Nouf *LostinFantasy*'s Reviews > A Crown of Wishes

Actual rating: 4.5/5 rounded up to five magical stars!

"But why settle for a story, when I could start a legend?"

What to say when the book itself floors you with its mesmerizing and beautiful words! This is the kind of book that feels enchanting, comforting, funny, endearing, romantic - and will leave you with a huge smile on your face!


This book is a companion novel to the previous book by Roshani Chokshi, The Star-Touched Queen - so, it's not exactly a sequel. The main characters of "A Crown of Wishes" are different ones - they have appeared or were mentioned briefly in the first book, but I don't think you need to read that first novel to read this. "A Crown of Wishes" can stand alone. But there are a few things that come up that might need having some kind of background info on the other book.

I have to admit, I wasn't a fan of the first book, "The Star Touched Queen." I still don't know why that book didn't work for me - I stopped halfway. But this one clicked with me in so many ways the first didn't.

Plot summary:

"Play the game and you may yet win your kingdom, not just the husk of its name."

A story about a prince and princess of enemy kingdoms, who have to become partners to compete in a magical tournament to fulfill each of their wishes to truly gain the thrones to their respective kingdoms. Even through facing magical tricks and demonic creatures, there's also the challenge of getting along - and their personal journey together throughout this enchanting and terrifying world is what makes this novel so special!

World-building:

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

The fantastical "Otherworld" in this novel is almost dreamlike in its strangeness. There is a magical forest, and the "Night Bazaar", but mostly the story takes place in "Alaka" - the mythical City of Treasures and Wealth, where the the tournament is held. The place is unpredictable and like something out of a dream, or sometimes a nightmare. I usually like it when there's more structure in a world (and the magic in it) to grasp it clearly. But while I struggled with TSTQ, I think this book struck the right balance between presenting rich and whimsical fantasy settings - and grounding it with strong and gripping character development.

*I really liked all the magical elements and creatures introduced! I'm a huge fan of Indian cinema but the genres rarely ever offer myth and fantasy, so it was fun and fascinating to delve into this world with creatures like the Vanaras (human-sized monkeys), Vetalas (spirits inhabiting dead bodies - icky but strangely quirky in the book), Nagas (half serpent), Yakshas (nature spirits) - and my favorite were the Vishakanyas: courtesan-like women with poison in their blood that can kill a human with a touch.


*And not just the fantasy - I love the feel and hints of Indian culture being more present in this book. My knowledge is very limited of it, but I still enjoyed all the mentions of the food, the clothing, the names and terms, the holidays, and just the entire feel is so inviting! I look forward to more books that present different cultures and settings like this one does so beautifully.

Characters:

“Find the one who glows, with blood on the lips and fangs in the heart.”

My ability to connect with a book is always dependent on how much the characters resonate with me. And this book surprised in the absolute best of ways by being so character-driven!! The characters in this book are the heart and soul of the story.

Gauri, "The Jewel of Bharata" is a warrior princess in every sense.

"Death might be waiting, but I was going to be a queen. I would have my throne if I had to carve a path of blood and bone to get it back.
Death could wait."

She is strong and fierce but her armor is one built out of sacrifice and burdens she's had to bear while protecting herself and her people throughout her tyrannical brother's reign. Her mounting guilt, her hesitance to accept weakness, her distrust, her vulnerability - everything about the character made her so easy to feel for, and root for every step of the way.

Vikram, "The Fox Prince", is the clever and cunning prince of Ujijain. Not a blood heir to his empire, he's spent his life trying to prove himself capable of being the empire's true ruler - but is instead is promised to be nothing more than a "puppet king" by the scorning council. But his belief and hope in magic leads him to an invitation to the tournament and the possibility of gaining true acknowledgment in his role as emperor.

"He was raised on a bellyful of want—always kept at a distance, always in sight of everything he wanted and could never sink his teeth into—which only made him that much more attuned to seeing through words and straight to the desires."

Now Vikram is the character that surprised me most! In the absolute best and most amazing ways!!! If you take a look at my status updates, you'll see they are 90% Vikram quotes and moments!
In "The Star Touched Queen", the vague mentions of him gave me the impression he would be a brooding warrior. But he turned out to be such an interestingly fun, sly, curious, and all around awesome character - one who depends on his wits rather than muscle to get by. And his wonderful quirks and mischievous antics made him even more likable - there were hilarious moments. Like his confidence and willingness to do whatever it takes - even dress as a courtesan - to get to where and what he wants:

"Once, when he was ten, he attempted to fly by attaching silk scarves to his arms and leaping from a tree. It did not work. When he was fifteen, he dressed like a courtesan to sneak into the harem. He ended up appearing too convincing to a palace guard and was forced to throw off his silks and punch the man. All things considered, this was not the most shameful thing he had endured."

A total darling who will also make you swoon!


((And what else - I googled the character's full name "Vikramaditya" to see if the author used any inspirational figure, and I love what I found. So, apparently "Vikramaditya" is known as a legendary emperor of Ancient India - the capital being "Ujjain" (so, definitely the inspiration for Ujijain!). There seems to be lots of stories and fantastical legends about him (including Vetalas like in this book!), and according to wiki - he's characterized as the "ideal king" and is either inspired by a true historical figure or is purely a mythical character. So, basically, he's kind of like India's own King Arthur!! So cool!))

Vikram and Gauri start as two opposites forced to work together - he with his sunny optimism and she, her no-nonsense wariness of everything. I love how this book strayed from the usual - when in danger, the girl reaches for her weapons while the guy thinks up a scheme. They ended up making such an amazing team!
But of course, first, their contrasting personalities resulted in continuous banter, sarcasm, bickering, teasing, -- all entertaining and wonderful things!

“You’re certain that rakshasi fruit is out of your system?” asked Vikram.
"Yes?”
"Good.” He took a deep breath. “Because, once more, I told you so.”
"You do realize that I don’t need the enhancements of demon fruit to knock you to the ground?”
"I do. But I concede that some bodily harm from you is inevitable. I’m just trying to minimize the damage.”
"How very wise,” I said, rolling my eyes.

One more:

(Vikram): "Have some faith.”
(Gauri): "Between faith and distrust, which one is more likely to keep you alive?”
"And which one is more likely to let you experience living?”
I threw up my hands. “Why is everything so philosophical with you?”
He shrugged. “I like thinking.”

They have such a great dynamic - going from enemies, to tentative partners, to friends and then slowly to something so much deeper.

I can't separate talking about The Romance from The Character Development in this book - because the characters grow and connect together throughout the journey. There is such an amazing depth to how the characters each evolve but also a convincingly gradual pace to it. And it's the same perfect balance with their feelings for each other - they get to see and accept one another's own pains, and they influence each other in the best way. The romantic arc is filled with both light and meaningful moments - so perfect!

I didn’t want to cut out my heart. I wanted to give it. Freely and without feeling as if it would be turned into a weapon against me. I wanted freedom to thaw me, to let it break the walls Skanda’s rule had forced me to build. I wanted the privilege of weakness.

I don't think I've loved two characters (and a romantic couple!) this much since Arin and Kestrel from the Winner's trilogy! Vikram and Gauri are as unforgettable, and have also set the bar high for other YA couples in the next books I'll read!

Another amazing character is Aasha - the Vishakanya who yearns to know want it's like to be the human she could have been! Aasha is sort of a sad character - her story reminiscent of "The Little Mermaid". And she becomes an ally to Vikram and Gauri. I especially loved the friendship and understanding that develops between her and Gauri - and it's not an easy thing with Gauri's distrusting nature.

The writing:

"I’d almost forgotten the true power of a story … how it lulled you outside your thoughts, let you process the world in a way that was palatable. Not poisonous. Calm rushed through me."

I cannot say enough how absolutely gorgeous the writing is! You need to read the book for yourself to experience it! Just as magical as the fantasy!
And I also didn't notice until a while into the book that Gauri's chapters were in first-person point-of-view, and Vikram's in third-person! I don't why, but that worked so well!

* I don't really have any criticisms on the book. Every one I come up with has more to do with my personal preferences than an actual flaw in the book. But I think the book could be a bit more suspenseful - the game itself rarely felt "competitive" (but I think it was supposed to be an unpredictable personal challenge for the characters), or maybe because some elements of the background stories felt elusive or irrelevant (there were a few myths that were strung together vaguely). But then again, I think all that was intentional and part of the book's charm...

Overall -- I wholly recommend this book! If you're looking for an exotic and magical fantasy, you've got it. If you're looking for complex and interesting characters, they're there. If you're looking for a fun and slow-burn romance, look no further. If you're looking for beautiful unforgettable writing, you'll definitely get that! And if you just want a great book to escape into - this is it!