Interview by Paul Salfen
It began with the lighting of a lamp. One day three of Aru Shah’s schoolmates show up at her doorstep to catch her in a lie. They don’t believe her claim that the Lamp of Bharata is cursed, and they dare Aru to prove it. Just a quick light, then she can get herself out of this mess with her school friends. But lighting the lamp unwittingly frees the Sleeper, an ancient demon also known as the Lord of Destruction, who’s determined to end the world unless the youth can stop him. The novel brings to play the largely untapped world of Hindu mythology and its figures who are deployed to help the young heroine on a journey replete with contemporary pop culture references and an exploration of karma and reincarnation.
In THE NECTAR OF IMMORTALITY, ARU SHAH has only until the next full moon to stop the Sleeper from gaining infinite power. But how can Aru, Mini, and Brynne hope to defeat him without their celestial weapons? The Sleeper and his army are already plundering the labyrinth, and the sisters can’t even enter. Their quest to get in will have them calling on old friends, meeting new allies, and facing fearsome trials, like…performing in a rock concert? When the moment of confrontation finally arrives, it’s up to Aru to decide who deserves immortality, the devas or the asuras. The most unexpected answer will come from a most unexpected place. More surprises and delights, gods, and demons, and laughs and tears await in this immensely satisfying conclusion to the wild ride that began with the lighting of a lamp.
Roshani Chokshi (www.roshanichokshi.com) is the author of the instant New York Times best-selling first book in the Pandava series, Aru Shah and the End of Time, and its four sequels. She also wrote the New York Times best-selling YA books The Star-Touched Queen, The Gilded Wolves, The Silvered Serpents, and The Bronzed Beasts. The Pandava novels were inspired by the stories her grandmother told her as well as Roshani’s consuming love for Sailor Moon. She lives in the south and says “y’all,” but she doesn’t really have a Southern accent. Follow her adventures on Instagram @roshanichokshi.
