The Star-Touched Queen

Oh my stars!

Staring at the sky in Bharata was like exchanging a secret. It felt private, like I had peered through the veil of a hundred worlds. When I looked up, I could imagine—for a moment—what the sky hid from everyone else. I could see where the winds yawned with silver lips and curled themselves to sleep. I could glimpse the moon folding herself into crescents and half-smiles. When I looked up, I could imagine an existence as vast as the sky. Just as infinite. Just as unknown.

###

“I want your perspective and honesty,” he said, before adding in a softer voice, “I want to be humbled by you.”

Heat flared in my cheeks. I paused, the stick in my hand falling a fraction. Perspective and honesty? Humbled by me? Rajas never asked for anything other than sons from their consorts.
“My kingdom needs a queen,” he said. “It needs someone with fury in her heart and shadows in her smile. It needs someone restless and clever. It needs you.”

“You know nothing about me.”

“I know your soul. Everything else is an ornament.”

###

In the kingdom of Bharata, seventeen-year-old Mayavati is known as “the one with the horoscope” – cursed by cold, distant stars that promise a marriage of Death and Destruction. Maya is something of an outcast; though her father the Raj doesn’t place any credence in such superstitions, the Raj’s harem and the larger realm believe that one’s horoscope speaks the truth, if only we mortals deign to listen. And so Maya is scorned, treated like an outcast and a pariah, and blamed for the realm’s misfortunes, large and small.

Yet her morbid horoscope also promises Maya a life of (relative) freedom: unlike her many half-sisters, Maya is not expected to marry. Instead, she delves into academia, burying her nose in the kingdom’s dusty archives and delighting in chasing away a series of stuffy old tutors. She looks forward to becoming a “scholarly old maid” – better than being sold into a marriage of political convenience, just one of many wives left to beg scraps of attention from a near-stranger, no?

But Bharata is a kingdom in the midst of a protracted war, and Maya is currently the only unwed daughter of marriageable age. The Raj does the unthinkable: invites the leaders of the rebel groups to Bharata to court his daughter. But things quickly go from bad to worse as the Raj reveals the real reason for the surprise swayamvara: it’s simply a trap, meant to gather the Raj’s enemies in one place so that he can slay them. But not before Maya commits suicide by poison, thus nullifying the temporary treaty.

With the help of a mesmerizing stranger named Amar, Maya manages to escape – just barely. Her new husband whisks her away to his kingdom, Akaran, a magical place that sits in the space between the Otherworld and the human realm. Maya is understandably enchanted – and suspicious: especially since Amar is prohibited from telling Maya anything of her new kingdom until the moon passes through a cycle. In a palace decorated with mirror portals to other worlds and iron-clad doors that jump from place to place, little is as it seems: least of all the Raj, and Maya’s role in his grand plan.

THE STAR-TOUCHED QUEEN is simply amazing. First of all, the writing! THE WRITING. In a word, Chokshi’s prose is sumptuous: like a moist, decadent, double-decker chocolate fudge cake smothered in vanilla almond buttercream frosting. Luxurious, richly textured, with layers upon layers of flavors and the occasional unexpected choice of ingredient. So tasty I could almost eat it up (and lick the plate clean).

Though it’s highly entertaining and speeds by rather quickly, THE STAR-TOUCHED QUEEN isn’t the sort of book you should read while tired or distracted; it’s lovely and just challenging enough that it deserves your full attention. And while it’s true that I needed to whip out ye ole dictionary once or twice (or maybe a dozen times), Chokshi doesn’t beat you about the head and body with her superior wordiness. It’s challenging, yes, but also accessible.

I don’t know if “literary fantasy” is widely accepted as a genre, but this is it.

Also, the plot is wholly unexpected and full of twists and turns and “omg, that escalated quickly!” moments. There’s an especially exciting twist around the 60% mark that cleaves the book in two – much like the life-altering tapestry in Akaran’s throne room. THE STAR-TOUCHED QUEEN almost feels like two stories, brought together in an omnibus edition. It’s really rather breathtaking, particularly in the timing: just as you wonder how much longer Chokshi will draw out Maya’s self-discovery, she turns heel and changes tack like that (*snapping fingers*).

And the characters! Oh, the characters! Maya and Amar are lovely and fierce and tragically flawed – but not irredeemably so. Their love had me swooning, and as a general rule, I am not the swoony type. It was breathtaking watching them find each other, lose each other, and find each other again.

Maya’s younger half-sister Gauri is adorable … and then fierce in her own right. I adore what Chokshi did with the character, as well as Maya’s reaction to said development. You can see more than a little of Maya in grown-up Gauri, and Maya treats her accordingly, with the respect and admiration she so clearly deserves. With the respect and admiration Maya herself should have received while living in Bharata.

And Kamala? She’s a snarky, sarcastic, soul-eating demon horse. Need I say more? I could gush about THE STAR-TOUCHED QUEEN for days, but better if you discover all its shiny bits on your own.

** Full disclosure: I received a free electronic ARC for review through NetGalley. **

Ever since I heard about The Star-Touched Queen, I knew I wanted to read it. With it's gorgeous cover art and intriguing synopsis, It is definitely a must read on my TBR list. My friend Rachel kept telling everyone she knew to read this book! Although she is not a huge fantasy lover, she gave it 5 stars and kept pressing me to read The Star-Touched Queen. And boy, was she not wrong at all. The Star-Touched Queen blew me away! All the stars for The Star-Touched Queen!

Princess Mayavati lives in Bharata. The people of Bharata do not believe in ghosts but they believe in horoscopes because the kingdom is choreographed based on the horoscopes. People talk about Mayavati and how she brings death and destruction. Everyone seeks out to get rid of her before she plagues the village. Many want her to leave Bharata in one way or another. And Mayavati eventually escapes her horoscope or so she believes.

Indian folktales and Greek Mythology collide in The Star-Touched Queen, creating a unique story. Roshani Chokshi writes beautifully. Her words are lyrical and poetic; her descriptions are opulent. Chokshi writes with passion. Her prose is intricate and wonderfully well-executed. The imagery is vivid and atmospheric while the plot and characterization work well seamlessly. Although many compare Chokshi's writing to Laini Taylor, I wouldn't know since I haven't read Taylor's full works.

Mayavati is a strong female. She knows what she wants and is resilient! Amar of Akaran is an interesting character. He is complex and multi-faceted. Chokshi incorporates reincarnation, the realm of the dead and an interesting mix of folklore in novel. I appreciate the chapter titles she has included in the book. Chokshi's description of how the threads of life in the tapestry are interconnected is fascinating. The fact that Dharma Raja needs to decide what is best for the people and for the greater good requires a lot of decision making. And Nritti! Oh my Nritti!

The Star-Touched Queen is hard to put down and you definitely want to take your time reading it. With it's exquisite descriptions, take your time immersing yourself in this world. Savor it. Chokshi's writing is impeccable and you don't want the story to end. There is no book like The Star-Touched Queen. I would highly recommend this book to my students and to those who love beautifully written novels.

Breathtaking. Amazing. Well written and well thought out. Fantasy book of the year. These are all words that come to me when I finished this book. The author draws you into a magical journey like no other you have felt before. If you are a lover of language and a lover of words, this beautiful world building, romantic book is for you.