Book Review–> Shattered Dreams (Ramayana: The Game of Life #2) by Shubha Vilas

Title and Author: Shattered Dreams by Shubha Vilas
No. of Pages: 404
Series: Ramayana: The Game of Life 
Publication Date: Jaico Publishing House; First edition (23 January 2015)
Genre: Indian Mythology, Fantasy, Indian Writing
Language: English


Book Review:
Shattered Dreams is my first book by the author that I have read. I didn’t read the first part but still can say that I didn’t feel any gaps while reading this second part.


The cover art is eye catching and shows Ram sleeping with a troubled expression but still managing to look beautiful. The chariot with Dashratha is shown in the background but one thing struck me as odd. The horse pulling the chariot looks more like a donkey which is confusing and I cant decide if this was done unintentionally or has a hidden meaning because I didn’t get any enlightenment on this point after reading the book!


The blurb is interesting and immediately made me want to read the book.


This book showcases the life of Ram while in exile. The author has beautifully taken the famous Ramayana and given it his own touch. The story seems more connectable to our present life and I felt that I could use the teachings in my day-to-day lifestyle. The footnotes add more engagement to the story and I enjoyed the tiny nuggets of wisdom that the author shares here.


The writing style is simple, engaging and interested me. The only things that somewhat lessened my enjoyment were the grammar errors at places in the book and some phrases that drastically changed my perceptions of evergreen characters like Sita, Ram and Lakshman. Sita is sometimes shown as a silly princess, Ram seems to be enjoying the exile and Lakshman is shown as a slave with no regard from Ram and Sita shown towards him. These things are totally out of character and is something which will confuse the new readers.


The character of Bharat had me admiring the author. He makes Bharat stand out as the important and prominent character that he was in Ramayan. Usually, not given his due importance in the telling of Ramayana, here Shubha Vilas rectifies this and beautifully brings out Bharat’s dilemmas, sacrifices and loyalty towards his family and especially towards his elder brother, Ram.


Ram’s teachings in each chapter had me enjoying and thoroughly engaged right till the end. 


Overall, Shattered Dreams is a book that will interest readers who love the Indian mythological tales and will add a new outlook to these old stories. 3.5 out of 5 to it and I hope to read more from the author in the future. Shubha Vilas is a learned writer and talented. He brings out Ramayan in a new light and is successful in his venture of bringing alive these age-old tales.

I received the book from Blogadda and the author and I am very thankful to them. The above review is my honest and unbiased opinion and in no way influenced.


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Book 2: Shattered Dreams by Shubha Vilas
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