My Rating: 4.75/5 stars.
Lately, I've been taking (cue the exaggeration) years to finish a single book. Despite this, I ended up devouring this masterpiece in TWO days. That's a lot for someone who takes a week or two to read a full-length novel due to laziness, haha.
I've heard a lot about Roshani Chokshi on BookTok (TikTok's book and reading community). Specifically, I've been hearing a lot about her Aru Shah series, which I've yet to read. I stumbled upon this book while I was browsing books on Amazon and the title and author's name caught my attention. I'm so gladI finally read something by Roshani Chokshi!
The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi book was EVERYTHING: Mythology retelling, Indian folklore, cursed horoscope, otherworldly realms, magical powers, strangely cool creatures, a kingdom full of secret doors, ancient mysteries that spans reincarnated lives, and a magical romance; what's not to love?? Not to mention the fabulous worldbuilding, even though it was a little complicated at times.
I absolutely LOVED the Indian mythical setting in the book. It was rich and vibrant, and the imagery read as beautiful prose, giving the book a whole other level of enchantment. I love books involving a royal Indian setting with a royal court, huge palaces, and kingdoms.
"The stars, filled with cold light and secrets, held no emotion in their fixed language of fate. Emotion belonged to life, a thing the stars could never experience. I, not the starlight, shaped my decisions." - Mayavati (The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi)
Mayavati's character and growth were compelling. From being neglected and treated poorly despite being a princess because of her cursed horoscope to being backstabbed and becoming a queen and a wife, then later realizing her true identity, every bit was amazing!!
Now, for the romance between Mayavati and Amar. It played a significant role in the story. It contributed to Mayavati's character development, which was why the romance felt so natural, magical, and absolutely swoon-worthy! I just don't have words to describe what I felt when reading about them because it was so BEAUTIFUL!!! There was something beyond insta-love and connection between the two that drew me in in a way that I cannot explain (I'm just that bad with words sometimes, especially when it comes to beautiful masterpieces like these).
I guess I'm trying to say to read the book to know why I'm fangirling so hard over Mayavati and Amar; they're SO PRECIOUS!!
"I know your soul. Everything else is an ornament." - Amar (The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi)
"You are my night and stars, the fate I would fix myself to in any life." - Amar (The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi)
Circumstances lead Mayavati to marry the King of Akaran, Raja Amar, who's all mysterious, enchanting and has the most gorgeous smile. His feelings for Mayavati are beyond insta-love and immediate connection. You keep wondering why he overlooks certain things Mayavati does and why he's keeping many secrets from her. Even Mayavati feels a strange pull toward Amar despite having trouble trusting him as if their relationship had been something more for the longest time...
The only reason I'm cutting off 0.25 stars is the ending. There's a lot of drama, tension, and magical fights. Among them is a love confession that Mayavati makes for Amar but doesn't actually say what she feels to him, which really bothers me. I love it when characters communicate their emotions and thoughts to each other. However, when they don't confess their love for each other, their relationship progression feels incomplete, and it's disappointing after all the build-up in their relationship. This is only my personal opinion, though.
BUT STILL, please do yourself a favour and read this beautiful book. You will not regret it.
This is my first book review post on here! I guess I'll be making them slightly more detailed and descriptive than my reviews on Goodreads considering how I wrote this? Nonetheless, I hope you found this review helpful!
To view more books by Roshani Chokshi, check out her website by clicking here.
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