The Forest of Stories by Ashok K. Banker

I had received a review copy of 'The Seeds of War' by Ashok Banker - the second book of the much awaited Mahabharata series from blogadda. Ever since, I had read it, I had been meaning to read the first book of the series, The Forest of Stories and finally I bought myself a copy.

Here is the blurb from the book:

The Forest of Stories, Book One in Ashok Banker's long-awaited 'MBA' Series, takes us deep into the haunted jungle of Naimishavan. Here, at the ashram of Kulapati Shaunaka, a dusty traveler arrives with sad tidings: Maharishi Krishna Dweipayana Vyasa has passed on. Yet the great collator of the Vedas has left behind a fabulous legacy, the epic narrative poem called Mahabharata. At the urging of the ashramites, the traveler Suta begins to recite the great composition, starting with the incredible creation myths and tales of god and giants, snake-mothers and gargantuan eagles. And as the night wears on and the tale grows darker, he senses the presence of countless ghostly beings in the shadows beyond the flickering oil-lamps, the restless souls of the many millions butchered in the climactic war that ended the great tale itself, gathering now to hear the epic saga that led eventually to their destruction and the decimation of the Kuru Bharata race.

The author has tried to stick to the original ancient version of Mahabharata. How ever, as the blurb says, it is just the beginning of the narrative. Of all the mythology books I have read, I found this one a bit slow and heavy. Not that it was boring, but because as the narrator was decimating so much information in all the tales that build towards the great epic, after a while it was becoming a bit difficult to keep all the names and event in mind. It is written in the typical Banker style but, I wish the narration was a bit more coherent as my mind would often wander off and I had to re-read some parts of the book to establish the connection. How ever, it does not mean, you should not pick this book. It all depends on your level of interest in the great epic. Having read the second book of the series, I can say it only gets better.

I would give it a 3/5 star.

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The Seeds Of War by Ashok K. Banker

Indian mythology or mythological fiction caught my fancy ever since I read a few books in this genre after a few recommendations from a blogger friend. Ashok Banker is a prominent name when it comes to Indian mythology. I have read a few books of the Ramayana series by the author and I thoroughly enjoyed them. That is why when I got an opportunity to review the author's book 'The Seeds of War', I literally jumped at the opportunity. This is the 2nd book of his Mahabharata series, the first one being 'The Forest of Stories'. I haven't read the first book but, I am going to get myself a copy soon. I generally read the books in a series in its chronological order but, here I let go the rule as I am somewhat familiar with the epic.

Synopsis:

The Seeds of War, Book Two in Ashok Banker's MBA series, introduces us to the elder protagonists of the epic, as well as some of the great loves and lusts, friendships and enmities, politics and self-sacrifice that will lay the seeds that will eventually fester and erupt into the mother of all wars. At first it may seem that the journey is the reward,with seemingly unrelated love stories, fantastical tales of exploits in the heavenly realms, divine pacts and demoniac trysts. But it soon becomes evident that all these form a tapestry revealing the grandeur and glamour of the Kuru Bharata race itself, the growing descendants of the original tribe that established perhaps the greatest and oldest human civilization ever known in recorded history. Their loves and enmities are epic, their stories astonishing, their personalities mercurial. Every page you turn reveals magical new thrills and wonders. As one larger-than-life personality after another strides onstage, the drama ratchets up to thriller level, the arrow swarms begin to fly and conflicts turn ugly as the author of the Ramayana Series once again proves himself the master of epics.

When you pick up a Ashok Banker book, be sure that, you would be transported into the wonderful world of mythology with great characters and stories. If you pick this book, do read the introduction part where the author tells us what to expect from the book. In the words of the author:

“This is not an epic fantasy. This is not a sci-fi rendition. It is not a futuristic version. If you are expecting any of these things, you’re going to be disappointed. This is simply the Mahabharata of Krishna Dweipayana Vyasa retold by one man. That man is me, of course."

Disappointment is far from what you will feel after having read this book. You will be left wanting for more. The novel takes us through story of Devayani, the daughter of Sukracharya, and Kacha, the son of Brihaspati and then moves on to the tale of Yayati. From there it moves to the life of Shantanu and Ganga, leading to the story of Devavrata, later known as Bhisma. All these stories are greatly interconnected and in due time, their correlation will reflect on the Great War - Mahabharata. Unlike the Ramayana series where the author had taken creative liberties in narrating the epic, here the author says, he has reminded true to the original Mahabharata by Vyasa.

The best thing about the author's work is his narration style. It keeps you glued, interested and riveted. The characters comes live and you can picture every scene in your mind. In short, you are transported to that era! There are many stories or parts of it that I was familiar with, but not a single time I felt a dull moment. That is the beauty of the epic but coupled with the author's narration, it was simply absorbing and very much worth reading.

If you the slightest interest in Indian mythology, you can't miss this one. I am really looking forward to the rest of the series.

This review is a part of the biggest Book Reviews Program. for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books! Thank you Blog adda for giving me the opportunity.

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Siege of Mithila by Ashok K. Banker

 Siege of Mithila by Ashok K. Banker 

One genre of books that I have started enjoying a lot recently is, without a doubt 'Indian mythology' or 'mythological fiction'. The two great epics of the Indian history are Mahabharata and Ramayana. I have already read two Mahabharata centered book – Jaya by Devdutt Pattanaik and Palace of Illusionsby Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, so my next choice of mythological book was Ramayana centered. One of my blogger friends suggested me to read the Ramayana series by Ashok K. Banker. That I did as I got the first book of the series from the local library here. I enjoyed the book thoroughly only to discover later that the library does not have any other books of this series and hence I had to wait for my India visit to get my hands on the rest of the series.

Synopsis:

The bestial demon hordes roar towards Ayodhya having swept all before them. Rama cannot return home to defend his family. He must journey to Mithila—a city lying directly in the path of destruction—to join a small band of heroes planning a valiant stand against the armies of darkness. Can Rama unearth a hidden dev-astra to help in his battle against his nemesis, the demon lord Ravana?

Of course, we all know that Rama will be able to defend the city of Mithila. That is the beauty of Banker’s writing, despite knowing (almost) what happens in Ramayana, the reader’s interest in the story doesn’t waver even for a moment.  The author’s has used his own imagination in sketching the characters and in describing the events that place during the course of the novel. The story builds on where it was left in ‘The Prince of Ayodhya’, so if you want to read this book, I would suggest you to read it as per the series.

For me that star character of this book was Sita, of course, apart from Rama and Lakshmana. She is introduced not as a delicate princess but, as a warrior princess who is well versed in the art of archery and swords play. The demon lord Ravana is depicted as pure devil whose only aim it to conquer Ayodhya. There is Manthara who to please Ravana plots one evil plan after another to poison the sisterly relationship between Queen Kausalya and Queen Sumitra. She even schemes to get rid of Rama. There is also the story of Ahalya and how Rama releases her from her husband’s curse. The story seems to pace slowly as by the end of the novel we only reach till the swayamvar of Sita. But, the novel is filled with numerous sub plots and stories that keep the novel interesting and enlightening. All the sub plots culminate toward the bigger picture and a momentous climax. 

Ashok K. Banker takes you on an amazing fascinating journey, from Ayodhya to Mithila. It is an enriching experience. You will feel drawn towards the world of Ramayana as you turn pages of this book, that is the magic of Banker’s writing. I am very looking forward to reading rest of the series.

Highly recommended.

Prince of Ayodhya by Ashok K. Banker

 

My tryst with reading novels based on Indian mythology started with books like 'A Palace of Illusion' by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Jaya by Devdutt Pattanaik. Soon many such books made to my to-read-list. One fine day, I sat searching for books based on Indian mythology that are available in the libraries here and the title that came up was 'Prince of Ayodhya' by Ashok K. Banker. Long back when I had written a post asking my fellow bloggers to suggest me good books by Indian writers, Vibha had suggested the Ramayana series by Ashok K. Banker. So, I went ahead to reserve it. My librarian told me that this book might be missing as she could not locate it in the shelves. I had given up hope that I would be get hold of this book here. But, to my sheer delight after a couple of months, I received the book. I have to praise the libraries here. They are really very well maintained and managed.

The Prince of Ayodhya is the book one of the six books of Ramayana series by the author, Ashok K. Banker. Ramayana is one of the two great ancient Indian epics, the other being Mahabharata.

Quoted from the book's cover:

The original Ramayana—a classic tale of war between absolute Good and Evil—was written 3,000 years ago by Valmiki, a reformed thief-turned-sage. Now, with breathtaking imagination, Indian novelist Ashok K. Banker has recreated this epic tale for modern readers everywhere.

 Ayodhya, the Unconquerable is the legendary capital of warriors and seers, and the greatest fortress of the civilized world. Soon it will be a wasteland of ashes and blood. For Ayodhya lies in the shadow of a demon's wrath—a demon that is sending all its dreadful power to ravage the world of mortals. And only Rama, Prince of Ayodhya, can hope to prevent the onslaught of darkness.

The book was every bit fascinating that I expected it to be. Even though I have read that the author has added his own imagination in the story telling and that his version of the story deviates a lot from the original Ramayana, the novel refreshed a lot of my childhood memories that I had of the epic saga. All thanks to the Ramayana TV serial that was telecast-ed on Doordarshan in those days.

The author has given a lot of attention to main characters and they are beautifully sketched. As you read the novel they will be well etched in your mind. The book also dwells on relationships - the brotherly love the four brothers shares, the relationship King Dasratha has with his queens, the respects disciples have for their guru, the love and concern queens have for their sons. Not only that negative emotions are also given ample space in the narration. Queen Kaikayi and her aide Manthara are characters you won't forget, not to mention the devil king Ravana! They have bigger roles to play in the next books of the series.

The plot is gripping, the narration never falters, the subtle details of Dharma and Adharma will keep you engrossed till the end. If you have the slightest interest in Indian mythology, this is the book you can't miss. I can't wait to read rest of the series. Highly recommended.

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