An immersive and suspenseful adventure, and an incredibly promising start to the Pandava series. Cannot wait for the next installment.

Aru Shah and the End of Time is the first book in a brand new Pandava Quartet series by New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi ! I have read The Star-Touched Queen series by Roshani in the past, and really, really enjoyed the story, so when this book crossed my radar, I knew I would have to check it out!! I'm so glad I did, I really enjoyed this book!

Aru Shah and the End of Time is the first book to be released by the new Disney-Hyperion imprint, Rick Riordan Presents! If you don't know what Rick Riordan Presents is, you can read more about it Here. Basically, it's an imprint that will be devoted just middle grade books by authors from underrepresented cultures and backgrounds. Does that sound great, or what?? How awesome will it be to read about different cultures, from authors that are actually from each culture? I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty excited for this!!

Aru Shah and the End of Time is a story is about a 12 year old girl named Aru Shah, who, in an attempt to impress her schoolmates, unintentionally releases and ancient demon, who, if not stopped, could cause the end of time.

Let me say, if you're a fan of Rick Riordan's stories, or of any kind of mythology, you will definitely want to check out this book. I love reading Rick's books, because not only are they completely engaging, but they are also educating as well. I felt this and SO MUCH MORE about Aru Shah and the End of Time. Not only did Roshani Chokshi keep me completely entertained with the story, but it also taught me all about Hindu Mythology, which I knew nothing about, but am now completely fascinated with.

This book also has some really great characters. There's not just one, but TWO awesome heroines' in the story, and it was absolutely fascinating to go along on their journey with them to stop the end of time. These girls were in no way perfect, and brought up so many memories from my youth. (Yup, I was once a 12 year old girl. I get it, Aru!) I love them! There are a lot of really awesome secondary characters in the story as well, Boo being one of my favorites, and I was completely fascinated by them all!

The storyline for the book, as I mentioned above, is all about Hindu mythology. I'll be perfectly honest with you, I probably wouldn't know half of the things I know about Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Norse mythology without having read Rick Riordan's books, and I LOVE that I have retained that information long after I read them. (It helps with those Jeopardy categories!) I know the same is going to happen with this book. Not only is Roshani is telling us a story with Aru Shah and the End of Time, she's also educating us on Hindu Mythology as well, and I love that! The whole story was completely fascinating, and I can't wait to get my hand on the next book(s) in the series as soon as possible.

Overall; I really, really enjoyed Aru Shah and the End of Time, and I absolutely can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series when they are released!! I love the characters, and the storyline, and the fact that it made me laugh out loud so many times. I loved it! (As if you can't tell!) If you're a fan of mythology, and love books that are similar to Rick Riordan's, do check out Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi! I hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did!

Happy Reading!!

This was a really fun read.  I will admit to not knowing much at all about Indian mythology, but Chokshi had a way of introducing bits and pieces of it throughout the story that both did not seem ham-fisted or patronizing.  The moments where different elements of mythology were brought in were really the strongest part of the book, and I definitely want to learn more about some of these myths after reading.  This seemed to pick up as the book went along and some of the scenes in the second half of the book were not only fascinating but hit me on an emotional level I was not expecting.

Another strength was the title character Aru and especially her relationship with her "sister" Mini.  I found them to be incredibly endearing and funny, both individually as characters and their relationship as a whole.  For not spending a ton of time with the characters, I felt like I really knew who both of them were very quickly.  I liked how Aru did not completely change throughout the story; rather, she realized that some of the things about herself that she previously thought of as negatives, she began to look at in a different way and see them as strengths.  I constantly found Mini saying the types of things I immediately thought her character would say, but doing so in a way that was still somehow unexpected and would make me laugh.

If I had one complaint about the book, it would be that it took me a little bit of time to get into.  I never was not enjoying myself reading the book, but it did not grab me right from the jump.  It definitely picked up and I found myself unable to put it down for the last third or so of the book, but this somewhat slow beginning is the reason I would not give the book the full five stars.  I'm excited for future installments in the series and if they pick up where this book left off, I think I'm going to love them.

I think this is a book some of my students would enjoy.  I think students who are interested in mythology would really like this book, especially because it is a different mythology than the ones they are constantly exposed to.  I also like having middle grade books in my classroom because they are less daunting to take on as a book to read on the side while dealing with schoolwork for a lot of my students.  I would be happy to have a copy of Aru in my classroom to recommend to students!

I have read all of the Rick Riordan books and I loved them so this was on my list as soon as I found out about it.

I love learning about Indian culture and mythology while reading this story, that is one of the best aspects of this novel. The gods, villains, stories, food, and culture is all new to me. There are not a lot of books that feature this culture out there.
The second part of this that I loved was the female heroines!!!! No heroes here!!!!! The girls rock this. I think the characters are well developed and are not perfect without having too many faults, they are believable. I can't wait to see how they grow in the series and the new characters that will be added.
I think this book is coming at the perfect time to be very well received and very successful.
I will be recommending this to all of my tweens!!!

Aru lives in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture with her mother. Her father left when she was young and her mother travels all over to find more artifacts for the museum. Aru wishes she was cooler, had more friends, and had a mom who spent more time with her. Aru's way of escaping is by using her imagination and creating elaborate stories to explain her life. These stories frustrate her classmates, who feel lied to. When several classmates call Aru on a lie and force her to light the Lamp of Bharata, which enacts the curse tied to it. Now everyone around Aru is frozen. She must join her soul sister and their pigeon guide, Boo, to save the universe from ending.

This book is funny. It is unique, by bringing in Indian mythology. I enjoy the fact that the main characters are heroines as opposed to the traditional heroes. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Rick Riordan introduces his new imprint with Aru Shah and the End of Time, author Roshani Chokshi's adventure through Indian mythology.

Aru Shah is a 12-year-old Indian girl who has a hard time fitting in at school, so she... embellishes the truth... to keep up with her wealthy classmates. The thing is, they all know she lies, and she's become a target of derision over it. She lives with her archaeologist mother in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, and tells her friends that there's a cursed lamp in the exhibits. Naturally, they show up, demanding her to prove it. Ignoring her mother's advice to never touch the lamp, Aru lights it and unwittingly releases The Sleeper - an ancient demon - who's going to awaken the Shiva, the god of destruction, if Aru can't make things right in time. After discovering that Aru is the reincarnation of one of the legendary heroes, the Pandava brothers, she sets off on a mythological adventure where she'll learn more about herself and her mother than she could ever have imagined.


I was so excited to read Aru Shah, especially after finishing Sayantani Dasgupta's brilliant The Serpent's Secret a couple of weeks ago. Indian mythology is an area I've never read much about, and it's time that was remedied. Aru is on a quest to save her family and friends, and she's not alone: she's got a Pandava sister she meets on the way, and a disgraced god-turned-pigeon to guide her as she seeks out the weapons that will stop the Seeker. There's great world-building, with humor and a sense of wonder as Aru meets gods and goddesses she thought existed only in myth; the character development is great for people unfamiliar with Indian mythology, as each god, goddess, and demon gets enough of an explanation to keep readers in the story. There's a glossary at the end to help readers with the origin tales of Indian myths featured in the book.

You know who to give this to: the Percy Jackson/Kane Chronicles/Magnus Chase/Riordan readers who love world mythology; the kids who read Serpent's Secret and wanted more? Now you can give them Aru Shah and tell them that Rick Riordan Presents has Mayan and Korean mythology coming up next. Aru Shah and the End of Time has starred reviews from School Library Journal, Publisher's Weekly, and Kirkus.

This sassy, happy, and interesting adventure follows Arundhati Shah, her soul sister Yasmini, and a sidekick named Boo (short for Subala) as they try to save the world and restart time. (I guess I should mention that Aru is responsible for stopping time, although she didn't really know that would happen as she was just showing off, and I'm pretty sure she won't do it again. But she'll probably do something similar, in all honesty. Aru is just... naughty. But she's nice, really she is.)

For those who are unfamiliar with Indian mythohistory, the Pandava Quartet draws on characters and stories from Mahābhārata and the Rāmāyana, the two great Indian epics. Aru and Mini have Pandava heritage and are upending that whole idea that you have to be male to be a hero. If you've enjoyed Greek, Roman and Norse mythology, stepping into the colorful, bold world of Indian stories is a real treat. The wit and humor in this middle-grade book are enough to keep most adults enjoying it. I can imagine the audiobook of this story, which releases on March 27, is going to be a great treat.

I've been trying to read other types of mythology lately, and although I have almost no knowledge of them... I think books like this one sparks the interest of readers! I recently read ARU SHAH AND THE END OF TIME and woooooooooow! I was getting Percy Jackson vibes through the whole thing! 😍

Keep in mind, it's a middle grade book (and an AMAZING one!) and I definitely recommend it for those -like me- who like to learn a bit of mythology through fun fiction books and of course for MIDDLE GRADERS!

Aru Shah is a girl with an amazing imagination (and she's also a bit of a liar), but this isn't necessarily a bad thing! She is definitely a unique character and her flaws are what make her so likeable. Aru and her lies are the cause of the HUUUUGE mess that they gotta clean up through the whole book! 😱 I cannot wait to see what else Roshani Chokshi does with the series!

I’m a huge fan of Rick Riordan and so have been looking forward to his imprint, “Rick Riordan Presents” with great anticipation. I love Riordan’s goal which is to “publish great books by middle grade authors from underrepresented cultures and backgrounds, to let them tell their own stories inspired by the mythology and folklore of their own heritage.”

Aru Shah and the End of Time (A Pandava Novel Book 1) is the first release from this newest imprint by Disney-Hyperion, and it does a fantastic job catapulting readers into the massive world of Hindu mythology. I know just enough about Hindu gods and goddesses to feel overwhelmed by all the many names and stories, so I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t be able to keep up. But author Roshani Chokshi expertly weaves the basics into the story while at the same time layering in enough complexity that I imagine even seasoned experts in Hindu mythology will be captivated.

Chokshi is a breath of fresh air to middle grade fiction. Main character Aru Shah, a 12-year-old Indian-American girl living in Atlanta, is relatable and hilarious. Aru lives in a small apartment inside the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, which her mother runs. She’s in seventh grade at a private school and feels out of place among her rich classmates who wear the latest fashions and take international vacations with their families. Aru also feels lonely a lot of the time. She’s an only child and her mom is distant and distracted when she is home, which isn’t very often because she’s constantly traveling for work, leaving Aru with only a babysitter and giant stone elephant for company. Aru’s never known her father, but knows this isn’t a subject her mom is comfortable discussing.

This all changes one day when a big lie leads Aru to make an even bigger mistake. She lights an ancient cursed lamp in the museum to impress her classmates and accidentally releases the Sleeper, a demon set on destroying the world. Oops.

Fortunately, Aru quickly learns (with the help of a talking pigeon) that she is a reincarnation of one of the famous Pandavas, five legendary heroes in Hindu mythology. Now she must search out the others and hope that together they can save the world from utter destruction. On her quest, she meets some of the most famous names in Hindu mythology who help (and hinder) her mission.

I was really excited to learn Roshani Chokshi has written several other books in addition to Aru Shah, and I will definitely be adding those to my reading list. Her writing style is energetic and witty. I definitely saw similarities to Riordan’s writing style, but Chokshi has a strong voice all her own, and I can’t wait to see where she takes Aru’s story in the next book.

This was so much fun and I'm so happy that it exists. I adore Roshani Chokshi's writing and all the usual charm and wit you would expect in a Roshani Chokshi book is very much included in this book. Aru is one of my new favorite middle grade protagonists - her personality just shines through the pages - and I really loved Mini as well. They work really well together and I loved reading about them growing closer throughout the book. They really support one another, even if they don't understand or necessarily agree with the other's choices, and it was so lovely to read. I loved all of the other characters too, they were so full of life. I would've loved reading about Aru and Mini as a kid, but I'm so glad I got to read them as an adult and I'm also incredibly glad that other kids will get to see themselves in such a wonderful book.

Aru Shah is twelve years old and lives with her mom in a small apartment above the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture. Aru doesn't fit in at school. In her attempts to make friends, she makes up stories about her life. Yes, she lies quite creatively. When two classmates show up at the museum in order to catch her in one of her lies, Aru tries to impress them by lighting the Lamp of Bharata and unleashes the Sleeper, an ancient Indian demon. Aru is a demigod and the reincarnation of one of the Pandava brothers. Aru's pigeon guardian joins her on her quest to stop the Sleeper from awakening the God of Destruction. Aru discovers Mini, another reincarnation of a Pandava brother. As Aru and Mini journey through the Kingdom of Death, their shortcomings in their ordinary lives become advantages in truly unique ways. Will Mini, Aru, and the pigeon be able to stop the demon? Journey with them to learn more about Hindu mythology and be highly entertained. This book is definitely joining the growing diverse collection at my middle school library. I can't wait for the second book in the quartet.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy in return for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.

Admittedly I kept getting distracted while reading so it took me a while longer to finish than I anticipated but that's no fault of the book. Chokshi excelled in such a way I never imagined. Total shift from her prose in the star touched queen and it was DELIGHTFUL! This may be a book for younger kids but she never once pandered to them or treated them like children. She wrote with such fun and levity it made reading a breeze! Loved it and can't recommend it enough.

I was really excited when I got approved from Disney Books on Netgalley to review this fantastic book. Aru Shah is the adventure story all little girls (and boys) need.

Even though Aru is far from a perfect main character, that's what makes her so relatable and enjoyable to read about. She's a 12 year old girl who is just trying to find her place in this world, while her mom constantly travels for work to find more artifacts for the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture. When Aru accidentally unleashes a dark demon on humanity she has to go on an adventure to save the world. Meeting lots of interesting characters along the way, the reader is taught about Hindu gods and Indian culture. Aru finds out more about herself and her strength throughout the book, while also making friends along the way.

I loved reading this wonderfully diverse book and I think fans of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter would easily fall in love with Aru Shah's world. And it's especially refreshing to read books that celebrate young women of color and their bravery. I can't wait to read the next book in this series when it comes out next year!

I enjoyed this book. I liked how our heroine grew in confidence and understanding as the book progressed. At times I was a little hazy on the direction, on "just where the story was going," but it came together in a satisfying ending.

I was really excited about this, coming out of the new Rick Riordan imprint. But it's not great. I can give it good marks for being an easy-to-follow young-reader adventure story with female main characters who save themselves, characters of nationalities not typically starring in U.S. authors' books, and using a mythology and history that's new to many readers. That makes it sound great! It had some rendering problems, though: there's too much focus on the action, not enough on the characters, making them less real. Readers will enjoy the story, but they won't care deeply about the characters. The mythology is also kind of thin; gods, demons, places, and animals are there, but the author doesn't take the time to explain their significance. Readers will like that it's a new and exotic world, but they won't be able to remember much of the mythology in depth. Most public libraries should buy a copy, but this is definitely not the next Percy Jackson.

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For a more in-depth review watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXO10...

Aru Shah live alone with her mother at the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture and she wants something to change. Aru spends her school days pretending to be someone she is not and after school she spends her evenings missing her mother who is often away on archeological digs. However, when Aru lights the Lamp of Bharata to prove a point to her classmates her whole life changes. Now, Aru must her soul sisters who are the reincarnations of five legendary Pandava brothers so that they can embark on a journey to save the world.

This book is just fun. Aru was a delightfully sassy tween heroine that is sure to win over readers, the story is fast paced and filled with humor and adventure and the whole book leaves the reader wanting more.

This is was fun! It's like Percy Jackson, but with Hindu mythology and for a slightly younger middle grade crowd. There were fast paced adventures, hilarious banter, and breathtaking world building.
I also absolutely LOVE that we got two female leads saving the day! It made me so so happy to see representation of culture and gender woven so flawlessly throughout the story. A must read!

This would be a great read aloud for the 3rd-4th grade crowd or a great independent novel for the same ages.

3.5 stars - Some of the banter was kind of cheesy as an adult reader, but the kids will love it!

'Aru Shah' is such a fun read. It is exciting and packed full of action from the very beginning. It is a retelling of the classic 'hero's journey', and we follow Aru through adventures, scrapes, and close calls as she navigates a world of Hindu mythology and tries to save the world.

I loved that Aru is an Indian-American main character. This isn't a character we see often enough in books, and it is a welcome perspective. She has a lot of insecurities and is far from perfect, but she grows a lot in confidence throughout the book. I think a lot of kids will identify with her.

I loved learning about Hindu mythology. This was a new world for me, and I learned a lot about it while reading the book. This world will appeal both to those who already have some knowledge about it, and those who are interested in mythology in general.

This is a must-have for libraries and is sure to be a hit with middle-grade students. Highly recommended.

I never read Rick Riordan’s books. The short story is that there was no real reason to why I didn’t pick the books up. The longer (and a little pointless) story is that when The Lightning Thief first came out, it had a completely different cover then what it has now. I was in the middle school and our librarian told us all about it. I grew older but it stayed in the corner of my mind, I was in eternal search of the book with the white cover and never realized until a year ago (seriously!!!) that that book was the same one written by Rick Riordan that was so beloved now. Anyway, long pointless story short, I am weird and specific about what I read.

So I missed the hype train of Rick Riordan but that didn’t mean I never read any mythological adventures growing up and that I never craved them. Of course, as a kid, I never got adventures with Indian MCs at the forefront or a book that dwelled into Hindu mythology and allowed me to be a superhero too. 10 years later, (HAS IT REALLY BEEN THAT LONG SINCE 7th grade???) other kids around the world will get stories I craved, needed but never got.

I am not gonna lie, I am pretty emo writing this book and I was pretty emo while reading it. It’s like a painful nostalgia and I am ridiculously upset this book wasn’t published a decade ago when I needed it. I mean, I still really need Aru Shah today for a multitude of reasons I won’t get into but damn, 7th grade me’s existence would have felt so valid.

So this book? I read and adored The Star-Touched Queen when it debuted but… I think… this series might be the best of Chokshi. Aru Shah is not only an incredibly well written adventure, it’s fucking hilarious. It’s full of heart and a lot of meaningful easter-egg convos about how being diasporic shapes your relationship to your culture.

Aru Shah isn’t a liar, she is just imaginative. When her lies start unraveling, she brings schoolmates over the museum she lives in to prove a point. Seventh-grade girls (as anyone who has been in seventh-grade might agree) are pretty scary and if Aru is able to get out of her lies by rubbing a diya that her mom has specifically told her not to because it could bring about the end of the world, she does it. Not going to lie, I probably would have too.

Of course, it does trigger the end of the world. Kind of anyway. Everyone she knows is frozen, including her mom and she is suddenly thrust into a world she knows nothing about but her new companion, Mini does. Aru and Mini embark on an adventure as they embrace their identities as Pandavas–legendary heroes.

The setting and world building is so LUSH and I can tell how much care and detail went into crafting it. A lot of the mythological characters the book was drawing on were new to me but I still felt right at home and was generally so happy (and a little emo) as I was reading the book.

Okay so. The real question now is why not five stars, Rashika? Well. That’s because as much as I loved this book (and I DID LOVE IT) I think there were just moments where the pacing wasn’t what I needed it to be. The adventure felt a little long-winded at times but then it would pick right up again.

Overall though, this is a book that is a MUST READ for all fans of mythological adventures and one I am definitely gonna need to buy a finished copy of so I can re-read. I don’t think it’s possible for me to express how much I want to shove this book in everyone’s faces. I cannot wait to see what other adventure awaits these two pandavas (and more???) and I cannot wait to see what else RICK RIORDAN PRESENTS has in store for us!

This was an adorable retelling with a unique and likeable heroine with flaws that were relatable and sorta sweet (in a flaw-y way? I don't know what I'm saying). The worldbuilding felt a little underdeveloped, but I thought Chokshi did a great job of integrating details within the narrative. It was fun, funny, and a great adventure that will definitely appeal to all Riordan fans.