A Crown of Wishes

Roshani Chokshi

Mar 2017 · Star-Touched Book 2 · Sold by St. Martin's Griffin

About this eBook

Contains an extended excerpt from The Gilded Wolves.

From the author of The Star-Touched Queen comes a beautiful lush fantasy, Roshani Chokshi's A Crown of Wishes.

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.

Ratings and reviews

Anyone who read "The Star-Touched Queen" by Roshani Chokshi, whether they liked it or not, must read the sequel before they can truly judge the series. "A Crown of Wishes" completes the tale of a world in juxtaposition to the surreal Otherworld. While "The Star-Touched Queen" may have left some readers wanting more, others may have been confused by the entire Otherworld storyline. Unlike Maya, Gauri doesn't belong in the Otherworld but both are driven by the same desire to attain their "better" lives (because everything is better than what we have, right?). When Gauri is offered the opportunity to pursue a wish by her enemy, Vikram, she views it as she does everything else in her life: something to confront or run from. Vikram, however, views the opportunity as something that will give him all he desires. Both soon discover what immortality truly is and the risks they are both willing to take to be granted a wish. Unlike "The Star-Touched Queen", "A Crown of Wishes" returns to the "real world" and explains the actions of the Otherworld in both books as each discovers their true person and desires. I love this book and devoured it quickly in constant hope Gauri would be granted her wish since her dear sister Maya had been taken from her when she was young, just as everything else seemed to be. Chokshi helps the reader understand the journey of a true wish granted which many nowadays regard simply as "anything I want" but truly lack the imagination to explain the immortality of a true wish. My opinion is solely my own, but I do want to thank Goodreads, St. Martin's Press and Roshani Chokshi for an Advance copy of such an amazing book. Thank you Roshani for stating in the acknowledgements the uniqueness of writing a sequel. While I may not have experience in writing, I do have experience in "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie" mixed in with "cesspits of despair." Thank you for sharing your story.

About the author

Roshani Chokshi is the New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen. Her work has appeared in Strange Horizons, Shimmer, and Book Smugglers. Her short story, "The Star Maiden," was longlisted for the British Fantasy Science Award.