Hello
happy readers! I was planning to post
this review and giveaway Friday but I ended up staying with a friend and got in
super late then slept like the dead.
That said I had a great time at the release/signing event for TheStar-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi at Little Shop of Stories in Decatur,
GA. I have some more events planned for
this month and will be putting my thoughts together on them in detail later on
at No BS Book Reviews but for now just know it was a fun time. I had dinner with some great book friends
before hand and even more friendly faces there.
The store really is full of wonderful staff who love their job and remember
their customers!
Rating: 5
Stars
The
Star-Touched Queen is a debut novel and a stand alone! First, I have found stand-alone fantasies are
a rare find so cheers there. Second,
look at the cover! So pretty! I was happy my pre-order arrived the day of
release so I had the day to read it before I went to the event, I always try to
read the books before hand just in case anyone says something spoiler-ish! The book is pretty quick and I flew right
through it in pretty much one sitting, well I had to move I started in the
pedi-chair and continued when home. It's
a story unlike anything I had read before.
We follow Maya who is cursed.
Born with a horoscope that promises death and destruction she has been
an outcast in her father's kingdom and harem.
Until one day her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding for political
convenience. Maya becomes queen of
Akaran and wife of Amar, neither are things she ever thought to want or wish
for given her horoscope. The world is
magical but full of secrets. She is
asked to trust but when you know nothing it's hard to put faith in anyone or
anything. Fate, fortune, power,
passions, reincarnation, mythology and more it has it all.
Wow. This book kind of blew my mind. The whole world created was so beautiful and
magical for me, different from anything else I had read that I was in
love. From jeweled fruit on trees you
can eat to doors that will take you to any number of places including the
stars. Maya was wonderfully written and I
loved her way of thinking. She went back
and forth in her thoughts and feels on things as new information came to
her. She wavered. She fought with her head and her heart. She had fears but she also had passion and a
willingness to do anything for those she cared for. She was pretty awesome. Amar was pretty swoon worthy. He was mysterious in ways both good and bad
but he was already enduring with Maya.
He was vague in many ways but what he did say always rang with a
truth. He also had some sweet moments
that just made my little heart feel all the feels!
I
really can't say anything else about the story as a whole or it might ruin the
discovery. The story is told in two
parts and you just have to read it to understand all the beauty inside. That and the whole mythology and destiny/fate
aspect with the horoscopes just keeps you guessing. Oh and the idea of harems and arranged
marriages in a shed a different light on things. Everything is so wonderfully packaged in this
one little book that while I want more I am completely happy. I did however, find that there is a companion
to the book that would follow Maya's sister's path which makes me happy. She was such an interesting character and the
connection between Maya and her only added to my love of both. Something about family.
I'd
love to hear your thoughts on this in the comments below. Now for the goodies. While at the signing I had the sweet Roshani
sign an extra copy of her beautiful book to giveaway to one of my readers to
enjoy! The giveaway will be open until
midnight Thursday May 12th. This
giveaway is open to US only. I'd love to
hear your thoughts and feels on fate and horoscopes and more.
