To begin with, I have been a tad busy with my freelance work and so I didn't have time to complete reading this book. This is my first Amish Tripathi book and I wasn't really familiar with his writing or style. Though, I have the ebooks of Amish's last trilogy, I hadn't really read it. Neither was I planning to start on Ram Chandra series soon. But the book Sita- Warrior Of Mithila had become a rage even before it's release. It is a no brainer that series is based upon the great Indian epic of Ramayan. But what attracted me most was the presentation of the character of Sita. In this book wasn't a law abiding "wife" of Ram but she was a strong warrior woman.
The Ram Chandra series begins with the book Scion Of Ishvaku and while I will come back to reviewing the first in the series, here is my review of Sita - Warrior Of Mithila.
The book comes a full circle. Amish uses the technique of flashback to tell the story of a baby abandoned in a clearing. This child is adopted by King Janak and Queen Sunaina of Mithila. She grows up to be smart, rebellious and a brave heart, Sita. Sita, while in Gurukul, is entrusted with a secret mission for the well being of her country and so begins her search for a partner.
If you have read the earlier works of Amish then you might be aware of the tribe of Vayuputras, who worship Lord Rudra. In this series, Amish introduces the tribe of Malayaputras, who woship Lord Parshu Ram. The two warring tribes need to come together for the brighter future of their country. Again, it is a no brainer that Ram and Sita belong to the Vayuputras and Malayaputras respectively. These two together will change the face of India.
What I loved about the book is that Amish hasn't changed the essence of the epic but he has replaced the myth with logic. What is a Lakshman Rekha or what is asuraastra and daivi Astra? He has it all explained in his work. Another facet I loved about the book, he has some immensely philosophical and enlightening dialogues presented in the novel. The character of Sita isn't developed in a rush. Amish takes it slowly, introducing us to the character and her traits. I so, so, loved this gradual development. All the other characters from Ramayan are given a logical occupation and backstory. For instance, the character of Raavan is a trader king from Lanka and has conquered the seaways. He is ruthless and evil. Vaanars are those humans who are quite hairy and so resemble monkeys. Manthara is a trader and is quite rich and famous who wants to avenge her daughter's pride by bringing down the Raghu clan.
However, the book seemed to rush when it came to Ram and Sita leaving for exile. And there were those parts where Amish tried infusing romance but it looked artificial or more like an attempt at romance. The development of Ram-Sita relationship wasn't tied up well and that was a put off. Hanuman, though, plays a essential role in the epic, his contribution was minimum when it came to the novel.
Over all, the book does justice to the epic and especially the often overshadowed character of Sita. For someone like me who has written a women centric debut novel(Beyond The Veil-The Journey Of An Indian Girl) this was thoroughly an enjoyable read.
On the scale of readability, I rate it 10 on 10.
How much rating will I give this one? 4.5 out of 5 stars.
If you have read this one, do let me know your views in the comment box below.
#HappyReading
PS: I received a signed book copy as a gift from my dear friend Marian Lima.
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