Need a refresher on all things Pahua before the release of Pahua and the Dragon’s Secret? Have no fear—we’ve got you covered.

Pahua and the Soul Stealer by Lori M. Lee tells the story of Pahua Moua, an eleven-year-old Hmong American girl who sets out on a quest to rescue her brother’s soul from the spirit world. Along the way, Pahua encounters ancient gods, fantastical landscapes, and evil spirits called poj ntxoog, and she discovers a hidden destiny that she doesn’t fully comprehend. Through all this she’s accompanied by her best friend, a mischievous, invisible, talking spirit kitten named Miv, and a young, no-nonsense shaman warrior named Zhong.

But that’s only scratching the surface of what Pahua and the Soul Stealer is really about. Join us as we take you through this completely modern journey inspired by Hmong mythology.

Spirits, Spirits, Everywhere

What would you do if you woke up one day with the ability to see spirits? And not only human ghosts, but also nature spirits, and the beings who guard the inanimate objects around the house. Would you . .

a) Confront your parents and ask if there are any shamans in your extended family tree
b) Check yourself into the nearest psychiatric hospital
c) Write a best-selling memoir
d) Keep it to yourself and hope for the best

Pahua is the type of person who would answer with “d.” As the only Hmong girl at her school, she already feels like an outcast. Imagine what people would say if they knew she could casually chat with the mushroom spirits on the playground. Even her younger brother, Matt, is starting to think it’s strange that Pahua still sometimes talks about her “imaginary cat friend” Miv as if he’s real.

But if her brother and mother knew the truth about Pahua’s abilities, they would undoubtedly be grateful that she almost exclusively interacts with spirits inside the apartment. Because, as anyone familiar with the spirit world will tell you, you should never speak to human spirits outside of a shamanic ritual.

Even if they look like they’re in desperate need of help . . .

Building Bridges

While wandering in the woods behind the school one day, Pahua encounters a bridge spirit she simply can’t ignore. A young girl, no older than Pahua’s little brother, crying her eyes out. Most human ghosts come across as bitter and angry. When you meet one so clearly overcome with despair, what’s the harm in extending a helping hand?

The good news? Pahua learns a valuable lesson about falling for the classic Oh, woe is me! I’m just an innocent child! routine that this particular bridge spirit pulls. The bad news? She learns that lesson in the worst way imaginable.

Before Pahua can fully grasp the chaos she unleashed by talking to the bridge spirit, the young ghost girl steals the soul of her brother, Matt. To rescue him, Pahua has no choice but to cross over to the Spirit Realm. She gathers her estranged aunt’s leftover shamanic tools from the apartment and, with Miv on her shoulder, prepares for the most dangerous journey of her life.

But to safely traverse the Crossroads (the intersection of nine paths that lead to almost anywhere in the six realms, duh), Pahua needs someone a bit more familiar with the subject of evil spirits . . .

Did I Ax?

Thankfully, it doesn’t take long for Pahua and Miv to run into an honest-to-gods shaman warrior. And by run into, what we really mean is get rescued from the clutches of a demon.

The only issue is that the shaman warrior in question is another pre-teen Hmong girl. But what Zhong lacks in age and experience she more than makes up for with her battle prowess, determination, and fiery attitude. Oh, and her skills with a crossbow.

As a student at the School for Shamanic Arts and Spiritual Mastery, Zhong has been assigned to investigate the case of the malevolent bridge spirit. With their goals aligned, Pahua and Zhong agree to journey to the Spirit Realm together, even if Miv doesn’t quite trust Zhong . . . and vice versa. (According to Zhong, he doesn’t seem like a normal cat spirit . . .)

With the stakes so high, Pahua isn’t content to sit on the sidelines while Zhong does all the heavy lifting. As a lonely outcast, Pahua often retreats into her imagination and pretends that she’s a secret hero destined for something greater than a mundane life in Merdel, Wisconsin. The quest to save her brother is Pahua’s chance to prove whether she has what it takes to live up to the fantasies in her mind, and perhaps even face the inner hidden pain that she’s kept locked away for years.

But you can’t fight demons, literal or otherwise, with just your bare hands. Pahua is going to need something to even the odds against demons as fearsome as the poj ntxoog. To keep up with Zhong, Pahua will need a signature weapon to call her own.

And hey, who left this celestial lightning ax just lying around?

Bringing the Thunder

Once upon a time, there lived a powerful Hmong shaman named Shee Yee, the grandson of Ntuj, the Hmong god of creation. Shee Yee’s heroic exploits have become the stuff of legend. Especially his final defeat of the renegade thunder god Xov, aka the father of the world’s first demons.

How is it that small, skinny Pahua suddenly finds herself capable of wielding the same lightning ax that Shee Yee used to battle Xov all those centuries ago? Could it have anything to do with her seemingly preternatural ability to combat demons despite her lack of shamanistic training (much to Zhong’s eternal chagrin)?

Well, we’d hate to ruin the surprise. The answers to these questions and more lie within the pages of Pahua and The Soul Stealer.

But Pahua’s journey doesn’t end there. No, her greater destiny is only beginning to unfold. Once you’ve finished Book One, be sure to pick up your copy of Pahua and the Dragon’s Secret, on sale 9/10!