by Samantha White
Northwest Asia Weekly
Arusha and the Immortal Nectar
by Roshani Chokshi
Rick Riordan presents, 2022
Aru Shah and the Potatoes are back, and they need to stop the Sleeper’s plans once and for all in order to obtain the immortal nectar and thus unlimited power. Pandavas can only wait until the next full moon (about two weeks), but after losing their celestial weapons, Aru, Mini, and Brynne don’t even know how they hope to defeat him.
In the final installment of Chokshi’s Pandavas Quintet, we see Aru and her friends continue to fight even when they feel all is lost. In their quest, they turn to old friends for help, meet new allies, and face trials like never before — including performing at a rock concert at the end of the world (because, why not?). This is a story about perseverance, especially when it seems hopeless.
As readers of this column know, I’m a longtime fan of Aru and her adventures. So while it’s bittersweet to see it all come to an end, Chokshi brings everything to a satisfying end, from the ultimate potato quest that it all led to, to the relationship we all hope to see finally come to fruition. It’s been a long journey and I’m excited to see Aru and the company grow and develop individually and as a team. Aru has grown from a young tween who would lie in her life to make people like her to a young man who learns to do what she thinks is right no matter what other people (including literally gods) think.
An ongoing theme throughout the series is the trustworthiness and reliability of adults and so-called authority figures, especially parents. The last part continues this and highlights the complex relationship between parents and children. While it’s not surprising to read about Aru’s relationship with her Sleeper father and some other Potatoes and their parents, Chokshi shows how these relationships become less complicated with age.
Camilla knows best
by Farahlen
forever, 2022
Camila Hussein has a great life. She throws weekly Bollywood movie parties for her friends, her dog has a huge following on Instagram, and she works with her father on a job she loves. With all this, plus friends who clearly need help in her love life, Camilla doesn’t have time to think about romance for herself.
But there’s also Rohan Nasser, Camilla’s old friend—successful, beautiful, and always by Camilla’s side. Rohan has been putting up with her “harmless flirting”, but lately, it doesn’t feel as innocuous as Rohan started flirting.
As Camilla takes on more responsibilities at work and volunteering – hopefully others will take her more seriously – it starts to show that her perfectly ordered life is beginning to unravel and turn upside down.
In this retelling of “Emma,” Herron takes Jane Austen’s famous matchmaker and brings her into the modern world. Camilla is a tough protagonist, although I admit, I initially judged her harshly for her love of parties and social media obsession. While this may have been Herron’s intention, since sometimes Camilla would ask other characters to do so, I realized I was equally guilty. It’s a good lesson to not judge a book by its cover.
While “Camilla” is classified as a romance novel, its source material is not – which may confuse some readers looking for more of Camilla and Lohan’s relationship.
But personally, I agree with that. I love reading about Camilla’s relationship with her father. She is very loyal to her father, and given his past physical and mental health issues, much of what Camilla does in her life is for him and to ensure his health. I really appreciate how Heron shows that mental health issues can persist. People are not “cured” after several rounds of treatment. Mental health is still something we don’t talk about enough in the Asian community, so it’s worth reading to see Heron highlight.
daughter of the moon goddess
Su Lin Tan
Harper Voyager, 2022
As Chang’e Chang’e’s daughter, Xingyin grew up in loneliness, unaware that she was actually hidden by Tiandi, who exiled Xingyin for (allegedly) stealing Xingyin’s elixir. But when Hoshiyin’s magic erupts and her presence is almost discovered, she is forced to flee, leaving behind her mother, who begins a quest to rescue her.
Alone in the Immortal Realm, without her powers, Xing Yin (she herself) disguises her identity and seizes the opportunity to study with the emperor’s son Li Wei. But as she mastered everything from archery to magic – as expected – the bond between the two began to develop.
“Daughter,” the first of the duo, is a story that interweaves Chinese mythology with romance and adventure. Hsing-yin is smart and resourceful, her love for her mother is palpable, and she does what she has to do to get back to the moon—though it’s not impossible for her to get her mother out of exile. Everything Xingyin does is to help Chang’e, which is an interesting dynamic when it comes to the story of the parent-child relationship. For many immigrant children, we often see and hear about our parents making sacrifices and taking risks to create a better life for us, so it was a great turnaround to see Star Silver being able to do this for her mother .
Growing up alone on the moon as a child, once she arrives in the kingdom of heaven, Xingyin finds herself connected – not just with Liwei, but with other people. It was touching to see her realize the power of her friendships, their impact on her and vice versa. One of my favorite moments is when her friends reach out to support them when she needs them the most – showing readers the true power of love (of any kind).
Samantha is available at info@nwasianweekly.com.
