Aru Shah and the Song of Death by Roshani Chokshi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Aru Shah and the Song of Death is somehow even more exciting than the first book!
In this installment, the second in the Pandava Quartet, evil is afoot in the Otherworld.
The God of Love’s bow and arrow have been stolen and the thief is creating an heartless zombie horde they can control for their own sinister purposes.
The Gods suspect Aru of the crime, but she had nothing to do with it. Seriously, she is telling the truth this time, but they want her to prove it.
She is given until the full moon to find the thief and return the arrow, or risk being banished from the Otherworld forever.
Luckily for Aru, she is not facing this task alone. She has her Pandava soul-sister, Mini, with her, as well as the recently discovered third reincarnated Pandava brother sister, Brynne, and the cute new boy across the street, Aidan.
Together, this quartet will do whatever it takes to prove their innocence and return the Otherworld to normalcy.
They travel through dangerous territories, battle scary creatures and learn to love and trust one another; although somewhat begrudgingly.
I thought the inclusion of Brynne and Aidan added a great deal to the story. It felt like it grew so much complexity just by adding their personalities into the mix.
This entire story had the classic quest feel that I live for and I enjoyed the little LOTR references thrown in; a charming nod to one of the most epic quests of all time.
I am really looking forward to continuing on with this series. After the first book, I could have stopped there. I enjoyed it, but could have been happy with it as a standalone.
I continued on because this one had such high ratings and I am so glad that I did.
I am completely attached to these kids now. There’s no turning back. I will be with them until the end. Pandavas unite!
