Rick Riordan Presents keeps blowing us away with their upcoming new stories. This week we get to share the epic cover art for Pahua and the Soul Stealer, a fantasy about a lonely Hmong girl who discovers she’s a powerful shaman warrior. On sale September 7, 2021, this gripping novel is by Lori M. Lee, author of the popular young adult fantasy series Shamanborn and Gates of Thread and Stone.

Rick’s praise for Lee’s hero makes us even more eager to read:  “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.”

See below for a synopsis and watch this space for more info about Pahua and the Soul Stealer!

Pahua Moua has a bit of a reputation for being a weirdo. A lonely eleven-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.