Parents' Guide to

Aru Shah at the City of Gold: Pandava, Book 4

By Carrie R. Wheadon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Indian myth quest tale stays exciting in this volume.

Book Roshani Chokshi Fantasy 2021
Aru Shah at the City of Gold: Pandava, Book 4 Poster Image

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What's the Story?

In ARU SHAH AND THE CITY OF GOLD: PANDAVA, BOOK 4, kidnapped Aru doesn't know whom to trust. Her father, the Sleeper, is gone when she wakes and she's alone with a girl named Kara who claims to be the Sleeper's other daughter. Kara also claims to want to help Aru get back to her friends and shows her a secret portal back to Atlanta. Introductions between Kara and Aru's Pandava sisters are awkward, especially when Aru learns she's been gone two whole months and they haven't found her mom yet. But now that Aru's back they are focused on stopping the Sleeper's plans once again. They must get to Amaravati, the city of gold, and ask Kubera, the god of wealth, for his army to fight the Sleeper's forces. Thanks to the threat of the Sleeper, all the regular portals to the Otherworld are closed and they'll need to get creative about finding the place. Luckily there's a gold mine just outside of Atlanta that may link them to the real city of gold. Unluckily, it's guarded by some feisty marmots who WILL make you buy something at the mine gift shop.

Is It Any Good?

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Kids say (1):

This penultimate Indian mythological adventure keeps things exciting with quests and trials and giant demons to battle, even as it sets readers up for the finale. The characters are well established now and work well as a team with their awesome godly weapons. Most of the focus stays on Aru, and some on Kara, her long-lost sister. It works fine for this installment, though Aru's angry-at-everything voice can overpower the story at times. Author Roshani Chokshi doesn't always line up her characters' reactions with action in the story and could have benefited from another editing pass to streamline Aru's inner thoughts. Even as an angrier-than-normal character, Aru is still worth rooting for, especially as she solves difficult tasks and trials with the other Pandavas.

Readers who pay careful attention may pick up on Aru's family secret before she does -- all those gods they meet on their travels tell lots of stories for a reason. Even if they do figure it out, there are more twists than that one that set up the finale in an exciting way.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the battle in Aru Shah and the City of Gold. Why is Aru upset with Kubera, the god of riches, when it's over? Why do you think his whole kingdom thinks of the battle as a spectacle? Would you want to live in that kingdom?

  • All the girls are discovering their strength as fighters and problem-solvers in this series. What other books have you read with a group of strong teen-girl heroes?

  • What do you think will happen to Aru, her Pandava sisters, and her family in the finale?

Book Details

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