Review:: A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi

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 in A Crown of Wishes.

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. (via Goodreads)

I received an eARC of A Crown of Wishes courtesy of Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin, in exchange for an honest review. I also reviewed The Star-Touched Queen, the first book in this series last year.

First things first – this is the second book in a series. The characters are not the same ones as the ones in The Star-Touched Queen, but there will be a lot that you don’t know if you haven’t read it, in my opinion. You can read my review, linked above, if you want a refresher!

I loved A Crown of Wishes, maybe even more than I loved The Star-Touched Queen, which I didn’t think was possible. I love the worlds that they travel between. Roshani has built a series of worlds that are lush, romantic and more than a little bit dangerous – just the way they should be.

I couldn’t help but feel like I was right there alongside Vikram and Gauri in A Crown of Wishes, which is exactly how I want to feel when I’m reading this kind of adventure. Their story moves a lot faster than The Star Touched Queen did, which was perfect for it.

Gauri moves faster as a person than Maya did, but you can read the love that she had for her sister in every page. Gauri is a very different character from her older sister, and it shows in the narrative. She and Vikram snark their way through the competition and I loved every minute of it.

I loved learning about so many different types of mystical creatures, and showing just how human they all are at heart. Roshani’s prose, as usual, was stunning and lyrical. I couldn’t get enough of it.

Honestly, I think I’d read a shopping list written by Roshani Chokshi and fall in love with it. This was absolutely a five star read for me! I highly recommend you pick up a copy of your own on Amazon or Indiebound!

Five stars

I’ll also have the awesome chance to meet Roshani next month, as well as S. Jae-Jones and I’m absolutely thrilled!

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