An instant New York Times Bestseller 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, … 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 unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most. . .including herself.
A lush and vivid story that is steeped in Indian folklore and mythology. The Star-touched Queen is a novel that no reader will soon forget.
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Heart-pounding action and unforgettable characters, wrapped in a beautifully written package. Dark, gorgeous, creative. Stellar work from Choksi — definitely an author to watch.
Beautifully written with wonderful world-building and intriguing characters.
There are entire worlds out there of gorgeous folk literature of which many Westerners are unaware. I learned just enough to do a passable job teaching a high school World Literature course, and I remember thinking at the time that Indian folklore would be a great basis for a YA fantasy. In The Star-Touched Queen, my wish has been granted.
The fantasy elements are rich and exotic, with a foreboding, dark flavor. Maya meets the Raja of the Otherworld, a flesh-eating horse, and several other creatures that will spark the reader’s imagination. She travels through dimensions, and each setting is cleverly described, giving the reader a strong feel for the place without slowing down the action. I very much enjoyed the sights and sounds of Maya’s journey.
As engaging as the plot is, though, this is a character-driven novel; a tale of epic self-discovery. Maya learns about a past she doesn’t remember, and discovers strength and potential of which she hadn’t dare to dream. The journey is both physical and spiritual, and while there are several interesting and important characters besides Maya, she is truly the star of the show. I can’t remember the last time I felt that I knew a character as well as I now know Maya.
If you enjoy YA fantasy at all, and you feel you could use something to cleanse the reading palate of the usual fare available, The Star-Touched Queen is an excellent choice.
I loved this! Such a unique story! And why was one of my favorite characters Kamala the horse? The narration was amazing, and I definitely recommend this!
This book is full of mystery and adventure. I enjoyed how Roshani Chokshi weaves in gorgeous settings and Indian folklore and mythology. I immediately felt connected to Maia and couldn’t wait to see how her story would play out.
This was an epic tale of love and forgiveness, betrayal and triumph. It brings the reader into a beautifully woven tapestry of fantasy and myth. At times I could feel my heart my throat and the pages could not fly fast enough because I became so thoroughly invested in the characters and their lives. This story is for those that believe that acceptance of self and love for others is what makes life worth living.
Wonderful mythic fantasy. Definitely recommend it!
As the daughter of a Raja, Maya should’ve had a life of privilege and love. She did live in the lap of luxury within the harem where she was born, but because of her horoscope she has always been hated and feared. When her father arranges a political marriage, she must choose a husband who will help save her kingdom from war. She does not choose a husband from the suitor’s her father put in front of her and instead chooses Amar. a masked stranger, who sweeps her off to his kingdom.
This novel deserves to be set to music, it’s words are like lyrics, but despite the pretty prose, the first half of the novel seemed a little slow. However, when Amar arrived on scene the pace of the novel picked up and my interest peaked. Who was this masked man and why wasn’t he scared of her horoscope of death and destruction? You knew there was more to his story than a handsome prince rescuing her from the brink of war and an unhappy marriage. When they arrive in his kingdom, Maya finds his kingdom was a land of mystery, loneliness and darkness and she starts to doubt her decision. Fear not, fair readers, there is a happy ending, but just like all great fairy tales there are roads that must be traveled and hearts to mend before our King and Queen find their HEA.
I love traveling to different countries and exploring a culture that might be very different from my own. The Star Touched Queen was an adventure into Indian folklore and it made me want to explore. I’ll admit that my knowledge of India is limited to their food and Bollywood movies and has always been painted in a faded shade of romance, but The Star Touched Queen with it’s fairy tale like pace and language made those romantic colors more rich and bright. It made me itch to explore more mythology from this fascinating country and see what else I can learn. If you are like me and love to travel to new places within your imagination, then you need to read The Star Touched Queen. This novel will take you places you’ve never seen and expand your horizon.
3.85-3.90 stars.
When people said that this book going confusing and hard to follow they were not lying. Maybe the first half of this book was so confusing and hard to follow. But I slowly began to understand what was going on and what the story was actually about. I did enjoy learning the mythology and terms. But I felt that this book dragged on for quite some time.
I liked the two main characters and the ending was not what I was expecting at all. I screamed for love to conquer all. I just wanted them to be together. So yea I totally went all mushy and romancy for this book. That is probably what made me still really like this book.
One of my favorite reads of the year.
This is one of the most beautifully written books I’ve read in years. The characters are fantastic. I was transported to a vivid beautiful world.