Book of Secrets was a surprising read for a number of reasons. It is based on fact and contains locations that exist in our world, however, the manuscript itself is fictional. Fact is altered or stretched to meet the storyline's purposes.
On Dialog:
I found Mr. Delgado's dialog laughing in the face of standard and certainly surpassing the expectant. No, the dialog lives in the realm of superior, but only you will be able to see that for yourself, once read of course. The dialog is deep, intricate, meaningful, full, and tight. It Is not wordy, it is trim and sleek.
On Research:
Not many readers understand the amount of research that must, absolutely, and without fail go into any manuscript worth its weight in paper. Mr. Delgado didn't short his readers. It is obvious by reading the words on each page that he painstakingly picked, sweated, and most probably bled at times turning page after page searching for validation in what he was so eloquently conveying to his readers. The writing is on exactly the same level as George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones (don't believe me? just see for yourself).
I was impressed with Mr. Delgado's command of each character's dialog and the way they were presented. I cared about each one. The characters came alive in my mind. I felt at times I was reading ancient manuscript, but not in a boring, dusty, moldy way. There was no information dump. Mr. Delgado has a unique way of knowing exactly when to give the appropriate information, while not spoiling the ending.
In this book the reader is thrown head-first into a tragic crime that happened over 3,500 years past. the protagonist, along with their friends from around the globe must face the ultimate enemy, the powerful Mantris.
I know and trust that you will enjoy this five-star manuscript, Book Of Secrets, The Rishis, by Robert Delgado.

'The Rishis: Book of Secrets' is a fantasy novel that takes the reader across our own world under a much different light. Several companions with special powers come together when they are recruited by an ancient order that seems innocent on the outside at first, but its darker intents don’t stay hidden for long.

Yuri was my favourite character, as he is definitely the one you want on your team in a fight. I liked Deborah as well, as her character was easy to relate to and her powers were helpful.

What was really fun about this book is that it takes you all over the world: from India to Australia, as the characters try to stay one step ahead of those hunting them. What starts off with trying to find a powerful book (one capable of changing the world for that matter), soon becomes a much more complicated venture filled with danger and tragedy along the way. Fortunately, each of the companions have their own unique (and often fun!) powers to aid them. A well-written, great weekend read, and I look forward to seeing where it continues!

A well-written, imaginative, metaphorical journey addressing major questions of human life. It can be read both leisurely as an adventure/mystery novel, or more contemplatively through exploring it's spiritual undertones. Highly recommended, fun book!

Somebody should make a movie out of this. Delgado's English is far from perfect, but the book is action-packed. It takes the genre au courant -- young people with super powers battling evil -- but puts it in a totally new and unfamiliar arena. The story takes place in India, and the super powers being dealt with are those of the spirit. The powers do not arise from the tired old cliche of some mad scientist with an experiment gone wrong. This allows the book to explore philosophy, culture, and religion to a depth uncharacteristic of the genre. A movie made from this book could have the usual action scenes, but actually address some interesting philosophical points along the way.