Name: A Crown of Wishes
ISBN: 9781250100214

Roshani Chokshi

From the author of The Star-Touched Queen comes a beautiful lush fantasy, Roshani Chokshi's A Crown of Wishes. 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.

A Crown of Wishes

Once freed from my belly, the laugh warmed my bones. Maybe that's why the best laughs tend to break free on the edge of lightness horror. Only then can they give wings to a drooping spirit. I needed that.

Maybe the world would break for him because he believed it would.

Vikram held himself as if the world had whittled this moment for him alone and he was not simply going to live it, but rule it. He was so sure of everything that it made me envious.

My voice was one of the only things I could control-- when to unleash it, when to tamp it down like a burning ember, when to grow it in secret.

All my life, control and power had worn the same face. 

I believed in gods, but the only faith I practiced was control. Nothing in excess. Nothing that placed my life in the hands of another. And yet for the second time, I was considering giving myself wholly to a magic I could neither wield nor know.

"Will you follow me from one world to the next or not?"

If Roshani Chokshi's writing isn't the epitome of "men written by women>>>>>>>>" I have no answer for what is.

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.

Courtney

Even though I didn’t find it as rich as its predecessor, I still give it 5 stars for being well written with characters that I fell in love with and an unpredictably exciting plot! It was a beautiful conclusion to the duology! I’d even love to see a spinoff story about a certain vishakanya! Jus sayin!

Gillian Rose

Oh yes, this was a huge improvement over The Star-Touched Queen. While it also was confusing at times, its strength was in the characters of Gauri and Vikram and their blossoming romance. I couldn't get enough of their banter and how they grew into themselves throughout the tournament.

dija

I LOVE THIS DNDJSJSNNDDHJSSJ 

RTC when i collect my emotions

Contains an extended excerpt from The Gilded Wolves. From the author of The Star-Touched Queen comes a beautiful lush fantasy, Roshani Chokshi's A Crown of Wishes. 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.

Jillian Clare

Really, really happy with A Crown of Wishes, and I am so blown away by Roshani Chokshi's consistently fantastic writing. Definitely one of my favorite recent reads! I have a lot of say about this one, so a full review is on the way!

Laura

"What was magic anyway, but the world beheld by someone who chose to see it differently?"
#1: The Star-Touched Queen ★★★★☆
#2: A Crown of Wishes ★★★★★

Amanda Rocha

https://thewandererliteraryjournal.wo...

The sequel to Roshani Chokshi’s debut novel The Star-Touched Queen remains equally adventurous as the first, transporting the reader to the far-away otherworldly lands of Bharata & Ujijain, Alaka and beyond, this time following Mayavati’s younger sister Gauri on her own journey of self-reflection and self-discovery. Filled with adventure, politics, friendships, sisterhood, romance, illusion, transformation, sacrifices, trials and tribulations, A Crown of Wishes weaves an otherworldly story, carried on the wings of birds with feathers of glittering gold.

In A Crown of Wishes we find Gauri, the legendary warrior princess of Bharata, exiled and imprisoned in Ujijain at her brother Skanda’s command. Scorned by her people for the lies Skanda has spread, Gauri faces execution in Ujijain. But Vikram, the cunning ‘Fox Prince’ of Ujijain, sees her potential and offers Gauri a chance at redemption. Together, they enter the Tournament of Wishes with hopes of winning a wish from The Lord of Treasures that would secure them their greatest desires.

In contrast to Maya’s simple soul, Gauri stands strong and independent, cunningly intelligent though unwise and impatient. Gauri confuses the idea of power with control as simply as she confuses aggression for strength. So often Gauri relies on weapons to fight that she is unable to see the strength in peaceful confrontation. She says, “being a solider was the only way that I could keep safe the people I loved” (13), having developed warfare as her own defense mechanism.

“But sometimes weakness wore the face of strength, and sometimes strength wore the face of weakness.” (335)

The theme of control heavily influences the direction of this second novel. Gauri’s power-hungry brother Skanda directly represents the controlling patriarchy. The theme of male control can be traced throughout book, highlighting some of the ways that men assume a certain ‘power’ over women. Women are characterized as “easily traded and replaced” (56), suggesting an interchangeability of women. Telling someone they are replaceable can be equated to telling them they are valueless, and by removing their sense of worth Skanda removes their sense of self. “To so many men in Bharata, your body wasn't yours” (82). Removing a persons personal freedoms and preventing someone from making their own life decisions is a very real form of control that has basis in our world. By illuminating the injustices that men force upon women through literature, Chokshi makes a powerful statement about patriarchal control. Gauri’s story also encourages self-control, sharing with readers the value of taking charge of your actions and responsibility for your own decisions. Similarly, Aasha’s character represents a successful break from allowing herself to be controlled to gaining the power to control her own destiny: “it meant we weren’t walking a cut path. We carved it into existence with every step” (177).



Makeup is mentioned much in the novel, often considered as a weapon. For Gauri and the harem mothers (as well as women in the real world) makeup is our great mask, capable of covering the self up, to hide, to protect and defend the self. Gauri herself connects need for her mask of defense to her reality: “blood red lips for the blood I wouldn’t shed and night-dark kohl for the secrecy I had gathered” (14). And though Gauri recognizes the dangerous advantages of wearing a mask (“if the powder got in your eyes, the grit would make you weep and temporarily rob you of sight.” (14)) on her journey she must realize the same painful downfalls of that mask in order to fully understand both sides of it.

“This is how we protect ourselves, beti. Whatever insults or hurts are thrown at our face, these are our barriers.” (13)

Gauri says, “fighting was the last connection I had to Maya” (306). “The necklace was a reminder to live for myself the way Maya had. But it was also a reminder of loss. Every time I looked at the pendent, I remembered not to place faith in things I couldn’t control.” (16). “I wouldn’t place my life at the mercy of magic (34)”.

Gauri’s journey challenges her, forcing her to reassess her ability to trust others, to believe (in magic), and allow herself to give up control. She shifts from beginning un-trusting at the start to a believer in magic and love. Vikram helps Gauri to understand her weaknesses and challenges her to change for the better. He tells her, “we could use magic. But you would rather close your eyes to all that” (44), comparing light to understanding and knowledge while Gauri’s closed, unseeing eyes are symbolically blinded by hate. Vikram makes Gauri open her eyes and see the possibilities that come with faith, always reminding us that “magic is a test of faith” (104).

At the threshold of strength and bravery stood hope.” (303)

Gauri also must learn to love. “I wouldnt let myself care. I’d learned that lesson young.” (16). Chokshi applies the language of flowers to impart meaning, using roses as an analogy for love. In chapter two we learn of Gauri’s heartbreak: how she “used to grow roses” (19) in her room as a way of collecting her memories and victories; of the betrayal that destroyed Gauri’s hopes (“burning roses”); and how she ultimately “turned my back on the roses”, leaving Bharata and those she loved.

“Showing strength wasn’t always about physical valor or even cunning. True strength sometimes demanded unstitching everything you knew.” (261)

Along their path to Alaka, Gauri matures her strong, impatient aggression into calculated self control and transforms her tendency to fight into a patient understanding of real power. She faces temptation, realizing that desire is “all demon in its soul. So gilded in its form” (63) that “desire is a poisonous thing” (146). She also must learn to discern illusion from reality in order to pass through the Grotto and the Crossroads. But the journey to the tournament was only half of the battle.

“Our enemies stare at us from the mirror. The quest for power and treasure is a solitary one. Who else is the true enemy in such a quest but ourselves?” (140)

Gauri and Vikram must be challenged by facing their fears in order to grow. Both take heroes journeys in order to grow within themselves in order to be the ruler their kingdoms need. In order to do this they must gain what they lack. Serendipitously, each possesses what the other needs so that they can help each other in their search for strength. Gauri needs strength of heart and mind, and the ability to think before acting. She must learn that power is not synonymous with control. In contrast, Vikram needs to learn physical strength and must hone his ability to act on his thoughts. While Gauri admits that “magic had forced me outside myself” (168), Vikram conversely understands that “Alaka had forced him to look in. Not out” (300).

“His fears were his own … He’d spun them out from himself. He’d forged them from every hurt and every fury. Fear was a reminder that even the insubstantial could kill. But insubstantial meant it had no shape. It couldn't be conquered or tamed or avoided. Only moved through, with force and will.” (257)

They must come face to face with their fears to understand their desires and earn their wish: “What is more frightening than our deepest darkest selves?” (73).

“The eternal is not solely a fight through desire. It is a fight through fear.” (234)



At the Tournament of Wishes, they must face two obstacles and make on sacrifice. Ultimately, both sacrifice that which was hindering them -Vikram loses the pain of him past/memories which allows him to move forward/forgive self. Gauri loses her dominant hand (replaced by glass which refuses to weild a weapon) parallel to her lost “sense of control” (307) forcing Gauri to use her wit as a weapon, allowing her to develop her warfare techniques and making her a better, wiser fighter. “Strength is not…” “Its not about fighting. It’s about seeing, (81)”

“Past and present. Alaka had cut my life in half. When I looked forward, the hand that had been my horror became my hope: transparency.” (333)

Image result for the star touched queen quotesMaya’s lessons were not Gauri’s lessons; while Maya needed to learn patient decision making, Gauri needed to learn to love. The glass hand draws a parallel between the control that Gauri had to sacrifice in order to understand true power while the release of Vikrams guilt directly parallels the pain he needed to let go in order to move forward into forgiveness. A Crown of Wishes tells a classic tale of opposites attracting lovers who have what the other lacks. Guari and Vikram represent and ideal relationship of opposites, demonstrating how two very different people can complete each other and help each other to grow.

“Sometimes the greatest power comes not from that which we do, but that which we do not.” (308)

Light can be read as a reference to understanding throughout the novel. The unknown can be seen as a “blocking out the light” (28) whereas when they discover things about the other they move into the light. When Gauri gains self understanding “I felt that wish like a line of light” (79). When Gauri shows her true colors to Vikram and again when she reveals her secrets she appears to him as “made of light” (53). “Those secrets had coaxed a shadowed part of us to step into the light” (123).

“How many times have answers been so simple and yet someone is determined to take the path of thorns instead of roses?” (105)

Mayas journey wove a tapestry; Gauri’s tells a story. “A story is control” (333); A story “was the key to immortality” (267). (“We are all only standing on the shoulders of giants”).

“The key to immortality is in creating a story that will outlive you (145)”.

As beautifully written as the first novel, A Crown Of Wishes keeps readers enchanted by mystery, magic, lore and love from beginning to end. Bathed in the imagery of golden honey palaces and spoken in riddles and symbols, A Crown Of Wishes will leave readers with “hungry hearts” and open minds.

Emi Gilmore 

“What was magic anyway, but the world beheld by someone who chose to see it differently?” 
  
 2.25/5 stars 
 
Biggest lie of 2017  so far :  "Hey Emi, read this book. It's as beautiful as its cover." 

 To the person who told me this, and you know who you are, I don't know if I can ever possibly forgive you. Please send me pictures of Harry Styles and I might reconsider. 
 
What's with me reading all these disappointing books lately? It needs to stop please. I don't have time for this.
 
It was actually  painful  for me to read this. So painful, in fact, I'm considering checking myself into the hospital bc my entire being hurts so much. And it wasn't that this book was bad, on the contrary, the writing and plot were quite good, but I just felt so utterly unattached to everything that I just didn't care. In the end, Guari and Vikram could have been struck by a giant meteor and been replaced with dancing ostriches and I still wouldn't have given two shits. I was so close to DNFing this, I am actually shocked that I pushed through till the end.
 
  
 
I think my first sign that I was going to hate this books was when, in the first few chapters, we are just thrown into two character's lives and expected to know exactly what is going on with them. Spoiler alert: I still have no effing idea what is going on with them. There was no detailed explanation about the events that had transpired before the beginning of this book. Perhaps it was explained in  The Star-Touched Queen  but that book was such a trainwreck as well, that I don't really remember anything that happened within it. 
 
The book begins with Gauri, a princess of some country that I couldn't care less about, jailed and waiting for execution in some different foreign country, but why exactly? I know it was explained why, but I don't know whether that explanation was just really weak or I just so #done with this book that I just skimmed over the entire thing. All I could figure out is she's in jail and that's about it. 
 
Then we have Vikram, a prince-who's-not-a-prince, who is suppose to execute Gauri, but instead decides that she'll be a great edition to his superhero team  (sorry that's a lie: it's not actually a superhero team. This book isn't that cool.)  and recruits her to go to some magical land of magic to compete in  Caraval  The Tournament of Wishes together. Because why wouldn't you want some potentially dangerous princess as a teammate? Makes excellent sense to me. And why was Vikram a prince, but not a prince? I'm not actually sure. It was something about his mother being crushed by rocks and the king, very graciously, adopting him. The details are still really hazy to me right now. 
 
Those are pretty much the only two characters I know. Other than that, anyone else who showed up all seemed to blend together into one, boring, side character. I was pretty much like:
 
  
 
Also what the eff is The Tournament of Wishes? I just read almost four hundred pages about it and I still don't understand what it is. But let's be real here. By page 25 I literally had no idea what the hell was going on. 
 
(view spoiler)[ If someone came up to me right now, while I'm still fresh off of reading this book, and offered me a million dollars if I can name what Gauri and Vikram did to win the Tournament of Wishes I don't think I can answer them? I don't even think I could conjure up some elaborate lie.  (hide spoiler)]
 
The book is told from different perspectives, mainly between Gauri and Vikram. Which I'm usually cool with. Practically every book nowadays is told between a thousand points of view. But what I wasn't very cool with was the fact that Gauri's chapters were in first person, while Vikram's were in third. Just thinking about this is making me mad. I like my books to be consistent, thank you very much. Please choose a point of view and stick with it. 
 

 
Then some of the things I do remember happening in this book are just sooo weird. Gauri walks around for like 50 pages with an apple stuck to her hand. Also they eat their fears? Whatever the hell that means. That's all I remember, tbh, I'm surprised how much I have already forgotten about this book. I think my brain is already trying to permanently erase it from memory. Which, I don't blame it. There are other books that deserve that space. 
 
I literally wasted so much time reading this book, I think I actually lost ten years of my life instead of ten days. I feel so old and wrinkly. Has my hair gone thin and grey? I feel like it has. 
 
There are quite a few good reviews praising this book, saying it is quite the step-up from TSTQ. I can kind of understand where those people are coming from. The writing, and cover, are both so gorgeous. However, sometimes I found the writing to be almost annoying. There was an entire chapter about birds with different wings and I will never understand the point of it. This just wasn’t for me. I hated the execution of the plot and the characters too much to even try to like this. Honestly, I think I prefer TSTQ a lot more than this one. At least I knew what was going on in that book. And I can pass of what I didn't like from it as it being a debut. This book though, there's not excuse that I can muster to try to defend it. 
 
I’m not saying you shouldn’t read this book, you will probably like it tbh as my opinion seems to be an unpopular one, but if you are hesitant about picking it up then I’d say bypass it. There are much better fantasies out there.

Laura Kehoe

Originally published on The Book Unicorn

OH MY GOOOOSSSSHHHH!!!!! Excuse me while my heart melts into a puddle of happiness. This was an absolutely beautiful story and I honestly can't stop smiling. If you enjoyed the Star-Touched Queen, you NEED to read A Crown of Wishes! And if you haven't read the first book, what are you doing with your life? You're seriously missing out. I'm just so excited for everyone to have the chance to read this beauty when it hits the shelves.

A Crown of Wishes centers around Gauri and Vikram, who must work together to compete in a game put on by the God of Wishes himself. I loved reading about their travels to the tournament and then the games themselves. It was so magical and delightful. Roshani Chokshi does a wonderful job incorporating mythology into the book, creating a dark, but beautiful world that ensnares the imagination. I felt like I was reading a fairy tale and I loved every minute of it. 

Gauri is seriously one of my favorite characters ever. I'm so glad we had this book to really get to know her. In The Star-Touched Queen we got a glimpse at her, but in a Crown of Wishes we have the chance to delve deep into her character. And she's so fantastic. But honestly, I loved pretty much ever character in this book, mortal and immortal. They were all so well-developed and real. It was so easy to fall in love with them. 

And the writing. Don't even get me started on the writing. The words just flow off the page. I feel like I'm using the word beautiful a lot, but honestly that's the word that comes to mind immediately whenever I think about A Crown of Wishes. The writing is beautiful, the world is beautiful, the story is beautiful...everything is just beautiful. 

So basically, you all are going to be in for a treat when this book comes out. If you haven't already guessed, I would highly recommend A Crown of Wishes to everyone. I can't wait to see what Chokshi comes up with next! 

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Sheila Goicea

I had a difficult time figuring out how I wanted to rate this book. Overall, I enjoyed it. But in the first half, there were times when the story reminded me too much of  Caraval, mixed with Chokshi's short story  The Vishakanya's Choice. I was not a fan of  Caraval, and felt like  A Crown of Wishes became off-track at times in order to follow its style of magical nonsense, at times. Frankly, it left a bad taste in my mouth. Unfortunately, The second half of the story just wasn't enough to mask it's lingering bitterness. 

Two major themes exist throughout  A Crown of Wishes: the power of story...

  
    I'd almost forgotten the true power of a story...how it lulled you outside your thoughts, let you process the world in a way that was palatable. Not poisonous.
  

...and the power of fear.

  
    Fear was a reminder that even the insubstantial could kill. But insubstantial meant it had no shape. It couldn't be conquered or tamed or avoided. Only moved through, with force and will.
  

The rest...was a bit difficult and obscure to follow. I felt the theme of fear felt forced, which was odd in of itself since fear normally requires little-to-no form of prodding to make its appearance.

As with  The Star-Touched Queen, the romance was predictable. It was much less insta-lovey, and more "I will NOT SUCCUMB to this super attractive princ/ess!" No matter how much Gauri fought it, she couldn't help but fall for Vikram, and he for her. Apparently, long arduous journeys do that to people. *wink*

Character Breakdown:


  In Bharata, I guarded myself. Weakness was a privilege. It divided you, snipped out your secrets and gave every sliver of power over you. I didn't have parts to spare. Bharata called me their jewel, and maybe I was like one. Not sparkling or precious. But a cold thing wearing a hundred faces. Like facets on a gem. One for every person.


I feel very conflicted about Gauri's character. Actually, I never really ended up liking her much. I felt that she was missing something. Along with that, I felt like she hadn't found her purpose, and just turned into a fighting machine for lack of direction.

Vikram was easily my favorite character. The dialogue between Gauri and Vikram were just...priceless. Honestly, my rating of this book is largely placed on how much I enjoyed their interactions.

  
    "We're here. We made it to Alaka."
Vikram took in the view, his eyes widening.
"It's beautiful." He turned to me, mischief glinting in his eyes. "How do they celebrate good fortune in Bharata? In Ujijain, we kiss."
I let go of his hand. "Look elsewhere."
"Are you sure? You spend an awful amount of time looking at my lips."
"That's only because I'm horrified at the sheer idiocy of the words leaping out of them."
"Such tales," he tutted. "If you're curious, I'm willing to indulge you."
"Go kiss a rock."
"I will," he said with a gallant bow. "Rocks are kinder and softer than you anyway."
He turned around, walked over to an outcropping of rocks and promptly kissed a boulder.
  

Aasha was basically the vishakanya from Chokshi's short story  The Vishakanya's Choice. I didn't find that she added much to the tale, other than whimsy and wonderment. 

  
    Aasha wanted to look like that. Like something alive.
  

One thing that I absolutely LOVED about this book, was how quotable it was! I think I added about twenty (that's probably an exaggeration) pretty solid quotes to my collection, and I'm pretty proud of them. So if you are into that, this is a good book in that regard. 

I want to rate it 3, but I think I'll round up to 3.5 stars.

This review can also be viewed on my blog: She's Going Book Crazy

Candyce Kirk

Another interesting story by this author. Review to follow soon!

Kristin

3 to 4 stars!

Unsure if this is 3 og 4 stars, but considering the fact that 3 stars equals " a good book", 3 stars might be right? Anyway, an enjoyable read!

A very good and magical story with the theme of new beginnings and self-development! To be honest, it was at some times boring... or confusing, but in general the story and the characters were quite well written. I really enjoyed the relationship between Vikram and Gauri, and could almost read a whole book about them talking!

Natalie

I really enjoyed this book. For me it felt like Alice In Wonderland met Aladdin set in India. It's very whimsical, magical, and colorfully written.

Andrada D

Finishing this gem that A crown of Wishes  is, did I like it?
YES1

Did I find it so difficult to read?
Also yes.

While I think it was a great book all around and reading it was a 5-stars experience, being loaded with so much mythology getting denser at every step made it all. so. hard. 

I just loved the protagonists - and I rarely do. Vikram and Gauri are great people in different ways and they will make amazing rulers for sure. The smart, cautious prince who craves recognition, the strong, reckless princess who yearns to bring her kingdom back to glory, they are the perfect Yin and Yang couple.

This book is also so quotable, all those magnificent exchanges I wish to have printed and displayed on walls, so much have I loved them. And they aren't trite, obvious things protagonists say- they are magnificent displays of exquisite authorial craft.

I also entertained the whole Postmodernist idea that nothing is truly ever knowable, reality is but a story you can untangle and sew in a multitude of patterns which are both clearly veracious and incredibly deceiving, depending on the point of view one has.

But the mythology was.... dense. So many creatures with such difficult names caught in so many storylines all overlapping. I was a mess trying to catch up, this is why I had to cut off one star of this rating. It was just so frustrating, feeling confused alllll the time. But if intricate high fantasy books are your thing, you will definitely love this book.

For now, I am in doubt whether I should read the first one, too. The tutorial style is incredible but the rating it has makes me wonder whether it is much worse than this. But considering how much I loved this one, I might be entirely willing to also give it a fair chance.

Gabriela Roxana 

Simply marvelous. Read during my current readaton.

Wren Hardwick

Whenever you think of Wonderland or Neverland or just anything stupid-beautiful, this book should be the first thing that comes to mind. Actually no, anything Roshani Chokshi has written is stupid-beautiful. It feels like a poem had a baby with a fantasy and out came Chokshi's books. The way she makes you see things is something you will get completely lost in. I found myself wanting to read more of the magical place she pieced together.

Caraval and The Night Circus are two other books that I would compare to this marvelous book. If you loved The Star-Touched Queen, just know that this was written a little differently. I myself had a little bit of a hard time piecing things together in The Star-Touched Queen because I was so distracted by how much description and beautiful sentences there were. But, I did end up loving it, and you can see my review for it here. You should know that the writing is different between these two books, so you may find yourself in love with it.
 


You technically don't even have to read The Star-Touched Queen in order to read this book, since it was a companion novel, though I highly recommend that you do. I learned the hard way with Leigh Bardugo's books that even though you can technically read a series (Six of Crows) without reading the previous series (Grisha), doesn't mean that you should. There are hints about The Star Touched Queen through out the book that will make you smile, but the fixed-content itself is completely separate. 

So the characters in this book are what made it so much better to me. You have two royals thrown together in a quest to win a wondrous price. Both have completely different ideas on what to do with the price, but that doesn't stop them from regrettably working together. One is a princess named Gauri that is being held captive by the country that Prince Vikram will rule. They are polar opposites not only in country but in spirit too. Where Vikram has wit, Gauri has has determination and strength. Where Vikram has spur of the moment, Gauri has ponder and thought out. Gauri is more serious and Vikram loves that (because how else is a prince going to stay entertained on a quest?).

You meet different types of beings in this book and just learn a lot more of this beautiful land Chokshi has brought before us. She deserves all the publicity and praise she is going to get with this book. It will blow you away.