Children Of The Lion

by Carl Muller

A monumental saga of passion, love, war and redemption
‘She will grow to plunder the senses of man and yet reject all man can offer.’ This prophecy of the wise men at the birth of princess Sihavathi of Vanga comes to pass when she turns seven. It is announced that she is ‘in her flowers’, and has grown to know man. At ten, she leaves home to fulfil her destiny, to be the consort of the lion, and to bring forth two lion-children, Sihabahu and Sihasivali. Thus begins Carl Muller’s outstanding epic where myth marries history to recreate the story of the conquest of Lanka by Vijaya, Sihabahu and Sihasivali’s eldest son. In conquering the island, Vijaya is also fulfilling the Buddha’s divination—that the truant prince would make for himself a kingdom on the island where Buddhism would take root and flower for all ages to come.
Children of the Lion is a vivid illustration of Sri Lanka’s rich culture.

1000 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 1997

About the author

Carl Muller was born in 1935 in Kandy. As a young man he joined the Royal Ceylon Navy, then briefly served in the Ceylon Army and later joined the Colombo Port Commission. He moved into journalism and worked in the Middle East. He is a prolific writer having written poetry, fiction, a children’s book, short stories, historical fiction, a collection of essays and monographs. He has won many awards and prizes for his writing. He is best known for The Jam Fruit Tree (1993) which won the Gratiaen Prize for that year. He currently lives in Kandy.
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Reviews

[Janine · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's like the Mahawamsa in story form. I wish I could have said a thank you to the author while he still was amongst us.