Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi


Best-selling author Rick Riordan introduces this adventure by Roshani Chokshi about twelve-year-old Aru Shah, who has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school. While her classmates are jetting off to family vacations in exotic locales, she’ll be spending her autumn break at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, waiting for her mom to return from her latest archeological trip. Is it any wonder that Aru makes up stories about being royalty, traveling to Paris, and having a chauffeur?

One day, three schoolmates show up at Aru’s doorstep to catch her in a lie. They don’t believe her claim that the museum’s Lamp of Bharata is cursed, and they dare Aru to prove it. Just a quick light, Aru thinks. Then she can get herself out of this mess and never ever fib again.

But lighting the lamp has dire consequences. She unwittingly frees the Sleeper, an ancient demon whose duty it is to awaken the God of Destruction. Her classmates and beloved mother are frozen in time, and it’s up to Aru to save them.

The only way to stop the demon is to find the reincarnations of the five legendary Pandava brothers, protagonists of the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, and journey through the Kingdom of Death. But how is one girl in Spider-Man pajamas supposed to do all that?

“People are a lot like magical pockets.
They’re a lot bigger on the inside than they appear to be on the outside.”

“Aru Shah and the End of Time” is one of the first novels published by Rick Riordan’s new imprint Rick Riordan Presents. Following the same style of Mr. Riordan’s Percy Jackson novels, Aru Shah is about a young girl who finds out she is the reincarnation of one of the Pandava brothers after a series of unfortunate events (she tried to impress some popular kids and then well…the end of time began). Roshani Chokshi introduces the reader a rich world of Indian mythology, which turns out is much more wild and colorful than Greek/Roman mythology. In this middle-grade novel, Ms. Chokshi takes us in an unforgettable adventure that will make you wish you had your own glowing ball of crazy magic.

Aru Shah is the first story I have read by Ms. Chokshi, and I’m impressed. Ms. Chokshi is a flowery writer. And I don’t mean that in the way that she writes nonsense, but that her prose is like a garden of flowers — beautiful, delicate, fierce, colorful and wonderful to all the senses. She blends modernity and mythology so effortlessly I would sometimes forget that we do not live in Aru’s world.

Speaking of Aru, the main protagonist of this little adventure, she is amazing. Aru reminded me of me, a young girl with a wild imagination and no real friends to share it with. Unlike me, Aru had spark and strength to go do what is right even when it is wrong, but most importantly she would stand up for herself with no fear (even though there is much to fear).

Aru’s character grows throughout the novel is something I wish upon everyone that age, finding their inner strength to acknowledge your fault/weaknesses and use them to your advantage to save the world from ending. Even though she is only 12 years old, Aru is a character that any person of any age can appreciate, love and see themselves in.

Aru’s world is filled with interesting and fleshed out characters who will win your heart. Like Boo, Mini, the palace, and Chitrigupta (just to name a few). Each one of the characters felt independent with their own little quirks. You’ll cheer for them and wish to protect them. Yes, even the palace.

This story is about adventure, friendship, family, sisterhood, trying not to die, but most importantly it is about self-acceptance.

I look forward to Aru’s next adventure in Aru Shah and the Song of Death. WHICH BY THE WAY!!! There is a boy on the cover!!! *eyebrow wiggles*

“Sometimes you don’t even know how special you might be.
Sometimes it takes moments of horror or happiness to, if you will, unleash that knowledge.”

My Rating 4/5

Aru Shah and the End of Time
By Roshani Chokshi
Published by Rick Riordan Presents
Pages 355
ISBN: 1368012353

 

Aru Shah and the Song of Death

 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.

Aru Shah and the Song of Death (Pandava Quartet #2)
By Roshani Chokshi
Published by Rick Riordan Presents
Pages 304
ISBN 1368013848
Expected Publication: April 16, 2019


2 responses to “Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi”

  1. This one sounds lovely, and learning about the mythology of different societies/cultures is always super interesting!

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