(The Star-Touched Queen #1)
by Roshani Chokshi
April 26, 2016
Goodreads Summary:
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.
Review
I've always enjoyed a good retelling and even more so when I'm unfamiliar with the original tale. The Star-Touched Queen impressed me with its melodic writing and mythological setting.
What I Liked:
- the writing inspired vivid imageries
- a hopeful tone to the story
- the Indian mythology
- Maya's search (for herself)
- the slow unraveling of history shared between Maya and Amar
- a twist that surprised me: Akaran = Naraka
- Kamala, the flesh-eating demon horse, was unexpectedly hilarious and fun
The Not So Much:
- the romance was insta-lovey
- why couldn't Maya have just been more patient?!?!?
- the truth of Amar and his kingdom kind of got brushed over by Maya's betrayal
"It is better to leave what you do not know and make yourself anew." (p. 288)
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