[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.


The story alternates between Gauri's first-person narrative and Vikram's third-person, and while this was a bit jarring at first, this was a great opportunity for me to enjoy the characters separately and together. Together, Vikram and Gauri complete each other - he is the cunning to her fiery, selfless nature. And when they grow closer, we learn about the secrets that they hold dear to their hearts.

Gauri's stubbornness, her willpower, shines through in her chapters, and they were a pleasure to read.

I wanted intelligence, so I faked whimpering nightmares. I'd practiced a limp. I'd let them think that my reputation was nothing more than rumor. I'd even let one of them touch my hair and tell me that perhaps he could be convinced to get me better food. I'm still proud that I sobbed instead of ripping out his throat with my teeth. It was worth it. People have a tendency to want to comfort small, broken-looking things.

Plot wise, I was enraptured by Alaka and the mysteries of the tournament! I wanted more of Aasha - wanted to see her character develop on the page (she appeared to gain consciousness of her own desires away from the page); I wanted more of Kubera, Kauveri, the Serpent King, etc. I was immersed in all the action, as Vikram and Gauri completed their tasks, but I also wanted more of the world itself. We flit from scene to scene, never fully grounding ourselves permanently in one part of Alaka. Perhaps this is the intention?

Anyhow, it was an adorable love story.