The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi: A Book Review

The Star-Touched Queen
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Release Date: April 26, 2016
Pages: 353
Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: 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, 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.

My Review: On the day that Maya was born, she was prophesied that her marriage would be of death and destruction. Since then she has been shunned by most of her family members and lives a life of obscurity. One day, her father, the Raja, forces Maya to commit suicide. Right when she is about to kill herself, Amar, the Raja of Akaran, saves her at the last minutes and marries her. With this marriage, she has a second chance of life. However, Amar and Akaran is not what it seems to be. Can Maya and Amar overcome the obstacles to find happiness?

I found Maya to be a likable protagonist. I liked that she has a deep love for her sister. However, there were some moments where I found her to be a bit frustrating. She is a very lonely girl who has low-self confidence. She is willing to do whatever people tell her. She is also very gullible and believes everyone’s lies without questioning why. Therefore, for most of the book, she is a weak protagonist. Gradually, she becomes a strong woman. She realizes her mistakes and tries to correct them. Therefore, Maya is a heroine that readers can relate to because she learns her lesson.

Overall, this book is about family, friendship, and love. The Star-Touched Queen is about a woman’s quest to recover what she has lost. The message of this book is to believe in yourself, and to appreciate each moment you have for your loved one because you do not know when that person may be gone. I did find this book to be predictable and slow in the middle. I also did not like that there was a star-crossed love story. Because of this, I thought that Amar’s character-depth was lacking along with the relationship. I also thought the secondary characters needed a bit more work so that I could truly understand them. Nevertheless, the writing is very evocative and lyrical. I also liked how it is heavily rooted with Indian mythology. I really thought it was a well-developed fantasy with a taste of adventure, and I look forward to reading her companion novel, A Crown of Wishes! I recommend this book to fans of Cruel Beauty, A Thousand Nights, and Ever.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

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