Praise for THE SITA CHRONICLES

 

"This is a FABULOUS read! … The story just flowed so well and the characters were very real and relatable - characters you care about and can't wait to find out what will happen next. I HIGHLY recommend this to those who enjoy great writing as well as a book that spans cultures and time/history." Sherri Smith, GoodReads

 

"THIS WAS SO GREAT! I absolutely love the world building … The ensemble cast of characters is also fantastic! They all have interesting backstories and distinct personalities. Writing is great, story is awesome, pacing on point." Verona Eekma de Vries, GoodReads

 

“Once the foundation was built, I thought I was on a ‘skyscraper’ metaphorically speaking. This book is outstanding.” Janet Arroyo, GoodReads

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"This series is shockingly good, much better than I realized even as I finished the first book, and I highly recommend it." Anika Shankar, GoodReads

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"Will be waiting for the next installment. Shanti and Vibhishana are clearly the heroes in this out of the world explanation giving Ramayan a new twist. Here Raam surely knows what wrong he did, and Sita knows what should be done. Go for it guys. It'll give you a new perspective. All the books are well written. The writer surely knows our epics well." - Divya Branwal, Amazon India

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"... Although Mayers dives right into this third installment [White Sapphire], her meticulous prose will slowly ease readers into the series, whether they’re new or returning... A series installment that further develops its sturdy characters, but still leaves a bounty of curious subplots unresolved." - Kirkus Reviews

 

"Red Sapphire is a fantastic book due to complex characters, an exciting plot and great writing. The Indian folklore, The Ramayana, is weaved into the plot of this book which was done really well and was really interesting. I loved how the characters of the folklore played a part in the plot and how their backstories were fleshed out. My favourite character was by far Supriya as she's brave and strong but also caring. Her development as the story progressed was fantastic, especially towards the end as it left lingering questions about how the ending would effect her in the next book." Reading Corner, GoodReads

 

"I really enjoyed this book, it's made me feel better about YA. It's super well written, the characters are realistic and had realistic reactions to the events. I loved the independence and the strength of the female characters and that the main character, Supriya, didn't need to be saved as such. But she also wasn't this super powerful "I can do anything on my own" all of a sudden either. The mythology of the book was also well written and interesting. I loved that the few scenes that took place in India didn't have an "exotic wonderland" setting that a lot of YA has been doing recently. All in all this was great. Diverse, realistic and strong characters, a super interesting world and an interesting storyline :)" Gotherella BioVenom, GoodReads

 

"What a wonderful read! As a working mother of a two year old, I don’t get a chance to read much and when I do it usually takes me a few months to finish a book that I am enjoying. This book was so engaging that I finished it in two weeks - I don’t remember the last time I finished a book so quickly ... I am not a huge fan of sci fi/fantasy novels but the author did such a great job of intertwining reality with the sci fi/fantasy elements in the story. Between her convincing writing style and how she carefully used scientific explanations to back up the fantastical events in the story, she makes you believe that it could be true ... The vivid global settings made the story feel very alive, even though I don’t have any background in Indian mythology and I have never been to India. I especially enjoyed the scenes in San Francisco. I live in San Francisco and many of the scenes take place only a few blocks from where I live! The descriptions were spot-on in their accuracy and made me feel like I was right there with the characters.

 

I am a middle school teacher and I liked this book so much that I told my school librarian about it. With my suggestion, she took my copy to share with the students and the first students who read it were so enamored that there is now a waiting list for the students at my school to read it and we just ordered 5 more copies. As an educator, I love how the diverse characters push through common stereotypes to demonstrate that individuals, no matter what their background, are unique and I think that the relatable characters from Hindu and Muslim backgrounds are especially valuable for my middle school readers to connect with through their love of the story." Amazon 5-star verified purchase

 

"I read this book in a week and while I was reading I was constantly recommending it to my friends. The book is a nice mixture of present day San Francisco (where I live now so it was nice to be able to picture all the San Francisco Scenes in my head) and India around World War II. The India seen illustrated the affects that the war had in the country and depicted the social struggle that was felt between the Indians and the British. Overall, I felt like I got an interesting historical perspective but with a lot of fantasy and action weaved through. As I was reading the book I wanted to learn more abut the Ramayana and ended up googling it to see how the characters in the traditional Ramayana interplayed with the characters in the book (although, the book can very much be enjoyed without doing this...the nerd in me just wanted to look in to it further)." Francine de Marco, Amazon 5-star verified purchase

 

"If you love reading fantasy novels that touch both ancient and modern times, look no further! Read this. By blending ancient heroes and villains spread across generations with the modern world of science and archaeology, Ashley Mayers has created something very elaborate and unique. You'll learn plenty about Indian mythology (beyond Rama and Sita, the alluring rakshasa race) with plenty of context for beginners, and the perspective of what the days of WWII may have been for people in the Indian subcontinent (through letters). And of course, the modern age of witch hunts and social struggles in San Francisco, which is a main setting in the novel. Looking forward to reading more of the saga to see how this multi-layered adventure unfolds!" Mike, Amazon 5-star verified purchase

 

"Finally a book with female characters that are not white, "christian", pretty and dumb! It's a miracle in this day and age! Some diversity and a main character that is not a sniveling idiot. Throw in some good character growth, loads of mystery (the book assumes the reader has a brain and can be patient), a non-western rooted plot and a healthy dose of ass kicking and you got a pretty darn good book." Daniel, GoodReads