So. I have (double) pneumonia and a headache, and a ton of school related deadlines coming up, and am feeling, in general, pretty ick. So, for this week's (belated) giveaway, I picked a comfort read.
I had the privilege of meeting Sayantani DasGupta last year at a conference, and she's a lovely and brilliant human being. I really enjoyed talking to her about folklore and the ways that our stories unite us.
I love fantasy based in folklore of various cultures, and I love brave girls, and this book has both.
Instead of trying to type more about how awesome this book is, I'm just going to pop in an overview I wrote from the protagonist's point of view for a class last semester.
Ahem.
A lot of parents tell their little girls that they're princesses. Except, it turns out that when my parents said "Kiranmala, you're a princess!", they were being literal. And not just any princess, oh no! A princess of ANOTHER DIMENSION. Which is information that would have been useful before I came home one day to find my parents missing, and a slobbering, snotty rakkhosh demon in my kitchen. Eating my toaster. While I'm still trying to figure out how to deal with the demon, two other-dimensional princes show up at my house. Riding winged horses. They say they can help me find my parents. At this point the rakkosh has pretty much wrecked my house, and my parents are gone. What else is to be done but hop on a flying horse and travel to another dimension with two strange boys?
When we get to The Kingdom Beyond Seven Oceans and Thirteen Rivers (cool name, right), I miiiiight have accidentally opened their kingdom to invasion by a(nother) demon. And then I learn that my other-dimensional father IS A SERPENT KING. (Picture a big snake. Bigger. Much bigger.) And he wants me back. Yeah, no. I've got to find my parents. I have to defeat the serpent king, and make up for unleashing the rakkoshi on this kingdom. And I'd really like to get back to New Jersey.
Edit to add: Tina H, yay! Message me your address, and I shall get the book in the mail to you ASAP. :)
Ahem.
A lot of parents tell their little girls that they're princesses. Except, it turns out that when my parents said "Kiranmala, you're a princess!", they were being literal. And not just any princess, oh no! A princess of ANOTHER DIMENSION. Which is information that would have been useful before I came home one day to find my parents missing, and a slobbering, snotty rakkhosh demon in my kitchen. Eating my toaster. While I'm still trying to figure out how to deal with the demon, two other-dimensional princes show up at my house. Riding winged horses. They say they can help me find my parents. At this point the rakkosh has pretty much wrecked my house, and my parents are gone. What else is to be done but hop on a flying horse and travel to another dimension with two strange boys?
When we get to The Kingdom Beyond Seven Oceans and Thirteen Rivers (cool name, right), I miiiiight have accidentally opened their kingdom to invasion by a(nother) demon. And then I learn that my other-dimensional father IS A SERPENT KING. (Picture a big snake. Bigger. Much bigger.) And he wants me back. Yeah, no. I've got to find my parents. I have to defeat the serpent king, and make up for unleashing the rakkoshi on this kingdom. And I'd really like to get back to New Jersey.
So. When you finish The Serpent's Secret, you should pick up the sequel, Game of Stars which came out at the end of last month.
Aaaand. On Saturday, I'll pick a commenter to receive a copy. Cause that's what we do here.
Tell me about your favorite folktale. Or your favorite winged horse. Or the time your house got eaten by a demon. Whatever.
Edit to add: Tina H, yay! Message me your address, and I shall get the book in the mail to you ASAP. :)
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