Rick Riordan Presents: Aru Shah and the End of Time (Pandava Series Book 1)

Aru Shah walked into my heart and refused to leave. What sets this one apart is how effortlessly it draws from Hindu mythology — it made the world feel genuinely fresh rather than like a Western hero's journey in a new costume. The humor is sharp without trying too hard, the friendship dynamics are warm, and the adventure moves. I didn't want it to end.

“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*

It took me a bit to get into this book. I was expecting the quick dive in I am used to with Rick Riordan's books, since this is part of his imprint. The main character (or heroine, as she would prefer) is deeply flawed. Which, in the end makes for some really interesting character growth opportunities. She is almost a pathological liar at the beginning of the book. She has good reasons for it, which a lot of kids her age can probably relate to. I never lied on that scale, but I can really sympathize with her. She has an almost resentful relationship with her mother, who is always away on business trips and always forgetting things that are important to Aru. Aru also has a difficult time connecting with the kids in her school--the lies are her shield from what she thinks is inevitable mockery. Ultimately, Aru really wants to fit in, but because she doesn't think she will she choose to lie about why she doesn't fit in. This leads to her making a very poor choice and awakening a demon who is bent on destroying the world. She's thrown on a quest (While in her Spiderman pjs) to save the world and her only help is another girl her age, Mini, who is afraid that everything is going to kill her in some way and a talking pigeon. Its a fun story and pulls in the colorful world of Indian mythology really well. I also REALLY loved having girl characters driving the narrative. I will be looking forward to checking out the next book.

Since I'm rather passionate about books and reading, I often purchase books for my grandchildren for special occasions. This was for my granddaughter's birthday and it was an excellent choice. I'll admit that my initial choice was based on the stunning cover art, pre-teen female heroines, and the recommendation from Rick Riordan. A wonderful fantasy based on Indian mythology and Hindu culture, with a flavor of some of the Disney stories including animals who can talk, this is a fun adventure story about a 12-year-old girl who messed up by telling a lie to her school friends. To try to wiggle her way out of being caught in the lie, she lit a 'cursed' lamp at the museum where her archeologist mother worked and released a demon known as "the Sleeper" causing time to STOP! The story is exciting and fast-paced with complete descriptions to immerse the reader in the story providing a feeling that you can see and hear the diverse and interesting characters. Intense yet funny with strong young female characters. A birthday gift to be proud of -this was a hit!

This book, Aru Shah and the End of Time, starts with a little girl who lights a special lamp and goes into an elephant and it ends up being an adventure. I liked that some of the characters were nice (well that’s better than 0 nice characters!). I also thought it was cool that everyone froze when Aru lit the lamp. The most interesting part was when they went to a barber shop to find the Sprig of Youth. The worst part was when the hairdresser at the barber shop turned the demon into ash, because it was a little bit sad. I would definitely recommend this book to others because it is a good Fantasy Fiction book for kids. It is a good book for kids ages 6-18 years old (if a 6 year old can not read, it can be read by a grown up or someone who can read). My overall view of the book is it is AWESOME because it is very adventurous and fun. I am definitely going to read the rest of the books in the series!

My 11 year old son loves for me to read to him each night. I bought this book on the recommendation of a young girl who attends the same music school as him. I've been reading one chapter each night and each chapter is fantastic. It is a delight for me to read and a real struggle to not finish reading the entire book by myself (that's against our rules). Listening to him laugh in response to Aru's dry wit or Mini's concerns is great. If your kid/s enjoys Harry Potter or Rick Riodan novels, they will LOVE this book. It's funny and delightful. The descriptions of the world are amazing and vivid. Kids around age 11 will love Aru's voice. Mini will be someone they instantly sympathize with because she is adorable. Also because the characters they encounter and places they go are often based on Hindu mythology (rather than Greek/Roman/Norse mythology that proliferate most western children's literature) everything feels fresh and new! Especially to the adult reading the book aloud to their child! We can't wait for a sequel!

This was a really fascinating and well put together book. I love how it incorporated Hindu religion and mythology. It was a good story, engaging, and cleverly put together. It dealt with serious concepts, but also had a lot of relevant humor in the writing. I appreciate that it was about girls, and the strength and intelligence they have. I would maybe give it four stars, but rounding up to five because I think that’s what it would deserve if I was reading it as a kid.

My 9 year old son and I enjoyed reading this together. The story line and character descriptions captures your interest and keeps you wanting to learn more. We're excited to continue the series to see what happens next.

Necesitábamos más historias escritas por mujeres. Más historias con protagonistas como Aru. Perfecto para todo aquel que disfrutando de las historias de Rick quiere fiarse de su criterio y del inigualable talento de su escritora.

Un libro para chicos y grandes. Buen comienzo para entender un poco de la cultura indu de forma sencilla

Love the Percy Jackson series of books and the mythology behind them saw this on the authors website and had to find it. Can't wait to read it.

excellent livre. l'histoire est prenante bien dans la lignée des Percy Jackson de Rick Riordan. maintenant j'attends impatiemment la suite.

Incrível adição ao Riordanverso. Recomendo totalmente!