BOOK REVIEW: 'A Crown of Wishes' by Roshani Chokshi

Are you ready for magic? A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi is here! We have an excerpt from the audiobook, too! Read our review and take a listen!

RATING: 5 out of 5 STARS

[Young Adult; Spoilers]

From the moment I set foot in Bharata, I was starting a story.
By why settle for a story, when I could start a legend?

Last year, I fell in love with The Star-Touched Queen, and this year, I received the much-anticipated sequel, A Crown of Wishes!

In The Star-Touched Queen, Maya and Amar’s story held onto me and wouldn’t let go. It wasn’t just the mysterious love story that caught my attention, but also the world that Chokshi created.

The Otherworld is magical and enticing. It’s dark corners move and it’s gardens can be made of glass, and you can trade on wishes and heartbeats.

The story was incredible, and you can see the full review here.

When I heard she was writing a sequel, I immediately hoped it would be about Maya’s half-sister, Gauri. My *wish* came true!

A Crown of Wishes follows Gauri after she has been banished from Bharata, her home kingdom, by her brother, who she tried to overthrow. She’s been locked away in an Ujijain prison for several months when salvation arrives in the form of Vikram, the Fox Prince.

Vikram isn’t the true son of the King and will be nothing more than a puppet king when his father dies. He desperately wants more, and his father’s first command to him is to issue Gauri’s death sentence.

He knows that this will either keep him where he is or have the potential to cause his own banishment if Bharata decides to attack once they learn of Gauri’s death.

He chooses to run away with Gauri as his partner to the Tournament of Wishes. What follows is a romantic adventure between the two as they attempt to get to the tournament held by The Lord of Treasures. If they win, they can wish for their heart’s desire.

For Gauri, it’s to have her home returned to its glory.

For Vikram, it’s to be a real King in his kingdom.

Along the way, their relationship turns from being antagonistic to a true partnership. They overcome obstacles galore to reach the Alaka.

The relationship between Gauri and Vikram is so intense but playful. They pick at each other constantly, but recognize that their attraction has grown into something more. All the while, they fight desperately for the the wishes they desire.

What I love most about this story is that, while the end result is an HEA, Gauri and Vikram part ways to fulfill their wishes on their own. Vikram returns to his kingdom and his place as the true future king. Gauri returns to Bharata and sets things right and restores her home.

Only then are they finally able to come together and unite their kingdoms and families. The way that Vikram pulls this off is pure artistry, too. He will simply do anything for his beastly girl.

Golden fruit sparkled beneath the branches of a tree. I peered closer, and saw that the golden fruits were ornaments. Not magic. Or maybe it was magic. What was magic anyway, but the world beheld by someone who chose to see it differently?

I walked faster. Sprouting from the dirt, the tops of swords sliced through flowering bushes. My breath caught.

If you could grow anything in your garden, what would it be?

Swords.

And there they were.

Again, Chokshi dazzles with her world building. The way she crafts her words is an absolute art, and I feel lucky to be able to live in the world she has created for even a short period of time.

I won’t lie, I found myself looking for Maya and Amar everywhere since Gauri found herself in the Otherworld. If you’re like me, you’ll shed a few tears, too.