Thank you for the arc, unfortunately I did not finish it, I just wasn't the right audience for this book.

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This has been on my TBR pile for so long, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. I really enjoyed the storyline and seeing the characters change throughout the story was a great character development. The plot was great and kept my attention. I'm glad I got the chance to read this and will be on the lookout for more in the future!

The Star-Touched Queen is stunningly wonderful and beautifully written. The world is rich and envelopes all your senses, and the romance is filled with swoonworthy moments. What a magical reading experience! I can't wait for more!

The Star-Touched Queen has some of the most gorgeous writing I've ever seen, but the story just couldn't hold my attention. I tried and tried and TRIED for 128 pages, but my interest and emotions never got hooked. Not a bad book at all. Just one better suited for others than for me.

A fresh, entertaining fantasy. Very enjoyable, and if I hadn't been half asleep while listening to it, I probably would've liked it even more. (FTC disclosure: I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, forthcoming on my blog.)

Note: I did not ultimately review on my blog, as I took a break from blogging at this point.

I enjoyed Maya's perspective most when it was engaged in sketching the court in which she lived, her careful interactions with the other women in her father's harem, and her sneaking into the rafters above her father's inner sanctum to watch "the way power settles over people in a room, the way language curls around ankles like a sated cat."

Unfortunately for me, the book was less interested in these aspects than I was, and cast them off relatively quickly in favor of pursuing a very enjoyable — but far more typical — romance narrative at the crossroads between a few different stock tale types, growing its tension from the uncertainty of which story-path it would pursue.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. Unfortunately the flowery prose didn’t work for me, and I never felt like I got to know Maya well enough to care about what was happening. Not for me, but I’d still suggest giving it a go if it sounds like the kind of thing you usually like, because you just never know.

I read this book back in 2016 and am ashamed that I never came over here to NG to leave a review at the time. I also didn't leave a review on GR....but based on my rating and my reactions while reading this book I did not like it. So will leave it at that and call it a day.

I loved this book. It was refreshing to read such a different style of story, and the writing is beautiful. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

My full review of this book was posted along with an author interview as part of a blog tour upon release.

I really liked the lyrical writing. Roshani has a way with words. I'm not sure what it was that I didn't like but this book ended up just being an okay read for me. I'm still looking forward to more work by Roshani!

The Star-Touched Queen was such a dream for me to read. From the lyrical writing to the plot, I adored it all. I love reading about different mythologies and seeing certain “retellings” of them in books. The star-touched queen is such a poetically told book. I can definitely see ambition in maya, that seems to be her number one trait for sure. I think the constellation room involves my favorite scenes. The romance between Maya and Amar was so well written. Kamala was such an interesting character (well, horse) who added some well-timed comedy. More than anything, I loved how the story of Maya being reincarnated took over.

The imagery in this was outstanding. Even with all the creepy elements that went bump in the night, I wanted to get lost in the world. I loved the protagonist, her voice and her head were such fun places to be and all the characters made me want to keep reading past the last pages!

If I were to base my rating purely on my feelings, then this book would probably be a 3-star read for me. But I'm taking into consideration the fact that this book is beautifully written, imaginative, atmospheric, and generally pretty brilliant.

(Full review not yet posted)

Exciting with a lot of twists and turns. Thrilling enough to finish in two sit downs.

I wanted to like this book as much as everyone else did, but I found the ending confusing and somewhat jarring. Though the premise is wonderful, as is much of the world-building and intrigue, I felt frustrated by the pace at which the secrets were revealed and at the direction the story took at the end.

I am in the minority for this one. Just didn't love it. I wanted to hit the main character in the head. I get why the story had to go that way, and I've read similar ones, but like, it has to make sense? Most of her choices were illogical. I'm trying not to be mean, it obviously wasn't so bad that I gave up, I was curious to see what happened, I just wish it was better. Ugh. That sounds awful. I feel bad. Just not for me.

First of all, the basic premise of the story is predictable and follows the mold of many other fairy tales ("East of the Sun, West of the Moon" in particular) with a build towards a happy ending. That said, this book is BEAUTIFUL. The prose is eloquent and visceral--this would be a stunning book to hear read aloud. The romantic element is fantastic, with genuine chemistry. I absolutely adored the way Chokshi wove in Indian lore and culture. It gave the book a wonderful, fresh feeling. The heroine is relatable and someone to cheer for, but the book is absolutely stolen by a demonic horse in the latter chapters; I'd read a whole book about that horse. In all, a wonderful book, and one that fully deserves to be on the Norton ballot.

Interesting read lots of great visuals are created from the authors descriptions