ARC Review: A Crown of Wishes
(Star-Touched Queen #2) by Roshani Chokshi
A Crown of Wishes is the second book in the New York Times Bestselling series, The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Griffin Teen, and Netgalley for the advance reader copy and this in no way alters my review, all my opinions are mine. If you preorder A Crown of Wishes, be sure to fill out this form to receive a 100 page prequel novella, Death and Night, for free!
A Crown of Wishes (The Star-Touched Queen #2) by Roshani Chokshi
Category: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publication: March 28th, 2017; St. Martin’s Griffin
Purchase: Amazon
Gauri, the princess of Bharata, has been taken as a prisoner of war by her kingdom’s enemies. Faced with a future of exile and scorn, Gauri has nothing left to lose. Hope unexpectedly comes in the form of Vikram, the cunning prince of a neighboring land and her sworn enemy kingdom. Unsatisfied with becoming a mere puppet king, Vikram offers Gauri a chance to win back her kingdom in exchange for her battle prowess. Together, they’ll have to set aside their differences and team up to win the Tournament of Wishes—a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor.
Reaching the tournament is just the beginning. Once they arrive, danger takes on new shapes: poisonous courtesans and mischievous story birds, a feast of fears and twisted fairy revels.
Every which way they turn new trials will test their wit and strength. But what Gauri and Vikram will soon discover is that there’s nothing more dangerous than what they most desire.
Review:
[book rating=5/5]
You guys! THIS. THIS is the story I wanted.
I am not going to lie. I wasn’t a big fan of The Star-Touched Queen. I thought the writing was overly flowery. Beautiful, but just a little much. And, I ended up being bored by the story midway through.
However…
I had always been intrigued by the possibility of Gauri’s story. I wanted more about her since the debut book and even though I was stoked A Crown of Wishes was going to be her story, I was also hesitant considering Chokshi’s debut.
But, oh, the gloriousness of a followup! This was everything I had wanted and hoped for. The writing is stellar. Perfection. It’s beautiful, but not overly so as I felt in TSTQ. Gauri is a fierce female warrior; one who I felt I could identify with at times. And Vikram! What an outstanding complementary male character to a STRONG female one. He was not afraid of her reputation or lifestyle. He did all he could to strengthen and stand by her. Lift her up. She was stubborn, fighting against their attraction. He was trying to break down her walls. Their relationship progressed organically. The banter between them made me laugh often. Nothing felt forced. And, I definitely didn’t get the vibe of instalove. It took nearly the entire story for their feelings to be admitted. And even then, it wasn’t just “we are in love and HEA.” Reality set in. Their lives weren’t simple. And the tournament itself was INTENSE. The riddles, the creatures, everything about it was brilliantly thought out. I absolutely LOVED this side of the Otherworld!
Chokshi has cemented herself as a wonderful storyteller with A Crown of Wishes. If you struggled—as I did—with her debut, fear not. This book is outstanding in every way. You won’t regret picking it up. And, if you are one who loved TSTQ, get ready, because Gauri and Vikram’s Journey will blow you away.
