The Pandavas are all set to graduate from Guru Dronacharyas school, having learnt how to lead armies and wield battle magic. Now they must display their skills in a grand tournament before the entire kingdom.

It isn’t going to be just fun and games, though. The crafty Kauravas already have a whole new bag of dirty tricks ready to keep Sahadev, Nakul, Arjun, Bhim and Yudhishthir from impressing the people of Hastinapur.

As they come closer to their destiny as the heirs of the Kuru kingdom, the Pandavas have to face powerful new rivals, some uncomfortable family secrets, and the dark threat of a looming war

Writer-illustrator-cartoonist Anupam Arunachalam’s “Young Pandavas 3: The Royal Tournament” (Hachette) is a thrilling follow-up to the adventures of the heroes of the Mahabharata, the greatest Indian story of all time.

The first book in the series, “The City of Elephants”, sets the tone for an epic adventure.

Nine-year-old Sahadev, along with Yudhishthir, Bhim, Arjun and Nakul, are happy in their little forest home, until a forgotten curse changes their lives forever.

They return as princes to Hastinapur, a city full of riches … and secrets.Soon enough, the young Pandavas soon discover that being royalty means a lot more than endless bowls of almond kheer from the fabled palace kitchens, rides on prized warhorses, and having an army of attendants to do their every bidding.

There is danger lurking round every corner of their new home, and the five have to use all their wits and skills to get out of sticky situations – especially the ones that involve their 101 cousins, the Kauravas.

Lively and action-packed, this illustrated reimagining of the Mahabharata brings alive the fantastical world of the great Indian epic like never before.

In “Young Pandavas 2: The School for Warriors”, Arjun’s dream is finally coming true. The elders of Hastinapur are sending the Kuru princes off to boarding school, so that they can learn the art of war from the legendary Guru Dronacharya.

Yudhishthir, Bhim, Nakul and Sahadev are, however, less than thrilled. School is hard, and training to be magic-wielding warriors isn’t nearly as fun as it sounds. Also, getting into Guru Drona’s good books is next to impossible, especially when he has a clear favourite – his own son, Ashwatthama. But Arjun’s determined to be the best student in the gurukul, even if it means defying Drona himself.

Meanwhile, Bhim has to be careful not to destroy everything he touches.

The second book in the series is packed with even more surprises, action and magic than the first.

More books are planned in the series and the details are being worked out, the publisher said.

Growing up, Anupam Arunachalam foolishly poured too much ancient lore, science fiction and pulpy literature into his head, and now they’re sloshing around between his ears all the time, making him spout crazy things. His day job mainly involves creating fiction and non-fiction comics for kids and adults. He’s thoroughly excited by the narrative possibilities in the interaction of words and images.