I have prepared a powerpoint (keynote in Apple MacAir) presentation for the review of Amish's latest book, Scion of Ikshvaku. I found this book as interesting as his previous three books in Shiva Trilogy series. Also, I have made certain critical observations about the book, it's portrayal of some characters and also about the twisted narrative provided by the author. The author must be praised for his audacity to do so with as popular a holy text as Ramayan, which is very much etched there in the psyche of majority of the natives of India. But still, the author's creative literary freedom must be appreciated and respected for at least making an attempt to read and know about Lord Ram & his reign, popularly know as Ram Rajya.

1. Review of
Scion of Ikshvaku
———Ram Chandra Series 1 ———
- Author -
Amish Tripathi
By :
Rishabh Kumar Parashar
PGDM (FM) 2015-17
Roll No. M201550
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3. Author
Amish Tripathi is a new big name amongst the Indian English
authors.
Amish is a 1974-born, an IIM Kolkata product-turned-
investment banker-turned author and lives in Mumbai.
With great success of his maiden book, The Immortals of
Meluha, first in Shiva Trilogy, (Secret of Nagas & The Oath of
Vayuputras being the rest two), he is not only the most
popular but the highest earning amongst his breed of authors.
He is claimed to have got Rs 10 crore in advance as royalty for
this book from its publishers.
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5. Accolades
Amish is the Paulo Coelho of the East. - Business World
Amish is India’s Tolkien. - Business Standard
Amish is part of an emerging brand of authors who have taken up mythology
and history in a big way, translating bare facts into delicious stories.
- The New Indian Express
… one must congratulate Amish on reintroducing Hindu mythology to the
youth of this country. - First City
Amish is a fresh new voice in Indian writing…stepped in myth and history, a
fine eye for detail and a compelling narrative style. -Shashi Tharoor
I wish many more would be inspired by Amish Tripathi. - Amithabh Bachchan
Amish is India’s first literary popstar. - Shekhar Kapoor
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6. Book Facts
The book has been released recently on 22nd June, 2015.
Initially, it was made available online at Amazon on pre-release
order from March, 2015 as a well-knit marketing strategy since
the author has a huge youth fan following at social media.
Book’s cover was released by film star Akshay Kumar in Mumbai
at a function and the author himself promoted it at social media
like twitter and facebook as a publicity gimmick.
The beautiful cover has been designed by an agency Think Why
Not which evoked great curiosity in readers about a flying object
at the target of an arrow aimed by a warrior stretching his bow
to the fullest. The warrior prince is Ram as revealed later on.
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8. Book Facts
It has been published by Westland Ind Chennai in April-May
2015 and is priced at Rs 350 with 356 pages.
To popularise the book before its release a la movie trailer,
video teasers of the book have also been launched at
YouTube, since the visuals have a great impact on the
readers mind and arouse a kind of frenzy to grab and read
the book at first instance.
One can watch these video teasers here …
https://youtu.be/-0b6j6yzmLA
https://youtu.be/k4xhu9MeIzw
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Ramarajyavasi tvam, prochhrayasva te siram
Nyayartham yudhyasva, sarvesu samam cara
Paripalaya durbalam, viddhi dharmarth varam
Prochhrayasva te siram,
Ramarajyavasi tvam.
You live in Ram’s kingdom, hold your head high.
Fight for justice. Treat all as equal.
Protect the weak. Know that dharma is above all.
Hold your head high,
You live in the kingdom of Ram.
Theme Chant :

10. Storyline : Re-developed
The story is about the most revered and the most worshipped figure
in Hindu religion, Lord Ram and his kingdom Ram Rajya.
The time period of the story is 3,400 BCE and is set in Sapta
Sindhu, tracing the generations of Raghuvanshis, of which Ikshvaku
was the first, with Ram being his descendant. That gives the book its
title, Scion of Ikshvaku.
It’s a modern take on Ramcharitmanas or Ramayan as is evident from
brief of the book which starts like .…
“Ayodhya is weakened by divisions. A terrible war has taken its toll.
The damage runs deep. The demon king of Lanka, Ravan, does not
impose his rule on the defeated. He, instead imposes his trade.
Money is sucked out of the empire….”
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11. Storyline : Re-developed
This snippet gives us a glimpse of the creative literary freedom that author
has taken in rechristening the hugely popular epic into a chartbuster book.
The twists and turns may elicit readers’ interest in author’s imagination and
make them read it with modern outlook on the age-old pantheon.
Three things stand out in the book -
1. characters being shaped as mortal ‘humans’, against the ‘idols of morality’
in popular belief.
2. women characters being depicted as strong and confident, both physically
and mentally, against the docile, obedient kind of queen and princess in
Ramayan.
3. trade or business being the central theme around which the whole story
has been knitted and weaved as against the good vs bad or dharma vs
adharma in original holy text.
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12. Characters : Re-shaped
The central character Ram has been presented as a human who has lied,
succumbed to pressure, fallen in love and even felt physical desire as against
the most ethical and morally strong hero to date, titled with ‘Maryada
Purushottam’ in Hindu religion.
Sita is not a coy, shy princess meeting Ram first time in garden while picking
flowers for Gauri Pooja. Instead she nabs a thief in upmarket place and swings
the stick to hit him in full public view. She, instead of praying to Goddess
Parvati for Ram to win swayamvar for her, tells Ram to practice stringing the
bow before swayamvar to avoid any mistake-at-final-moment.
Bharat, the other most admired brother in Ramayan, known for his unflinching
loyalty and respect to Ram to the extent that he didn’t rule Ayodhya by riding
the throne himself but placed Ram’s footwear instead and served Ayodhya for
14 years. He has been characterised as a flamboyant prince who has numerous
girlfriends, admits that he wanted the throne, but “not that way”and someone
who strays from the law by killing a convict in cold blood.
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13. Characters : Re-shaped
Most interestingly, Ravan is not a black and white villain character, but
one with multiple shades of grey and only with one head instead of 10
as depicted in Ramayan. Even the Raghuvanshi descendants are
forced to agree that Ravan is a better king than their father Dashrath.
Manthara is not the willy maid in Kaikeyi’s service who’d poison her
mind to ask for two wishes from Dashrath - throne to Bharat and exile
to Ram. Instead, she’s been portrayed as a mega-rich businesswoman
of Sapt Sindhu, who manipulates Kaikeyi with money and wants
Bharat to be the king of Ayodhya for his practical ways that suits her
business rather than Ram’s idealistic mode.
Kubaer instead of being the treasurer or Money Lord, is introduced as
a trader and ruler of Lanka whom Ravan dethrones and succeeds as
the king of Lanka.
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14. Narration : Twisted
The book starts with a war between Dashrath, the king of Ayodhya and
Kubaer, the trader ruler of Lanka whose general Ravan inflicts a humiliating
defeat upon Dashrath. Kaikeyi saves Dashrath’s life by exiting him from
battleground and the same day, Ram is born in Ayodhya, making him a cursed
prince. This is not in tune with the original holy text.
The twisted narrative in the book makes it little uncomfortable in a sense that
for today’s Gen X, this version might precede over the original one. Such fast-
paced adventure story with modern elements intermingled makes the kind of
cocktail that either resembles a Hollywood movie script or a Harry Potter kind
of thrilling story.
The first in Ram Chandra series, as the author has himself pointed out, the
story will continue in later parts, at least six in series, it serves as an opening
scene. Culminating it at a cliffhanger, when Ravan abducts Sita and Ram and
Lakshman are left watching helplessly as the Pushpak Vimaan whirls away, is
sure to lure readers to the next book in the series.
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15. To Read or not ?
The book, though an interesting read, stretches the readers’ imagination with
refurbished narration to a point where Ramayan seems somewhat too Utopian
and too moralistic to have actually happened. This is author’s success as well as
the failure. If his success assures us of making young generation read and know
about Lord Ram, the failure frightens with the fear of concocted version
superseding the original one.
Still, the book is highly recommended for a reading as it attempts to tell us about
Ramayan from today’s perspective. Also, it may succeed in letting people believe
that Ramayan, even if told in different way, wields that power to ignite a higher
degree of curiosity, positivity and morality in today’s generation. It also reflects
of the liberalism that is inherent and is the strength of Hinduism since ages.
As a reader I shall rate this book **** (4-Star). Each star for - choice of as
popular a story as Ramayan, fresh perspective, gripping story-telling mode or
the author’s literary skills, packaging and promotion. * (1-Star) held back for
twisting the facts from holy text and for poor portrayal of few characters.
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Thank You