BOOK TITLE: The
Exiled Prince
ISBN: 9788172344818
AUTHOR: Ravi
GENRE: Fiction
/ Mythology
NUMBER OF PAGES: 262
FORMAT: Paperback
SERIES / STANDALONE: Crystal
Guardian series #1
REVIEW BY: Dhivya
Balaji
HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: Fingerprint
publishers sent us a copy in exchange for a honest review. We thank them for
that!
SUMMARY:
Crystal
Guardian series is a racy, mythical sci-fi work of fiction that brings together
the British, the Legend of Rama and a cosmic crystal.
Part 1 of this racy Trilogy titled The Exiled Prince. The story begins in British India and the book plunge into non-stop action right away as we hear about the Crystal of Creation...
Legends say that the Crystal of Creation, with part of the souls of Lord Shiva and Narayana suspend within it, has the power to construct the universe, annihilate it, and recreate it again. Since the moment of its creation, this single most powerful weapon in the universe has remained hidden somewhere deep within Mount Kailash.
Except now. Now, it has gone missing.
Part 1 of this racy Trilogy titled The Exiled Prince. The story begins in British India and the book plunge into non-stop action right away as we hear about the Crystal of Creation...
Legends say that the Crystal of Creation, with part of the souls of Lord Shiva and Narayana suspend within it, has the power to construct the universe, annihilate it, and recreate it again. Since the moment of its creation, this single most powerful weapon in the universe has remained hidden somewhere deep within Mount Kailash.
Except now. Now, it has gone missing.
Rama,
the hero of the ages, must embarks upon a perilous journey to find the Crystal
of Creation before someone else, someone with an insatiable lust for power,
discovers it and the reigns of the entire cosmos fall into the wrong hands.
And thus begins an epic adventure which will take Ram, the legendary superhero, beyond the kingdom of Ayodya into lands where he will have to battle the fiercest of demons in all of history in order to do what he must. It will also seek to answer a question that has never been asked: Who was Rama really?
Nothing arbitrary. Nothing wilful. And as powers greater than the universe itself come together only to erupt into chaos and intrigue, discover an intriguing tale set in a time before Time, where the immortal Rama will come to life and reveal his world through his eyes as he begins his quest for the Crystal of Creation.
And thus begins an epic adventure which will take Ram, the legendary superhero, beyond the kingdom of Ayodya into lands where he will have to battle the fiercest of demons in all of history in order to do what he must. It will also seek to answer a question that has never been asked: Who was Rama really?
Nothing arbitrary. Nothing wilful. And as powers greater than the universe itself come together only to erupt into chaos and intrigue, discover an intriguing tale set in a time before Time, where the immortal Rama will come to life and reveal his world through his eyes as he begins his quest for the Crystal of Creation.
REVIEW:
Ramayana – Every child in any Indian
household has grown up hearing it, or at least hearing of it. It is one of the
two great epics. Rama is one of the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu. And how many
ever stories you can read about Him, they can never be enough or complete. There is always
that one unexpected angle, that one sudden surprising story, or simply, the
same story told in a different angle. The Exiled Prince is a very, very
engrossing read in this regard – with its sub plots, plots within plots and
stories within stories, in parallel timelines.
When you start a mythology based book,
there are fanatics and critics and ‘knowledgeable’ people who have read the
epics in their original forms and will find a contradiction in every point. But
much like all the famous stories, the Ramayana can be interpreted in many, many
ways and can easily contain multiple viewpoints based on not only the
understanding of the reader, but also the perception of the author. What is
interesting and unique in this book is the fact that this is written in a first
person narrative. Yes, you can read about Rama himself telling his story – to his
sons and hanuman. This is where the book becomes interesting.
The story starts with the premise of ‘the
crystal of creation’ that contains parts of the souls of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. While
these gods are powerful individually, their combined power will surely be
phenomenal. The crystal is believed to contain the super powers of creation,
destruction and is considered to be an infinite source capable of fathomless destruction when it falls into the hands of someone who has no control for the lust of
power. Rama’s true purpose is to find out the place of the crystal and take it
before someone else gets their hands on it.
The first chapter of the story is set
in Madhuranthagam – a little known place in Tamil Nadu, India, which is famous
for its temple of Rama, though is much underrated. A British colonel is busy
with the task of evacuating a whole village fearing floods, while the local
people reiterate the belief that their protector, Prince Rama will save the
village. And miraculously, He does. Whether or not this incident is real will
surely be debated. But anyone who has visited the temple will feel the presence
surely.
The scene where all the seven major
sages meet to talk about the crystal is at once awe inspiring and chilling.
From there, Rama begins narrating the story and there is no looking back. It becomes
hard to keep track of each story as it unfolds and as each new character (an
old character revealed in a new perception) is described. Many of us have heard
of the queen Kaikeyi’s valour, and of Vishwamitra’s slip up from bachelorhood
with Menaka. But to read it described in connection to the story of the crystal
is quite new.
Any mythology lover likes to read
different perspectives of the same story. And the more controversial it is the
better stimulating to the human mind it is. The Exiled Prince fares well in
this aspect. The book is descriptive enough, and written in Rama’s perspective,
shows the turmoil he faces in his mind. The scenes of battle and the use of
weapons are in detail. The marriage of Ram and Sita take us to Mithila
directly. And the language in which this book is written helps very much. It is
lucid and phrased clearly.
Take up this book, even if you are not
a mythology lover. This will surely give you another refreshing perspective on
the age old but always new tale called Ramayana. It is high time Rama had a say
in it!
WHAT I LIKED:
The story of the crystal, and of
Rama’s true purpose.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:
The stories within stories that sometimes
becomes a bit distracting. Plus the descriptions are also heavy. Though
necessary, this will hamper the progress of a new reader.
VERDICT:
A new perspective, a different read.
Go for it.
RATING: 4.2/5
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ravi
V is an entrepreneur and innovator in the IT sector in the USA where he has
been living since the late 1990s. Though trained as an engineer, Ravi has a
keen interest in ancient Indian history and mythology and his first literary
venture, The Crystal Guardian Series, is a testimony to this deep abiding
passion. Apart from his academic and literary pursuits, Ravi also loves
exploring such varied topics as futuristic science, human evolution and
cosmology. A globetrotter in the truest sense, he enjoys hiking and snorkelling
in different corners of the world and uses these experiences to connect better
with the natural world. Of the firm belief that our myths are linked to our
evolution as a species, Ravi took about three years to do extensive research on
the legends and myths that surround the figure of Rama in order to write this
book where he seeks to create a larger than life image of this ancient Indian
superhero. This book is a testament to his faith and his life. He takes
inspiration from J. K. Rowling, Sidney Sheldon and Dan Brown. Ravi is also a
fan of Stephen Hawking, Michio Kaku and Carl Sagan.
EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Paperback
PRICE: Rs.
199 for paperback
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