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Ramayana #4
Armies of Hanuman
Rama finally achieves victory against the rakshasas in the bloody battle of Janasthana. He now looks forward to a time of harmony in the lush environs of his retreat at Panchvati.
But, as Rama soon realizes, the war is yet to be won
Tormented by unsatiated lust, in a hellish fury, Supanakha, the demoness scorned, makes a desperate journey to the island-kingdom of Lanka. There she succeeds in reviving her comatose cousin Ravana, supreme lord of the asuras, as ruthlessly determined to seek revenge against Rama as she is.
Their diabolic mission will test the very limits of Rama's courage, skill and endurance
But, as Rama soon realizes, the war is yet to be won
Tormented by unsatiated lust, in a hellish fury, Supanakha, the demoness scorned, makes a desperate journey to the island-kingdom of Lanka. There she succeeds in reviving her comatose cousin Ravana, supreme lord of the asuras, as ruthlessly determined to seek revenge against Rama as she is.
Their diabolic mission will test the very limits of Rama's courage, skill and endurance
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
16 people are currently reading
761 people want to read
About the author
Ashok K. Banker
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 17, 2026
Mission 2026: Binge reviewing all previous Reads, I was too slothful to review back when I read them
This is the volume where his Ramayana decisively becomes a study in collective force, loyalty, and the transformation of devotion into organized power. Revisiting it now, what stands out is how thoroughly Banker shifts attention away from solitary heroics and toward mass movement. This is not Hanuman as a lone miracle worker leaping across oceans, but Hanuman as a catalyst, recruiter, and unifying presence, drawing disparate vanara clans into something resembling an army with purpose and momentum. Banker seems fascinated by how belief scales—how charisma hardens into command, how myth becomes morale, and how faith must learn discipline if it is to survive contact with war. The prose is muscular and insistent, often loud, sometimes repetitive, but that excess mirrors the narrative’s obsession with accumulation: more fighters, more alliances, and more preparation. Reading it now, I was struck by how modern the book feels in its understanding of warfare as logistics and psychology rather than pure valour. The forest politics of the vanaras, their rivalries and suspicions, are given just enough texture to remind us that unity is always negotiated, never automatic. Hanuman’s devotion to Ram, meanwhile, is portrayed less as mystical surrender and more as clarity of purpose, a form of leadership rooted in certainty rather than domination. Ram himself recedes slightly here, becoming an idea around which others organize rather than the central engine of action. What interested me most is how the novel frames power as contagious: belief spreads, courage multiplies, and once momentum begins, it becomes difficult to stop. Yet Banker does not entirely romanticize this process. Beneath the spectacle lies a quiet unease about mass mobilization, about how easily righteousness turns into overwhelming force. ‘Armies of Hanuman’ succeeds not through subtlety but through propulsion, marking the point in the series where the conflict becomes unavoidable and impersonal. It understands that epics are not only about gods and demons but also about crowds, coordination, and the terrifying energy released when devotion becomes an army marching in one direction.
Most recommended.
This is the volume where his Ramayana decisively becomes a study in collective force, loyalty, and the transformation of devotion into organized power. Revisiting it now, what stands out is how thoroughly Banker shifts attention away from solitary heroics and toward mass movement. This is not Hanuman as a lone miracle worker leaping across oceans, but Hanuman as a catalyst, recruiter, and unifying presence, drawing disparate vanara clans into something resembling an army with purpose and momentum. Banker seems fascinated by how belief scales—how charisma hardens into command, how myth becomes morale, and how faith must learn discipline if it is to survive contact with war. The prose is muscular and insistent, often loud, sometimes repetitive, but that excess mirrors the narrative’s obsession with accumulation: more fighters, more alliances, and more preparation. Reading it now, I was struck by how modern the book feels in its understanding of warfare as logistics and psychology rather than pure valour. The forest politics of the vanaras, their rivalries and suspicions, are given just enough texture to remind us that unity is always negotiated, never automatic. Hanuman’s devotion to Ram, meanwhile, is portrayed less as mystical surrender and more as clarity of purpose, a form of leadership rooted in certainty rather than domination. Ram himself recedes slightly here, becoming an idea around which others organize rather than the central engine of action. What interested me most is how the novel frames power as contagious: belief spreads, courage multiplies, and once momentum begins, it becomes difficult to stop. Yet Banker does not entirely romanticize this process. Beneath the spectacle lies a quiet unease about mass mobilization, about how easily righteousness turns into overwhelming force. ‘Armies of Hanuman’ succeeds not through subtlety but through propulsion, marking the point in the series where the conflict becomes unavoidable and impersonal. It understands that epics are not only about gods and demons but also about crowds, coordination, and the terrifying energy released when devotion becomes an army marching in one direction.
Most recommended.
July 29, 2013
Somewhere along the read-line, the desire to finish Banker's Ramayana diminishes.
The details are too stretched and I find chunks of pages that can be skipped- they really don't add value to either the thrill or info.
I particularly detest the mushy romantic details between Rama and Sita. They are unnecessary in a plot as big as the Ramayana. Yes, Banker clearly states that this is his version of the Ramayana, but we could do away with stuff-like-love that sells.
I am presently abandoning the series to take a break from the monotonous and stretched narratives.
The details are too stretched and I find chunks of pages that can be skipped- they really don't add value to either the thrill or info.
I particularly detest the mushy romantic details between Rama and Sita. They are unnecessary in a plot as big as the Ramayana. Yes, Banker clearly states that this is his version of the Ramayana, but we could do away with stuff-like-love that sells.
I am presently abandoning the series to take a break from the monotonous and stretched narratives.
January 8, 2016
Need I say more, Jai Aanjaneya!
May 15, 2020
This book was well in pace with the first two books of the series. An upgrade from the last book.
This book has no split-POV, hence we do not know what is happening in Ayodhya, and how Kausalya is governing in kingdom in her son's stead. But the author has given us reason enough to not worry about that plot-line as Hanuman proves to be just as well-written a character as Kausalya is. I really enjoyed going through all of his POVs and the portrayal of vanars in the book.
Rama and Sita's romance felt very abrupt when it began, but the author has continued in the same vein and let it blossom. It makes more sense in this book, however, as they have been together for a long time.
Something that has stuck with me is the change in Sita's character before and after marriage. She seems very docile and dependent after marriage. She fights and upholds her own honour as she should, but not in the same vivacity that she used to. I feel that she hasn't been developed as well as the others have. Hopefully, that changes in the upcoming books.
This one was a refreshing change from the last book as there were a good number of battle scenes and engaging scenes. The time-jump is a little abrupt, but doesn't feel very out of place. It's just fine. I am excited to read the rest of the books.
This book has no split-POV, hence we do not know what is happening in Ayodhya, and how Kausalya is governing in kingdom in her son's stead. But the author has given us reason enough to not worry about that plot-line as Hanuman proves to be just as well-written a character as Kausalya is. I really enjoyed going through all of his POVs and the portrayal of vanars in the book.
Rama and Sita's romance felt very abrupt when it began, but the author has continued in the same vein and let it blossom. It makes more sense in this book, however, as they have been together for a long time.
Something that has stuck with me is the change in Sita's character before and after marriage. She seems very docile and dependent after marriage. She fights and upholds her own honour as she should, but not in the same vivacity that she used to. I feel that she hasn't been developed as well as the others have. Hopefully, that changes in the upcoming books.
This one was a refreshing change from the last book as there were a good number of battle scenes and engaging scenes. The time-jump is a little abrupt, but doesn't feel very out of place. It's just fine. I am excited to read the rest of the books.
June 27, 2019
A new way of bringing out our heritage. Totally engrossing.
December 25, 2023
There is a 13 year slip relative to the end of book 3. Dusana and Khara were demoted from leadership for their incompetence and their rakhshasa army has been decimated. Now Trisiras leads and the final battle against Rama is imminent. Hanuman is observing everything from a vantage point nearby...
The endless battles are depicted in gruesome details, including a lot of olfactory impressions, which the author favors. The rakhshasa horde is decimated by Rama with help of a ragtag army.
A substantial portion is spent in Lanka with things concerning Ravana's resurrection. The rakhasas daily life is described is some detail. Magic runs strong in the narrative, especially regarding the fabulous pushpak. And thanks to this marvelous vehicle, Ravana is able to abduct Sita.
In despair, Rama meets his future allies, the Vanar and makes a deal with them, by defeating the magic bully Vali so securing the help of the monkey hordes to wage war against Lanka.
The endless battles are depicted in gruesome details, including a lot of olfactory impressions, which the author favors. The rakhshasa horde is decimated by Rama with help of a ragtag army.
A substantial portion is spent in Lanka with things concerning Ravana's resurrection. The rakhasas daily life is described is some detail. Magic runs strong in the narrative, especially regarding the fabulous pushpak. And thanks to this marvelous vehicle, Ravana is able to abduct Sita.
In despair, Rama meets his future allies, the Vanar and makes a deal with them, by defeating the magic bully Vali so securing the help of the monkey hordes to wage war against Lanka.
May 19, 2016
Why do epics need retelling ? So that every new storyteller can infuse something new, make the story more perfect and exciting and make his generation accept the epic in their own way. Ashok Banker has gone quite a bit down that road. Placing Kiskindha in north-eastern India seems to be the least surprising. Tweaking episodes like the killing of Vali has made his Rama more honourable and perfect than in the original story. He has dedicated paragraphs to describe the workings of Rama's mind, to explain how a near-perfect being might exist and act. He works his magic with Ravana too. After his revival with none other than Rama's blood, he changes his outward behaviour completely. However this new peaceful Ravana seems to be hatching a new devious scheme, which he successfully hides from his wife, his brother and his sons. In this way, he becomes a really dangerous villain whom Rama has to face which is fitting as light can't shine without darkness. The kidnapping of Sita has been shown in a brand new and thrilling way. We also see a new twist in the story of Valmiki. Overall, a great book through and through !
November 17, 2015
The series starts wonderfully with captivating narrative. It is one of those books that you want to finish in one read because it is impossible to put down. But somewhere after the third book in the series the grip progressively diminishes. Sita's abduction was dragged and could have been shorter. Banker's dimensionless characters are again a hurdle. Despite having read four books on Rama I can only feel a detached sympathy for his plight. A protaganist must persuade his readers to advocate his cause, to feel his burden, to writhe in fury at the unfairness of his unfortunate circumstances and yet I don't . I just want Rama to get on with the war and be done with it so I can move on to the next book. And again as a reader I am reminded of how important characters are to a book - more so than the plot sometimes. Banker's language that I so begrudgingly admired in the first two books also seems to have faltered.
A wonderfully begun series begins to wilt like a flower under a hot, summer sun. And my interest wilts with it.
A wonderfully begun series begins to wilt like a flower under a hot, summer sun. And my interest wilts with it.
July 31, 2010
Still loving the story, but the book kind of dragged at the beginning. Maybe dragged isn't the best word. This part of the series is called "Armies of Hanuman" so I would think Hanuman would be introduced before the halfway point, and the armies would come in well before the last few chapters, but that is not the case. Perhaps my expectations put too much pressure on what is otherwise a good story.
April 15, 2013
The 4th book of the series continues with the journey of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana to Panchavati, after the war of Janasthana is iover.
All three are eagerly awaiting their return to home, when all hell breaks loose.
We also get introduced to our furry friends, Hanuman, and his tribe of vanars.
Sita is abducted , so onto the next book ...
All three are eagerly awaiting their return to home, when all hell breaks loose.
We also get introduced to our furry friends, Hanuman, and his tribe of vanars.
Sita is abducted , so onto the next book ...
January 29, 2014
Got some really moments - like Valmiki is introduced very differently, as are Hanuman and Sugreeva.
The not so great part - Ravana's abduction of Sita could have been simpler. The new version is just okay.
The not so great part - Ravana's abduction of Sita could have been simpler. The new version is just okay.
November 12, 2013
This a 2.5 for me. the book was too slow as compared to earlier books and there were time where it failed to keep me interested and i just wanted to get it over with. Though some parts still had the usual charm that is present with Ashok's work.
June 13, 2009
Why in the world was Hanuman so devoted?
September 12, 2011
I really loved reading this book. The whole episode of ravana tricking rama to kidnap sita cannot be elaborated more extensively and beautifully than this...
May 15, 2012
another great one.. the series is exhilarating...
September 16, 2012
Banker gave a realistic portray of Hanuman.. the loving and dutiful Hanuman in all admiration to Rama.. Fantastic and so hear touching rendering of the Ramayana ..rewritten to a new audience..
October 16, 2012
Gets Better and Better!
February 17, 2015
This is another book in the series which is unputdownable.
June 11, 2015
False
July 20, 2016
Best book in the series so far.
January 5, 2017
I liked the way how the author has described the connection forming between Rama and Hanuman.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews