What do you think?
Rate this book
Pandava graphic novels #1
Aru Shah and the End of Time: the Graphic Novel
The graphic novel adaptation of the fantasy adventure by Roshani Chokshi, inspired by the great Hindu epics she grew up on.
Twelve-year-old Aru Shah has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school. While her classmates are jetting off to family vacations in exotic locales, she'll be spending her autumn break at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, waiting for her mom to return from her latest archeological trip. Is it any wonder that Aru makes up stories about being royalty, traveling to Paris, and having a chauffeur?
One day, three schoolmates show up at Aru's doorstep to catch her in a lie. They don't believe her claim that the museum's Lamp of Bharata is cursed, and they dare Aru to prove it. Just a quick light, Aru thinks. Then she can get herself out of this mess and never ever fib again.
But lighting the lamp has dire consequences. She unwittingly frees the Sleeper, an ancient demon whose duty it is to awaken the God of Destruction. Her classmates and beloved mother are frozen in time, and it's up to Aru to save them.
The only way to stop the demon is to find the reincarnations of the five legendary Pandava brothers, protagonists of the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, and journey through the Kingdom of Death. But how is one girl in Spider-Man pajamas supposed to do all that?
Twelve-year-old Aru Shah has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school. While her classmates are jetting off to family vacations in exotic locales, she'll be spending her autumn break at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, waiting for her mom to return from her latest archeological trip. Is it any wonder that Aru makes up stories about being royalty, traveling to Paris, and having a chauffeur?
One day, three schoolmates show up at Aru's doorstep to catch her in a lie. They don't believe her claim that the museum's Lamp of Bharata is cursed, and they dare Aru to prove it. Just a quick light, Aru thinks. Then she can get herself out of this mess and never ever fib again.
But lighting the lamp has dire consequences. She unwittingly frees the Sleeper, an ancient demon whose duty it is to awaken the God of Destruction. Her classmates and beloved mother are frozen in time, and it's up to Aru to save them.
The only way to stop the demon is to find the reincarnations of the five legendary Pandava brothers, protagonists of the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, and journey through the Kingdom of Death. But how is one girl in Spider-Man pajamas supposed to do all that?
128 pages, Paperback
First published March 2, 2022
About the author
Joe Caramagna
711 books15 followersFreelance writer and letterer Joe Caramagna is also a graduate of the JOE KUBERT SCHOOL OF CARTOON AND GRAPHIC ART.
Currently, Joe letters many monthly Marvel Comics such as AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, CAPTAIN AMERICA, INVINCIBLE IRON MAN, UNCANNY X-MEN, and DAREDEVIL, and is the inker of "CONSUMED" by Platinum Studios and "7 DAYS TO FAME" by After Hours Press.
Joe's written work includes IRON MAN & THE ARMOR WARS, TAILS OF THE PET AVENGERS, many MARVEL ADVENTURES titles, X-MEN: NATION X and the SUPERMAN and BATMAN 2011 80-PAGE GIANTS.
Currently, Joe letters many monthly Marvel Comics such as AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, CAPTAIN AMERICA, INVINCIBLE IRON MAN, UNCANNY X-MEN, and DAREDEVIL, and is the inker of "CONSUMED" by Platinum Studios and "7 DAYS TO FAME" by After Hours Press.
Joe's written work includes IRON MAN & THE ARMOR WARS, TAILS OF THE PET AVENGERS, many MARVEL ADVENTURES titles, X-MEN: NATION X and the SUPERMAN and BATMAN 2011 80-PAGE GIANTS.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
June 14, 2024
I just read the novel for the first time this year so it was nice to get to the graphic novel adaptation! Here's the link to my review of the novel if you're interested: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
November 6, 2022
Enjoyed the read a lot since am an Indian and this story was based on the Indian mythology of Pandavas in Mahabharata.
April 27, 2022
I literally just wrote my review for the novel yesterday, so after I talk about this graphic novel adaptation, I will just copy & paste that review below to show my thoughts on the story itself! Joe Caramagna adapted this perfectly into a graphic novel. Aru Chouhan brings the story to life beautifully with her artwork that the authors words brought to life with words for me. This is just how I envisioned it all in my head. I absolutely loved reading the novel & then diving into this immediately after. The adaptation aspect & the art were both brilliantly done. Highly recommend!💜
My review of the novel:
OMG!! I had a feeling that I was going to really like this, but I was not prepared for how much I LOVED this! This was absolutely PHENOMENAL! I love mythological stories, & learning the different mythologies for different cultures. Hindu mythology was no exception. PHENOMENAL! I have been so impressed with RR Presents books. He is putting out some AMAZING books from some AMAZING authors, that represent so many different cultures. It makes my heart so happy to see for all the kids who are finally getting to see themselves in the heroes/heroines in their books. Aru is my girl!! Her humor is MY HUMOR! Lol Granted, she’s waaaayyyyy better at shooting those lines out there quicker than I am lol I make movie/tv/song references ALL THE TIME. So when Aru was coming out with stuff from The Matrix, Johnny Cash(Boy Named Sue! Yes!), The Lion King, The Dark Knight, Friends, & more-I was in HEAVEN! When they have to see who their “divine father” is, & the chapter is titled “Who’s Your Daddy?”.. are you kidding me?! Lol Love it! Boo has my heart, & he is just as funny. When he face plants at the horror of his luck of getting 2 kids in the beginning, or when he chases that cat shouting at the end-I lost it lol Mini is the sweetest little thing. I think it’s perfect who her “divine father” is-I mean she’s kind of obsessed with what he is god over lol. I absolutely LOVED that the distinction was clearly made between heroes & heroines. I loved what 1 creatures take on heroes & sidekicks was-hilarious AND on point. I loved that even though it says BROTHERS, the author made it 2 SISTERS(so far). Girl power lol The writing was SUPERB. SO well written, wow. So engaging & gripping. The pace is perfect, the story/world building, character growth/development-all PHENOMENAL! Very atmospheric with the Otherworld & it felt like I was seeing it myself. I loved everything I learned about Hindu mythology, & I’m eager to learn even more. So fascinating & intriguing. Love learning about it. This is a fast-paced magical adventure full of friendship, adventure, mythology, danger, family, culture, bravery, & imagination. Great messages on lying vs imagination, being yourself & proud of who you are, & issues dealing with family & issues dealing with wanting to fit in/belong, & more. The twists in here had me shocked! Such an epic ending too! HIGHLY recommend! 💜
My review of the novel:
OMG!! I had a feeling that I was going to really like this, but I was not prepared for how much I LOVED this! This was absolutely PHENOMENAL! I love mythological stories, & learning the different mythologies for different cultures. Hindu mythology was no exception. PHENOMENAL! I have been so impressed with RR Presents books. He is putting out some AMAZING books from some AMAZING authors, that represent so many different cultures. It makes my heart so happy to see for all the kids who are finally getting to see themselves in the heroes/heroines in their books. Aru is my girl!! Her humor is MY HUMOR! Lol Granted, she’s waaaayyyyy better at shooting those lines out there quicker than I am lol I make movie/tv/song references ALL THE TIME. So when Aru was coming out with stuff from The Matrix, Johnny Cash(Boy Named Sue! Yes!), The Lion King, The Dark Knight, Friends, & more-I was in HEAVEN! When they have to see who their “divine father” is, & the chapter is titled “Who’s Your Daddy?”.. are you kidding me?! Lol Love it! Boo has my heart, & he is just as funny. When he face plants at the horror of his luck of getting 2 kids in the beginning, or when he chases that cat shouting at the end-I lost it lol Mini is the sweetest little thing. I think it’s perfect who her “divine father” is-I mean she’s kind of obsessed with what he is god over lol. I absolutely LOVED that the distinction was clearly made between heroes & heroines. I loved what 1 creatures take on heroes & sidekicks was-hilarious AND on point. I loved that even though it says BROTHERS, the author made it 2 SISTERS(so far). Girl power lol The writing was SUPERB. SO well written, wow. So engaging & gripping. The pace is perfect, the story/world building, character growth/development-all PHENOMENAL! Very atmospheric with the Otherworld & it felt like I was seeing it myself. I loved everything I learned about Hindu mythology, & I’m eager to learn even more. So fascinating & intriguing. Love learning about it. This is a fast-paced magical adventure full of friendship, adventure, mythology, danger, family, culture, bravery, & imagination. Great messages on lying vs imagination, being yourself & proud of who you are, & issues dealing with family & issues dealing with wanting to fit in/belong, & more. The twists in here had me shocked! Such an epic ending too! HIGHLY recommend! 💜
May 28, 2022
My head imagined everything so much better. And whoever designed the backgrounds for each picture was LAZY! Half of them were just colours. Still the nostalgia (for something I read a couple weeks ago) made me happy!
January 24, 2023
I think this might be a great graphic novel, and I would think readers would enjoy the original source as well. I, however, did not enjoy reading it. This is entirely my fault, so I'm not going to rate the book based on my enjoyment - but for the right person, this book would be perfect.
You see, I am not a reader of fantasy. I just don't enjoy wrapping my mind around new worlds, rules, history, beings, etc. I enjoy science fiction, dystopian societies that were once earth, and apocalyptic tales. Because I already understand where we're starting from; I have that base. I'm not knocking fantasy - other people love it! The world building, the new creatures and types of gods and people, the magic!
So, from the beginning, I felt like I was running behind. Like I'd tuned in 35 minutes into the 2 hour movie. Literally, from the beginning, why were Aru's friends coming in so hot? Why are they so mad at her? Why is she letting them push her around? It should be freakin' cool to live in a museum! How am I supposed to know that Aru "stretches the truth" at school? If I hadn't read that on the jacket flap, I'd have no idea! There was no school mentioned, other than that she's on autumn break. (How convenient, she has a week to complete this task before it's time to go back to school. )
BUT, I see the power in this book for fantasy readers. Many children/tweens/teens (and then yes, adults) in my former classrooms and current library will see themselves in Aru Shah or Mimi, and recognize the Hindu mythology that is the foundation of this book.
So, although I won't be continuing reading the series myself, I can recognize a stellar story.
You see, I am not a reader of fantasy. I just don't enjoy wrapping my mind around new worlds, rules, history, beings, etc. I enjoy science fiction, dystopian societies that were once earth, and apocalyptic tales. Because I already understand where we're starting from; I have that base. I'm not knocking fantasy - other people love it! The world building, the new creatures and types of gods and people, the magic!
So, from the beginning, I felt like I was running behind. Like I'd tuned in 35 minutes into the 2 hour movie. Literally, from the beginning, why were Aru's friends coming in so hot? Why are they so mad at her? Why is she letting them push her around? It should be freakin' cool to live in a museum! How am I supposed to know that Aru "stretches the truth" at school? If I hadn't read that on the jacket flap, I'd have no idea! There was no school mentioned, other than that she's on autumn break. (How convenient, she has a week to complete this task before it's time to go back to school. )
BUT, I see the power in this book for fantasy readers. Many children/tweens/teens (and then yes, adults) in my former classrooms and current library will see themselves in Aru Shah or Mimi, and recognize the Hindu mythology that is the foundation of this book.
So, although I won't be continuing reading the series myself, I can recognize a stellar story.
August 16, 2022
this was so unnecessarily cute and nostalgic omg. <33
July 5, 2022
This sadly wasn't for me and is more suited for a younger audience. The story felt choppy and could have done with an extra frame here and there. Neither did I find the puns (or are they meant to be vocabulary lessons?) funny. The art style is on the simpler side but I loved the bright and eye-catching colours.
As someone who hasn't read the original novel, this adaptation wasn't engaging at all and didn't work for me. Personally I don't like graphic novels that are hard to follow as they are meant to be my comfort reads in between heavy books and on tough days.
Fans of fantasy-adventure stories with quests and gods might enjoy this book more.
As someone who hasn't read the original novel, this adaptation wasn't engaging at all and didn't work for me. Personally I don't like graphic novels that are hard to follow as they are meant to be my comfort reads in between heavy books and on tough days.
Fans of fantasy-adventure stories with quests and gods might enjoy this book more.
May 10, 2022
Such a delightful graphic novel adaptation with art by Anu Chouhan. Felt like flipping through an Amar Chitra Katha. Read via library.
October 17, 2022
She's Mini, you're Aru, and I'm exasperated.
Bardzo cieszyłam się tą powieścią graficzną. Po pierwsze, przywróciła mnie do uniwersum, które uwielbiam, a z którym niedawno żegnałam się w finale. Po drugie, przypomniała mi swoją kreską i stylem, że Aru Shah to przede wszystkim historia dla dzieci i nastolatków, i otoczka estetyczna bardzo do tego klimatu pasowała. A ja sama poczułam się jak wtedy, kiedy jako dziecko, zatapiałam się w kolejne baśniowe opowieści.
Podoba mi się również to, jak Śpiący został ukazany zupełnie inaczej w porównaniu do moich własnych wyobrażeń, jednak kiedy go zobaczyłam, miałam takie uczucie, tak, to on, jest perfekcyjnie.
Bardzo cieszyłam się tą powieścią graficzną. Po pierwsze, przywróciła mnie do uniwersum, które uwielbiam, a z którym niedawno żegnałam się w finale. Po drugie, przypomniała mi swoją kreską i stylem, że Aru Shah to przede wszystkim historia dla dzieci i nastolatków, i otoczka estetyczna bardzo do tego klimatu pasowała. A ja sama poczułam się jak wtedy, kiedy jako dziecko, zatapiałam się w kolejne baśniowe opowieści.
Podoba mi się również to, jak Śpiący został ukazany zupełnie inaczej w porównaniu do moich własnych wyobrażeń, jednak kiedy go zobaczyłam, miałam takie uczucie, tak, to on, jest perfekcyjnie.
June 14, 2021
THEY ARE MAKING A GRAPHIC NOVEL FOR THIS BOOK?!?! Ok, I need this.
June 22, 2022
3.5 stars. This was good but definitely wanted more!
April 18, 2022
Wonderful fantasy adventure story! Inspired by Mahabharata, a girl in spider-man pyjamas is to beat the demon with the help of reincarnated characters from the Indian epic. I read this is one sitting. The graphics are so cool.
May 15, 2022
5 stars!
I absolutely adored this. The Pandava series is one of my favourites and I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of this graphic novel.
The soul of the characters and the story is still there in an amazing way and the illustrations are incredibly stunning.
I absolutely adored this. The Pandava series is one of my favourites and I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of this graphic novel.
The soul of the characters and the story is still there in an amazing way and the illustrations are incredibly stunning.
June 9, 2023
4 stars
I don't feel like writing an in-depth review, but I really liked this! It was cute, funny, and had a really cool plot. The pacing felt a little weird, and it felt like scenes just started and ended to abruptly, but otherwise it was really good. Aru and Mini are great characters. 10/10 gonna actually read the books now.
I don't feel like writing an in-depth review, but I really liked this! It was cute, funny, and had a really cool plot. The pacing felt a little weird, and it felt like scenes just started and ended to abruptly, but otherwise it was really good. Aru and Mini are great characters. 10/10 gonna actually read the books now.
May 1, 2022
3.5, rounded up. The art is bright and simple, and the story is adapted clearly from Chokshi’s original fantasy novel. Maybe a good option for drawing reluctant young readers into the larger series.
August 10, 2022
I love how quick and easy it is to digest easy middle grade graphic novels.
October 1, 2022
I LOVE THE ART SO MUCHHH
PLEASE CONTINUE WITH THE REST OF THE SERIES
🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
PLEASE CONTINUE WITH THE REST OF THE SERIES
🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
April 29, 2022
Aru Shah & the End of Time has been on my TBR since 2018, so when the opportunity to read the graphic novel came up, I jumped. I am genuinely fascinated by polytheistic cultures and the deities they worship. I learn about them mostly through fantasy books, but I enjoy every second of them!
Aru Shah might be a middle grade book, but the world is so beautiful and inviting (albeit an action/adventure book about saving the world from an evil). The magic and story itself were really exciting and I now need to go read the book to spend more time in the world. I’m also the type of person who wants to know what happens next IMMEDIATELY!! I can’t wait for the other graphic novels to come out to know. I need the answers NOWWWWWWW! 😂 That was very Veruca Salt realness, for you!
Thank you to the publisher for supplying the book in return for an honest review.
Aru Shah might be a middle grade book, but the world is so beautiful and inviting (albeit an action/adventure book about saving the world from an evil). The magic and story itself were really exciting and I now need to go read the book to spend more time in the world. I’m also the type of person who wants to know what happens next IMMEDIATELY!! I can’t wait for the other graphic novels to come out to know. I need the answers NOWWWWWWW! 😂 That was very Veruca Salt realness, for you!
Thank you to the publisher for supplying the book in return for an honest review.
July 6, 2022
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
I am so happy that the Aru Shah stories are receiving another avenue for reaching middle grade readers with this graphic novel. I know for some readers, they prefer graphic novels and so I cannot imagine their joy! This graphic novel adaptation is a true testament to the importance of the adaptation work by Joe Caramagna. The ways in which the story and dialogue are adapted for this graphic style. So much internal narration might not always adapt the easiest, so Caramagna and Chouhan's combined forces create a cohesive story which is true to the original while also presenting a new life to the story.
I am so happy that the Aru Shah stories are receiving another avenue for reaching middle grade readers with this graphic novel. I know for some readers, they prefer graphic novels and so I cannot imagine their joy! This graphic novel adaptation is a true testament to the importance of the adaptation work by Joe Caramagna. The ways in which the story and dialogue are adapted for this graphic style. So much internal narration might not always adapt the easiest, so Caramagna and Chouhan's combined forces create a cohesive story which is true to the original while also presenting a new life to the story.
December 23, 2022
I loved the illustrations for this adaptation of Aru Shah and the End of Time! The colors were bright and eye-catching, and the pacing of the story was really good. After reading the book, I definitely enjoyed seeing illustrations of the characters and comparing those to the pictures I had in my head.
I do hope that the rest of the series is adapted for graphic novels, too, because I would love to read those.
As I have already read the sourcebook, I will include my review of that story below.:
Aru lives with her mother in a museum of Indian artifacts. Since her mother travels quite often for her job, leaving Aru alone, Aru has developed a very active imagination. Exacerbated by the fact that she doesn't really fit in at school with the other students who are from very well-to-do families, she creates stories of trips she and her mother have taken and places they have lived that are much grander than the actual truth. Unfortunately, as typically happens when one stretches the truth a few too many times, some of her other classmates become suspicious and try to catch her in a lie. In an attempt to circumvent that potential disaster, Aru lights a lamp that her mother has warned her is cursed, and suddenly she is thrust into the middle of a quest to save the world - and she only has 8 days to do it.
I loved this story. Though Aru's imagination does tend to get her into trouble, it also serves to get her out of trouble at times, too. The author did a great job of bringing the characters to life and, as they faced each challenge, they all grew, deepening their bonds with each other. The twists and turns that occurred, some of which I suspected and others that I did not, were all well-written. Even the ones that I did suspect were still somewhat of a surprise because I didn't fully guess what they would be.
I think my favorite scenes are when Aru, Mini, and Boo meet with the Seasons and turn their own game back around on them, and when Mini and Aru finally get to the Hall of Weapons and discover that not everything is as it seems.
I do hope that the rest of the series is adapted for graphic novels, too, because I would love to read those.
As I have already read the sourcebook, I will include my review of that story below.:
Aru lives with her mother in a museum of Indian artifacts. Since her mother travels quite often for her job, leaving Aru alone, Aru has developed a very active imagination. Exacerbated by the fact that she doesn't really fit in at school with the other students who are from very well-to-do families, she creates stories of trips she and her mother have taken and places they have lived that are much grander than the actual truth. Unfortunately, as typically happens when one stretches the truth a few too many times, some of her other classmates become suspicious and try to catch her in a lie. In an attempt to circumvent that potential disaster, Aru lights a lamp that her mother has warned her is cursed, and suddenly she is thrust into the middle of a quest to save the world - and she only has 8 days to do it.
I loved this story. Though Aru's imagination does tend to get her into trouble, it also serves to get her out of trouble at times, too. The author did a great job of bringing the characters to life and, as they faced each challenge, they all grew, deepening their bonds with each other. The twists and turns that occurred, some of which I suspected and others that I did not, were all well-written. Even the ones that I did suspect were still somewhat of a surprise because I didn't fully guess what they would be.
I think my favorite scenes are when Aru, Mini, and Boo meet with the Seasons and turn their own game back around on them, and when Mini and Aru finally get to the Hall of Weapons and discover that not everything is as it seems.
May 18, 2024
I could only say that this is a fast-forward version of the novel. Just like usual American graphic novel style, the scenes are tight with actions and dialogues. There are no atmospheric panels to explore the feeling of the characters like in East Asian comics. Or maybe their budget is too tight the pages are so limited. I feel like the graphic novel does not manifest the glory of the novel. The adaptation could be made more enchanting, but they decided to make it just the way it is.
But I like how the graphic novel helped me to understand better some abstract concepts from the novel (Aru Shah has more abstract elements than Percy Jackson!), like how Aru and Mini found a way to go to the Other World.
I still hope that they will complete the adaptation of the novels though (since Percy Jackson's graphic novel was stopped in the volume #7). It's better than nothing at all.
But I like how the graphic novel helped me to understand better some abstract concepts from the novel (Aru Shah has more abstract elements than Percy Jackson!), like how Aru and Mini found a way to go to the Other World.
I still hope that they will complete the adaptation of the novels though (since Percy Jackson's graphic novel was stopped in the volume #7). It's better than nothing at all.
November 6, 2022
I read the whole Aru Shah series and remember it pretty well so reading this kinda upset me. Because it’s a graphic novel they left out some parts which is what happens in all graphic novel recreations. They might have thought the parts they took out were not important but if you have already read the actual book then you might be upset to. In the end it was pretty good but I definitely like the normal Aru Shah book better, but I would still totally read all the other books in graphic novel books if they came out with them.
December 20, 2022
i thought this was really cute! the art style was beautiful, and after reading this, i'm excited to continue on with the series. i loved learning more about hindu mythology, and honestly i might go back and read the actual first novel! this was a really cute middle-grade :)
June 22, 2022
A bit too rushed imo, other than that great!
July 31, 2022
This GN missed a lot of events that occurred in the book but it was a fun read. I wish it was longer.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
February 8, 2023Went back to the library:(
July 7, 2022
The story was intersting enough but the layout of the panels took away from the story.
April 23, 2022
Loved this adaptation
February 21, 2024
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This graphic novel version of the first book of the Pandava Series gives readers a dynamic new glimpse into Aru Shah’s world! I think this is a great way to introduce a new set of readers to the Roshani Chokshi’s series based on Hindu tales–it incorporates all the important elements of the story, and the full color artwork is superb! I would still encourage kids to pick up the original books because this version doesn’t showcase Choksi’s gorgeous writing style and we lose out a bit on some of the humor from the books (especially when it comes to the character of Boo the pigeon). But this would be a great way to get kids interested in the story or for kids who already love the books to experience them in a new way!
Check out my review of the original book if you’d like to know more about why I love this series so much!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher so I could provide an honest review. No compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
This graphic novel version of the first book of the Pandava Series gives readers a dynamic new glimpse into Aru Shah’s world! I think this is a great way to introduce a new set of readers to the Roshani Chokshi’s series based on Hindu tales–it incorporates all the important elements of the story, and the full color artwork is superb! I would still encourage kids to pick up the original books because this version doesn’t showcase Choksi’s gorgeous writing style and we lose out a bit on some of the humor from the books (especially when it comes to the character of Boo the pigeon). But this would be a great way to get kids interested in the story or for kids who already love the books to experience them in a new way!
Check out my review of the original book if you’d like to know more about why I love this series so much!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher so I could provide an honest review. No compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
August 5, 2022
i missed reading the pandava series. this graphic novel brought back fond memories when i first started aru shah’s story. the main scenes were captured perfectly and i loved the interactions between mini and aru.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews