Aru made a wish on the Tree of Wishes, but she can't remember what it was. She is pretty sure, though, that her wish was NOT for a sister. Yet, a new sister is what she apparently has if she is to believe the girl who looks strangely familiar. She does know that she needs to find her friends, the other Pandavas.
At the same time, Aru is sure she wants to continue the battle she's been fighting on behalf of the devas against the Sleeper. The gods have not been truthful, and they have been too devious with their plans. A prime example is Kubera, the ruler of the city of gold, who promises two powerful new weapons to the Pandavas... IF they pass the trials he has set forth. If they lose, they won't be able to defeat the Sleeper's forces that will be attacking Lanka soon in his bid to take over the Overworld.
This is another great book from Chokshi, and there are quite a few twists for Aru and her friends. With the loss of her memories surrounding the Tree of Wishes, Aru is dealing with increasing anxiety about her friends and whether or not they think she is the Pandava of prophecy that is untrue. This isn't helped by the difficulty that she faces trying to convince them all that Boo betrayed them; it's not surprising that the others have trouble believing his betrayal, as he has been close to the entire group through a lot of ups and downs.
The addition of Aru's new sister Kara adds an interesting dynamic to the group, and the question of whether or not she's there on behalf of the Sleeper and just waiting to betray them weighs on the group. That's not helped by the way she talks about the Sleeper, extolling his virtues as a dad.
Where some authors might let the character development fall by the wayside by this point in a series - after all, by the fourth book, if you don't know who the characters are and aren't able to identify with any of them, it's unlikely you're going to, so why bother continuing to develop the characters? Chokshi says to Heck with that and continues with the development. I didn't realize it was possible, but I found myself identifying with Aru more in this book than I had previously. With the addition of Kara and her being accepted into the group, Aru begins to feel left out. When she compares herself to Kara, she finds herself wanting, and that leads her to question her own abilities. What if she's not good enough to protect them? To save them? What if her friends like Kara more than her? It's not surprising that Aru develops jealousy. But what I loved about Aru is that she realizes jealousy is not a good feeling to have. Rather than give in to those feelings, she fights through the feelings, for her friends, and for the world, growing into her role as a leader.
Aiden gets a lot of development in this book. He's been a bit underdeveloped in the previous books when compared with the other characters, but the patience for his development pays off in this book. He opens up in this book, showing his vulnerability. We also learn more about his background, which helps explain his refusal to take sides in disagreements. A bit of warning, though: Aiden is a complete jerk to Aru for a lot of the book, and we don't find out why for a long while. Lacking any apparent reason, I found myself really disliking Aiden in this book. I wouldn't go so far as saying I hated him, but I definitely did not like him. I don't want to give anything away, so I will just say that Chokshi doesn't leave him there. There is a reason for his actions and his behavior, and there is definitely a payoff for the wait at the end.
Mini's major growth happened in the last book, and in this one, we see the results of the growth. I definitely liked the new strength that Mini has, and how she uses that to support everyone as they work towards their goals. Brynne's growth circles around her impulsivity and her tendency to make decisions for everyone. Her tendency to try to take control is frustrating at times, but Chokshi does a great job of building her relationships with everyone else, which also leads her to realize that she can care for others without controlling them.
As for Kara, she was somewhat of an enigma throughout the entire book. While her sincerity remained constant throughout the book, I never really knew how I felt about her. In large part, that's because she's a brand new character, introduced into a group of established characters. Still, because of her sincerity, her desire to want to be friends with everyone, I found myself being won over by her. There are some things that I can't mention without giving away spoilers, but I am definitely looking forward to seeing what kind of role she plays in the series finale. For those of you asking about the twins, there are in this book, but they aren't running around with the group so we don't see much of them. I hope they play a larger role in the next book because I want to learn more about them!
All this talk about character development doesn't mean the action was left behind. Quite the opposite. The action, the pacing of it, was absolutely perfect, and the way the plot came together at the end - along with the new information that was revealed - was just *chef's kiss* perfect.
As with the other books, I listened to the audiobook which was also narrated by Soneela Nankani. She gave a wonderful performance, pulling me into the book to the point that I had to force myself to stop listening so I could go to sleep. Given the option, I will definitely be listening to the final book. I can't wait to start that book and find out how everything is going to come together.
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![Aru Shah and the City of Gold: A Pandava Novel Book 4 (Pandava Series) by [Roshani Chokshi]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51JnCJ+NsaL._SY346_.jpg)
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From the Publisher
A Fast-Paced Adventure Series Based on Hindu Mythology by New York Times best-selling author Roshani Chokshi
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| Aru Shah and the End of Time, The Graphic Novel | The Last Fallen Star | Paola Santiago and the River of Tears | Sal and Gabi Break the Universe | Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky | The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities | |
| Discover More Myths, Magic, and Mayhem from Rick Riordan Presents! | Best-selling author Rick Riordan Presents the graphic novel adaptation of the New York Times best-selling fantasy adventure by Roshani Chokshi, inspired by the great Hindu epics she grew up on. Named one of 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time by... | Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Graci Kim's thrilling debut about an adopted Korean-American girl who discovers her heritage and her magic on a perilous journey to save her witch-clan family. | Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents author Tehlor Kay Mejia and her thrilling fantasy adventure based on the Mexican legend of La Llorona (the Crying Woman). | Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents a brilliant sci-fi romp with Cuban influence by Carlos Hernandez, winner of the 2020 Pura Belpré Award. | Discover Best-selling author Kwame Mbalia's epic fantasy, a middle grade American Gods set in a richly-imagined world populated with African American folk heroes and West African gods. | Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents ten new stories--including one of his own--about beloved heroes that sprang from the imaginations of some of the best middle grade authors working today. |
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I had to order last two, they are sold out,Lots of action and very witty characters.You won't be disappointed
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 19, 2022
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 9, 2022
I had to order last two, they are sold out,
Lots of action and very witty characters.
You won't be disappointed
Lots of action and very witty characters.
You won't be disappointed
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 17, 2021
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 13, 2021
Top reviews from other countries
Swapna
A must read! Get it right now!!!!! But from the first book if you're new.
Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on July 12, 2021
Swapna
Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on July 12, 2021
Roshani has always been my fav authour, and the Aru Shah series has always been a great read for me.
I am a kid myself (12) and I would definitely recommend ths book to all, it is a book for all ages :)
After I read the first book of this series (Aru Shah and the End of Time) I simply HAD to get the other books... and Im very glad I did.
Its a book of beauty, that combines Hindu mythology with the mordern world... And tells those old and super tales in a fun way...
And does not mean that Roshani just rewrites the tales... nope, not at all. Its a completely new and cool adventure with Aru.
If you are a Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus/Trials of Apollo/Magnus Chase/Kane Chronicles fan, then I bet sure you would love this book too.
NOTE : UF YOU'RE A NEW PERSON TO THIS SERIES, I WOULD HIGHLY REQUEST YOU TO READ THE BOOKS IN THE PROPER ORDER, THAT IS START THIS SERIES FROM THE FIRST BOOK.
Thanks! Hope my review helped you :D
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