Publication: August 7, 2018 by St. Martin's Press
(I received an ARC from Netgalley and St. Martin's in exchange for a review)

Publisher's Summary:
Three lush and adventurous stories in the Star-Touched world.

Death and Night

He was Lord of Death, cursed never to love. She was Night incarnate, destined to stay alone. After a chance meeting, they wonder if, perhaps, they could be meant for more. But danger crouches in their paths, and the choices they make will set them on a journey that will span lifetimes.

--I'd previously read/reviewed "Death and Night" earlier this year. Chokshi's writing is rich, vibrant and sensuous in its detail and world building. I want to wrap myself up in her descriptions and dive head first into the beautiful, intriguing stories. I still love this first novella, kicking off the Star-Touched Queen series. It is a beautiful story--lush, dark yet romantic.

Poison and Gold

Now that her wish for a choice has come true, Aasha struggles to control her powers. But when an opportunity to help Queen Gauri and King Vikram's new reign presents itself, she is thrown into the path of the fearsome yet enchanting Spy Mistress. To help her friends, Aasha will have to battle her insecurities and perhaps, along the way, find love.

--Aasha was one of the stand out characters from A Crown of Wishes. I was delighted that she got her own story. The pacing was great as was Aasha's physical and internal journey to accept her future and who she is because before you can find fulfillment with another, you must first love yourself.

Rose and Sword

There is a tale whispered in the dark of the Empire of Bharat-Jain. A tale of a bride who loses her bridegroom on the eve of her wedding. But is it a tale or a truth?

--This was another lovely story, set several generations in the future with Gauri and Vikram's grandchildren. We do get a lovely tale featuring the peril Gauri must once again endure to save Vikram before their wedding. This story reminded me a lot of the myth Orpheus and Eurydice. What sacrifice and challenge would you face for love? A beautiful tale, both lovely and bittersweet. I might admit to some tears at the end!

Overall, a masterfully written set of novellas!

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This collection of short stories was written beautifully. I loved the ability to be able to see the untold stories from The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes. While you don’t technically have to have read the previous books it would definitely make a lot more sense to you if you did.

Death and Night:
I loved the chance of getting to see the beginning of the love story that we later explore further in The Star-Touched Queen. This is the story we are told about but never really told. It really helped me to understand Death’s character a lot more. Death is afraid to fall in love because of the curse that has been placed upon him but then he meets Night and realizes that he has no control over whether or not he will fall in love. I loved watching Death and Night grow to know each other and slowly let down all their guards. I also loved seeing the gifts that Death made for her, both because it was interesting to see them already knowing them from the previous book but also because they were just so beautifully described.

Poison and Gold:
I was really happy to get to this story as it follows the characters in A Crown of Wishes, and although I really enjoyed both The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes, A Crown of Wishes was by far my favorite. To get to further delve into the lives of Gauri and Vikram was a treat. This story in particular follows Aasha and she begins training to be Gauri and Vikram’s new Spy Mistress all while battling the fear that she is no longer in control of her deadly powers. I had grown to like Aasha’s character in the previous book and this story was no different. Even though it is a short story I think we really got the chance to see Aasha’s character grow. She starts to become more sure of herself and dare I say she might even fall in love. I will admit to this story being a little slower than the other two stories in this book, but still fully enjoyable.

Rose and Sword:
This story really hit me in the feels. I want to see more of these characters and the fact that Gauri is a grandmother passing along this story to her granddaughter has me release that this is the end of the characters for me. I did think this was the perfect ending to A Crown of Wishes and we got to see the love between the characters. This was my favorite story in this book.

Overall I think Roshani Chokshi is a beautiful writer and I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

Fans of Roshani Chokshi's Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes will welcome the opportunity to read more about their favorite characters as well as meet new ones in these 3 novella length stories. Told with Ms. Chokshi's signature vividly descriptive storytelling that paints pictures in the mind's eye, Indian-style folk lore of love and the otherworld is brought to life in screaming colors.



Two beings destined to be alone as they work in darkness find unexpected love together, while Aasha has left the otherworld to be with Gauri and Vikram, but in order to stay with her friends she must rise to the challenge of training to be a Spymistress, learning every characteristic of danger and poison. A bride loses her bridegroom on the eve of their wedding, and must face death to win him back.



Lush descriptions make Ms. Chokshi's stories to come to life, and these novellas are no different, as the heroes fight for their destinies in a colorful world where the line between the world and the otherworld is thin.



Written for young adult audiences I think that a PG-13 rating is appropriate as Vikram is well known to make crass jokes, as well as some adult themes. A good compliment to the previous books in the series, it helps to have at least read A Crown of Wishes, before reading this collection.





Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

I’m a huge fan of Chokshi’s books. I fell in love with Star Touched Queen and Crown of Wishes was one of my all time favorite books. But, I struggled a little with this one. The writing was gorgeous, as usual. And I love the setting. I just had a hard time getting into the book.

The first story felt a little slow for my taste. As much as I love all of the characters, I had a difficult time really investing in the story. I did enjoy parts of the story, though. But after I started in on the second story, I began to feel more interested. By the end, I was back to loving what I was reading.

Now, I should say that I’m not always a fan of short stories. I have a hard time feeling fully invested in a story that is only twenty pages or so. I’d hoped to have an easier time because I already knew and loved these characters, and in the last two stories that was totally the case. But the first one wasn’t as exciting for me.

On the whole, this book was good. If you love Chokshi’s other works, I’d suggest giving these a read. They’re quick reads and give a nice insight into the lives of so many delightful characters.

Star-Touched Stories is a beautifully written addition to the Star-Touched Queen series. Prepare to laugh and cry (I definitely needed tissues). This book sees the return of some old favorites and the introduction of some new characters. Roshani Chokshi is truly a magician with words and her full skill is evident in these pages. Prepare to be transported back into this wonderfully magical world. While you technically don’t need to read the first two books in the series to understand this one, there are spoilers for the first two in the second two stories.

Since this is a short story collection, I wanted to include a few thoughts on each story.

Death and Night: This one was just so much fun to read. It tracks the courtship of the Lord of Death and Night as they navigate misunderstandings, getting to know each other, and curses. I loved how the front they each presented to the world was slowly unraveled and how they only fell in love once they truly knew each other. Chokshi captures the essence of a new relationship and, although this one has magic galore, it feels entirely relatable.

Poison and Gold: This is one that I would love to see expanded into a full-length novel. Focusing on Aasha, one of the more minor characters from A Crown of Wishes, Poison and Gold delves into the world of spies and secrets. Although the focus was more on figuring out who you are, the romance was absolutely adorable and surprisingly heart-warming for something that involved so much poison and death.

Rose and Sword: Rose and Sword was the one story that made me cry. This one was so beautifully tragic, sweet, and romantic. It details what happened to Gauri and Vikram after A Crown of Wishes and perfectly captures what it means to truly choose to love someone day after day. This one was probably my favorite in this book (but all three were fantastic). Just make sure you have a tissue or two handy.

For me, the mark of a good book is how strongly I want to reread it one day. With Star-Touched Stories, I was tempted to begin reading again as soon as I turned the last page. Lyrical, magical, and utterly captivating, Star-Touched Stories is a stellar installment in one of my favorite series.

Wow, I really enjoyed reading this collection of stories. I'd already read Night and Death before, but that was awhile ago, so I'd forgotten a lot of it. It was so great to read about these characters some more, and these additional snippets into their lives!

Night and Death was so great to read! It's the story of what happened before Star-Touched Queen, and it explains why Star-Touched Queen happened. I really felt for the dude, his mom's shadow cursed him. And they thought they had beat it, but apparently not. But at least it gets fixed!

Poison and Gold, yeah, it was so great being in Aasha's head, since we hadn't been previously! I empathized with her lack of control over her powers. Her training to become the Spy Mistress was so interesting! Loved to read it!

Rose and Sword was bittersweet. I mean, it's the story of Gauri and Vikram's wedding, so it should be happy, right? Except that he kinda dies, and there's a journey Gauri has to go on. I loved how she was telling this story to her granddaughter, that was so sweet!

This collection of stories was so great, and I enjoyed reading it so much!

A perfect companion to the two novels in the series. All your favorite characters return, even a strange horse you didn’t know you missed.

This book was lovely! I loved getting to know more about the world and the characters from her other stories. If you love Roshani Chokshi’s writing as much as I do you will love this story!!! It always a nice little touch when you get a few additional stories that add more flavor to the characters you fallen in love with.

Roshani Chokshi has a deft hand at her craft, weaving worlds that embrace the reader and take us away, whether it be in her novels The Star-Touched Queen, Crown of Wishes, or this newest bind-up of short fiction that accompanies those two, Star-Touched Stories.

Returning to the world of Otherworldly beings and the humans that interact with them, readers are treated to new faces and old, familiar stories that go on just a bit longer and reveal depths about Death & Night, spy mistresses, and a whispered tale of doomed love.

Roshani Chokshi's eloquent writing remains as beautiful as ever. The worlds crafted trend toward the fantastical, weaving intricate images of gardens and beings at the Night Market. Physicality aside, there's also the depth of feeling the reader gets from the characters. Interacting with one another, it's possible to really understand the depth of want, need, loneliness, fear. These aren't passing mentions that in a lesser hand might just be words. Chokshi's compels the reader to experience heartache right alongside her characters, to laugh with them as mock each other, to long for an answer to their problem just as much.

My favorite tale was "Death and Night", a novella that was the first offering of Star-Touched Stories. It had all of the emotional buildup that I mentioned above, but it also had levity that I think some stories lack when the focus is so much on romance. Gupta, the adviser to Death, was a kick. He was able to make remarks to Death that few others might have dared and his demeanor was overall pleasant.

This book is considered 2.5 of the Star-Touched series, with each story taking place at intervals around the main works (Queen, Crown). I think that it would be possible to read it without having read those two primary books, but there would be something lost in the reading, especially in regards to Poison & Gold, which would actually be a bit spoiler-y for A Crown of Wishes.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.

These stories freaking gutted me. I was ugly crying at the end of them because they were so beautiful. I loved all the stories and just so want someone to smile just for me. Honestly, I know how much I love Roshani's writing, but these were over the top. I can't believe how amazing they were. See a breakdown of each of the stories.

Death and Night: 4.5*
I thought the beginning of this one was a little slow but once it got to the meeting point, I was hooked and enthralled. I am so amazed with how this story turned out.

Poison and Gold: 5*
I loved this one. I liked seeing the world through Aasha's point of view. I would have liked this to be a full length novel to be honest, but I am so happy with how it turned out. I also loved that there was some non-heterosexual romance aspects in this one! It was good representation too. I am so here for all of it.

Rose and Sword: 5*
HEY GUESS WHAT. THIS STORY BROKE ME INTO A MILLION PIECES AND PUT ME BACK TOGETHER. Don't read this if you don't want to cry!!! Ugh. I just loved it so much. So so much. I'm crying thinking about it again.

Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable collection of stories centering around characters from The Star Touched Queen & A Crown of Wishes. It did take me a while to get into the stories but I think if I would have read this collection closer to when I read the main stories, I would have devoured them. It just took me a while to get back into the world and in tune with Roshani Chokshi's writing. I needed a refresher of what had happened, especially for the first story because I had forgotten some of the mythology underlying the story. However, by the time I was halfway through the second story, I quickly finished the rest. If I had to pick a favorite, it was probably the third story, Rose and Sword, mainly because my favorite ghost horse makes an appearance!

I'd definitely recommend this, especially if you just finished both of her previous books. It's like a little cherry and sprinkles on top of the deliciousness that was the Star-Touched Queen & A Crown of Wishes.

My rating is 3.5 out of 5 stars. This review is based off an arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for honest reviews.

Thank you so much for this surprise ARC. It was wonderful to revisit the Star Touched Queen world, and Roshani's writing is so dreamy and romantic that it just draws you in and keeps you there.

The stories surpassed my expectations. The writing is gorgeous, vivid, and perfectly captures the magical essence and settings. I was partially pulled in by the first story Death and Night mainly because the romance didn't feel right. Death pursues Night despite her rejections, but she develops feelings for him later? Out of loneliness? She deserves better. I found it hard to sympathise with Death. 

The other two stories were stronger plot, character and emotionally wise. Poison and Gold is the best one. Aasha turned out to be more interesting than I expected. Her goals are so relatable that it hurts and I love her character development as well as her relationship with Zahril the Spy Mistress.  

Gauri and Vikram continue to be delightful and a pang in the heart. Their story was a satisfying, bittersweet ending to the series. I miss them already.

Was not disappointed by these short stories by Roshani Chokshi. Her trademark prose elevates all the stories, weaving decadent, beautiful tales. Thoroughly enjoyed.

I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of The Star Touched Queen! Chokshi's writing never disappoints with its flowery and romantic descriptions of the Star Touched world.

this book was really magical. it left me in tears with the last story. I really enjoy the author's magical writing style and can't wait for more books by her.

I was really excited to be getting to see the world and characters I fell in love with while reading The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes, while also getting to know a few different characters and seeing a little bit more of the magical world I fell in love with. I hadn't read any of Roshani Chokshi's shorter writings, so I was excited to see what she would do with the different writing style required for shorter work.

The characters in all three of the stories were all developed enough to allow me to imagine them, but the smaller details are not there. Someone who hasn't read the novels these stories are set in the world of might not be able to fully grasp the characters personalities or appearances, but as an accompanying novella collection, I think it works really well. I especially loved the second story, Poison and Gold, for the view of Aasha it offers that we didn't fully get to see in A Crown of Wishes. I loved seeing the 'after' for her. In the last story, Rose and Sword, getting to know Gauri's granddaughter a little made me both proud and sad, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.

The stories are set in both Bharat-Jain and the Otherworld. The stories are also all set in different periods of time in these worlds that aren't seen in either of the attached novels, which I especially enjoyed. Death and Light is set in the Otherworld long before the beginning of The Star-Touched Queen, Poison and Gold is set in Bharat-Jain just after the end of A Crown of Wishes, and Rose and Sword is set some decades after the end of A Crown of Wishes in both Bharat-Jain and what I can only assume is Death's domain. They're all developed nicely for the story lengths, but I don't think someone who hasn't read the two accompanying novels will be able to appreciate the worlds quite so much as someone who has.

The stories themselves flow very well. Roshani's poetic prose jumps off the page and pushes the story along at a nearly perfect pace from beginning to end. I went into the collection hoping her writing would shine as much in short story format as it does in novel format and she did not disappoint me at all! Everything flows perfectly and makes sense, though I'm not sure if that's because I read both of the attached novels already and have a good understanding of the characters and the world they exist in or if it's because of how clear the story is written here.

Either way, I truly loved reading this collection of stories and I'm so glad to have been given the opportunity to read them before their release date, though there is already a spot on my shelf waiting for them when I can get my hands on a physical copy. This is definitely one I will recommend to anyone who loved Roshani Chokshi's other work or anyone who simply loves short stories with lyrical prose.

As this is a sequel, I don’t want to give away too much in way of spoilers. But these short stories were a wonderful addition to the series! The Star Touched Queen is a Hades and Persephone retelling set in the Middle East and it is gorgeous and atmospheric and a must-read for Fantasy fans. And in this short story collection we got a little more plot, a little more character development, and a lot more EMOTIONS. Seriously! I could not tell which way my feelings were going! Any fans of the series will surely love this collection! And I can’t wait to add it to my shelves.

Continuing with the characters and mythic, magical realism of The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes, Roshani Chokshi’s newest release, Star-Touched Stories provides readers with three new stories exploring the universe and relationships she’s established. While some characters are familiar leads, we also get new depth to some who were more on the sidelines of the two novels. With two set after the conclusion on A Crown of Wishes, these stories also provide a glimpse of the future should the series continue (and I certainly hope it does).

The thematic tension between fear and faith is the thread that runs through all three tales. In Death and Night, the fear of a curse first drives Death to court Night and then threatens the relationship that starts to blossom between them. Poison and Gold follows Aasha’s journey navigating the mortal realm and the court of her close friends, Gauri and Vikram. When her fear puts those she loves in danger, she must master it or risk being banished from their inner circle. But as she masters the balance between being human and being a vishakanya, old fears are replaced with new ones. Lastly, Rose and Sword tells a tale of Gauri’s deepest fears about her relationship with Vikram.

The themes in Chokshi’s stories find strong support in the narrative approaches used to tell each—a variety of approaches that also help each story to stand surefooted on its own. Death and Night, is very much an exercise in perspective. As Death courts Night, the narrative switches between their points of view, overlapping in a way that provides only the reader with the complete emotional picture. Poison and Gold is much more focused on Aasha’s individual journey. Because of her dual nature, she struggles at times to comprehend why others act the way they do, so limiting it to her perspective is necessary for maintaining (in the reader) a lot of the uncertainty that drives her actions. Rose and Sword has perhaps the most unusual narrative framing of the collection. Utilizing two timelines, it begins a ways into the future but with a scene that in many ways echoes The Star-Touched Queen and the close (but complicated) relationship between two sisters. Soon, the young girl, Hira, finds her grandmother who begins telling her a tale and it is revealed that Gauri is the grandmother. The heart of the tale she shares is one about herself in the days leading up to her wedding. With the exception of a few brief interruptions from Hira, the bulk of the tale shifts to Gauri in her past—a short time after both A Crown of Wishes and the story immediately preceding it take place. The ultimate outcome of the story is given close to the beginning, allowing the reader to focus not on the events themselves, but on the character at the center of them—Gauri—and the personal growth she must undergo in order to achieve her goal.

My only complaints about Star-Touched Stories all speak to the book’s strengths: 1) there weren’t enough stories and 2) it’s left me wanting so much more to this series. I want to know more about what’s taken place in the time between Poison and Gold and Rose and Sword. I want small, side stories and backgrounds for so many more characters in this universe. I truly hope that Star-Touched Stories is only another stop in this world and that Chokshi will venture to bring readers like myself to this series many more times in the coming years.

Star-Touched Stories will be available August 7, 2018.

The Star-Touched Queen series just gets better and better with each book. With three stories related to The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes, these stories will leave you both satisfied and wanting more. Of course, there were stories I preferred over others, so let's get into the nitty gritty!

Night and Death
Rating: 4 stars

I read this one last year when it was released as a short story and I'm happy to see that it's found a family. I mentioned in my review last year that I wished that Night and Death came out before The Star-Touched Queen because it provided a lot of background on Amar that we didn't get to see in The-Star Touched Queen.

Poison and Gold
Rating: 3 stars

I'm sorry to say that Poison and Gold fell flat for me. I couldn't give it anything less than 3 stars, but I felt that it was missing the emotion and magic that I had grown to expect from this world. I loved Asha from A Crown of Wishes, but I wanted to feel the connection between her and her love interest. My favorite scenes from this story involved Gauri and Vikram, which doesn't say much for Asha's stage presence.

Rose and Sword
Rating: 5 stars

This. This is the story that we're all here for! If you fell head-over-heels in love with Gauri and Vikram (like any rational human-being), this beautiful story was written for you. This story had me in tears for the majority of it, and I felt that it wrapped up the series almost perfectly. When you crack this one up, make sure you have the tissue box handy. Because you don't understand, you will cry.

Short N Sweet: Star-Touched Stories includes faces and places that we've all come to love. This is a satisfactory conclusion to an epic adventure.