ARC Review: A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi & Audiobook Clip

Title: A Crown of Wishes Series: The Star-Touched Queen #2 Written by: Roshani Chokshi Published: March 28, 2017 by St. Martin's Press (Macmillan) (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible) Synopsis: 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.

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

Wow, I really like this book. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did after not loving The Star-Touched Queen as much as I was expecting. But A Crown of Wishes is an amazing YA fantasy and if you ask me, better than it's predecessor.

A Crown of Wishes tells the story or Gauri and Vikram. I really loved the way that the book alternated perspectives between the two main characters. You got to know them and like them so much more because you saw them through the other person's eyes and their own. It made for complex and compelling characterizations for sure. Both characters also have one similarity and that is their desire to gain control of their kingdoms. Gauri is an intense and determined character and I am so glad we not only got to see her in action but also learn more about her. Vikram is an intelligent and resourceful character with a great sense of humor. I really liked both of them and became invested in their story throughout the book.

And as nice as they were apart they were also pretty fantastic together. For one thing they made a really great team. They worked well together and brought the best (and sometimes the worst) out in each other. It started out reluctant and a little adversarial but even that was great. Because the banter here is top notch. I also actually liked the way the romance developed too. It seemed slow and steady and by the time it came together I was interested. That is not always the case for me but here it definitely was.

But I think the main difference between this book and The Star-Touched Queen and this one, and the main reason I liked it more was the plot development. This book for one was definitely fast-paced. The stakes were incredibly high and there were so many thrilling action scenes that had me on the edge of my seat flipping pages to find out what was going to happen. And the book also slowly built to a thrilling conclusion that had me shocked, enthralled, and full of feels. It was definitely engaging from the plot perspective.

I also really liked the world building here. That was my favorite part of The Star-Touched Queen and it was one of the best parts of A Crown of Wishes as well. In this this book not only did we get to return to some of the places we got to know in the first book like the kingdom of Bharata but also places of more fantasy like The Night Market. We also got to explore some new places. I really like Alaka. It was a fantasy world full of magic and mystery but also dangers and adventure. Roshani definitely knows how to create a fascinating world and her writing is so descriptive that you can visualize it perfectly. It helped immerse me in the world.

I was sent an audiobook for review by the publisher and I have to say, that is the perfect format for this series. Roshani's writing is so lyrical and descriptive that it comes alive via audiobook. Plus the narrator did a great job not only setting the scene but also creating the characters. The accents were distinct and fit with the characterizations. If you like audiobooks I would recommend this one for sure. And I have a treat for the audiobook fans in the room. At the end of this review is a preview clip of the audio. Check it out and then get the audio yourself when it goes on sale tomorrow!

But on the whole, I would recommend this book even if you don't like audiobooks. It's a really great story and I liked it even more than the first book in the series. Partially because it's more up my aller and partially because it's a thrilling and interesting YA fantasy with great characters and an exciting plot.

I give A Crown of Wished by Roshani Chokshi 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. You definitely need to pick up a copy of this book. If you like The Star-Touched Queen you will be excited to return to the world and even if you didn't you will probably still enjoy Gauri and Vikram's story. I know I did.

Have you read A Crown of Wishes? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!