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Sayantani DasGupta
Sayantani DasGupta is the author behind "Theft of the Ruby Lotus." Her books offer readers compelling plots and memorable characters.
The Serpent's Secret
Synopsis
On the morning of her twelfth birthday, Kiranmala is just a regular sixth grader living in Parsippany, New Jersey, until her parents mysteriously vanish and a drooling rakkhosh demon slams through her kitchen, determined to eat her alive. Turns out there might be some truth to her parents' fantastical bedtime stories after all: Kiranmala is a real Indian princess, and she comes from a secret place not of this world.
Swept into another dimension full of magic, winged horses, moving maps, and irritating talking birds, Kiran must solve riddles and outwit demons, all while avoiding the Serpent King of the underworld and the Rakkhoshi Queen, in order to find her parents and save her world and the one beyond it.
The first book in the Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond series, drawing on Bengali folktales and string theory for a fast-paced middle-grade fantasy adventure.
Genres
Characters
KiranmalaProtagonist
A sixth grader from New Jersey who discovers on her twelfth birthday that she's an Indian princess from another dimension.
Frequently asked questions
Does this book stand alone or is it part of a series?
This is the first installment in the Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond series, which continues in subsequent books that follow the protagonist's ongoing adventures.
What inspired the world-building in this story?
The narrative draws heavily from Bengali folktales and incorporates concepts from string theory and physics to bridge the gap between traditional mythology and modern science.