I adore Roshani Chockshi's writing, it really is magical.There are 3 short stories in this book; Death & Night, Posion & Gold and Rose & Sword. I had already read the first short story in this book, Death & Night, but enjoyed reading it again. The Star Touched Queen is one of my favorite books so I enjoy reading anything in relation to those characters. If you haven't read anything by this author, I highly recommend you do. Her writing is almost poetic, it really is amazing the way she describes things along with her world building. The other two stories are related to the second book in this series, A Crown of Wishes and I really enjoyed both of these as well. I like having novellas that end up filling in some blanks within books and answering some of the questions I have about the characters. The first short story can be read after the first book and the other two after the second book. I think I will probably read anything this author writes because her writing is so magical.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Press for sending me an ARC of this book.

While I haven't read any other books in the Star-Touched Queen series, I found myself enjoying these stories, and I'm actually interesting in reading the rest of the series. I like the world that this series and the stories are set in, and I love the author's writing style. I tried to treat these stories as individual short stories, rather than pieces in a larger series, and I think I appreciated them more that way.

Star-Touched Stories is a compilation of three different stories that all take place in the world of The Star Touched Queen. I always love getting a glimpse of what characters are doing after the book ends. Of course the stories are all beautifully written, which I would expect nothing less from Roshani Chokshi

Death and Night
Ahh this is the story of how the Dharma Raja and Night met the first time. This is probably my favorite of the three stories. It is so sweet how they come together and of course the chemistry is as perfect as it was in The Star Touched Queen. I love going back to the Night Bazaar and experiencing it again through their eyes. We also get some insight to Dharma Raja as well. Plus Uloopi and Nritti round things out.

Poison and Gold
This is actually probably my least favorite of the three stories. I loved Aasha and Zahril but for some reason I didn’t connect as well with the plot. I still liked it and it was so enjoyable to see Aasha find her place. I thought the Spy Mistress part was really interesting, plus Gauri and Vikram are always delightful to read.

Rose and Sword
This one is super sweet and I loved how the story is being told to Hira to help her understand the sacrifice that loving someone can be. How it is worth it to go to the end of the world for someone. Especially because it’s hard headed Gauri that the story is about. Thinking about this one makes me feel like I can’t decide if it’s a tie for my favorite. Ha ha.

If you were a fan of the world The Star Touched Queen World then you definitely need to pick up these stories. It made me happy to read them and I loved revisiting the world. They are such a great addition to the collection.

If you’ve had the pleasure of reading Roshani Chokshi’s Star-Touched Queen and Crown of Wishes books, then you know why I’m enamored with her writing. Beautiful, lyrical prose and engrossing tales that leave you begging for more: she is a modern master storyteller. So when I heard that she was coming out with a series of short stories, I was ecstatic. And I was blown away.

Each story may be self-contained, but you should read her books in order to fully appreciate them. Death and Night is the prequel for the main characters in The Star-Touched Queen. Poison and Gold is a spin-off at the end of Crown of Wishes, following Aasha. And Rose and Sword is the epilogue of Crown of Wishes, spanning decades in a single story. That last one shattered my heart for all the right reasons, and I feel tears coming on as I think about it again.

I loved the chemistry between Night and Death in the first story. Their courtship was actually really cute, while being worthy of an epic. Seeing how their love blossomed, and how their relationships with their friends affected them even before Star-Touched Queen was a great touch. I think, of the bunch, this is the one story that will fill you with love and hope.

Now that Aasha is living with Guari and Vikram after the events of Crown of Wishes, as they prepare to marry and unite their two kingdoms, she is scared that her powers are out of control. She’s deadly and afraid of her own self. But when she is offered the chance to become their spy mistress, it’s an opportunity to find her place in this human world. I loved her training: it’s my favorite part of fantasy tales, to be honest. Seeing characters faced with seemingly impossible scenarios and then using their skills to get out.

As for the last tales, I won’t spoil a thing. It was the shortest of the lot, but the most passionate. It shows me just how powerful Chokshi’s writing can be, on top of beautiful. I’m in awe!

Star-Touched Stories returns to the world of A Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes with three short stories of love, friendship, and self-discovery. Death and Night illustrates that even deities are not exempt from the desire for love and the fear of rejection. In Poision and Gold, a young woman struggling with her identity finds the strength to be herself. And finally, Rose and Sword illuminates both the joy and the pain of intense love. In typical fashion, Roshani Chokshi makes the reader feel like they have been transported to a world of magic and dreams where anything is possible, drawing on the rich well of Indian mythology. The stories revisit some of the beloved characters from the earlier novels, but are also strong stand-alones. Hopefully this won't be the last we see of the Star-Touched universe!

When you look up “beautiful writing” in the dictionary (just go with it…), there’s just a picture of Roshani Chokshi. I have read all of Roshani’s books and there’s something about her writing voice that lends itself so well to the fantasy genre. The way she introduces the world is always just perfectly lyrical and descriptive and flowy and I could wax-poetic all day.

I won't write specific comments for each novella, as I suspect I'll be saying much the same for all three- they all have the absolutely gorgeous writing that Chokshi is known for, and are well rounded novellas that give us more glimpses of the world she has developed. As always, Roshani Chokshi's writing is the highlight of her books.

I had read Death and Night already, when it was released, and I still think that it's my favourite of the three. Reading the novellas just makes me want to go back and read the other books in the series, which I would say is what any good novella should make you want to do.

I would highly recommend reading both The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes before getting started on these stories, because there are some things that may be spoiled somewhat by the novellas. I definitely feel that this collection is for people who are already familiar with the books and want more information about their beloved characters.

Ratings
Overall: 8/10
Plot: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
World Building: 4/5
Characters: 3/5
Cover: 3/5

Death and Night

I loved this novella, it tells us the story of their meeting. If you have read The Star-Touched queen, you already know who I am talking about and we finally see in detail their story. Death and Night are similar on many points but not all. Death is arrogant and confident while Night is a little more reserved even if she doesn’t necessarily have a good character. She’s going to be courted and I think they make a beautiful couple.

Poison and Gold

This story is also very beautiful, if you have read A crown of wishes you already know Aasha, we also find Gauri and Vikram but it is Aasha who is at the center of the story. I loved the Spy Mistress, her bad temper and everything about her job. I liked the evolution of the relationship between Aasha and Spy Mistress. That’s a beautiful story.

Rose and Sword

I really liked this story in the past, with Gauri and her granddaughter. It’s the shortest story in the pile but I really enjoyed it.

'Star-Touched Stories' is a collection of three short stories all set in the Star-Touched world. I'm not usually a fan of short stories in general because they never seem to have enough time to create the vital aspects I want - world building, plot, realistic characters. These stories were the complete opposite and in such wonderful ways. Somehow the author managed to create characters that I could connect within these short pages. She also told fantastic stories that had substance and an actual plot. The major thing that got me was the amazing world building that was done in each story despite their lengths. The author used incredibly detailed descriptions with lush vivid imagery that brought everything in each story to life in front of my eyes. I felt like I was right there inside this wondrous world alongside the characters as their stories were told. To me, these things are hard to find when it comes to short stories - or even some full length novels - and the fact that the author nailed all of the main aspects is amazing to me. I very highly recommend this book to fans of the author's other works as well as readers who enjoy YA fantasy, mythology, and short stories.

I am A HUGE FAN of Roshani Chokshi’s absolutely breath-taking writing style, and I have been since I read The Star Touched Queen, more than two years ago. I don’t usually describe writing like this, but if you’ve ready any of Roshani’s books, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

In fact, it was so good, that this short story collection didn’t even feel like one. I was immersed, spell bound and Star Touched Stories is one of my FAVOURITE reads of the year and also, probably the BEST short story collections I’ve ever read.

I’ll review the three short stories separately:

Death and Night:

This was probably the story I was MOST excited for. I loved the PLOT behind book one, The Star Touched Queen, but somewhere in the middle, the story lost structure. Death and Night is the story of how Maya and Amar met for the first time, before the Shadow Wife’s curse and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. Where The Star Touched Queen was tortured and lacking structure, Death and Night was witty and filled with such beautiful lines and AAAH I LOVED IT!

Poison and Gold:

Truth be told, that while A Crown of Wishes is one of my FAVOURITE books and Vikram and Gauri are one of my favourite desi couples, I didn’t care much for Aasha, who debuted in Vikram and Gauri’s books. Poison and Gold is about Aasha’s story after A Crown of Wishes, and while it was nice, and I LOVED THE LGBT REPRESENTATION, I just wasn’t as into this story as I was with the other two.

Rose and Sword:

I honestly didn’t know what this story was about, before I started.

And when I found out, MY TINY HEART FREAKED OUT BECAUSE OH. MY. GOD.

honestly didn’t expect to see this plot twist that was hinted at in The Star Touched Queen, about a character I fell in love with in A Crown of Wishes, but this story, YOU GUYS, THIS STORY WAS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I’VE EVER READ AND IT WAS JUST SO GLORIOUSLY BEAUTIFUL AND IT ALMOST BROKE MY HEART.

With the small short story, (and I don’t even LIKE most short stories) Roshani Chokshi’s characters have permanently cemented themselves in my heart and I AM JUST SO HAPPY AT THIS MOMENT.

Would I recommend this book? YES, but only after you’ve already read The Star Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes. ESPECIALLY A Crown of Wishes. It’s absolutely beautiful.

You know that feeling when you finish an amazing book, and you just wish for one more scene to revisit that favorite character or that awesome story world? That’s pretty much what Star-Touched Stories is. Every time I ran into a character I remembered from The Star-Touched Queen or A Crown of Wishes, I got so excited. There’s a story about Aasha! And Kamala appears in another one! Yay! And more Gauri and Vikram! I couldn’t have been happier.

The same rich-as-ripened-fruit, delicious writing fills every single page of all three stories. There’s plenty of peppery banter between characters and deep, heart-wrenching emotions. Grab a spoon and eat up every page. (I know... that’s a metaphor which would make Zahril scoff.)

While the stories would stand on their own as interesting tales, it’s hard for me to imagine reading them without first reading The Star-Touched Queen or A Crown of Wishes. I think you could. But I’m pretty sure it’ll make you want more of the story world.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Star-Touched Stories is a group of short-stories, three in total, that take place in the world of Roshani Chokshi’s The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes. I was once again drawn to Chokshi’s beautiful prose, and was reminded of the descriptive imagery and world-building that made me fall in love with her writing in The Star-Touched Queen. Here are my thoughts on each of the stories..
Death and Night: I haven’t read The Star-Touched Queen in a long time, so it took a moment for me to realize that this was a prequel. It’s the story of how Amar and Maya met. I loved the dynamic between the two, and I appreciated the added backstory to these characters that I adored back when I had read The Star-Touched Queen.
Poison and Gold: This story revolves around Aasha from A Crown of Wishes. Aasha is sent away to become Guari and Vikram’s Spy Mistress. It’s a cute love story that shows themes of believing in oneself.
Rose and Sword: A little girl is being told a story by her grandmother, which is a wedding between Night and Death. Once again you see characters from both A Crown of Wishes and The Star-Touched Queen. This story brought me to tears. It's touching and pulls on your heartstrings.
These stories are worth reading just for the beautiful and lyrical writing. I do recommend reading The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes prior to reading these just for the joy of seeing these characters again and getting to experience more of their stories.

It seems like a period of time where I'm just finding writers to enjoy in the most backwards fashion! Earlier this year I reviewed the first book in Chokshi's new middle-grade Pandava Quartet series, Aru Shah and the End of Time and greatly enjoyed her adaptation of Indian mythology and folklore. I wanted to read more of her books and found Star-Touched Stories which contains a novella Death and Night, a prequel to her Star-Touched Queen duology. The story of how Maya (Night) and Death (Amar) meet in a chance encounter is eloquently told, beginning with drawing the soul of a dying man whose wife wishes she could follow her beloved beyond death, into whatever form he takes, wherever he goes. Death puzzles over the depth of the woman's love and the depth of her feelings of loss. Death has been lonely and recognizes that he longs for a queen. But is Death capable of love?

This book also contains the novella Poison and Gold, which explores issues of family, identity, featuring Aasha, released from the vishakanya harem (and Reader, there is historical precedence for this scary collective, as told in the Arthashastra. Young women, imbued with poisons, were used as assassins. An inspiration for Hawthorn's Rappaccini's Daughter, perhaps?), serves her friends Queen Gauri and King Vikram, and learns from a charismatic spymistress, Zahril. This was a lovely story that I enjoyed. Chokshi has a gift for creating moments when her characters' silences are full of emotion and meaning.

The final story, a novelette titled Rose and Sword initially reminded me of the atmosphere of Carson McCuller's Member of the Wedding, as ten-year-old Hira feels rejected and out of place in her sister Meghana's wedding preparations. But the story turns to reflect on a legend of a bride who loses her bridegroom on the eve of her wedding, in the kingdom of Bharat-Jain. But does she really? Along with giving us the legend, Hira's grandmother helps her to learn to discern the truth.

This was an enjoyable set of stories that I didn't feel awkward reading without the background information of the main series under my belt. It did, however, whet my appetite for reading duology. I'm greatly enjoying Chokshi's adaptations of Indian mythology in her work.

Star Touched Stories by Roshani Chokshi is a collection of three stories. Each brings its own uniqueness and is woven in Roshani's complex and detail writing.

Death and Night is one that stood out to me. Roshani gives us a tapestry of a tale filled with culture, myth and imagery. One of the courtship of Night by Death (aka Dharma Raja). Inspired by the heartfelt request of a widow Death feels something missing and searches for someone to be his Queen. His courtship is muddled by a curse laid on him by his false mother that he will lose anyone he loves. Unfortunately for him the object of his courtship will only marry for love. Death and Night is a tale that I enjoyed for the dynamic of innocence, even between immortal beings, and a rich background of myths and legends. It is a sweet endearing tale of the beginning of a timeless love.

Poison and Gold and Rose and Sword also continue to bring characters you already love from the Star Touched Queen series. They give perspectives of event that maybe were seen from a different character. Adding them to the whole of the series gives you an even deeper appreciation and understanding for the stories and world that is already so detailed and complex. Everything adds artfully to the whole experience off the series and in Roshani's stories every detail counts and is appreciated.

Overall, if you are a fan of the other Star Touched books or of any of Roshani Chokshi's work this is definitely one to pick up it gives you just that little bit more that you've been wanting.

I was lucky enough to snag an ARC of Star-Touched Stories (The Star-Touched Queen #2.5) by Roshani Chokshi. I had the pleasure of meeting her a few times at book events before she was published as just a fellow book lover and since her publication and she is so sweet and I have enjoyed this world and previously reviewed the other two books in the series.

Rating: 5 Stars

Star-Touched Stories is a set of short stories or novellas. There are three lush stories full of beauty and adventure. The three stories are : Death & Night, Poison & Gold, and Rose & Sword. All three were brilliant and beautiful. They each were a very decent size/length and just expanded the world we already knew. I loved seeing characters I knew in a different and new way, and what has become of some. There is such a beauty to the way Chokshi has written this world. Everything is so vivid and jumps right off the page. I can't really get into much more of these as I wouldn't want to spoil anything. Just pull up a chair and enjoy these short stories as they pull you deeper into the rich and marvelous world of magic! This is an enchanting addition to the series that anyone who has enjoyed the other books will devour instantly!

I absolutely love Roshani's storytelling. She has this ability to bring her stories to life in a manner that leave you wanting more, while feeling completely satisfied with all she gave you.

I thoroughly enjoyed being back in The Star Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes world with this collection of three short stories. I enjoyed getting to see glimpses of the characters, and their stories. I wouldn't have excepted anything more from any of these stories, considering the world in which they're all set. While I definitely enjoyed each of the short stories, my favorite was Death and Night. Oh my heart at the end of Rose and Sword. I should have seen that ending coming.

If you've read The Star Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes, I highly recommend picking this book up. I'm looking forward to adding this book to my collection of Roshani's stories on my shelves. The only bad thing about short stories, is they leave with this yearning for more, even though they already gave you everything you needed. Now I need to go re-read these stories again.

After reading The Star-Touched Queen, I felt in love with Roshani's writing. There is something mysterious, mystical, calming about it. The way she tells a story, the worlds she creates, makes you forget about everything else and immerse yourself in the characters, in the story. Needless to say I am always looking forward to a new book release and that I will read everything she writes.

In Star-Touched Stories, Roshani presents us with three stories. Death and Night, Poison and Gold and Rose and Sword. I loved every story however, Death and Night holds a special place in my heart because I loved Maya and Amar's characters so much in The Star-Touched Queen, it was so fulfilling to get to know more about them previous The Star-Touched Queen world. Poison and Gold being about Aasha from a Crown of Wishes, and Rose and Sword, which out of the three stories, this one was the one that made me cry the most, oh, that ending.

It has been such a pleasure as a reader to come across Roshani's books. The richness on her world building, her magnificent writing style, her ability to transport us to these magical places and makes us want more and more. Her previous books I read have taken me on an unforgettable journey and Star-Touched Stories was not the exception.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced free copy in exchange for an honest review, and Brittani for inviting me to the Blog Tour.

Star-Touched Stories takes us back to the world of the Night Bazaar and the heavenly courts, introducing us to new characters and revisiting old friends as we once more enter the enchanted realms of the Star-Touched series.

Death and Night
Grade: A Sensuality: N/A

In Death and Night, the veil is pulled back from the realm of gods and we witness a rare, mythical mating. When the Dharma Raja (Lord of Death) goes to take the soul of an elderly man, the man’s wife asks for only one thing: that the man’s soul might wait for her, that they be reborn together. The Dharma Raja contemplates this on his return to Naraka and realizes something: he’s lonely and wishes for the sort of relationship that couple had. But who will marry Death?

Night is a woman of the Otherworld. At the end of each day, she brings darkness and rest to a weary world. Her beauty reflects that; she glitters like stars across the dark skies and the dreams and bedtime stories of the mortal and immortal realms scroll across her skin. When the Dharma Raja steps into her ashram and proposes, she is taken aback. His is a completely practical offer and he takes pains to tell her that there will be no love. She refuses, of course, for who would accept a proposal that doesn’t even hint of affection? But she doesn’t send him away without some hope. And ‘some hope’ is all a god needs to pursue his dreams.

I loved both characters from the moment they were introduced and when they met and interacted, a smile planted itself on my face and didn’t leave till the end of the story. The tale is witty, and charming, and magical and romantic. I absolutely loved it.

Poison and Gold
Grade: B- Sensuality: Kisses

Set in the world of A Crown of Wishes

Poison and Gold is a companion novella to A Crown of Wishes, starring one of the secondary characters from that tale. Aasha is a vishakanya who just wants to experience a mortal life. To that end, she has joined the court of her friends Queen Gauri and King Vikram, working as an advisor. What most don’t realize is that this ‘advisor’ can read the desires of a human heart and can kill with a touch. Since her powers aren’t advertised, however, many on the royal council consider her presence at meetings unnecessary and Gauri and Vikram are being urged to let her go. Their solution to the problem is to train Aasha as a Spy Mistress thus giving her a formal title so that the court can feel comfortable about her presence. So off she goes to learn the art of intelligence gathering.

Aasha had initially been unsure as to whether or not she wanted the official designation of spy, but she quickly warms up to the idea, realizing that it’s a job that suits her personality perfectly. She also warms up to Zahril, the enigmatic woman training her. When asked for a truth she would not want another to know, she confesses her desire to kiss Zahril. She is surprised that when next she sees the powerful, mysterious lady, she grants Aasha’s wish.

In this tale, love comes slowly and softly. The characters are cautious, careful and cunning and so their romance is one that is sedate, subtle, and sweet. It’s about being vulnerable before a lover and about overcoming deeply held prejudices. I was intrigued by the concept of the tale, but the short length of the story kept the author from fully exploring her characters or their romance.

Rose and Sword
Grade: A- Sensuality: Kisses

Sequel to A Crown of Wishes

In Rose and Sword, the heroine of A Crown of Wishes has one more adventure before entering marital bliss. It is the evening before her wedding and Gauri is working off her pre-ceremony jitters by running through her sword drills. When Vikram joins her for a few stolen kisses and a bit of verbal sparring, she makes a startling discovery – he’s sick and feverish. By the end of the night the doctors aren’t sure he will live to see the morning.

Calling upon her Otherworld councilor Aasha, Gauri learns that she can make a bargain with the yamaduta (messengers of death). When the yamaduta comes for Vikram’s soul, Gauri demands a deal and is given one: If she can steal back Vikram’s last breath from the final gate before Death and bring it back to him, he will live. The trick? She will see the sorrow awaiting her in the future if she makes that choice and will have to bring back the breath knowing the pain Vikram will cause her in coming years.

Vikram makes this story shine. Every moment with him is pure, joyous pleasure and his wit and charm make him a delight to spend time with. While Gauri is a far less likable character, she has the grit and determination to make this supernatural adventure believable. The supporting cast is well drawn, and the plot is riveting. Rose and Sword is a perfect sequel to A Crown of Wishes.

I would strongly recommend Star-Touched Stories to fans of the Star-Touched series. This charming compilation of tales from that universe allows us to spend more time with beloved characters and introduces us to some very delightful new folks as well. I would, however, advise those who haven’t had the pleasure of reading the previous books to begin with The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes since those books introduce us to this universe and the characters in it

Roshani Chokshi does it again with her beautiful way with words. This is a collection of short stories set in the the Star-Touched Queen world featuring characters you already know and love. I usually stay away from novellas, and definitely away from short-story collections because rarely are they worth the time or effort. You never get enough or too much is crammed in to the point it makes no sense and you hate it.

Not the case here.

A run-down of my thoughts on each short story.

1. DEATH AND NIGHT
My favourite, hands down. It is basically the prequel to The Star-Touched Queen you didn't know you needed but secretly wished would land in your lap. This tells the story of Night incarnate and the Lord of Death and how they met and came to be lovers, and let me tell you, this was perfect. It was lush and swoony and romantic and utterly wonderful. The magic and the world-building was top notch in this. The rest of this book could have been trash and I'd still finish in the hopes of getting another moment that resembles this particular tale. I literally have nothing bad to say about this one.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

2. POISON AND GOLD
This was probably the one that could have tanked the ship for me. This one takes place after the events of A Crown of Wishes, and focuses on Aasha going through a series of tests and trial to become the new Spy Mistress. I really liked Aasha in ACOW, but I fell off the wagon here. It was a story that felt too long and boring and frankly, unasked for. The spy mistress angle should have been more exciting, but was not. I wanted more of a story of discovery of the world for her, but it became more about her, personally and her insecurities and weaknesses.
⭐️⭐️⭐️

3. ROSE AND SWORD
I enjoyed this one as well! Not as much as the first, but more so than the second. It focuses on Gauri as she travels to the underworld to save Vikram from illness and death on the eve of their wedding. I love Gauri and Vikram together, so I was delighted to get more of their banter and dynamic together. My major complaint with this was it was too short. It needed—no, deserved more. Chop Aasha's story in half by speeding up the pace and give those pages to Gauri.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall, I enjoyed this. It was a great companion piece to the Star-Touched world and came at a good time for me, not wanting to leave that world just yet.

Gorgeous as always and a wonderful way to revisit familiar characters from the Star-Touched universe. Fans of the first two books should devour this.