The exiled Prince by Ravi

"The exiled Prince" by Ravi. This book is published by Fingerprint! in 2014 and has 262 pages. This is Book 1 of 'The crystal guardian' series.

Don't try to imagine what the story is about. It's the story of Ramayan told differently. The crystal of creation, guarded by the council of Brahmarshi's, has gone missing. Ravan has become too powerful to oppose. He has got hold of Elixir of life. If he gets hold of the crystal, it's end of the world for celestials and humans. Ram, who is still to be born, is the only hope.

Ram tells the story of his life to his children and we read it in flash back.

Author has done away with magic and based everything on science. Brahmarshi's have the ability of intergalactic travel, space travel, time travel. They can also travel through parallel universes. God's are present and they are powerful but Ravan has become so powerful that it is going to take the birth of Ram with Narayana's soul in him to defeat Ravan.

Thus the events unfold where Ram is born. Vishwamitra takes responsibility of tutoring him and making him capable. Kaikeyi helps Ram in fulfilling his destiny by sending him to Vanvas accepting loss of her reputation as the sacrifice that has to be made for Ravan's defeat.

Book 1 ends with Ram, Lakshman and Sita reaching Chitrakoot. I thought author would stop at the start of Vanvas, but he goes a little further. I suppose two more books are still to come.

Key differentiator of this book is of course the crystal of creation who has its own mind and who somehow responds to Sita (though she is unaware of it).

It's the same story in news clothes presented differently, but it's good.

Recommend reading.

Asura - The tale of the vanquished by Anand Neelakantan

Mandar's book review                             
"Asura - The tale of the vanquished", by Anand Neelakantan.

This is the story of Ravan, as the title suggests. But it is not Ramayan narrated by Ravan. It is the story of how Ravan became who he was and also includes war with Ram. And it is written in Asura perspective.
                                   
Story is narrated by Ravan and Bhadra (Servent cum advisor cum man friday cum non entity for Ravan). He may be invention of author. The idea, presented in this book, of Asuras being black but cultured and Devas being fair but barbarians is not new for well read. Author has tried to present mythological landmark incidents as they realistically happened e.g. lanka dahan.    

Writing style is factual but little bland in 1st half. Author has covered some major events just by mention rather than making them colourful narratives. Love-loath-hate-pity-trust relationship of Ravan and Bhadra is the soul of the book. Bhadra is participant in all the important events of Ravan's life. Character of Ravan is portrayed as human rather than rakshas. He seems clueless, often enough, to doubt his capabilities. A mere mortal.

Real twist in the tale is the revelation of Ravan-Sita relation and reason for Sita's abduction. It gives a new and unchartered perspective to the story & you start thinking on different lines. The war is good Vs evil, against castesim and untouchability.

Although 1st half of the book is slow and becoms boring at times, 2nd half is gripping. There are twists like Mandodaries abduction, Meghnad's blunders, agni pariksha, Ravan's death, 2nd vanvas to Sita that are presented in Asura perspective. Author binds you till the end. There were 2 incidents in Ramayan that I did not like when I was a child. One was the way Ram killed Vali and other was Sita's agnipariksha. Author has exploited these two incidents very well to put forth his theory.
           
The book is more than 500 pages long and size is larger than pocket book. If it was a pocket book, it might have been close to 800-900 pages. Reading needs time and patience.

At the end you can not help wondering that may be, just may be, it happened like this. History is always written by victors. This is the tale of vanquished told well.

A good read. Recommend reading.