PLEASE READ THE INDIAN EDITIONS INSTEAD - Rated 
f you are reading my Ramayana series, then I gently urge and request you to please not buy the UK or US editions, even if they're available at bargain prices. Which they probably are, since the publishers there have more or less put the books out of print, due to a lack of interest by non-Indian readers.
The Indian editions are the definitive editions of my work, containing a lengthy Introduction by me titled 'Retelling the Ramayana', which provides an essential perspective on the work, the final versions of all the books--including some small but significant changes, particularly in some book endings--no glossary, thank God, and are generally the best-edited, designed and published versions, in my opinion at least. In short, they're the Author's Preferred Edition, particularly the new hardcover omnibus editions, which represent the story in the way I had originally intended and are truly sumptuous to hold (and behold). Also, significantly, they aren't packaged as 'Fantasy' or 'SF' like the firang ones, which is a ridiculously transparent attempt at cashing in on the commercial success of the fantasy genre a la LoTR and Harry Potter. Please, people, my Ramayana series is a retelling of an epic, and that's exactly what it should be called, 'Epic'. I'd venture to call it 'Itihasa', but even Mythology, which is the label Penguin uses for the books here in India, is acceptable. But certainly not Fantasy as in one of the ubiquitous Tolkien rip-offs that are churned out in droves by western publishers, or even SF, both genres that can sometimes be wonderful in their own right, but are totally inappropriate in the context of an epic that pre-dates Tolkien by some thousands of years, and the entire tradition of western literature as well!
Frankly, I feel so strongly about this that I'd even go so far as to say, if you can't get the Indian editions, then don't read the books! That's why I'm currently in the process of re-acquiring the rights to the US and UK editions and they will soon be out of print everywhere but India. Which is how it ought to be: this is a quintessentially Indian story, written by a contemporary Indian for other contemporary Indians to read. And the Indian editions are really the only way to go.
Ashok K. Banker
www.ashokbanker.com
The King Reaches Ayodhya. - Rated
It was indeed an exhilarating six-part experience of the famed Indian epic Ramayana that Ashok Banker has so fondly & passionately created for his readers. The long and arduous battle between virtuous Rama (fittingly termed as 'yodha') and the vile Ravana ('rakshasha' in Sanskrit) dominates the entire part.
And the story quickly ends with Rama, his beloved wife Sita and faithful brother Lakshman entering the gates of the Kingdom of Ayodhya. Rama is to be crowned the fitting King of Ayodhya which remained without a king after the death of the great King Dasaratha and Rama's brother Bharath refusing to be crowned, over 14 years ago.
There were a number of questions intentionally left unanswered in this part. But Ashok has left it to the imagination or optionally for investagitive research into other authors' story telling of this Great Indian Epic. By this Ashok deftly does a great service for his other author-colleagues (both living & dead) of this Great Epic.
Unputdownable series! One had to put down each part only becase (s)he had to pick up the next!
A wonderful series has ended with King of Ayodhya. And for the avid fans of Ashok, it would hopefully not be a long wait before this master storyteller brings out the next big epic.
Paddy
Wonderful end of an exciting series - Rated
It happens rarely with me that I end up liking villian at the same level as, if not more than, the hero. The last part of the series is one of those.
As before, the characters are so near and yet so far, I could see the whole drama in front of my eyes. One gets so motivated by the steadfastness of Rama towards truth and trickery of Ravana is mind-blowing and inspiring. At the end, both Rama and Ravan come out to be characters worth emulating in life in their own ways.
Its highly adventurous, at times emotional and completely action packed. Kudos to the author for writing such an excellent series.
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