Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond #2: Game of Stars by Sayantani Dasgupta

My name is Kiran, and I know the Demon Slayer contest is probably a trap set by my evil Serpent King father. He says the contest will reunite the Chintamoni and Poroshmoni Stones for the Kingdom Beyond or the Serpent Kingdom, but I still think there's more to it. I can't believe the thousands of people determined to become contestants and young girls idolize me. Giant posters say there's romance between Prince Lal and myself, but Prince Neel is imprisoned and says I shouldn't trust his brother. What is going on? None of this makes any sense. Despite Neel's warning against it, I must enter the contest and reach the third round in order to free him. However, the Serpent King doesn't play fair, so I know the rules are rigged in his favor. I'll do anything I can to save Neel.

You should start with the first book in the series, The Serpent's Secret. It's been a while since I read it, but I forgot about some of the silly humor. That's hard to believe since it's all over the place. Imagine Kiran needing to answer banana jokes to get past a security guard and conceited, silly announcers emceeing the contest. Monsters aren't typically slain, as they're often tricked by Kiran's quick-thinking. That's why she's confused when others think of her as a demon slayer. It's clear something's off about Kiran's return to the Kingdom Beyond, but it takes her awhile to fully realize it. I kept wondering when she'd actually think about all of the strange things she was seeing. The author makes many references to the Indian culture and mythology, as that's her style. You can usually figure everything out, so it's not a problem at all. Kiran's character is fun to follow. She wants to be a heroine, but sometimes gets overwhelmed by the experience. She's brave and intelligent, but that can get her into trouble too. Overall, the book is fun to read, and I recommend you give it a shot. You'll need to have a tolerance for silly humor, but the adventure will be worth it.