Rea and the Blood of the Nectar by Payal Doshi

In the shade of night, they portal into an otherworldly realm and travel to Astranthia, a land full of magic and whimsy. Unwilling to give up on her brother, Rea and her friend Leela meet Mishti Daadi, a wrinkly old fortune-teller whose powers of divination set them off on a thrilling and secret quest. Her grandmother, too, is behaving strangely. It hasn’t even been a day and Amma acts like Rohan’s gone forever. It’s four in the morning and Rohan is nowhere to be found. After a big fight with her twin brother Rohan on their birthday, Rea’s life in the small village of Darjeeling, India, gets turned on its head. It all begins on the night Rea turns twelve.

The clock is ticking in this fast-paced, thrilling, and exciting adventure rife with evil creatures, a ruthless villain, and unforgettable friendships. Highly recommended.Perfect for fans of the Aru Shah books and The Chronicles of Narnia.Ī middle-grade fantasy about twelve-year-old Rea Chettri, who portals into an otherworldly realm to go on a secret quest to find her missing twin brother Rohan. Rea and the Blood of the Nectar is a vividly written, enjoyable, adventure-filled fantasy with important themes that can be enjoyed by teens and adults, as well as middle grade readers.

Her budding friendship with the steadfast and loyal Leela is one of the many strengths of the story. She grows and triumphs in the face of adversity, and learns to value herself and others. Yet she is intelligent, brave and determined to do what is right. Rea is a flawed character, often impulsive and sometimes inconsiderate.

There are themes of sibling rivalry, family, secrets, courage, self-worth and friendship. The world building is lush and vibrant, with deadly serpent lilies, a blood sucking banshee and an evil queen. Rea, along with her friend Leela, portal through a banyan tree to a magical botanical realm called Astranthia, to search for Rohan. On the night of their 12th birthday, Rohan mysteriously goes missing. She resents her popular twin brother Rohan who she feels is treated better by her family. Rea is a 12 year-old girl who lives in the Darjeeling area of India. Rea and the Blood of the Nectar is a beautiful middle grade portal fantasy.

Rea and the Blood of the Nectar by Payal Doshi