against the backdrop of exotic Indian destinations. The Ladakh series fulfils this promise. It is a series that is both entertaining and enriching. If you like this combination, I strongly recommend that you pick these books.

Quite frankly, I am trying not to read another Vikram Aditya book because it just makes my feet itchy. But read one I will, because I know it will also delight and pull me into another beautiful adventure.