Mundie Moms

Monday, April 3, 2017

A CROWN OF WISHES by Roshani Chokshi / Blog Tour: Book Review


Welcome to the next stop in the A CROWN OF WISHES blog tour, hosted by St. Martin's Griffin. This is a beautifully written companion to Roshani's debut, The Star Touched Queen. I loved this book! Below you'll find my spoiler free review, and a few of my favorite quotes from the book. 

ABOUT THE BOOK




By: Roshani Chokshi
Published by: St. Martin's Griffin
Released on: March 28th, 2017
Series: The Star Touched Queen #2
Purchase from: The Publisher | Amazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads
Rating: 5 Stars - I Loved It
Source: arc from publisher / purchased book


Gauri, the princess of Bharata, has been taken as a prisoner of war by her kingdom’s enemies. Faced with a future of exile and scorn, Gauri has nothing left to lose. Hope unexpectedly comes in the form of Vikram, the cunning prince of a neighboring land and her sworn enemy kingdom. Unsatisfied with becoming a mere puppet king, Vikram offers Gauri a chance to win back her kingdom in exchange for her battle prowess. Together, they’ll have to set aside their differences and team up to win the Tournament of Wishes – a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor.
Reaching the tournament is just the beginning. Once they arrive, danger takes on new shapes: poisonous courtesans and mischievous story birds, a feast of fears and twisted fairy revels. Every which way they turn new trials will test their wit and strength. But what Gauri and Vikram will soon discover is that there’s nothing more dangerous than what they most desire.
A magical, spellbinding read. I devoured this book in one sitting. It was nothing I thought it would be, and everything I love in a 5 star book. Chokshi's writing is absolutely mesmerizing. The writing is my favorite thing about this book, followed closely by the characters. They were so easy to love, and understand. They're flawed, strong, witty characters who learn from mistakes, and in the process discover so much more about who they are individually and together.

Gauri is my kind of heroine. She's a feisty, stubborn, doesn't bow down to anyone, kind of character. This Princess will do whatever it takes to protect her people. I greatly admired her courage, her strength, and wit. She is tough, and can take down the best of the best. She's a fighter. She's also someone who knows pain, and heartache. She closely guards her heart and her feelings. I loved the way I got to know her. 

Gauri's perfect match is Prince Vikram. The Prince she attempts to kill when they first meet. Who, I might add, is also holding her captive. This Prince is no coward, nor does he scare easy. He is witty, intelligent, fun loving, carefree to good degree, and hilarious. It's hard to not love this character. Not to mention the fact he's handsome, but that's be honest, he had me a wit, humor and charming. Like Gauri, I ended up loving Vikram the moment he bested Gauri when she tried to kill him. Where Gauri could most likely physically take down anyone, Vikram can outsmart anyone. Yep, these two are a match made in the stars.

I absolutely loved watching Gauri and Vikram go from being enemies to something so much more. Trust me, you'll see what I'm talking about. I loved the romance in this book. It's one of my favorite kind. There are plenty of moments that made me laughing out loud between these two, moments that made me swooning, and moments that made me greatly admire these two characters. They never once tried to change each other, but embraced who they both were. They learned to trust each other, and understood the pain they each hide from everyone else. Talk about character chemistry! Opposites definitely attract in this story! Their bantering is one of my favorite parts of their story.

Chokshi's writing is spellbinding. I absolutely loved the way she wrote this story. It was poetic, and hypnotic at times. I found myself marking numerous passages as I read the book, and then re-read them again. They were so beautifully written. I absolutely love book quotes, and this book has a lot of quotes I loved writing down. 

Rich story telling, vivid imagery, unforgettable characters, and passages that will have you re-reading them over and over again, A Crown of Wishes is a mesmerizing companion to Chokshi's The Star Touched Queen. While I enjoyed Chokshi's debut, I loved this book. This is a book you can definitely read as a companion, or a stand alone. Either way, I recommend picking it up. 


FAVORITE QUOTES
Here are a few of my favorite quotes:

* "You could carry a story inside you, and hold it up to the light when you needed it the most. You could peer through it, like a flame, and see how it changed your view when you looked out onto the world. 

* "Hope shapes the world."

* "Humanity has nothing to do with what runs through you veins or shows up on your skin."

* "How many times have answers been so simple and yet someone is determined to take the patch of thorns instead of roses?"

* "Love is like Death without the guarantee of it's arrival. Love may not come for you, but when it does it will be just as swift and ruthless as Death and just as blind to your protestations. And just as Death will end one life and leave you with another, so will Love."

* "What was magic anyway, but the world beheld by someone who chose to see it differently?"

* "Surviving isn't just about cutting out your heart and burning every feeling into ash. Sometimes it means taking whatever is thrown at you, beautiful or grotesque, poisonous or blissful, and caring out your life with the pieces you're given."

* "Existence is the gift. Life is a choice."

* "My voice was one of the only things I could control-when to unleash it, when to tamp it down like a burning ember, when to grow it in secret." 

* "Vikram dared one last look at me. He didn't look at me with an unspoken farewell in his gaze. He looked at me with understanding. For a moment, I felt as if fire braided the space between us. It was charged and alive, lit by a shared dream: to wish."


ABOUT THE AUTHOR



Roshani Chokshi is the New York Times bestselling author of THE STAR-TOUCHED QUEEN. Her work has appeared in Strange Horizons, Shimmer, and Book Smugglers. Her short story, "The Star Maiden," was longlisted for the British Fantasy Science Award. 


Lord of Shadows Snippet / Mundane Monday #Shadowhunters #LordofShadows


Happy Mundane Monday Shadowhunters! This weekend Cassie took to Tumblr to answer fan questions. In answering one question she shared a snippet from a scene with Emma and Cristina. It sounds like Emma may be leaving Julian..... for at least awhile. 

Do you remember,” Emma said, “before you saw Diego again, you said we should go to Mexico together? Spend a travel year there?”
Cristina nodded.
“It’d be a while before I could go,” said Emma. “I don’t turn eighteen until the winter. But when I do …”
Leaving Los Angeles. Spending the year with Cristina, learning and training and traveling.
Without Jules. Emma swallowed against the pain the thought caused. It was a pain she’d have to learn to live with.


Only 50 more days until Lord of Shadows is out!

Labels