Welcome to Windows & Mirrors, where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences. This week we are featuring GAME OF STARS, book #2 in the KIRANMALA AND THE KINGDOM BEYOND series by Sayantani DasGupta.
Princess Kiranmala is back home in plain old New Jersey, trying to readjust to normal middle school life. Just four months ago she was battling her birth father, the Serpent King, in the Kingdom Beyond, the alternative dimension where she was born. When the demon queen shows up at school and tells her she must find her way back to Kingdom Beyond to save Prince Neel from the Serpent King, she has no choice but to join the reality TV show Who Wants to Be a Demon Slayer? and attempt to rescue him.
But her plans to rescue Neel aren’t so clear when she arrives. Like in the first book, Kiran has to solve some of the world’s weirdest riddles, endure the worst possible jokes and puns, and somehow keep it together as she battles witches and demons. But her biggest challenge is figuring out who’s friend and who’s foe. Some of her human friends seem to be creating obstacles that threaten her success. Some of the demons seem to be allies, and some can’t stop drooling over the prospects of killing her. Can she sort out who’s who before the Serpent King completes his plan?
If you enjoyed THE SERPENT’S SECRET, you are going to love GAME OF STARS. Full of surprises up to the very end! Kiran is a brave, wonderful character, and her friendship/devotion to Neel is inspiring. Full of heart and overflowing with humorous one liners, the story touches on issues of prejudice and racism in an accessible way for readers who might be more interested in the adventure. My favorite thing about this painfully hilarious series is how it draws from traditional Bengali folktales and children’s stories and mixes those with American pop culture and a coming-of-age intergalactic hero’s journey. This is no easy task, but thanks to DasGupta’s masterful storytelling kids will be eager for book three. Do not miss the author’s notes in the back!
Who will love this book?
- Young fantasy lovers
- Kids who live for funny/goofy/riddles/pop culture references
- Kids who enjoy books set in other cultures/dimensions
GAME OF STARS has earned multiple starred reviews and releases on 2/26/19. Preorder from your favorite bookstore or request it from your local library today!
Thank you to the KidlitExchange Network for providing me with a review copy. For ages 8+
Check out this video where DasGupta discusses her writing journey, being a pediatrician, and the importance of reading (maybe she’ll write you a perscription to read more)! Warning: there may be silliness!
From Sayantani DasGupta’s website:
Sayantani DasGupta grew up hearing stories about brave princess, bloodthirsty rakkhosh and flying pakkhiraj horses. She is a pediatrician by training but now teaches at Columbia University. When she’s not writing or reading, Sayantani spends time watching cooking shows with her trilingual children and protecting her black Labrador Retriever Khushi from the many things that scare him, including plastic bags. She is a team member of We Need Diverse books and can be found on Twitter at @sayantani16.
