The Pyre

Mandore, Rajasthan, 769 AD: Ravindra-Raj, the evil sorcerer-king, devises a deadly secret ritual, where he and his seven queens will burn on his pyre, and he will rise again with the powers of Ravana, demon-king of the epic Ramayana.

But things go wrong when one queen, the beautiful, spirited Darya, escapes with the help of Aram Dhoop, the court poet. Jodhpur, Rajasthan, 2010: At the site of ancient Mandore, teenagers Vikram, Amanjit, Deepika and Rasita meet and realize that the deathless king and his ghostly brides are hunting them down.

As vicious forces from the past come alive, they need to unlock truths that have been hidden for centuries, and fight an ancient battle . . . one more time.

“A riveting book [that] will keep you hooked to the very end. Hair has managed to pack horror, reincarnation, mythology [and] history all in one book!” - The Booklovers Review

“The Pyre is an excellent fantasy novel. If you're familiar with the tales of Rama and Sita, you'll find much to enjoy, and if not, then David Hair's introduction to the legends are an excellent place to start.” - Robin Brooks Books

“This was YA, but it works for everyone . . An interesting story. Light and dark.” - Books For Life

“David Hair did an amazing job at recreating the Ravana legend . . . great tension and character development . . . This was a fantastically written novel which will appeal to readers outside the fantasy genre too. A 5 star read!'” - Old Victorian Quill

“If you like fantasy influenced by mythology and would like to explore beyond the well-known Western mythologies, The Pyre is an excellent departure point” - Fantastical Librarian

“I enjoyed the characters . . . [I] was sorry to say goodbye to the cast”- It Puts the Blog in the Basket

“A fantastically written tale . . . An amazing story set in a magnificent background, it had me hooked from the very first page. The last half of the book literally had me on the edge of my chair, rooting for the characters in both timelines and wondering how the history would unfold and if it would repeat itself” - Draumr Kopa

“When it comes to Young Adult fiction, David Hair hasn't just broken the mould. He's completely shattered it . . .The Pyre is a great opportunity to experience a story featuring diverse locations and characters, not to mention a wonderful read all around” - Bibliosanctum