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yeontan's review
3.0
i liked this a lot! but not as much as TSTQ and i struggled to connect to the characters sometimes.
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A Crown of Wishes follows the stories of Gauri, sister of Maya from TSTQ and the neighboring prince Vikram. Gauri and Vikram team up to enter the tournament of Wishes in hopes of realizing their inner desires. For Gauri this is to win back the throne of Bharata and for Vikram it is to be taken seriously as the heir to his own kingdom.
As expected, Chokshis writing is lyrical and powerful. Gauri is a fierce and easily loved heroine. She knows exactly what she wants and how she is going to get it. She’s a complete badass and I loved her. Vikram is equally lovable as the arrogant prince with insecurities of his own. Both characters felt three dimensional to me with flaws that are addressed throughout the novel. We also get to see them both grow as the story progresses .
The world Chokshi built springs to life at every corner. The descriptions are vivid and I felt as though I could picture it if only I closed my eyes. Each of the magical beings Vikram and Gauri met burst to life with lively and distinct personalities .
My only criticism is that this book had three points of view and they alternated tenses. I felt this often disconnected me from the story and so I wasn’t always able to form a connection with the characters despite liking them. As the story progressed it became harder for me to invest myself in it and I felt it sped by too quickly. I was also not a fan of the third point of view : Asha, a young Vishkana. Her point of view felt pointless to me and again, I felt it distracted from the story.
Overall this was a fun and beautifully written story. If you enjoyed Chokshis other work, you will enjoy this as well.
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A Crown of Wishes follows the stories of Gauri, sister of Maya from TSTQ and the neighboring prince Vikram. Gauri and Vikram team up to enter the tournament of Wishes in hopes of realizing their inner desires. For Gauri this is to win back the throne of Bharata and for Vikram it is to be taken seriously as the heir to his own kingdom.
As expected, Chokshis writing is lyrical and powerful. Gauri is a fierce and easily loved heroine. She knows exactly what she wants and how she is going to get it. She’s a complete badass and I loved her. Vikram is equally lovable as the arrogant prince with insecurities of his own. Both characters felt three dimensional to me with flaws that are addressed throughout the novel. We also get to see them both grow as the story progresses .
The world Chokshi built springs to life at every corner. The descriptions are vivid and I felt as though I could picture it if only I closed my eyes. Each of the magical beings Vikram and Gauri met burst to life with lively and distinct personalities .
My only criticism is that this book had three points of view and they alternated tenses. I felt this often disconnected me from the story and so I wasn’t always able to form a connection with the characters despite liking them. As the story progressed it became harder for me to invest myself in it and I felt it sped by too quickly. I was also not a fan of the third point of view : Asha, a young Vishkana. Her point of view felt pointless to me and again, I felt it distracted from the story.
Overall this was a fun and beautifully written story. If you enjoyed Chokshis other work, you will enjoy this as well.
laura_cs's review
5.0
I love Gauri and her wit and sarcasm. And I love Vikram and his wit and sarcasm. I want a whole series of these two being awesome rulers, side-eyeing people and being salty constantly.
Favorite quotes include:
*while Gauri is dragging an unconscious Vikram* At one point, a rakshasa clapped me on the back, shouting, "Excellent find, human girl! Start around the spine. Always the best cut of meat." I had no idea what to say, so I said thank you.
Vikram: "If you could grow anything in your garden, what would it be?"
Gauri: "Swords."
Vikram: "I should have guessed."
Favorite quotes include:
*while Gauri is dragging an unconscious Vikram* At one point, a rakshasa clapped me on the back, shouting, "Excellent find, human girl! Start around the spine. Always the best cut of meat." I had no idea what to say, so I said thank you.
Vikram: "If you could grow anything in your garden, what would it be?"
Gauri: "Swords."
Vikram: "I should have guessed."
aradhnak's review
5.0
I was flip flopping between 4 and 5 stars because the writing is so lush and descriptive, but I wasnt sure how it was going to all tie up together (at times it felt draggy?) But the whole story felt so /earned/ and I loved it a lot
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
lunaballz's review
5.0
In A Crown of Wishes, Gauri must learn to trust the Fox Prince of a neighboring kingdom and work together with him in order to win the Tournament of Wishes, of which the prize is a wish.
What intrigued me: I'd read her other book, The Star-Touched Queen and really enjoyed her writing style
Action-filled world building
Right from the beginning, the action starts. I think it's about half a page in and the main female is already plotting ways to blind someone? Although it's a fast paced book, it never fails to accurately set the scene. The author has a talent for describing things without getting bogged down in flowery words. She also builds an intriguing world with its own mythology and fairy tales that almost leave you with more questions than answers. Also, even though it's technically a sequel to The Star-Touched Queen, it has the depth to be a standalone.
Likable Characters
The book switches between the point of view of both Gauri and Vikram, and thankfully the characters are both snarky and full of wit which makes reading both POVs a pleasure. I also really enjoyed the romance aspect, which is a rare thing in YA books. It's developed very naturally and never feels forced, nor does it overshadow the main plot.
A Crown of Wishes is a fast paced fantasy with delightful world building and a badass female lead that captivated me from page one. Overall, do I recommend? YES, this is one I almost binged in just a few sittings because I had such a hard time putting it down
What intrigued me: I'd read her other book, The Star-Touched Queen and really enjoyed her writing style
Action-filled world building
Right from the beginning, the action starts. I think it's about half a page in and the main female is already plotting ways to blind someone? Although it's a fast paced book, it never fails to accurately set the scene. The author has a talent for describing things without getting bogged down in flowery words. She also builds an intriguing world with its own mythology and fairy tales that almost leave you with more questions than answers. Also, even though it's technically a sequel to The Star-Touched Queen, it has the depth to be a standalone.
Likable Characters
The book switches between the point of view of both Gauri and Vikram, and thankfully the characters are both snarky and full of wit which makes reading both POVs a pleasure. I also really enjoyed the romance aspect, which is a rare thing in YA books. It's developed very naturally and never feels forced, nor does it overshadow the main plot.
A Crown of Wishes is a fast paced fantasy with delightful world building and a badass female lead that captivated me from page one. Overall, do I recommend? YES, this is one I almost binged in just a few sittings because I had such a hard time putting it down
nandaluna14's review
5.0
Beautiful story, completely whimsical and funny. Can we get another book , please 🙏
cesmnl's review against another edition
3.0
Given how I disliked Star-Touched Queen, I almost didn't read A Crown of Wishes. Three reasons that convinced me to do so: 1) It had different lead characters, 2) It rated much higher than Star-Touched Queen, and 3) I really wanted to like/get used to Roshani Chokshi's style of writing because I still have several of her books in my TBR pile.
I'm glad I did read A Crown of Wishes. I enjoyed this so much more than Star-Touched Queen. I really liked the lead characters (Vikram is legit book boyfriend material) and I thought the prose of this book was not as metaphor-heavy/mind boggling as the first book. I particularly enjoyed the banter between Vikram and Gauri. What I didn't like is the fantasy world in which the story was set upon. Fantasy is my favorite genre but this book's Otherworld/Alaka just didn't tickle my fancy. Not a fan of the dream-like fantasy world that's constantly changing and, even by fantasy standards, hard to explain.
Bottom-line, I'm glad to have met Vikram and Gauri and I am warming up to Roshani Chokshi. :)
I'm glad I did read A Crown of Wishes. I enjoyed this so much more than Star-Touched Queen. I really liked the lead characters (Vikram is legit book boyfriend material) and I thought the prose of this book was not as metaphor-heavy/mind boggling as the first book. I particularly enjoyed the banter between Vikram and Gauri. What I didn't like is the fantasy world in which the story was set upon. Fantasy is my favorite genre but this book's Otherworld/Alaka just didn't tickle my fancy. Not a fan of the dream-like fantasy world that's constantly changing and, even by fantasy standards, hard to explain.
Bottom-line, I'm glad to have met Vikram and Gauri and I am warming up to Roshani Chokshi. :)
melanie_books's review against another edition
3.0
Gauri has a vision for freeing her country of her brother's tyrannical rule. But betrayal and scheming thwarts her insurrection before it can begin. Banished to a neighboring kingdom and captured, she waits to be killed. Salvation may come from an unlikely source, however. Vikram, the Fox Prince meant to carry out her sentence comes to her with a proposition instead: he will help her escape if she will help him compete in the fabled Tournament of Wishes. She reluctantly agree and together they face monsters, mysterious & conniving gods, and a battle of wits. Winning the promised wish seems impossible, when surviving at all is such a challenge.
I enjoyed this story much more than the first book in the series. Gauri, Maya's little sister who was introduced in "The Star-Touched Queen," is a fierce heroine, determined to see her country thrive. Vikram on the other hand is seemingly carefree, but simultaneously frustrated by the future ahead of him. Combined, they butt heads often, but happen to work really well together. The storytelling followed a more coherent pacing/pattern than book 1 which made it easier to follow, but not to the point that it was predictable. The ending, in particular, was really well done and wrapped up both the plots of the individuals as well as that of the couple. In the end, I was glad I didn't stop after the first book!
I enjoyed this story much more than the first book in the series. Gauri, Maya's little sister who was introduced in "The Star-Touched Queen," is a fierce heroine, determined to see her country thrive. Vikram on the other hand is seemingly carefree, but simultaneously frustrated by the future ahead of him. Combined, they butt heads often, but happen to work really well together. The storytelling followed a more coherent pacing/pattern than book 1 which made it easier to follow, but not to the point that it was predictable. The ending, in particular, was really well done and wrapped up both the plots of the individuals as well as that of the couple. In the end, I was glad I didn't stop after the first book!
felipemenendez's review against another edition
4.0
Better than expected to be honest. I enjoyed it much more than the first one.
Glad I gave it another try.
Glad I gave it another try.