Name: Abbe Castillo's review of Aru Shah and the City of Gold by Roshani Chokshi
Item: Aru Shah and the City of Gold
Rating: 5
Author: Abbe Castillo

Roshani Chokshi

Best-selling author Rick Riordan Presents the penultimate book in the Pandava series by best-selling author Roshani Chokshi. Aru Shah and her sisters--including one who also claims to be the Sleeper's daughter--must find their mentors Hanuman and Urvashi in Lanka, the city of gold, before war breaks out between the devas and asuras. Aru has just made a wish on the tree of wishes, but she can't remember what it was. She's pretty sure she didn't wish for a new sister, one who looks strangely familiar and claims to be the Sleeper's daughter, like her. Aru also isn't sure she still wants to fight on behalf of the devas in the war against the Sleeper and his demon army. The gods have been too devious up to now. Case in point: Kubera, ruler of the city of gold, promises to give the Pandavas two powerful weapons, but only if they win his trials. If they lose, they won't stand a chance against the Sleeper's troops, which will soon march on Lanka to take over the Otherworld. Aru's biggest question, though, is why every adult she has loved and trusted so far has failed her. Will she come to peace with what they've done before she has to wage the battle of her life? Filled with wondrous magic, unforgettable creatures, manipulative gods, and laugh-out-loud dialogue, this fourth book in the Pandava series, a fantasy adventure loosely based on mythology, will leave readers wishing they could read the finale right now.

Aru Shah and the City of Gold

Best-selling author Rick Riordan Presents the penultimate book in the Pandava series by best-selling author Roshani Chokshi. Aru and her sisters--including one who also claims to be the Sleeper's daughter--must find their mentors Hanuman and Urvashi in Lanka, the city of gold, before war breaks out between the devas and asuras. Aru has just made a wish on the tree of wshes, but she can't remember what it was. She's pretty sure she didn't wish for a new sister, one who looks strangely familiar and claims to be the Sleeper's daughter, like her. Aru also isn't sure she still wants to fight on behalf of the devas in the war against the Sleeper and his demon army. The devas have been too devious up to now. Case in point: two of the Pandavas' mentors, Hanuman and Urvashi, have been mysteriously detained in Lanka, the city of gold. Why? The Pandavas need to find them and get some answers before the Otherworld's magic fades completely in the human realm. Aru's biggest question, though, is why every adult she has loved and trusted so far has failed her. Will she come to peace with what they've done before she has to wage the battle of her life? Filled with wondrous magic, unforgettable creatures, manipulative gods, and laugh-out-loud dialogue, this fourth book in the Pandava series will leave readers wishing they could read the finale right now.

A Pandava Novel Book 4

Anna Stewart

 the thing with feathers. It lifted the part of her that had been stomped in the dirt. Hope made her look out the window to the sun rising higher in the sky. Hope might be all that they had left, but it was something she needed to cling to, because it meant that even though things were awful… 

“Do you know how to find Agni?” asked Brynne. 

“Do we have a backup plan?” asked Mini. 

“Nope,” said Aru. “So, you with me, or no?” 

“Yes, obviously,” said Mini immediately.

 when it comes to kisses. As if the whole world is supposed to explode in joy. That wasn’t how she felt. She felt like one gigantic, dorky grin. Like someone had poured sunlight down her veins, because she was warm all over.

A second—or maybe an eternity—later, Aiden pulled back. His dusk-colored eyes looked wide and…stunned? But not in a bad way. 

I'M SCREAMING. ❤️✨❤️✨❤️✨❤️

Aiden had grown even taller over the past few months, which was annoying, because Aru had to look up to glare at him, so it probably didn’t have the same effect. She was mad, and her stomach was all twisted up, and since she’d already started blabbering, she might as well keep going. “

,” she said, taking a deep breath, “you didn’t even wish me happy birthday! Which is so 

Aru had one of those weird out-of-body moments, as if her brain was processing things at a lag. Suddenly, Aiden’s face was a lot closer than it had been seconds ago. And then…whatever space lay between them was cinched closed. 

Aru never thought she’d think this way, but she’d had her fill of gold and jewels. She’d seen enough of both to last several lifetimes, and in the end, neither compared to the rare treasure in her hand. A golden army might be precious, but a second chance with someone she loved? 

Aru caught Aiden glancing at her. For the first time since the nightmare of everything that had happened in the House of the Sun, he smiled.

She raised her trident menacingly. “You don’t want to find out.” 

The Sleeper’s soldiers roared, rushing at her. 

“Big mistake,” Aru said. “Huge.” 

She grinned—mostly because she’d always wanted to say that line—and then Aru Shah let loose her lightning bolt.

Aru may have understood what the Sleeper was fighting for, but she didn’t like 

 he was doing it, and that determined the side she stood on.

Omg omg omg they're so powerful! 🔥👑

Aru felt her hair lift off her shoulders. She blinked. Her vision had changed, turning diamond sharp, and she was able to pick out electrical currents in the air, like threads in a powerful tapestry. All she had to do was 

Aru turned to look at her. Purple flashed in the depths of Mini’s eyes and violet-tinged shadows poured out of her Death Danda. 

Mini grinned. Her teeth looked pointier. “Intense funny.”

All she could do was try her best to perform her duty. And for a Pandava, that meant protecting the people she loved.

“This place is playing tricks on you, Shah,” said Aiden, grabbing her shoulder. “Focus on me. 

Aiden was using that hypnotic voice on her, the one inherited from his apsara mother. Aru could feel it working its way through her brain. She felt herself getting lost in the fathomless dark of Aiden’s eyes. 

It’s going to be okay, Shah. I know you’re scared, but we’re here for you. We’ve got you, and we’ll fix this…together. But first we have to get out

Aiden was definitely the most observant of all the Potatoes, and it turned out he saw more than she had imagined. His hand moved subtly to the camera at his side, and she remembered how he’d been watching her when they entered Lanka. 

. She felt strangely warm. And not just because they were inside the House of the Sun.

Aru thought he’d be looking at Kara at that moment, but instead his eyes went to hers. He held Aru’s gaze for a moment, the briefest smile on his face, before he turned back to the goddesses.

I love Mini so muuuuch, she's probably my favorite (sorry Aru, ilu too).

Mini looked at Brynne, who said through their mind link, 

is worthy of you. Especially some dumb prince who does not respect YOUR POWER

Then Mini glanced at Aru through the glass wall of the Anywhere Elevator. Aru raised an eyebrow and said, 

You’re the daughter of the god of death. Act like it

Aiden looked away, fiddling with Shadowfax. 

“Fine. You can come with us,” said Mini, flipping her hair and pushing past Rudy. “But while you may be a prince, I’m a demigod. So let’s just remember who’s the boss.”

As they walked, a strand of hair blew across Kara’s face. Aiden reached forward and brushed it off her forehead. It was a tiny movement. It hardly lasted a second…. 

So why did it make Aru feel it as if a rug had been ripped out from beneath her?

Aru looked into Aiden’s eyes. They were once again the velvety darkness of a night sky. His eyes had a curious celestial quality that made you think you could actually fall into them. 

“Shah?” asked Aiden, waving a hand in front of her face. “You look lost.” 

“Wait—what?” asked Aiden. “What’s in my eyes?”

She was the beginning and the end, and this was going to end with her. 

“SHAH, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” screamed Aiden. 

“No, Aru! Keep fighting!” shouted Brynne. “Don’t give up!” 

“I’m not giving up,” said Aru, closing her eyes. “I’m letting go.”

The good guys weren’t so good. The bad guys weren’t so bad. 

“The great Chinese philosopher Confucius once said that ‘if you seek revenge, you should dig two graves.’” 

Brynne scowled. “What if you have more than two enemies? Two graves isn’t enough.” 

“You are misunderstanding!” said Boo. 

“It’s a metaphorical grave, right?” said Mini. “Sounds really unhygienic otherwise.” 

Aru raised her hand. “What if you set your enemies on fire and there’s nothing left to bury?” 

Aiden looked horrified. “Shah, for the billionth time, why are you like this?”

“Creepy,” said Aru. “But it also low-key reminds me of the enchanted rose in 

'If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken.’

” She ended her speech by dramatically lifting Vajra in the air.

“My gift to you is a warning: remember, we are all our own beginnings and our own ends.”

"(...)If the Sleeper isn’t totally evil, and Boo isn’t totally great, then what do we do? Whose side are we really on?” 

Before Aru could answer, Mini chimed in. 

Abbe Castillo

Nessa Luna

WELL talk about an explosive ending... How am I supposed to wait until APRIL 2022 for the next one?! (view spoiler)[Also can we talk about Aru/Aiden because fucking FINALLY?! (hide spoiler)]

I love my Pandava girls and their wifey so much omg.

Sahi K

I’ve been waiting to read this since a while but I couldn’t find the audiobook in my library, so I couldn’t. But I finally got it and had to finish it immediately. 

This was as fun as expected. There were still a couple of times I had to remind myself that these characters are kids, so if they do some things or react in a way that I find irrational, it’s normal for them and I can’t judge them for it. Other than that hiccup, it was mostly a very entertaining ride. The adventure never lets up, we also have a few trails this time, lots more banter, an unexpected new sister character whose addition I absolutely adored, and a few twists which were quite cool. The major one towards the end was something I did guess early on because I know the Mahabharata too well and it seemed pretty obvious to me, and the author also did a good job of foreshadowing. This time, she also gives us glimpses into the tales of Shikhandi, Uttanka, Chhaya and also Kubera and the land of Lanka. It always excites me when I read stories I know told in a new manner and this time was no different. 

Overall, I had a good time reading this installment and especially enjoyed my favorite narrator Sneha Mathan’s audiobook performance. And I’m excited to finally get to the end of this series next year.

laura

I really enjoyed this read and think it is my favorite book in the series to date. This book reminded me alot of the group quest elements that I adored in the percy jackson world. I loved how this book tackled indian mythology in so many ways and such a captivating way. I liked how the romance plot line is slowly developmentally though the read and finally pop a bit. It also added so new characters and dived in to the drama that occurred at the tale end of the previous book. It was really fast pace read and had a hard time putting it down. I am dying for last book. Aru really went through it in this book and loved where she wound up at the very end.

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Aru Shah and the City of Gold

Author: Roshani Chokshi

Book Series: Pandava Book 4

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Queer coded character with a f/f crush

Recommended For...: mg readers, fantasy lovers, aru shah lovers!

Publication Date: April 6, 2021

Genre: MG Fantasy

Recommended Age: 10+ (violence, gore, small romance, grief, death)

Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents

Pages: 400

Synopsis: Aru Shah and her sisters--including one who also claims to be the Sleeper's daughter--must find their mentors Hanuman and Urvashi in Lanka, the city of gold, before war breaks out between the devas and asuras.

Aru has just made a wish on the tree of wishes, but she can't remember what it was. She's pretty sure she didn't wish for a new sister, one who looks strangely familiar and claims to be the Sleeper's daughter, like her.

Aru also isn't sure she still wants to fight on behalf of the devas in the war against the Sleeper and his demon army. The gods have been too devious up to now. Case in point: Kubera, ruler of the city of gold, promises to give the Pandavas two powerful weapons, but only if they win his trials. If they lose, they won't stand a chance against the Sleeper's troops, which will soon march on Lanka to take over the Otherworld.

Aru's biggest question, though, is why every adult she has loved and trusted so far has failed her. Will she come to peace with what they've done before she has to wage the battle of her life?

Review: Oh my goodness I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! I read through this one so fast and I thought this was going to be the last in the series but I was very mistaken! There’s still so many twists and turns in this series and they don’t feel drawn out. It feels like a very natural book series. This book in particular feels so natural with the others, but the book theme-ing is a bit different. The characters are all wonderfully well developed, even our long runners. The world building is marvelous and awe-inspiring. The pacing is on point and I fell in love with Kara, our new Potato!
My only issue with the book is that I now have to wait for the next book and this series keeps you wanting more. On the more serious note, I did feel like some of the action scenes were a bit chaotic, but very much improved from the previous books.

Verdict: Highly recommend!

Kelsey Holtaway

This series continues to get better, and each new installment somehow outdoes the one before. 

Firstly, the pacing and action in this book is perfect. The mythology aspect is creative and interesting and like always, I love to see how the Pandavas (and Aiden and Rudy) puzzle through each new challenge and grow with each new answer. Chokshi brilliantly brings the characters to new levels without compromising who they are AND their age. I love the wisdom they gain with each new quest, but mostly I adore how at the end of the day they're still just a group of precious little nerds. 

Also, the bond between these characters feels so authentic. It's not rushed, and there are a lot of growing pains, but it creates a well-earned, unbreakable trust (with some bumps here and there), but you feel the love this group has and it makes me weepy sometimes! From the first book, to when Brynne and Aiden joined, to who they are now, like. Man. It's just so dang good. 

My favorite aspect of this book in particular was the deep emotional complexity. We had lots of questions like "what really makes me...me?" "What if something that I thought made me who I am gets taken away?" "If someone makes a bad choice does that make them a bad person?" "If someone makes an understandable choice but for the wrong reasons or does it the wrong way...what the heck does that mean?" There's an exploration of morally gray in this book, and being let down by yourself and those you love. How does one make an impossible choice? And what does that say about them? What does forgiveness mean? 

Middle grade books are often overlooked but they often confront the difficult emotional topics in ways adult fiction just doesn't. Don't sleep on middle grade! 

I'm consistently blown away by every single thing Chokshi writes, and this is no exception.

Abbe Castillo &
Aru Shah and the City of Gold by Roshani Chokshi

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Abbe Castillo &
Aru Shah and the City of Gold by Roshani Chokshi