Blog Tour {Review}: A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi @GriffinTeen

About The Book

Published: March 28th 2017

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Series: The Star-Touched Queen #2

Genres: YA, Fantasy, Mythology

Format: e-ARC via Publisher/Netgalley

My Rating: 4 Stars

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.

Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

 

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Review

We are back with Roshani’s beautiful writing and world building in A Crown of Wishes. Unlike last year’s read, The Star-Touched Queen, it only took me three days to get through this. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy TSTQ, it just took me a little longer to really get into it. ACoW has more plot going than it’s predecessor, so that helped smooth along the ride for me. And dare I say that I love Vikram & Gauri more than Maya & Amar. Where Maya and Amar were all “destined love”, Vikram and Gauri had that whole “Let’s annoy each other to death & then fall in love” thing going on. I loved every second of it!

If you are in need of some magical fantasy, look no further. As with her debut, Roshani gives us art in magic form. There aren’t a lot of YA fantasy books that give you something you’ve not read in other books. I can think of a handful that have released in the last few years that brings us culture and traditions not of our own. I love Hindu mythology as much as Greek, so when I find a story that has it flowing from one page to the next, I jump right on in. I had a really fun time with this one, guys.

Gauri is not your average heroine. She’s fierce and doesn’t take crap from anyone. Vikram, at first glance, is a dreamer. Okay, so reading the book, you kinda know where the story is going. You take a hardass girl and a boy with dreams of something bigger than himself, and you throw them at a magical tournament. I loved their ribbing, as it set the tone for their chemistry to fall into place. At first glance, this is just about a princess and prince who want to kill each other, but then bond over their own weaknesses. The overall story is so much more than that cliched line I just gave you. 

I hate comparing books, but having read The Wrath & The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh and not liking it, Gauri is who Shahrzad could’ve been. A girl who isn’t just all talk, but can outsmart the most corrupt person. The two girls have very different experiences, but the goal was the same. Overall, I wasn’t in love with TSTQ, but this companion story has definitely made me a fan of Roshani. I don’t think reading the first book is necessary to enjoy this, but they are from the same world, so reading it beforehand may make you appreciate this one more. Even if you didn’t enjoy TSTQ, ACoW will make you think about adding this author to your future book-buying list.

 

 

Also by Roshani Chokshi: The Star-Touched Queen