Batu and the Search for the Golden Cup

By: Zira Nauryzbai, Lilya Kalaus, Shelley Fairweather-Vega - translator

Narrated by: David Aranovich

A warrior’s power lies not in his weapons but in his heart.

Batu is just an ordinary kid in present-day Almaty, worried about bullies, school, and his mom’s new baby…until the day he meets Aspara, the Golden Warrior. Aspara steps straight out of Batu’s notebook cover—and out of Kazakhstan’s past. Aspara has been waiting hundreds of years to be summoned to the human world and to finally get his chance to search for the Golden Cup, a magical talisman sent down from the heavens. When the Golden Cup was lost, Aspara watched as many of his friends and family were killed or disappeared.

Craving adventure and a sense of purpose, Batu sets out with Aspara and his own friends to find the Golden Cup, plunging them into an adventure through a world where myths come alive. But there are others looking for the Cup, and they’ll do anything to make sure the kids fail. Will Batu and his friends make it out alive (and make it home in time for dinner)?

©2014, 2023 Zira Naurzbayeva and Lilya Kalaus. (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Translation © 2023 by Shelley Fairweather-Vega.

Critic reviews

“Culturally significant details—including sensorial descriptions of the smell of dishes such as bauyrsaq and shelpek, and the intricate patterns of traditional Kazakh rugs—ground the characters’ journey in Batu’s present, even as the narrative swiftly shifts between contemporary action and scenes from Aspara’s past. Fans of fantasy adventures such as the Pandava series and Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond will enjoy the easy-to-root-for characters and familiar tropes that populate this action-packed tale.”—Publishers Weekly

“A promising series opener that journeys into a thrilling world.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Middle-schoolers are bound to be entertained while being introduced to Kazakhstan history and culture.”—Midwest Book Review