Sanjay Patel retells an epic tale from ancient times which builds up around the life of Rama, a prince living in India, believed to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He was raised to be a brave and honest warrior capable of vanquishing demons and expected to marry the most beautiful woman. But, the story takes a turn when Rama’s stepmother, Kaikeyi, exiles him to the forest for 14 years. There are further entanglements and tragedy when Ravana, a demonic king who wishes to control the world using terror and power, mounts trouble for Rama and his wife.

Lord Vishnu completes his task in the human form of Rama while performing the duties of an ideal son, brother, husband, and king. It gets more interesting as the reader understands how Ravana’s life ends. Rama triumphs over Ravana and gets Sita freed from Ravana’s capture, with the help of Hanuman, one of Rama’s greatest devotees, and his team of monkey-like beings called Vanaras.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Indian or any kind of mythology. People will get hooked on this book with its picturesque illustrations and writing which makes it easy to understand the story for even a first-time reader. I loved the book so much and would not mind rating the book 10/10, I now want to read other epics such as this great one.

Review by: Vanisha Mansabdar

Vanisha is a 7th grader at the Porter Ranch Community School and a Teen Council member at the Canoga Park Branch Library. She loves to read fiction and mythical genres. She hopes her review will help the reader in some way.

—Marcia Melkonian, Canoga Park Branch Library