Saving the multiverse is no game.
When the Demon Queen shows up in her bedroom, smelling of acid and surrounded by evil-looking bees, twelve-year-old Kiranmala is uninterested. After all, it's been weeks since she last heard from her friends in the Kingdom Beyond, the alternate dimension where she was born as an Indian princess. But after a call to action over an interdimensional television station and a visit with some all-seeing birds, Kiran decides that she has to once again return to her homeland, where society is fraying, a terrible game show reigns supreme, and friends and foes alike are in danger. Everyone is running scared or imprisoned following the enactment of sudden and unfair rules of law.
However, things are a lot less clear than the last time she was in the Kingdom Beyond. Kiran must once again solve riddles and battle her evil Serpent King father -- all while figuring out who her true friends are, and what it really means to be a hero.--from the publisher
384 pages 978-1338185737 Ages 8-12
Keywords: Indian princess; fantasy; television; social issues; fear; injustice; riddles; father/daughter; friendship; heroine; action adventure; 9 year old readers; 10 year olds; 11 year olds; 12 year olds; fantasy; magic; diversity; diverse books; multicultural; friends; friendship
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Kiran has been transitioning from being a princess in the Kingdom Beyond back to being another middle school student. It's hard to return to everyday life after fighting demons and traveling to another dimension. She is also frustrated with the lack of contact from her friends in the Kingdom Beyond (picture Harry Potter when he doesn't hear from his friends all summer at the beginning of The Chamber of Secrets). So when her friend Neel's mother shows up spouting riddles and what seems like rhyming nonsense, Kiran is a bit aggravated.
Still, it seems that her friends are in trouble. There is something strange going on in a new reality TV show from the Kingdom Beyond, as well as something odd in the behavior of her friend Lal. Why isn't he rescuing his brother? And what is going on between Lal and Mati - who used to be inseparable? And what is up with the rebels in pink saris and riding skateboards? Curiouser and curiouser.
Full of characters from Indian mythology and folklore, as well as references to astrophysics and pop culture, this series continues to entertain with loads of action, humor, and battles of wits. If you haven't read the first book, go back and start at the beginning - you don't want to miss any of the fun.
Recommended by: Suzanne Costner, Library Media Specialist, Tennessee USA
See more of her recommendations: https://fveslibrary.blogspot.com/