Get ready for an adventure! Ari Ara is the world’s pluckiest, nonviolence-wielding shero!

“… as magical as Tolkien and as authentic as Twain … this series should be read aloud to everyone, by everyone, from childhood onward.” – Dr. Tom Hastings, Director of Peace Voice

Going beyond dragon-slayers and sword-swingers, the Ari Ara Series blends fantasy and adventure with social justice issues in unstoppable stories that will make you cheer!

Ari Ara was a half-wild shepherdess running the black slopes of the High Mountains when the great warrior Shulen chooses her as his apprentice in the mysterious Way Between. Neither fight nor flight, this strange and extraordinary practice propels her into a world of warriors and nobles, orphans and conflicts. She challenges a bully and thwarts the rising threat of war. She stands up for justice and turns an entire city upside down. She rises up to restore women’s rights and sets off a movement that changes the entire culture. With courage and determination, Ari Ara races to master the Way Between before violence destroys everything she loves.

In an exciting blend of action, adventure, and fantasy, author Rivera Sun boldly takes the genre in a new direction. The Ari Ara Series combines the classic elements of epic myths – courage, daring, adventure – with the skills of conflict resolution, anti-bullying, peace and nonviolence. Ari Ara is a young shero with spunk and spark. This novel will claim a spot on your bookshelf and a place in your heart. It’s a book for both adults and children to enjoy!

“These books are changing lives and changing the world! If we want to build a culture of peace, we have to tell a new story. The old myths, epics, and legends rehash outdated war and violence narratives.  The exciting and groundbreaking Ari Ara Series changes all that! In Ari Ara’s world, heroes and sheroes stop wars and wage peace. They use active nonviolence to make powerful change.” – Author Rivera Sun

Ages: 8-98 years. (What ages are these books good for? Well, The Ari Ara series has won awards for middle-grade readers (ages 8-12) and has also been enjoyed by younger children when read with adults. But, judging from the letters and reviews we’ve received, older teens and adults of all ages also have a blast reading these books.)

Find the whole Ari Ara Series here.

The Way Between

The Lost Heir

Desert Song

The Crown of Light

The Adventures of Alaren

Praise for the Ari Ara Series

Featured in National Geographic Kids Magazine in “What Kids Are Reading” In Summer 2020:We asked, you answered: Kids are reading this summer. A lot. You told us that your children are flipping through books about friendship (the Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel), overcoming extreme barriers (Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington), and nonviolent fantasy (the Ari Ara series by Rivera Sun).

“Rivera Sun is an amazing author. The way she threads the principles of nonviolence into the fabric of her novels is a beautiful experience. It is an education that everyone in the world needs – now more than ever.” – Heart Phoenix, River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding

“In this book Rivera Sun pulls off an impressive feat, creating an original exciting story that deftly teaches ways to create a world that works for all.  Thank you, Rivera Sun, for another outstanding contribution to the field of nonviolence through this series!” – Kit Miller, Executive Director, M.K. Gandhi Institute

“During times when so many of us, especially the young, are still figuring out how to make this planet more just and livable, this book couldn’t have come at a better time.” – Patrick Hiller, War Prevention Initiative

“Five stars. It’s Harry Potter with a contemporary message.” – Gayle Morrow, retired Y/A Librarian

“Ms. Sun has created a world filled with all the adventure and fun of mystics, martial arts, and magic contained in The Hobbit, The Ring Trilogy, and the Harry Potter series but with deeper messages. There are not enough superlatives to describe this series!” – Brenda Duffy, Retired Teacher

“Rivera Sun has once again made the practice and methods of strategic nonviolence clearly accessible and understandable to both adults and youth in an entertaining and exciting story.” – Michael Colvin,  Oregon Fellowship of Reconciliation

“Rivera Sun deserves an international audience and I hope she gets it.” – Amber French, Editorial Advisor, International Center on Nonviolent Conflict

“Rivera Sun’s creativity, wisdom, insight and joyful nonviolent activism for all ages fills me with awe and hope. If we were all to read her books the way we have read Harry Potter’s, we would be well on our way to sending a different message to our children.” – Veronica Pelicaric, Pace e Bene/Campaign Nonviolence

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