Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom by Sangu Mandanna

This book is a finalist for the 2021 Cybils Award in Elementary and Middle-Grade Speculative Fiction.

What worked:

The story is based on Indian myths and folklore, so readers can learn a bit about the culture. Kiki has heard stories of how the demon king Mahishasura violently takes over the town of Mysore, and the gods eventually find a way to banish him to the Nowhere Place between worlds. The Dussehra festival is being celebrated in India, and it creates magic enabling the fictional Mahishasura to potentially enter the real world through Kiki’s sketchbook. Actually, Kiki creates her version of the Indian folktales and mythical creatures in her sketchbook, so some of the information about the culture gets muddled.

Kiki’s character has an uncommon mental issue of obsession. She fixates on a simple, innocent idea and can’t move on until she does something about it. She can’t just let it go. The book opens with Kiki worrying about whether she’s locked the front door when she left home and how this will cause her mother to be killed. It forces her to leave her friends at the amusement park to return home and make sure her mom is safe. This behavior is a big deal, although Kiki denies it in her mind. It seems to arise from a lack of self-confidence, but it’s more extreme than most kids experience.

The actual story and characters are entertaining, especially since most of the characters are aware they only exist because of Kiki’s sketchbook. One character even questions what will happen if Kiki succeeds in defeating Mahishasura. The demon king says Kiki fears him because he’s a manifestation of herself. She needs to defeat her own mental demons to stop him. The plot includes fighting scenes, as Asura soldiers battle to stop Kiki. She draws a warrior named Ashwini, based on her great-grandmother’s sister, to lead the Crows, a band of rebel kids determined to defeat the demon king.

What didn’t work as well:

The author creates a fantasy world of mythical creatures and characters from Kiki’s mind, but establishing the setting takes a lot of time. The narrator and characters must explain how Kiki’s sketchbook creates the problem, they need to retell some of the folktale to explain what’s “really” happening, and they must share how timid, frightened, human Kiki can resolve the magical war. The pages of explanation feel like a narrator talking rather than a story and distract from the actual adventure.

The Final Verdict:

The battle to defeat your own mental demons. This book portrays a classic showdown between good and evil, set in Indian folklore. The climax is exciting and dramatic as Kiki discovers the strength within herself. Give this book a shot!