Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Wildings | 2012 | Nilanjana Roy | Buy |
| 2 | The Hundred Names of Darkness | 2013 | Nilanjana Roy | Buy |
The Wildings is a two-book fantasy series by Nilanjana Roy, set in Nizamuddin, a historic neighbourhood in Old Delhi. The books are narrated from the perspective of a community of cats — the Nizamuddin clan — who have their own society, history, and way of communicating with other animals. The first book, published in 2012, introduces the clan and their world when a kitten named Mara arrives with unusual abilities that disrupt the established order.
The Hundred Names of Darkness (2013) continues the story, deepening both the mythology of the cat world and the portrayal of Delhi itself. Roy uses the animal perspective to observe the city from ground level — its alleys, monuments, markets, and seasonal rhythms — in a way that makes the setting as significant as any character.
The Wildings won the Shakti Bhatt First Book Award and was shortlisted for multiple prizes. The series has found readers across age groups and stands as one of the more unusual works in contemporary Indian English fiction.