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bbliophile's review against another edition
2.0
I really, really hate saying this because I adored the first book and wanted to love this one so badly but... I really didn't like it. I'll write a full review soon but let's just say I'm very disappointed.
jessicaaaaaaa's review against another edition
3.0
Ahmad is used to two things: being on his own and getting into trouble. But when Ahmad's classmate Winnie hands him a package from his sister Farah, everything is about to change.
The Battle, by Karuna Riazi, is an exciting follow-up to The Gauntlet and picks up years after the Mirzas moved to NYC. Farah is away at college, and Ahmad is muddling through life as a twelve-year-old. He loves to draw and spends a lot of class time doodling pictures of a strange city called Paheli that he remembers dreaming about as a kid.
Winnie is intrigued by the package and follows Ahmad home. But when they insert the video game cartridge into the console, strange things begin to happen. Winnie notices that the avatars look just like the two of them. They're still examining the girl avatar with Winnie's curly hair when the city freezes around them. A thick blackness rises up and covers everything around them, and then the city is replaced by a futuristic version of the city with tall, floating skyscrapers and flying rickshaws. Soon, Ahmad and Winnie come to understand that they've been transported into the game. If they want to get home again, they'll need to play the game and win.
This action-packed adventure combining video games with a South Asian–inspired fantasy world is ultimately about the power of friendship. As the game goes on, the stakes get higher and higher, and the lines between friends and foes blur. I loved seeing the developing relationship between Ahmad and Winnie and seeing Ahmad grow in self-confidence as a result of that.
While a fun ride, I found this novel weaker than the first. It is repetitive at times, and the world building is not as clear as it was in The Gauntlet. I often felt confused about the challenge they were facing and rules of the world around them. While this confusion was at times meant to be a part of the plot, it wasn't the most pleasant reading experience.
Although readers will recognize elements of Paheli and know information about the Mirzas from The Gauntlet, The Battle is not a strict sequel and can be read as a stand-alone.
I can recommend this middle grade novel for 8–12 year old kids who enjoy stories about video games or adventure stories in general.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Battle, by Karuna Riazi, is an exciting follow-up to The Gauntlet and picks up years after the Mirzas moved to NYC. Farah is away at college, and Ahmad is muddling through life as a twelve-year-old. He loves to draw and spends a lot of class time doodling pictures of a strange city called Paheli that he remembers dreaming about as a kid.
Winnie is intrigued by the package and follows Ahmad home. But when they insert the video game cartridge into the console, strange things begin to happen. Winnie notices that the avatars look just like the two of them. They're still examining the girl avatar with Winnie's curly hair when the city freezes around them. A thick blackness rises up and covers everything around them, and then the city is replaced by a futuristic version of the city with tall, floating skyscrapers and flying rickshaws. Soon, Ahmad and Winnie come to understand that they've been transported into the game. If they want to get home again, they'll need to play the game and win.
This action-packed adventure combining video games with a South Asian–inspired fantasy world is ultimately about the power of friendship. As the game goes on, the stakes get higher and higher, and the lines between friends and foes blur. I loved seeing the developing relationship between Ahmad and Winnie and seeing Ahmad grow in self-confidence as a result of that.
While a fun ride, I found this novel weaker than the first. It is repetitive at times, and the world building is not as clear as it was in The Gauntlet. I often felt confused about the challenge they were facing and rules of the world around them. While this confusion was at times meant to be a part of the plot, it wasn't the most pleasant reading experience.
Although readers will recognize elements of Paheli and know information about the Mirzas from The Gauntlet, The Battle is not a strict sequel and can be read as a stand-alone.
I can recommend this middle grade novel for 8–12 year old kids who enjoy stories about video games or adventure stories in general.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
zaheerah's review against another edition
3.0
*I received a copy via the publisher and NetGalley in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*
Years after The Gauntlet, the Architect returns with a new partner, MasterMind, to take revenge on the Mirza family. Now twelve-years-old, Ahmad Mirza must face their latest creation, The Battle. Ahmad is forced back by the Architect to a brand new Paheli. A slicker and more modern update raises the stakes, and with New York frozen in time, Ahmad must beat the game again before it beats him.
Like the first book, the story is structured around three challenges that Ahmad and Winnie must complete to defeat MasterMind’s game. Riazi again gives readers not much time as our characters must rush all over the city of Paheli. Ahmad remembers little from his past adventure, so he’s just as confused as Winnie is. What definitely carries on the from the debut is the fast-paced mix of monsters and high-stakes battles for survival. I loved the descriptions of the new Paheli, it’s an entirely new landscape with some familiarity with Ahmad and returning readers. The world-building of the novel and game design shines through. The old Paheli isn’t there anymore, but parts of it still manage to linger with a more significant emphasis on the steampunk design this time around. I enjoyed the level of detail given to the setting. I’m obviously not the intended audience, but this book is good fun, full of action and adventure.
A similar issue I had with The Gauntlet was the disparity in characterisation between the lead, now Ahmad, and its secondary characters. The Battle introduces Ahmad’s classmate, Winnie, as his companion into Paheli. Throughout the novel, you really get a feel for Ahmad and watch him grown as a person, but Winnie is not as fully developed. She’s a smart and confident girl but doesn’t really impact the story as much you’d expect and felt like a paper character meant to just tag along with Ahmad.
Overall, I have no doubt that younger readers will enjoy the new Paheli landscape with high-rise landscapes, flying cars and familiar faces. A surprising reveal at the end makes me wonder where the future of Paheli could lead. I personally didn’t enjoy The Battle that much which is quite disappointing, especially when I adored the first one. I absolutely loved The Gauntlet, but its sequel doesn’t match up with the magic of its predecessor. It is a solid and fascinating return but to those who loved the world created before may be disappointed by its execution.
Years after The Gauntlet, the Architect returns with a new partner, MasterMind, to take revenge on the Mirza family. Now twelve-years-old, Ahmad Mirza must face their latest creation, The Battle. Ahmad is forced back by the Architect to a brand new Paheli. A slicker and more modern update raises the stakes, and with New York frozen in time, Ahmad must beat the game again before it beats him.
Like the first book, the story is structured around three challenges that Ahmad and Winnie must complete to defeat MasterMind’s game. Riazi again gives readers not much time as our characters must rush all over the city of Paheli. Ahmad remembers little from his past adventure, so he’s just as confused as Winnie is. What definitely carries on the from the debut is the fast-paced mix of monsters and high-stakes battles for survival. I loved the descriptions of the new Paheli, it’s an entirely new landscape with some familiarity with Ahmad and returning readers. The world-building of the novel and game design shines through. The old Paheli isn’t there anymore, but parts of it still manage to linger with a more significant emphasis on the steampunk design this time around. I enjoyed the level of detail given to the setting. I’m obviously not the intended audience, but this book is good fun, full of action and adventure.
A similar issue I had with The Gauntlet was the disparity in characterisation between the lead, now Ahmad, and its secondary characters. The Battle introduces Ahmad’s classmate, Winnie, as his companion into Paheli. Throughout the novel, you really get a feel for Ahmad and watch him grown as a person, but Winnie is not as fully developed. She’s a smart and confident girl but doesn’t really impact the story as much you’d expect and felt like a paper character meant to just tag along with Ahmad.
Overall, I have no doubt that younger readers will enjoy the new Paheli landscape with high-rise landscapes, flying cars and familiar faces. A surprising reveal at the end makes me wonder where the future of Paheli could lead. I personally didn’t enjoy The Battle that much which is quite disappointing, especially when I adored the first one. I absolutely loved The Gauntlet, but its sequel doesn’t match up with the magic of its predecessor. It is a solid and fascinating return but to those who loved the world created before may be disappointed by its execution.
yuna's review
4.0
3.5ish * but I'll bump to 4 because I enjoyed it a lot. I guess I'm an outlier judging from some of the other reviews I've read in that I liked The Battle more than The Gauntlet. I liked that Paheli and the challenges went more video game style than tabletop.
Pacing is very quick, which is mostly fine except it made Winnie feel less fleshed out as a character than Ahmad. We only see Winnie through Ahmad's eyes, and since he hardly knows her we don't really get a feel for her/her background aside from what Ahmad has seen/presumed of her at school. Whereas we get a lot better feel for Ahmad and his insecurities (which is understandable since it's told from his POV).
The rapid pacing also made it feel like I only got a one-dimensional feel fro the antagonists and their motives. There was an emotional beat toward the end, but it didn't get the moment it needed to land for me. Also wish the Big Bad had been foreshadowed more throughout.
Pacing is very quick, which is mostly fine except it made Winnie feel less fleshed out as a character than Ahmad. We only see Winnie through Ahmad's eyes, and since he hardly knows her we don't really get a feel for her/her background aside from what Ahmad has seen/presumed of her at school. Whereas we get a lot better feel for Ahmad and his insecurities (which is understandable since it's told from his POV).
The rapid pacing also made it feel like I only got a one-dimensional feel fro the antagonists and their motives. There was an emotional beat toward the end, but it didn't get the moment it needed to land for me. Also wish the Big Bad had been foreshadowed more throughout.
adancewithbooks's review
2.0
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.
2,5 stars
TW: Police schooting at Children / Fire Bombs
The Battle is the sequel to The Gauntlet, and almost like a companion novel. Unfortunately it could not quite live up to the first book. The compelling things from the first book seemed to have fallen away.
The Battle focuses on Ahmad, the younger brother of Farah who she had to find back in the first book. The game was destroyed but managed to rebuild itself and took a more modern route, appearing to Ahmad as a console game. Inside the game everything was also videogame like.
Taking the setting from the middle eastern setting to a generic video game made it lose quite a lot for me. The clear descriptions the first book had felt like they were nowhere to be found in here. It was generic. I had little idea what anything looked like. Adding on to that, the game lost its clear rules and there was just chaos with the challenges. I had no idea what exactly we were heading for in most challenges. It didn’t make it a fun read.
I was excited we got Ahmad as a main character now. From the first book we learned that he had ADHD and I was excited we were going to get that rep in here more front and center. Except I don’t think we did. I think it was mentioned way at the start of this book but the rest of the book just seemed to ignore it. Or that is how I felt in any case.
A theme of the book is friendship which is great. However I don’t understand this friendship. She never gave him attention, never stuck up to him, never smiled at him, nothing. Then this game appeals to her (as the game does) and whoop there she is. They trust each other and that is the end. Again, nothing is actually talked about. Also her personality gave me a whiplash, it was all over the place.
Also there was scene where the police was trying to catch the children and shooting flame bombs at them or something. This bothered me because it certainly didn’t need the violence and it has the potential to be quite triggering for this age group.
Overall I unfortunately didn’t quite enjoy this sequel like I did the first book.
2,5 stars
TW: Police schooting at Children / Fire Bombs
The Battle is the sequel to The Gauntlet, and almost like a companion novel. Unfortunately it could not quite live up to the first book. The compelling things from the first book seemed to have fallen away.
The Battle focuses on Ahmad, the younger brother of Farah who she had to find back in the first book. The game was destroyed but managed to rebuild itself and took a more modern route, appearing to Ahmad as a console game. Inside the game everything was also videogame like.
Taking the setting from the middle eastern setting to a generic video game made it lose quite a lot for me. The clear descriptions the first book had felt like they were nowhere to be found in here. It was generic. I had little idea what anything looked like. Adding on to that, the game lost its clear rules and there was just chaos with the challenges. I had no idea what exactly we were heading for in most challenges. It didn’t make it a fun read.
I was excited we got Ahmad as a main character now. From the first book we learned that he had ADHD and I was excited we were going to get that rep in here more front and center. Except I don’t think we did. I think it was mentioned way at the start of this book but the rest of the book just seemed to ignore it. Or that is how I felt in any case.
A theme of the book is friendship which is great. However I don’t understand this friendship. She never gave him attention, never stuck up to him, never smiled at him, nothing. Then this game appeals to her (as the game does) and whoop there she is. They trust each other and that is the end. Again, nothing is actually talked about. Also her personality gave me a whiplash, it was all over the place.
Also there was scene where the police was trying to catch the children and shooting flame bombs at them or something. This bothered me because it certainly didn’t need the violence and it has the potential to be quite triggering for this age group.
Overall I unfortunately didn’t quite enjoy this sequel like I did the first book.
artfromafriend's review
3.0
A cute and fun story! The Battle is the sequel to The Gauntlet and is action-packed with some fun twists.
- Follows Ahmad, a Bangladeshi-American and autistic kid, and Winnie, a Black girl, are thrust into the world of Paheli, a place that Ahmad draws about and seems to know, though he can't quite remember why.
- The concept of a modern Paheli based on New York was such a cool idea, and I loved the meld of Middle-Eastern influences with technological elements!
- I thought the challenges in this were fun, but didn't have the same sort of ... significance as the first book. The challenges in the first book were about countering each kid's strength, whereas this one was a little bit more haphazard (unless I'm missing something)!
- Nonetheless, I thought this book had a really strong beginning, had some cool twists that readers may like, but had a weaker ending. I would've loved to see more build up!
- I kinda love how, similarly to Jumanji and its 2017 remake, The Gauntlet involved a board game whereas The Battle involved a handheld console? That little parallel was really cool.
- Ultimately, a nice, fun, and easy read! Though maybe not as strong as the first book, it's still an enjoyable story.
- Follows Ahmad, a Bangladeshi-American and autistic kid, and Winnie, a Black girl, are thrust into the world of Paheli, a place that Ahmad draws about and seems to know, though he can't quite remember why.
- The concept of a modern Paheli based on New York was such a cool idea, and I loved the meld of Middle-Eastern influences with technological elements!
- I thought the challenges in this were fun, but didn't have the same sort of ... significance as the first book. The challenges in the first book were about countering each kid's strength, whereas this one was a little bit more haphazard (unless I'm missing something)!
- Nonetheless, I thought this book had a really strong beginning, had some cool twists that readers may like, but had a weaker ending. I would've loved to see more build up!
- I kinda love how, similarly to Jumanji and its 2017 remake, The Gauntlet involved a board game whereas The Battle involved a handheld console? That little parallel was really cool.
- Ultimately, a nice, fun, and easy read! Though maybe not as strong as the first book, it's still an enjoyable story.
bbliophile's review
2.0
I really, really hate saying this because I adored the first book and wanted to love this one so badly but... I really didn't like it. I'll write a full review soon but let's just say I'm very disappointed.
mxhermit's review
3.0
Content Warnings: Scenes of peril, including police figures shooting fireballs at children (the main characters)
Rep: Bangladeshi-American MC with ADHD, Black female SC
Farah Mirza faced the Architect in The Gauntlet. Now, it is Ahmad Mirza’s turn in this futuristic take on the in-universe game.
The Battle unites Ahmad with Winnie as the pair are swept into a high tech, glittering city where familiar faces and new puzzles will be thrown at them in order to entrap them and gain justice for the Architect.
What an adventure! For fans of adventure books and films like Jumanji and Zathura, The Battle is a continuation of Karuna Riazi’s The Gauntlet series that those who have been waiting for a new entry will surely enjoy.
What I Enjoyed
The world building was in-depth, from the hints of old Paheli to the futuristic elements that were made to attract new players to the Game. Middle Eastern elements enfuse the city from Madame Nasirah’s tea shop (a familiar feature to returning readers) to architectural touches in the buildings, clothing, and vehicles. The futuristic elements that I liked the most were one of the lanterns that was likened to a lightning bug and a light up cobblestone “yellow brick road”.
The food served to Ahmad and Winnie made my mouth water. From the spinach pies to the tea pot that poured what was most comforting to the individual drinker, there was so many things to delight in.
Winnie’s enthusiasm for the world of Paheli (driving the futuristic version of a rickshaw) and her quick thinking (being suspicious of twitchy characters, thinking through puzzles) made her likeable even against the frustration I had for her.
What I Didn't Enjoy
The book felt like it took off rather suddenly, allowing no time for the reader to bond with Winnie, the new side character who is going on this journey with Ahmad. She’s posed at this person who is meant to be a new friend, possibly even a good friend, but I didn’t feel any kind of connection to her or any kind of reason as to why, as a reader, I needed to care for or about her.
The jacket copy doesn’t quite mesh with how things play out with regards to Ahmad trying to make Winnie his friend using The Battle as a game and it was confusing because I thought maybe my arc was missing a chapter or something, but perhaps it was just poorly worded? I’m not sure, but it does make things a bit awkward when you read the copy and expect one thing and start reading it and get something else.
The trials didn’t feel as significant as in The Gauntlet. The second one especially felt like it was over in the blink of an eye. Pertaining to that (the second task, a labyrinth): there were details, such as moments where one person had a crucial puzzle piece, that got very muddled which added to the confusion. It was like the writing got bumbled or something.
There was also some moments in the action during the finale that made no sense, like everyone was scrambling so fast to get things done that the writing wasn’t concerned with making sense (point a –> point b –> point c, etc.). It was incredibly frustrating because I would reread these sections over and over again, thinking I’d misunderstood, but I’m almost positive these were just threads that weren’t taken care of.
As I mentioned in the previous section section, I liked Winnie’s enthusiasm and quick thinking, but I also don’t think she was as well developed as she could have been. She was only so-so, from the somewhat superficial relationship she had with Ahmad to the journey she went on through the book that ought to have given the reader a deeper understanding and connection with her.
To Sum It Up
Karuna Riazi has amazing ideas and weaves them into interesting stories, from The Gauntlet and now into Ahmad and Winnie’s tale in The Battle. There were some issues that I had that there frustrating, including scenes that didn’t make sense and lack of character development. Overall, I think the bones of a good adventure are here and could well be enjoyed by readers who picked up the story of Farah Mirza and are now curious about what her brother, Ahmad, can do when facing Paheli.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Quotes included are from an advanced reader copy and may not reflect the finalized copy.
Rep: Bangladeshi-American MC with ADHD, Black female SC
Farah Mirza faced the Architect in The Gauntlet. Now, it is Ahmad Mirza’s turn in this futuristic take on the in-universe game.
The Battle unites Ahmad with Winnie as the pair are swept into a high tech, glittering city where familiar faces and new puzzles will be thrown at them in order to entrap them and gain justice for the Architect.
What an adventure! For fans of adventure books and films like Jumanji and Zathura, The Battle is a continuation of Karuna Riazi’s The Gauntlet series that those who have been waiting for a new entry will surely enjoy.
What I Enjoyed
The world building was in-depth, from the hints of old Paheli to the futuristic elements that were made to attract new players to the Game. Middle Eastern elements enfuse the city from Madame Nasirah’s tea shop (a familiar feature to returning readers) to architectural touches in the buildings, clothing, and vehicles. The futuristic elements that I liked the most were one of the lanterns that was likened to a lightning bug and a light up cobblestone “yellow brick road”.
The food served to Ahmad and Winnie made my mouth water. From the spinach pies to the tea pot that poured what was most comforting to the individual drinker, there was so many things to delight in.
Winnie’s enthusiasm for the world of Paheli (driving the futuristic version of a rickshaw) and her quick thinking (being suspicious of twitchy characters, thinking through puzzles) made her likeable even against the frustration I had for her.
What I Didn't Enjoy
The book felt like it took off rather suddenly, allowing no time for the reader to bond with Winnie, the new side character who is going on this journey with Ahmad. She’s posed at this person who is meant to be a new friend, possibly even a good friend, but I didn’t feel any kind of connection to her or any kind of reason as to why, as a reader, I needed to care for or about her.
The jacket copy doesn’t quite mesh with how things play out with regards to Ahmad trying to make Winnie his friend using The Battle as a game and it was confusing because I thought maybe my arc was missing a chapter or something, but perhaps it was just poorly worded? I’m not sure, but it does make things a bit awkward when you read the copy and expect one thing and start reading it and get something else.
The trials didn’t feel as significant as in The Gauntlet. The second one especially felt like it was over in the blink of an eye. Pertaining to that (the second task, a labyrinth): there were details, such as moments where one person had a crucial puzzle piece, that got very muddled which added to the confusion. It was like the writing got bumbled or something.
There was also some moments in the action during the finale that made no sense, like everyone was scrambling so fast to get things done that the writing wasn’t concerned with making sense (point a –> point b –> point c, etc.). It was incredibly frustrating because I would reread these sections over and over again, thinking I’d misunderstood, but I’m almost positive these were just threads that weren’t taken care of.
As I mentioned in the previous section section, I liked Winnie’s enthusiasm and quick thinking, but I also don’t think she was as well developed as she could have been. She was only so-so, from the somewhat superficial relationship she had with Ahmad to the journey she went on through the book that ought to have given the reader a deeper understanding and connection with her.
To Sum It Up
Karuna Riazi has amazing ideas and weaves them into interesting stories, from The Gauntlet and now into Ahmad and Winnie’s tale in The Battle. There were some issues that I had that there frustrating, including scenes that didn’t make sense and lack of character development. Overall, I think the bones of a good adventure are here and could well be enjoyed by readers who picked up the story of Farah Mirza and are now curious about what her brother, Ahmad, can do when facing Paheli.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Quotes included are from an advanced reader copy and may not reflect the finalized copy.
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