Praise for A Crown of Wishes:
Named "One of the Most Anticipated YA Novels of 2017" by Entertainment Weekly, Teen Vogue, and Bustle.com
"Careful plotting, multiple viewpoints, high-stakes action, and a slow-burn relationship makes this heady fantasy completely engrossing. A first pick for YA collections."—School Library Journal, starred review
"Chokshi's debut, The Star-Touched Queen (2016), was lush and gorgeously written, and Chokshi has only improved; this lovely companion tale boasts a stronger narrative structure in addition to the delightful prose."—Booklist
"With a happily-ever-after reminiscent of beloved fairy tales, this is a great pick for voracious readers who like their bejeweled princesses to have hard edges."—Kirkus Reviews
"Chokshi revives the luscious and strange setting of Alaka from The Star-Touched Queen pulling in further elements of Indian folklore for creatures both charming and terrifying."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Praise for The Star-Touched Queen:
New York Times Bestseller
#9 on the Summer 2016 Kids' Indie Next List
Buzzfeed Book of the Year
Paste Magazine Book of the Year
Southern Magazine Book of the Year
Bustle.com Book of the Month
"Chokshi's prose is captivating." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A stunning debut with lush language."—School Library Journal, starred review
"A unique fantasy that is epic myth and beautiful fairy tale combined."—Booklist, starred review
"In Chokshi's prose, voices have substance and texture while light has color and flavor."—NPR.org
"Lush and dizzying."—New York Times Book Review
★ 02/01/2017
Gr 9 Up—In this companion to The Star-Touched Queen, Chokshi returns to a vivid fantasy world steeped in Hindu mythology. After her brother's betrayal, Princess Gauri is awaiting execution in an enemy Ujijain prison. Prince Vikram faces the unhappy destiny of becoming a puppet ruler in Ujijain. With nothing left to lose and everything to gain, this pair of would-be monarchs forge an uneasy partnership and journey to the mythical world of Alaka to compete in the Tournament of Wishes, hosted by Kubera, the Lord of Treasures. Kubera has promised a wish to anyone who wins the competition, but after traveling through dangerous realms and meeting supernatural foes and allies, Gauri and Vikram will have to confront their own desires and fears if they hope to survive long enough to win. Gauri is a ruthless, calculating heroine who negotiates her femininity and perceived weaknesses as adeptly as she handles her swords and battle strategies. Vikram is a perfect contrast; his measured cunning is tempered by his introspection and optimism. All of the characters grasp for freedom and autonomy as they question what power and choice really mean. The lush language and vibrant imagery combine beautifully to evoke the book's elements of magic and legend. This is a novel about fierce want, unmet potential, magic, forged alliances, and the power of story. VERDICT Careful plotting, multiple viewpoints, high-stakes action, and a slow-burn relationship make this heady fantasy completely engrossing. A first pick for YA collections.—Emma Carbone, Brooklyn Public Library
In this high fantasy steeped in Hindu legends, narrator Priya Ayyar uses accents and character voices to distinguish the wide variety of creatures inhabiting a richly magical world within a world. Teenaged humans Vikram and Gauri are adversarial royalty who find themselves competing as a team in a magical Tournament of Wishes. Along the way, they find danger, fear, desire, and love. Chapters alternate in the first-person viewpoints of fierce and proud Gauri, witty and wily Vikram, and Asha, a curious vishikanya with a killing touch. Slightly marring an otherwise enthralling story are Ayyar's occasional tendencies to use stilted phrasing in long passages and to drop out of character voice for Gauri. On the other hand, Ayyar’s presentation of Vikram is playfully perfect. L.T. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
2016-12-21
Set in the same Indian-inflected fantasy world as The Star-Touched Queen (2016), Chokshi's sophomore effort examines fear, desire, and ambition as three protagonists compete in the Tournament of Wishes.The most compelling of the characters is Aasha, a vishakanya curious about the human life she left behind when she received the Blessing and became a poisonous courtesan. Her subplot is a beautiful exploration of vengeance and healing. It is here that the worldbuilding is most nuanced and deftly woven. At other times, the prose is exceedingly allegorical and overwrought. The two human contestants—Vikram, the puppet prince of Ujijain, and Gauri, the exiled princess of Bharata—make an unlikely pair. Their relationship relies heavily on witty banter punctuated by imminent peril that is designed to draw them closer together. In many respects the book reads like nested fables. Alaka, the otherworldly Kingdom of Desire where the tournament takes place, is full of wondrous creatures and deities from Indian mythologies, all representative of lessons the protagonists need to learn as they complete their Herculean tasks. With a happily-ever-after reminiscent of beloved fairy tales, this is a great pick for voracious readers who like their bejeweled princesses to have hard edges. (glossary) (Fantasy. 12 & up)
