The Star-Touched Queen
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Published On: 4/26/16
Publisher: St. Martin`s Press
Page Count: 342
Synopsis: (Found on Goodreads)
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?
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Descriptive and well paced, the voices were beautifully written and the longing in the novel was tangible. I don’t know much about Indian folklore or mythology, but to me this struck a good note.
Cover: 5/5
The cover represents a lot of things that were going on in the story, which I appreciated. I also liked that they did not use a face for the cover model. The blanket of stars is a little overpowering, but other than that I loved it.
Characters:
Maya- Maya is extremely independent and knows what she wants in life. Cursed with a horoscope that brings nothing but death, she chooses instead to pave her own way. She was annoying at times when adjusting to life in Akaran, although once she learned the importance of the place, she stepped up her game and took control of her own destiny.
Amar- Mysterious and seeming to always show up at right time, he whisks Maya away with promises of grandeur. He claims he can’t tell Maya who he truly is until the full moon so she is left to adventure alone in the kingdom of Akaran. At first I wasn’t sure about this devilish figure but he started to grow on me throughout the novel. He fiercely protects those he truly loves, and will stop at nothing to defeat his foes.
Akaran- Although it is a place, Roshani gives it a voice. Technically, thousands of voices. Always to test Maya in her ability to rule over the land. Akaran has many names, but to Amar, it is home.
Plot: 4.5/5
Because Maya is cursed with a horoscope of death and destruction, she is an outcast in the Raja’s harem. When Amar comes along she decides to trust him and jump headfirst into a world she could only dream of. Some of the plot was slowly paced, but the world building kept me turning pages to find out more about the kingdom of Akaran. Because I don’t know much about Indian folklore, I can’t speak to the accuracy, but it’s a very intriguing story.
TTFN,
Ashley
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