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marieintheraw's review against another edition
2.0
This book is very description heavy and that takes away from the plot at times.
ambeesbookishpages's review against another edition
5.0
The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz
Everyone knows how I feel about over hyped books, I typically don't like that. The Star-Touched Queen was a different story. The Star-Touched Queen transports us to a world unlike our own, rich in mythology and the desire to turn things right for the ones you love, The Star-Touched Queen will have you in its clutches from the first page to the last.
I really adore Maya's character, born with a horoscope of death and destruction to the man she marries. Do to this she is looked downed by the Raja's wives and the other children in the palace. Maya has learned to make the best of it though. At night she tells her younger half-sister about the night bazaar, and stories of pure mythology. Stories that she thought were just myths. One night to Raja offers Maya a way out and end a war they been fighting. To take a poison as she chooses the man she will would marry. The ultimate sacrifice, just as Maya comes to terms with her death a stranger comes to the rescue, and Maya claims him as her husband. Amar shows her the night bazaar (the one she told her sister was just myth) and brings her to his kingdom where she will be his equal. But the deeper Maya falls in the more secrets she learns, ultimately making a devastating mistake.
I loved Maya's growth through out the novel, she went from a timid girl who was just trying to get through her days to a fierce queen who would do anything for the people she loves the most. Amar was a harder character to read, as a reader you don't know much but the fact he saved Maya and he he leaves every morning before Maya wakes, and doesn't join her for dinner. There a certain part in The Star-Touched Queen that you debate who Amar really is, as in the secrets he has been hiding from Maya making him the bad guys or the good guy.
As for the romance I was a little disappointed, I can count on my hand the amount of kisses or "Steamy" scenes there were. I expected a a lot more then was included in the novel. But that my expectation, I know in past lives there was plenty of those but I wish they were included.
My only problem was I found The Star-Touched Queen challenging to follow at times, now I'm not sure that was just me or other people found it a little bit of a challenge as well. I did get the main gist of what was going on but it was a little disheartening considering I loved the story so much and had very high expectations for it.
I have a lot of love in my heart for this book, I really want more. I wasn't aware it was going to be a stand alone, so I was expected more adventures with Amar and Maya. If anyone is having any hesitations about reading this book, I will tell you to go for it. For me, it was worth every minute I spent reading it.
Everyone knows how I feel about over hyped books, I typically don't like that. The Star-Touched Queen was a different story. The Star-Touched Queen transports us to a world unlike our own, rich in mythology and the desire to turn things right for the ones you love, The Star-Touched Queen will have you in its clutches from the first page to the last.
I really adore Maya's character, born with a horoscope of death and destruction to the man she marries. Do to this she is looked downed by the Raja's wives and the other children in the palace. Maya has learned to make the best of it though. At night she tells her younger half-sister about the night bazaar, and stories of pure mythology. Stories that she thought were just myths. One night to Raja offers Maya a way out and end a war they been fighting. To take a poison as she chooses the man she will would marry. The ultimate sacrifice, just as Maya comes to terms with her death a stranger comes to the rescue, and Maya claims him as her husband. Amar shows her the night bazaar (the one she told her sister was just myth) and brings her to his kingdom where she will be his equal. But the deeper Maya falls in the more secrets she learns, ultimately making a devastating mistake.
I loved Maya's growth through out the novel, she went from a timid girl who was just trying to get through her days to a fierce queen who would do anything for the people she loves the most. Amar was a harder character to read, as a reader you don't know much but the fact he saved Maya and he he leaves every morning before Maya wakes, and doesn't join her for dinner. There a certain part in The Star-Touched Queen that you debate who Amar really is, as in the secrets he has been hiding from Maya making him the bad guys or the good guy.
As for the romance I was a little disappointed, I can count on my hand the amount of kisses or "Steamy" scenes there were. I expected a a lot more then was included in the novel. But that my expectation, I know in past lives there was plenty of those but I wish they were included.
My only problem was I found The Star-Touched Queen challenging to follow at times, now I'm not sure that was just me or other people found it a little bit of a challenge as well. I did get the main gist of what was going on but it was a little disheartening considering I loved the story so much and had very high expectations for it.
I have a lot of love in my heart for this book, I really want more. I wasn't aware it was going to be a stand alone, so I was expected more adventures with Amar and Maya. If anyone is having any hesitations about reading this book, I will tell you to go for it. For me, it was worth every minute I spent reading it.
renuked's review against another edition
2.0
When I first heard about this book, I immediately closed my laptop and walked away. I know myself, and I know that I personally do not enjoy Indian mythological retellings. Why? Because the mythology is intricate, and somehow, somewhere, something goes wrong. Then I thought maybe I was being too harsh. As an Indian (although yes born and raised in America), of course it would be tough to please me. Furthermore, I know how important representation is, so I convinced myself to give it a chance. The reviews were glowing after all. Unfortunately, I still didn't enjoy it.
My problem: It wasn't our mythology. Instead, it was a mash up of names, places, and creatures. Our beautiful stories were ignored, and instead, we received a Hades and Persephone retelling. (I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure that's GREEK). What even. What is the Night Bazaar? What the heck is Airavata doing in this plot. Since when are there flesh-eating horses? I just don't know. I don't pretend to be the number one expert in this stuff (far from it), but after doing some additional research, I believe that literally none of this book makes sense. It's just a bunch of Indian vocabulary.
The characters are so bland I don't even remember their names (oops), and their ancient love felt more like insta-love. Luckily, the language was pretty enough that the book rescued parts of itself. The plot was just confusing, and not engaging at all. In fact, I might have just put this book down and left it, except I wanted to write this review with all the facts.
In the end, I wondered if maybe I should swear off of reading Indian mythological retellings. I haven't really found any that satisfy me, and in fact, they tend to upset me. I spent half an hour bothering my mom with angry questions. However, I do encourage writers to keep trying because, I would love some proper representation. I believe that someone will get it right, and manage to hit that perfect mix of myth and retelling. It doesn't have to be exact (hello, I know it's a retelling), but I would love for it to just be a creation based on our beautiful culture. One day, someone will capture the atmosphere and the messages in our myths, and I can't wait to read that book.
My problem: It wasn't our mythology. Instead, it was a mash up of names, places, and creatures. Our beautiful stories were ignored, and instead, we received a Hades and Persephone retelling. (I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure that's GREEK). What even. What is the Night Bazaar? What the heck is Airavata doing in this plot. Since when are there flesh-eating horses? I just don't know. I don't pretend to be the number one expert in this stuff (far from it), but after doing some additional research, I believe that literally none of this book makes sense. It's just a bunch of Indian vocabulary.
The characters are so bland I don't even remember their names (oops), and their ancient love felt more like insta-love. Luckily, the language was pretty enough that the book rescued parts of itself. The plot was just confusing, and not engaging at all. In fact, I might have just put this book down and left it, except I wanted to write this review with all the facts.
In the end, I wondered if maybe I should swear off of reading Indian mythological retellings. I haven't really found any that satisfy me, and in fact, they tend to upset me. I spent half an hour bothering my mom with angry questions. However, I do encourage writers to keep trying because, I would love some proper representation. I believe that someone will get it right, and manage to hit that perfect mix of myth and retelling. It doesn't have to be exact (hello, I know it's a retelling), but I would love for it to just be a creation based on our beautiful culture. One day, someone will capture the atmosphere and the messages in our myths, and I can't wait to read that book.
marlfox24's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bookishheather19's review against another edition
5.0
This book was incredible!!! I devoured it! It was beautiful!!
noranne's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't love it. I liked the Indian mythology aspects, but Maya felt pretty blank as a character and the world felt paper thin. Bharata didn't seem like a real enough place for me to care about whether or not it was destroyed. Ditto with Gauri. The main romance was okay but it wasn't enough to carry the story. And some of the writing was ridiculous. Enough with the nonsensical similes! I dunno, it just felt like a very ambitious cool concept that just wasn't executed very well.
parpacifica's review against another edition
4.0
World-building is everything in this book. Stunning characters, and setting, and slightly confusing prose but overall this book was definitely worth reading.
yeontan's review against another edition
5.0
Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you’re only seventeen?
I knew I had to read this book before it even hit shelves. I am a sucker for good romance books - and this one delivered.
It tells the story of Maya, a young princess with a curse that has earned her the hatred of everyone around her (with the exception of her sister Gauri). Maya’s father sets up political marriage for her to save his kingdom from war.
She becomes the queen of Akaran and soon realizes that her new husband has many secrets of his own.
I was on the edge of my seat as I watched Maya fall for her new husband and uncover his secrets.
My favorite parts of this book was definitely the mystery, the super natural aspect of the book had the ability to be extremely eerie while not making me want to put the book down. I loved the night bazaar and being taken into this new world Maya was discovering.
I also adored the relationship between Maya and her younger sister Gauri. It was defiantly one of the best aspects of the book and I enjoyed reading it. I wouldn’t mind reading a whole story all about Gauri.
I loved that every single character in this book was a person of color. That is both rare and wonderful. The only time you really see this is if its an issue book and it was nice to see a fantasy YA novel with all POC characters because those are important too.
The romance between Maya and Amar was the driving force of this book and I loved every minute of it. You can really see how much Amar loves Maya and its great to see her slowly fall for him as well.
Oh and the writing was beautiful!
If you enjoyed Cruel Beauty you’ll love this.
I knew I had to read this book before it even hit shelves. I am a sucker for good romance books - and this one delivered.
It tells the story of Maya, a young princess with a curse that has earned her the hatred of everyone around her (with the exception of her sister Gauri). Maya’s father sets up political marriage for her to save his kingdom from war.
She becomes the queen of Akaran and soon realizes that her new husband has many secrets of his own.
I was on the edge of my seat as I watched Maya fall for her new husband and uncover his secrets.
My favorite parts of this book was definitely the mystery, the super natural aspect of the book had the ability to be extremely eerie while not making me want to put the book down. I loved the night bazaar and being taken into this new world Maya was discovering.
I also adored the relationship between Maya and her younger sister Gauri. It was defiantly one of the best aspects of the book and I enjoyed reading it. I wouldn’t mind reading a whole story all about Gauri.
I loved that every single character in this book was a person of color. That is both rare and wonderful. The only time you really see this is if its an issue book and it was nice to see a fantasy YA novel with all POC characters because those are important too.
The romance between Maya and Amar was the driving force of this book and I loved every minute of it. You can really see how much Amar loves Maya and its great to see her slowly fall for him as well.
Oh and the writing was beautiful!
If you enjoyed Cruel Beauty you’ll love this.
seraistrange's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing read!
Beautiful writing! I was instantly enthralled in the story. The mystery of the love between the two main characters kept my interest peaked. I can't wait to read the second book!
Beautiful writing! I was instantly enthralled in the story. The mystery of the love between the two main characters kept my interest peaked. I can't wait to read the second book!
alyssaindira's review against another edition
2.0
Hey guys, so I finished The Star Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi and I probably would have finished it sooner, but I kinda didn't want to finish the book to be honest. This was due to the fact that from the beginning, the novel had a hard time keeping my interest. Okay, so I don't mind some background details to the characters and whatnot, but in my opinion, this was just overwhelming. Or perhaps crammed in, like the author had too many words and not enough pages. I felt like I would have liked this n0vel better if it was just short and sweet, right to the point. But nooooo, it was all like"this is what this is and it means this to this and this and this is how so and so feels about this and then this over here" I was just like "god, when will this end?!" Seriously. I was c0nstantly skipping over all the frilly and fancy details. I tried to get into the storyline,really, I truly tried, but the writing, gods. Nope. Just too hectic and cluttered for me. Now, I did like Mayas character. I admired her determination and fiery spirit. She just longed to prove she was more than just a read girl walking. And yes, okay, okay, I loved Amar,mostly, Ya, even when he was kind of off the rails,he was the best part of the story. Hmm, I think I liked the flesh eating horse as well, kind grew on me. But other than the interaction between the characters, I was just lost with this n0vel, trying to connect the dots that didn't always connect until towards the end of the novel, where my patience was practically nonexistent, lol. I suppose if you guys want t0 check out this book for yourself, be my guest. Whom am I to tell you what to and not to read?