This is A WONDERFUL and masterful book: A new Rick Riordan Presents series revolving around Hmong mythology that features a young girl turned shaman warrior! After an angry spirit is unleashed and steals her brother's soul, 11-year-old Pahua goes on a quest to save her brother. It is just a magical, relatable, and hopeful coming-of-age tale with references to Hmong mythology and culture, how strength is different for everyone, and so much more. I know it came out recently, but I had to gush about this book!
My sincere thanks to the author and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion of it.

I just reviewed Pahua and the Soul Stealer by Lori M. Lee. #PahuaandtheSoulStealer #NetGalley

Honestly, one of my favorite “Rick Riordan Presents” books. Unfortunately, as good as most of them are, the myths and storylines are beginning to blur together on me. This one stood out for some reason. The characters felt just a bit more fleshy and real with a little more substance. Maybe there was a bit less snarky humor (which I am not usually opposed to), but in this case the emotional impact seemed somewhat more heartfelt. There was a balance between action and character development so I felt invested in Pahua’s quest. I’d be game for another installment.

Really enjoyed this one and a great installment for Rick Riordan presents. Learned so much about Hmong culture and I thought Pahua’s struggles will be so relatable to anyone growing up with a single parent. Also who doesn’t love a sassy cat side kick?

Eleven-year-old Pahua can see spirits. In fact, her best friend (her only friend) is a cat spirit. One day, she meets an angry spirit who steals her brother’s soul. Pahua ventures into the spirit world with a shaman warrior student to find the spirit and save her brother.

An action-packed story weaving family, friendship, and adventure with Hmong mythology. Pahua is a wonderful character who begins to find herself while trying to save her brother. She has a great imagination and sense of humor. She cares about others, tries to really see them and to help them.

I really loved learning more about the Mong culture. I also really loved how this book was an adventure that focused on the brother and sisters realtionships. I also thought this was super fun and fast pace read, I also like that is story focsued on two girls trying frantically to save the world. I also loved all the various creatures we meet in this read. This book was erriee and creepy but not horror. It had so many classics "rirodan" moments. Will def be checking out more books with this characters!

I received an ARC of this via Netgalley which in no way influenced my review. I am thrilled by Rick Riordan's line bringing all these diverse authors and their stories to the forefront. These are voices that need to be heard (representation matters).

Pahua is a young Hmong girl in Wisconsin (this made me wish I were still living there) She's been cut off from her Hmong community after a move when her father abandoned the family (I still think there's more to this) and she's lonely. Her mother is working far too much to keep the family afloat and unsurprisingly Pahua is bullied and ignored at school thanks to prejudice. Thinking she has made a new friend she follows the girls to the 'haunted bridge.'

Unlike other kids, Pahua can see spirits and knows the bridge spirit is real. This fateful decision ends up with her accidentally releasing the titular soul stealer who gets hold of her kid brother's soul and brings Pahua into the path of Zhong, a young shaman-warrior in training. Pahua's aunt is a shaman but her mother has no time for such talk so Pahua knows very little.

Here you have the typical MG/YA conundrum, where are the adults? Pahua's mother is in the hospital with Pahua's stricken brother, Matt and Zhong was sent by the shaman school on a quest to find out what happened at the bridge. She is desperate to impress her mentors there so she insists that they can handle this alone vs going to get her mentor. Which okay when you're 11 that probably makes sense to you.

Zhong is a bit of a rude know it all. Pahua is uncertain and feels she isn't brave but has a heck of an imagination. Together they roam Wisconsin and the spirit realms hounded by demons, dragons and all manner of spirit creatures with the only help being Zhong's imperfect knowledge, Pahua's hidden talents and Miv, the cat spirit who is Pahua's best friend.

This story is steeped in Hmong mythology and it absolutely wonderful. The action is unflagging and the girls are great. The storyline is believable and it wraps up nicely. The story is complete but definitely open for more down the road. I can't wait to see more. Pahua's world is filled with fantastical things and highly nuanced. It sucks me right in and I didn't want to put it down. One of the most fun books I've read all year.

My students are huge Rick Riordan fans, so I wanted to try this one out and see if it would be a good fit for them. I zipped through this one, enjoying the action, the quick pace, and the ties to family and culture woven throughout. I appreciated the hero's journey, the challenges and stumbling blocks, and the collaboration and teamwork required of Pahua to accomplish her goals. I enjoyed the magical, whimsical components of this one, and I love the end matter that helps explain some of the cultural relevance of things from the book. As a librarian who serves English learners, seeing diverse characters represented more and more in the offerings of Rick Riordan and his collaborators is encouraging. My students love being able to see themselves and people like them in these books, so I am excited to offer this one up to my kids and see what they think!

What an adventure! I enjoyed reading about Pahua and her cat, Miv's, journey to save her brother's spirit from an angry bridge spirit. I think the development of Pahua and Zhong's needed friendship, even if it is out of necessity, is well done and shows the vulnerability about letting someone else get to know you at their age. I was intrigued my the idea of the them being shamans in training and learning the responsibility that comes along with being one. This adventure includes, love of family, discovering identity, and determination. I believe any middle school student will enjoy learning about he Hmong culture and mythology through Pahua's experiences.

This was a fantastic middle grade read. I am familiar with Hmong mythology but it’s always fun to dive in and learn. The god and mythical creatures were interesting. This book would be perfect for any younger kid between the ages of 8-13 I think, even though other age groups would enjoy it as well. I can’t wait to read the follow up!

What an exciting and imaginative middle grade fantasy! Wonderful writing, great characters, and an action filled plot make for an engaging reading experience.
Thank you to Netgalley and Disney Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

Sadly I wasn't able to finish this book before it was published, but I look forward to realeasing a full review once I've finished the book completely!

So excited about another great Rick Riordan Presents series and loved this story about girls who see ghosts and the heroes they become.

This book was so entertaining and educational! I loved learning about Hmong culture as it is not something I am familiar with. I loved the sibling relationship between Pahua and her brother. The world building and magic are so fun, and I absolutely adored this!

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book

Let me start of this review by saying that the formatting for the ARC that I received of this book was absolutely awful and made this book so difficult to read but none the less I persevered and absolutely adored this book and it's characters.

Pahua is such a wonderful character, she is determined and fierce but flawed and humble all at the same time. She knows that she does not know everything, and the way that she learns about her own culture throughout the book and subsequently the reader learns along with her is amazing. I will admit that going into this book, I knew absolutely nothing about the Hmong people and their culture and I would like to thank the author for writing this book that has given me a chance to read and learn about them in the most delightful and fascinating way. I sincerely hope that this becomes a series because I want to read more about Pahua, her family, shamans, and her culture.

Disclaimer: I received this finished book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Pahua and the Soul Stealer

Author: Lori M. Lee

Book Series: Standalone for now

Diversity: Hmong mc and side characters

Rating: 5/5

Recommended For...: Middle Grade readers, fantasy, mythology, retelling

Genre: MG Fantasy

Publication Date: September 7, 2021

Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents

Pages: 320

Recommended Age: 10+ (Slight racism, Murder mentioned, Parent leaving, Death, Slight gore)

Explanation of CWs:

Synopsis: 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.

Review: I really loved this book! It was amazingly sweet and cute read. I loved the characters and character development. The world building was well done as well and the plot had me hooked from the first page.

However, I did feel like the the pacing was a bit fast. There was a lot of stuff that wasn't explained in story but I did appreciate that the context was in the back of the book.

Verdict: Highly recommend!

Pahua and the Soul Stealer introduces the world to Pahua, a young Hmong girl set apart by her ability to see ghosts. At eleven years old she's already considered weird and an outsider. She spends most of her time baby-sitting her little brother while her mother works to provide for them. At leas Pahua has her best friend to keep her company - so what if its and invisible cat spirit. When Pahua tries to fit in with the popular girls, and sneaks off to explore a haunted bridge, she releases an evil spirit who takes over the body of her little brother. She tries her best to free her brother, instead she releases a demon. Thankfully a warrior shaman shows up in the nick of time to save her, then guide her through the spirit world to retrieve her brother's soul before it is gone for good. This is the newest in Rick Riordan's series of folklore from different countries. I knew absolutely nothing about the Hmong culture when I started Pahua and the Soul Stealer, now I feel like I got a glimpse into the world thanks to Lori Lee's rich descriptions and expert story-telling. I look forward to reading more from Lori Lee and am thankful to Net Galley for the chance to read an ARC.

3.5/low 4 stars : There were times when, for me, the pace dragged, but that just meant I didn't devour the book whole. I'll still finish the series.

As can be expected from these delightful RR books, praise must be given for the exposure to Hmong culture and mythology. It touches on 'anyone who isn't White doesn't belong in the US', as well as the struggles of being a child who has to raise their younger sibling(s) due to the parental situation - although, without speaking spoilers, it *may* be a situation that could have been avoided? We shall see in future installments.

Thanks to NetGalley & Disney Publishing Worldwide for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, I couldn't get into it. The mythology was cool and all but once they traveled into the magical world it got really confusing and I couldn't keep up.

I do really enjoy the themes of accepting who you are and moving on from jealousy. I think the writing style just wasn't for me in the end. I loved the three main characters, I just really couldn't get into the story much. :(

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Disney Publishing Worldwide and Rick Riordan presents, for the chance to read and review this book in exchange of an honest review!

Pahua Moua is considered to be a weirdo. A lonely Hmong girl, she can see spirits, she spends her days babysitting her baby brother and with her best friend, a cat spirit. When she accidentally frees an angry spirit from the haunted bridge in her neighborhood, her brother falls sick, unable to wake up. While trying to confront the spirit of the bridge and save her brother's soul, Pahua summons a demon, but she's saved by a warrior shaman. With this shaman, Pahua is determined to visit the spirit world and save her brother's soul, but there she will discovers so many incredible other things...

I loved Lori M. Lee's other books and when I heard she would write a middle grade I had to read it! I was so happy when the publisher accepted my request and this book is unbelievably amazing. Pahua is a brilliant, stubborn and brave main character, facing discoveries, about herself, the world around her, in this wonderful middle grade fantast, based on Southeast Asian mythology.
It was so amazing losing myself in this read! The story is full of twists, secrets and discoveries, battle, magic and the magic system is incredible and so well written. The characters are unforgettable, the plot brilliantly written and it captured my attention right away.
It was everything a fantasy lover could ask from a book.

Pahua Moua doesn't exactly fit in with her classmates. Her closest friends are her younger brother and a cat spirit that no one else can see. When she gets the chance to make new friends, she accidentally unleashes a powerful spirit who steals her brother's soul. Attempting to channel her shaman aunt's abilities, she tries to summon the spirit and convince it to give her brother's soul back. Unfortunately, her efforts not only fail but actually make the situation worse. Now, Pahua and her new reluctant ally only have a handful of days to save her brother, all while evading demons and dragons determined to capture her.

3 Reasons to Read PAHUA AND THE SOUL STEALER:

-The theme of accepting and embracing who you are: Pahua knows she doesn't fit in at school, and after she meets Zhong, a kickbutt shaman warrior in training, Pahua notices only the ways she doesn't measure up. As her journey continues and reveals startling secrets about her identity, Pahua learns that heroes aren't always eager-to-fight warriors. Sometimes, heroes are those who see the truth in others and are loyal to those they love.

-Miv: Miv is Pahua's best friend and cat spirit. Like many cats, Miv is sassy and excellent at delivering one-liners. He pushes Pahua out of her comfort zone at times but still clearly loves her and wants to protect her.

-The spirit world- Lee does a fantastic job creating a layered, sometimes creepy, sometimes awe-inspiring spirit world where Pahua and Zhong go in their quest. The scenes in the spirit world are full of high emotion and high action, from the reveal of Pahua's identity in the middle of a sleeping curse to intense existential questions with tree spirits.

Filled with heart, friendship, and bravery, PAHUA AND THE SOUL STEALER proves that heroes don't always follow the same blue print.