Aru Shah and the Song of Death (Pandava Series #2)

by Roshani Chokshi

Overview

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents best-selling author Roshani Chokshi and her sequel to Aru Shah and the End of Time.

Aru is only just getting the hang of this whole Pandava thing when the Otherworld goes into full panic mode. The god of love's bow and arrow have gone missing, and the thief isn't playing Cupid. Instead, they're turning people into heartless fighting-machine zombies.

If that weren't bad enough, somehow Aru gets framed as the thief. If she doesn't find the arrow by the next full moon, she'll be kicked out of the Otherworld. For good.

But, for better or worse, she won't be going it alone. Along with her soul-sister, Mini, Aru will team up with Brynne, an ultra-strong girl who knows more than she lets on, and Aiden, the boy who lives across the street and is also hiding plenty of secrets.


Together they'll battle demons, travel through a glittering and dangerous serpent realm, and discover that their enemy isn't at all who they expected.


Endorsed by Rick Riordan, author of Percy Jackson and Olympians, soon to be a series on Disney+.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781368023559
Publisher:	Disney Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/07/2020
Series:	Pandava Series , #2
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	83,326
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.50(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Roshani Chokshi is the author of the instant New York Times best-seller Aru Shah and the End of Time, the first book in a quartet for middle grade readers about the adventures of five Pandava sisters. Her acclaimed novels for young adults include The Star-Touched Queen and its companion, A Crown of Wishes, and The Gilded Wolves. The Pandava series was inspired by the stories her grandmother told her, as well as Roshani's all-consuming love for Sailor Moon. Rosh lives in Georgia and says "y'all," but she doesn't really have a Southern accent, alas. For more information, visit her website, www.RoshaniChokshi.com, or follow her on Twitter@Roshani_Chokshi and Instagram @roshanichokshi.

Editorial Reviews

*"Chokshi seamlessly weaves Indian cosmology and pop culture into a refreshingly feminist plot laced with witty dialogue. The most compelling feature of the novel, however, is the complexity of its characters, who, despite their divinity or semidivinity, are at their core very human. This will leave fans enthralled and clamoring for more."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

From the Publisher

05/10/2019

Gr 4–8-In this second entry in the series, Aru Shah would like to concentrate on training how to be Pandava with her soul sister, Mini, but that is not to be her fate as she is thrown into another quest she didn't ask for with a different Pandava sister, the incredibly strong and always hungry Brynne. Picking up where the first book ended, Aru continues to learn about the Otherworld, along with the legends, quarrels, and curses that affect both this realm and the human one. This time, if Aru and the other Pandavas do not succeed in returning the stolen bow and arrows of the god of love, they will be thrown out of the realm and innumerable humans will perish. No pressure. In a slightly irreverent tone, this adventure once again delves into some traditional Indian stories with a modern flare (for example, Kamadeva, the love god, monitors social media). With rich descriptions of palaces and Otherworld lands, the colorful tapestry of Aru's life engulfs readers, bringing them along for the experience and leaving them eager to find out what will happen next. With the appearance of two new main characters, this installment feels fresh and the continued pursuit of the evil Sleeper, which is not resolved, hints at more to come. An extensive glossary offers detail about the mythical beings and traditional Indian dishes. VERDICT This adventure throws readers into a magical world, with a lot of attitude on the side. A winning sequel with just as much appeal as Aru Shah and the End of Time.-Clare A. Dombrowski, Amesbury Public Library, MA

School Library Journal

Soneela Nankani shifts smoothly from Hindu mythology to pop-culture references in the second story about a seventh-grade girl who has her feet planted in both worlds, though not always firmly. Heroine Aru Shah is being framed by someone who has stolen Cupid’s bow and arrows from an enchanted shopping center and is turning humans into heartless zombies. Aru and her best friend, Mini, join forces with Brynne and her best friend, Aiden, to find and defeat the thief. Nankani individualizes the four children and a host of fascinating characters of the Otherworld, including a giant blue crab who’s infuriated when he’s associated with Disney characters and a sage whose curses are comical. Nankani gets the balance of humor and adventure exactly right. S.W. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2020 - AudioFile

Soneela Nankani shifts smoothly from Hindu mythology to pop-culture references in the second story about a seventh-grade girl who has her feet planted in both worlds, though not always firmly. Heroine Aru Shah is being framed by someone who has stolen Cupid’s bow and arrows from an enchanted shopping center and is turning humans into heartless zombies. Aru and her best friend, Mini, join forces with Brynne and her best friend, Aiden, to find and defeat the thief. Nankani individualizes the four children and a host of fascinating characters of the Otherworld, including a giant blue crab who’s infuriated when he’s associated with Disney characters and a sage whose curses are comical. Nankani gets the balance of humor and adventure exactly right. S.W. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2020 - AudioFile

★ 2019-01-15

The second book in the Pandava Quartet begins with Aru Shah and her best friend, Mini, in an enchanted shopping center fending off zombies.

Someone has stolen the god of love's enchanted bow and arrow, and they are using it to turn innocent humans into (literally) heartless, zombielike fighting machines. To make matters worse, Aru gets framed as the thief. The council of gods and Uloopi, the naga queen, give the two Pandavas an ultimatum: find and defeat the real thief in 10 days' time or be exiled from the Otherworld forever. Aru and Mini unite with two other heroes—a new Pandava sister, Brynne Rao, and her best friend, Aiden Acharya—to save the world from mass destruction. On their numerous adventures in the Otherworld, from a giant-swan attack to their journey to the Ocean of Milk, Aru contemplates difficult questions about what it means to be good or evil, the role of duty, and the power of a good story. In this sequel to Aru Shah and the End of Time (2018), Chokshi seamlessly weaves Indian cosmology and pop culture into a refreshingly feminist plot laced with witty dialogue. The most compelling feature of the novel, however, is the complexity of its characters, who, despite their divinity or semidivinity, are at their core very human.

This will leave fans enthralled and clamoring for more. (Fantasy. 10-13)

Kirkus Reviews