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The Siege Of Mithila (Book 2 of The Ramayana)
by Ashok K. Banker. check out website: www.orbitbooks.co.uk
The Lord of Lanka, the king of the demon underworld, is amassing his armies to invade the mortal world with a huge fleet of ships to journey across the seas to wipe out the human race. The Lord of Lanka, Ravana, also has other plans. Using an old retired wet nurse, Manthara (one of the royal servants), who is a witch and one of his devout followers, he makes several attempts on the maha-raja's life. He also re-animates a solider who was killed by Ravana's cousin, Supanakha. The soldier, before he was killed, was meant to be carrying news of the demon invasion back to the royal palace. Ravana replaces his soul so he can further infiltrate and corrupt the powers in Ayodha. His aim is to disrupt and throw the Armies of Ayodha into chaos.
Rama, after hearing news of the invasion, is left with the choice of going back to fight with his family and defend Ayodha or to seek the guidance of Vishwamitra and to go to Mithila, that lies right on the path of the incoming demon hordes. There is little chance of survival and the only hope is to hold them off for a number of days until fresh armies arrive. This is the second book and, after the slow start of the first book, I wasn't overtly looking forward to this one. There will be seven books in total and this is a modern reinterpretation of the Ramayana, a book that was written over three thousand years ago by a reformed thief turned sage named Valmiki. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this second book, although it still has some of the problems that were in the first, I feel it has benefited from better editing. The first book was slow. There were long descriptive passages that just felt as though you were wading through a steam pudding, really good to eat to start off with but gets a bit heavy towards the end, if you know what I mean. Ashok still retains this to some degree in ‘The Siege Of Mithila’ but it feels more balanced. Also, the pace is quicker, especially in the second section of the book. There is a lot to like, most of the characters are well written. I loved the two gurus, Vishwamitra and Vashishta, who if you want a comparison they are a bit like Gandalf in LOTR. Rama, though, in this book seems to lose something, feeling less focused and the character sheds some the drive he had in the first book. Ravana is also wonderfully portrayed and adds a wonderfully wicked edge and humour to the story. He provides both fantastic lines but also a number of clever twists that just add to the overall enjoyment of the book. There are also plenty of fast-paced scenes which just help to lift the book especially in the second section. This book like the first provides a very interesting background to all the different deities. I really enjoyed this book, despite coming to it with a bit of trepidation, but that was soon lifted. This story has enormous breadth and scope and, after reading the first, I was not looking forward to a long series of slow books. I think though with this book, Ashok has improved not only his editing but pacing and writing style. The book feels complete. Often, sequel books feel a bit flat after the initial excitement and charge of the first but here I feel it's the other way round. These books will appeal to fans of fantasy, but I also hope a wider range of readers. Let's hope the next will carry on in the same direction and we'll end up with an impressive series of books that not only entertain but help to get an ancient story across to a wider audience. Phil Jones
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OTHER REVIEWS - May 2004
Non Fiction Mythology: The DC Comics Art Of Alex Ross Futures: 50 Years In Space The Challenge Of The Stars by David A. Hardy and Patrick Moore Lyra’s Oxford by Philip Pullman Tolkien: A Cultural Phenomenon: Second Edition by Brian Roseberry DVDs Babylon 5: The Complete First Season: Signs and Portents Fantasy Midnight Tides by Steven Erikson The Siege Of Mithila by Ashok K. Banker Broken Crescent by S. Andrew Swann The Magician’s Guild by Trudi Canavan The Destroyer Goddess by Laura Resnick The Weavers Of Saramyr by Chris Wooding The Iron Grail by Robert Holdstock Faerie Tales edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Russell Davies Darknesses by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. Slipstream Changing Of Faces by Tim Lebbon Karloff’s Circus by Steve Aylett The Well Of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde Science Fiction The Golden Globe by John Varley Market Forces by Richard Morgan It Came From Outer Space screenplay by Ray Bradbury A Gift Of Dragons by Anne McCaffrey Different Kinds Of Darkness by David Langford Felaheen The Third Arabesk by Jon Courtenay Grimwood Absolution Gap by Adrian Reynolds The Line Of Polity by Neal Asher The Affinity Trap by Martin Sketchley Natural History by Justina Robson Horror Living Dead In Dallas by Charlaine Harris Magazines
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Rama
with his brother, Lakshman, are on their path with the Guru Vishwamitra
following their dharma of the Vedic faith. Their father, the maha-raja,
is still weak frail and ill back in the city of Ayodha.
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