I loved the Aru Shah series from Roshani Chokshi so I had to try The Spirit Glass. Chokshi has such a way with building worlds and characters and it continued here. Corazon wants to be able to get her magical training started in the hopes of bringing her parents back to life. A spirit steals her Soul Key and Corazon must go on a quest to get it back. I loved her companion, Saso. He was just the right amount of sass and spitfire. The audiobook was excellently narrated.

I absolutely loved Roshani Chokshi’s first series under Rick Riordan’s imprint and this one did not disappoint. The characters were beautifully written and the plot was well paced. If you are a fan of mythologies I would definitely recommend this one.

This maybe skews on the younger end of the recommended range, but this would be a great addition to collections looking for titles by diverse writers with diverse characters who are also fans of of the supernatural.

I enjoyed The Spirit Mirror. I think I might use this next year for the October 7th grade book club pick because there are plenty of ghosts and some creepy monsters from Filipino lore that it will make it a fun October read. I started but never finished Chokshi’s Aru Shah series. I think I liked The Spirit Mirror better because it had a lot of magic and intrigue right in the first chapter. Listening to the audiobook also probably helped as well. However, I kind of struggle with listening to middle grade books on audio because in order to sound young, the narrator’s voice is kind of annoying, but I got used to it. There is a lot more of Corazon’s internal dialogue than her talking to other characters. Actually, Leo the Ghost & Saso the geko companion do most of the talking. There are plenty of quips and Saso is a constant comic relief which is definitely a middle grade literary thing.

Corazon’s an ok character. There isn’t a lot of depth to any of the characters (which again is a very middle grade book thing that bugs me) but what the book does really well is introducing creatures from Filipino legends and making you want to look them up and learn more about them. There are just a lot of cool characters and situations introduced in the book. I also liked the two stories of Corazon’s quest and Flordeliza’s history and how the two interconnect in a surprising way that seemed pretty satisfying at the end. The ending was also pretty good and wrapped most things up. (Chapter 34 ended up being mostly static and I don’t know if that’s because it was an ARC, but it sounded like it imparted some wisdom to Carazon that I missed and might have wrapped it up more.) Overall, I’m sure elementary and middle grade students will enjoy it.

Thank you too NetGalley for an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.

I really enjoyed this audiobook! The story was great and the narrator superb. I think my favorite character was Saso. He could always be counted on to provide some levity and introspection :)

I really enjoyed this story while learning about Filipino babaylans. This book takes the reader on an exciting adventure. The main character, Corazon, has lost her parents in a car crash, but she is able to still visit them using a soul key. Corazon encounters a ghost that steals her soul key, which is her only way to see her parents. In order to see her parents again she is sent on a quest to gather some blessings from ghost in the spirit realm and also learn to use her magic to get a new soul key. On her quest she meets another lost soul who she develops a friendship with and they both experience some personal growth and closure with their family loss and grief. This is a heartwarming book that is a good read for anyone who enjoys either Chokshi’s other books or are fans of the Rick Riordan Presents books. This book is especially a nice read for anyone who has experienced the loss of a family member or friend.

I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy of the audiobook and wish to thank Disney Audiobooks, Rick Riordan Presents Audio, and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Spirit Glass
by Roshani Chokshi
I could only wish that this book had been written in my children's childhood. The embrace of the Philippines and Georgia culture. I found the Philippine mythologies wonderful, showing the nature of the stories. Giving hints to the dark stories, and the light inspirations that are thread through the story. The story is inspiring and beautiful in its descriptions. The lessons are important for many children patience, courage, and resolution. I love Sasso and find his and Emilio's comments hilarious, I giggled about their comments.
I was so impressed I purchased a copy to share with my children, and hopefully the next generation.

Another good series start for Chokshi. Myths and legends abound in this tail of love, loss, secrets, and family. Good character development and intertwining of familial loss stories. Enjoyable listen.

This magical book explores a young girl who is navigating her parents death and finding out who she is, where she fits into the world, and who her family is. She does this all through a fantastic magical adventure. Middle school kids will like this book.

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!

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.
I will say part of the file was either corrupted or missing towards the end of the book. I luckily was able to read the digital copy so as not to lose what was missing. Just figured I would add that bit in as feedback.
Thank you to Disney Publishing, Rick Riordan Presents, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy.

Thank you Disney Audiobooks, Rick Riordan Presents, and NetGalley for the advanced electronic audio review copy of this wonderful book. I love Roshani Chokshi’s writing, so when I saw her new book available for review, I requested it right away. This book is just as delightful as the Aru Shah series, but with new characters, magic, ghosts, and Filipino mythology. Can’t wait to share this book with my students and can’t wait to see their reaction when they find out that there is a new book available by one of their favorite authors. Hoping to spend more time in this world with this characters.

Corazon is training to become a babaylan, guardian between the spirit world and the living world. Her parents died three years ago. Their ghosts come back to visit her every Saturday using a spirit key. When Corazon's spirit key is stolen by a vengeful ghost hoping to get through the spirit mirror, Corazon must undergo a quest to send the ghost to the spirit world.

This was really, really good. While I expect high quality from any Rick Riordan Presents book, this one stood out above many of the others I have read. Corazon was a wonderful character who thought on her feet. I absolutely loved the comic relief that Saso, her animal companion provided. Chokshi's system of magic involving fair trades and bargains was pretty unique and she managed to weave in parts of traditional Filipino culture, folklore, and history seamlessly into the story. I would love to read a sequel to The Spirit Glass, but it also works great as a standalone book.

Such a fun adventure story. The quest taught the reader several lessons a long the way. I would love to have Saso as a sidekick, He is hilarious. I'm a huge Riordan Presents fan because I love reading about myths and creatures from other cultures. I really enjoyed learning more of the Filipino culture and I would love to read more.