“No matter where we are, we’ll always share the same sky. We can always find each other in the same constellation.”
The Star-Touched Queen tells the tale of a young woman that has been shunned and cast aside her entire life by a horoscope that proclaims a union of death and destruction.
When faced with the opportunity to free herself from the illusion of sanctuary and the people that both control and elude her life, Princess Mayavati chooses freedom.
Confronted with newfound choices and vast possibilities, Maya ventures outside of the confines of her father’s kingdom into a realm of stories and secrets, flashing teeth and slow smiles.
–caught on the threshold of duty and ambition; love and loneliness; life and death–
In a novel where nature has a will of its own and otherworldly beings roam realms only believed to have existed in stories. This story coalesces from a whimsical dream to a bone-chilling nightmare.
Similar to a matryoshka doll, secrets and riddles lead Maya from one mystery to another. Told through a lense of fantasy and folklore, this is the a story of a young woman’s journey to take control of her destiny, to learn self acceptance and embrace her power.
Suffice to say that the novel not only has well composed writing, but has a plethora of side characters that are central to the narrative. Relationships of friendship and enmity are expertly woven into Maya’s arc and play a crucial role of either motivators or hindrances.
Maya is a strong protagonist that uses her wit to unravel deceptions and not even romance sways her loyalty or morals. I thoroughly enjoyed the subtle yet ferociously beautiful romance that developed in this novel. The empowering nature of Amar and Maya’s relationship was wonderful!
“Be my queen and I promise you a life where you will never be bored. I promise you more power than a hundred kings. And I promise you that we will always be equals.”
Chokshi’s prose is truly captivating, her elegant style of writing is profound in a way that gives words substance and texture. Accompanied by Maya’s observative qualities, the richness of imagery in this book was truly captivating.
“The archives were cut like honeycombs and golden light clung to them, dousing every tome, painting, treatise and poem the soft gold of ghee freshly skimmed from boiling butter.”
At the core of The Star-Touched Queen lies questions of morality, how to trust and why to act. Overall, this loosely fitted adaptation of Persephone and Hades was fiercely enchanting and highly original. I recommend this book to everyone! It deserves all of the stars, the moon, and constellations.
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