Prince of Ayodhya (The Ramayana, Book I) (Hardcover)

~ Ashok K. Banker (Author) "The blow-heat of rancid breath against his face, guttural whisper in his ear..." (more)
Key Phrases: Maharaja Dasaratha, Rama Chandra, Kama's Grove (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This retelling of the ancient Hindu classic, The Ramayana, marking Indian author Banker's U.S. debut, makes an odd but compelling book. Many untranslated words and phrases mix with occasional modern terms, but Banker usually just lushly embellishes the classic tale of a war between absolute Good and Evil. Teenaged prince Rama is everything a culture hero should be, incredibly fit, skilled and pious. He's given the responsibility of saving not just his native city, glorious Ayodhya, but the whole of humanity from the schemes of an army of demons and their allies. And so, with the mighty seer-mage Vishwamitra and his only relatively less heroic half-brother, Laskshman, Rama sets out on a heroic journey. At first, readers will notice the intensity of every scene and the absence of any inner life for characters who, whether gloriously wonderful or noxiously monstrous, don't so much converse as make melodramatic speeches at each other. But then you realize how easy it is to turn the pages. It's a ripping good yarn, though Banker lacks Tolkien's knack for varying tone to avoid monotony. Nor is he interested in rationalizing myth into subtle, ironic SF, as Roger Zelazny did in Lord of Light. In its approach to storytelling, this novel resembles E.E. "Doc" Smith's clumsy but rousing Lensmen saga, showing how gusto and a vivid imagination can spruce up very old themes.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

'A thundering good story. Here are all the heroes and gods, demons and sorcerers you can possibly want. Banker does a wonderful job of bringing this great classic to modern readers' Dave Duncan 'Banker creates a marvellous landscape of princes, demons, mages, and lovers. I love good fantasy, and this one-of-a-kind epic charmed and delighted me' Kate Elliott, author of THE GATHERING STORM --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Aspect; First Edition edition (September 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446530921
• ISBN-13: 978-0446530927
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #885,864 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A triumph in cultural storytelling, September 5, 2003

By	Scott Masterton (Blaine, MN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Prince of Ayodhya is a wonderful story based on the Indian classic poem the Ramayana.

It's a re-telling of the tale made flesh by Ashok Bankers' lush imagination. Those that have studied the Ramayana will enjoy their favorite characters as they come to life and take on dimensions that the poem could never touch. However, no particular knowledge of Indian history and culture is needed to enjoy this book. Mr. Banker has written this story to be enjoyed with little or no background knowledge of its' history.

The Prince of Ayodhya is fantasy and high adventure set in a world that most westerners have never experienced. If you love fantasy, adventure and historical fiction, you'll love this book.

A new and original voice has stepped into the world of fantasy and adventure! Bravo Mr. Banker, I can hardly wait for the next installment!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Instant Classic, March 3, 2004

By	not4prophet (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

"In a masterwork as imaginative as the greatest creations of J. R. R. Tolkien..." Oh, how many times have we heard that one before? Our bookstore shelves are clogged with would-be epics churned out by talentless hacks who can barely assemble a sentence, much less a novel. Given this profusion of overhyped, underwhelming crap, it's understandable that many readers might be skeptical of a newcomer fantasy author touted as a grandmaster. This time, however, there's no need. The claims are true, the talent is real, the result is stunning.

"Prince of Ayodhya" is, of course, an epic fantasy set in ancient India. It follows Maharaja Dasaratha, ruler of the mighty Kingdom of Ayodhya, and his three wives and four sons as they receive disturbing news from the seer Vishwamitra: the Demon Lord Ravana has been gathering an army of hellish beings in preparation for an assault on the mortal plain. The cast here is huge, but Ashok Banker juggles his characters well. Virtually all of them take on the larger-than-life personalities of epic heroes and villains, leaving an unforgettable stamp on the story rather than just going through the motions. One reviewer complained that the characters were too simplistic. It may seem that way at the start, but new layers of complexity unfold as the story progresses.

The best way to describe this book is to say that Banker gives his tale the scope of an epic. This is a story not just about big characters, but about big cities, big journeys, big armies, big battles, and a promise of even bigger events to come. Here we actually see not just a few people, but instead an entire nation being drawn into an expanding battle. This author has also mastered the little details of writing. His ability to evoke setting and mood through little details of sight, sound, and smell matches the best in the genre. His handling of pacing matches his talent at writing. There's never a slow moment in this book, and character development scenes are woven into the narrative so well that they fit perfectly.

Is this book perfect? No. Banker does have a few problems, such as an obsession with putting somewhat cheesy cliffhangers at the end of every single chapter and some chapters that are too short and choppy. But these are minor mistakes that barely put a dent in such a tremendous accomplishment. Overall, I give "Prince of Ayodhya" a hearty recommendation, and I can't wait for "Siege of Mithila".

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome, December 19, 2003

By	Aashish K. Rathod "History Buff" (Sunnyvale, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

i am an ABCD (ha, ha - indians will get it) but i am very familiar with the Ramayana, having read it in various editions that are true to the original sanskrit. i also watched the tv series as well (yuk, too histrionic).

all i have to say is this. the Ramayana was first spoken. i'm sure when the Ramayana was written down in Sanskrit, it was a sacrilege. when Tulsidas wrote the Ramayana in Hindi, that was considered a sacrilege. Then at some point it was translated into English. When it was made into a comic book, it was considered a sacrilege. When they made it into a tv show, egads! it was a mortifying sacrilege.

here's what a lot of the naysayers don't get. People aren't even reading the Ramayana anymore! so many of my friends here in the US are CLUELESS about it. they know nothing about it. they are real american-born-confused-desis.

Mr. Banker's retelling of this story does not hurt it. it is an excellent job and it will get more of our kids to read again. hopefully, creative artists will also create a video game for it and a movie, a la Harry Potter.

what people don't realize is that the Ramayana is a mixture of religion, mythology, and history. we have to get past the mythology, which can't be proven. we have to get past the history, which was 1000s of years ago. we have to aspire to the divinity. Let's understand that Rama had to make some incredibly difficult choices in his life. He is the most heroic, virtuous man who may have ever lived. Let's keep his glory alive.

People, get over it. Please! this is a great book.

Thank you, Mr. Banker