Pahua and the Soul Stealer
Ratings2
Average rating4.3
15
Ratings2
Average rating4.3
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.
Series
2 primary booksPahua Moua is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2021 with contributions by Lori M. Lee.
Reviews with the most likes.
This was my first book by Lori M. Lee and I really enjoyed it! I love the humor and the characters that are common in the books published by Rick Riordan presents and this book was no different. I loved how the author was able to include Southeast Asian mythology in a way that was both not over explained but also explained enough for someone who doesn't know about it can understand.
Thank you to Disney Publishing Worldwide, Rick Riordan Presents, and NetGalley for providing me with an eBook copy to review
An adventurous, fast-paced, action-packed middle grade delight featuring LOTS of spirits and Hmong mythology. Pahua is an 11yo who sees spirits, including her best friend Miv, a cat spirit. Pahua lives with her younger brother Matt and her mom, who works a lot possibly because her dad left them four years ago. Pahua accidentally does something to a spirit and she finds herself on what seems like an impossible quest. Lots of great themes and topics for younger ones, especially around being othered and receiving bigotry as a minority in a majority community, not having a lot of friends, sibling love, feeling lesser than other siblings and having a parent who left.
