Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone! Last Book Review of 2020!
THE STAR-TOUCHED QUEEN
By Roshani Chokshi
~Book Review~
*Warning! Contains Spoilers!*
IMMERSE YOURSELF in a retelling of classic love-lost romance that is lush, atmospheric, and driven by mystery. Drawing from Hindu mythology such as the tale of Savitri and Satyavan, and Shiva and Parvati, Chokshi weaves an underworld adventure that takes you to a throne room woven of stars, down passages filled with doors whispering about secrets of the past, and into the heart of self-discovery.
Chokshi writes with vivid purple prose that flares into the over-dramatic at times, but at others it strikes just the right chord to illuminate heroine Maya’s struggles with self-worth. She is a princess, but despite being the son of the raja, her life is bleak due to being born under a dark horoscope that partners her with Death. The courtiers and the raja’s wives blame her for every misfortune.
On her wedding day, Maya chooses a mysterious suitor Amar who promises her a kingdom with magic and power beyond her wildest dreams, who swears that if she becomes his queen, she will be an equal in all decisions. However, it is in a land beyond the strange Night Bazar where wishes can be granted for your voice or first child, in a place entirely otherworldly. In this kingdom called Akaran, Maya must learn the inner workings of a beautiful tapestry that contains all the life threads of every being to preserve balance between realms. But a mysterious woman haunts Maya, warning that her new husband is really her captor.
I enjoyed this book and found it difficult to put down. I found the mystery of Akaran and Maya and Amar’s past lives to be riveting, and I really wanted to know what the deal was between them and Nritti. This was quite a feat, since the characters of Maya and Amar are underdeveloped. Maya is self-loathing and makes many questionable decisions, including trusting Nritti (in both present and former lives when she has full knowledge of her motivations). The best scene is when Maya confronts her father in the underworld about their tragic relationship. Amar is a cardboard personality who I could never quite get a sense of, and the romance is vanilla. I thought it would have been an interesting twist if Nritti ended up being the “dark side” of Maya, or if Amar did have ill intentions, which would have spiced things up and given the main characters not only flaws but agency to act upon them.
However, the story works despite the lackluster leads since the world itself is a character in its own right, and I loved the little details like the elephant who knits clouds and the flesh-eating demon horse. I was hoping the makara (sea dragon) would show up—but maybe that is in the next book.
Speaking of which, Maya’s younger sister Gauri did have a great spark. While this book is a standalone, Chokshi’s second novel in this world, A Crown of Wishes, follows her and a boy Maya sees possible futures for.
Overall, Chokshi’s signature style is like an unfurling love letter, dreamy and full of little currents that delight, and you can expect to be fully submerged in worlds far beyond this one.
Recommended for fans of: Maggie Stiefvater, Renée Ahdieh, Laini Taylor, and Sarah J. Maas
IMMERSE YOURSELF in a retelling of classic love-lost romance that is lush, atmospheric, and driven by mystery. Drawing from Hindu mythology such as the tale of Savitri and Satyavan, and Shiva and Parvati, Chokshi weaves an underworld adventure that takes you to a throne room woven of stars, down passages filled with doors whispering about secrets of the past, and into the heart of self-discovery.
Chokshi writes with vivid purple prose that flares into the over-dramatic at times, but at others it strikes just the right chord to illuminate heroine Maya’s struggles with self-worth. She is a princess, but despite being the son of the raja, her life is bleak due to being born under a dark horoscope that partners her with Death. The courtiers and the raja’s wives blame her for every misfortune.
On her wedding day, Maya chooses a mysterious suitor Amar who promises her a kingdom with magic and power beyond her wildest dreams, who swears that if she becomes his queen, she will be an equal in all decisions. However, it is in a land beyond the strange Night Bazar where wishes can be granted for your voice or first child, in a place entirely otherworldly. In this kingdom called Akaran, Maya must learn the inner workings of a beautiful tapestry that contains all the life threads of every being to preserve balance between realms. But a mysterious woman haunts Maya, warning that her new husband is really her captor.
I enjoyed this book and found it difficult to put down. I found the mystery of Akaran and Maya and Amar’s past lives to be riveting, and I really wanted to know what the deal was between them and Nritti. This was quite a feat, since the characters of Maya and Amar are underdeveloped. Maya is self-loathing and makes many questionable decisions, including trusting Nritti (in both present and former lives when she has full knowledge of her motivations). The best scene is when Maya confronts her father in the underworld about their tragic relationship. Amar is a cardboard personality who I could never quite get a sense of, and the romance is vanilla. I thought it would have been an interesting twist if Nritti ended up being the “dark side” of Maya, or if Amar did have ill intentions, which would have spiced things up and given the main characters not only flaws but agency to act upon them.
However, the story works despite the lackluster leads since the world itself is a character in its own right, and I loved the little details like the elephant who knits clouds and the flesh-eating demon horse. I was hoping the makara (sea dragon) would show up—but maybe that is in the next book.
Speaking of which, Maya’s younger sister Gauri did have a great spark. While this book is a standalone, Chokshi’s second novel in this world, A Crown of Wishes, follows her and a boy Maya sees possible futures for.
Overall, Chokshi’s signature style is like an unfurling love letter, dreamy and full of little currents that delight, and you can expect to be fully submerged in worlds far beyond this one.
Recommended for fans of: Maggie Stiefvater, Renée Ahdieh, Laini Taylor, and Sarah J. Maas
