Returning to Ashok K. Banker’s brilliant epic fantasy world of the Burnt Empire, A Dark Queen Rises features Aqreen and Krushita, a mother and daughter on a quest to protect the innocent and bring down tyrants Queen Aqreen of Aquila leaves her husband Jarsun and flees across the Red Desert. She is determined to keep her daughter from being used by Jarsun to stake his claim to the Burning Throne of Hastinaga, seat of the all-powerful Burnt Empire. But Jarsun is vengeful and can summon legions of demoniac forces at will. The Red Desert is vast, and the journey dangerous. Aqreen and Krushita’s caravan of ten thousand wagons will take several years to reach the only safe harbor, the queendom of Reygar. Jarsun’s pursuit is relentless and his vengeance terrible, but hope shines from the growing powers of little Krushita herself, along with the four-armed, twin-bodied Vanjhani wagon train leader and their band of valiant desert militia. Fierce battles are in store. There are other players in this great game of demigods and mortals, each pursuing their own agendas. The powerful seer-mage Vessa seeks to join Krushita’s talents with that of Drishya, an avatar destined to confront and kill Tyrak, Jarsun’s diabolical son-in-law. Ladislew the assassin aligns with Tyrak for her own reasons. All paths culminate in a feverish finale on the hot sands of Reygar, as father, mother, and daughter confront each other in one ultimate showdown.

From international sensation Ashok K. Banker, pioneer of the fantasy genre in India, comes the first book in a groundbreaking, epic fantasy series inspired by the ancient Indian classic, The Mahabharata In a world where demigods and demons walk among mortals, the Emperor of the vast Burnt Empire has died, leaving a turbulent realm without an emperor. Two young princes, Adri and Shvate, are in line to rule, but birthright does not guarantee inheritance, for any successor must sit upon the legendary Burning Throne and pass The Test of Fire. Imbued with dark sorceries, the throne is a crucible-one that incinerates the unworthy. Adri and Shvate pass The Test and are declared heirs to the empire . . . but there is another with a claim to power, another who also survives: a girl from an outlying kingdom. When this girl, whose father is the powerful demonlord Jarsun, is denied her claim by the interim leaders, Jarsun declares war, vowing to tear the Burnt Empire apart-leaving the young princes Adri and Shvate to rule a shattered realm embroiled in rebellion and chaos . . . Welcome to the Burnt Empire Saga

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(R), 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.

As we move into the second instalment of Ashok K. Banker s Krishna tales, the prophesied Slayer of Kamsa has been born and smuggled out of Mathura in the dead of the night. Kamsa finds that his nephew has escaped and flies into a demoniac rage. Meanwhile, his evil ally Jarasandha of Magadha arrives in Mathura with his coterie of powerful supporters to ensure that Kamsa stays loyal to him. But Kamsa is not to be crushed. With the help of Putana, a powerful demoness living incognito among humans, he slowly regains his strength and acquires new powers. In Book 2 of the Krishna Coriolis series, Ashok K. Banker retells the legendary exploits of the Preserver in his most lovable avatar, bringing alive the majesty and splendour of ancient India and the high drama of its epics.