Guest Post: Aru Shah and the End of Time Author Roshani Chokshi Shares 10 Questing Essentials
As a young girl who unwittingly awakens an ancient demon bent on destruction, twelve-year-old Aru Shah knows a thing or two about questing. The first novel in an exciting new imprint presented by Magnus Chase author Rick Riordan, Roshani Chokshi’s Aru Shah and the End of Time is a thrilling story of adventure filled with danger, Hindu mythology, and a helpful pigeon named Subala, who was kind enough to share with us ten essentials to help those who may find themselves embarking on a quest.
Questing Essentials
Aru Shah and the End of Time (Pandava Series #1)
Hardcover $16.99
Aru Shah and the End of Time (Pandava Series #1)
Hardcover $16.99
(As dictated by Subala, a.k.a. Boo, temporary pigeon and guardian of heroes . . . if you insult my stature, I will annoy you to the point that your sanity shall wilt and you shall RUE the day you insulted me). Ahem. Anyway. When questing it is very important to carry all the essentials, but also to pack light. Here are my top ten items.
(As dictated by Subala, a.k.a. Boo, temporary pigeon and guardian of heroes . . . if you insult my stature, I will annoy you to the point that your sanity shall wilt and you shall RUE the day you insulted me). Ahem. Anyway. When questing it is very important to carry all the essentials, but also to pack light. Here are my top ten items.
- A sword: Naturally. It is very important to have a sharp sword otherwise it may get stuck in a demon and becomes quite difficult to remove.
- Enchanted Food: Preferably something nourishing and refreshing, like an apple that always becomes whole by dawn, etcetera. It is critical to have food in one’s stomach lest one become food in someone else’s.
- One Shiny Thing: It really does not matter. Balled up tinfoil. A pencap, etcetera . . . the denizens of the Otherworld, though we are mighty and ancient, are also easily distracted and can never quite fathom the purpose of a stapler and thus it becomes something rare and enigmatic. Having one shiny thing on hand makes for a good present when one is trying to cross streams, enter caves, etcetera. Think of it like a hostess gift.
- A folding cloud: Better than a sleeping bag and allows for the hero to nap on higher ground thus minimizing the chances of being eaten. Unless, of course, there’s a gigantic hawk. Or a flying giant. Or—
- Bottled Thunder: I prefer this as a distraction technique because it inevitably makes someone look to the sky which is a good time to run in the opposite direction.
- Webster’s Pocket Dictionary of Otherworld Dialects: You’ll be surprised how far one can go with just a dash of etiquette and good manners! Knowing how to say thank you in the slippery tongue of the Nagas might even earn you a boon!
- A roll of pennies: Now this one is rather strange, but I have found that in navigating demonic worlds, pennies are a favored currency. It seems that demons think that there is an actual person trapped in the coin. They like to taunt Abraham Lincoln’s silhouette that he is at their mercy. There is no point in correcting them. Please do not show them quarters.
- Hey, wait! Put that down! NO IT IS NOT A BLANKIE. IT IS A SCRAP OF IMPORTANT CLOTH AND DO NOT TOUCH IT, IT’S MINE, MY BLANKIE *SNAP*
- Ahem. Sorry about that. Socks. Socks, I hear, are quite useful. I wouldn’t know because I have talons. Anyway, few things are more miserable than soggy feet in soggy shoes.
- And finally . . . SUNSCREEN. Immortal-ish you might be, but anti aging measures are of paramount importance! Do you think I maintain my iridescent visage without a proper feather regimen? Hmpf.
Happy questing!
Aru Shah and the End of Time is on B&N bookshelves now!