(2) 4-6 Pandava series. Aru is accused of stealing the god of love's bow and arrow. She's given ten days to return them or be stripped of her Pandava (reincarnated demigod) memories and banished from the Otherworld. The story moves at a breakneck pace as Aru encounters legendary beings from Hindu mythology, who comically interact with the modern world. The importance of how you see yourself is at the heart of this entertaining second installment. Glos.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(3) 4-6 Pandava series. Twelve-year-old Aru knew she shouldn't light the Lamp of Bharata just to show off to her schoolmates, but she never expected to rouse a demon bent on awakening the God of Destruction. Now she must save her museum-curator mother and, well, everyone else. Witty humor and quick pacing carry readers through the Kingdom of Death in this series-starting fantasy rooted in Hindu mythology. Glos.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) YA Princess Gauri (The Star-Touched Queen) strikes a bargain with Vikram, the sly prince of a neighboring kingdom. With her fighting ability and his cunning, Vikram proposes that they can win the Tournament of Wishes. The pair must face vividly imagined mythical creatures inspired by Indian folklore--as well as their growing feelings for each other. As in the previous book, the plotting is intricate and the prose luxurious.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) YA Princess Maya has always been an outcast, but she is still astonished when her father asks her to kill herself to keep peace in the kingdom. She escapes with a mysterious stranger, only to marry him and become the queen of the strange land of Akaran. Sensuous prose pulls readers into Maya's journey of self-discovery in this labyrinthine fantasy inspired by Indian folklore.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay