In this rich environment, various perspectives from the vast cast of characters are used to tell this immersive story from the internationally best-selling Banker.
Despite the heft of this nearly 700-page volume, readers will hardly be able to pull themselves away from the layered story lines and well-developed characters ... Banker launches a new epic fantasy series set in a vivid world inspired by India and the Middle East, mythology and monarchy, filled with enticing narration and action.
Banker’s world is colorful, full of lush forests, endless deserts and wide-spanning mountain ranges. Each page is filled with vivid depictions of people, places and vistas, easily living up to the novel’s inspiration, the Mahabharata ... While this structure can take some adjustment, especially for readers used to the orderly, chronological storytelling of modern fiction, Banker uses it to surprise and push the reader out of their comfort zone. I grew used to and enjoyed the rhythm of book’s pacing by the end, and anticipating and preparing myself for the next narrator was an enjoyable game ... Banker takes his time to begin weaving this very long tale, clearly setting the stage for the next book, and with so many unresolved loose ends, I’ll probably have to grab a notebook to keep track of them all ... It’s rare to come upon a volume of fiction that manages to set a grand ambition and meet it. While Upon a Burning Throne does not quite deliver the resolution within its pages, it does an incredible job of setting the stage for a dense series that is sure to be well worth the massive time investment.
... an ambitious and highly readable, if slightly overlong, opening chapter in a new epic inspired by one of the oldest: the ancient Sanskrit Mahabharata ... Banker impressively depicts the loyalties and rivalries of a huge cast while moving his enormous story at cinematic pace through scales personal, political, and cosmic ... There’s more setup for future conflicts than resolution, but readers familiar with Hindu mythology will find the foreshadowing enhances their anticipation of future installments. Fans of doorstopper epic fantasy will devour this tale of gods and princes.
