Rockin' Reads: Aru Shah and the End of Time

Aru Shah and the End of Time
(Pandava #1)
by Roshani Chokshi
Disney Hyperion, 2018. Fiction, 355 p.
Aru Shah's mother is the curator of a museum of Indian antiquities. She has always told Aru that the old lamp in one of the exhibit rooms is cursed, and if someone lit it a demon would appear. Aru doesn't believe her, of course, until one day when "friends" dare her to light the lamp. With her one bad choice, Aru is swept into a world of the Hindu gods, and discovers more about her family than she had ever imagined.

This is the first in a new imprint called Rick Riordan Presents. The similarities with this book and Riordan's series is obvious, in a good way. Chokshi keeps up a fast pace of action and excitement, but also explores complicated relationships between friends and family members. This is a great choice for Riordan and Rowling fans who are looking for a new fantasy series.

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