Name: Aru Shah and the City of Gold
ISBN: 9781368013864

Roshani Chokshi

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

Aru Shah and the City of Gold

Anna Stewart

Aru Shah felt like she’d been struck by lightning. 

And she knew all about that feeling, thanks to a terrible experiment.

No one had ever been grateful that Aru had freed the Sleeper. If anything, it was one of her biggest sources of guilt. And yet it was the reason she now had Brynne and Mini as her best friends and sisters, and Nikita and Sheela as the little sisters she hadn’t realized she’d always wanted.

All she knew about the Sleeper were the memories he’d sacrificed. She didn’t know anything about the kind of music he liked or books he read. He may have told Kara that Aru was his daughter, but he’d never been Aru’s dad.

“Shah,” said a familiar, velvety voice. “You’re okay. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I mean, you know, thinking if you were okay and stuff…” 

Aru looked up to see Aiden Acharya staring at her. As usual, his camera, Shadowfax, hung from his right shoulder. He wore a loose-fitting black tee and jeans. Even in the daylight, there was something about his eyes that reminded Aru of distant stars.

Whatever had almost happened fizzled and died on the spot when Aiden coughed and pointed to Kara, still passed out on the grass. 

Aru took a deep breath, then looked at her friends. “So…as it turns out…I’m not the only daughter of the Sleeper?”

“The Sleeper was always destined to fight a war that could destroy the Otherworld.” 

“Maybe he wouldn’t have done that if he hadn’t been locked up!” said Aru. 

Brynne shook her head. “Listen, I get it. It’s sad, but he’s a monster, Aru—” 

Vajra, who had turned back into a bracelet on Aru’s wrist, flashed angrily. “If you were forced to give up parts of your soul, you’d become a monster, too!”

Because they know you’re a liar, Aru Shah

“Where did she go, exactly?” asked Aru. 

“I wish we knew more, dude,” said Brynne sadly. 

“She said she knew what she was doing, and she promised to stay out of harm’s way,” said Aiden. “She also gave me a message in case you got back before her.” 

Aiden looked deep into her eyes, and Aru felt prickly and warm all over. “I love you, Aru.” 

,” said Aru, while quietly dying inside.

“A book of Emily Dickinson poems?” he asked, handing it back to her. 

Kara flushed. “Her work has always made me feel…less alone.” 

Aiden’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and his gaze lingered on Kara. As Aru watched, something painful nudged at her heart.

Kara was at peace with an ugly situation. But Aru? Aru was angry. 

Sometimes she felt so angry that she wondered if holding it in was the only thing that kept her pinned to the ground. Otherwise, the force of all the unknowns in her life might pull her apart.

Ever since that last battle with the Sleeper, her world had tilted. She didn’t understand how he could be both a monster and a victim, how Boo could be both family and foe, or how her own sisters could love and protect her but not fully believe her. She was starting to feel like a jigsaw-puzzle piece that had snuck into the wrong box.

Like her mom, she loved museums. Krithika had once said of them: 

What we know of the world are blips and fragments. The only people who can truly speak of history are ghosts

“Come on, Aru,” she said, winking. “No doom yet!” 

 Kara was just being nice…. So why was it starting to annoy her? 

“Thank you for getting us out of there. And I need to thank Brynne for transforming, and Mini for shielding us, and Aiden for, well—” 

“Aiden was pretty useless,” said Aru. 

Aru grinned and shouted back, “For the most part, you’re a great wifey!” 

The vanaras saw in one second what I've been seeing since day one.

“Have you written your vows already?” he asked. 

“Vows?” asked Aiden, darting a panicked glance at Aru. 

Two more vanaras rushed forward. One of them leaped over to Aru, measuring her waist with red silk and holding up golden bracelets and earrings to her face. Another threw a garland around Aiden and began to comb his hair. Aiden batted them away, but the vanara only laughed. 

“Okay, I’m confused,” said Aru. “What’s happening?” 

“We’re preparing for your wedding, obviously!(...)"

“No wedding, no vows, no thank you,” he said, turning red in the face. “Been there, done that.” 

“Oh, I see,” said the vanara, nodding sadly. “Separated?” 

“War always destroys. That is the nature of it.”

“Someone once told me that just because you can’t have the life you wanted, you shouldn’t give up and fade out of existence. That’s how we become living ghosts—by never moving on.”

“Why are you always walking away these days?” she yelled. 

Aiden stopped in his tracks. He faced her slowly, the sea breeze tousling his hair. In the weeks she’d been gone, he’d gotten taller and broader, and he towered over her now. “What exactly do you think I’m walking away from, Shah?” 

A thousand retorts flew through Aru’s head: 

From the monkeys joking about a wedding! From looking at me directly! From standing up for me!

 But instead she just glared at him. What could she say? He wasn’t walking away from anything except…her.

“Do you want to build a snowman?” asked Nikita. 

Ten minutes later—or who really knows because dream time is strange—Aru was building a snowman with Nikita and Sheela.

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.

Lorien O'Brien

Kaitee Tredway

Melissa Railey

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 A Pandava Novel Book 4