Pahua and the Soul Stealer

By: Lori M. Lee

Narrated by: Samantha Tan

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Lori M. Lee's middle-grade debut about a lonely Hmong girl who discovers she's a powerful shaman warrior in this fantasy inspired by Southeast Asian mythology.

"I love the adventures Pahua has in this book. I also love the sense of humor, the clever plotting, and the fantastic cast of characters. But most of all I love Pahua: her courage, her kindness, and her love for family." (NYT best-selling author Rick Riordan)

Pahua Moua has a bit of a reputation for being a weirdo. A lonely 11-year-old Hmong girl with the unique ability to see spirits, she spends her summer days babysitting her little brother and playing with her best friend, a cat spirit no one else can see.

One day Pahua accidentally untethers an angry spirit from the haunted bridge in her neighborhood - whoops. When her brother suddenly falls sick and can't be awoken, Pahua fears that the bridge spirit has stolen his soul. She returns to the scene of the crime with her aunt's old shaman tools, hoping to confront the spirit and demand her brother's return. Instead, she summons a demon.

Thankfully, a warrior shaman with a bit of an attitude problem shows up at the last minute and saves her butt. With the help of this guide, Pahua will have to find her way through the spirit worlds and rescue her brother's soul before it's too late. Little does she know she'll have her own discoveries to make along the way....

With its unforgettable characters, unique nature-based magic system, breathtaking twists and reveals, and climactic boss battle, this story based on Hmong oral tradition offers everything a fantasy lover could want. Complete your middle-grade fantasy collection with these best-selling fan favorites: Rick Riordan Presents Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi; Rick Riordan Presents Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee Rick; Riordan Presents The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim; The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan.

©2021 Lori M. Lee (P)2021 Rick Riordan Presents

Beautiful story!!

A beautiful, heartening story about a girl who finds her power against the odds. Naration is brilliant too!!

exciting read

Good use of fluctuations in the reader's voice. Great book to reread over and over again. Recommended for all ages. can't wait to listen to the second book in the series.

Amazing!!

This book is AMAZING!! This is the very first book I ever read about Hmong and I too am Hmong myself and I know I had to get it!! I had the book itself but wasn’t able to have time to read due to work but THANK GOD there’s a audible that I can listen to while being at work!! 100% RECOMMEND!!! 💕

Good adventure and interesting mythology.

I always like these types of stories with a different point of view and different mythologies. Makes for an entertaining and original story. Definitely worth a listen/read!

Surprisingly good listen

So interesting learning about Hmong folklore and about the journey of Hmong shamans into the other realm. Some pretty creepy stuff too.

The narrator was good except for the pronunciation of the Hmong words and names. It was a little confusing and sometimes sounded forced. But overall, I enjoyed the story and look forward to seeing if this will become a series.

I think it would make a great movie if it had a nice production budget!