In 2018 I read Aru Shah and the End of Time and really loved it! The sequel, Aru Shah and the Song of Death, was released last year, but I haven’t gotten around to it. Tomorrow I’m participating on the blog tour for the third book, so it was time to read and review the second book. Keep on reading to find out what I thought about this book!
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 on 30/04/2019
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 304
Review
“It is when we stop listening, that we commit the greatest wrongs.”
After enjoying Aru Shah and the End of Time, I knew I needed the rest of this series in my life. I don’t know why I waited so long, but I finally picked up the sequel. To start off, I have to say how much I love these covers and I love how much they bring the story to life. After reading the book, I love that I know exactly what scene they used on the cover.
The sequel continues only a little while after the first book left off. Aru and Mini are still training with Boo and things get interesting. The God of Love’s bow and arrow has gone missing and Aru, Mini and our new character Brynne are being blamed for it. To be able to continue to train and be Pandavas, they get ten days to find the bow and arrow to clear their names.
“Fairness is but an idea conceived by someone who has the power to make such pronouncements.”
What I love about how Roshani wrote this story, is that as these characters go on this adventure there are lessons to be learned along the way. And the way she takes mythology and culture and puts that in this fun adventure went so smoothly. I loved learning about these stories along with our characters. To make it even more fun, this book is filled with humor. So many references a lot of readers will completely understand and also for the adults enjoying these stories as well.
A big part of this story is about Mimi, Aru, Brynne and Aiden working together to get their tasks done. Not everything comes easy and they really have to think to get everything to work. Aru Shah and the Song of Death is a very heartwarming story that revolves around family and friendship. I loved that there were little mentions of a crush, but that it didn’t take over the story. This book fits perfectly in the age group it’s written for. I don’t want to give too much away, because this book is just too much fun not to experience all on your own.
“Aru didn’t want to see all those gray spaces between good and bad – she just wanted things to be easy.”
All in all, Aru Shah and the Song of Death turned out to be a fun, heartwarming adventure. I loved the characters and the journey they went on. This book definitely left a smile on my face!
If you’re looking for a fun adventure that takes culture and mythology to make an amazing story, definitely pick up this series. What are some of your favorite middle grade adventures? Let me know in the comments!
