Title: A Crown of Wishes
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Type: Fiction
Genre: Fantasy, YA, Romance, Mythology
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Date published: March 28, 2017
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 352
Source: Publisher

A physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

Summary: 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.

– My Review –

Due to having had the opportunity to read the sort of prequel to this book, The Star-Touched Queen, right before this companion novel, I had the chance to study and compare the two books side to side. If you have read my review for The Star-Touched Queen, you will know that I absolutely loved the tone, the story, and the writing! I was almost uncertain about reading A Crown of Wishes, just because the first book made me so happy, and I was worried about where the story was going to go, and what was going to happen to the characters and places I loved. But I had nothing to worry about.

Because this companion novel focused on characters other than the ones focused on in book 1, I was not entirely sure what to expect. The main characters of this book were mentioned in the first book, however, so I felt as if I knew them at least a little, which was a comforting thought for sure. And I did care for them, even though their parts in the first book were small, so I was happy to have a whole book dedicated to how their stories would play out.

A Crown of Wishes was also just as magical as The Star-Touched Queen, although in a slightly different sense. I was very happy to experience more of the magic from book 1, while also learning more about the mythology which I was introduced to in the previous book! I also found that Chokshi’s writing has “matured” in the sense that the descriptions are more clear than in the first book (which is not to say that the descriptions in book 1 were unclear, but there was definite improvement there). I also find that the storytelling style changed a little as well.

The romance, while also different from the one featured in The Star-Touched Queen, was also just as epic! And I won’t say anymore, in order to avoid spoilers! The rest of the plot was also quite fun to read, and held my attention all the way through. I also find that the twists and turns kept me on my towns, and also kept me from guessing what would happen next, which is always refreshing (for me). I know that I probably sound like a broken record when it comes to that, but it really is important to me that I do not guess most (or all, heavens forbid) of what happens in a book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I have been recommending it and The Star-Touched Queen to anyone who will listen, ever since I read both of the books! Chokshi is definitely an author that I will be keeping an eye on, impatiently awaiting the next book/books she will hopefully be writing!

– About the Author –

Roshani Chokshi is the New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen and the upcoming A CROWN OF WISHES, releasing March 28, 2017. Her work has appeared in Strange Horizons, Shimmer, and Book Smugglers. Her short story, “The Star Maiden,” was longlisted for the British Fantasy Science Award. You can visit her at www.roshanichokshi.com, on her Goodreads page, or send her a tweet on Twitter at @NotRashKnee!

– Purchase Links –

THANK YOU FOR READING MY REVIEW! HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK? WHAT DID YOU THINK? AND IF YOU HAVEN’T READ IT YET, DO YOU WANT TO, OR NOT? HOW COME? LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS!