Set in 15th-century Kerala, The Saga of Black Gold is a gripping tale of love, war and commerce. The Portuguese captain anchored his fleet near the Calicut port. He fixed his piercing gaze on the shore and stood still. This time, Vasco da Gama made up his mind to take the treasures of the Malabar Coast back with him at any cost. His priority, pepper - the Black Gold! Across the sea, the Zamorin of Calicut began to panic. He knew Gama's return meant trouble. Calicut's relationship with the neighbouring kingdoms isn't exactly cosy, thanks to Zamorin's exacting trade policy. A failure at this point is not an option and that too, to a foreigner! To add to his worries, there's a spy roaming free in his own turf, plotting revenge. In the center of all this melee is the Zamorin's pretty niece, Kunjulakshmi, harbouring her own little secret that could crumble the kingdom and start a war of doom on the coast. Filled with familiar milestones from history, Anuradha's splendid novel is accompanied by illustrations from the celebrated Artist Namboodiri. Anuradha is the pen name of Radha Narayana Menon, an eminent writer from Kochi, Kerala. She has published two short story collections and ten novels in Malayalam. The Saga of Black Gold is Anuradha's first novel in English.