Scion of Ikshvaku by Amish

The Shiva Trilogy, with The Immortals of Meluha, The Secrets of  The Nagas and The Oath of  The Vayuputras, made Amish India’s literary pop star. I quite enjoyed the trilogy, though amongst them I had my favourite too. But overall it quenched my thirst for mythological fiction. Rudra and Sati touched the souls of millions and their tribulations and joys made the readers reach out and connect. They were no longer gods who could only be found in temples. They became one of us and inspired many to follow the path of their hearts.

With Scion of Ikshvaku, I expected something similar. After all, Amish was bringing the legendary Ram back into our lives. I remembered the days when B.R.Chopra’s televised Ramayana had audiences glued to their television screens. Ashok Banker with his Ramayana series was hugely successful as well. I was intrigued how this series would be different from Banker’s.

A few pages down, I knew this book could not match up to Amish’s debut trilogy. Having read Banker’s series too, I wondered why Amish have to rewrite this saga? The attempt seems hurried, maybe to cash in on his current wave of popularity. The characters though well known seemed superficial and the plot (well we all know what the Ramayana is all about) moved too quickly to let me connect with the characters or flow with the story. It was difficult to digest that the model Raghuvanshi family came across as rude and manipulative and that Sita, with her street smartness, had no qualms about fretting and fuming in public. Where was the compassion, steadfast determination, righteousness, exemplary behaviour and the selfless love that is synonymous with Ramayana? Amish takes the liberty to revamp the image of Manthara and adds a few twists to the original narrative. Aimed at addressing a few current issues, whilst keeping the essence of  Maryada Purshotam Ram intact, this attempt too makes the story look implausible and hackneyed.

The dialogues are colloquial and lack depth. While many talk about India being scientifically advanced in the ancient times, 3400 BCE with rotor blades on the Pushpak Vimaan, factories all over Sapt Sindhi and Vishwamitra with his missiles do not click!!!!!

The writing has relatively little character or style. A clichéd attempt with very little to offer a seasoned reader!!!!

About artikaaurorabakshi

Artika Aurora Bakshi Artika Aurora Bakshi is the author of three well-acclaimed children’s books,My Little Sikh Handbook, My Little Sikh Handbook 2: Ardas, My Little Sikh Handbook: Travel Journal, and an anthology of stories, Hold On To Me. Her first story, set in Amritsar, during the pre-Partition period, All She Had Left, was published on Story Mirror. She co-manages thegoodbookcorner.com, a manuscript help and book review site. Her passion for reading has led her to helping other writers with their manuscripts. She comes from a family of lawyers and has a master’s degree in International Banking & Finance. Currently based in Sri Lanka, she teaches Commerce and History on a part-time basis at an international school and enjoys being part of the literary scene in Sri Lanka. A regular at the Galle Literary Festival and other literary events in Sri Lanka, Artika’s articles and book reviews have featured in the Daily Mirror, Daily News, The Ceylon Chronicle, and various blogs, such as, talkingcranes.com, sikhchic.com, sikhnet.com. She was actively involved with SAARC Women’s Association of Sri Lanka and was President of the Association in 2016. An avid reader, Artika runs an online book club with a membership base of over 600 members. Her quotes are featured under soul.nightingale on Instagram and on Soul Nightingale by Artika Aurora Bakshi on Facebook. Artika is also working on her fourth children’s book in the My Little Sikh Handbook series and a second anthology of stories for adults. You can reach Artika at bakshiartika@gmail.com .

View all posts by artikaaurorabakshi →