The Serpent’s Secret (Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond #1) by Sayantani DasGupta
Release: February 27th, 2018
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: Amazon
Kiranmala – The Serpent’s Secret Synopsis:
MEET KIRANMALA: INTERDIMENSIONAL DEMONSLAYER (But she doesn’t know it yet.)
On the morning of her twelfth birthday, Kiranmala is just a regular sixth grader living in Parsippany, New Jersey… until her parents mysteriously vanish later that day and a rakkhosh demon slams through her kitchen, determined to eat her alive. Turns out there might be some truth to her parents’ fantastical stories—like how Kiranmala is a real Indian princess—and a wealth of secrets about her origin they’ve kept hidden.
To complicate matters, two crush worthy Indian princes ring her doorbell, insisting they’re here to rescue her. Suddenly, Kiran is swept into another dimension full of magic, winged horses, moving maps, and annoying, talking birds. There she must solve riddles and slay demons all while avoiding the Serpent King of the underworld (who may or may not want to kill her) and the rakkhosh queen (who definitely does) in order to find her parents and basically save New Jersey, her entire world, and everything beyond it…
Book Trailer:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJDRgjgRBG8[/embedyt]
Review:
This was such a fun book to read! It’s so refreshing to see a girl of Indian heritage be the protagonist and kick-ass in this adventure novel.
What’s great about “The Serpent’s Secret” is in its story line and pacing. The story keeps you hooked from the get go and never gets boring. I finished this book in one sitting and couldn’t put it down. As Kiran and her friends go on their quest, they come across different adventures, whether it be from the mountains, in the sea or in a serpent’s lair. The adventures themselves range from serious edge of your seat moments like stealing a jewel from a Python, to hilarious escapes from demonic-cheerleaders. I loved how some of popular Indian folk-tales like the Rakkhosh and the thirsty crow were incorporated into the story line.
The characters are adorable and you can’t help but like something about almost all of them. Kiran is a cool heroine with a snarky sense of humor. Neel is the brooding hero who is frustrating at times but has good intentions. Tuntuni is annoying but his jokes and rhymes are fun to read. The Raja came across as a jolly fellow even though he makes bad decisions. Even the Rakkhosh baby and the khokkosh demons made me laugh with their personality and dialogue. My favorite character in this story was Ai-ma. She is so creepy but has charming grandmother qualities, and the terms of endearment she uses on Neel is hilarious.
The author has also put in her thoughts of Philosophy and Astronomy that make it stand out. Some of the dialogues (like the below) really made me reflect on our connection as human beings and how everyone is connected in someway.
“My Baba always tells me we’re all connected by energy-trees, wind, animals, people, everything. He says that life energy is a link of river flowing through the universe. And that our souls are just a bit of that river water held inside the clay pitcher of our bodies. When our bodies give out, that’s just the pitcher breaking, pouring what’s inside black into the original stream of universal souls.”
Overall, I devoured this book like a hungry Rakkhosh and cannot wait for the next one! The small preview at the end proves that it will be equally awesome as the first. The illustrations by Vivienne To are lovely and whimsical. If you haven’t read “The Serpent’s Secret” yet, don’t be such a 2-D duckweed, pick this up and read!
Can someone tell me what page that quote is on? Thanks