I LOVED this book! Just as good as the first one. Chockshi does an amazing job with Aru's voice, and creates a rich, interesting cast of characters. The myths and legends are fascinating, and I really enjoy seeing her spin on them. Very excited to read the next in the series!

I received an ARC of this novel from Disney Book Group through NetGalley in exchange for a review. Before reading this, I have also read the first novel in the series "Aru Shah and the End of Time". All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In this continuation of the "Pandava" series, the reader follows Aru as she and her soul-sister Mini must team up with another soul-sister, Brynne, and Brynne's friend Aiden to find a stolen bow and arrow that is causing men to become Heartless. The result if they don't find it in time? They will be forever banished from the Otherworld and be stripped of their god powers, forced to live in the human world with no memories of who they were.

This second installment to the "Pandava" series was absolutely brilliant. The writing and humor was identical to "Aru Shah and the End of Time", and I found myself being so easily wrapped up with Aru and her sisters even though I had limited knowledge of Hindy mythology. The best part about both of these books is that, just like with Rick Riordan's novels, the mythology isn't too confusing for a reader. Each story that is brought up is clear and organized well within the story. Each battle scene is both intense and hilarious, a balance that I did not think would be possible to do, but Roshani Chokshi found a way to do it and do it flawlessly.

There is a slight romance developing in the story, and by slight, I mean VERY slight. Aru, at 12 years old and nearly 13, is starting to grow up and see things in ways she didn't before, and that includes BOYS. While the romantic interest here is not fully delved into, I found it better for the story that way. Aru is more focused on finding the bow and arrow than anything else, but the fact that she is capable of developing romantic feelings at this age is not lost, despite how much Aru may deny them. This is an interesting predicament, because it almost seems like the story could have no romantic interest at all, but how would that make Aru look? Would she be less of a real pre-teen girl if she didn't develop some kind of mortal feelings that balances her god-like abilities? I believe it would, considering the fact that she was just recently thrown into being a demi-god, and she is still so young. I remember being 12 years old and absolutely smitten with a boy, when I had no idea what that meant or how relationships worked or that boys at that age were dumb, Aru has to be able to learn those things too at some point, so I feel that the romantic interest seed being placed in this story is important. The future books can help feed that idea and the reader can see how she blossoms within that perspective.

While some of the characters in this story were a little harder to warm up to at first, by the end of the novel, I found myself more and more excited for what is to come with the Pandavas, as things have now started to take an even darker turn that they already had in the first book. The characters all have their own wit and spunkiness that fills up the story in a way that makes it more enjoyable despite the heavy air that sits around them on every page. Roshani finds ways to make personalities clash, and do so with such humor that I found delightful in "Aru Shah and the End of Time", and is still just as delightful in "The Song of Death".

The thing that I love about what Roshani Choski has created here is that she has developed this wonderful story that is both captivating and plays on so many stories that she grew up within Hindu culture, that makes me as the reader want to understand more of the stories that are brought up within the novel. Each story of the various gods makes me want to go find the original stories myself and research them to the fullest extent, and then do so for other cultures and their mythological stories. There's a fire that is lit under the reader as they move through the story to read more and understand that is still bright and alive after finishing the novel, and remains long after the book is put back on the shelf.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Aru Shah and the Pandavas are back once again they have to save the day. They have to save the world from the heartless and they're on a time limit so they'd better get to it. Back together with her Pandava sister Mini and new associates Brynne and Aiden, they have to go to the sea and meet a crab that can't sing and find a sea of milk so you know it's going to be easy this time. This book is engaging, Aru is as funny as ever the adventure is very much an integral part of the story and the kids are growing into their powers but they have not learned everything yet. This is an excellent addition to this series and I have learned so much Hindu mythology along the way.

This was just wonderful! I'm loving this series ... especially the strong female characters. My daughter has been excited to read them as well. My daughter is hoping to read book 3 very soon!

It is up to Aru Shah to save the world again, but this time she has more help. With her again is her soul sister Mini, but they have help from another Pandava Brynne and her friend Aidan. The four of them must race against time to find who has stolen the god of love's bow and arrow, defeat them, and save the army of heartless humans they have created.

Chokshi delves deep into Indian mythology with a humor-filled, action-packed story that will resonate with middle grade readers. Light-hearted (even when the main characters are fighting evil gods and goddesses) and poignant, this is a great continuation of the series and sets up the next one.

A fun and funny page-turner.

**I received an e-ARC from Netgalley**

Tons of fun and perfect for Percy Jackson fans!
Aru Shah and the Song of Death was highly enjoyable and, in my option, a stronger novel then its predecessor. Really great pacing, the addition of some fun and complex characters, mythology that was exciting and new (to me at least!) and a great sense of humour made this a really wonderful read. I'm now really excited to read the next instalment and to spend more time in this world and with these characters (hopefully there will be more Boo the pigeon in the next book!)

This is quickly becoming of my favorite middle grade series!

Aru Shah and her Pandava sisters are some of the most authentically written pre-teen girls I have ever read. They encapsulate so many different personalities and all of them are well developed and a joy to read. As an adult reading a middle grade book, it is easy to see that they all have similar insecurities and typical pre-teen issues, but they all mask it in different ways. I think this would be so relatable to a young girl reading at the same age as the characters.

Aru's internal voice is my favorite. She is perfectly sarcastic and self deprecating. So many of her thoughts had me laughing out loud. Roshani Chokshi is definitely a wonderful character writer, and each character has a distinct voice and perspective. The addition of two new character in Brynne and Aiden were seamlessly woven into the existing world. I liked learning about their backstories along with Aru, instead of the info dump conversations that happen a lot in middle grade. Chokshi trusts her readers to make connections themselves, which makes this a middle grade story that an adult can truly enjoy.

The only thing that bothered me was that it had been too long since I read the first book, so I was slightly confused at first about what had just happened to the girls. I am used to middle grade stories summarizing the plot of the previous book(s) so I hadn't reread like I should have. In the future, I will remember to reread Chokshi's stories before continuing the series.

As a fan of the first Aru Shah novel, I was hoping for an equally thrilling adventure and this book definitely delivered. Wonderful book with great messages about the power of friendship, being true to ones self and not letting others view of you define you. Love that these books involve strong female protagonists. A great sequel and I will highly recommend it to all my patrons!

I really enjoyed this installment of the series. It still has that whimsical tone of early Percy Jackson books (lots of kid slang and silly titles) but this book takes on more serious tones of: self love, truths, and family. The "villain" is a fantastic add, however I did find the very last chapter a bit jarring (but I got an ARC so maybe they will change it) I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Cannot wait for the next one!

Great series! I've enjoyed both books and look forward to more in the series. "Rick Riordan presents" books are highly recommended.

If you enjoyed the first book in this series, I think you'll enjoy this one, as well. You get all of the humor and adventure of the first, plus new characters (Pandava and otherwise). Aru and Mini meet another one of their Pandava sisters and must go on a quest to clear their names. We meet many new gods and goddesses and other creatures of folklore. Lots of banter and snark, but we see some strong emotional connections, too. I have already pre-ordered the audio from Audible so I can start listening to it on release day and hopefully dig in a little more.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

It's hard to describe how much I adore Aru and her adventures. Roshani Chokshi has given us a fantastic sequel to an already fantastic series start. The new characters introduced were just as loving, dynamic, and a little bit odd as the originals and I wanted to protect them all--even though they're supposed to be saving the world. I am still not as widely read in MG as I'd like but I think this will be a good follow-up to book one in the Pandava series and definitely one most middle grade readers will love. Once again blown away by Chokshi's world building. I've never read a novel of hers I didn't immediately fall into and I'm so glad her Pandava series is no different. I think the only thing left to ask after that ending is when can I devour book three?

Aru Shah and the Song of Death is an extremely fun follow up to End of Time. I had a great time reading this one! Let me tell you why.

First, there is something to be said about reading Middle Grade books. They don’t have the emotional turmoil of teenage angst, AND the main characters are fearless. I mean, if I had to face ancient gods, I hope I would also be the same.

Aru and Mini are back, as the spunky and heroic pandavas. This time, they’ve added two additional characters that are pretty fierce in their own right: Brynne and Aiden. The stakes are a bit higher, the adventure just as deadly, and with another looming deadline. This time? It’s not just the world they’re saving, it’s also their fate as the chosen ones.

I love Aru and Mini already. I think that their dynamic together is one perfect for this age group. And while they’ve really connected and made that partnership something strong, Roshani decided to throw another two in the mix. But Brynne and Aiden’s relationship is just as strong! It was really fun to see how the progression of these four turned out.

I won’t talk about specifics, because of spoilers, but MAN THAT PART AND UGH MY FEELINGS.

Roshani’s writing can adapt. I’ve read her previous books, and no matter what, I can connect to them. The humor within the pages of this book are so like Roshani in person, but it also made me feel like it was me in Aru’s shoes.

What I appreciate most about this story is the discussion of family and friends. We don’t always have a perfect and loving family. We don’t always have a great support system. But, when you find your group and you make them your own? Well, what Aru has? That’s what I love the most.

*Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.*

Aru Shah and the Song of Death hits the ground running and pretty much doesn't stop from there. From the very beginning, Aru is right in the middle of the action when a routine visit to the Night Bazaar lands her in the middle of a battle with someone who looks exactly like her. That's when Aru is accused of stealing a celestial bow and arrow -along with Mini and their newest Pandava sister, a girl named Brynne. Not only that, but the magic arrow is being used to turn most of the men in the world into zombies and the only way to reverse this spell and return to the men home again is to find the bow and arrow and use the arrow to kill the real thief. Aru and her friends have only ten days to complete this task, but first they have to a) figure out how they're going to work together and b) find the missing soul of the thief, which will allow them to do the deed when it's time to kill the one who stole the bow and arrow.

I am a HUGE fan of anything that Roshani Chokshi writes and am in love with the Aru Shah series. The opening of this book was a little difficult to get into because I had to remember all the bits and pieces from the first one and there wasn't really time, within the story itself, to get my feet under me and reorient myself with the characters and all the information. But once I got into the story, I couldn't put it down! I loved all of the absolutely magical places that Aru and the others went on their journey. Some of the destinations that Chokshi describes seemed so beautiful and magical that I wanted to go there myself -like the underwater transportation system that allows travelers to move via the inside of an eel or on the back of sea creatures. The descriptions of the food and elements found in Indian mythology -locations, creatures, gods and goddesses- are always my favorite parts of Chokshi's writing. She truly makes every element of her story come alive and gives new like to the centuries old myths as well.

The ending of The Song of Death caught me unexpectedly in my feels and delivered an important message about how we look at other people and how we remember them. I loved Chokshi's thoughts about how important it is to control our own stories and what happens to us -and to others- when we just believe what we have been told, rather than getting the information from the source.

And, as always, Chokshi left me desperate for more. Not only was the ending of this book a perfect tease for the next one but I also feel like there are some loose ends that aren't 100% tied up, even if the characters themselves might not realize this.

All in all, Aru Shah continues to be an absolutely awesome series for middle grades and YA readers. Aru could definitely hang out with Percy Jackson (I definitely felt like she was channeling him a lot in this novel) and should take her place with the best middle grades characters. I recommend this book for fans of any of Rick Riordan's books, as well as readers who need a story that will hook them from the beginning, and lovers of fantasy. Another awesome book by Roshani Chokshi!

Aru Shah came to be our hero in her last adventure, Aru Shah and the end of time. She is just beginning to understand her new Pandava role when panic outbreaks. The God of Love's bow and arrow have gone missing and the thief is using its power to turn people into heartless zombies. Aru has to find these items or be kicked out of the Otherworld. For good.

In Roshani Chokshi’s new middle grade novel, we are once again treated to a story fit to be under the Rick Riordan Presents imprint. It is important to note this is the second book in the series and the books should be read in order.

I am absolutely loving this series! The author does a fabulous job of introducing the reader to a whole set of gods that we may not be familiar with. The adventures are driven and action packed and the characters have great personalities, so it is easy to want to spend time with them in these pages.
I appreciate the author's humor that she drops in through clever and fun dialogue.

Because this is a set of Gods I am not familiar with, I thoroughly appreciate the glossary in the back of each book to teach me a little more.

Well done, book 2! I can't wait for the next one coming in Spring of 2020.

Aru Shah and the Song of Death takes what was started in book one and amplifies it. There are more characters, more Hindu mythology, and more risks. But just because there are greater costs doesn't mean the book isn't fun. There are also more absurd encounters (like a giant crab complaining about singing songs from Moana) and fantastic fandom references. (Can I please be invited to Aru's Lord of the Rings birthday party? Because it sounds amazing!)

At the heart of the book are typical middle grade themes of friendship and family. I like that despite what they go through, despite their differences, the characters come together to help one another, no matter the cost and no matter what they might have said or done in the past. While that may seem like a typical theme in a lot of books, I think it's always a good reminder for all readers.

I also like that the main villain of this story isn't just evil or selfish for the sake of being evil or selfish. There are layers to her story, and despite her less-than-savory choices, there are valid reasons for her actions. Through several plot threads, this book does a good job showing that the world isn't black and white and that not everything is as it seems at first.

Like any good middle grade series, the writing is great, the fandom references are fun, and the adventure is definitely worth taking. I'd highly recommend this series to anybody who loves Percy Jackson and Co. or wants a fun snapshot of Hindu mythology from the point of view of a 12 year old girl.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Disney Book Group for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Aru and Mini are back for another adventure, this time joined by their new Pandava sister, Brynne. The god of love's bow and arrow have been stolen, and Aru has been framed for the theft. Now the Otherworld is in a state of panic as the real thief is using said bow and arrow to turn people into zombies, creating a heartless army for nefarious purposes unknown. Aru has been given until the next full moon to retrieve the items, or she will have to leave the Otherworld forever.

Like the first book, this was definitely a fun ride. Many of these myths and legends were basically my bedtime stories growing up, and these reimaginings fascinate me more than I can describe. Add to that the ubiquitous pop culture references, characters that are so realistic, and a generous dose of humour - it turns into a book that's very easy to relate to. With the typical fast paced adventure that I have come to expect from a Rick Riordan Presents book, this was an enjoyable read and a wonderful portrayal of friendship - a perfect middle-grade novel. I can't wait to see what Roshani Chokshi comes up with next!

I really admire Rick Riordan for letting everyone tell their own culture's mythological stories. I love Riordan, but there's no way he could have produced Aru and made her as spunky, funny, and so epically cool and gotten her culture correct (as she knows it) as Chokshi did.
Aru Shah and Mini thought they'd have a break from quests since they just fulfilled one. Of course not. Now the god of love's bow and arrow has been stolen and Aru and Mini must return it to its rightful owners. Or they're kicked out of the Otherworld. But this time, they have more to worry about than just each other. This time they're adding two more people to the quest, Brynne who wants to fight anything and everything and Aiden the boy who lives across the street.
The characters of this were my favorite part! Of course I love Aru and Mini, but Aiden is really cool and Brynne took a bit for me to warm up to, but she definitely grew on me. I love their personalities and how they all brought something to the quest. None of them were being dragged along and I liked that they all carried their weight. There were a couple times I worried about a couple of them, but they certainly made up for it. And the way they all interacted together made this book for me. There were multiple times where I found myself laughing out loud. All of them worked so well together and I'm excited to see what happens in Aru, #3.
The only thing I didn't care for was the ending. There is something happening NON-STOP in this book, but when it gets to the end it feels like a really abrupt STOP. Like the weather in Texas. Pouring one minute and then 5 minutes later, the sun is out. It just seemed weird to end it so quickly.
As usual I didn't find anything wrong with Chokshi's writing style. It was so easy to follow and it kept me so into the story. The only thing was I felt like it was a bit long. Like maybe it was a bit drawn out. I'm not sure if it was just me wanting to finish it or if it actually was, but I felt like I was reading it for a long time. In actuality it was only 5 days. Normally I can read a MG novel of this size in half that time. I wasn't busier than normal, but it still took awhile for me to read it all.
I can't wait to get Aru #3. I'm not sure I can wait to see what the new characters at the end of this one were talking about. And the new title sounds like it will be a lot of trouble lol Aru Shah is my favorite series from this imprint and I can't wait to see what other fun they have in store!