The Star-Touched Queen

Starred review from March 28, 2016
A princess's destiny may lie among the stars in Chokshi's exquisite debut novel. Princess Mayavati of Bharata is only one among her father's many children, and her horoscope says that death is her constant shadow. Her kingdom is on the brink of war, and when her father announces that she soon must choose her husband, it comes with a horrible catch. When a mysterious stranger, Amar, breaks into Maya's room and offers her the keys to his kingdom, she only hesitates for a moment before being whisked away to Akaran, a haunted place where mirrors offer glimpses of strange lands, and an enchanted tapestry holds the fate of millions in its threads. Chokshi's prose is captivating, and the pages come alive through lush descriptions of Night Bazaar teeming with Otherworldly delights, gardens made of glass, and realms where the lines between life and death are blurred. Maya is a strong heroine, and while there is romance, an emphasis on familial love adds another level of richness to a folkloric fantasy about sacrifice, self-discovery, and making your own destiny. Ages 13âup. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency.

March 1, 2016
In a fantasy world influenced by Indian mythology, a young princess lives in scorn because of the horoscope that decrees she will marry "death and destruction." But adversity breeds strength, and "dusky-complexioned" Maya has spent her childhood and adolescence reading mythology and history, spying on her father's councils, and weaving magical stories for her beloved half sister. When her father asks her to sacrifice her life to save their kingdom, Maya has no choice. And then, at the moment she is to drink poison, a mysterious, handsome stranger appears and whisks her away to the Otherworld, the place of demons and magic. What follows is a play on the classic love-betrayal-redemption arc of Cupid and Psyche or Beauty and the Beast. Chokshi's rich, descriptive writing weaves a lush web that almost hides the lack of character development; this is a book exclusively concerned with telling, and style overwhelms substance throughout. But a swoony romance, betrayal, and a journey to power and self-affirmation, with a slightly wicked, slightly funny animal sidekick in the best tradition (think Garth Nix's Mogget as a crimson-eyed horse), work together to create a spell that many readers will willingly succumb to, flaws and all. Richly imagined, deeply mythic, filled with lovely language with violet overtones: this is an author to watch even if she's not there yet. (Fantasy. 12 & up)

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Starred review from March 1, 2016

Gr 9 Up-Born with a horoscope that predicts a marriage of death and destruction, Maya is an outcast in her father's kingdom, Bharata. When Amar's political machinations go horribly wrong, Maya finds herself married to him and queen of Akaran-a mysterious place filled with secrets and magic. Amar offers Maya the chance to rule at his side and become more than Bharata ever would have allowed. All he asks in return is her patience and trust, which soon prove more than she can give. Her search for answers will lead her across worlds and through her own fragmented memories to discover surprising truths about her husband's kingdom and herself. Maya is refreshingly unapologetic about her ambitions and her desire for independence. Although her distrust and doubts lead to the main conflict of the story, she is quick to own those mistakes and works to correct them even when it might be to her detriment. Chokshi's debut fantasy is filled with vivid and unexpected imagery as Maya discovers the wonders and dangers found in her new home in the Otherworld. Well-researched figures from Hindu folklore and mythology, astonishing creatures, and expressive characters further complement the story. A setting drawn from ancient India, romance with feminist sensibilities, and a unique magic system reminiscent of Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Little, Brown, 2011) make this a novel sure to appeal to fans of Renee Ahdieh's The Wrath and the Dawn (Putnam, 2015). VERDICT A stunning debut filled with lush writing, smart characters, and a mysterious plot that provides as many twists as it does swoons.-Emma Carbone, Brooklyn Public Library

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2016
Princess Maya has always been an outcast, but she is still astonished when her father asks her to kill herself to keep peace in the kingdom. She escapes with a mysterious stranger, only to marry him and become the queen of the strange land of Akaran. Sensuous prose pulls readers into Maya's journey of self-discovery in this labyrinthine fantasy inspired by Indian folklore.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)