Interesting feminist retelling of a Sanskrit legend, but I suspect to truly understand this, one has to be familiar with the legend... ( )

A good alternative read from Sita's perspective. Would have been nice if it had more depth about Sita's point of view instead of meandering on the actual war narrative. But nevertheless it is a good read though. ( )

Avibrantly illustrated graphic-novel retelling of an ancient Indian legend.

Written in 300 B.C.E., the Ramayana is one of the great epics of India. In a world where demons and monkeys mingle freely with humans, Queen Sita has been living peacefully with her husband, King Rama, and his brother, Lakshmana. A treacherous demon tries to trick Rama, and an impulsive act of violence on Rama's part begins a years-long war that begets nothing but violence and heartbreak for the queen. Through her husband's impetuous deed, Sita becomes part of a vengeful plot and is abducted by a fierce, evil demon king. Rama wages a bloody war to win back his queen, though once rescued, Sita’s tale really only just begins. It's not quite a traditional graphic novel: Chitrakar’s art is in the style of Patua scrolls, a long Indian narrative form. In a stark departure from Western styles of illustration, the characters are each depicted in a similar way and can be difficult to tell apart at times. Also somewhat jarring is the type—a hard, modern-looking one that strangely alternates all caps and regular text—that seems anachronistic against the very traditional-looking backdrop. These idiosyncrasies aside however, Sita’s tale is absolutely compelling and exciting.

A valuable piece of historical literature brought to the forefront for thoughtful new readers. (Graphic novel. 12 & up)

-Kirkus Review

Hell yeah beautiful creative take on the Ramayana. I think I'm going to teach this book next year, along with "Sita Sings the Blues." ( )

This is a fantastic and very fun read. This graphic novel is laid out with fairly simple text, excusing the Hindu names, and has very descriptive and captivating illustrations to go with it. This book tells a Hindu story of a woman who is the "pawn" between men and kingdoms, until she says no. The big idea here is to stand up for what you believe in. ( )