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Sona and the Golden Beasts by Rajani LaRocca

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Sona and the Golden Beasts

by Rajani LaRocca

Narrator Shiromi Arserio

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Length 9 hours 42 minutes

Language English

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Bookseller recommendation

“Sona and the Golden Beasts by LaRocca: All readers deserve opportunities to explore the intricacies, nuances, and complexities of varying lived experiences, and LaRocca delivers in spades in her middle grade novel, Sona and the Golden Beasts. On the surface, all readers will be swept away in the face-paced plot of this fantasy novel, focusing on the perils and obstacles that Sona faces as she attempts to collect the nectar of life. But the beauty of this novel rests on how expertly LaRocca weaves in themes of colonialism, identity, propaganda, and morally grey areas that cannot be escaped. This is a book that families will enjoy reading together as a read-aloud, and also a book that will promote deep thinking for young and adult readers alike. An absolute must read! ”
— Keiana • East City Bookshop

Summary
About the author

From Newbery Honor and Walter Award–winning author Rajani LaRocca comes a gripping middle grade fantasy perfect for fans of The Serpent’s Secret and The Last Mapmaker.

Though music is outlawed in the land of Devia, Sona hears it everywhere. Sona is a Malech, a member of the ruling class that conquered Devia centuries ago. Malechs forbade music to prevent the native Devans from using their magic, and Sona hides her abilities lest they put her in danger.

Then Sona discovers an orphaned wolf pup. She believes the pup, with its golden ears, might be related to one of the five sacred beasts of Devia, and she vows to keep it safe. That means bringing the pup in tow when Sona embarks on a perilous quest, along with a Devan boy, to secure the nectar of life for a loved one who has fallen gravely ill. On the journey, as Sona uncovers secrets about the Malechian empire and her own identity, she realizes that the fate of the sacred beasts, and the future of Devia, just might come down to her.

This captivating fantasy novel by award-winning author Rajani LaRocca will sweep readers into Sona’s quest across the land of Devia as she grapples with the lasting impact of colonial rule and learns to fight for what she knows is right.

Children's Fantasy

Rajani LaRocca was born in India, raised in Kentucky, and now lives in Massachusetts, where she practices medicine and writes award-winning books for young readers, including the Newbery Honor–winning novel in verse, Red, White, and Whole. She’s always been an omnivorous reader, and now she is an omnivorous writer of novels and picture books, fiction and nonfiction, in prose and poetry. A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Medical School, she lives outside Boston with her family. Visit her at rajanilarocca.com.