Aru Shah and the City of Gold

Just be your own favorite person and then no one else's opinion really matters.

I hereby declare you an official…Potato.

When all other kinds of payment fail, never forget that a drop of kindness has far more weight more than gold.

True, but it never hurts to understand a place a little better. That’s why words are so important. They’re like a soul and a story all in one.

I know you’re clever, but do you really think you’re going to outsmart the ocean?

I don’t want it to be fine. Fine comes from the Latin finis, which means end. This feels a lot more like a beginning.

Someone once told me that just because you can’t have the life you wanted, you shouldn’t give up and fade out of existence. That’s how we become living ghosts—by never moving on.

I was angry for a long time. But my anger did nothing but cause another’s pain. Remember my story before you rush into war. If you fight with poison in your heart, you will lose sight of what it is you are fighting for.

You know that book of poems I’m always carrying around? [...] In one of her poems, she calls hope the ‘thing with feathers,’ and I always think about that…. Maybe when we hope for something, the hope flies off to find whatever it is we’re thinking about…and then it brings it back to us. And when there’s nothing else we can do, at least we can hope.

Brynne Tvarika Lakshmi Balamuralikrishna Rao was a lot of things. She was an amazing cook, and a fierce wrestler. She had an awful temper and once tried to crack a cinder block just by barreling into it headfirst. Granted, she got knocked out for an hour, but the cinder block definitely had a line through it, so that was pretty much a win. Brynne was even fairly decent at playing the harp, though she hated admitting that her uncles, Gunky and Funky, had signed her up for lessons on that instrument. But if there was one thing she was known for, it was never giving up. She absolutely, flat-out refused.

May your journey be bright but not blinding.

Sometimes the best way to win is to walk away.

Next, a six-foot-tall revolving rack of personalized keychains shot out of the ground less than a foot away from Aru. She glared at it. “I’ve been wronged by you before,” she muttered. “Who are you talking to, Shah?” asked Aiden. “No one,” said Aru quickly.

If you seek revenge, you should dig two graves.

All right, Potatoes,” said Aru, “time to make like a banana and—” Aiden’s face darkened. “Aru, don’t you dare—” “SPLIT!” cackled Aru.

The moment someone knows what you want, it becomes a weapon in their hands.

If you must fight someday, allow me to advise you about one thing: do not fight in anger.

Brynne was changing, too. Her eyes looked ocean-tinted. In a matter of seconds, she blurred through a dozen menacing shapes—a growling panther, an azure bear, a sharp-clawed wolverine, and even a massive saltwater crocodile. Crocodile-Brynne snapped, and a cold wind blew around them. “Uh, what’s going on with you guys?” asked Aiden. “Is it puberty?” whispered Rudy nervously. Aiden swatted him.

Aru never thought she’d think this way, but she’d had her fill of gold and jewels. She’d seen enough of both to last several lifetimes, and in the end, neither compared to the rare treasure in her hand. A golden army might be precious, but a second chance with someone she loved? That was priceless.

Look. We’ve never met! I know my mailbox better than you.

Our souls can easily turn rancid when bitterness and ugly words are left to fester in our hearts, making us act in ways both foolish and tragic.

If you fight with poison in your heart, you will lose sight of what it is you are fighting for.

What we know of the world are blips and fragments. The only people who can truly speak of history are ghosts.

You did that thing again where your inside voice became your outside voice, Mini pointed out unhelpfully. “Nothing! I’m still…What’s the word—?” “Failing?” suggested Brynne. I hate you, thought Aru. Brynne grinned.

I always thought the mirror was a strange gift. Would it not have been better to give me something useful, like silks…or valuable, like jewels? But I think my husband always suspected that he would meet a violent end and leave me to face the world alone. He told me that should there ever come a time when I needed answers, I would find them in this. I tried looking into it a few times, but whenever I saw my reflection, I was reminded of who was no longer standing beside me. It’s a lonely thing…to truly behold yourself.

I'm not giving up," said Aru, closing her eyes. "I'm letting go.

No one had ever told her that heartbreak was a quiet unraveling inside, and so vast a feeling it was impossible to breathe through.

Just because you can't have the life you wanted, you shouldn't give up and fade out of existence. That's how we become living ghosts-by never moving on.

See that?” Rudy talked over her, puffing out his chest a bit. “I’m officially on guard duty, which proves that my family thinks I deserved an upgrade in responsibility. I mean, even I lost count of how many times I saved your lives on the last quest. My parents are calling me by my full title now: Prince Rudra of Naga-Loka, Heir of the Jewel-Strewn Seas. And I even have facial hair.” Rudy angled his face up and Aru saw a single sad hair beneath his nose. “Last time I saw you, your mom called you ‘Baby Snekky-Snake’ and carried you into a fountain,” said Mini with a little edge to her voice. Aru snickered. “Also, that is a hair,” said Aiden. That’s because I had to shave the rest! It was getting unruly!” Rudy scowled. “And my mom was using my DJ name then….” “DJ Baby Snekky-Snake?” asked Aiden. “The music industry is crowded—I need to distinguish myself,” grumbled Rudy.