This book is AMAZING! It may be my top book of 2023! This is a Filipino mythological quest by a quirky and haunted orphan who has a snarky gecko sidekick who has delusions of grandeur and thinks he's a crocodile. If anything, read it for Saso - for such a small gecko, he has a BIG personality and his sassy comments made this book a joy to read!

Corazon lives with her eccentric and standoffish Aunt Tina. She wants nothing more than to start her training as a Babaylan, but her powers have yet to awaken. Using a soul key, she can see her departed parents for Saturday night dinners, but once she gets her powers, Corazon aims to bring her parents back permanently. And then.... a vengeful ghost steals her soul key and she must go on a quest to forge a new one and get her old one back!

I like how this novel has all these different threads that tie together perfectly at the end. Everything comes full circle. I love the mythology and inspired by history aspects woven in as well. I can never resist a female MC who gets a quest either!

Highly recommend!

A fun fantasy adventure featuring filipino mythology that will delight readers of the author's Aru Shah and other international fantasy novels featured by Rick Riordan's imprint. Corazon is waiting none too patiently for her magic to come to light so she can begin training with her aunt to be a healer and spirit guide. When that happens Corazon is convinced she will be able to bring back her parents from the spirit world. Her plans are thwarted by a ghost with a score to settle and it will take all of Corazon's bravery, untapped magic and some help from her sassy companion gecko Saso. The belly laughs thanks to Saso are many, the fantasy world is well developed and lively and the big heart of Corazon will thrill every reader. Perfect for the middle school audience and one that would be enjoyed by families. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

I enjoyed this book. I really enjoyed the levity that Saso brought to the plotline throughout the story. Their thirst for vengeance and destruction, while loving and supporting Corazon was just the perfect touch. Corazon’s character herself is super strong and you are rooting for her to be able to complete her mission. This book is exactly what you are looking for in cultural mythology. It gives you enough background that if you are not familiar with that culture’s myths or creatures, you feel confident in recognizing them by the end of the book. I was able to easily follow the plotline and didn’t get lost because I didn’t have a background in Filipino myths.
Thank you to Disney Publishing, Rick Riordan Presents, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy.

5 stars!!!

I was introduced to Roshani Chokshi through The Gilded Wolves, which I thought was okay, though I liked the second book, The Silvered Serpents more. It made me pick up the Aru Shah series, which I loved. Aru Shah was the series that introduced me to Hindu Mythology (other than what I had picked up from yoga), and I really enjoyed it. I didn't know if I would like a heroine as much as Aru Shah, but as soon as I started reading this, I was hooked. So much that I ended up reading it in one sitting. I loved Corazon, and I especially loved how Chokshi incorporated Filipino mythology (which is a broad category according to the author's note). The magic system was very cool, and I especially loved the house, which was a character in its own right. Her gecko companion was the best, and the story was so engrossing. There were some surprises along the way, including the end, that I would think, "I should have figured that out, that is exactly what should have happened," but of course, I didn't figure it out beforehand. The story is wonderfully crafted, and although this appears to be a standalone novel, I would love to revisit Corazon and Saso.

I was so lucky to receive this as an advanced review copy from Netgalley and the publishers. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Just beautiful! One of those "can't put it down" books. The characters are so rich. It's a beautiful, touching and entertaining story about grief and finding your way through it but told in an unexpected, entertaining and beautiful story.

Thank you to Rick Riordan Presents and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Corazon comes from a long line on babaylans - spirit guides and mystical healers – and is impatiently waiting for her powers to awaken. She is living with her Aunt Tina, a powerful babaylan, who will train her after the death of Corazon’s parents. Corazon has a soul key that she uses to bring her parents’ ghosts to visit her every Saturday. When her soul key is stolen by a vengeful spirit, Corazon must embark on a quest to the spirit realm to get the blessing of two powerful mythical beings and then she will be able to send the restless soul to peace. The catch – she only has 5 days to get the blessings and return to the Library of Mirrors before it’s too late.
I really enjoyed reading about Filipino mythology and folklore. I really enjoyed the Aru Shah series and was excited when this title became available. There is a lot going on and at some points, I had trouble following all the new and minor characters. That being said, I would definitely recommend for grades 4 and up.
#TheSpiritGlass #NetGalley

As an avid Aru Shah fan, I was hesitant to read this book for so many reasons. However, I wanted to see if the author could weave another magical tale. It is a resounding yes! Chokshi created another incredible world with endearing characters, incredible settings, believable challenges and celebrations, and instigated serious emotions. I think this is the first Rick Riordan presents book that I actually wept while reading. It is overall an incredible asset to the Rick Riordan presents book line up and I am eager to see where this tale goes in future installations.

A fantasy full of love and magic. Corazon wants here parents around, but they show up for dinner only once a week. They are ghosts after all. Corazon is waiting to train to be a babaylan (spirit guide) she knows that she will be able to use her key to bring her parents back from the dead. However, when her key is taken she is plunged into an epic adventure with her gecko companion and a young ghost to fix what needs to be fixed before time runs out. I laughed. I cried. This is a story about family, grief, acceptance, and love.

DELIGHTFUL. I just loved THE SPIRIT GLASS by Roshani Chokshi. Aru Shah has been a mainstay in my classroom for years, so I was excited to check out her newest middle grade fantasy. I was a bit surprised that this one is built on the foundations of Filipino mythology - it was cool to learn about the other half of Chokshi's heritage! It's about Corazon, a babaylan-in-training (almost) who lives with her very powerful Aunt Tina, her talking gecko companion Saso, and/in House, their magical abode that seems to do most of her caretaking/raising. She gets to see her dead parents once a week with the help of her magical key, but then it gets stolen, and she's off on a quest to retrieve it, and her potential future magic, from a scary ghost thief. But more than all that, it's a book about grief, hope, and the stories we choose to write.
Read if you like:
- adventures to far off (magical) lands
- hilarious sidekicks
- family secrets
- near-death escapades
- Easter egg references poking fun at her other books

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance digital copy of the book.

Corazon can't wait until she can begin her babaylan training with her Aunt Tina so she can bring her parents back from the dead and not only see their ghosts every Saturday night. Things go sideways when a vengeful ghost steals Corazon's spirit key. She and her destruction-happy anito Saso must enter the spirit realm to retrieve the spirit key. If the ghost makes it through the spirit glass with the key, the already fragile balance between the human world and the spirit world will be destroyed. Corazon must get two blessings from powerful beings in the spirit world and meet Aunt Tina in the Library of Mirrors in five days. What could go wrong?

I loved this now as an adult but this would have been particularly special to me as a kid. I’m part Filipino and grew up with some of the culture, but not any of the folklore or earlier history passed down. I loved the way Roshani Chokshi, whose YA and adult work I thoroughly enjoy, introduced so much traditional folklore and the complicated history of the Philippines in a way that was both fun and natural, and educational and illuminating for both a Filipino American like me and the many readers who don’t know a thing about the Philippines. Everything else had joyful identification for a reader like me: familiar food, nicknames, and more that I don’t get to see in print. Our young heroine Corazon Lopez is a sweet, a bit spunky young babaylan eager to get her magic and desperate to get her parents back. She’s joined by her anito Saso, a smart aleck, wry but silly animal companion, and Leo, a ghost boy they meet in the spirit world. Their fast-paced adventure allows Corazon to grow and learn before concluding a few storylines in a moving story of family.

This book is filled with magic, mythology, and heart. Roshani Chokshi takes readers on a trip seeped in Filipino mythology that leaves you wanting more. This one is sure to be a winner in my classroom.

Thank you to @Disney Publishing Worldwide for the ARC.

I'm a huge Riordan Presents fan because I love reading about myths and creatures from other cultures. The Spirit Glass is no exception to this. Corazon is desperate for her magic to awaken so she can bring to bring her parents back from the dead. Right now she's stuck using her soul key to visit them in the spirit world. However, her soul key gets stolen and she must find it before the balance of the real and spirit world gets messed up. This book so fun! I loved reading about Corazon's quest through the realms to find her spirit key.

As a half-Filipino myself, I loved seeing a junior fiction novel based out of the culture I know and love, and definitely helped me feel connected and seen in a way that heals your inner child. I wished I had a book like this when I was younger!

Roshani Chokshi proves once again that she is a master of creating vibrant, unique world that you want to live in. The Spirit Glass is a brilliant addition to the RRP family, a magical world that entrances you and won't let go. Corazon and Saso make a remarkable duo (Saso is hysterical at every turn) and are the heart of this story. Cannot recommend this book enough!

Thank you to @Disney Publishing Worldwide for the ARC. This was my first Roshani Chokshi book and I enjoyed it very much. I was not familiar with Filipino mythology and found it very interesting. The story at times would slow in its pacing but was very well written.

Roshani Chokshi is one of my favourite authors of the last few years. She does an amazing job at guiding readers through mythologies that might be unfamiliar to them, but at the same time doesn’t pander to or dumb things down for western audiences. Her characters are full of personality and delightfully flawed.

I need a blood thirsty glowing gecko. He's hilarious, sassy and the best little sidekick you could ask for.

When I say this book surprised me, I'm not exaggerating. It was beautifully written and I could see myself clearly in every element which is so much fun for me as a reader who sees books as movies in my head.

Who wouldn't want a side kick like Saso? I mean he's hilarious and brave and just a smidge irreverent.

Corazon's adventure is so well written you really feel like you are in the cave, on the ocean waves and in the Library of Mirrors with her. She learns and grows a lot on her adventure, makes a new friend, comes to terms with loss and uncovers a hidden family secret (which I did not see coming....a literal jaw dropper!)

I very much enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more of this author. I also appreciated and learned so much about Filipino culture that I am curios to learn more!

I received a free E-ARC from Disney Publishing Worldwide, Rick Riordan Presents & Net Galley for my honesty review.

Wow. This incredible tale full of amazing creatures, food, and adventure is just what I needed! Kids are going to love this journey and I can’t wait to share it with them!