Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom (Kiki Kallira #1)
by Sangu Mandanna (Author)
For fans of the Aru Shah and Serpent's Secret series, this action-packed fantasy-adventure sees a girl's drawings of Indian mythology spring to vivid life--including the evil god who seeks to enter the real world and destroy it.
Kiki Kallira has always been a worrier. Did she lock the front door? Is there a terrible reason her mom is late? Recently her anxiety has been getting out of control, but one thing that has always soothed her is drawing. Kiki's sketchbook is full of fanciful doodles of the rich Indian myths and legends her mother has told her over the years. One day, her sketchbook's calming effect is broken when her mythological characters begin springing to life right out of its pages. Kiki ends up falling into the mystical world she drew, which includes a lot of wonderful discoveries like the band of rebel kids who protect the kingdom, as well as not-so-great ones like the ancient deity bent on total destruction. As the one responsible for creating the evil god, Kiki must overcome her fear and anxiety to save both worlds--the real and the imagined--from his wrath. But how can a girl armed with only a pencil defeat something so powerful?
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School Library Journal
Gr 4-8-Raised by her single mother in London, Kiki Kallira has grown up listening to her mother's stories of family and folklore from India. When her anxiety is overwhelming, she takes comfort in these stories and reimagines her ancestors as characters she draws in her sketchbook, which provides an escape both literal and metaphorical. Steeped in Hindu mythology, Mandanna's fast-paced modern take on a classical myth explores the legend of Mysore and the Goddess Chamundeshwari's victory over the demon king, Mahishasura. While this story is celebrated in the real city of Mysore annually during Dussehra, in Kiki's it begins when a doorway opens from her world to one she created in her sketchbook, filled with her mother's folktales with her own fresh spin. Inside the sketchbook world, it is up to Kiki to defeat the demon king before he escapes to the real one. Armed only with her pencil, she makes an unlikely hero, but one that demonstrates the power young people can wield when they trust their talents. Mandanna creates vibrant, relatable characters, including secondary figures like Ashwini and the Crows who are fleshed out enough for readers to connect. VERDICT While the myth itself may not be familiar to all readers, Mandanna has created an engaging fantastical story that will strongly appeal to readers of Rick Riordan, Roshani Chokshi, and Sayantani DasGupta.
Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Kirkus
An action-packed, evocative portrayal of courage, friendship, and belonging.
Review quotes
JUV012060 - Juvenile Fiction | Legends, Myths, Fables | Asian
JUV074000 - Juvenile Fiction | Diversity & Multicultural
JUV033260 - Juvenile Fiction | Religious | Hindu
