Review: Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Aru Shah series is an excellent middle-grade fantasy series that features tweens overcoming challenges with steep odds. Over the course of the past two books in this series, Roshani Chokshi has carefully built a beautiful magical world based on Indian mythology. She began by introducing Pandavas Aru (full name Arundhati, a point that becomes important) and Mini (Yasmini) in the first book, Aru Shah and the End of Time. She added a third Pandava sister, Brynne, and Aiden, a Pandava-allied character in the second novel, Aru Shah and the Song of Death . Now in the third book, we meet a fourth and fifth Pandava, Nikita and her twin Sheela. Aiden's Naga cousin, Rudy, who we met in the second book, reappears in this one and joins the Pandava gang, I mean, the Potatoes. It's quite the crowd but Chokshi has managed to develop each of these characters so well that they're all distinct and a delight. There is something almost any child could relate to among these characters.
Prophecies have abounded in this series, but in Tree of Wishes, there's a very troubling one about a sister who is "not true," and it threatens the potential end of the Otherworld. Aru, who has been growing more troubled over the past few books, arrives at a point of great doubt in this novel. Because let's face it, some of the things the "good" side has been up to (things that result in dead wives and horrible curses) have not inspired confidence in Aru's belief that the causes she's being sent to fight for are right. Her lost father, the Sleeper, seems to have abandoned family and everything that Aru believes in, and Aru is still struggling to understand why. She hopes that finding the Tree of Wishes and saving the Otherworld will quash all her doubts. But what if she only finds still more questions? What if... there's a cliffhanger! *gasp* Chokshi will definitely have you eager for the next installment. I'm sure looking forward to how the Potatoes are going to set things right.
Full of clever references to everyone from Arya Stark to Thanos to Gollum, this latest installment provides some of the best middle-grade fantasy out there. The audiobook, narrated by Soneela Nankani, is a fantastic listen for kids and parents. It's a great road trip or stay home/quarantine audiobook for the whole family.
I received a Digital Review Copy and a courtesy copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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