Ramayana: The Game of Life - Stolen Life

Title: Ramayana: The Game of Life - 

          Stolen Hope

Author: Shubha Vilas

Publisher: Jaico Publishers

ISBN: 978-8184958249

Number of Pages: 312

Price: 299 [INR]

Genre: Mythology

The Blurb:

       In the evil labyrinths of Dandakaranya forest, human values are put to test. Rama’s righteousness, Lakshmana’s loyalty and Sita’s endurance reflect our own sense of values and judgment in difficult times. The story unfolds the facets of human life – the conflict and the trickery, the praise and the slander and, above all, the hope and the despair in the eventful forest life of the Exiled Royals.

       Stolen Hope is about extreme deception and extreme love. It is about arrogant power and deep devotion. With every twist and turn, Rama, Sita and Lakshmana find themselves robbed of whatever and whoever they value most. 

      Exploring the dynamics of human relations – between father and son, husband and wife, teacher and disciple – and the complex game of power and greed, Stolen Hope mirrors our own dilemmas in the modern world and teaches us how we must overcome them. 

      Seek courage when everything, including hope, is stolen.

My Review:

      This is my favourite book series and therefore I have already read previous parts of it, thanks to BlogAdda's review program. These books are an absolute delight to read. However, for anyone living in India and or for anyone having a vague idea about Ramayana, it isn't hard to put the pieces together and enjoy the book. The book is beautifully written and depicts the days when Rama leaves for exile with his wife and brother. 

        The attention paid to detailing is what attracts me to the series. The book starts with the story of Danda, who lusts after Sukracharya's daughter. Cursed by the acharya, his kingdom becomes Dandakaranya and this where the story starts in this book. After this it just gets more and more interesting with many such little stories woven together.

The book is an enriching and gripping read which captures the heart of the reader. The story teaches you the lessons of life which are perfect for self-help. The little anecdotes are perfectly depicted by the author in a very interesting manner, which keeps the reader hooked to the book. These have been my favorites right from book one and still continue to be so. The book holds charm for its lucid writing, wonderfully detailed characters and superb pace of the story. The author lives up to the expectations of the readers who had already read and liked the previous two parts and waited patiently for the third one. Now that I am done reading the third one, I can't wait to get started with the fourth one!

All in all, it was an absolute delight to read this book. First book I read in 2016 and it sure was a great start. Highly recommended for anyone who loves to read mythology.

PS: This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

My Rating:

Until the next post,

Keep Reading :)

Love,

Swathi :)

Ramayana: The Game of Life - Shattered Dreams - Book Review

Title: Ramayana: The Game of Life 

          - Shattered Dreams 

Author: Shubha Vilas

Publisher: Jaico Publishing House

ISBN: 978-81-8495-531-6

Number of Pages: 387

Price: 350 [INR]

Genre: Mythology

Blurb on the Cover:

Shattered Dreams is the sequel to the National bestseller, Rise of the Sun Prince, in the new spiritual and motivational series Ramayana - The Game of Life. Twelve joyful years have passed in Ayodhya since the wedding of Rama and Sita at the end of Book 1.

Now, in Shattered Dreams, Shubha Vilas narrates the riverting drama of Rama's exile. Through tales of Rama's unwavering and enigmatic persona, the book teaches us how to handle reversals positively; through Bharata's actions, it teaches us to handle temptation; and through Sita'a courage, to explore beyond our comfort zone. This complicated family drama provides deep insights on how human relationships work and how they fail.

With Valmiki's Ramayana as its guiding light, Shattered Dreams deftly entwines poetic beauty from the Kamba Ramayana and Ramacharitamanas, as well as folk philosophy from the Loka Pramana tales, to demonstrate how the ancient epic holds immediate relevance to modern life. Experience the ancient saga of the Ramayana like never before!

My Review:

After reading the first book, Ramayana: The Game of Life - Rise of Sun Prince, I was waiting eagerly for the next book in the series to be released and no sooner did I get my hands on this book, I started devouring it right away. And I must say, the book lived up to my expectations.

In this second book, the main focus is laid on the events revolving around Rama's coronation; the turn of events that leads to Dasaratha's decision, Manthara's scheming, Kaikeyi's wishes and the agony that follows Rama's exile. There is also a brief introduction about Ravana, whose role is important in the coming book.

Continuing the tradition set in the first book, the author has given emphasis on each character, giving enough spotlight to each of them, to describe in detail their side of the story. Major part of the first half describes Dasaratha's turmoil and the second half describes Bharata's agony upon discovering the truth of what transpired in his absence. The emotions of the citizens, their love and devotion towards Rama and their devastation when he leaves for exile are all expressed well with giving importance to minute details.

There are many things to learn from the book. Sita's love for Rama which sees no material comforts, Lakshmana's absolute conviction with which he serves Rama, Bharata's humility and the determination with which Rama stands by his principles of truth. Urmila's sacrifice which, though spoken less of, commands respect in the hearts of readers. The description of hell, through Ravana's visit there, manages to send a chill down your spine.

And of course, foot notes! I had these little pieces of information which offered details and knowledge through out the first book. It has been continued in the second book too. The author has so much wisdom to offer to the readers and these foot notes are like tit bits of this wisdom. I absolutely loved them. I found many favorite lines in these. Few of them are:

• The present on the canvas of life is the result of a mu;titude of past strokes. Rather than brooding over those erroneous past strokes that can no longer be undone, learn from them and apply those strokes of wisdom today to paint a beautiful future.
• How long can one go with smiling faces and crying hearts? Either till the smile of the face goes to the heart or the cry of the heart reaches the face.
• Gossip is like a cacophony of crows, where every crow seems to be saying the most important thing, but has neither the time nor the inclination to hear an equally important message from any of the other crows.
• Confidence is a key to all locks, but overconfidence is the lock to all doors. Confidence leads to inspiration, but overconfidence leads to perspiration.

The language is eloquent and the narration crisp. I loved the flow of the story. There were a few typos this time but they were few and far stretched to spoil the bliss of reading. There are a few books which can be read multiple times and every time you read it, you get to learn something new. For me, this is one such book. I said in the review of the first book that a series can be considered effective when the readers are enthusiastic and look forward to reading the next book. Well, I am definitely looking forward for the third book in the series.

I recommend this book to all mythology readers. Go for it. It is definitely one of the best Ramayana books I have read. And I have a piece of advice - Don't rush reading this book. Go slowly and you will discover various facets of the story and every facet has something to offer to you.

My Rating: 4/5 Stars.

PS: This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

The Aryavrata Chronicles, Book 3 - Kurukshetra - Book Review

Title: The Aryavrata Chronicles, Book 3 - Kurukshetra

Author: Krishna Udayasankar

Publisher: Hachette India

ISBN: 978-93-5009-718-2

Number of Pages: 427

Price: 350 [INR]

Genre: Mythofiction

Blurb on the Cover:

War is upon the realm, but is Aryavrata prepared for what it will bring?

The empire that was Aryavrata fades under the shadow of doom. As a botter struggle ensues to gain control of the divided kingdoms, Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa of the Firstborn and the Secret Keeper of the Firewrights both watch from the wings as their own blood, their kin, savage and kill on the fields of Kurukshetra. Restraint and reason have deserted the rulers who once protected the land and they manipulate, scheme and destroy with abandon - for victory is all that matters.

At the heart of the storm stands Govinda Shauri, driven by fickle allies and failed kings to the very brink of darkness. He may well be the greatest danger Aryavrata has faced yet, for he is determined to change things forever. Reforging the forsaken realm in the fire of his wrath, he prepares to destroy everything he loves and make the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of one last hope: that humanity will rise, that there will be revolution.

In this spectacular, gripping episode of The Aryavrata Chronicles, Krishna Udayasankar's recreation of the world of the Mahabharata establishes her as a storyteller of formidable power and imagination.

My Review:

The book Kurukshetra is the third and final installment of The Aryavrata Chronicles. The first two books in this trilogy are Govinda and Kaurava. The first book 'Govinda' deals with Govinda's plot to destroy the Fire Wrights and make Dharma (the name of Yudhistira in this trilogy) the emperor of Aryavrata. The second deals with the after math of this; the dice game and the consequences that follow, leading to the big war. The third book, as the name suggests, is about the great war of Kurukshetra.

The story of Mahabharatha, though similar to the epic we have read, is still different in many ways. In the very beginning, the author writes "We are the stories we tell. The Aryavrata Chronicles are neither reinterpretation nor retelling. These stories are a construction of reality based on a completely different set of assumptions" Here, the characters are not divine. They are all ordinary people. There are no miracles; instead the author has given logical explanation to events which were termed miracles.

The story begins with Govinda's peace proposal, which is rejected by Syoddhan (Duryodhan). What follows is the series of events, where both the sides try to form allies with other kings, trying to expand their forces. Though they prepare for the war, there is still hope in everyone that it wouldn't come down to war and the other side would surrender. But when peace proceedings fail, it leads to the great battle.

I was waiting to see what form this war would take, as the author has mortalised all the characters. What would be the war like without the divine astras used during the wars? But by hinting that the arrows were coated with nitre, which caused such massive destruction during war, the author has managed this part brilliantly. The war takes the centre stage of the book and almost 200 pages is devoted to the 18 days war, but never once does the reader loses interest. The author has managed to narrate the whole story with precision keeping the reader engaged throughout.

The author has done justice to almost all characters, without letting just some dominate the whole story. Even Syoddhan has been portrayed as a Just ruler, who fights for what he believes is right - The Divine Order and their way of life. By showing compassion to Abhimanyu during the battle, he wins the hearts of the reader. On the other hand, Dharma fails to do so. Dharma was supposed to be all great but reading this book, one cannot stop themselves from harboring ill feeling s towards him. Reading about his reactions during war councils, his pushing Abhimanyu towards the chakra formation, even when he knew the chances of Abhimanyu returning back safe is almost nil, his behaviour towards Hidimbya and even toward Govinda; they all make you wonder if he is really the same Yudhishtira whose praises are sung with devotion! I didn't like this part of the book where Dharma was downgraded.

One more story line, which I enjoyed was that of Abhimanyu and Uttara. Stuck in a marriage which both weren't happy to begin with, there is a barrier between them which both fight to keep and break at the same time. But eventually, love finds its way. There is particularly one line which Uttara says to Abhimanyu "If a woman is truly your equal, prince, then there is no need to talk about it. The more you spout these declarations and postulates, the more you reveal the truth of the matter - that in your world, women are not equal to men, and so rhetoric to the contrary is required" It speaks volumes about Uttara's courage. One cannot help but feel the pain when Abhimanyu is so brutally killed later in the war.

There are many mytholgical incidents, which Krishna Udayasankar deals with reason. She has managed to give attention to even minute details, to keep the readers in loop as to why things are the way they are. For instance, when describing the war arrangements, she says there were different kitchens in each units and sometimes more than one in each sub unit. This arrangement was to reduce the risk of poisoning the army either accidentally or deliberately. A simple yet effective approach. It was easy to keep up with the story. Her writing is eloquent and engaging; her narration skills exceptional.

Here are a few quotes from the book that I loved:

• In every story, there are heroes. But it is not always the heroes who move the tale forward or do what needs to be done. There are others and their story is hardly told.
• True rebellion takes courage of different sorts. True rebellion takes letting go.
• No one person can save the world. But the fact that we all try, against all odds, is what the world is worth saving for.
• What amazing creatures we are, to carry this very essence of existence within us. Hope -  the undefined potential of all creation, the power of the creator itself.
• No one person is the cause for or consequence of all that happens. I am just the tenth man, the threshold, the turn in the tide. I stand here on the shoulders of humanity, a mere instrument of Time.

The book makes a great read. Without miracles and just logical reasons to support the events, it seems more believable. The pace is perfect, slowing down only when need be, without exaggerating anything unnecessary. I will suggest this book to all mythology lovers.

My Rating: 4/5 Stars.

PS: This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

Ramayana: The Game of Life - Rise of the Sun Prince - Book Review

Title: Ramayana: The Game of Life - 

          Rise of the Sun Prince

Author: Shubha Vilas

Publisher: Jaico Publishing House

ISBN: 978-81-8495-530-9

Number of Pages: 217

Price: 250 [INR]

Genre: Mythology

Blurb on the book: 

One of the World's great literary masterpieces, skillfully retold for modern audiences.

Epics like the Ramayana have been recounted infinite times. Is there a need for another chronicle in the presence of so many? How is this one different? And is it relevant to our ever-changing modern lives?

My Review:

There are some stories, which no matter how many times you have read, you find something new each time! Epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata are such stories. I have always been a fan of these. There have been numerous books on the epic Ramayana and many attempts have been made to re-narrate this epic over time. So what could be possibly different about this book? It was with this mindset that I picked up the book, expecting it to be just another story retold. But was I wrong?

The book is not a typical Ramayana story retold! The narration is crisp. As I started reading it, I was totally mesmerized by the story and the effort made by the author to illustrate even the minute details. There are so many details in this book that I wasn't aware of before. The book deals with the story from the time of Rama's birth till His marriage. But there is also a story in the beginning which narrates how this greatest epic of Ramayana came into being. How Rathnakar becomes Valmiki and how his angry curse turns into a beautiful verse of Ramayana.

As it is the story of Ramayana, it is natural to expect the hero of the book to be Rama. But instead of centering the story around Rama, the author has made the sage Vishwamitra as the hero of this book, which is the first of the six book series. Equal importance is given in describing each and every character in the story. The author has managed in providing a different perspective to the story, yet not spoiling the originality of the Ramayana.

The cover page is just awesome. It is attractive and prompts readers to pick it up instantly. The language used is simple yet compelling, which manages to engage the reader's interest throughout. What caught my attention the most are the footnotes that are present in almost every page of the book. The author has become successful in catching the reader's attention and interest by providing insights on various topics that otherwise will go unnoticed. It is said that Ramayana is not just a tale but a way of life. How the inherent wisdom from the tale can be imbibed in our life is effectively described in these footnotes.

Though there are so many quotes that are worth mentioning, the one that I loved the most is

• Heroic acts may attract a common person, but acts of compassion and kindness attract the heart of great souls.

• It is not the divine knowledge you possess that makes you divine but what you do with it that does.

Any series can be considered effective when the readers are enthusiastic and look forward for the next book. If you ask me, I say I am definitely looking forward for the second book in the series - Ramayana: The Game of Life - Shattered dreams. I suggest this book for all the readers who are interested in Mythology. Don't think 'Another Ramayana book?' Because when you read the book, you will find it worth it!

My Rating: 5/5 stars!

Thank you BlogAdda for sending me the signed copy for review.

PS: This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)