Aru Shah and the Song of Death (A Pandava Novel Book 2)
Written by Roshani Chokshi
Rick Riordan Presents (Disney-Hyperion), 2019
Fun, fast-paced and full of humor, Aru Shah’s latest adventure is the perfect addition to the Pandava series.
I absolutely loved Roshani Chokshi’s first Pandava novel, Aru Shah and the End of Time (which I reviewed here), and this second in the series is just as epic. In Aru Shah and the Song of Death, Aru and her Pandava sister, Mini, are just getting into the swing of regular training sessions with Boo, their talking pigeon guardian, and starting to feel like they have the hang of this whole reincarnated Hindu heroes thing down.
But then, Aru is accused of stealing the god of love’s bow and arrow, and if she doesn’t clear her name she’ll be banished from the Otherworld forever!
This latest book has the same great cast of characters, and two new teammates: another Pandava sister named Brynne and… a boy?! Aru’s crush from across street, Aiden, joins the team, too, even though he’s not a Pandava... or is he?
Together, they’re tasked by the gods to return the bow and arrow, but to do so they’ll have to travel to the naga realm under the sea, visit a temperamental and not at all zen sage, flee from heartless zombies and giant red cows, beat a god in an eating contest, and battle a demon princess. No sweat, right?
With Chokshi’s trademark humor, energy, and talent for putting her characters in disastrous and hilarious situations, Aru Shah and the Song of Death is everything I was hoping for, and so much more. Aru is adorable, relatable, and wise (especially when she’s quoting Gandalf), and most of all, she’s loyal and will do anything for her fellow Pandavas and the Otherworld she’s been tasked to protect.
You won’t want to miss Aru’s latest adventure!
I received a free Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from The Brain Lair Bookstore in exchange for my honest review. Find this and more great titles at this wonderful local bookshop that focuses on providing children and teens with diverse and inclusive books. #ShopLocal
Alisa Williams is the managing editor of SpectrumMagazine.org. She blogs at alisawilliamswrites.com, tweets at @AWWritesStories, and bookstagrams at @AllyWritesStories.
Photo by Alisa Williams.
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