Book Review : Upon A Burning Throne by Ashok Banker
Title : Upon a Burning Throne - Part 1
Author : Ashok K Banker
Genre : Mythological Fantasy
Of the two major Indian Epics, Mahabharata has always fascinated me more. The epic consists of so many characters with different shades that one cannot rightly put them in black or white zones. The epic is so well written with characters etched deeply that one always looks for various narratives for the story and yet each narrative brings in more questions and surprises even more. So apparently, when I finally came across this retelling of Mahabharata, I had to get my hands on it and here is my take on the first book.
The plot majorly revolves around Adri and Shvate who are in line to rule the vast Burnt Empire, yet on the day of their test for inheritance, they are challenged by another ruler whose daughter comes from the same bloodline and to everyone's surprise she passes the test too. When her claim to inheritance is denied by family elders Vrath and Jilana, the empire is thrown into a war by the demonlord, Jarsun. With Adri being blind from birth and Shvate, an albino, will they be able to win the war and become an able ruler, the story delves more into it.
If one has read the saga 'A Song of Ice and Fire' by George R R Martin, the book is written in similar style with each chapter narrated from different POVs. As with such epic sagas with numerous characters, it does take time for one to get used to them and I did keep turning the pages on who is who. Once the reader gets accustomed to them, the book is pretty much a smooth flow.
With numerous retellings of Mahabharata already in the market, what differentiates this book is that it majorly focuses on those stories that are either not part of the saga or one has not heard of it much. Though the baseline of the story is entirely on Mahabharata, the major plot points that one has read in the saga are basically in the background with only passing references given to them. So, to be honest, the book presents a whole new angle of narrative that one will love to read.
So, do I recommend this book. Ofcourse, yes. Though unfortunately, the wait for the next book will be a bit frustrating as the second part releases in July and the book has ended in a pretty interesting cliffhanger.
My Ratings - 🌟🌟🌟🌟 (4 out of 5)
Review in Few Words - A New Narrative to Everlasting Saga
Author : Ashok K Banker
Genre : Mythological Fantasy
The plot majorly revolves around Adri and Shvate who are in line to rule the vast Burnt Empire, yet on the day of their test for inheritance, they are challenged by another ruler whose daughter comes from the same bloodline and to everyone's surprise she passes the test too. When her claim to inheritance is denied by family elders Vrath and Jilana, the empire is thrown into a war by the demonlord, Jarsun. With Adri being blind from birth and Shvate, an albino, will they be able to win the war and become an able ruler, the story delves more into it.
If one has read the saga 'A Song of Ice and Fire' by George R R Martin, the book is written in similar style with each chapter narrated from different POVs. As with such epic sagas with numerous characters, it does take time for one to get used to them and I did keep turning the pages on who is who. Once the reader gets accustomed to them, the book is pretty much a smooth flow.
With numerous retellings of Mahabharata already in the market, what differentiates this book is that it majorly focuses on those stories that are either not part of the saga or one has not heard of it much. Though the baseline of the story is entirely on Mahabharata, the major plot points that one has read in the saga are basically in the background with only passing references given to them. So, to be honest, the book presents a whole new angle of narrative that one will love to read.
So, do I recommend this book. Ofcourse, yes. Though unfortunately, the wait for the next book will be a bit frustrating as the second part releases in July and the book has ended in a pretty interesting cliffhanger.
My Ratings - 🌟🌟🌟🌟 (4 out of 5)
Review in Few Words - A New Narrative to Everlasting Saga
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