Lulu Sinagtala and the Battle for the Realms

Lulu Sinagtala and the Tagalog Gods #2

by Gail D. Villanueva

The second book in an action-packed middle grade fantasy duology by Gail D. Villanueva, steeped in Tagalog mythology and perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky.

Lulu should never have let Maligno get away. Corrupt souls are escaping the Underworld in droves, unrest is plaguing the Middleworld, and factions are pitting gods in the Upperworld against each other. Nothing Lulu, Bart, and Kitty can't handle, right?

Then Lulu finds outs that the Maligno intends to awaken the king of destruction, the primordial serpent god Ulilang Kaluluwa, in order to control the god's power with the Sacred Niyog of legend—a powerful and ancient magical artifact that has been broken in three and kept hidden by the Salamangkeros of the past. But the Maligno isn't the only one in search of the niyog. Bathala, the god of gods, wants to use it to vanguish Ulilang Kaluluwa once and for all in a battle that would destroy the universe.

To protect all three Realms, Lulu, Bart, and Kitty set off on a secret mission to find the three parts of the niyog before their enemies. But will they be able to keep the universe from falling into total chaos before it's ripped apart?

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Middle Grade, Fiction

352 pages, Hardcover

Published October 7, 2025

About the author

Gail D. Villanueva is a Filipino writer and graphic artist based in the Philippines. She is the author of the upcoming LULU SINAGTALA AND THE TAGALOG GODS series (HarperCollins, 2023) and SUGAR AND SPITE (Scholastic, 2021). Her debut novel, MY FATE ACCORDING TO THE BUTTERFLY (Scholastic, 2019), was named a Best Book of the Year by Kirkus Reviews, an Amazon Best Book of the Month Editor’s Pick, and a NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People. Gail was born in Manila but was raised in Quezon City. She and her husband currently live in Rizal where they run a web design company while constantly trying to keep up with the shenanigans of their many pets—dogs, ducks, turtles, cats, and random birds they befriend in the backyard. Learn more at www.gaildvillanueva.com.

Reviews

[Bozhena Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you HarperAudio Children’s and NetGalley for the advanced electronic audio review copy of this wonderful book. Same diverse characters, nonstop action and adventure continue in this fast paced read. I was so glad to revisit Lulu and get immersed into the Tagalog mythology again! Definitely recommend. If you like Aru Shah and Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky — this series is for you.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not the target audience for this book. I'm an adult and I like reading middle grade books so I can recommend them to kids who are looking for something different.

I really appreciate learning about a culture I don't know much about and the story itself, is an adventurous one where I wanted to find out what happened. That being said, even though there is a glossary in the book with definitions, there is so much terminology thrown about that I'm glossing over a lot of it because it's just not explained or only briefly mentioned. There are also quite a few characters that are hard to keep track of. I can't imagine a student being able to pick this series up and not being confused about a lot of what is going on.

I CAN see someone who is very familiar with the Filipino culture really enjoying it though. I also very much appreciate the disability representation that the main character has. Her epilepsy is just something she has, that she takes care of but doesn't define her or stop her from doing what she needs to do.

The ending, like book one, was fast and exciting and did wrap things up quite well.

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lulu, her sister and their friends are on a new quest one that might just save the universe from the god that wants to take it over with the god of destruction. This is a race that will make Lulu make the hard decisions not just about how to get the three pieces of a ancient artifact that will allow Lulu to save the universe, but the hard family questions and how much she is willing to lose.
This another lore and one from the Philippine’s. I love these stories of culture and mythology. I am glad that these have become a favorite among children trying to find themselves in books. This is a book that is about good vs evil but will evil finally triumph over good this one time? This book is full of action and suspense, there is a lot of heart as well as pure determination. The audio was magical and brought this story to life, the narrator was so good you might just forget you are not really there. This was a great book and an awesome story.

Review copy provided by Netgalley

[Earl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fans of Percy Jackson and Ar will enjoy this first book in a fantasy duology that might be their first introduction to Philippine mythology. Readers may find a lot in common with eleven-year-old Lulu Sinagtala who loves K-Pop and will do anything for her family. Suddenly, she learns there is much more to her world and herself that puts everything she ever knows in danger.

I did find some parts very inconsistent but I will definitely still read the next book.