Scion of Ikshvaku Amish

Book review: Ram Chandra Series: Scion of Ikshvaku by Amish

The latest book from Amish is a significant improvement over the penultimate book in the Shiva Trilogy.The language is better, the characterisation is more consistent and the slip ups are fewer.   

This is a story almost all Indians are aware of and hence the opportunity to provide a story line surprise is sparse.Given the above, Amish does a good job in providing his readers with a few twists not there in the conventional texts.  However, Amish has missed the opportunity to give more colour to the antagonist character. Ravana and Ram still seem to be trapped in colours of black and white.

Significant effort though has been spent in creating a history and backdrop to the world which has some elements common with the Shiva Trilogy.  At times parallels with the current socio political scenario  in India are easily drawn and conversely there is an influence of the same in the story. Nevertheless the socio economic background created for the story is the true strength of the book and is what manages to draw the reader into what is otherwise a quite familiar story

Now for some nitpicking:While elsewhere in the book the text talks of two Sanskrit languages in use, later in the text the author drops in a whole verse in Hindi. Perhaps the spirit of Ramanand Sagar had its say

Overall this is a book you must pick as it plays it part in creating the backdrop to a whole new world of fantasy. The west has dwarves, elves, fairies, knights and trolls. The east now has divya astras, som ras, nagas and a world of lost science, knowledge, architecture, engineering, battle strategies, philosophy and codes of honour. A plethora of books drawing from mythology are now adding to this universe. Amish is one of the pioneers.

Book Lists: Fantasy

In continuation of the Book Lists series I am adding one on the Fantasy genre. It is possible that several of these names are quite obvious to readers of this genre. To the academically inclined this genre is all fluff, but if you are one of those people whose love affair with reading started with the stories they heard/ read in their childhood, then this is the genre for you.  As a genre this is one which allows you to get lost in a new world every time you pick up a book. Most books in this genre are tomes and most series are built up several of these tomes. For the value oriented, nothing gives you more bang for your buck then a long Fantasy series. For a writer, nothing gives you the creative liberty that a fantasy book does.

Sr. no.	Book Series	Author	Brief Review
1	Lord of the Rings	JRR Tolkien	If you have seen the movies and felt they were great and wondered where they came from, get the books. If the movies were great, the books are even better.  The writing itself is perfect, broken intermittently with beautiful poetry. Find here the real dark lord and the original elves and dwarves whose echoes are felt through the whole of the fantasy genre. If you truly dig the world, there are several recent additions made to it exclusively out of Tolkiens notes. These books are worthy successors namely The Hobbit, the Children of Hurin and The Silmarrilon
2.	The Wheel of Time	Robert Jordon	The Wheel of time is in many ways an ode to LOTR and starts off in a similar fashion. However, in this series of more than 13 books, Robert Jordan creates a world and characters unparalleled in its/ their sheer complexity and scale. If you start this today, you have the benefit of not having to undergo the agonising   wait for successive books, as earlier readers had to after coming to know of the heart breaking terminal illness Jordan had before he could complete the finale. The work was later completed by Brandon Sanderson, hand-picked by the author himself. Anyone working on a TV series here?
3.	The Game of thrones (though that was merely the name of the 1st book in the series)	George RR Martin	Again if you have fallen for the HBO TV series, then it is advisable to pick up this yet incomplete fantasy series. You will get all the details that the episodes miss out on.  In terms of sub genre, find in the Game of Thrones, the ruthless politics of the world George RR Martin has created.  Magic itself takes a back seat in this series and forms a mere shadow that looms on its characters who display all the failings of normal humans viz. greed, anger, violence, ruthlessness, treachery and foolhardiness. The latest book has been some time in coming and expect a longer hiatus in the TV series too after the latest season hits the screens this April.
4	The Harry Potter series	JK Rowling	A series which starts out all bright and sunny for children ultimately turns darker and enthralls adults to reach the finale. It seems the dark lord from LOTR survived to modern day England. If you haven’t seen the movies and read these books, which planet were you on?
5	The Mistborn Trilogy	Brandon Sanderson	If you ever wondered what made Robert Jordan pick Brandon Sanderson to write the WOT finale, you need to read this. What sets this series apart is the refreshing pace of the series, the 3 Dimensional action and that the central character is the heroine who kicks some serious a**. Suffice to say a band of thieves and revolutionaries made me pick up the books and I didn't regret it.
6	The Kingkiller Chronicles	Patrick Rothfuss	This yet incomplete series is set apart by the masterful writing of Patrick Rothfuss and the multi hued and amazing character of the protagonist “Kvothe”. If you go into this expecting a Harry Potter rehash with an orphan and a magic school, you will be both severely disappointed and genuinely surprised with the originality. Mr. Rothfuss if you are reading this, my (invisible) hats off to your writing prowess. I hope you do not delay the last book further and we expect you to be much more prolific in your career.
7	The Chronicles of Narnia	CS Lewis	This classic, which has been turned into movies is a must read. Find in the Chronicles the echoes of the World War II, in the backdrop of which, this series was created. A classical story with morals at the end of each book and deeper echoes of the WWII in the characters and the situations, if you can trace them.
8	The Storm light Archives	Brandon Sanderson	Another mammoth series in the making. If you have read the Mistborn Series and the WOT, and wonder what would happen if the best of both was mixed masterfully, you need to get the Stormlight Archive. The unmistakable skill Mr. Sanderson displays in creating 3 dimensional action sequences on paper combined with the sheer scale and complexity of a world such as the Wheel of Time, is on display in this mammoth 10 book series of tomes. Warning: Only 2 of these books are out yet and be ready for agonizing waits in between for the rest.
9	The Farseer Trilohy	Robin Hobb	A well crafted trilogy and amongst the better books in the Fantasy genre of recent origin. The world of Fitz Chivalry is vivid and identifiable. The central character is an assassin, a scripter, a prince in waiting, has a bond with animals and suffers from a romance lost with the tide of time.  If you hear echoes of the Kingkiller chronicles, then it is only because of the extra ordinary diverse skills of the central character
10	The Bartimeaus Trilogy	Jonathon Stroud	A dark mirror version of the Wizard led England (especially if potter reigns in your consciousness) with a witty sarcastic insolent   genie, This series is a breath of fresh air into the otherwise formal self important world of fantasy with chosen one heroes who have destiny to defeat the evil dark lord.
11	The Ryria Series	Michael Sullivan	An interesting trilogy of two thieves with some well known fantasy and sci-fi elements thrown in. In some ways the only thing new about this series is the two interesting characters and easy to read prose. If you dig the genre and would like something interesting and worth your time, this one is the one to pick up

The book lists that I intend to publish in successive blog posts are what I think is what you would like to read if you want to take a plunge into the particular genre. By their very nature, they would include more of the acclaimed and famous works in the genre. I shall reserve the detailed reviews for the lesser known ones.

Book Review: Aryavarta Chronicles by Krishna Uday Shankar

The Aryavarta Chronicles a series of 3 books based on the Mahabharata viz. Govinda, Kaurava and Kurukshetra.  History with many layers of time and adulation turns itself into a myth. This series of fiction brings to life the all central characters of the Mahabharata along with their probable personalities and the politics of the time.

While the books are written in the fantasy genre, what lends it credibility is the impeccable logic that Krishna Uday Shankar weaves into the stories that we all know so well. If you have ever questioned what would have motivated Krishna to start a war which resulted in the annihilation of a generation of warriors and an end to an epoch, then this is the series for you. 

Every character, its personality, upbringing and motivation is well etched to breathe life into it. A royal who grew up with cow herds is likely to have more affinity for the common people than the ruling class convinced of their superiority. Krishan's relation with Panchali forms a central theme in the story and her character is used to symbolize the state of the people of the land. The larger canvas portrays, a society which looked the other way on the mis-deeds of its demi-god rulers and how a single incident and a single catalyzing force brings the society to a point where it splits it into two opposing halves pitting brother against brother and probably two opposing ideas of the land.

If you are a fan of the much acclaimed Game of Thrones, find here the original game of politics and the logic which would have resulted in improbable partners in the great war. The story behind the driving force and the unifying ideal which might have allowed a much weaker challenger to defeat the combined might of the bulk of India's armies. 

Was the Mahabharata the story of demi-gods or was it a story of a war against class friction, degeneration of morals, hoarding of knowledge and  power politics? The sheer degree of research and the word craft utilized to treat a delicate and complicated subject which also encompasses the greatest philosophical work in Hinduism, the Bhagvad Gita, marks the series apart from other books in this genre. This one is a must read.

Book Review: The Many Lives of Ruby Iyer: By Laxmi Hariharan

The Many Lives of Ruby Iyer is an action movie in words.  The day Bollywood decides to make a Super ‘Heroine’ movie in the back drop of a collapsing Mumbai, Ruby Iyer shall be the place to start.

However unlike a movie, in the book you get to feel Ruby’s rage, smell the scents of Mumbai, listen to the cities cacophony and live the nightmare she is living. Ruby can look good, she can fight and she is angry.  In the dystopian world imagined by Laxmi Hariharan, both the central characters are women, the saviour and the villain.  The villain most lady like and the heroine trying to break the very mould she has been cast in by her upbringing.  The ‘damsel in distress’ is her close male friend and the knight in shining armour is a mysterious cop.  We should take a pause here and allow Bollywood to insert a song or two. However the book itself is tightly paced and leaves little room for such luxury.

The fast paced first person account leaves you with strong impressions of the central characters feelings but many unanswered questions. The questions push you to finish the book and the end leaves room for a sequel. I would recommend reading the short prequel, the Ruby Iyer Diaries to get more insight into the protagonist’s motivations and her psychological make-up. The writing itself is top notch and one hopes the sequel finds a way to add more colour to this nightmarish ‘mirror’ world and its other resident characters.  An unwillingness to add spoilers makes me end the review here. 

Book Lists: History/ Historical Fiction/ Fiction in a Historical Context

List of books I would recommend in the history/ historical fiction/ fiction in a historical context category. I have attempted to arrange this in a chronological order.  History is much more than a bunch of dates and events. A Raider from the North stays much longer with you than school history text books and so do its learnings

Some of the books below are actual works on history, other are more dramatized accounts of it and a few merely use it as a backdrop in the narrative which involves common yet unforgettable people

Sr. no.	Book/ Series	Author	Brief Review
1	The Conqueror Series	Conn Iggulden	The story behind the all-conquering Mongols brought to life.  Impossible to put down once started.
2	The Emperor Series	Conn Iggulden	The story behind Rome and how a Ceaser becomes an Emperor. Roman history at its best.
3	The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire	Edward Gibbon	A non-fiction which picks off where The Emperor Series drops off and describes the journey to the ultimate fall of the Roman Empire.
4	Empire of the Mughal Series Raiders from the North Brothers at War Ruler of the World The Tainted Throne The Serpent's Tooth	Alex Rutherford	A series one should catch after reading the Conqueror Series, as the Mughals are after all descendants of the Mongols. Over 5 books will capture the personalities that shaped the course of the India during the Mughal reign
5	Pillars of the Earth World Without End	Ken Follett	A peep into the life in Medieval Europe through the life of 4 central characters a mason, a priest, a noble and a forest dweller.
6	Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies The Mirror and the Light (yet to be released)	Hillary Mantel	Rise and Fall of Thomas Cromwell a powerful minister in the courts of King Henry VII. Rare feet of two books of the same series winning the Man Booker prize
7	Buddha (Comics)	Osamu Tezuka	A series of manga comics on the life of the Buddha
8	The Secret Lives of the Dalai Lama: Holder of the White Lotus	Alexander Norman	The history of successive Dalai Lama’s and the evolution of Tibetian Buddhism
9	My Name is Red	Orhan Pamuk	Best way to explore Turkey’s history. You don’t get a nobel for nothing.
10	Ibis Trilogy	Amitav Ghosh	A story set in Colonial times just before the opium wars with the characters of an ordinary village woman, a zamindar, an American sailor and an opium trader
11	The Glass Palace	Amitav Ghosh	A beautiful story on the link between Burma and India set in historical backdrop of a British invasion and extradition of the Burmese Royal Family
12	The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich	William L. Shirer	A must read account on Nazi Germany and World War II
13	The Diary of Young Girl	Anne Frank	Does not need an introduction.
14	The Discovery of India	Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru	A broad view of Indian history, philosophy and culture. The TV series is also a must watch
15	India After Gandhi: The History of the World’s largest democracy	Ramchander Guha	This one is on the reading list
16	Century Trilogy	Ken Follett	As the name suggests covers the 20th century in the lives of its characters and their descendants in 3 books .  An insight into the trials and tribulations of its characters in a backdrop of wars and conflict which marked much of the 20th century

Note: A range of mystery/ thriller/ war stories are built around the back drop of the world wars, the cold war and the various dictators that have reigned over the past century. These are not  covered here. I have also not covered any biographies here (pst… so no Mein Kampf or My experiments with Truth here”), which are often the best “ his+ stories”. I hope to cover Biographies separately.  

I welcome recommendations of similar books, especially in locations and times I have not covered here e.g. ancient Greece , ancient Egypt, American history and the large void before the Mughals in Indian History.

The Endevour

The endevour at 'Book Lantern' is to cast some illumination on the books I have read. Over the course of the next few months I will chronicle some of my favourite works and review some books which I have come across recently.

The genres that Book Lantern would cover would fall in the somewhat overlapping categories as follows:
1. Science Fiction
2. Fantasy
3. Historical Fiction
4. Mystery/ Detective
5. Classics
6. Comics
7. Biographies
8.  Spirituality/ philosophy
9. Futurology
10.  Business Books

and an across genre category covering Indian Authors

I hope to make this a discourse and welcome your impressions and opinions on the reviewed tomes and suggestions on any books that have simply blown you away. I am eternally in search of the thought provokers and words craftsmen of skill.

Your Chronicler and Book Bard
JD