Author:- Amish Tripathi
Print Length:- 354 Pages
Publisher:- Westland Press
Genre:- Mythological Fiction
“You live in Ram’s kingdom, hold your head high. Fight for justice. Treat all as equal. Protect the weak. Know dharma is above all. Hold your head high, you live in the kingdom of Ram.”
Ram: Scion of Ikshvaku is the first book in the Ram Chandra series by Amish. The book tells the tale of Ramayana from the point of view of its characters. It is twisted with fiction. Written in a multi-liner style the subplots combine into the main plot towards the end of the book.
The first book depicts the journey of Ram the Prince of Ayodhya, from birth to exile in the forest. The book begins with the epic scene from the Ramayana- Raavan’s abduction of Sita then swiftly shifts to the flashback of the day Ram was born and how his father was engaged in a furious battle with Raavan. In history, this was the first battle that Dasharath lost and to cover up the blame was transfixed on the birth of Ram. For many years he was ill-treated by not just his father but by the whole Ayodhya. But Ram is chosen by his Guru Vashishtha, the chief of Vayuputras, the tribe left behind by the previous Mahadev, to be the future Vishnu. Manthara, the main character in Ramayana, is portrayed as a rich businesswoman whose hate for Ram grows over time due to his loyalty towards dharma. The story turns when the two brothers Ram and Lakshman travels to Mithila, where Ram marries Sita, the Prime minister. The marriage ceremony turns into a war zone when Raavan attacks Mithila for his egoistic gains. To save Mithila, Ram broke a major rule and is banished for fourteen years in the forest. Ram, Laksham, and Sita begin their path towards exile. But faith has some other plans during their last years Raavan attacks their camp and abducts Sita. Will Ram be able to destroy the person who stanched his childhood? Will he be able to save his wife?
Amish has the habit of telling tales in twisted ways which is the engaging part of his books. The first book gives away hints of the following one. The fictional touch with some additional characters in the story makes it slightly different from the original Ramayana. Be it the name Ram Chandra series or the basis of the plot each has a contrasting touch from the original story. The characters are written in a way that the essence of Ramayana is intact. Ram is not the favorite son or prince, which is opposite from the original but still, it leads him to the path where he is the follower of ethics, he is destined to be the savior. Some things are the same like the part where the four brothers love each other. The bond of Ram and Lakshman. Ram's love for Sita and the way he respects and supports her are the parts that are consistent in the story penned down by Amish. The parallel writing of stories keeps us hanging till we pick up the squeal. The book might be for those who wish to read Ramayana from a different perspective. But all the others who are sceptical about it must also give it a try to hear the same tale distinctly.
My Rating:- 3.8/5
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