title: Prince of Ayodhya - Book One: The Ramayana
author:  Ashok K. Banker 
description: 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.<br />Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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  **westland ltd**
  
  
  **Ashoka: Lion of Maurya**
  
  
  Ashok Banker is the internationally acclaimed author of over 50 published
  books ranging from non-fiction, mythological retellings, historical and
  literary fiction to crime, mystery, thrillers, romance, science fiction,
  fantasy, horror. His hugely successful Ramayana Series is credited with having
  launched the genre of English-language mythological retellings and influenced
  an entire generation of authors. Over 3 million copies of his books have been
  sold in 18 languages, 58 countries, and in ebook editions. As a journalist, he
  broke front-page news stories for _Times of India_ and _Outlook_. As a
  screenwriter, he created and wrote India’s first TV series in English, and co-
  created and co-wrote Malaysia’s first TV series in English, as well as several
  other hit shows. Born in Mumbai, Ashok is of Irish-Portuguese-Sri Lankan-
  Indian parentage, and lived in India for over 51 years. He now res