[Review] A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi (The Star-Touched Queen #2)

A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi

Series: The Star-Touched Queen #2

Rating: 4 stars

Published: March 6th 2018

Goodreads Synopsis:

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.

After the confusion that was The Gilded Wolves, a series separate from The Star-Touched Queen, I wasn't sure what to expect with A Crown of Wishes, but I'm so happy that I returned to this magical world.

I've read 3 of Roshani Chokshi's books, and I can say her writing shines when romance is the primary fixation of the story. I think I enjoyed A Crown of Wishes just as much as I did the first book in this series. This time, we focus on Maya's sister Gauri, who is captured by neighboring kingdom Ujijain. To save Bharata and her best friend, she teams up with the Fox Prince Vikram, in a mystical Tournament of Wishes, where nothing is as it seems.

[Review] The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi 

Series: The Star-Touched Queen #1

Rating: 4.5 stars

Version: HC

Release Date: April 26th 2016

Goodreads Synopsis:

Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you’re only seventeen?
Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of death and destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire…
But Akaran has its own secrets—thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself.

This book was phenomenal. It was beautifully written, with romance that parallels Renee Ahdieh's The Wrath and the Dawn. And, an Indian Hades and Persephone story? Definitely up my alley!

Maya is a princess of Bharata who carries a horoscope of death since her birth. Because of this, the palace staff and the harem is wary of her, save her sister Guari and her father, the Raja. As Bharata is at war with several other kingdoms, and Maya is the only unmarried daughter of proper age left, she is turned into a bargaining chip to secure her kingdom's safety and freedom. But Maya, forever a headstrong girl, has other ideas. However, her ideas didn't involve a mysterious prince in a kingdom known as Akaran, and now Maya is left to figure out her origin and her true identity, as well as save the one she loves most.