Review: Aru Shah and the End of Time

* First in a new series *

Aru doesn't have the easiest home life; her mother travels frequently. She does have a great imagination which she uses frequently. The kids at school don't appreciate her untruthfulness. They demand to see the cursed lamp. Aru's been told never to light it; it will bring destruction upon the world. But she doesn't believe it, until she lights the lamp.

Everyone around her freezes and a God is summoned. Except he's a disgraced God and therefore a pigeon. He takes Aru to meet her soul sister, one who can help her save the world. Together the three of them head off to see the Council of Guardians. But in the past, the heroes of the world have been 5 brothers. The council asks Aru and Mini to prove themselves as Pandava descendants.

Only then will they be allowed to journey to the Kingdom of Death, find the three keys, recover the weapons, and defeat the Sleeper. If they do this, they might have a chance at saving the world from the God of Destruction - but they have a limited amount of time to achieve their goals.

My Thoughts: This is the start of a four book series from Rick Riordan's new publishing line. And it's quite good. Lots of action, danger, and plot twists. I love Aru's imagination and how she uses in it in their quest. I love her interactions with Mini and how they go from strangers to sisters. I loved the pop-culture references and humor. I loved learning more about Hindu mythology. I enjoyed learning more about both girls' lives - how Mini was a little more prepared, but how they thought her brother would be the hero and how Aru wasn't prepared at all and her mother was super busy. I loved how they fought like sisters but came to understand each other. I love the twist where the Pandava descendants are girls instead of boys. I really liked how karma came into play here and the question about if people can change. I love too that first impressions aren't always accurate.  I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Cover Thoughts: Charming
Source: ARC sent for review

Library Recommendation: A must have for school and public libraries.