HarperCollins to Publish the Epic Fourth Book in the Blockbuster Ram Chandra Series: War of Lanka

shabnam.srivastava@harpercollins.co.in | 26 July 2022

HarperCollins to publish

the epic fourth book in the blockbuster Ram Chandra Series

War of Lanka

by Amish

Available now for pre-order!

HarperCollins is delighted to announce that the keenly anticipated new book by India’s bestselling author Amish Tripathi – War of Lanka – is now available on preorder. One of India’s most-read and highest-selling authors, Amish Tripathi has written chart-topping books with more than 6 million copies of his books in print in English and 20 other Indian and foreign languages. War of Lanka is the fourth book in the Ram Chandra Series, the second fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history. The previous books in this acclaimed series include Ram-Scion of Ikshvaku, Sita-Warrior of Mithila and Raavan-Enemy of Aryavarta. Promising to be a captivating and epic read, War of Lanka will release on 3rd October 2022.

Amish’s Shiva Trilogy is the fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history; this series is also published by HarperCollins now.

Author Amish says, ‘Many of my readers told me that Raavan – the 3rd book of the Ram Chandra Series – was one of my darkest books ever. That was natural. The book was about a dark, grief-stricken, angry man. And I was passing through my own period of grief at that time, which reflected in the book. But light does win eventually. This book, War of Lanka, the 4th of the Ram Chandra Series, tells the tale of the terrible war that must be fought, if Light and Dharma are to win. I hope all of you enjoy reading it, as much as I enjoyed writing it.’

Ananth Padmanabhan, CEO, HarperCollins India, says, ‘Twelve years ago, when The Immortals of Meluha was first published, it created a revolution and announced the arrival of a significant new voice in Indian fiction. Since that first book Amish, his fantastical with storytelling, has created multiple parallel universes and has entertained millions of readers. I am so thrilled that HarperCollins will now be the home for all his books globally!’

Udayan Mitra, Executive Publisher, HarperCollins India says, ‘As a reader, I’m tremendously excited that War of Lanka, the new book in Amish’s fabulous Ram Chandra Series, will be out soon. I still remember the thrill of reading the very first line of Ram-Scion of Ikshvaku on the day it was published, seven years ago; I knew then that this was the beginning of a great adventure and read on spellbound as the magic of Amish’s narrative unfolded over the first three books in the series. As publishers, we’re delighted beyond measure to now become a part of that adventure ourselves, as we bring War of Lanka, along with Amish’s entire backlist, to the many, many readers who, like me, have been waiting with bated breath.’

ABOUT WAR OF LANKA 

LANKA WILL BURN. DARKNESS WILL PERISH.

BUT CAN LIGHT ENDURE?

INDIA, 3400 BCE.

Greed. Rage. Grief. Love. Smouldering tinder, waiting to trigger a war. But this war is different. This one is for Dharma. This war is for the greatest Goddess of them all.

Sita has been kidnapped. Defiantly, she dares Raavan to kill her – she’d rather die than allow Ram to surrender.

Ram is beside himself with grief and rage. He prepares for war. Fury is his fuel. Calm focus, his guide.

Raavan thought he was invincible. He thought he’d negotiate and force a surrender. Little did he know …

The first three books of the second-fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history – the Ram Chandra Series – explore the individual journeys of Ram, Sita and Raavan. In this, the epic fourth book of the series, their narrative strands crash into each other, and explode in a slaughterous war.

Will Ram defeat the ruthless and fiendish Raavan, constrained as he is by the laws of Dharma? Will Lanka burn to a cinder or fight back like a cornered tiger? Will the terrible costs of war be worth the victory?

Most importantly, will the Vishnu rise? And will the real enemies of the land fear the Vishnu? For fear is the mother of love.

AUTHOR NOTE ON THE RAM CHANDRA SERIES

If you plan on picking up War of Lanka when it releases, then in all probability you have already read the three earlier books in the Ram Chandra Series. And hopefully, have liked them!

Thank you for your continued love and support.

More so, thank you for that most precious gift to an artist: your time. I hope that this book will live up to your expectations.

As some of you may know, I have been inspired by a storytelling technique called hyperlink. It has also been called the multilinear narrative, in which a connection brings the many characters together. The three main characters in the Ram Chandra Series are Ram, Sita and Raavan. Each has life experiences which mould their character. Each life in this story is an adventure with a riveting backstory. And finally, their stories converge with the kidnapping of Sita.

The first book explores the tale of Ram, the second the story of Sita, and the third burrows deep into the life of Raavan. And now, the three stories merge from the fourth book onwards into a single narrative.

I knew that writing three books in a multilinear narrative would be a complicated and time-consuming affair, but I must confess, it was thoroughly exciting. I hope it is as rewarding and thrilling an experience for you as it was for me. Understanding Ram, Sita and Raavan as characters helped me inhabit their worlds and explore the maze of plots and stories that illuminate this great epic. I feel truly blessed for this.

Since I was following a multilinear narrative, I left clues in the first (Ram-Scion of Ikshvaku) the second (Sita- Warrior of Mithila), and the third books (Raavan-Enemy of Aryavarta), and most of them are unveiled in the fourth, War of Lanka.

I hope that you will enjoy reading War of Lanka when it’s out. Do tell me what you think of it, by sending me messages on my Facebook, Instagram or Twitter accounts given below.

Love,

Amish

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amish is a 1974-born, IIM (Kolkata)-educated banker-turned-author. The success of his debut book, The Immortals of Meluha (Book 1 of the Shiva Trilogy), encouraged him to give up his career in financial services to focus on writing. Besides being an author, he is also an Indian-government diplomat, a host for TV documentaries, and a film producer.

Amish is passionate about history, mythology and philosophy, finding beauty and meaning in all world religions. His books have sold more than 6 million copies and have been translated into over 20 languages. His Shiva Trilogy is the fastest selling and his Ram Chandra Series the second fastest selling book series in Indian publishing history.

You can connect with Amish here:

• https://www.facebook.com/authoramish
• https://www.instagram.com/authoramish/
• https://twitter.com/authoramish

PRAISE FOR THE AUTHOR

‘[Amish’s] writings have generated immense curiosity about India’s rich past and culture.’ – Narendra Modi (Honourable Prime Minister of India)

‘[Amish’s book is] riveting, absorbing and informative.’ – Amitabh Bachchan (Actor and Living Legend)

‘[Amish] is India’s Tolkien and Asia’s Paulo Coelho.’ – BBC

‘Amish’s mythical imagination mines the past and taps into the possibilities of the future. His book series, archetypal and stirring, unfolds the deepest recesses of the soul as well as our collective consciousness.’ – Deepak Chopra (World-renowned Spiritual Guru and Bestselling Author)

‘[Amish’s] writing introduces the youth to ancient value systems while pricking and satisfying their curiosity …’ – Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Spiritual Leader and Founder of the Art of Living Foundation)

‘Thoughtful and deep, Amish, more than any author, represents the New India.’ – Vir Sanghvi (Senior Journalist and Columnist)

‘Amish is India’s biggest literary rockstar.’ – Shekhar Kapur (Award-Winning Film Director)

‘[Amish is] one of the most original thinkers of his generation.’ – Arnab Goswami (Senior Journalist and MD, Republic TV)

‘Amish has a fine eye for detail and a compelling narrative style.’ – Dr Shashi Tharoor (Member of Parliament and Author)

‘[Amish is] a deeply thoughtful mind with an unusual, original and fascinating view of the past.’ – Shekhar Gupta (Senior Journalist and Columnist)

‘Amish is a literary phenomenon.’ – Anil Dharker (Senior Journalist & Author)

For more information, please contact: shabnam.srivastava@harpercollins.co.in