Book Review# 36: Sita Warrior of Mithila :Amish

Synopsis:

She is the warrior we need. The Goddess we await.
She will defend Dharma. She will protect us.

India, 3400 BCE.

India is beset with divisions, resentment and poverty. The people hate their rulers. They despise their corrupt and selfish elite. Chaos is just one spark away. Outsiders exploit these divisions. Raavan, the demon king of Lanka, grows increasingly powerful, sinking his fangs deeper into the hapless Sapt Sindhu.

Two powerful tribes, the protectors of the divine land of India, decide that enough is enough. A saviour is needed. They begin their search.

An abandoned baby is found in a field. Protected by a vulture from a pack of murderous wolves. She is adopted by the ruler of Mithila, a powerless kingdom, ignored by all. Nobody believes this child will amount to much. But they are wrong.

For she is no ordinary girl. She is Sita.

Continue the epic journey with Amish’s latest: A thrilling adventure that chronicles the rise of an adopted child, who became the prime minister. And then, a Goddess.

This is the second book in the Ram Chandra Series. A sequel that takes you back. Back before the beginning.



My Take:

Sita is a skilled warrior and chosen avatar of Vishnu. Now this is something I haven’t heard or read anywhere. Rather Sita was never portrayed as fighting or warrior women. The author has portrayed Sita as completely different from whatever we have read or heard about her. In that sense I would say groundbreaking. I loved the way she is showcased as the chosen Vishnu avatar. Something no one has ever attempted or I guess even imagined.

Ram is five years younger than Sita. Now this is something I haven’t heard or read anywhere. There births, relations with their parents, the way society looked at them etc are differently showcased here. Even in the marriage sequence they have only said Ram and Lakshman got married to Sita and Urmila. Theres no mention of Also I liked the way the relation between mother Sunaina and Sita is been explained. The feminism touch here with strong female characters is commendable.

The writer has introduced a female protagonist with zero emphasis on her conventional ‘beauty’. Yes, this has happened. Also Sita here is portrayed as the decision maker and strong compared to Rama. Different but I guess not many would appreciate seeing Rama portrayed as weak.
Hanuman seduced and called Hans is not something I could even digest. Now it sounds like modern Ramayana with cool names.

The book is good in terms of fresh perspective and the highlight being Sita, but I feel the other characters for example: Urmila could have been developed better. Also Janak here is portrayed as a weak king. Knowledgeable, yet weak.

Shiva trilogy was a big hit because not many knew about the life of Shiva. We all related to the character from the authors point of view. So a story there was lapped by the audience. This one being cult, and this version being the authors perspective maybe not everyone loved. But i appreciate the point of view and found this version a very interesting and debatable.
Keep up the good work and looking forward for Ravana.


About the author:

Described as 'India's first literary popstar' by world-renowned film director Shekhar Kapur, Amish's unique combination of crackling story-telling, religious symbolism and profound philosophies have made him an overnight publishing phenomenon, with spiritual guru Deepak Chopra hailing Amish's books as 'archetypal and stirring'.

Amish's books include the Shiva Trilogy (The Immortals of Meluha (2010); The Secret of the Nagas (2011); The Oath of the Vayuputras (2013)) and the Ram Chandra Series (Scion of Ikshvaku (2015)). His books have sold over 3.5 million copies with gross retail sales of over Rupees 100 crores. The Shiva Trilogy is the fastest selling book series in Indian publishing history. Scion of Ikshvaku was the highest selling book of 2015. His books have been translated into 19 Indian and International languages.

Amish won various awards, including the Raymond Crossword Book Award 2015 for ‘Scion Of Ikshvaku’.