In this sequel to DasGupta's middle-grade debut, The Serpent's Secret (2018), readers learn that Parsippany, New Jersey, middle schooler Kiranmala has not returned to the Kingdom Beyond Seven Oceans and Thirteen Rivers for months.In fact, none of the Indian-American's friends from the Kingdom Beyond—especially princes Lalkamal and Neelkamal, their cousin Mati, and the bird Tuntuni—has contacted her since her departure. But after she is visited by the Rakkhoshi Queen under the cloak of night and prompted by an interdimensional television station to enter Who Wants to Be a Demon Slayer?, a multiverse reality game show, Kiranmala sets off to the Kingdom for another rollicking roller-coaster ride of an adventure, featuring a fork fight with a demon school dropout, an intergalactic auto-rikshaw ride, and a mind-boggling series of riddles with a ghost. In this outing DasGupta draws inspiration from American and South Asian pop culture in addition to Bengali folk and children's literature, and an extensive author's note provides readers with additional context for many of the cheeky references peppered throughout the book (the "Dead and Lovely" cream hawked in interdimensional TV ads is inspired by fairness creams that are ubiquitous on the Subcontinent, and "Samosa Drones" are a nod to Amazon's suggestion that they might use drones for book deliveries). Kiran's smart, funny voice will win new fans and gratify returning readers.DasGupta once again wittily meshes Bengali folktales, intergalactic science, and a spectacular world of her own creation in a yarn that is part hero's quest, part immigrant coming-of-age tale. (Fantasy. 10-14)

Gr 4-7 In this sequel to The Serpent's Secret , Princess Kiranmala is back, ready to face her nemesis, the Serpent King Sesha, who also happens to be her father. Kiran's friend, Prince Neel, has been kidnapped by Sesha's minions and is being held prisoner deep in an underwater prison; something weird is going on with Prince Lal. Worst of all, Sesha has engineered a game show ("Who Wants to Be a Demon Slayer?") to entice Kiran into his trap. His ultimate aim: to capture the two magical stones that will allow him to vanquish Kiran and achieve immortality. Luckily, there's an array of characters inspired by Bengali folklore, literature, and pop culture to help Kiran complete her quest. Rakkhosh demons on skateboards make an appearance and new figures such as Bangoma and Bangomee (giant pigeons with the heads of humans) are also enlisted to fight the bad guys. Character development is somewhat limited by the sheer number of chase scenes, monster fights, and near misses, but readers who enjoyed the first book will continue to root for Kiran as she finds her true self and stands up for what's right. VERDICT This action-packed sequel is a must-buy where the first book is popular. Elizabeth Friend, Wester Middle School, TX

Kiranmala has accepted the fact that she's a demon-slaying princess from the alternate dimension Kingdom Beyond, only it's been four months since she's heard from anyone there. She's going about her normal, New Jersey life when her old sort-of friend, the Demon Queen, appears in her dreams, speaking in strange riddles. Kiran doesn't think too much of it until she hears about a demon-slaying competition between the Kingdom Beyond and the Kingdom of Serpents. Behind it? That would be Kiran's birth father, the crafty, deadly Serpent King. Something's afoot, and it's time for Kiran to rejoin her friends me of whom are in some seriously hot water battle monsters, trick ghosts, and solve puzzles, all while checking her own prejudices about what demons really are. In this second thrilling, action-packed series installment (The Serpent's Secret, 2018), DasGupta widens the scope of her magical world while further exploring Bengali myths and cultural traditions. Bold, sometimes rash Kiran is a delightfully complex heroine, and this is a wonderfully layered continuation of an exciting adventure.

In this sequel to DasGupta's middle-grade debut, The Serpent's Secret (2018), readers learn that Parsippany, New Jersey, middle schooler Kiranmala has not returned to the Kingdom Beyond Seven Oceans and Thirteen Rivers for months.In fact, none of the Indian-American's friends from the Kingdom Beyond—especially princes Lalkamal and Neelkamal, their cousin Mati, and the bird Tuntuni—has contacted her since her departure. But after she is visited by the Rakkhoshi Queen under the cloak of night and prompted by an interdimensional television station to enter Who Wants to Be a Demon Slayer?, a multiverse reality game show, Kiranmala sets off to the Kingdom for another rollicking roller-coaster ride of an adventure, featuring a fork fight with a demon school dropout, an intergalactic auto-rikshaw ride, and a mind-boggling series of riddles with a ghost. In this outing DasGupta draws inspiration from American and South Asian pop culture in addition to Bengali folk and children's literature, and an extensive author's note provides readers with additional context for many of the cheeky references peppered throughout the book (the "Dead and Lovely" cream hawked in interdimensional TV ads is inspired by fairness creams that are ubiquitous on the Subcontinent, and "Samosa Drones" are a nod to Amazon's suggestion that they might use drones for book deliveries). Kiran's smart, funny voice will win new fans and gratify returning readers.DasGupta once again wittily meshes Bengali folktales, intergalactic science, and a spectacular world of her own creation in a yarn that is part hero's quest, part immigrant coming-of-age tale. (Fantasy. 10-14)