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The Seeds of War
The book readers of The Forest of Stories have been eagerly awaiting Book Two in the unfolding saga of the world’s greatest epic - from Indias epic storyteller, author of the internationally- acclaimed Ramayana and Krishna Coriolis series. The Seeds of War, Book Two in Ashok Banker’s Mahabharata series, introduces us to the elder protagonists of the epic, as well as some of the great loves and lusts, friendships and enmities, politics and self-sacrifice that will lay the seeds that will eventually fester and erupt into the mother of all wars. At first it may seem that the journey is the reward, with seemingly unrelated love stories, fantastical tales of exploits in the heavenly realms, divine pacts and demoniac trysts. But it soon becomes evident that all these form a tapestry revealing the grandeur and glamour of the Kuru Bharata race itself, the growing descendants of the original tribe that established perhaps the greatest and oldest human civilization ever known in recorded history. Their loves and enmities are epic, their stories astonishing, their personalities mercurial. Every page you turn reveals magical new thrills and wonders. As one larger-than-life personality after another strides onstage, the drama ratchets up to thriller level, the arrow swarms begin to fly and conflicts turn ugly as the author of the Ramayana Series once again proves himself the master of epics. Ashok Kumar Banker’s internationally acclaimed Ramayana Series has been hailed by critics as a milestone (India Today) and a magnificently rendered labour of love (Outlook). It is arguably the most popular English-language retelling of the ancient Sanskrit epic. His work has been published in 56 countries, a dozen languages, several hundred reprint editions with over 1.1 million copies of his books currently in print. With the Ramayana Series Banker embarked on a massively ambitious publishing project he calls the Epic India Library. Returning to the roots of the great ancient tales that have inspired countless authors and filmmakers, Banker sought to reclaim the original stories through a series of multi-volume re-tellings as well as original fiction and non-fiction. The Krishna Coriolis series, of which the first three books have been published, and the Mahabharata Series (of which this book is the second in an 18-volume series) are part of this project.
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Secret School Mysteries
WARNING! This book contains: • A most mischievous spy • A loony librarian • Crazy cafeteria madness • Hilarious misadventures FIVE CHILDREN. ONE INVISIBLE SPY. A THRILLING ADVENTURE. When Peter wanders into his school’s Heritage Library one day, little did he know that he was going to find mystery, adventure, friendship and excitement. There’s Uru, the quirky Librarian, daredevil twins Asha and Usha, super learner Arun, logical Sania and the genius Peter – together, they join forces to catch the mysterious invisible spy hiding in their school. Will they succeed? Find out in the first book in the exciting new Secret School Mysteries series by the famous author Ashok Banker.
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Upon A Burning Throne
In a world where demigods and demons walk among mortals, the emperor of the vast burnt Empire has died, leaving a turbulent realm without a leader. Two young princes, Adri and Shvate, are in line to rule but birthright does not guarantee inheritance: Any successor must sit upon the legendary burning Throne and pass the test of fire. Imbued with dark sorceries, the throne is a crucible that incinerates the unworthy. Adri and Shvate are not the sole heirs to the empire, there is another with a claim to power, another who also survives. When this girl, whose father is the powerful demonlord Jarsun, is denied her claim by the interim leaders, Jarsun declares war, vowing to tear the burnt empire apart – leaving the young princes Adri and Shvate to rule a shattered realm embroiled in rebellion and chaos.
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Ashoka-Lion Of Maurya
Young prince Ashoka accidentally overhears two men in a city tavern - A band of assassins have infiltrated Pataliputra, capital of the great Mauryavansh empire. Their target-the entire imperial family. The prince makes it his mission to root out the assassins with the help of the Chandikas - the female military order instituted by Samrat Chandragupta Maurya. But when his own lover, a Chandika, confesses a terrible secret, he realizes that the threat lies within his own family! Meanwhile, the palace is not without its own intrigues. Queen Khorasan and her mother are playing their own game of thrones. Dowager Queen Apama is secretly working for her father, Seleucus Nicator, who still has ambitions of invading the sub-continent. King Bindusara's harsh methods are turning the marbled floors of the imperial palace awash with blood. will Prince Ashoka be able to save his family and Mauryavansh - before it's too late? India's epic storyteller turns his masterful hand to the life of ancient India's greatest ruler, Ashoka in a thrilling trilogy packed with non-stop action, adventure, battles and lusty no-holds-barred storytelling., About the Author : Ashok Banker is the internationally acclaimed author of over 50 published books ranging from non-fiction, mythological re-telling, 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 e-book 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 resides in Los Angeles.
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Ten Kings
3400 B.C.E - A tribal chief and his small valiant clan defended their land of five rivers, which we now call Punjab, against a huge invading force. The invaders were ten kings of neighbouring regions such a Iran, Syria, Afghanistan and the Europrean steppes. The battle lasted a single day. It was brutal. swift and cuded in a complete massacre - of the invaders. How did the King Sudas and his outmatched tribe win this impossible battle? Ten Kings unlocks the historic secret. The internationally acclaimed and bestselling author of the Ramayana Series recreates this legendary battle in vivid unforgettable style in his first historical novel.
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Blood Red Sari
India's first all-women action thriller series that all but replaces oestrogen with adrenalin Missing social activist Lalima has picked three women to carry out the task she was unable to finish Sheila, the owner of an all-women's gym in Kolkata; Nachiketa, an attorney in Delhi who is suing her in-laws for the violent abuse that left her wheelchair-bound for life; and Malayali private investigator Anita, whose own brothers are out to get her. Lalima's adversaries use influence and hired killers to track down all those who have been sent incriminating evidence against them, forcing Sheila, Nachiketa Anita to battle for survival even as they race against time to understand the import of the documents they have received. Spanning the murky underbelly of the country's metropolises and the international human trafficking mafia, Blood Red Sari is a pulse-pounding action thriller with a feminist punch.
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Sons of Sita
Ten years have passed since Rama did the unthinkable and banished Sita. Now, she spends her days in the remote forest ashram of Maharishi Valmiki training her sons at the arts of war, turning them into peerless warriors of exceptional acumen and prowess. To the sorrow of many, they seem unlikely to ever cross paths with their estranged father. Yet destiny works in unexpected ways Rama decides to launch the Ashwamedha yajna. The mightiest Ayodhyan army ever assembled follows the sacred stallion in a campaign of conquest. Defying the military might of Ayodhya and the emperorship of Rama himself, two young striplings capture the Ashwamedha horse and challenge the great army. To Rama's chagrin the challengers turn out to be none other than his own estranged offspring: the Sons of Sita!
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Ramayana 1:Prince Of Ayodhya
Full of adventure and magic, this epic fantasy is based on the classic Indian tale "The Ramayana" and brings to life a world of gods, shape-shifting mages, and bloodthirsty demons. "A ripping good yarn."--"Publishers Weekly." The original "Ramayana"--a classic tale of war between absolute Good and Evil--was written 3,000 years ago by Valmiki, a reformed thief-turned-sage. Now, with breathtaking imagination, Indian novelist Ashok K. Banker has recreated this epic tale for modern readers everywhere. Ayodhya the Unconquerable is the legendary capital of warriors and seers, and the greatest fortress of the civilized world. Soon it will be a wasteland of ashes and blood. For Ayodhya lies in the shadow of a demon's wrath--a demon that is sending all its dreadful power to ravage the world of mortals. And only Rama, Prince of Ayodhya, can hope to prevent the onslaught of darkness.
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The Forest of Stories
he story starts in forest of Naimisha, which is the setting for the narration of a part of the great epic, The Mahabharata, in this book. This book is the first in a series of around 18 books planned by the author in his bid to retell the Indian legend, and the story is carried forward by its subsequent sequels, The Seeds of War and The Children of Midnight. The book begins when members of Kulapati Shaunaka’s ashram are startled with the arrival of a weary traveller. He turns out to be Ugrasrava Lomarsana, a Suta Pauranika, a reciter of histories and epics. He is also called Sauti, and is a disciple of Sage Vyasa himself. He brings the sad news of the death of the great Vyasa. The sages at the ashram greet him with affection and respect, offer some food to eat, and give him time to recover from his long journey. Eventually, they ask him to recite to them the great epic composed by Vyasa. Sauti obliges and begins the story. Just like in the great epic, the beginning of the story is entirely disconnected from the crux of the great epic and its central characters. The main characters are summed up in a small introduction by Sauti. Then the story branches out. It starts with the story of creation and then goes on to trace the lineages and stories of the various races that have been created - Nagas, Yakshas, Asuras, Devas, and humans. The story of Parashurama is told in detail in this book. It begins with the stealing of the holy cow, Kamadhenu, from Sage Jamadhagni’s Ashram. It then goes on to narrate how the great Sage Jamadhagni is then killed by the king Arjuna Kartavirya’s sons. Parashurama vows his terrible vengeance, and sets out to wipe the entire generation of Kshatriyas off the face of the earth. This book also describes the great Sarpa Yaga conducted by Parikshit’s son Janamejaya to avenge his father’s death and destroy all the snakes in the world. As foretold, this Yagna does not really succeed in what it sets out to do. The other story shared in this book is the well-known one of Shakuntala and Dushyanta, the couple that started the Bharata clan. Through its varied stories that cover a range of different races and times, The Forest Of Stories (Book 1) sets the tone for the vastness and splendour of The Mahabharata.
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The Krishna Coriolis Series: Flute Of Vrindavan (B
The notorious stealer of dahi, the naughty god-child, the Preserver himself, wields the flute to make evil dance to his tunes. Infant Krishna and his half-brother Balarama are the most mischievous children in all of Gokuldham, getting up to all sorts of pranks, raiding neighbours dahi handis and letting the calves run free. But disciplining God Incarnate is no easy task. It slowly dawns on Mother Yashoda that the babe she is trying to protect is in fact the protector of the entire world! As little Krishna survives one horrific asura attack after the other, she comes to terms with the true identity of her adopted son. Meanwhile, Kamsa deals with his frustration at not being able to kill the Slayer by building his own powers and skill to superhuman proportions, mastering a deadly war game and becoming a champion wrestler. With Jarasandha s aid, Kamsa despatches a team of otherworldly assassins to slay the Slayer. Harried by Kamsa s forces, Krishna s adoptive father, the peace-loving Nanda Maharaja, is forced to lead his people into exile. They find safe haven in idyllic Vrindavan. But even in this paradise, deadly demons lurk ... Book 3 of the Krishna Coriolis series brings alive the childhood of the Preserver in his enchanting Krishna avatar, fraught with peril, but also drenched in the love of his parents and neighbours.
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Dance Of Govinda (Book - 2)
The tamer of Putana, the god-child, the redeemer of the world, the Slayer of Kamsa, dances with abandon amidst his own. As we move into the second instalment of Ashok K. Banker s Krishna tales, the prophesied Slayer of Kamsa has been born and smuggled out of Mathura in the dead of the night. Kamsa finds that his nephew has escaped and flies into a demoniac rage. Meanwhile, his evil ally Jarasandha of Magadha arrives in Mathura with his coterie of powerful supporters to ensure that Kamsa stays loyal to him. But Kamsa is not to be crushed. With the help of Putana, a powerful demoness living incognito among humans, he slowly regains his strength and acquires new powers. In Book 2 of the Krishna Coriolis series, Ashok K. Banker retells the legendary exploits of the Preserver in his most lovable avatar, bringing alive the majesty and splendour of ancient India and the high drama of its epics.
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The Krishna Coriolis Series: The Slayer Of Kamsa -
Forewarned by a prophecy, the demonic King Kamsa orders every newborn to be put to the sword. But even in the womb, the unborn Krishna uses powerful magic to cast a spell across the entire kingdom on the night of his birth. The stage is set for the epic clash of the childgod and the terrible forces of evil with the birth of Krishna, the slayer of Kamsa … The fantastic adventures of the Hindu god Krishna have entertained and inspired people for millennia. Playful cowherd, mischievous lover, feared demon-slayer – the legendary exploits of this super-being in human form rival the most rousing fantasy epics. Now, the author of the Ramayana Series®, the hugely successful epic retelling of the ancient Sanskrit poem, works his magic once again with the tales of Krishna. All the pomp, splendour and majesty of ancient India come alive in this extraordinary eight-book series.
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Gods Of War
"Five ordinary people from five separate versions of Earth are brought together by an ancient Hindu god…Santosh—a ten-year-old from a Mumbai slum with a passion for cricket, Bollywood, and Ganpati Bapa; Salim—a socialist trader from Birmingham and witness to the aftermath of the unjust 'war on terror'; Ruth—a lesbian ship-welder from New Jersey whose fierce rightwing patriotism cost her the love of her life; Akechi—a rakish, self-obsessed manga star with a fondness for high living and beautiful gaijin women; and Yoshi—Akechi's twin and fellow mangaka, a hermaphrodite consumed by a guilty secret about their Japanese father and Chinese mother. Can these five wildly unlikely people succeed in their impossible mission of travelling to the ends of time and space to bring peace to the world? Can they overcome their cultural, racial, religious and other differences and find a way to end the apocalyptic War of Wars that threatens not only humanity, but all creation, with ultimate destruction? Does humanity even deserve to be saved? Asking the boldest and most searing questions of our time, while unfolding a spectacular and tremendously entertaining epic adventure, Gods of War is a tour de force of imagination by the author of the internationally acclaimed Ramayana Series."