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Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond #1
The Serpent's Secret
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Middle Grade & Children's (2018)MEET KIRANMALA: INTERDIMENSIONAL DEMON SLAYER
(Only she doesn't know it yet.)
On the morning of her twelfth birthday, Kiranmala is just a regular sixth grader living in Parsippany, New Jersey... until her parents mysteriously vanish and a drooling rakkhosh demon slams through her kitchen, determined to eat her alive. Turns out there might be some truth to her parents' fantastical stories-like how Kiranmala is a real Indian princess and how she comes from a secret place not of this world.
To complicate matters, two crush-worthy princes ring her doorbell, insisting they've come to rescue her. Suddenly, Kiran is swept into another dimension full of magic, winged horses, moving maps, and annoying, talking birds. There she must solve riddles and battle demons all while avoiding the Serpent King of the underworld and the Rakkhoshi Queen in order to find her parents and basically save New Jersey, her entire world, and everything beyond it...
Read by the author.
(Only she doesn't know it yet.)
On the morning of her twelfth birthday, Kiranmala is just a regular sixth grader living in Parsippany, New Jersey... until her parents mysteriously vanish and a drooling rakkhosh demon slams through her kitchen, determined to eat her alive. Turns out there might be some truth to her parents' fantastical stories-like how Kiranmala is a real Indian princess and how she comes from a secret place not of this world.
To complicate matters, two crush-worthy princes ring her doorbell, insisting they've come to rescue her. Suddenly, Kiran is swept into another dimension full of magic, winged horses, moving maps, and annoying, talking birds. There she must solve riddles and battle demons all while avoiding the Serpent King of the underworld and the Rakkhoshi Queen in order to find her parents and basically save New Jersey, her entire world, and everything beyond it...
Read by the author.
351 pages, Hardcover
First published February 27, 2018
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Want to read
June 23, 2017THIS IS GOING TO BE AMAZING!!!
February 19, 2018
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. This is no way impacts my review of the novel.
The Serpent's Secret is a middle-grade novel about Kiranmala, a 12-year old living her regular life in New Jersey until her parents go missing and she finds out she's a real Indian princess.
In all honesty, the only reason I was planning to read this novel was because of the Indian rep, but there is so much more to the perfection that is this novel. I'm going to start this review by pleading with you to support this novel in any way possible. I promise you won't be disappointed.
Growing up, I never got to see books that had characters that were like me in books or TV shows or movies or any other form of media. The only memory I have of seeing an Indian character in a book is when I checked out one book from the library, that wasn't even a mainstream novel, and that's the only novel I can remember being represented in during elementary and middle school.
I don't think you understand how excited I am for this book to be in school libraries and children's bookstores because it is going to change the lives of so many Indian kids out there and they are going to get the representation that people my age never got.
The Serpent's Secret features essentially an all Indian cast while also incorporating so many parts of Indian culture, specially Bengali culture, and creates a perfect balance of the negatives and positives in said culture.
Note: I am not Bengali so I can't speak on that representation, but this rep is completely ownvoices so I'm not too concerned about it.
The way DasGupta managed to confront how Kiranmala felt about growing up in New Jersey was something so relatable to how I felt growing up. When you grow up in a society where you don't come from the same culture as everyone else, it subconsciously impacts you and alienates you and DasGupta did an incredible job of getting that across and ALSO teaching the main character to be proud of where she comes from which can further show Indian kids that they should be proud of their heritage because it's a pretty cool one.
In the ARC, there is a letter from the author at the beginning and an author's note at the end that explains some of the cultural elements in the story. I read these two sections of the novel first, and I started tearing up reading the letter. The subconscious impact of lack of representation growing up is real folks, and DasGupta is going to change that for so many brown kids.
Now listen, I could go on for days about how the representation in this novel meant the world to me, but there are so many more aspects that I have to cover.
Something I'm always concerned about when reading middle-grade and young-adult works by adults is whether they'll be able to get the tone of the age they're writing and DasGupta did not disappoint me in the slightest. I don't know if it's from her experience having children or what, but she knew how to write a realistic 12-year old and I actually felt like I was in a 12-year olds mindset while reading.
Furthermore, the characters she creates are magnificent. It is obvious the effort that DasGupta put into developing these characters and making them realistic. And the relationships between these characters also feel real. What I'm getting at is that DasGupta makes the people in her book real.
But what really takes the cake for this novel is the plot and the world-building. I can't even begin to imagine how much work DasGupta must have put into creating this amazing world that ties together Bengali culture with fantasy and with real scientific elements. It's obvious that she took the time to develop this world and it's created so well.
No words I write here can express the absolute magnificence of this novel. I plead that you support it in any way you can.
The Serpent's Secret is a middle-grade novel about Kiranmala, a 12-year old living her regular life in New Jersey until her parents go missing and she finds out she's a real Indian princess.
In all honesty, the only reason I was planning to read this novel was because of the Indian rep, but there is so much more to the perfection that is this novel. I'm going to start this review by pleading with you to support this novel in any way possible. I promise you won't be disappointed.
Growing up, I never got to see books that had characters that were like me in books or TV shows or movies or any other form of media. The only memory I have of seeing an Indian character in a book is when I checked out one book from the library, that wasn't even a mainstream novel, and that's the only novel I can remember being represented in during elementary and middle school.
I don't think you understand how excited I am for this book to be in school libraries and children's bookstores because it is going to change the lives of so many Indian kids out there and they are going to get the representation that people my age never got.
The Serpent's Secret features essentially an all Indian cast while also incorporating so many parts of Indian culture, specially Bengali culture, and creates a perfect balance of the negatives and positives in said culture.
Note: I am not Bengali so I can't speak on that representation, but this rep is completely ownvoices so I'm not too concerned about it.
The way DasGupta managed to confront how Kiranmala felt about growing up in New Jersey was something so relatable to how I felt growing up. When you grow up in a society where you don't come from the same culture as everyone else, it subconsciously impacts you and alienates you and DasGupta did an incredible job of getting that across and ALSO teaching the main character to be proud of where she comes from which can further show Indian kids that they should be proud of their heritage because it's a pretty cool one.
In the ARC, there is a letter from the author at the beginning and an author's note at the end that explains some of the cultural elements in the story. I read these two sections of the novel first, and I started tearing up reading the letter. The subconscious impact of lack of representation growing up is real folks, and DasGupta is going to change that for so many brown kids.
Now listen, I could go on for days about how the representation in this novel meant the world to me, but there are so many more aspects that I have to cover.
Something I'm always concerned about when reading middle-grade and young-adult works by adults is whether they'll be able to get the tone of the age they're writing and DasGupta did not disappoint me in the slightest. I don't know if it's from her experience having children or what, but she knew how to write a realistic 12-year old and I actually felt like I was in a 12-year olds mindset while reading.
Furthermore, the characters she creates are magnificent. It is obvious the effort that DasGupta put into developing these characters and making them realistic. And the relationships between these characters also feel real. What I'm getting at is that DasGupta makes the people in her book real.
But what really takes the cake for this novel is the plot and the world-building. I can't even begin to imagine how much work DasGupta must have put into creating this amazing world that ties together Bengali culture with fantasy and with real scientific elements. It's obvious that she took the time to develop this world and it's created so well.
No words I write here can express the absolute magnificence of this novel. I plead that you support it in any way you can.
April 13, 2018
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I am trying to look at this book as a completely individual series from the Percy Jackson series. A couple reasons for this; it is not even published by Rick Riordan’s publishing industry and this book is about Indian fairytales. I know it is so easy to compare middle-grade novels that are urban fantasy to Rick Riordan but you can’t with this. Why? Mainly because this is all own voices.
Now, into what I thought about everything. The Serpent’s Secret was a book I didn’t know what to expect from it. In the classic Amber fashion, I hadn’t read the blurb. I simply jumped into the middle-grade novel in hopes of finding a new favourite. Unfortunately, I didn’t, but I did enjoy the ride this story took. It was fun.
The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta is a delightfully unique story. I have never read anything quite like this, or even seen anything represented in the media. This book incorporates so many parts of Bengali Indian culture. This is definitely not an area I am educated enough to speak on, so I’ll move on. On Kiranmala’s twelfth birthday everything goes wrong. She goes from being a regular sixth grader to having a demon smash through her kitchen and take her parents. This leads Kiranmala on a journey of discovery, with two charming Indian prince’s tagging along, to find her parents while also realizing that everything that they have told her in their stories is true. There are countless extra tasks thrown in that make it harder for Kiranmala, but that’s what keeps the book interesting! Kiranmala leans to be proud of her heritage throughout the novel. With the fast-paced novel, it is easy to fit all this into 368 pages.
I’ll jump into more about what I liked and dislike about The Serpent’s Secret now.
L I K E S
✗ GREAT FAIRYTALE EXPLANATIONS
I love learning about different myths, fairytales and cultures while reading. I feel that’s how I learn the most. The Serpent’s Secret is no different. As Kiranmala learns what is real and what isn’t, via interdimensional travel, the reader does as well. It felt so important to become educated on these stories while reading. These are stories I have never heard and they were detailed and amazing. I truly wish these myths and fairy tales were incorporated into mainstream media more – obviously written by own voices writers.
✗ CHARACTERS ARE ACTING THEIR AGE
I feel this is very important. Characters acting their age, when they’re young, feel so rare in books. I feel that characters are typically aged up in their personality though on paper it says they’re twelve. DasGupta really managed to capture the youth of Kiranmala. It was raw and truthful in so many elements, despite the book being an urban fantasy. It was truly refreshing.
✗ IMAGERY IS BEAUTIFUL
This is a super simple thing I liked about The Serpent’s Secret but the imagery is mind-blowing. DasGupta created such beautiful scenes with her writing that truly brought me into the book. The added illustrations throughout were incredibly enjoyable as well, definitely welcome additions to the story. Definitely, something that would entice a young reader as well!
D I S L I K E S
✗ KIND OF UNCOMFORTABLE HUMOUR
It’s not that it was uncomfortable but at times the humour felt as if it was trying too hard. Not all of it came under this category but I really was struggling to get into the characters, especially since a lot of the humour was due to the characters, not understanding Kiranmala. I also get these characters are twelve but I just felt like the humour was an element that could have been removed from the book.
✗ TOO FAST PACED AT TIMES
I believe this book is a debut? Correct me if I’m wrong, please, so this I can understand. At times this book felt pretty choppy, with characters moving between scenes in a confusing way that left me rereading paragraphs trying to find the connection. It had me struggling to get through this book in that way.
Overall, this has been a hard review to write. I don’t want to step on any own voices reviewer’s toes but I do want to promote this book for its beautiful imagery and storytelling. I know I have to stay in my lane but I really do recommend this book to everyone, especially if you have younger children in your life because I feel like education at a young age on different cultures is so important. The Serpent’s Secret was ultimately a very enjoyable book. It was fast and it was silly and it was fun. I know I keep using the word fun but it’s true. This book was super fun to read. Definitely, add it to your TBR’s if you don’t mind a little middle grade in your life!
I am trying to look at this book as a completely individual series from the Percy Jackson series. A couple reasons for this; it is not even published by Rick Riordan’s publishing industry and this book is about Indian fairytales. I know it is so easy to compare middle-grade novels that are urban fantasy to Rick Riordan but you can’t with this. Why? Mainly because this is all own voices.
Now, into what I thought about everything. The Serpent’s Secret was a book I didn’t know what to expect from it. In the classic Amber fashion, I hadn’t read the blurb. I simply jumped into the middle-grade novel in hopes of finding a new favourite. Unfortunately, I didn’t, but I did enjoy the ride this story took. It was fun.
The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta is a delightfully unique story. I have never read anything quite like this, or even seen anything represented in the media. This book incorporates so many parts of Bengali Indian culture. This is definitely not an area I am educated enough to speak on, so I’ll move on. On Kiranmala’s twelfth birthday everything goes wrong. She goes from being a regular sixth grader to having a demon smash through her kitchen and take her parents. This leads Kiranmala on a journey of discovery, with two charming Indian prince’s tagging along, to find her parents while also realizing that everything that they have told her in their stories is true. There are countless extra tasks thrown in that make it harder for Kiranmala, but that’s what keeps the book interesting! Kiranmala leans to be proud of her heritage throughout the novel. With the fast-paced novel, it is easy to fit all this into 368 pages.
I’ll jump into more about what I liked and dislike about The Serpent’s Secret now.
L I K E S
✗ GREAT FAIRYTALE EXPLANATIONS
I love learning about different myths, fairytales and cultures while reading. I feel that’s how I learn the most. The Serpent’s Secret is no different. As Kiranmala learns what is real and what isn’t, via interdimensional travel, the reader does as well. It felt so important to become educated on these stories while reading. These are stories I have never heard and they were detailed and amazing. I truly wish these myths and fairy tales were incorporated into mainstream media more – obviously written by own voices writers.
✗ CHARACTERS ARE ACTING THEIR AGE
I feel this is very important. Characters acting their age, when they’re young, feel so rare in books. I feel that characters are typically aged up in their personality though on paper it says they’re twelve. DasGupta really managed to capture the youth of Kiranmala. It was raw and truthful in so many elements, despite the book being an urban fantasy. It was truly refreshing.
✗ IMAGERY IS BEAUTIFUL
This is a super simple thing I liked about The Serpent’s Secret but the imagery is mind-blowing. DasGupta created such beautiful scenes with her writing that truly brought me into the book. The added illustrations throughout were incredibly enjoyable as well, definitely welcome additions to the story. Definitely, something that would entice a young reader as well!
D I S L I K E S
✗ KIND OF UNCOMFORTABLE HUMOUR
It’s not that it was uncomfortable but at times the humour felt as if it was trying too hard. Not all of it came under this category but I really was struggling to get into the characters, especially since a lot of the humour was due to the characters, not understanding Kiranmala. I also get these characters are twelve but I just felt like the humour was an element that could have been removed from the book.
✗ TOO FAST PACED AT TIMES
I believe this book is a debut? Correct me if I’m wrong, please, so this I can understand. At times this book felt pretty choppy, with characters moving between scenes in a confusing way that left me rereading paragraphs trying to find the connection. It had me struggling to get through this book in that way.
Overall, this has been a hard review to write. I don’t want to step on any own voices reviewer’s toes but I do want to promote this book for its beautiful imagery and storytelling. I know I have to stay in my lane but I really do recommend this book to everyone, especially if you have younger children in your life because I feel like education at a young age on different cultures is so important. The Serpent’s Secret was ultimately a very enjoyable book. It was fast and it was silly and it was fun. I know I keep using the word fun but it’s true. This book was super fun to read. Definitely, add it to your TBR’s if you don’t mind a little middle grade in your life!
May 22, 2024
There's much to like in this book -great characters, fascinating folklore-inspired fantastic setting, good action scenes.
Unfortunately, some parts of the story are kind of a mess, feeling forced into the narrative to filled a hole that never really existed.
I'm still trying to put together a coherent review that considers all the things I liked, while contextualizing all the things I disliked without creating extreme confusion.
For now, all I can say is 3 stars seems about right.
Unfortunately, some parts of the story are kind of a mess, feeling forced into the narrative to filled a hole that never really existed.
I'm still trying to put together a coherent review that considers all the things I liked, while contextualizing all the things I disliked without creating extreme confusion.
For now, all I can say is 3 stars seems about right.
Want to read
January 6, 2017I want to read this SOLELY BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SO MEAN SPIRITED about it already. Like, wtf? Are you that petty and hateful, or are you just bored and trolling? Either way...keep on haters...you're only garnering it more attention. The fear of ideas and differences will keep you small while the rest of the world soars.
July 1, 2019
Pre-emptively giving this five stars to balance out the eyebrow-raising rating of a book that literally just sold today. I am so, so excited for this and Sayantani's magical words! This is going to be so good!
April 13, 2018
OK, I was so excited for this book :/ I ordered it for my library and grabbed it as soon as it came in. I love fantasy, and folklore and most combinations of the two.
The pros would be an introduction to Bengali folklore, which I know a lot less about than most other folklore and mythologies. So that was pretty cool.
The characters were spunky, I guess, but they were also pretty one-dimensional. The idea of a warrior princess is always fun, but not in this way - Kiranmala is dismissive and rude about princess stereotypes. It's fine that she doesn't like pink, but the way the book approaches it is going to make young girls who like pink either hate Kiranmala or feel as though being "girly" and liking those things is wrong/stupid/ or bad. And that's not a good message. There have been much, much, better done warrior princess stories. None that I know with an Indian-American protagonist, so it's a good start, but the story has to be good to for it to be effective.
The writing was not good. It wasn't completely horrible, but the story felt awkward and disjointed, the characters flat, and the overall story poorly delivered. I think the idea behind the story was excellent, and I almost hope they make it into a movie since there is not much to ruin.
For example the main character has these two distinct birthmark/scars. They are mentioned OVER AND OVER AND OVER again. We get it. We know they are markings of her royal lineage. When they are finally explained the character gets all weird, touching her arm "Oh no, could it be?" You don't have to spoon feed us the answers. Everything is pretty overtly explained in the text. I work with children and I promise anyone old enough to read this book doesn't need that level of coaching to get through the story.
Kiranmala grew up in our world, unaware she is actually a Princess (although now that I think about it I have no idea what she is a princess of) in the Kingdom Beyond. It opens on her twelfth birthday which is the day her parents are devoured by a rakkhosh (scary demon). Two dashing princes come riding in on pakkhiraj (flying horses). These princes are apparently as different as night and day (and one has a white horse and the other a black one to prove it), but there are literally times reading it that I couldn't figure out which prince was talking until they mounted their horses (not going to lie, they have different names but we met them at the same time and it took me a while to remember which name was which prince - which is unusual for me while reading, even while reading books with names from other cultures).
I'm going to stop nitpicking, I could literally go on for pages about all the things that were too on the noise, the awkward paragraphs that pulled me right out of the book, the plot points that apparently had nothing to do with the plot, but I'll stop.
I just... the characters could have been so cool. The world seems so fascinating, and I am definitely going to be reading the stories this story is based on. It's just that this book was really poorly executed.
I will likely point it out to children looking for more mythology based books. Children are less picky than me when it comes to writing, but that doesn't mean this book is well written.
I will update me review after I get some of the kids in my book club to read it about what children think, but that's my opinion.
The pros would be an introduction to Bengali folklore, which I know a lot less about than most other folklore and mythologies. So that was pretty cool.
The characters were spunky, I guess, but they were also pretty one-dimensional. The idea of a warrior princess is always fun, but not in this way - Kiranmala is dismissive and rude about princess stereotypes. It's fine that she doesn't like pink, but the way the book approaches it is going to make young girls who like pink either hate Kiranmala or feel as though being "girly" and liking those things is wrong/stupid/ or bad. And that's not a good message. There have been much, much, better done warrior princess stories. None that I know with an Indian-American protagonist, so it's a good start, but the story has to be good to for it to be effective.
The writing was not good. It wasn't completely horrible, but the story felt awkward and disjointed, the characters flat, and the overall story poorly delivered. I think the idea behind the story was excellent, and I almost hope they make it into a movie since there is not much to ruin.
For example the main character has these two distinct birthmark/scars. They are mentioned OVER AND OVER AND OVER again. We get it. We know they are markings of her royal lineage. When they are finally explained the character gets all weird, touching her arm "Oh no, could it be?" You don't have to spoon feed us the answers. Everything is pretty overtly explained in the text. I work with children and I promise anyone old enough to read this book doesn't need that level of coaching to get through the story.
Kiranmala grew up in our world, unaware she is actually a Princess (although now that I think about it I have no idea what she is a princess of) in the Kingdom Beyond. It opens on her twelfth birthday which is the day her parents are devoured by a rakkhosh (scary demon). Two dashing princes come riding in on pakkhiraj (flying horses). These princes are apparently as different as night and day (and one has a white horse and the other a black one to prove it), but there are literally times reading it that I couldn't figure out which prince was talking until they mounted their horses (not going to lie, they have different names but we met them at the same time and it took me a while to remember which name was which prince - which is unusual for me while reading, even while reading books with names from other cultures).
I'm going to stop nitpicking, I could literally go on for pages about all the things that were too on the noise, the awkward paragraphs that pulled me right out of the book, the plot points that apparently had nothing to do with the plot, but I'll stop.
I just... the characters could have been so cool. The world seems so fascinating, and I am definitely going to be reading the stories this story is based on. It's just that this book was really poorly executed.
I will likely point it out to children looking for more mythology based books. Children are less picky than me when it comes to writing, but that doesn't mean this book is well written.
I will update me review after I get some of the kids in my book club to read it about what children think, but that's my opinion.
March 29, 2018
THIS BOOK WAS SO FUN! An original fairy tale that emerges from Indian folklore. It walks the line of creative and classic - familiar fairy-tale allusions blend with new ideas. I really loved all the strong characters and the crazy adventure and the way everything wraps up without a cliff hanger.
4 stars for the book + 1 extra because this was so not YA. And I know this isn't supposed to be YA, but sometimes Juvenile fiction can feel YA, and this doesn't. Or rather, it doesn't feel bad YA. It feels creative and confident and fun and I can't wait to read more by this author!
Not a perfect book, but delightful nevertheless.
January 16, 2019
The book follows an Indian princess from another world as she discovers her heritage and the journey she embarks to save her parents.
I was a little worried I won’t like this because it’s for a younger audience, and lately I didn’t have much luck with those. However, I relished this one. I found it humorous and loved the usage of Indian folklore and riddles. The world reminded me of Salman Rushdie’s Luca and the fire of life. I enjoyed Rushdie’s writing more, but DasGupta writes great witty characters and fast paced, action packed scenes. The only minor dislike I had was the protagonist’s attitude towards girly girls and the color pink. My favorite character is the bird Tuntuni.
I was a little worried I won’t like this because it’s for a younger audience, and lately I didn’t have much luck with those. However, I relished this one. I found it humorous and loved the usage of Indian folklore and riddles. The world reminded me of Salman Rushdie’s Luca and the fire of life. I enjoyed Rushdie’s writing more, but DasGupta writes great witty characters and fast paced, action packed scenes. The only minor dislike I had was the protagonist’s attitude towards girly girls and the color pink. My favorite character is the bird Tuntuni.
June 19, 2019
4.5 STARS
This was so much fun!!!!
Definitely for fans of Rick Riordan, this is a great mixture of modern humor with Indian mythology. I loved hearing about the world Kiranmala has to go to to rescue her parents and all the wild and hilarious creatures that live there. It was fascinating to read about creatures from a mythology I am unfamiliar with. There's also a lot of science talk that is easy to understand and used in a way that explains their world, which I found informational but still fun.
I love these characters; they are relatable for being people who fight off demons, and deal with heavier issues regarding family life and that only you can choose your destiny and just because your have "bad blood" doesn't mean you have to be that way.
It was a lovely story that was action packed and I flew through it. Excited to read more from this author in the future!
This was so much fun!!!!
Definitely for fans of Rick Riordan, this is a great mixture of modern humor with Indian mythology. I loved hearing about the world Kiranmala has to go to to rescue her parents and all the wild and hilarious creatures that live there. It was fascinating to read about creatures from a mythology I am unfamiliar with. There's also a lot of science talk that is easy to understand and used in a way that explains their world, which I found informational but still fun.
I love these characters; they are relatable for being people who fight off demons, and deal with heavier issues regarding family life and that only you can choose your destiny and just because your have "bad blood" doesn't mean you have to be that way.
It was a lovely story that was action packed and I flew through it. Excited to read more from this author in the future!
February 26, 2019
It makes me sad to give The Serpent’s Secret 2 stars, because I am incredibly grateful that this book exists at all. As a West Indian kid of immigrant parents from New Jersey, I would have been absolutely thrilled to read this when I was in grade school. Indian warrior princesses and princes! A fantasy world inspired by Hindu mythology and Bengali folktales! Nerdy science stuff! And that cover!
Unfortunately, it became clear pretty quickly that this book just wasn’t ready for publication and could have done with another round of editing – or a major rewrite altogether. I was initially charmed by the unabashedly cartoonish writing style and the spunky voice of Kiranmala, who – for the most part – does sound like a convincing Indian-American twelve-year-old from Parsippany, New Jersey. (For the most part; I did consult with my thirteen-year-old sister, who confirmed that nobody says things like “Barf!” or “Let’s boogie!” anymore.) However, this story read like a bare-bones sketch of her adventures or an initial draft rather than a completed novel. The plot jumps from event to event with too much rhyme and not enough reason for why things are happening the way they are. Chapters end abruptly, on awkward beats. The protagonists do little in the way of discovering things on their own or making active decisions that drive the plot forward, instead being thrown riddle after riddle and wasting time on mini-quests that feel irrelevant to the conflict at hand -- and in Kiran's case, repeatedly making stupid decisions that feel out-of-character and drama-driven. Setting and character descriptions, and most of the writing in general, were threadbare, generic, and jerky, with no sense of immersion or texture or fluidity from beat to beat. We’re given hardly any time to get to know the characters, much less see how their relationships develop over the course of the story – particularly that of Kiran and Prince Neel, the deuteragonist. Instead, the progression and emotional milestones of their relationship are awkwardly condensed to suit the haphazard pacing. I would have loved to see more of Kiran’s regular life prior to her parents being spirited away – more interactions with her best friend Zuzu, who shows up briefly in the first chapter on the phone and then never again; or her conflicts with bullies at school, also mentioned briefly in the first chapters and never again; or what she likes to learn or do for fun – anything at all to get to know her better. Instead, we get a lot of superficial details about characters – their clothes, how they look (if I had to read Kiran calling Lal “handsome” one more time), and some one-dimensional personality traits that are harped on ad nauseum. The few hobbies and interests that are explored -- her archery, her penchant for riddles, and the tidbits of science knowledge she gets from a TV show -- are presented only as convenient plot devices that allow her to solve problems too easily.
There were so many opportunities for Dasgupta to address issues not normally addressed in middle grade fantasy – race, gender, class, religion, and body image, and how these intersections are experienced through the eyes of a second gen Indian-American girl whose cultural background makes it difficult to relate to her community and her parents. Instead, we get some brief indirect reference to the bullying Kiran endures at school, her embarrassing birthmarks (only for her struggles with those to be pretty much nullified once the mystical meaning of the marks come into play), and how her kooky parents make it so difficult for her to fit in – and also dote on her constantly and go out of their way to make her feel loved and empowered in the best way they can. Rather than feeling connected to Kiran and her struggles, I just felt like she was ungrateful and shallow, and this was a consistent trend throughout the book as she continued to push away and admonish Neel, the one person doing his best to help her (and in many cases singlehandedly driving the plot forward). As I read I couldn’t help but compare the story with Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson books, and noted that I was better able to relate to an athletic white boy from Manhattan than a nerdy, self-conscious brown girl from the state where I grew up. I attribute this to issues of characterization and development – while the Percy Jackson books are far from perfect, Riordan takes the time to establish the stakes and personal struggles of Percy and his friends even as he launches them into danger and wacky adventures. Those characters feel grounded in identity, insecurities and flaws, and shared experiences, and the appeal of that series comes from watching them develop in palpable ways and form real, complicated relationships.
Kiran, by contrast, seems to come to her revelations and changes of heart when it’s convenient for the plot, showing little real understanding or introspection about herself and others; she swings from wanting to be completely normal and rejecting her identity as a princess to admitting that she always felt special and accepting her true lineage with very little internal conflict -- and also being able to fight right off the bat and use her schoolyard archery in real combat? The Alice-in-Wonderland-esque plot and worldbuilding doesn’t help in that regard, either. The main antagonists and the demons are tiresome and silly rather than threatening, the constant rhyming is more often grating and cheesy rather than clever, and the denizens of the fantasy world lack even coherent one-dimensional characteristics to make them memorable, much less significant. Some choices feel entirely inexplicable – why, for example, is the great guru who’s supposed to guide Kiran and Neel toward the end of their quest ? Were there no gurus, scholars, scientists, or historical figures who weren’t old dead white guys that Dasgupta could draw from? Why does Kiran randomly have the ability to talk to horses – but not all horses, just one of them? Why does the whole plot seem to hinge on the barely-explored relationship of two side characters , only for that subplot to be solved with barely a handwave by the end?
While I did find some aspects of the story fun – Neel is a better-developed and sympathetic protagonist, the talking bird and royal advisor Tuntuni is adorable, and the integration of astronomy and Hindu theology/Bengali folklore was interesting and warranted more exploration – overall I finished this book feeling cheated, because I could so clearly see what this story could have been with more fleshing out of the characters, plot, world, and underlying themes. I’m still undecided whether I’ll pick up the next book, but do I hope that Ms. Dasgupta addresses these issues as the series progresses and gives Kiranmala the story she deserves. As it is, The Serpent’s Secret was disappointingly “2-D.”
Unfortunately, it became clear pretty quickly that this book just wasn’t ready for publication and could have done with another round of editing – or a major rewrite altogether. I was initially charmed by the unabashedly cartoonish writing style and the spunky voice of Kiranmala, who – for the most part – does sound like a convincing Indian-American twelve-year-old from Parsippany, New Jersey. (For the most part; I did consult with my thirteen-year-old sister, who confirmed that nobody says things like “Barf!” or “Let’s boogie!” anymore.) However, this story read like a bare-bones sketch of her adventures or an initial draft rather than a completed novel. The plot jumps from event to event with too much rhyme and not enough reason for why things are happening the way they are. Chapters end abruptly, on awkward beats. The protagonists do little in the way of discovering things on their own or making active decisions that drive the plot forward, instead being thrown riddle after riddle and wasting time on mini-quests that feel irrelevant to the conflict at hand -- and in Kiran's case, repeatedly making stupid decisions that feel out-of-character and drama-driven. Setting and character descriptions, and most of the writing in general, were threadbare, generic, and jerky, with no sense of immersion or texture or fluidity from beat to beat. We’re given hardly any time to get to know the characters, much less see how their relationships develop over the course of the story – particularly that of Kiran and Prince Neel, the deuteragonist. Instead, the progression and emotional milestones of their relationship are awkwardly condensed to suit the haphazard pacing. I would have loved to see more of Kiran’s regular life prior to her parents being spirited away – more interactions with her best friend Zuzu, who shows up briefly in the first chapter on the phone and then never again; or her conflicts with bullies at school, also mentioned briefly in the first chapters and never again; or what she likes to learn or do for fun – anything at all to get to know her better. Instead, we get a lot of superficial details about characters – their clothes, how they look (if I had to read Kiran calling Lal “handsome” one more time), and some one-dimensional personality traits that are harped on ad nauseum. The few hobbies and interests that are explored -- her archery, her penchant for riddles, and the tidbits of science knowledge she gets from a TV show -- are presented only as convenient plot devices that allow her to solve problems too easily.
There were so many opportunities for Dasgupta to address issues not normally addressed in middle grade fantasy – race, gender, class, religion, and body image, and how these intersections are experienced through the eyes of a second gen Indian-American girl whose cultural background makes it difficult to relate to her community and her parents. Instead, we get some brief indirect reference to the bullying Kiran endures at school, her embarrassing birthmarks (only for her struggles with those to be pretty much nullified once the mystical meaning of the marks come into play), and how her kooky parents make it so difficult for her to fit in – and also dote on her constantly and go out of their way to make her feel loved and empowered in the best way they can. Rather than feeling connected to Kiran and her struggles, I just felt like she was ungrateful and shallow, and this was a consistent trend throughout the book as she continued to push away and admonish Neel, the one person doing his best to help her (and in many cases singlehandedly driving the plot forward). As I read I couldn’t help but compare the story with Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson books, and noted that I was better able to relate to an athletic white boy from Manhattan than a nerdy, self-conscious brown girl from the state where I grew up. I attribute this to issues of characterization and development – while the Percy Jackson books are far from perfect, Riordan takes the time to establish the stakes and personal struggles of Percy and his friends even as he launches them into danger and wacky adventures. Those characters feel grounded in identity, insecurities and flaws, and shared experiences, and the appeal of that series comes from watching them develop in palpable ways and form real, complicated relationships.
Kiran, by contrast, seems to come to her revelations and changes of heart when it’s convenient for the plot, showing little real understanding or introspection about herself and others; she swings from wanting to be completely normal and rejecting her identity as a princess to admitting that she always felt special and accepting her true lineage with very little internal conflict -- and also being able to fight right off the bat and use her schoolyard archery in real combat? The Alice-in-Wonderland-esque plot and worldbuilding doesn’t help in that regard, either. The main antagonists and the demons are tiresome and silly rather than threatening, the constant rhyming is more often grating and cheesy rather than clever, and the denizens of the fantasy world lack even coherent one-dimensional characteristics to make them memorable, much less significant. Some choices feel entirely inexplicable – why, for example, is the great guru who’s supposed to guide Kiran and Neel toward the end of their quest ? Were there no gurus, scholars, scientists, or historical figures who weren’t old dead white guys that Dasgupta could draw from? Why does Kiran randomly have the ability to talk to horses – but not all horses, just one of them? Why does the whole plot seem to hinge on the barely-explored relationship of two side characters , only for that subplot to be solved with barely a handwave by the end?
While I did find some aspects of the story fun – Neel is a better-developed and sympathetic protagonist, the talking bird and royal advisor Tuntuni is adorable, and the integration of astronomy and Hindu theology/Bengali folklore was interesting and warranted more exploration – overall I finished this book feeling cheated, because I could so clearly see what this story could have been with more fleshing out of the characters, plot, world, and underlying themes. I’m still undecided whether I’ll pick up the next book, but do I hope that Ms. Dasgupta addresses these issues as the series progresses and gives Kiranmala the story she deserves. As it is, The Serpent’s Secret was disappointingly “2-D.”
March 18, 2018
This book was basically everything I needed when I was a kid! It seamlessly weaved in all of these wonderful folktales, including the ones I grew up on in Bangladesh. And it was so unapologetically Bengali. All of the rhymes and riddles - super Bengali!
I also loved Kiranmala as a character, and how she grew from the beginning to the end. And her relationship with Neel!
The book was also just... really funny? And the comedy just worked wonderfully within the book. There were also some great illustrations!
Anyway, definitely pick up this book! I highly recommend it! (Also that cover - WOW!)
I also loved Kiranmala as a character, and how she grew from the beginning to the end. And her relationship with Neel!
The book was also just... really funny? And the comedy just worked wonderfully within the book. There were also some great illustrations!
Anyway, definitely pick up this book! I highly recommend it! (Also that cover - WOW!)
November 18, 2019
Wouldn't it be amazing to discover a middle grade series with a smart, strong female lead, flooded with non-stop action and adventure, all intermixed with Indian folklore? Well, look no further, DasGupta has you covered! Kiran wakes up on her 12th birthday, hops on her school bus, and has no reason to expect it'll be anything other than a normal day. But when she returns home and is met by a snot-nosed rakkhosh demon and two princes, she begins to think maybe the mythological stories her parents always told her were more than just stories. This adventure is full of riddles and heart -- I absolutely gobbled it up. I'm late to this series, but am definitely interested in diving into book #2 (which was released in February) and book #3 (which will be released this March).
AWARDS: Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Middle Grade & Children's (2018)
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
AWARDS: Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Middle Grade & Children's (2018)
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
February 14, 2021
A most exhilarating debut! Dasgupta’s writing voice is full of pep and polish. From the first page, she fully envelops you in Kiranmala’s voice, and you never for one second doubt the plausibility of her worlds. The novel is an intersection of scientific inquiry, mythological narrative, and high paced storytelling. This is a great book for anyone who wants to read something accessible and quick and suitable for any age group.
March 29, 2018
I wanted to like this so badly! It’s a fantasy flavored with Bengali traditional stories that takes place in Jersey! However, I couldn’t bring myself to finish it. I don’t think it’s well-written. The style rubbed me the wrong way from the first sentence, and I couldn’t force myself past the first 100 pages. I can’t recommend this, and that makes me so sad.
October 4, 2017
I snatched this from a panel from one of the nicest authors (who signed my book by the way).
Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond Book One is something I would recommend to ALL children. Also any adults who just enjoy a good ride start to finish in a book.
Kiran is such a relatable young girl for anyone who has ever felt embarrassed by typical 12 year old things, namely parents. But her family is different from the majority of NJ folk in a way that most kids don't have to work with. They have cultural differences, and Kiranmala is embarrassed by being dressed as an Indian Princess every year for Halloween and the snake pit around her house. So while she's relatable to all kids on a basic level, it's nice to read from her point of view to those who don't often see themselves in media. While I certainly enjoyed her and her family, I'm sure some of my friends back in NYC would definitely be able to say "yep, that's my mom" for once while reading a book.
Considering I'm white as a ghost, I have absolutely no idea about any of the Bengali fairytales this book incorporates. Does that hinder my enjoyment of it? Absolutely not! The summary on the back suggests it is in line with Rick Riordan which is true. What kid is a greek mythology genius? None that I know. In the same line, you don't have to be a part of the culture to appreciate it. I can't pronounce rakkhosh to save my life but that didn't stop me from feeling suspense whenever one showed its face to Kiran or Neel. I love that this book brings diversity into the fold while those who may not be familiar with these fairytales can still appreciate them and perhaps may inspire some research to some to learn more about the exciting world behind this equally exciting book.
The best part of this book is, there has been some media that includes puns and jokester "bad guys" but it never seems to last more than a few seconds. DasGupta manages to write enough jokes and puns for every situation and that's what makes it realistic. Sure if you were fighting off some giant demon you'd be pretty scared, but just like in every day life, serious situations tend to have a not so serious side to them. That is where this book truely shines. I smiled, and I even laughed out loud sometimes.
There is never a dull moment in this book. Whether it be Kiran having the typical 12 year old existential crisis (don't lie, you had plenty when you were a kid) that makes her seem so real, or if it's Tuntuni spitting some good beats with his rhymes, or when there's some good action going on with bows and arrows and sword fights, all of it is great. I loved every second on this book because it was such a fantastical world I did not know. I can only imagine the thrill one might feel when a reader will say "I know this fairytale!"
Before I start getting too crazy long with this review, I did not have a Good Reads account before a few minutes ago. I had told Sayantani DasGupta I would make a goodreads account just to review her book. And here I am.
Please purchase this book when it comes on sale Feb 27 of 2018 and read it. Then buy another and give it to friends and family and also buy one just in case your library needs a donation.
Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond Book One is something I would recommend to ALL children. Also any adults who just enjoy a good ride start to finish in a book.
Kiran is such a relatable young girl for anyone who has ever felt embarrassed by typical 12 year old things, namely parents. But her family is different from the majority of NJ folk in a way that most kids don't have to work with. They have cultural differences, and Kiranmala is embarrassed by being dressed as an Indian Princess every year for Halloween and the snake pit around her house. So while she's relatable to all kids on a basic level, it's nice to read from her point of view to those who don't often see themselves in media. While I certainly enjoyed her and her family, I'm sure some of my friends back in NYC would definitely be able to say "yep, that's my mom" for once while reading a book.
Considering I'm white as a ghost, I have absolutely no idea about any of the Bengali fairytales this book incorporates. Does that hinder my enjoyment of it? Absolutely not! The summary on the back suggests it is in line with Rick Riordan which is true. What kid is a greek mythology genius? None that I know. In the same line, you don't have to be a part of the culture to appreciate it. I can't pronounce rakkhosh to save my life but that didn't stop me from feeling suspense whenever one showed its face to Kiran or Neel. I love that this book brings diversity into the fold while those who may not be familiar with these fairytales can still appreciate them and perhaps may inspire some research to some to learn more about the exciting world behind this equally exciting book.
The best part of this book is, there has been some media that includes puns and jokester "bad guys" but it never seems to last more than a few seconds. DasGupta manages to write enough jokes and puns for every situation and that's what makes it realistic. Sure if you were fighting off some giant demon you'd be pretty scared, but just like in every day life, serious situations tend to have a not so serious side to them. That is where this book truely shines. I smiled, and I even laughed out loud sometimes.
There is never a dull moment in this book. Whether it be Kiran having the typical 12 year old existential crisis (don't lie, you had plenty when you were a kid) that makes her seem so real, or if it's Tuntuni spitting some good beats with his rhymes, or when there's some good action going on with bows and arrows and sword fights, all of it is great. I loved every second on this book because it was such a fantastical world I did not know. I can only imagine the thrill one might feel when a reader will say "I know this fairytale!"
Before I start getting too crazy long with this review, I did not have a Good Reads account before a few minutes ago. I had told Sayantani DasGupta I would make a goodreads account just to review her book. And here I am.
Please purchase this book when it comes on sale Feb 27 of 2018 and read it. Then buy another and give it to friends and family and also buy one just in case your library needs a donation.
December 19, 2018
Ich will keine Prinzessin sein!
Nachdem Kiran immer wieder von ihren Eltern gesagt bekommt, dass sie eine Prinzessin und was ganz besonderes sei will sie an ihrem zwölften Geburtstag endlich cool sein! Das Gerede um diesen Prinzessinnen-Quatsch geht ihr eh auf die Nerven – klar jedes Kind ist was besonderes für seine Eltern – aber irgendwann ist auch mal gut.
Nein.
Gut ist an ihrem Geburtstag erstmal gar nichts…
Nicht nur, dass ihre Eltern verschwinden, nein ein ekliger Dämon macht Jagd auf sie und zwei Prinzen auf fliegenden Pferden wollen ihr einreden, dass sie tatsächlich eine Prinzessin sei und schleunigst in einen andere Dimension fliehen soll wenn sie ihre Eltern jemals wiedersehen will… das muss erstmal verdaut werden.
Genauso abgedreht und rasant geht es auch weiter. Neben neuen Welten und Kreaturen lernt Kiran dabei nicht nur sich, sondern auch die zwei ganz unterschiedlichen Prinzen Lal und Neel näher kennen..
Das Geheimnis des Schlangenkönigs ist der Auftakt zu einer zweiteiligen Reihe. Gelungen, wie ich finde – wobei ich hier mehr den Einfallsreichtum und die Schlagfertigkeit der Protagonisten würdige als den Stil. Ob das an der Autorin oder der Übersetzerin liegt vermag ich nicht zu urteilen, da ich das Original nicht kenne – aber immer wieder musste ich Sätze mehrmals lesen um sie voll zu erfassen. Das ist bei einem Jugendbuch – und vor allem bei einem mit so einem Tempo in der Handlung – ungünstig. Auch hatte ich oft das Gefühl, dass die Sprache zu sehr gewollt jugendlich wirkt – zu aufgesetzt witzig (Also meine Kindern reden nicht so…). Aber in der Summe ist es einen schöne Lese-Unterhaltung für Mädchen ab 11. gerne vergebe ich dafür 4 von 5 Lieblingslesesessel
Nachdem Kiran immer wieder von ihren Eltern gesagt bekommt, dass sie eine Prinzessin und was ganz besonderes sei will sie an ihrem zwölften Geburtstag endlich cool sein! Das Gerede um diesen Prinzessinnen-Quatsch geht ihr eh auf die Nerven – klar jedes Kind ist was besonderes für seine Eltern – aber irgendwann ist auch mal gut.
Nein.
Gut ist an ihrem Geburtstag erstmal gar nichts…
Nicht nur, dass ihre Eltern verschwinden, nein ein ekliger Dämon macht Jagd auf sie und zwei Prinzen auf fliegenden Pferden wollen ihr einreden, dass sie tatsächlich eine Prinzessin sei und schleunigst in einen andere Dimension fliehen soll wenn sie ihre Eltern jemals wiedersehen will… das muss erstmal verdaut werden.
Genauso abgedreht und rasant geht es auch weiter. Neben neuen Welten und Kreaturen lernt Kiran dabei nicht nur sich, sondern auch die zwei ganz unterschiedlichen Prinzen Lal und Neel näher kennen..
Das Geheimnis des Schlangenkönigs ist der Auftakt zu einer zweiteiligen Reihe. Gelungen, wie ich finde – wobei ich hier mehr den Einfallsreichtum und die Schlagfertigkeit der Protagonisten würdige als den Stil. Ob das an der Autorin oder der Übersetzerin liegt vermag ich nicht zu urteilen, da ich das Original nicht kenne – aber immer wieder musste ich Sätze mehrmals lesen um sie voll zu erfassen. Das ist bei einem Jugendbuch – und vor allem bei einem mit so einem Tempo in der Handlung – ungünstig. Auch hatte ich oft das Gefühl, dass die Sprache zu sehr gewollt jugendlich wirkt – zu aufgesetzt witzig (Also meine Kindern reden nicht so…). Aber in der Summe ist es einen schöne Lese-Unterhaltung für Mädchen ab 11. gerne vergebe ich dafür 4 von 5 Lieblingslesesessel
December 12, 2017
First of all, I wanted to brag that Sayantani wrote this book in MY library! When she mentioned that her book was getting published, we all were looking forward to getting our hands on it.
I devoured this book in two sittings. It has a badass 12 year old girl who finds out that she is an Indian Princess from another dimension when her parents are eaten by a demon. It is her job to get them back.
It is hilarious, full of puns, rhymes, word play and lot of dad jokes. Kiran is smart and resourceful.
I can't wait to see this book go far.
Thank you Sayantani and Scholastic for the chance to read it in advance. Congrats!
I devoured this book in two sittings. It has a badass 12 year old girl who finds out that she is an Indian Princess from another dimension when her parents are eaten by a demon. It is her job to get them back.
It is hilarious, full of puns, rhymes, word play and lot of dad jokes. Kiran is smart and resourceful.
I can't wait to see this book go far.
Thank you Sayantani and Scholastic for the chance to read it in advance. Congrats!
October 30, 2018
I’m appearing with Sayantani DasGupta at a FB live event during NCTE 2018, so I reread her first book to prepare. It’s just as fun and fascinating the second time around. Don’t miss the start of what promises to be an amazing series!
February 15, 2018
Win a finished copy of this book at TheBengaliNomad
My Blog: TheBengaliNomad
Twitter: @1102Daydreaming
Instagram: thebengalinomad
Before I begin this review, I’d like to personally thank the author. I grew up reading fantasy and adventure novels that mainly featured white/western protagonists. Sure, I did enjoy the occasional dose of Meena Raju , Thakurmar Jhuli and Gopal Bhar, but none of them sported characters whose world I could actually step into. Back then, my mind was far too young to see this as an issue, so I just stuck to role playing characters like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. Reading The Serpent’s Secret brought back all those memories. Despite being a 21 year old, Kiranmala still allowed me to become a part of her adventures. For the first time, I thought that maybe my culture's folktales were decent after all. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that tuntuni, pakkhiraj and rakkhosh could ever aspire to rise to the ranks of mythical creatures like satyrs, dragons and griffins. So for all this and more, thank you, Sayantani Dasgupta. Thank you for giving me a book that makes me look forward to my nephew reading it by himself in a couple of years. Also, thank you for allowing me to dream of the #Neelkamala fandom. I really hope that this book does well in stores.
The Bengali Nomad's Rant
** I received an Advanced Readers Copy from Scholastic Press in exchange for an honest review.**
Onto the more serious review. The Serpent’s Secret is a middle-grade fantasy adventure story. It is also an immigrant story, of a Bengali(Indian)-American girl trying to fit in between two cultures. I've only been living in the U.S. for three years, and even I have an identity crisis every now and then. Therefore I can’t imagine what this would be like for someone having cope with balancing two cultures throughout her life. And as a heroine in her pre-teens, Kiranmala portrays this common dilemma reasonably well.
Furthermore, gone are the days where the phrase “prince charming” is only synonymous with the image of a handsome man with blonde hair and blue eyes. In Kiranmala’s story, a prince charming can also be a desi boy in a silk turban. I know I’ve mentioned this before but may I just mention one more time about HOW MUCH I wish I had this book during my early teens? Back when I thought that I’d outgrown tales of Rakkhoshes and tuntuni? Even if one is unfamiliar with Bengal’s folktales and culture, I really hope that they pick up The Serpent’s Secret and (more importantly) enjoy it because this book is a vivid renovation of my childhood tales. Also, the end of the book contains some detailed information on the sources of these folklore characters (so that no one is left in the dark regarding the context behind the story-building).
Kiranmala is a strong and feisty female lead whom I couldn’t be more proud of. But the attraction she feels towards the princes shows that a strong personality doesn’t condemn feeling attraction towards the opposite gender. One does not have to cancel out the other. This, for me was a very important aspect of the story. Considering the target audience, the concept of desiring another was well incorporated into a fun and adventurous plot.
The Serpent’s Secret also contains some good humor to please its readers. From references like ridiculous desi ads to common American middle-schooler dilemmas, its humor creates a bridge between two cultures. Here are some of my favourites (Please note: Quotes taken from an Advanced Copy and may slightly vary in the final copy of the book):
On poking fun at government repulsion of undocumented immigrants:
“Those upstanding royalty, citizens, animals, and demons holding papers (this way)
While the second said:
All the rest of you good for nothing undocumented scoundrels (this way)”
On poking fun at desi commercials:
Lazy? A slowpoke?
Running from a rakkhosh?
Try Mr. Madan Mohan’s motivational motion device!
(PATENT PENDING)
Also, did I mention how much the occasional “Hau!! Mau!! Khau!!” made me smile? Back when I was a child baba (my father) would come home from work and yell “Hau!! Mau!! Khau!! Manusher gondho pau!!” in a scary voice and this would make me squeal in delight! “Hau!! Mau!! Khau!!” has no particular meaning; it is considered to be the scary sound that a rakkhosh makes. “Manusher gondho pau!!” on the other hand, means that “I smell human flesh!!” So basically, it’s a typical rakkhosh punchline.
Final verdict: This is an amazing story: it is well written and has some fascinating world building in it. And hopefully once it's out, it will generate a new fandom. I am counting on everyone who reads this book to convert into an avid #Neelkamala , the details of which you’ll have to find out **by reading the book**. Once you’ve read it (or if you already have), hop onto twitter and tweet me all your #Neelkamala woes @1102Daydreaming. Till then: Happy reading! And may you steer clear of any serpents (or as we bengalis call it: ojogor shaap) !
My Blog: TheBengaliNomad
Twitter: @1102Daydreaming
Instagram: thebengalinomad
Before I begin this review, I’d like to personally thank the author. I grew up reading fantasy and adventure novels that mainly featured white/western protagonists. Sure, I did enjoy the occasional dose of Meena Raju , Thakurmar Jhuli and Gopal Bhar, but none of them sported characters whose world I could actually step into. Back then, my mind was far too young to see this as an issue, so I just stuck to role playing characters like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. Reading The Serpent’s Secret brought back all those memories. Despite being a 21 year old, Kiranmala still allowed me to become a part of her adventures. For the first time, I thought that maybe my culture's folktales were decent after all. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that tuntuni, pakkhiraj and rakkhosh could ever aspire to rise to the ranks of mythical creatures like satyrs, dragons and griffins. So for all this and more, thank you, Sayantani Dasgupta. Thank you for giving me a book that makes me look forward to my nephew reading it by himself in a couple of years. Also, thank you for allowing me to dream of the #Neelkamala fandom. I really hope that this book does well in stores.
The Bengali Nomad's Rant
** I received an Advanced Readers Copy from Scholastic Press in exchange for an honest review.**
Onto the more serious review. The Serpent’s Secret is a middle-grade fantasy adventure story. It is also an immigrant story, of a Bengali(Indian)-American girl trying to fit in between two cultures. I've only been living in the U.S. for three years, and even I have an identity crisis every now and then. Therefore I can’t imagine what this would be like for someone having cope with balancing two cultures throughout her life. And as a heroine in her pre-teens, Kiranmala portrays this common dilemma reasonably well.
Furthermore, gone are the days where the phrase “prince charming” is only synonymous with the image of a handsome man with blonde hair and blue eyes. In Kiranmala’s story, a prince charming can also be a desi boy in a silk turban. I know I’ve mentioned this before but may I just mention one more time about HOW MUCH I wish I had this book during my early teens? Back when I thought that I’d outgrown tales of Rakkhoshes and tuntuni? Even if one is unfamiliar with Bengal’s folktales and culture, I really hope that they pick up The Serpent’s Secret and (more importantly) enjoy it because this book is a vivid renovation of my childhood tales. Also, the end of the book contains some detailed information on the sources of these folklore characters (so that no one is left in the dark regarding the context behind the story-building).
Kiranmala is a strong and feisty female lead whom I couldn’t be more proud of. But the attraction she feels towards the princes shows that a strong personality doesn’t condemn feeling attraction towards the opposite gender. One does not have to cancel out the other. This, for me was a very important aspect of the story. Considering the target audience, the concept of desiring another was well incorporated into a fun and adventurous plot.
The Serpent’s Secret also contains some good humor to please its readers. From references like ridiculous desi ads to common American middle-schooler dilemmas, its humor creates a bridge between two cultures. Here are some of my favourites (Please note: Quotes taken from an Advanced Copy and may slightly vary in the final copy of the book):
On poking fun at government repulsion of undocumented immigrants:
“Those upstanding royalty, citizens, animals, and demons holding papers (this way)
While the second said:
All the rest of you good for nothing undocumented scoundrels (this way)”
On poking fun at desi commercials:
Lazy? A slowpoke?
Running from a rakkhosh?
Try Mr. Madan Mohan’s motivational motion device!
(PATENT PENDING)
Also, did I mention how much the occasional “Hau!! Mau!! Khau!!” made me smile? Back when I was a child baba (my father) would come home from work and yell “Hau!! Mau!! Khau!! Manusher gondho pau!!” in a scary voice and this would make me squeal in delight! “Hau!! Mau!! Khau!!” has no particular meaning; it is considered to be the scary sound that a rakkhosh makes. “Manusher gondho pau!!” on the other hand, means that “I smell human flesh!!” So basically, it’s a typical rakkhosh punchline.
Final verdict: This is an amazing story: it is well written and has some fascinating world building in it. And hopefully once it's out, it will generate a new fandom. I am counting on everyone who reads this book to convert into an avid #Neelkamala , the details of which you’ll have to find out **by reading the book**. Once you’ve read it (or if you already have), hop onto twitter and tweet me all your #Neelkamala woes @1102Daydreaming. Till then: Happy reading! And may you steer clear of any serpents (or as we bengalis call it: ojogor shaap) !
May 1, 2019
Mani vienmēr ir interesējušas dažādas pasaku interpretācijas, un par indiešu pasakām zinu teju neko, tāpēc nespēju turēties pretī grāmatai, ko pamanīju Grāmatu izstādes grāmatu punktā (un pilnīgi ignorēju faktu, ka tā ir bērniem domāta. Bet no otras puses - godīgi sakot, kaut kā sanāk, ka tādas es lasu gana daudz).
Kiranmala ir tiešām forša galvenā varone - ļoti asprātīga, varoša, un galu galā viņa ir meitene (un kas man nav aktuāli, bet lielai pasaules daļai gan - indiešu meitene!). Neteikšu, ka man bērnībā bija problēmas atrast, ar ko lasāmvielā identificēties (Sīpoliņš ne tikai nebija meitene, bet dārzenis galu galā!), bet man patika, ja tā varošā ir meitene un domāju, ka daudzām, daudzām meitenītēm pasaulē ir tāpat.
Pasaule, kurā, aizveda autore man bija pilnīgi jauna, tāpēc novērtēju, ka ir arī pēcvārds, kurā tādiem nejaušiem lasītājiem, kā es, ir vismaz virspusēji apstāstīts, kas tie rakūši ir, ka reāli pastāv pasakas par prinču brāļiem, par pašu Kiranmalu un pazemes čūsku zemi.
Kopumā nenožēloju ne minūti, ko pavadīju lasot, kaut skaidri zinu, ka atgriezīšu to Grāmtu maiņas punktā - jo nepārlasīšu.
Kiranmala ir tiešām forša galvenā varone - ļoti asprātīga, varoša, un galu galā viņa ir meitene (un kas man nav aktuāli, bet lielai pasaules daļai gan - indiešu meitene!). Neteikšu, ka man bērnībā bija problēmas atrast, ar ko lasāmvielā identificēties (Sīpoliņš ne tikai nebija meitene, bet dārzenis galu galā!), bet man patika, ja tā varošā ir meitene un domāju, ka daudzām, daudzām meitenītēm pasaulē ir tāpat.
Pasaule, kurā, aizveda autore man bija pilnīgi jauna, tāpēc novērtēju, ka ir arī pēcvārds, kurā tādiem nejaušiem lasītājiem, kā es, ir vismaz virspusēji apstāstīts, kas tie rakūši ir, ka reāli pastāv pasakas par prinču brāļiem, par pašu Kiranmalu un pazemes čūsku zemi.
Kopumā nenožēloju ne minūti, ko pavadīju lasot, kaut skaidri zinu, ka atgriezīšu to Grāmtu maiņas punktā - jo nepārlasīšu.
May 17, 2018
Aw, this was a cute story! I loved the snappy one liners BUT I really don't like that there was a romance in it. I just role my eyes at that. The mc is clearly incredibly smart and grows to better understand herself and her parents as well as the new world she is thrust into. The magic and new world was really fun and easy to get into.
January 6, 2017
Had me at Indian folktale-based interdimensional adventures of a demon-slaying princess. Oh, wait. That's the whole summary? GIMME.
March 25, 2021
This was a very creative book and had a good pace. A lot of books I've read stretch out the beginning too much. This has to be one of my favorite books currently.
March 17, 2019
A delightful, goofy, and super fun story based on Indian mythology! Enjoyed this, and I think this is a great book that is perfect for younger audiences.
- Follows Kiranmala, your average Indian girl who is actually an Indian princess from another realm, and the adventure she has of saving her parents.
- The narrative is a lot of fun, very goofy, and filled with silly jokes and riddles, and is a series of contained adventures and challenges. This will be a hit or miss for older audiences, but I think children will love it.
- The story is accompanied by gorgeous illustrations that I really enjoyed.
- I'm not familiar with Indian mythology, but the authors provides a lovely Author's Note that details the mythology that she was inspired by, and this was a lot of fun to read.
- Some of the writing fell a little flat for me -- but that doesn't make it a bad book. I'd recommend this to kids in a heartbeat, especially Indian kids.
Trigger/content warning:
- Follows Kiranmala, your average Indian girl who is actually an Indian princess from another realm, and the adventure she has of saving her parents.
- The narrative is a lot of fun, very goofy, and filled with silly jokes and riddles, and is a series of contained adventures and challenges. This will be a hit or miss for older audiences, but I think children will love it.
- The story is accompanied by gorgeous illustrations that I really enjoyed.
- I'm not familiar with Indian mythology, but the authors provides a lovely Author's Note that details the mythology that she was inspired by, and this was a lot of fun to read.
- Some of the writing fell a little flat for me -- but that doesn't make it a bad book. I'd recommend this to kids in a heartbeat, especially Indian kids.
Trigger/content warning:
February 10, 2019
3,5
Perfect read with all the best references to indian/benghali folktales. So cool! I really like the tricksterside of the monsters/demons, full of humour and rhymes, just like in the old stories.
A bit repetative and sometimes the dialogue seemed forced - but mostly imaginative and funny.
Perfect read with all the best references to indian/benghali folktales. So cool! I really like the tricksterside of the monsters/demons, full of humour and rhymes, just like in the old stories.
A bit repetative and sometimes the dialogue seemed forced - but mostly imaginative and funny.
July 24, 2017
So, so great. I looooved Kiran's toughness and fears and utter realness. The traditional mythology was adapted and blended in so beautifully.
March 16, 2018
This was fantastic, go read it!💜 Wish 12 year old me could've read this!! Full review coming soon!
January 22, 2020
Serpent's Secret was so fun and listening to it on audiobook was such a joyful reminder of childhood. It would be perfect for younger audiences as there are riddles and rhythmic text. I love the idea of stories which are actually true, ones you grow up with, and in! Featuring an Indian girl who is actually a princess, it's easy to get caught up in this fun and hilarious story.
March 16, 2020
“We humans may not be powerful or magical, but the stories we pass on to our children can be.”
2,5 stars.
This book was incredibly lack lustre for me and that's probably due to the fact that it is not for me. This book clearly is for a younger audience, hence why it's a middle-grade, and it shows. The reason I'm saying this is that I want to make clear that it is a really good book, because I know I would have loved this if I was 14 or so. Sadly I'm not 14 anymore and this just isn't my type of story anymore, or I have to say these are not my type of characters. I value a sense of maturity in my characters and since they are only children they don't have that. Usually I don't mind this when reading middle-grade, but with this book it just wasn't up my alley.
I do once again want to stress that it is a pretty solid book if you are looking for something like this and it was still really enjoyable, but I just wished I could have read it when I was a lot younger!
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