Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta (Ram Chandra, #3) by Amish Tripathi

Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta (Ram Chandra, #3) Reviews

• 
  Sahitya

  I had completely forgotten this book was releasing last week until someone mentioned on a group chat, and I knew I had to read it immediately. I actually didn’t have a lot of expectations, just wanted it to be an engaging read, but this one turned out to be surprisingly very good.
  
  It wasn’t until the second book of this series Sita did I realize it was going to be a multilinear narrative with the first three books following three different characters but merging at the same point towards the end. This made the experience of reading Sita a bit boring because the last third of the book felt very repetitive. I guess I went into this book feeling similarly, but Amish definitely did a great job of dispelling all my misconceptions. The writing is very engaging right from the get go, fast paced and entertaining while also not shying away from the philosophical and dharmic discussions that I’ve come to associate with Amish’s books. The entire reinterpretation of Raavan’s backstory, which we generally don’t know much about is done masterfully and I loved how much of emotion the author was able to evoke in us. I also really loved the whole theme of every hero needing a strong villain in their life to have a large scale impact on the minds of the people. I guess my only gripe was that because the book was covering a very long timeline, there were huge time jumps and we are only told about major events rather than showing them happen.
  
  Raavan’s character is really a study in contrasts. He is knowledgeable, accomplished, intelligent and ruthless but on the other hand loves his brother Kumbhakarna to no end. He has his moments of humanity and just when you think he is capable of change, something happens that completely changes the trajectory of his life. The depiction of unrequited love and absolute grief is so utterly raw and gritty in this book that it really shook me. Kumbhakarna is a character whom we don’t much about at all in the original epic but he completely fascinated me here and I really liked him a lot. At his core, he is a kind and compassionate person who wants to be more dharmic, but his devotion to his brother is also complete which leads him onto paths he doesn’t necessarily want to embark on. I adored the interactions between the brothers - how they were able to show their vulnerabilities to each other made me very emotional and connected to their relationship, but also seeing it change gradually pained me. It’s definitely this relationship that carries the emotional weight of the story and is what made it such a wonderful read.
  
  To finish, I just wanna say that if you are fan of Amish’s earlier works, you should definitely read this one because I thought it had a great balance of mythology, political machinations, mystery and emotion. It also ends on a very epic note and I’m already very excited to see how Amish is gonna interpret the rest of the epic. However, if you haven’t read any of the author’s books before, I would highly recommend to start with the Immortals of Meluha. While this Ram Chandra series is not exactly a spin-off of the Meluha trilogy, there are many interconnecting elements between the two that I feel can be enjoyed better if you have start at the beginning.
  
  
• 
  Sankalpita (bookGeeks India)

  Well, what to say. The wait is finally over and I am so happy that I finally have the copy in my hand. Not getting into the usual characters, plot, climax, writing style, and entertainment quotient, I will quickly give you 7 reasons why I think this book is an absolute must-read for every lover of mythological fantasy fiction out there.
  
  1. It is an action-packed adventure packed 5-star entertainer. Technically, I gave it 4.5 stars but you get the drift.
  
  2. The character of Raavan is something to look forward to. There are many shades to Raavan and the entire character arc is done very well. You will admire him, maybe love him, detest him, pity him and would want to hate him to no end but there is no way you can deny the charisma of the man. Right till the end of the book, you never really get to know him completely. There is certainly a different kind of an enigma in the character.
  
  3. The character of Kumbhkaran - he is yet another character whom you should look forward to, whose usual treatment in other fictions and popular culture has been quite caricaturish. But, Amish surprises you with Kumbhkaran. He is humble, polite, grounded and dharmic. His selfless devotion to his brother is the stuff dreams are made of.
  
  4. The vivid descriptions of the cities and the palaces, the battle scenes and the people, the social fabric and the economic system - there is a lot of description in the narrative that adds to the beauty of the book. In addition to that, there is a good dose of knowledge to be gained from the book.
  
  5. It's a racy read with simple language. The book makes use of a language that will appeal as much to a beginner as it will to a regular reader. Amish does well when he leaves out the irrelevant years of Raavan's life while focusing only on the important events which matter.
  
  6. While we do get the answers to all the questions that were left unanswered in the previous books, Raavan creates some more mysteries on the way that will leave you on a cliffhanger once again. This makes sure that you are as excited about the next book as you were about this one.
  
  7. It is just so different from any other fiction that has been written on and about Ram, Sita, Raavan, and Ramayana.
  
  In the end, the book is totally worth the wait and I am excitedly looking forward to the next in the series.
• 
  Vishnu Chevli

  Amish has followed reverse chronological. I would say 3 stars to part one, 3.5 to sita & 4 to this part. Hope pattern continue..
  
  Detailed review may follow
• 
  Bharath

  New books in the series are taking their time to come and I am not happy about that, and I suppose most readers feel that way. In comparison to the imaginative start the Shiva series had, this series felt less impressive. Thankfully though, this book is good and I felt was the best of this series.
  
  The book starts with Sita’s kidnapping by Raavan and his troops, with a valiant Jatayu trying to prevent this. This is to avenge the humiliation of Raavan’s sister Surpanakha, whose nose Lakshman had cut. The story then moves back to Raavan’s childhood. Amish uses some of the concepts he had come up with in the Shiva series – Raavan and his brother Kumbhakarna are Nagas. About half the book covers Raavan’s early years, where he and his family have to flee Lanka. There is a cruel streak in Raavan since quite early, but also a steely determination to get ahead of others. He makes his reputation as a smuggler and over time takes over power in Lanka from Kubera. He develops a fascination for Vedavati, who he had seen when they were both younger. This union was not to be, however, and leaves Raavan a bitter man, determined to work towards subjugation of the people of the Sapt Sindhu. His being disallowed to participate in Sita’s swayamvar later further drives him into a rage and he returns to Lanka with more enemies and more agony.
  
  Amish does introduce many new elements in this book, and it is very well written. While I am all for imaginative retellings of epics, I prefer those who maintain the original ethos broadly (if not, why base a completely deviant story on original mythological characters) – and Amish does that. The progressive power which Raavan garners for himself has very good build-up and is engrossing. The tracks involving Raavan & Vedavati are overdone & relatively not well-written (they are also kinder to Raavan than other versions I have read), and so is the plot element involving Vishwamitra. Despite these relatively weak tracks, overall, I liked the book. The concepts of Dharma & Vishnu’s incarnations are weaved in pretty well, though simplistic in parts.
  
  My rating: 4.25 / 5.
  
• 
  Aniruddha Rege

  Writing mythology is a double-edged sword, and it takes an author of no little skill to choose the right edge to employ at the right time. Done wrong, the book could feel like nothing but a mundane re-telling of an extremely well-known story. Done right, however, and you have a chance to delve into some of the deepest and most complex characters ever put on paper.
  
  Thankfully, Amish is an author who errs on the side of the latter. The Shiva Trilogy was one of the best pieces of work by an Indian author I have come across. This was not because of the language was beautiful or the story went flawlessly. Both these factors left something to be desired, accustomed as we are to the fluency of British and American authors. However, both language and plot being adequate, Amish truly excelled at his characters. Through the Shiva Trilogy, the characters really stood out in their complexity, actions and motives. It is exactly what made the Mahabharat – in my opinion, the greatest epic of them all – stand out and endure across ages and generations. It stands the test of time because each character in the Mahabharat is a shade of human nature, and human nature is eternal. The Shiva Trilogy was great because of these precise reasons. The reader remains engaged in the characters, even when the plot went on a different, sometimes unrequired tangent or dragged for some reason or another.
  
  Amish added humanity and complexity to characters who were, till now, considered Gods. He managed to create a world where all the divinity of our mythology was grounded in science and logic, and this is what helped the man penetrate a generation that hardly reads and craves, above all, logic. He managed to get an entire generation in India started on good books, and for that alone, I cannot grudge him anything.
  
  The Ramayana, however, poses an entirely different set of challenges. Where Shankar was always known to us as a God (and an exceptionally powerful one at that), Ram was always known to us a human being, virtuous and flawed at the same time. There has been no shortage of literature and fiction published in his name, all telling the same famous tale from different perspectives. For Amish to add a new dimension to a character so well explored was never a simple task. I would not say he succeeded at it completely, though the attempt is pretty good. The first book in the series, Scion Of Ikshvaku, was more or less a direct retelling of the Ramayana, though Amish did connect it to the larger universe he is building through elements such the Nagas, Somras, the tribes of Vishnu and Mahadev etc. However, the plot and the characters themselves were nothing new, and I found myself reading yet another version of a story India knows in its very genes.
  
  The second book, for me, fell completely flat. While Sita is a character who often takes a backseat in the original epic, Amish had the chance to really dive into her character and decode her. However, given that he was using a multi-linear style of storytelling, I felt that Ram and Sita ended up meeting too soon, and the story from then on, became a repetition of the first book. Barring a few plot twists scattered here and there, Amish did not really offer anything new. Which is why I was, despite fears that this is a story beyond the skill of the author to add depth to, was excited for Raavan.
  
  Raavan is a character who, for most of the epic, operates independently of Ram and Sita. He is always present on the periphery as a monster, but does not interfere in their affairs till that fateful day where their destinies finally meet. This gave Amish a chance to tell the story from a rare perspective, and give voice to a character who is possibly one of the complex beings in Indian mythology. So complex, in fact, that he would fit perfectly into the Mahabharat, which I always find to be a much more complex and grey tale as compared to the relatively black and white Ramayana. Raavan, the great king and the monster, the devil who desired to be God, the impulsive romantic who was cold and calculating, hoarder of wealth and yet generous, presented Amish with the chance to revive the series and for the first time, add a fresh perspective and substantial depth to it. Amish succeeds in this. And he succeeds beautifully.
  
  Raavan is not a perfect book. Not by miles. There are too many points in the book which feel like a Bollywood movie or an Ekta Kapoor soap, replete with melodrama, a tragic love story and even a semblance of rebirth which would make any director worth his salt proud. These elements feel somewhat out of place in a world which is so grounded in politics, economics and all the manipulations therein. The narrative drags in some parts and the book could definitely have been 50 pages tighter. But all of this does not stop Raavan from being an engrossing and captivating read, and once again, Amish achieves this primarily through characterization.
  
  Right till the end, it is the characters which keep you, the reader, hooked to the plot. The paradoxical Raavan, the conflicted Kumbhakaran and even minor characters with a lot of more depth than you would have suspected them of having if you’ve read the Ramayana are what keep the book going. Having a complex anti-hero like Raavan definitely makes the book more interesting than both the previous ones in the series, and pays off in unexpected ways which lend emotional and philosophical weight to the book. Speaking of philosophy, the book has chapters which delve into discussions around Dharma. The book could have done without these discourses, but Amish has plotted them well and weaved them into the overarching story subtly enough that these exchanges act to drive the plot and even develop the characters. For a book rooted in Indian mythology, this is crucial, since so much of the morality we associate with actions come from our interpretation of what dharma is. And, fortunately or unfortunately, our dharma is much more flexible than a character like Ram would make it out to be.
  
  Raavan – Enemy of Aryavarta is ultimately one of the better books you’ll read coming from Indian authors and one of the best ones around Indian mythology. It takes a well-known epic and builds it into a world where it feels at home and grounded in logic. It takes familiar ground and attempts to pave new roads into it. It takes effort to give complexity and weight to a character who could have easily become a generic villain, but instead acts to give him motive and shades of grey. Amish could definitely improve further with respect to fluency of plot and pacing, but he has already come a long way since his first book. Raavan is definitely worth a read, even as a stand-alone book given the character and the themes it potentially discusses.
• 
  Prabhjot Kaur

  After reading
  Sita: Warrior of Mithila and not loving it as much as I had wanted to I was not expecting much from this book. I pre-ordered it and had it sitting on my bookshelf for a very long time before I started reading it. But once I started reading it, I was surprised to like it as much as I did. And of all the books, I didn't think I would like
  Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta the most from this series.
  
  Raavan starts right off where Sita finished but plot wise, it doesn't go any further because we get a back-story on Raavan. The way
  Amish Tripathi captured Raavan's life and gave it his own spin was amazing. I loved reading about Raavan's life. But I still felt there was something lacking as Raavan was powerful beyond imagination. Amish doesn't make him out to be all that powerful in this book, yes he was a powerful warrior but not much else to him in this. Amish made him seem like a human more than I could have ever imagined Raavan to be. Amish also made Raavan's image seem romantic when all I ever read about him in the scriptures was being ruthless and having done things for no apparent reason. But it didn't stop me from enjoying this book. I was surprised to like it so much.
  
  I also liked Kumbhakarna's character and his loyalty to Raavan. I loved the writing in this more than the previous two books in the series. I specially liked how Amish tied everything so far and I cannot wait to read the next book and see how everything comes together. I did think that this was going to be a trilogy, making this the last book in the series but obviously not and I am glad. I do wish that we get to see more of Hanuman in the next book than we have so far.
  
  4 stars
• 
  Vikas Singh

  I have always enjoyed reading Amish Tripathi’s books. His stories which borrow richly from our rich mythological texts have presented the narrative in a different and sometimes contemporary fashion. His three books of Shiva Trilogy depict Shiva as a noble and yet very relatable character. Nowhere in the series you feel that as an author Amish has transgressed the line of respect and centuries of belief. His first two books of Ram Chandra series transgressed this line but they still could be tolerated for putting forward an alternate view. However, with his latest book in the series Raavan he seems to have deliberately crossed the line. For the first time, I found his novel downright boring because the author seems to have run out of ideas. First, he makes a bold statement that Sita is Vishnu avatar. Then he goes on to project her as a daughter of Vedavati. Ridiculously enough Raavan attends Sita;s swayamvara and there is a contest to hit a revolving fish in the eye by looking at its shadow in bowl of water below, a straight lift from Mahabharata. For lack of a tight plot the menace of plaque afflicting the Lankan citizens is introduced. This plaque overnight reduces Raavan’s powers. Unable to establish a link between Sita’s abduction and the battle with Raavan, Amish introduces a vague reason in the killing of Vedavati. How could an act of killing by just a gang of few people infuriate Raavan to swear to destroy Sapt Sindhu? The book is best avoided as it takes too many liberties with accepted narrative and has weak and downright boring storyline.
• 
  Ashish Iyer

  Finally, after the drag of Scion of Ishvaku and a moderately paced Sita, Amish gets his groove back with Raavan. I somewhere found a deprived boy with a fighter spirit, who had to choose a wrong path for his beloved ones, and ultimately as his greed and ego took over him, turned into the greatest villain in history.
  
  Its always fun to read Amish books. Love the way he tell his stories. Entertaining, thrilling and dharmic.
  
  Eagerly waiting for 4th and 5th book. Amish jee i am sending you cream biscuits. Please write fast.
• 
  Dhruv Sharma

  Disappointed!!
  
  There is no methodological references except the same names unlike other books and series. Why people like Amish’s books is because he writes methodological fictions where at the base story is based on ancient scripture with added fiction and exaggerated dramatised details.
  
  But in this book nothing is like that, there were strong characters built but then all of sudden vanishes like simachi. The details of Ravan’S childhood, his family etc is purely fiction and the story sounds more like a B grade Bollywood flop movie.
  
  I wonder why Amish did it this way as the original story/believe is way to much better and it did not require this much improvisation.
  
  I waited for this book eagerly and am truly disappointed.
  
  3 starts to the book as it is part of hyperlink story concept series and good plot and link with previous book saved it a little otherwise this is the worst book of Amish till now.
  
  
  
  
• 
  Shifad

  Raavan – one of the most debated characters in the history of Indian mythology. Growing up we have often heard conflicting sides of his nature. There are instances where he is kind, generous, compassionate and servile. Then, there are situations where he is shown to be vile, arrogant, cruel, sadistic and selfish. Incorporating such nuances into a story is an arduous task. The Demon King of Lanka has been subjected various interpretations over time. The benevolent egoist, the arrogant devotee….he is described by words that are self- conflicting. He is a character whose good deeds are often eclipsed by his selfish and cruel actions. He is intelligent, a great philosopher. His treatise on Ayurveda and philosophy are well known. The 10 heads symbolizes his supreme intelligent in all fields of life. He is a prolific musician, known for his paintings, a great physician, a trader who mints money from thin air, supreme tactician, the lists are endless. Regardless, he has a short fuse. Once he is enraged he forgets the distinction between good and bad. All that remains is the ever consuming rage, like a wild fire that destroys everything in its path. In short he is a persona held in much awe and respect. Sometimes, I think it is these qualities of Raavan which actually propelled Ram to his glory. The greater the difficulty, the greater the reward.
  Coming to the book, Amish has done a great job in imbibing the Raavana we are familiar with into his words. He has gone a further mile and ensured some surprises are in store for us. The romantic side of Raavana is explored in this book. However this same repetition of worshipping the feminine is recurrent in his earlier tellings of Ram & Sita, then Shiva and Parvathy.But hey, I am not complaining, he has done it wonderfully. We see Raavan grow from a child to the Demon king that he becomes. Another thing that surprised me was the character of Khumbakharna. From the obese, glutton of a man whose major role is often side lined to his appearance in war, Amish has transformed him into a loving, charismatic brother who will do anything for his Dada. This Khumbha is a character that keeps Raavan in check. The brotherly love between these two characters has been portrayed beautifully. Many minor characters also mention appreciation, but suffice to say that the character building was engaging.
  The world building, description of places and the travels of Raavana were also handled with utmost care. It was a pleasure to read and imagine the world through his words. His approach to the philosophy of life also deserves merit. He has broached these subjects in a simple manner. The plot was engaging. There was no repetition from the previous books. Following a parallel line of story telling, the instances in the previous two books were kind of repetitive. In this book there was no repetition, and beautifully tie in with the thread was left open in the previous books. And what is a climax without a twist. There is a surprise waiting at the end, but the surprise is not in the plot, but rather in the way he handled the characters.
  The book is not without its negatives. Many people may find the theme of the book repetitive, but I would like to say that he is just building a universe for his books. And then there is Vidur and Buddha. He casually spouted these names in the Ramayan Era. So that is it folks. I highly recommend the book to everyone. This is the best book in the Ram series so far.
• 
  Deepak

  "This country is dead to me."
  "Dada.." whispered Kumbhakarna.
  "Control your monsters, did she say?"
  "Dada, listen to me.."
  ""I will unleash the monster. I will destroy this land!"
  .
  
  Goosebumps.
  
  The point where Raavan accepts his identity and the transformation into evil is complete.. Pure goosebumps.
  
  It's certainly the best book of Ramchandra series till now, and dare I say probably the best of all Amish's books.
  
  I'll give you 2 reasons why. One, everybody knows about the childhood and formative years of Ram and Sita. We all have heard about Raavan, but only after the point he crosses paths with Ram. I was excited to watch out for his backstory. Two, the first three books were bound to feel repetitive because of the multilinear structure of the series. But this one doesn't, at least not as intensely as the second book. I think the credit goes to the fresh story and the convergence of all the clues left scattered in the first two books.
  
  You won't feel like putting it down until you've turned the last page. The twist at the end is mind-numbing.
  
  P.S. - Watch out for the philosophical debates between Raavan and Vedavati.
• 
  Palak Mittal

  What are heroes without a villain. Rawan is a story where a villain is born to give rise to a hero.
  
  The is the first multilinear narrative I have read. The way all the clues left in previous novels are unfolded in this kept my interest alive. The story unfolds with Rawan being born a Naga to a hateful father. Irrespective of his physical deformities he was a prodigy, he was a man of scholarly knowledge.
  He denied to give in to fate he is born with and worked hard to become one of the richest men in the world. Rawan is true example that one can rebel for a better world and not let poverty and chaos be forced on them.
  To be honest Rawan had all the potential to be a hero and change the world for good but the destiny had something else stored for him.
  Rawan fell in love with Kanyakumari, the one who lit Dharma in his heart. He even accepted the fact that she is married and respected her husband too. Their love touched my heart. But he lost to his cursed fate and Kanyakumari met with a gruesome death. Her death trapped Rawan in darkness. His sole motive then was to destroy Aryavarta who took away his love.
  His relationship with his brother Kumbhakarna was a delight to read. Kumbhakarna’s character was new to me, he is loving, caring and a follower of dharma, every scene involving Kumbhakarna was pleasurable. He was the one who prevented Rawan from being lost in the darkness. His selfless devotion to his brother is something that is endangered in present day society.
  Also, the end was magnificent, the way author gave hints about the true identity of Sita and revealed it in the end was amazing.
  After reading the novel I felt that Rawan was not the greatest villain in the history but just a man trapped in a dark place by rotten luck.
  The only negative I found was the scenes like description of the swayamvar was repeated in all three books, I mean who can read a four-page long description thrice.
  
  For me this was the best book of Ramchandra series and would recommend all people to read it.
  
• 
  Aditi Dwivedi

  This review is directed particularly to the audience who did not enjoy SITA and were skeptical about reading Raavan- my suggestion , go ahead and read it for the sake of one of the author you look up to BUT DO NOT expect the same magic as SHIVA TRILOGY. Raavan is a bit of a drag in the initial chapters - those are the chapters of his character building & how the events from childhood shape up his personality . His personality is complex - ego, love, brotherhood, amusement, warrior, protector all rolled into one and full marks to Amish on such beautiful portrayal of this character. You'll be able to relate the intertwined stories in all 3 novels without being bored of the repetition.
  
  BUT the so-called 'twist' in the end is VERY predictable. If you are the kind of reader who seeks answers at end of each chapter - you would easily be able to guess the secret author has tried to hold on till the last chapters.
  All in all, i had lost all hopes after SITA but Raavan is a feeble ray of sunshine directing me to yet another AMISH novel - whenever it releases...
• 
  Anshu Sharma

  This book held two of the tropes I greatly despise: a person turning good/bad due powers of luuuuuurve and strong women attributing their strength to their sexually abusive past. These two are the tools of an inept writer and Amish wields them like the first caveman to discover a club might have wielded it. No finesse, no art, just crude hammering.
  
  I actually started this book series thinking it to be a trilogy. But turns out it is a 5 part book instead. I probably will read the next book when it comes out just to see where this banality will end.
• 
  Sumaiya

  Wow!! What an incredibly fast paced engaging book... not a single dull moment.. each chapter was super high on drama and action packed.. and the twist at the end was mind blowing..
  
  ** Everyone knows the general gist of the story of Raavan ..
  " a power hungry mad man who is the main villain in the epic Ramayana.. "
  
  But this book provided much more information about his life.. what transpired him into being this evil notorious person? In a way, this book became highly informative for me as I had no idea about raavan's backstory. His story brought within me all the colours of emotions - at times I even felt empathetic and sympathetic to this so called monster ( I am however not sure if what I read was entirely author's imaginative fiction or his interpretation of mythological facts) .
  
  ** Also I loved the characterisation of kumbhakarna . his brotherly dynamic with raavan was to die for.. their interactions, conversations and every scene featuring these two were highly entertaining to read.. reading their constant to and fro banter bought a smile to my face..
  
  ** the best thing about this book was its fast paced writing style. I was able to finish it in no time. The chapters were short and each ended with a bang prompting me to crave for more..
  
  ** I think I liked this one better than the author's previous two books in the Ramachandra series .. those two were incredible but had some dull moments and felt a bit dragged,this one however was crisp and entertaining from start to finish. I simply couldn't put it down.
  
  ** the only issue that people may have with this book is that some of the events were simply told to us by taking huge time gaps without enough descriptions and background.. I didn't have a problem with that because I am a plot driven reader and I get easily bored reading pages and pages describing an event or a scene which may not be that significant to the overall plot..
  
  ** overall , I loved it and can't wait for the final book.. really excited and looking forward to see how the author brings all these three incredible stories and characters together...
• 
  Aishwary Mehta (The_Fugitive_Biker)

  19th book of 2020 (143 books read overall)
  
  Quote from the Book I Liked -
  
  Rating - 3 Stars
  
  My Review - This is the 3rd instalment in 'The Ram Chandra series' by Amish Tripathi which took a very long time to come out. I was eagerly waiting for the release of this book. Though, it was not exactly what I thought it to be. Like the last 2 parts - Ram and Sita, this book is the story of Raavan who is older than Ram and Sita and this story too commences on the abduction of Sita. The story of Raavan is one of passion, admiration and get it all. His childhood was hard and his actions are described as reasonable. Though the book differs from the original narration, I liked the way how Raavan and his qualities along with his brother's, Kumbakaran, has been portrayed. Originally titled 'Orphan of Aryavarta' was quite better as from my understanding of this book and his situation rather than the current title which was changed as 'Enemy of Aryavarta'. I admire Amish's work of Shiva's trilogy and is always on my top of Mythological recommendation reads, this book felt a bit off than his usual writing. Maybe the perspective of what Raavan might have portrayed according to the book differed from that of Authors. Felt a bit forceful. But all in all, we can expect a better 4th book in the series when it comes out in 2021 (hopefully).
  
  Conclusion - Not as good as others. A bit overstretched too.
  
  Full Review on Blog.
  Link to Blog -
  The Tales of Fugitive Biker
• 
  Arunothia Marappan

  I liked the author's imagination in bringing out a backstory for Raavan. That said, I cannot stop wondering if it's okay to paint a historic epic in the colors that make it seem more romantic to our age. At least, for all the Ramayan I know of, Raavan was no Snape! It's two entirely different things if a man lusts for a woman and kidnaps her vs if he kidnaps her for any other reason. Though we might desire it with all our heart, villains in real life have no real morals to them, they don't follow logic and they cannot have possibly exhibited or experienced selfless love at any point (that's what makes them villains). I would have agreed more if Raavan was pictured like Voldemort but with much more intellect and strength. Raavan was so powerful, he was believed to have had all the planets under his control to the extent of being able to alter people's destiny!! This narration doesn't justify such a strength. Also, I found it disappointing that powerful characters like Mandodari weren't given any importance in this narrative :( I would love to give 4/5 as the story was intriguing but I can't bring myself to do that. I can't stand the idea of romanticizing evil at least not in an epic that has been an inspiration for me since childhood. So I'm keeping it to 3/5.
  
  PS: And Raavan being concerned about women not being let inside Sabrimala was just.. so lame :/
• 
  Alok Mishra

  Interesting? May be for many readers.
  Entertaining? Might be for a few.
  Readable? Might be for a few.
  
  The Raavan in this book is not the Raavan of Ramayana. The Sita in this book is not the Sita of Ramayana. Amish has made his own world of a different Ramayana (or something like that? where he has ascribed the qualities and powers to the characters as per his whims and fancy. You will find this Ravan kind and benevolent, to an extent. As some reader has already suggested, Sita becomes the avatar of Bhagwan Vishnu, not Rama.
  
  How and why does Amish do such things? It should be best answered by the person himself. However, for more than these reasons, the novel is poorly written. The plot loses the chain of thoughts many times and you can apparently feel it as you read the novel. It is not as thorough as the Shiva Trilogy. You cannot go through it without being distracted or bored.
• 
  Trisha

  Better than the last two books in the series but I vow to NOT read another book by
  Amish Tripathi. The novel structure is weird, the switch between POVs isn’t smooth, in fact, I often noticed the switch from first to third person happening in the middle of paragraphs which made it confusing and annoying at the same time, also not to forget, even though the story starts off well, it slowly transitions into the same melodramatic Bollywoodish drama. Questionable writing from a reputed writer; I’m so disappointed!
  
  Since this installment had a relatively better plot than the first two, I’m rating it a tad more.
  
  2.75/5🌟(rounding up).
• 
  Janani(ஜனனி)⁷

  OH MY FUCK? WHY AM I HEARING ABOUT THIS NOW?!
• 
  Shruti

  4.25/5 stars
• 
  Shrishti

  THE PLOT TWIST I NEVER SAW IT I NEVER-
  
  not plot twist but great revelation. and it's so befitting how could I not see.
• 
  Amit Jodha

  When you create a Literature universe, there has to have some basic things to keep your audience satisfied and addicted, and when your topic is as controversial as Indian mythology, things become even tougher and expectations shoot through the roof.
  
  But Amish Tripathi has mastered the art of Character building, and along with it, he has mastered the connectivity required to run concurrent stories told from different prospectives.
  
  After investing around 800 pages in establishing the main story through the three principal characters and making his audience feel for all three of them, and to turn them against each other has been the norm of Indian mythology over the years.
  
  Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta is good with the story, and consistency, though at times too dramatic, but believeble otherwise, this book explores the circumstances under which Raavan will go on to become the ultimate villain of India, and establish the amazing universe created by Amish even further by introspecting the roles of rishis and kings in Ancient India, this continues to be the best fiction coming out from India in recent times.
• 
  Anantha Narayanan

  Amish offers fresh and not-so-conflicting views on Raavan. An overall good book to read.
• 
  Deepak

  Loved and enjoyed the book a lot. It's better than the last two in series throwing a new light and seeing Ravan with a fresh new perspective.
• 
  Sonali Dabade

  4.5 stars.
  
  Amish is back! And with a bang!
  
  I love the Shiva trilogy and then, with the Ram Chandra series, I felt that he was spiraling downwards. I liked Scion of Ikshvaku. Sita, not so much. And then he comes out with Raavan and it's everything that I hadn't ever expected! I thought he was going to go one way but he went in completely another direction while keeping in line with Raavan's character from the myth. Love this book!
• 
  Suparna Chatterjee

  রামচন্দ্র সিরিজের অন্যতম সেরা বই রাবণ। পুরাণ নিয়ে লেখা এমনিতেই এক কষ্টকর কাজ, কারণ একই গল্পের এত রকমফের থাকে। অমীশ সেই কষ্টকর কাজকে অত্যন্ত সাবলীলভাবেই করেছেন। রাবণের মধ্যে আমরা কোথাও না কোথাও হেরে যাওয়া এক বাচ্চা ছেলের ফিরে দাঁড়ানোর গল্প দেখতে পাই। এমন তেজদীপ্ত, বিশাল এক চরিত্রকে অমীশ খুব সুন্দরভাবে ফুটিয়ে তুলেছেন। তবে গল্পে আমার ব্যক্তিগত পছন্দ হল কুম্ভকর্ণকে। কুম্ভকর্ণ ছাড়া রাবণ যেন সম্পূর্ণ হত না।
  ভাষা ঝরঝরে, সবার পড়ার মত। এমনকি আমার ছোটো মেয়েও অমীশের ফ্যা��� হয়ে গেছে। খুব সহজেই অমীশের বই পড়া যায়। আর একবার পড়তে শুরু করলে ছাড়া যায় না। রাবণও তার ব্যতিক্রম নয়।
  তবে সবরীমালা নিয়ে অমীশকে একটু বেশিই সোচ্চার হতে দেখলাম। কেন, তার উত্তর জানা নেই।
  রাবণ অনবদ্য একটা বই। মিথোলজিক্যাল ফিকশন হিসাবে সেরা।
• 
  Pavani Mavidi

  Raavan is the story of a man who is blood-thirsty for power, cruel, complex and at the same time a person who is so full passion.
  
  A soul stirring story about the evil king and the reason to become one.
  
  Worth reading.... Captivating story..... Very well-written....I love it...5 stars definitely :)
• 
  She-who-must-not-be-named

  I finished reading it and damn! I absolutely admire Amish’s writing style and his books never fail to fascinate me. Absolutely unputdownable :)