Aru Shah and the End of Time
A twelve-year-old Pandava must stop the Sleeper from ending time.
Aru Shah and the End of Time is a 2018 American fantasy adventure novel by Roshani Chokshi, published by Disney-Hyperion in March 2018. It is the first book in the Rick Riordan Presents imprint and follows twelve-year-old Aru Shah as she discovers her identity as a Pandava and the reality of Hindu mythology. The novel received critical acclaim for its story, tone, humor, and characters.
Quick Facts
- Author
- Roshani Chokshi
- Cover artist
- Abigail L. Dela Cruz
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Genre
- Fantasy
- Children’s Fiction
- adventure
- Publisher
- Disney Hyperion (US); Scholastic Corporation (UK)
- Series
- Pandava Quintet
- Format
- Print (hardcover and paperback)
- audiobook
- e-book
Facts from the source article.
Synopsis
Twelve-year-old Aru Shah lives in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture and often lies to impress her classmates, a habit stemming from her mother's emotional distance. During a school break, three classmates visit the museum to confront Aru about a false claim of spending time in France. Under pressure, Aru lights the Cursed Lamp of Bharata, which she had told them was cursed, accidentally releasing the Sleeper, a demon who freezes time. After time freezes in her town and Aru herself is briefly frozen, a pigeon arrives and reveals that Hindu mythology is real and that Aru is a Pandava. The pigeon, later nicknamed Boo, leads Aru to find her fellow Pandava, Yamini (Mini), a germophobic girl. They visit the Council of Guardians, meeting Urvashi and Hanuman, who explain that the gods' vahanas are missing and that areas the Sleeper has walked are frozen. Aru's soul father is Indra, and Mini's is Dharma Raja. The Pandavas, with Boo, must stop the Sleeper from awakening the Lord of Destruction, which would end all time. To enter the Kingdom of Death, they must find three keys: the Sprig of Youth, the Bite of Adulthood, and a Sip of Old Age. Indra gives Aru a ping-pong ball, and Mini receives a compact from Dharma Raja. During their quest, they face demons such as Bhasmasura, from whom they obtain the Sprig, and trade a day of their lives to the sage Valmiki for a safety mantra. The Sleeper attacks them repeatedly, and they eventually acquire the Bite of Adulthood in the Library of the Night Bazaar.
Characters
Arundhati 'Aru' Shah is the protagonist, a Pandava reincarnation and the birth daughter of the Sleeper and Krithika P. Shah. Her soul father is Indra. Yamini 'Mini' Kapoor-Mercado-Lopez is a germophobic Pandava reincarnation whose soul father is Dharma Raja. Boo, also called Subala, is a pigeon who guides Aru and Mini; he is actually the Pandavas' former foe Shakuni, cursed to help them. The Sleeper, also known as Suyodhana, is Aru's birth father and the main antagonist, freed by Aru. Urvashi is the Chief Apsara and a Council of Guardians member. Hanuman is a monkey-faced Hindu demigod on the Council. Madame Bee Asura, or Bhasmasura, can turn anyone to ashes by touching their head. Valmiki is a sage who wrote the Ramayana. The Ritus are spirits of the six seasons. Ek and Do are two dogs guarding the Kingdom of Death. Chitrigupta is the record keeper of the Kingdom of Death. Shukra guards the Bridge of Forgetting. Krithika P. Shah is Aru's mother and the museum curator. Aru's classmates include Arielle Reddy, Burton Prater, and Poppy Lopez.
Reception
Common Sense Media gave the book 3 out of 5 stars, calling it a 'Flawed but fascinating modern spin on Indian mythology' and noting problems with the storytelling. Oprah Magazine listed it among the 'Best Books to Read If You Love Harry Potter.' Rick Riordan stated the book 'had everything I like. Humour, great characters and awesome mythology!' Eoin Colfer said 'a new star was born.' Harini Logan, Scripps Spelling Bee 2022 Champion, wrote that she knew 'witty, incredibly funny Aru and I would hit it off very well.' Reader's Digest described it as 'Percy Jackson meets Sailor Moon.' The Library Thing gave it 5 stars, calling it 'fresh. And great.' Kirkus Reviews wrote that Chokshi 'spins fantastical narrative of feminism and mythology that everyone, including children of Indian origin, will like.' The book was nominated for the 2019 Nebula Award.
Adaptations
Paramount Pictures won the film rights to Aru Shah and the End of Time in April 2018, beating out Netflix. Karen Rosenfelt will produce, and with Rick Riordan at the helm, it marks Hollywood's first venture into Hindu mythology. Author Chokshi hopes the movie will make new readers feel seen and could launch a franchise. Paramount likened the story to The Wizard of Oz and Coco.
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