Crown of Wishes has everything you could want in a story. Suspense, action, romance, and absolutely gorgeous storytelling. I am in awe of Roshani Chokshi. Her writing is like poetry and you can't help but think what an amazing writer she is! I loved the story, loved the characters, and just pretty much loved everything about this book. It is actually book 2, in the Star-Touched series. You do not have to read them in order. Each book is it's own story. I loved the gradual romance between Guari and Vikram. Both are strong characters with a lot of depth to them. You can't help but love Guari's resilience and Vikram's charm. Clean Y.A. Romance/Fantasy and recommended for ages 14 and up!

I absolutely loved The Star-Touched Queen. Very thankful for having the opportunity to read A Crown of Wishes in advance and as soon as it was released I got my physical copy. Already one of my favorite reads of 2017. Something about Roshani's writing style gives her books that magical touch. Her writing transports you to the world in question immediately, to go along with the character in their journey. A magical journey, a lot of action and incredible character. Cant wait for more books to come. Totally recommend it.

A fantastic book that is an incredible edition to the Star-Touched Queen. Beautiful writing with engaging characters and a fascinating world that I want to continue to read more in.

i loved this beautiful sequel to THE STAR TOUCHED QUEEN. it' was haunting at points, and completely immersive.

A Crown of Wishes, companion to The Star-Touched Queen, was everything that I had hoped for in a continuation of this story. It has the same magical quality to the book and the same beautiful writing. I have seen a lot of people say that they liked this book even better than the first one, but I don't think that I am in that same boat.

This book is every bit as amazing as The Star-Touched Queen was. I loved Gauri. I loved Vikram. I loved their journey to and through the Tournament of Wishes. I was just in the worst book slump of my entire life ever since my calving/Breath of the Wild hiatus and the gorgeous writing kept going over my head. It is so lovely to read, but I just have such a horrible time comprehending such flowery writing sometimes.

Anyway, this book follows Gauri as she meets Vikram in a dungeon in Ujijain before she is set to be executed at the request of her brother, Skanda. He invites her to be his partner in the Tournament of Wishes, held in Alaka in the Otherworld. The challenges start immediately as they are taken prisoner by a group of vanaras before they even hit the Otherworld.

The book is told from the points of view of Gauri, Vikram, and a vishakanya named Aasha that they meet during the first challenge in the Tournament of Wishes.

Gauri is fierce, she is brave, she is a soldier skilled in battle. She wants what is best for Bharata, even if she doesn't always go about doing what is best in the right way. She is the heir to Bharata, but she was sent away to be executed.

Vikram is cunning and smart. He is soon to be the ruler of Ujijain, a job that he is ready for, but will only be his in title.

I loved the romance in this book. I love the hate-to-love going on in this book. Gauri only plans to tolerate Vikram until she can get rid of him and make her way back to Bharata to save her friend. Vikram only chooses her as his partner for the Tournament because she fits the description he was given for who his partner should be. Vikram definitely makes more of an effort to be friendly than Gauri. But they really grow on each other in their adventures and I loved it.

The only reason this book fell a little bit flat for me is because this book slump is ruining my life. And as much as I love how beautiful the writing is, I really struggle to comprehend what is being said sometimes. Besides that, this book was everything I had hoped it would be.

If you are a fan of The Star-Touched Queen, Indian mythology, and beautiful descriptions, this book is for you!

2.5 stars.

Well, looks like I'm one of the few dissenting opinions on this one, but this just didn't work for me. I slogged through it. I think my biggest issue was the writing. It was was sumptuous, lush and full, but it was also overwrought with description and created tension and drama while at the same time somehow lacking real tension or the idea that high stakes were involved with these characters. (view spoiler) Purple prose indeed. Cut the fluff and it would have been happily over within 50 pages. It was delicately spun lines of text lacking substance (view spoiler)

Because of the lavish writing, I never connected with the characters. Sure, Vikram and Gauri have a lot of ambition, sure Guari is fierce with her armor (news flash: it's make-up) and Vikram is super clever and smart (but apparently life-adverse from all the dumb things he says/gets into), but I got mixed signals throughout and no real understanding of why they wanted what they wanted (oh sure, they said it over and over and over, but it never really felt real).

Plus, body parts did things that body parts are not supposed to do. Cheeks became scimitars. And the eyes. Oh my. The eyes were never normal eyes. They softened. They darkened. They have their own gravity wells. They. . . well, here's an example:

"Twice, he had pulled her so close that her gaze threatened to eclipse his thoughts. When she danced, her eyes softened. No longer harsh and winter black, but cast and . . . not breathtaking, but breath-guzzling. Breath-devouring. This close, her eyes shone like fragments of night sky. If he looked closer, he wondered whether he'd see stars burst into life behind her lashes." And on.

Yup folks, Gauri's eyes are simultaneously a nebula and a black hole. Potential suitors beware.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Much, much better than the first book in my opinion. The writing is much more beautiful and soft, the plot didn't get boring or predictable and the ending was absolutely spectacular. 5 out of 5 stars, for sure!

Being a huge fan of A star Touched Queen, I simply could not wait to get my hands on the next book in the series. Often times sequels do not live up to their predecessor, but that’s not even remotely the case with this book. A Crown of Wishes was mesmerizing. Beautiful, fluid writing, amazing characters and intense world-building brought this story to life, and now I truly cannot say which book is my favorite.
Gauri and Vikram are stunning characters. They are young and bold, Gauri a warrior and Vikram a prince, both having experienced betrayal, death and loss. With that being said, there is still an innocence to them that I truly adore.
There is no trust between the two characters - Gauri has been held captive by her brother and Vikram has been played by his father, trust is not something either hand over willingly. But, together they enter a contest for one wish. Having never heard of the tournament of wishes, they enter the contest blindly, and quickly learn that they can’t compete alone. Not only are they entered into a contest of unknowns, they are also paired with a known enemy.
I cannot end this review without focusing a little bit more on the writing. It is exquisite! Roshani Chokshi’s use of rich descriptions and perfect word choice casts a magic spell on the reader. Her writing is vibrant and fluid and walks you through a magical realm made up of fantasy and lore. It grips you by the hand as it slowly reveals the depth of the characters, the stunning world and the stories of the people who dare to enter it.
It has to be very obvious that I loved this book!
5/5 stars

I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley for a fair review.

When I requested it, I did not realize that it was the second book in the series, so if I had read the other first (which I will go back and read it) my opinion might differ. Reading the other book, A Star-Touched Queen, would have given me a better beginning perspective. As it was, the book moved a quick pace and was very inthralling. I found the characters both mysterious at times and like-able.

After adoring The Star Touched Queen I was sure I was going to equally love A Crown of Wishes, and when my "wish for it" was granted on Netgalley I was squealing and more than ready to dive into it straight away!

I knew I was going to love it, but I didn't expect it to love it even more than I did TSTQ! Right after finishing ACOW, I was ready to re-read it right away, and that's always the mark of an amazing book for me, because I don't want it to end and I don't want to leave its world!

A Crown of Wishes is a companion/sort of sequel to TSTQ and it shares the same amazing brilliant and lyrical writing, the same immersing descriptions and narrative and the same magical and threatening vibe throughout! It's a wondrous world you'd want to visit but once there you might not be entirely sure if it was such a good idea after all!

Roshani Chokshi always manages to ensorcell me with her words, makes me crave desi food like there's no tomorrow and makes me want to read more Indian/Hindu mythology books! I feel like rushing through the book to find out what comes next but slowing down at the same time to savour every word and description!

I was very happy when I heard that ACOW would be about Gauri because I adored her as Maya's spirited little sister in TSTQ and I simply loved who she had become in this book, strong and full of thorns and I loved her path to realize who she could be and how to became the person she really wanted to be. And I simply adored her interactions with Vikram, the Fox Prince, charming, cunning and entirely too irresistible if irritating at times!

They are to be allies to win the Tournament of Wishes and they don't entirely trust each other too much, although most of the resistance comes from Gauri. They do make quite a fantastic team and their banter is simply perfect! I love how they goad each other, how Vikram challenges Gauri and tries to get to know the fascinating and utterly dangerous girl better without getting himself killed in the process. Just thinking about these two I'm itching for a re-read already!

I just loved the beauty and danger of the tournament and their unexpected allies and enemies and how the different tasks of the Tournament challenge them to work together and to discover things about themselves and about each other.

Brilliantly written, full of magic, wonder and dread! Highly recommended!

Roshani Chokshi hits it out of the park once again in this companion to STAR-TOUCHED QUEEN. The lush, beautiful language and the stunning portrayal of diversity and Indian mythology took my breath away. I will continue to follow Chokshi throughout her career.

When Gauri, the princess of Bharata, meets Prince Vikram while being held captive by his people in Ujijain, her life takes a magical turn. Invited by the Lord of Wealth to participate in his Tournament of Wishes, the two flee Ujijain and make their way into a land of magic to compete for the opportunity to win a wish.

I believe this book is based around Indian mythology, which was a fresh and interesting genre for me. I love the world the book is set in, with unusual magical beings and fantastic world-building. The game-style story was very reminiscent of books like Caraval, so it was really nice to see this one done in an entirely different setting – it made the story a bit different from others like it.

I liked the characters – Vikram and Gauri are both sweet and relatable – and I loved Roshani’s writing style. For a while, I felt Aasha’s storyline was a bit irrelevant, but she did start to fit into the book better towards the end. For me, the book could have been longer: the story felt a little rushed. Gauri and Vikram had barely arrived in Alaka before they’d completed their tasks and the tournament was over. It could have contained a lot more detail and slower pacing without becoming too long or too descriptive.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot more than I was expecting. It’s creative, well written, and the romance between Gauri and Vikram is lovely (not too angsty or forced like so many YA romances are). I would definitely read more from Roshani Chokshi.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a companion novel to Chokshi’s Star-Touched Queen. Princess Gauri has lost her crown to her ambitious brother. He has gone so far as to tell the neighboring kingdom, now holding her prisoner, that they should kill his sister. Vikram is the Prince of that kingdom and he admires Gauri’s strength and determination. Instead of murdering her, he invites her to be his partner in the Tournament of Wishes. Gauri does not like him and it is with reluctance that she pairs with him for the contest. Vikram and Gauri throw verbal barbs at each other, making their tenuous relationship very entertaining. Vikram is particularly witty and likable while Gauri is more surly. The magical tournament is filled with Indian mythological creatures and legends. Somewhat like Caraval, the rules are mysterious and contestants must figure out what they are looking for and how to accomplish each phase of the contest. The mystical elements are exotic and fascinating, adding to the book’s allure. While the book isn’t as intriguing as Caraval, it has great merit. 3.5*

I really have enjoyed the darker edge that Roshani Chokshi's books have. These are not fantasy worlds full of beautiful and wonderful things, they are fantasy worlds full of fear and death. I think that is refreshing to read about and I really enjoy the detail she puts into the descriptions. I read and loved The Star-Touched Queen and was happy to get this book from NetGalley. It is more of a companion to TSTQ, you don't really have to have read the first to understand the second. The storyline between Gauri and Vikram is great and I loved it- right until the end. I felt like Gauri changed and she fell into the standard trope of a girl obsessed with a boy. That was disappointing. Overall I really enjoyed the book and love the world of Chokshi, but I wish Gauri had stayed more true to herself.

I had no idea going in that this book did not follow the main characters from the first book and that had me a little disappointed; although the idea of having a competition to gain a wish intrigued me.

While this book had so many amazing aspects I could not shake the disconnect I had with the writing style. The mystical type of writing is not my favorite it lets the reader interpret the meaning and themes of the books a bit too much and for some, that is great, it just isn't for me.

The characters and world building, however, a amazing! The Indian mythology is so interesting to read about even though it is hard to pick out and relate to since I did not grow up learning about it. I loved the romance between Vikram and Gauri they are a powerful and magical match and I love them!

DNF at 35%.

I really enjoyed "The Star-Touched Queen" but this one just isn't grabbing me. The characters of Gauri and Vikram aren't gelling, and I'm uninterested in their obviously-impending romance.

It isn't the author's fault, but the plot is extremely similar to Stephanie Garber's 'Caraval,' which I read recently and wasn't enthralled by: two attractive young people must gain entry to a magical 'game' in order to win a wish; the girl's main goal being to save another young woman, although she might be distracted by the attractiveness of the young man...

Maybe it's my mood, but I have lots more to read!

I can never say enough times how much I love this author. She spins such tales so effortlessly I am amazed every time I turn the page. The stories she writes and the characters she gives life to are so unlike anything I've read before and every time it leaves me wanting more. I am stupefied and left speechless time and time again.

“He’d built his life on wanting the impossible – true power, recognition, a future – and now magic had found him when he’d stopped looking.”

I bought myself a copy of Roshani Chokshi’s The Star Touched Queen last year, and immediately dove in. While the book started off absolutely brilliantly, in the middle, the writing and the magic fused to become a very vague thing which had me not loving it as much as I hoped I would.

I wasn’t sure if I would read A Crown of Wishes but Roshani with her One Line Wednesdays, all the bloggers saying it was amazing and also, THE COVER THAT IS TOO GORGEOUS FOR WORDS convinced me to put it on my Wish list, and then the LOVELY folks at Macmillan sent me a review copy! *sends happy hugs*

Truth be told, I’M SO SO SAD that this book is over because I LOVED EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF IT, and now I’m going to miss Gauri and Vikram SO much.

This book was BRILLIANT. I loved everything in it and everything it offered me. Let me break it down for you:

1. ROSHANI’S WRITING: If NOTHING else will make you believe in Magic, Roshani Chokshi’s writing style will. The way she crafts her words together, her descriptions about things both ordinary and extraordinary and just her general ability to bring everything alive on a page is unparalleled. I had at least four moments where I just sat back after a particularly well done scene and just MARVELLED AT THIS LADY’S SHEER TALENT.

2. GAURI AND VIKRAM: I loved these two characters together, but even more than that, I LOVED THEM INDIVUDIALLY TOO. The fact that this story was told from both their points of view, and showed us how they thought, their dreams, hopes and desires separately and then slowly, how they wanted the other was EVERYTHING I was looking for.

I loved that there was no real distinction between general male and female roles. At no point was Gauri the weaker one or vice versa, and that the two of them needed each other equally. Their power, their wit and their courage was equally matched, which is just what all fantasies, contemporaries and real relationships need to be.

3. THE BANTER: Honestly, BEST. BANTER. EVER. I LOVED it. They were these two firecrackers being set off by and it was hilarious and filled with chemistry and made their relationship so much better. My heart exploded into feels in the last chapter of the book in the Ujjain gardens because AWWWWW. Seriously, best relationship development I’ve seen in a while.

4. THE PLOT: The plot is only second-best to the magical writing and perfect characters in this book, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t GREAT anyway. I can’t describe it without spoiling the magical journey that Roshani’s journey will take you on, but suffice it to say that IT IS A VERY WELL CONSTRUCTED BOOK.

Undeniably magical and witty, A Crown of Wishes is a book shaped masterpiece.

So good. I don't know what else I can say about it. This series is just so good.

A well-written and enjoyable book, I am glad I requested this title and will be more than happy to pass the title along to my fellow library purchasers.