Scan barcode
lonelyhuman's review
4.0
3.5/5
It's been so long since I read a middle grade book (other than rereads), and it was so nostalgic for some reason. One of the things that I love about middle grade books is the fact that the plot is not as predictable because the authors actually have unique ideas (*gasp*) and the same tropes are not reused until you can tell the end of the book from the summary, and it was kind of nice to see that again.
It's been so long since I read a middle grade book (other than rereads), and it was so nostalgic for some reason. One of the things that I love about middle grade books is the fact that the plot is not as predictable because the authors actually have unique ideas (*gasp*) and the same tropes are not reused until you can tell the end of the book from the summary, and it was kind of nice to see that again.
xavia's review
4.0
There's a line in the book that I felt really encompassed this story: There's a reason movies don't always show what happens immediately after a battle ends.
I feel like this line, which in context is probably nothing more than a throw away to lighten the mood after a hard battle, really fits my overall take away from this book. People are so focused on the climax, they pay little attention to the aftermath.
Light spoilers ahead, so read at your own risk!
In this book, we are confronted with two antagonists. Takshaka and Surpanakha. Takshaka holds a grudge against Aru/Arjuna for the destruction of his home and the death of his family. Surpanakha just wants to be remembered for her life as a whole, and not her worst moment. We find out through the course of this book, that both of these figures feature in some way or another in larger stories, but that they are largely overlooked or misrepresented in favor of a larger narrative. Their stories and their pain is not important to the narrative, so it gets pushes aside. Forgotten. Glossed over, just like the aftermath of a battle. I'm not here to defend what they do in this book. They hurt a lot of people. They are undeniably villains. But I get where they are coming from. And I think Aru does too.
That message, that Heroes are not always good and Villains are not always bad, is a prominent theme so far in these books, and I love it. Everything shouldn't be black and white, as it is so often portrayed, so this grey morality, this having to choose to a side, is fantastic. And I think may be building to something bigger later on in the series.
Let's move on though to something else that I loved. The Characters.
This book introduces us to two new characters, Aiden and Brynne. The inclusion of these two characters is fantastic as it gives us more personalities to work with and blend together and make the book feel even more put together. Aru and Mini by themselves are a treat (I would die for Yamini, don't fight me), but Brynne and Aiden were like icing on a cinnamon roll. The roll is good by itself, it certainly doesn't suffer in it's base form, but the addition of icing makes it even better.
We meet Aiden at the end of the last book, and when we first meet him again here, it is wild. Semi-divine, he has access to the Otherworld, and he also has otherworldly good looks (for a reason). Even though he is apparently the Bollywood hero of Aru's dreams, he is also a bit of a nerd, which honestly just makes me think he suits Aru even better. He is always taking pictures of everything around him and is trying to ensure all the girls get along and takes special care to make sure they accept Brynne. I love his characterization, and am interested to see where the books take him going forward (also that end reveal? Delicious.)
Brynne is our second new character, and I love her. Maybe not as much as I love Mini, but that's a high bar. Brynne is crazy strong, super accomplished, and has the appetite of an absolute beast (in a good way). She actually reminds me of my favorite Shadowrun character I've ever created, so I may be a bit biased here. Any way, despite how absolutely epic she is, she suffers from a lot of self esteem and abandonment issues, and I think that twist on her character is fantastic. It's easy to make an absolute unit that is arrogant and dismissive (and indeed Brynne starts off in this very way), but as the story goes forward, you realize that a lot of that is just an act, and what she wants is to be accepted. Just like Aru and Mini.
All in all, I'm really loving this series. Of all the RRP series I've read, I think this is in my top three. This and The Storm Runner (which went absolutely off the rails and I cannot wait for the spin off). What I'm saying is, if you can't read all the RRP books - and that's understandable there are a lot of them - I highly recommend this series be one of the ones you do read.
I feel like this line, which in context is probably nothing more than a throw away to lighten the mood after a hard battle, really fits my overall take away from this book. People are so focused on the climax, they pay little attention to the aftermath.
Light spoilers ahead, so read at your own risk!
In this book, we are confronted with two antagonists. Takshaka and Surpanakha. Takshaka holds a grudge against Aru/Arjuna for the destruction of his home and the death of his family. Surpanakha just wants to be remembered for her life as a whole, and not her worst moment. We find out through the course of this book, that both of these figures feature in some way or another in larger stories, but that they are largely overlooked or misrepresented in favor of a larger narrative. Their stories and their pain is not important to the narrative, so it gets pushes aside. Forgotten. Glossed over, just like the aftermath of a battle. I'm not here to defend what they do in this book. They hurt a lot of people. They are undeniably villains. But I get where they are coming from. And I think Aru does too.
That message, that Heroes are not always good and Villains are not always bad, is a prominent theme so far in these books, and I love it. Everything shouldn't be black and white, as it is so often portrayed, so this grey morality, this having to choose to a side, is fantastic. And I think may be building to something bigger later on in the series.
Let's move on though to something else that I loved. The Characters.
This book introduces us to two new characters, Aiden and Brynne. The inclusion of these two characters is fantastic as it gives us more personalities to work with and blend together and make the book feel even more put together. Aru and Mini by themselves are a treat (I would die for Yamini, don't fight me), but Brynne and Aiden were like icing on a cinnamon roll. The roll is good by itself, it certainly doesn't suffer in it's base form, but the addition of icing makes it even better.
We meet Aiden at the end of the last book, and when we first meet him again here, it is wild. Semi-divine, he has access to the Otherworld, and he also has otherworldly good looks (for a reason). Even though he is apparently the Bollywood hero of Aru's dreams, he is also a bit of a nerd, which honestly just makes me think he suits Aru even better. He is always taking pictures of everything around him and is trying to ensure all the girls get along and takes special care to make sure they accept Brynne. I love his characterization, and am interested to see where the books take him going forward (also that end reveal? Delicious.)
Brynne is our second new character, and I love her. Maybe not as much as I love Mini, but that's a high bar. Brynne is crazy strong, super accomplished, and has the appetite of an absolute beast (in a good way). She actually reminds me of my favorite Shadowrun character I've ever created, so I may be a bit biased here. Any way, despite how absolutely epic she is, she suffers from a lot of self esteem and abandonment issues, and I think that twist on her character is fantastic. It's easy to make an absolute unit that is arrogant and dismissive (and indeed Brynne starts off in this very way), but as the story goes forward, you realize that a lot of that is just an act, and what she wants is to be accepted. Just like Aru and Mini.
All in all, I'm really loving this series. Of all the RRP series I've read, I think this is in my top three. This and The Storm Runner (which went absolutely off the rails and I cannot wait for the spin off). What I'm saying is, if you can't read all the RRP books - and that's understandable there are a lot of them - I highly recommend this series be one of the ones you do read.
sriyasbooks's review
3.0
You know what, also not bad. Somehow this books sort of makes me feel the tiniest bit endeared to these characters. I think it’s their silliness. I will say the author’s millennialness is so very clear here in most of the jokes and the book suffers a bit for it. But the dynamic between the characters is there somewhat. Minnie is still not my favorite and I hope either her jokes get better or she grows more in following books. Aru is the same but more confident which I don’t mind for her, and surprisingly, I don’t mind Aiden. The ending did make me crack up for real, and I think the bonding moment for Aru and Aiden is good. Bryn is a better balance of comic relief and character, although I think she could be better.
acting_author_avatar's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Bro. This is probably the best book in the series. It is so funny! 🤣
I may or may not have gotten ideas for April Fools... ('My precious' thing on pg 356) 😆
I may or may not have gotten ideas for April Fools... ('My precious' thing on pg 356) 😆
daffz's review against another edition
4.0
Just as much fun as the first one! I continue to really appreciate Aru as a main character. She's so funny to read about, but also feels so real. I really like how much she actually acts like her age, without the author falling into traps of making her do really silly things just because she's young.
I enjoyed how much this book expanded the world and how it introduced new characters. The way friendships developed over time was really well done, and I look forward to seeing how future books expand on this. The mythology woven into the plot is very nicely done, and I definitely recommend this series to anyone who likes the Percy Jackson books.
I enjoyed how much this book expanded the world and how it introduced new characters. The way friendships developed over time was really well done, and I look forward to seeing how future books expand on this. The mythology woven into the plot is very nicely done, and I definitely recommend this series to anyone who likes the Percy Jackson books.
lookingforamandaa's review
5.0
Roshani Chokshi she has done it again and created a middle grade book that I just could not put down. I read this in two sittings. I borrowed the audiobook from my library and waited until I was driving back home from visiting my parents (which is an eight-hour drive) so I could listen to the whole thing in the one car ride. But I couldn’t wait. So, I listened to an hour or two and then the next day listened to the rest. There’s something about this series that I just really love.
Our main character, Aru, is flawed but learning. She acknowledges that she has flaws and maybe she isn’t doing the right thing. She’s clever and thoughtful and tries her best to make sure she’s doing the right thing. She’s learning about herself and learning to accept the new things she’s learning. I just adore her inner dialogue. She had a lot of insecurities that she tries to work through in this book and I appreciated that because it’s something that many struggle with.
Mini was missing for most of this story but the parts she was around for were great. She’s still nerdy. She’s still smart. She’s besties with Aru and I just think they’re the cutest friends.
Then there’s our new Pandava’s. Brynne is kick ass and doesn’t let anyone push her around. I thought Brynne’s fiery attitude was an interesting addition to this friend group. I think she really challenged Aru and that made for some good lessons. I thought Brynne was really interesting because she was a great example of a person that puts on a scary face and lots of attitude to hide her own fears and insecurities. She really brought attention to the conversation of making an effort to get to know someone before you just say their mean and leave it at that.
Finally, Aiden. The mysterious boy across the street. Aiden is dealing with a lot in his personal life, but still puts on a brave face and does his part to help the girls. He’s really the bridge between Brynne and the girls. He’s her best friend and I really enjoyed their friendship. He has his camera wherever he goes and I loved that. I think the twist that involves him was interesting. It definitely made me laugh.
There were a few things that I didn’t totally love about this book. But these things really didn’t detract from the book at all. The beginning had me a bit confused. The story jumps right into the action. The cast is battling some of the heartless and it was just chaotic and it took me a minute to figure out what was going on. Aside from that, there were so many pop culture references. This is something that I actually enjoy. It makes sense to have these things mentioned in a current story. But I think it’s really going to date the book in a few years. But I still liked it. The giant crab talking about Moana and The Little Mermaid really was my favorite.
Overall, I loved this book. I loved the characters. They were interesting and complex. The interactions they had with one another were the best and kept me laughing. I just love this friend group and I cannot wait to see who else we meet in the next book. I think the world that’s shown to us was incredible. The Otherworld was intricate and completely fascinating. I adored the mythological aspects of the story. I felt like I was reading and learning so much. I just adore this series, this world, these characters. Go read them asap. Find my review for the first book, Aru Shah and the End of Time, here.
Our main character, Aru, is flawed but learning. She acknowledges that she has flaws and maybe she isn’t doing the right thing. She’s clever and thoughtful and tries her best to make sure she’s doing the right thing. She’s learning about herself and learning to accept the new things she’s learning. I just adore her inner dialogue. She had a lot of insecurities that she tries to work through in this book and I appreciated that because it’s something that many struggle with.
Mini was missing for most of this story but the parts she was around for were great. She’s still nerdy. She’s still smart. She’s besties with Aru and I just think they’re the cutest friends.
Then there’s our new Pandava’s. Brynne is kick ass and doesn’t let anyone push her around. I thought Brynne’s fiery attitude was an interesting addition to this friend group. I think she really challenged Aru and that made for some good lessons. I thought Brynne was really interesting because she was a great example of a person that puts on a scary face and lots of attitude to hide her own fears and insecurities. She really brought attention to the conversation of making an effort to get to know someone before you just say their mean and leave it at that.
Finally, Aiden. The mysterious boy across the street. Aiden is dealing with a lot in his personal life, but still puts on a brave face and does his part to help the girls. He’s really the bridge between Brynne and the girls. He’s her best friend and I really enjoyed their friendship. He has his camera wherever he goes and I loved that. I think the twist that involves him was interesting. It definitely made me laugh.
There were a few things that I didn’t totally love about this book. But these things really didn’t detract from the book at all. The beginning had me a bit confused. The story jumps right into the action. The cast is battling some of the heartless and it was just chaotic and it took me a minute to figure out what was going on. Aside from that, there were so many pop culture references. This is something that I actually enjoy. It makes sense to have these things mentioned in a current story. But I think it’s really going to date the book in a few years. But I still liked it. The giant crab talking about Moana and The Little Mermaid really was my favorite.
Overall, I loved this book. I loved the characters. They were interesting and complex. The interactions they had with one another were the best and kept me laughing. I just love this friend group and I cannot wait to see who else we meet in the next book. I think the world that’s shown to us was incredible. The Otherworld was intricate and completely fascinating. I adored the mythological aspects of the story. I felt like I was reading and learning so much. I just adore this series, this world, these characters. Go read them asap. Find my review for the first book, Aru Shah and the End of Time, here.
genderqueer_hiker's review
4.0
This was an excellent second book in the series. It leaned more into Aru as a character, and adding two more heroes to their party brought more richness to the emotional complexity of the characters. I liked this even more than the first!!
kkaste's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
beth_books_123's review
5.0
9th Best Book of 2022!
I LOVE this series. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!
Her writing's tone and structure is very similar to Riordan's, which I love.
This time, badass girls are at the forefront and I've loved learning about Hindu mythology. My only query is WHAT is going on with Aru and Aiden?
I LOVE this series. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!
Her writing's tone and structure is very similar to Riordan's, which I love.
This time, badass girls are at the forefront and I've loved learning about Hindu mythology. My only query is WHAT is going on with Aru and Aiden?