Bücher von Ashok K. Banker

Prince Ashoka is one of the many heirs to the mighty Mauryan empire, ruledby his father Emperor Bindusara. Disillusioned by the trappings of power, hehas given up his position as the crown prince, but unlike the rest of the royalfamily, Ashoka's loyalty to Mauryavansh is unwavering. So, when he overhearsa plot to assassinate the Emperor, he makes it his mission to root out theassassins from the capital city of Patliputra with the help of the fierce army ofChandikas.But little does young Ashoka know that the enemy lies within his own family.Despite successfully thwarting his father's assassination, he is sent away toadminister distant Takshashila, where he has to assist his brother PrinceSushim. And when Ashoka takes necessary steps to squash the Pashtunrebellion there, his acts are seen as treasonous and he is brutally punished, leftfor dead. The brains behind these machinations are the ruthless Queen NoorKhorasan and her mother, the War Marshall Jezza Khorasan.Who will succeed in this ruthless game of thrones? Will it be the deadlyKhorasans, or will it be Seleucus Nicator and his daughter, Queen MotherApama, out to fulfil their dreams of conquering the subcontinent?Or will Ashoka rise from the dead and save the vast empire founded by hisgrandfather, the great Emperor Chandragupta Maurya?Full of ambition, intrigue, lust, battles, and the high drama of politics inancient India, this trilogy by master storyteller Ashok Banker appears in asingle, complete volume for the first time. Gripping, and pulsating withaction, it recreates the rise to power of one of India's most legendary rulers.

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 tyrantsQueen 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.