Slayers of Kamsa by Ashok K Banker
Forewarned by a prophecy, the demonic King Kamsa orders every newborn to be put to the sword. But even in the womb, the unborn Krishna uses powerful magic to cast a spell across the entire kingdom on the night of his birth. The stage is set for the epic clash of the childgod and the terrible forces of evil with the birth of Krishna, the slayer of Kamsa …
The fantastic adventures of the Hindu god Krishna have entertained and inspired people for millennia. Playful cowherd, mischievous lover, feared demon-slayer – the legendary exploits of this super-being in human form rival the most rousing fantasy epics. Now, the author of the Ramayana Series®, the hugely successful epic retelling of the ancient Sanskrit poem, works his magic once again with the tales of Krishna. All the pomp, splendour and majesty of ancient India come alive in this extraordinary eight-book series.
This is a fantastic book by Ashok K Banker . Ashok is very famous for his Ramayana series and can be credited for making mythological fiction famous in India. The stories of Krishna and his divine leela have myriad interpretations in the country and Ashok has done complete justice to the canvas he has just began painting. The narrative is paced very well and as we read thru the pages we are taken back in time to the bharatavarsha of the dwapara yuga , and become a silent spectator to the clever machinations of Kamsa , the inherent strength in Vasudeva , the angst of Ugrasena , the sorrow of Devaki and the yearning of the yadavas for a saviour from the evil incarnate 'Ka'msa. This book is entirely devoted to what happened before Krsna was born. The author takes time to flesh out the characters of Vasu Deva , Devaki , Jarasandha , Kamsa and so many other characters we are aware of. The book starts with a yagna which symobolizes the truce between the two warring yadava clans , reaches it zenith with an execution sequence where 'Ka'msa reveals his true danava form and ends on a promising note with the birth of Krsna. All in all this is a very engrossing read and I can't wait for the next book in the series which is due in Spring 2011.
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