Young Readers

Aru Shah and the Song of Death is Middle Grade Mythological Fantasy at Its Best!

Aru Shah and the Song of Death (B&N Exclusive Edition) (Pandava Series #2)

Aru Shah and the Song of Death (B&N Exclusive Edition) (Pandava Series #2)

Hardcover $16.99

Aru Shah and the Song of Death (B&N Exclusive Edition) (Pandava Series #2)

By Roshani Chokshi

In Stock Online

Hardcover $16.99

The adventure begun in Aru Shah and the End of Time, by Roshani Chokshi, continues without missing a beat in Aru Shah and the Song of Death! Someone has stolen the bow and arrow of Kamadeva, the god of love, and Aru and her fellow reincarnated Pandava hero, Mini, are on the lookout for the thief in the magical Night Market. Then a swarm of zombies attacks! Another Pandava sister, Brynne, joins them in fighting the zombies, but due to magical confusion during the chaos, all three are blamed for the theft of the bow and arrow. Now they have ten days in which to recover the missing items, or else they’ll be banished from the Overworld forever. There’s also pressure on them to save humanity, as the thief is using Kamadeva’s weapon to make zombies out of people in the real world. Joined by Brynne’s friend, Aiden, who has his own secrets, they set out on their new adventure.

The adventure begun in Aru Shah and the End of Time, by Roshani Chokshi, continues without missing a beat in Aru Shah and the Song of Death! Someone has stolen the bow and arrow of Kamadeva, the god of love, and Aru and her fellow reincarnated Pandava hero, Mini, are on the lookout for the thief in the magical Night Market. Then a swarm of zombies attacks! Another Pandava sister, Brynne, joins them in fighting the zombies, but due to magical confusion during the chaos, all three are blamed for the theft of the bow and arrow. Now they have ten days in which to recover the missing items, or else they’ll be banished from the Overworld forever. There’s also pressure on them to save humanity, as the thief is using Kamadeva’s weapon to make zombies out of people in the real world. Joined by Brynne’s friend, Aiden, who has his own secrets, they set out on their new adventure.

To actually find the thief, many more magical dangers must be overcome, and riddles must be unraveled with the help of stories from Indian mythology. And then, of course, the culprit must be confronted in an epic showdown! More importantly, the four kids must learn to trust each other, share their secrets and their strengths, and become a team.

Even more so than the first book of this series, this one echoes closely all that makes Riordan’s own books so fun! The constant thrum of danger and action, and the fantastic quest, rooted in mythology and full of entertaining escapades and over-the-top adversaries, are here. Riordan’s signature style of humor, including witty one-line quips, sarcastic comments, and pop-culture references, is here as well, made fresh and new by Chokshi’s memorable and lovable characters, and by the depth of the Hindu stories that shape their quest.

Aru Shah and the End of Time (Pandava Series #1)

Aru Shah and the End of Time (Pandava Series #1)

Paperback $8.99

Aru Shah and the End of Time (Pandava Series #1)

By Roshani Chokshi

In Stock Online

Paperback $8.99

It’s very entertaining to get to know the four kids as the story progresses. Readers of Aru’s previous adventure will already be familiar with Mini and Aru’s quirks, and Brynne and Aiden are great additions. Brynne seems tough, but she has her own dark well of doubt, and Aiden is a wonderful example of a guy whose main strength lies in being the responsible caregiver of the party (Brynne teases him by calling him Grandma). Germophobic, kind-hearted Mini in particular is a delight throughout. We get to see bits of the backstory of all four characters, seamlessly mixed into the adventures and helping us care about the kids even more. They are all odd in their own ways, but they are more than their quirks, and even though these quirks are a great source of entertainment, they are not being mocked.

It’s very entertaining to get to know the four kids as the story progresses. Readers of Aru’s previous adventure will already be familiar with Mini and Aru’s quirks, and Brynne and Aiden are great additions. Brynne seems tough, but she has her own dark well of doubt, and Aiden is a wonderful example of a guy whose main strength lies in being the responsible caregiver of the party (Brynne teases him by calling him Grandma). Germophobic, kind-hearted Mini in particular is a delight throughout. We get to see bits of the backstory of all four characters, seamlessly mixed into the adventures and helping us care about the kids even more. They are all odd in their own ways, but they are more than their quirks, and even though these quirks are a great source of entertainment, they are not being mocked.

It’s not all magical fun and games, though. As Aru struggles to work with her team to save the day, she’s forced to contemplate questions of loyalty and the nature of good and evil, and the problematic way women are treated in some of the mythological stories. Along the way, Aru becomes a better friend and better hero. These more profound threads of the story, woven together with the great characters and great adventures, make Aru Shah and the Song of Death one of the best new fantasy books of the year.

The Barnes and Noble exclusive edition includes a bonus scene just for B&N readers!

Aru Shah and the Song of Death is on B&N bookshelves now.