Blog Tour for PAHUA AND THE SOUL STEALER by Lori M. Lee with My Review + Giveaway

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the PAHUA AND THE SOUL STEALER by Lori M. Lee Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

                                     About The Book:

Title: PAHUA AND THE SOUL STEALER

Author: Lori M. Lee

Pub. Date: September 7, 2021

Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 320

Find it:  Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Lori M. Lee's middle grade debut about a lonely Hmong girl who discovers she's a powerful shaman warrior in this fantasy inspired by Southeast Asian mythology.

Pahua Moua has a bit of a reputation for being a weirdo. A lonely eleven-year-old Hmong girl with the unique ability to see spirits, she spends her summer days babysitting her little brother and playing with her best friend, a cat spirit no one else can see.
One day Pahua accidentally untethers an angry spirit from the haunted bridge in her neighborhood--whoops. When her brother suddenly falls sick and can't be awoken, Pahua fears that the bridge spirit has stolen his soul. She returns to the scene of the crime with her aunt's old shaman tools, hoping to confront the spirit and demand her brother's return. Instead, she summons a demon.

Thankfully, a warrior shaman with a bit of an attitude problem shows up at the last minute and saves her butt. With the help of this guide, Pahua will have to find her way through the spirit worlds and rescue her brother's soul before it's too late. Little does she know she'll have her own discoveries to make along the way. . . .

With its unforgettable characters, unique nature-based magic system, breathtaking twists and reveals, and climactic boss battle, this story based on Hmong oral tradition offers everything a fantasy lover could want.

 

My Review

Opening lines:  "The day my life changed began like most mornings - with a judgmental cat spirit."  

If you're familiar with the Rick Riordan Presents series of books you're probably aware that each book is written by an own voices author and introduces the reader to various cultures, their traditions and mythology.  I've always loved how they include diverse stories from Korean, Indian, African, and Mexican cultures, to name a few.  Each new book, educating and exciting children to explore these mythologies for themselves.   In the latest book, Pahua and the Soul Stealer, the reader is introduced to the Hmong traditions and legends, a group of people that I didn't know much about prior to reading the story and am so happy to have read.   I think of all the Rick Riordan Presents books thus far, this one would be one my favorite.  I found the main character, Pahua and Zhong, the Shaman warrior who shows up to help Pahua so engaging to read.   I was just instantly swept up by the story.   There's so many interesting elements, like how Pahua sees spirits, including Miv her opiniated black kitten spirt that are invisible to others.  I felt the tension when Pahua inadvertently set an angry ghost spirit on the bridge free causing her younger brother to become ill and unresponsive, and then quickly flipped pages as she went in search of the lightening axe that she needed to deal with the malevolent spirit to help her brother recover.  I especially enjoyed reading about how she dealt with the challenges that she faces, and how rather than striking down her enemies, she showed empathy, negotiated with them or came to some form of understanding for what she needs.  Even outsmarted them when need be.  Overall, this was a really exciting story and I know I'll defiantly be picking up the next book in the series.                       

 

About Lori:

Lori M. Lee is the author of speculative novels and short stories. Her books include PAHUA AND THE SOUL STEALER (Disney/Rick Riordan Presents), FOREST OF SOULS and the sequel BROKEN WEB (Page Street), and more. She’s also a contributor to the anthologies A THOUSAND BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS and COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES. She considers herself a unicorn fan, enjoys marathoning TV shows, and loves to write about magic, manipulation, and family.

Photo credit PrettyGeeky Photography.

 

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Giveaway Details:

3 winners will win a finished copy of PAHUA AND THE SOUL STEALER, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week Two:

9/5/2021	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
9/6/2021	Book-Keeping	Review
9/7/2021	The Bookwyrm's Den	Review
9/8/2021	booksaremagictoo	Review
9/9/2021	Sometimes Leelynn Reads	Review
9/10/2021	Log Cabin Library	Review
9/11/2021	Books a Plenty Book Reviews	Review