5.0 out of 5 stars Great book

I.a.p.a.h. · 8 February 2024

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4.0 out of 5 stars Momo

M. · 10 April 2023

This is a magic story of fantasy for half human half goddess momo, an identity she realises she has when caring for her mum.There’s lots going on in this book, and our 8yr old has found it a bit full on, but is keen to see it through.Fantastic cover art, but very little in the way of imagery throughout the story.. imagination definitely required.

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed this read with my son

A. · 10 March 2023

"Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind" is an exciting and engaging book written by author Aya Ling. This is a fast-paced adventure story that follows the journey of a young girl named Momo as she embarks on a dangerous mission to steal the legendary Sword of the Wind.One of the standout features of this book is its well-developed characters. Momo is a strong and determined protagonist who readers will quickly become invested in. She is a skilled thief and is not afraid to take risks to accomplish her goals. The supporting characters are also well-developed and add depth and richness to the story.Another great feature of "Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind" is its world-building. The author does an excellent job of creating a vivid and imaginative world, filled with magic and adventure. The setting is inspired by Japanese mythology, and readers will enjoy exploring this fascinating world.The plot is fast-paced and filled with action and adventure, which makes it difficult to put the book down. The story is filled with twists and turns, and readers will never know what is going to happen next. This keeps the book exciting and engaging from beginning to end.Overall, "Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind" is a fantastic book that is sure to appeal to a wide range of readers. Its well-developed characters, vivid world-building, and exciting plot make it an enjoyable and engaging read. The book is perfect for fans of fantasy and adventure novels, and it is sure to leave readers wanting more.

5.0 out of 5 stars It’s very good

R. · 1 May 2023

My 11 year old daughter has read this book and some of it with me, it’s been a really good read. It’s almost like a dungeons and dragons kind of story where the innocent child who knows nothing of the secret world gets abruptly pulled into a magical and dangerous adventure to protect the gates from of the land of the dead from being taken by the baddies.I think it has been well written, we both liked how the characters were portrayed, there is some tongue in cheek humour and the pace is fast pretty much all the way through as they are swept along on the journey.My daughter found it easy to follow and to read, she read the whole book in just over a day, there aren’t many lulls in it to put it down. Good read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic read!

E. · 16 March 2023

It’s great to see more Asian representation in young adult fiction, and this book does a wonderful job of introducing readers to key aspects of Japanese mythology, such as the kami, spirits and gods in Shinto religion. The book is an easy read, very engaging and fast paced, and packed full of twists and turns! The lead character Momo is extremely relatable, and supporting characters are fleshed out too. Overall, it’s a fantastic read and perfect for anyone who loves fantasy and Japanese folklore. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

5.0 out of 5 stars Great adventure for tweens

H.R. · 25 March 2023

My 11 year old son really enjoyed reading this book.He said it had an exciting story and that the writing was good.The characters and storyline were great and he finished the book quite quickly, which is always a good sign.He's slightly above his reading age, but said it was quite easy to read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for teens!

S. · 3 April 2023

Our teen girl really enjoyed this book. She said it had a great story line and she really liked the characters.She actually read this before she picked up her switch after school, so a big win in our house!She has asked for more from this author too, so a big win for teens who like fantasy stories

Unexpected!

S.K. · 23 May 2025

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"𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀", get into this series ahah

A. · 11 July 2024

Amazing Japanese Mythology (detailed kami, legends, yokai) adventure. A talking fox named Niko. Being true to yourself and saving the world, a powerful relic. Sometimes bullied at school, sometimes the daughter of a Goddess. My favorite expression: 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀. A very cool kid learns she comes from a family of powerful gods and takes matters into her own hands.

9 year old granddaughter LOVES it!

B. · 12 April 2023

Bought this book for my "HP and Lightning Thief-loving" granddaughter, 9 years old, after reading other reader's reviews (thank you!). My granddaughter has loved "Aru Shah" and "The Marvellers" and "Amari" and "The Last Mapmaker," and Ellen Oh's Dragon Egg knocked her socks off recently, but she took one look at the cover and said "that one" and disappeared with it into the other room to read. Girl with a sword--hmmm. It struck me as a winner too.Her mother told me with a laugh today that her nose has been buried in that book for two days. As her grandmother, I often read a few pages to see what the writing is like-- fantasy? Check. Vivid mythology? Check, and Japanese mythology, too! An intense mother-daughter relationship, relevant; the hard mundane things in life, like "mean kids", perfect timing. She's still reading it, but it has the signs of a keeper, one of the ones she reads several times or reads separate books just about the mythology on the side.The chapter I quickly previewed before giving to her, caught me up unexpectedly, has good flow and substance and edge to it and I was pretty sure my granddaughter was going to like it. I love giving a child a beautiful hardcover book to hold in their hands-- an actual book that is not digital (of course from the library is great too), but an actual book, a beautiful object that fits in her hands, amulet to the other world. But you can't always tell if they're going to love it, which then makes the physicality of the actual book magical-- I don't quite understand why some stories blaze for a child and others ignite something but then don't stay lit, but I think this one has it.I predict she will call me in a few days and ask "do you know if there is a second one?" in the series. Anticipating that, I just looked up an interview with the author on wordpress that said the 2nd book is in "copyedits." Great. Its fun to have the whole series available because its been out for decades and its terribly exciting for her to long for the next one. When I was a kid, I don't recall having anything like that.Will the author be doing readings in the Bay Area? I'd love to bring my granddaughter to a book signing.It is an exciting time for a child to be reading in the 8-12 year old group and for there to be this tsunami of fantasy literature. weneeddiversebooks back in 2014'ish was such a turning point, and whatever the story is about all the "Rick Riordan Presents" books--- Wow! Kids are lucky!! To have their imaginations and minds seeded with the gorgeous imagery and mythology of many cultures when they are at that magical phase before adolescence. I wish I would have found this kind of book as a kid, but next best is the next generations having a chance for their minds to be expanded by more than greek mythology, which is also lovely but not the only story.

Good book

T.O. · 18 October 2023

My daughter liked it