4 stars

Link: http://dulivre.blogspot.com/2017/05/book-review-death-and-night.html#more

Death and Night was full of romance and magic, I hope Chokshi returns to this world.

Plot: Death and Night took place in another place at another time; it explored Amar and Maya's love story before the events of The Star-Touched Queen. I don't remember too much of The Star-Touched Queen, but Death and Night stood on its own as a solid romance. It was a lot longer than I expected and truth be told, I wouldn't mind a continuation of this love story.

Characters: Death and Night was comprised of the characters from The Star-Touched Queen, some characters I remembered more than others, but they all had their personalities flourish on the pages of Death and Night. My biggest complaint in The Sar-Touched Queen was that Amar didn't have much explanation for his sudden obsession with Maya; I felt the opposite in Death and Night. Amar's character was well-developed and I sympathized with him time and time again. I almost wish this novella was released first, I think it would have enjoyed The Star-Touched Queen a bit more.

Worldbuilding: Death and Night and I got off to a rocky start. Night's being and her relationship to this world was murky at best. I struggled to understand where I was and get used to this world that I fell easily into with A Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes. After the fist 40 pages, I got the grove of Death and Night and couldn't put it down.

Short N Sweet: Death and Night was a much-needed novella to help shape The Star-Touched Queen's epic love story.

What can I say about this novella when reading Roshani Chokshi's words is like stealing your first kiss? When every single page feels like love and trepidation coursing your body. Her writing is the feeling you get when your lover lowers his head in for a kiss - her writing is that moment between the kiss.

I have read The Star Touched Queen and it is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. When I saw the prequel on NetGalley of Death and Night I just had to read it. The book follows the story of Death first courting Night. It was everything I wanted and more. It left me sighing, full of wonder and full of hope. This is what it feels like to read her books. She is a master of prose and an absolute, utter and hopeless romantic.

This book is perfect for those of us who love to imagine, to love, to hope and to dream.

I received the arc Netgally for an honest review, this book amazing just like TSTQ & ACOW! I loooove seeing more of how Gupta acted in this book he was so enjoyable . I can see how he was a great friend to Death. I liked that we got to see the friendship of Night(Maya) & Nritti & how Neitti fell in love. I also love Death(Amar) he was like I don't care for love my heart was broken already, but this curse is on me; so funny. I like how we got to see how the glass garden was made for Night. Also, the hooded cloak Amar(Death) wore was cool to know how he got that. Also, how Night(Maya) thought of it first time seeing him in it.... Everything is just coming together you can connect all the dots & see how everything become in this story I love it!

I was incredibly excited when I learned that Death and Night was going to be a released. I absolutely loved both The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes, and I couldn’t wait to read more of the world of the series, and in particular the past of Maya and Amar from The Star-Touched Queen.

I’m entirely unsurprised by the fact that I loved Death and Night. I have loved every single word of Roshani Chokshi’s that I have ever read, and I don’t think that will ever change. She is hands down one of my favourite authors, and I cannot wait to read whatever wonderful stories she brings into this world.

One of the reasons why I love The Star-Touched Queen series so much is because of the romance. I love me a good romance, and Chokshi knows how to write them. I fell head over heels for Vikram in A Crown of Wishes, and I adored Maya and Amar as a ship in The Star-Touched Queen. I’m incredibly happy to say that Death and Night didn’t fail me in the romance aspect. I swooned, I sighed, I fell in love with Amar and Night’s love. I was extremely glad that this novella wasn’t a 20 page one, but in fact 115 pages long, because I felt like I really got to know the characters and their feelings.

The beginning was a tad confusing because there’s a lot that Amar doesn’t express about the curse but it was revealed later on, which made up for it. Speaking of Amar, I feel like he was a lot sassier in Death and Night than The Star-Touched Queen, which I liked. It didn’t take away from his moody and broody attitude, which is one of the reasons I liked him so much to begin with, and instead added an extra layer of characterisation.

As with all of Chokshi’s work that I have read the words in Death and Night were lyrical and gorgeous. It was easy to tell the difference between Amar’s POV chapters and Night’s POV chapters, which I always appreciate in multiple POV books, especially when they’re in first person. There was also this lovely storytelling aspect to both of the POVs, which added a really nice touch to it. It felt like Amar and Night were both sitting down and telling me about how they met and fell in love.

Reading Death and Night, and learning so much more about the characters and their pasts immediately made me want to go back and re-read The Star-Touched Queen. Now that I know more I feel like The Star-Touched Queen will be even more beautiful than it was the first time.

Overall, I really enjoyed Death and Night, and if you liked The Star-Touched Queen and want more from the world of the series then I say that you definitely need to get your hands on a copy of this gorgeous novella.

© 2017, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.

Rating: 3.5 stars.
The fact that this author made me feel all the feels and laugh in a 100 page novella tells a lot about how awesome Roshani Chokshi is. I absolutely loved the dialogue! It was either very witty or very romantic but all in all, it was freaking beautiful. The only reason I didn't absolute love this novella is that there were some pretty confusing parts. If you loved either A Crown of Wishes or The Star-Touched Queen, you will love Death and Night.

Lush, a bit scary, and beautiful as ever. Roshani Chokshi is a masterful story teller and this addition to the Star-Touched Queen world will not disappoint you.

Beautiful, lyrical and charming, with a liberal dose of humor and, of course, romance. This was everything I'd want in a novella.

Once again I am in love with Roshani Chokshi's writing. She manages with her words to pluck stars from the sky and pour their magic on pages. The descriptions of the Night Bazaar and divine creatures that visit it are out of a dream images - I felt like I've woken up and found myself in a magical fairy tale walking the streets of the Night Bazaar with the characters.

Death and Night is a prequel story of how Amar and Maya - characters of The star-touched queen met for the first time in Maya's previous life. We were told about their first life together in TSTQ, but here we have a more detailed glimpse on how they fell in love for the first time. I especially enjoyed Amar's - Death's chapters. Back then he was still young at heart and not as mysterious and stark as he's in TSTQ. His interactions with Gupta - his only friend and advisor - were priceless. Their friendship in a short span of time became one of my favorites. Maya - Night is a more confident but gentle girl than she's in TSTQ, where she was deprived of love and kindness from early childhood. In this short story both Amar and Maya look and feel like different persons, but little snippets of conversations they have reminded me of their interactions in TSTQ, and that's when you understand these are the same characters but shaped by different surroundings. This seemingly short story adds so much more to the characters' arc and invites us back to the world of The Star-touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes. And I enjoyed every moment of it.

Before they donned the names of Amar and Maya, they were Death and Night – both destined to loneliness like a coat. Death is determined never to love as a curse looms upon him. Soon however it is clear that he cannot go without a wife. He makes a proposal to girl with constellations on her skin and thus begins a game that will have them chase each other across countless lifetimes.

I read The Star-Touched Queen practically the day it came out and breezed through it. Despite the little issues I had with it, it instantly became one of my favourites. I fell in love with everything – the world, the characters, the writing. The only big issue I had was that it was a stand-alone meaning we’re not getting any more of Maya and Amar. You can probably imagine how I felt when I found out about Death and Night. I’m going to try and keep this review short since this is a short novella, but I make no promises.

Let me talk about Chokshi’s writing. It’s so melodic and so mesmerizing. The words alone are an enchantment, the worlds she creates even more so. There’s something so beautiful about her style – it’s like rediscovering a favourite song or taking a midnight walk on the beach. I can never get enough of it.

Speaking of never getting enough of things – I love Maya and Amar. There is no limit to my love for them. It simply does not exist. I loved them in The Star-Touched Queen and I loved in this little novella. It was honestly so amazing to read about them in a different setting than the ones we’ve already seen them in. They are different, yet the same. Simply put, they are amazing.

Their romance in this novella progresses more slowly than in TSRQ, which made me enjoy it all the more. It’s no secret I’m a sucker for slow-burns, especially when there’s an added “I won’t fall in love” stubbornness that always comes back to bite the character in the arse. Death and Night fed my appetite so well that I’m now stuffed to the brim.

Overall, Death and Night is a beautiful (and beautifully written) novella that shows us where the story really began all those lifetimes ago. The characters are as charming as they were in The Star-Touched Queen and, if possible, made me love them even more. The only qualms I have with this novella is that it was simply too short, I need more.

As per usual, Roshani Chokshi's writing is gorgeous. I would honestly read anything she wrote ever, no matter what the plot was, just to be able to read her writing. She is one of the best YA writers around right now, for sure.

This book also made me realise how desperately I want to reread both The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes. The world she writes about is so wonderful and her characters interact so amazingly that these books are definitely right near the top of my list of books I'll rec every time.

The one problem I had with The Star-Touched Queen when I read it is that it felt majorly instalove-y. This novella gives you the background that was missing to that. And while that doesn't take away the instalove vibes of the book, it does help. The only problem with the novella, however, is that it ends rather abruptly. There's about 115 pages of slow (ish) build-up and then the ending is rushed through in 7 pages. But overall, it's a solid, enjoyable short story.

Oh my god, was this gorgeous. Roshani Chokshi outdid herself with her ethereal writing and answered questions I had carried around with me ever since I read her debut novel. This prequel seamlessly blends in with The Star-Touched Queen, told from the points of view of both Amar and Maya - Death and Night respectively - and allowing an even more profound acquaintance with the characters, primary and secondary. I pined and laughed and sighed through the novella, delighting in the otherworldly descriptions.

I would even say I liked Death and Night more than the main work, and I already gave 5 stars to that one, so what am I to do? Give it 5 stars again? Yes.

I had really mixed feelings over last year's THE STAR TOUCHED QUEEN so when I saw this prequel available for order, one that spent time on the previous lives of book one's main characters, that would maybe convince me of this everlasting love, I jumped at the chance.

<i>I wanted to spend my life with someone who made eternity too short.</i>

But some of the same problems I had with Chokshi in book one are also present in this novella. While her writing is beautiful it's kind of like Ahdieh's WRATH & THE DAWN but to a super purple flowery extreme. It's.. too much. Lovely and enchanting but often confusing as hell and you end up losing the plot and the point. I did enjoy the interactions of the characters, Dharma Raj and Gupta, and the flirting and banter between the Lord of Death and Night, though. When using her skills on dialogue and wit, Chokshi is wonderful. Her writing dazzles. But even bright and beautiful things can blind you.

"<i>You'll court me with tales of bitter disillusionment and jaded tales of love? Please excuse me while I swoon at your feet.</i>"

My problem became that this didn't really enlighten me on the events of THE STAR TOUCHED QUEEN. I'm still more or less confused. I had hoped for some answers and really all I got was a love story that defeated a curse.. but.. how? I just don't know.

I think this novella will definitely help flesh out the first story in this series for those readers who fell in love with it but wanted more. But if you're like me and had hopes that this would actually help explain things.. you might be out of luck.

2.5 "so pretty it hurts my brain" stars

* Please note that I have not read any of the Star-Touched Queen books yet *

This story was just absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful. Not only did the story completely suck me in with its mysterious romance and intrigue, but Chokshi's writing was just so poetic, melodic and stunning to read.

"For a handful of moments, the sky would turn monstrous, purpled and marbled as if someone had beaten it senseless. One might call it cruel. And yet without it, you'd never notice the stars"

The story of Death and Night is a tale of two powerful star-crossed lovers. Death haunts the mortal world, taking souls with him and deciding the fate of reincarnation and Night spends her time dancing and weaving the magic of nighttime and dreams into the world. Both are outcasts to the Otherworld in some form or another and both have immense power at their dispense. Both are feared.

What I found extremely interesting was that both Death and Night are struggling with their ability to choose. Death is terrified of falling in love due to the curse he has been put under and Night is scared of her power and her influence being overlooked.

"Fear is like a curse. But I choose differently."

What I also immensely appreciated about this book was that the story and characters were weaved into a diverse and interesting culture (which I assumed to be Indian). It added a lot of depth to the story.

The romance between Night and Death was extremely electrifying without there needing to be that much physical affection shown. This story really brought out what love really is about, and that's it's something that is out of our control and can happen without us even realising it. It's about not wanting to live without the other and knowing that your partner is building you up to be the best version of yourself that you deserve to be.

Death has found his perfect equal and Night has found the one who will elevate her to the position of recognition that she deserves.

"I want to lie beside you and know the weight of your dreams. I want to share the whole worlds with you and write your name in the stars. I want to measure eternity with your laughter. Be my queen and I promise you a life where you will never be bored. I promise you more power than a hundred kings. And I promise you that we will always be equals."

This story was truly an amazing read and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in a short and romantic novella!

I've wanted to read The Star-Touched Queen forever and I've tried to start it a few times but I've always been distracted so I thought this little snippet would be the perfect introduction in the world! Death and Night is the speedy little story of how Maya and Amar met and began their relationship. I know from the Star-Touched Queen that Amar is the King of Akaran and Maya is set to marry him to help against the rebellions and politics of their kingdoms but it was great to see that actual attraction and interest between them from the very start.

I think you would love this short story a whole lot more if you have already read the first book because as most prequel stories written mid-series it assumes you know the world and already know the characters. As an outsider to this world, I still found it to be a beautiful and enchanting piece of writing all on its own so I wasn't confused at all and just went along with everything! I think when I finally read the books I'll love Maya straight away because I loved her inner thoughts throughout this book and I'll feel protective of Amar too!

Death and Nights is a prequel to the gorgeous novel The Star-Touched Queen. If you haven't read it yet then get on it! Seriously, the descriptions are beyond beautiful!

Anyway, this novella explores the relationship between Maya and Amar. One of my issues with them in The Star-Touched Queen was just how quickly they fell in love. It's explained why in the novel but I won't go into detail about it here. I don't want to give anything away and spoil the book. It was just too insta-lovey-dovey for me, so thank goodness for this short story because it was PERFECT! I LOVED EVERY BIT OF IT!!! Maya and Amar are just so...so...I don't even have the words to say how romantic and beautiful their love for each was. Oh, and their banter was spot on. I smiled and sighed A LOT. And it's all in a novella! *jaw drop* I know right?! It's really a credit to just how talented Roshani Chokshi is.

I highly recommend this novella to those who have already read and enjoyed The Star-Touched Queen. It's a wonderful prequel and has definitely made me move the companion novel, A Crown of Wishes, further up my TBR list.

Roshani Chokshi has such a lovely writing style and voice. It always manages to whisk one away to whatever world she's crafting. This novella is just as magical and is a wonderful tidbit for those who've already fallen in love with The Star-Touched Queen.

So short! But definitely made me so excited to keep reading more from the author. She is a master at visual imagery and magical stories.

I fell in love with The Star-Touched Queen long ago, and this novella is a beautiful, light prequel to that tale.

Death and Night both wander the world alone, Death in his palace with his faithful friend Gupta and Night in her dream fruit orchards with the beautiful Nritti. When Death hears of the goddess who asks to hear people's dreams in the Night Market and then sees her dancing through the starry sky, he immediately wants her for himself. But she won't accept a partner without love, and secrets will not allow him to give a bride love.

Told in the same lyrical storytelling style as all of Roshani Chokshi's work, this novella is a satisfying tale of how the main characters in The Star-Touched Queen originally met. Death and Night is a short tale, but filled with depth and emotion and poignant description. I would highly recommend to all who love Chokshi's work, but only those who have already read The Star-Touched Queen.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for a fair review!

This novella is a good introduction in the world of the Star-Touched Queen. I'm excited to start the series now.