Title: The Star-Touched Queen
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Type: Fiction
Genre: Fantasy, YA, Romance, Mythology
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Date published: April 26, 2016
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 342
Source: Library

Summary: 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 unraveRoshani l an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself.

– My Review –

I’m so happy to have finally read this book! And I’m even happier that it wasn’t a disappointment! The Star-Touched Queen has been on my to-read list since very early last year, when I first sort of, re-discovered YA fiction. I started blogging around April of last year, and this book was released around that time too, so I saw it all over Instagram! The gorgeous cover caught my eye first, and when I realized that what the young woman on the cover is wearing looks like a sari, I was hooked. I think that saris are beautiful, and have always been fascinated by the culture and mythology from India. Therefore, I knew I wanted to read this book before I even got to reading the description!

Due to being busy, and deadlines with other book reviews, I was unable to get to The Star-Touched Queen until a few days ago. But I am lucky to finally have had time for it, and also at such a convenient time…since the companion novel A Crown of Wishes comes out tomorrow! (I received an ARC of the companion novel and am currently reading it, so expect a review for that book very soon as well!)

But now back to The Star-Touched Queen and how it in no way disappointed me! This book was so much fun to read. It was like a feast for my imagination, and I wish that I could go back and experience it for the first time all over again! Chokshi’s writing weaves a magical spell seemingly with no effort at all, pulling the reader in from the very first paragraph.

The ancient India in this book is a beautiful and perilous place, every corner either hiding the most beautiful sight or creature, the most dangerous creations, or sometimes a mix of both. The book’s pacing and narrative style was that of a mix between a folk tale and a mythological legend, while through the use of first-person narrative, avoiding the danger of the narrative voice becoming too distant from the readers. I don’t know about anyone else, but I always felt that the narrators telling folk tales, or mythological stories, always felt like they were not a part of the story they were telling, and also felt a little unapproachable for the reader or listener. This was not the case for me with The Star-Touched Queen, however! Maya, although possessing some very realistic and believable flaws, became a character whom I hold very dear. I felt close to her immediately, and throughout the story cared for her and what would happen to her. (If you’ve read some of my past reviews, you will know that I am not the greatest fan of first person narratives, but Chokshi just…did it right with this book!)

The other characters and creatures in The Star-Touched Queen were also quite memorable, and I will not be forgetting them any time soon. And nor will I forget the settings! Magic is skillfully woven throughout every word in this book, and I long to be placed under this spell again and again. I am happy to be able to read the second book by Roshani Chokshi before it is even available in stores, and she is definitely an author whom I will want to read more from, and will generally keep an eye on!

I highly recommend this book to lovers of fantasy, epic romances, and getting lost in mysterious world which hold both dangers and beauty…and which will stay with you long after you have read the last page.

– 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!