Aru Shah and the Song of Death
By Roshani Chokshi
(*This is the second book in the Pandava series. You will want to be sure to read the first one, Aru Shah and the End of Time, before you read this one.)
Hi! Do you like scavenger hunts? I know I do! Well, Aru’s quest is just like a giant scavenger hunt. Aru and her friends’ main goal is to retrieve Kamadeva’s bow and arrow. (Kamadeva is the god of love.)
The book starts with Aru and her “sister,” Mini, hunting down the thief. But they quickly learn that the one they suspect isn’t actually the thief. There’s a slight problem, though. There are zombies everywhere, supposedly being controlled by the thief. So, it’s sort of like a challenge in an obstacle course. They have to get the golden bow and arrow back while fighting off hundreds of zombies. Eventually, they get close enough to the “thief” to see that she’s fighting someone. And that someone is… Aru? It was most likely an illusion, because the real Aru was watching the “thief” fight a fake Aru. Pretty confusing, right?
Later, Aru stepped up to fight the thief. Let’s just say she got blown off her feet in the first five seconds of the battle. Next thing she knew, she was inside this huge bubble while the gods discussed her, Mini’s, and Brynne’s fate. Some of the gods believed that they had stolen the bow and arrow. So, they gave them a ten day trial to retrieve the bow and arrow and stab the arrow into the real thief’s heart. It was the only way to turn the zombies back to human. But they didn’t have to do it alone. They got a guide. His name was Aiden.
Together, they were almost eaten by giant crabs, they went against serpants, rescued each other from the land of sleep, and through it all, they learned to trust and rely on one another.
Will they be able to defeat the thief and make it back in time? Or will they be exiled from the realm of the gods forever? As I always say, read the book to find out!
A few helpful things I like to say about the books I read:
“Run and Get Mom” (how I describe the scariness factor – zero being not scary at all and five being majorly scary): 4
“Yucky-Lovey Stuff” (how I describe the romance factor – zero having no yucky-lovey parts in it and five having major yucky-lovey parts):2
I give this book 5wands.
This story showed how much friendship matters. It shows how to rely on one another and to trust each other to get out of sticky situations. If you like the Percy Jackson Series, you are going to LOVE this book!
