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.

Thanks for stopping by! Cheers!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Thinking Blue

Books and Lucky Library Picks update

I have not posted anything about Lucky Library Picks or my To Read List Books for the past 2 months. The reason is simply that I have not been picking up as many books from the library of late. With my India trip only about 2 months away, I want to finish reading the books I already have on my shelf. And I tell you, I have more titles than I can actually read. So, I thought it would be a good idea if I could just make a list of the books to be read in the next 2 months.

To start of I have a few books that I abandoned mid way, not because they were not good but, because I got something more interesting to read. I wish to complete reading them before my awaited India trip. Of course, there will be a whole new bunch of book to buy from India and they will only add to my already long TBR pile.

Here goes the list:

Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner

I have read more than half of it and hopefully it will not take me long to finish it.

Ninepins by Rosy Thornton

I received this review copy from the author. I had enjoyed her book The Tapestry of Love and I am looking forward to reading her latest book.

The Little Shadows by Marina Endicott

I received this review copy from the publisher. This is one of the book in my priority reading list.

The Difficulty of Being Good by Gurcharan Das and Saraswati Park by Anjali Joseph

These are titles I had picked up on my last India trip. I don't know why I have not read them till now. I have to read them before my India visit this year!

Apart from these I have some books from the library that have been sitting on my shelf for rather long. They are:

The Indian Clerk by David Leavitt
One Day by David Nicholls
My Friend Jesus Christ by Lars Husum
1Q84 Book 1 & 2 by Haruki Murakami

Of course, I don't want to return them to the library without reading them!

Apart from all these, I have 2 books that I am presently reading:


A Dangerous Inheritance by Alison Weir. I received a review copy from the publisher.

Prince of Ayodhya by Ashok K. Banker. This is the first book of the author's series on Ramayana. I had reserved a copy of this book long time back in the library. Actually, I was not even hoping to get it as, it was showing missing in the online catalogue. When I received a call from the library that this book has arrived, I was very happy. I am planning to buy next few books of the series from India.

Well, this is going to be my reading list for the next 2 months. Hopefully, I will reach my target.

Apart from all these books there are 2 books that I brought from the library with the thought that I would enjoy them. But when I started reading them, I realized they were not my cup of tea. So, I abandoned them and returned them to the library. They were Ghost Light by Joseph O Connor and The Goddess Village by Nuala Woulfe

Meanwhile, if you could suggest me some good titles by Indian authors it would be great. I need to make a list of my 'To Buy Books' from India :-)!

Have a nice weekend. Thanks for stopping by! Cheers!

The Prodigal Daughter by Jeffrey Archer

After reading Kane and Abel, I could not resist picking up The Prodigal Daughter which is the second book of the Kane and Abel series. While the first book revolved around the rivalry of Richard Kane and Abel Rosnovski, The Prodigal Daughter centers around Abel's daughter Florentyna.

Florentyna is a smart and intelligent child. She shares her father vision and love for America and secretly wishes to become the first lady president of the United States of America. The novel takes us through her birth, childhood, education, love, marriage, motherhood, career, politics and finally her rise to the highest office of America.

A good part of the first half of the book is just a re telling of what happens in Kane and Abel. So, if you have read Kane and Abel, this book will seem monotonous in the beginning. Even though the author has tried to put the facts from Florentyna's perspective, I felt as if I was reading a summary of Kane and Abel. The pace of the story quickens in the second half of the book when Florentyna steps into politics. The author has provided the readers with ample insights of how things works and happens in politics. I am not really a big fan of political novels and hence there were times I felt like skipping a few pages! One of my favorite and memorable character in this novel is Florentyna's governess, Miss Tredgold. She is her friend, philosopher and guide. She contributed a lot to the making of Florentyna's personality. The bond of love they shared is awe inspiring

This book actually fell short in my expectation. I was looking for something as compelling, if not more than Kane and Abel. Kane and Abel was fast paced, had a lot of twists and turns in plot, there was always an air of tension and apprehension through out the book which kept me glued to it. I found it lacking in this book. From the beginning I knew Florentyna would make it big in life. Although there had been a lot of ups and downs in her life too, I could guess where she would end up.

The book is written in such a way that even if you have not read Kane and Abel, you will be able to follow the story easily. That becomes a demerit for one who has read Kane and Abel, as a good part of the first half seems to be lifted from it. I would have enjoyed the book more if I had read it as a stand alone book.

Sweet Lime Soda

When ever I listen to Indian news these days, there is always some piece about the relentless heat that is scorching most parts of India. Luckily, I live in a country where the temperature barely soars over mid twenties. Most of the time it varies between pleasant to cold(or to very cold). I have almost forgotten how it feels to be in 40 degrees and I have no wish to experience the same.

To beat the heat, most people like to have chilled drinks and one of the most popular drink in India is Sweet Lime Soda. I will rank it only second to fresh sugar cane juice. Sweet Lime Soda is nothing but sweet lemonade that uses soda water instead of plain water. A special blend of spices is often used and the resultant is often termed as Masala Soda. Here I have used a blend of roasted cumin and black pepper but, I have strained it as I don't like bits of spices in my drink. You may however choose not to strain it. Lets see how I make this summer delight drink.

500ml of soda water ( I use half plain water and half soda water)
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (Adjust to taste)
1/2 tsp black salt
1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
1/4 cup lemon/lime juice
1/4 cup water
Slices of lime/lemon and mint sprig to garnish
Ice cubes as needed


Process:
1. Mix all the ingredients except the soda water. Stir till all the sugar is dissolved. Strain and divide equally in 4 glasses with ice cubes.
2. Top it up with soda water. Stir and serve immediately if you want to enjoy the fizziness of soda water. Best served chilled.

Linking it to my event - Cool Summer Sips. The last date of the same has been extended to 30th July.

 

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!