The original Ramayana—a classic tale of war between absolute Good and Evil—was written 3,000 years ago by Valmiki, a reformed thief-turned-sage. Now, with breathtaking imagination, Indian novelist Ashok K. Banker has recreated this epic tale for modern readers everywhere. Rama, king-in-waiting, has crossed the ocean, and the great war has begun. Ravana, lord of demons, unleashes terrible sorcery to deal a crushing blow to Rama’s forces. Before they can recover, he sends forth a legion of warbred rakshasas more terrible than any seen before, and the soil of Lanka runs red with the blood of Rama’s warriors. Still, the brave vanars and bears rally and fight on, despite the formidable odds. The war descends into a brutal maelstrom as champions die and heroes sacrifice their lives for Rama’s cause. And then Ravana commits the most dreaded act of all: rather than surrender Sita, he executes her before Rama’s eyes. On this darkest day, it hardly seems to matter that Rama’s exile is ended, and that he is now free to return to his homeland to claim his rightful place—as King of Ayodhya.