A book set in India, with characters that are from India and with Indian mythology. Well done. Because most of the time when this happen, then all those things does not happen. But here the author stayed true.

The book takes place in present day and in 770. Shastri, Darya and Aram lives in a time where their Raja has plans, and not good plans. And that which happens back then shapes lives for a thousand years.

In present day, Vikram, Amanjit, and Deepika meet and feel a strange connection. They also see things and tries to figure out what is happening, and what really happened way back.

There is danger and suspense as someone is after them, and always have been. There is also the mythological aspect, and I love mythology. Always have always will, so even if I knew the story it's always nice to hear it again. And see how it all fits together with these teenagers.

I really liked the 770s flashbacks, but then I love my historical fiction so of course I liked those parts. It also made me think a bit more about Sati (which happens here), I do not care about why, hey, if women should burn then men should too. Men! Anyway, back on track. I liked the history.

The book ends with everything safe for now, and I liked that. No evil cliffie, but still I want more. Everything is not safe for them and more is to come.

I am actually not sure now if this was YA or not. But hey it works as both.

An interesting story. Light and dark. ( )

Swinging between 769 AD and the present day, four teenagers realise they are in a deadly fight that is centuries old. In the past an evil sorcerer-king plots to burn himself along with his seven queens in order to rise again with the powers of Ravana, demon-king of the epic Ramayana. Things go wrong when the court poet escapes with one of the queens. Scary at times! A really well researched and well told story. I will read the rest of the series. ( )

When it comes to Young Adult fiction, David Hair hasn’t just broken the mold. He’s completely shattered it. His book The Pyre is a substantially revised edition of his 2010 novel Pyre of Queens, inspired heavily by Indian folklore and mythology, even incorporating a reimagined version of the epic Ramayana. The entire novel takes place in India, following the lives (and past lives) of a trio of Indian high school students.

Two story lines occur in tandem over the course of this novel. One takes place in 769 AD in the royal court of Ravindra-Raj, the mad king of Rajasthan. His people live in the shadow of his tyranny, and anyone suspected of sedition or rebellion is quickly tortured and killed. Fearing that Ravindra will come for him next, Madan Shastri, Captain of the Guard, redoubles his efforts to show his loyalty even though his king’s cruel commands sicken him. The court poet Aram Dhoop is a bookish man who is unhappy with the way things are, but lacks the fighting skills or courage to do anything about it – that is, until Ravindra suddenly dies under mysterious circumstances and Aram learns that the king’s wives are to be burned to death on the pyre along with their husband’s body. Aram had fallen in love with the newest of the wives, a young woman named Darya, and in a moment of daring, the poet rescues her from the flames and whisks her off away from the palace. As the guard captain, Shastri is ordered by Ravindra’s son and heir to go after them. Reluctant as he is, Shastri has no choice but to obey.

However, all was not as it seemed. Ravindra’s death and the burning of his wives was actually a part of the mad king’s schemes all along. His plan to rise again as Ravana, the demon-king of the Ramayana was thwarted by Darya’s escape, and now he’ll make them all regret it – for a long, long, LONG time.

Fast forward to a high school in the city of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, in the year 2010. Nerdy Vikram, athletic Amanjit and beautiful Deepika are three students whose lives are changed forever when a strange phenomenon is triggered the first time they all find themselves together in one place. Soon, they’re working together to solve the mystery of how the three of them are linked, and the answers they seek may be hidden in the past.

Before reading The Pyre, the only other works I’ve read by David Hair were his Moontide Quartet books, pure epic fantasy albeit with some influences from real life locations, cultures and religions. This book, however, is impressively solid mix of Hair’s understanding and respect for Hinduism, the rich mythology and history of India, as well as the realities of modern life in that country today. The amount of research and care that went into this book to make it as accurate as possible must have been astounding.

Also, for a book that’s being classified by many as Young Adult, it is actually quite mature. Even though the three main protagonists are teenagers, adults will have no trouble enjoying this. David Hair doesn’t pull punches or talk down to his audience, even when it comes to the portrayal of difficult or sensitive themes in both the historical and modern-day timelines. Reflective readers will also find plenty in this book to discuss or think about.

The book is not without its flaws, though in the overall scope of things, they can be considered pretty minor. I thought the story was a little slow to take off, and generally I found the storyline with the three teens in the present to be more interesting and engaging than the storyline with Aram, Shastri, and Darya in the past, though that may be a very personal preference. Even with the very obvious love triangle thrown in, I simply found life Hair’s description of Vikram, Amanjit, and Deepika’s day-to-day lives in modern-day India much more fascinating and unique. After all, how often do I get the chance to read something like that? Whereas, the past storyline didn’t feel that different from reading historical fantasy.

All in all, if you enjoy books that are creative retellings of myths and would like to broaden your horizons beyond stories inspired by the western tradition, you definitely need to put this one on your list. The Pyre is a great opportunity to experience a story featuring diverse locations and characters, not to mention a wonderful read all around. ( )

Set in India 769 Ad and 2010 this is the story of love loss, death and ghostly brides.
Teenagers Amanjit, Deepika and Vikram find themselves reliving the lives of a poet, queen and a guard from a time of peril and deceit in 769 AD Mandore. They have to relive their lives till they rectify the wrongs of the past, whether that is a dying on the pyre with the king or fighting to the death.
The first book in ‘The Return of Ravana’ series had me engrossed from the first page. The story based on the old poem The Ramayana, to me was a fast paced and solid read. One that for the young teen boy readers out there will have them wanting to finish the series.
There have been many comments from book critics about outsiders writing about other cultures to which they are not familiar with, and yes I can see that there could have been things that were done slightly differently or better. But as a librarian who tries to get teens reading, I feel that this will fit the bill. ( )