Star-Touched Stories

by Roshani Chokshi Narrated by Priya Ayyar

Overview

This program includes a bonus conversation with the author. Star-Touched Stories by Roshani Chokshi combines three lush and adventurous stories in the Star-Touched World.

Death and Night

He was Lord of Death, cursed never to love. She was Night incarnate, destined to stay alone. After a chance meeting, they wonder if, perhaps, they could be meant for more. But danger crouches in their paths, and the choices they make will set them on a journey that will span lifetimes.

Poison and Gold

Now that her wish for a choice has come true, Aasha struggles to control her powers. But when an opportunity to help Gauri and Vikram's new reign presents itself, she will have to battle her insecurities and maybe, along the way, find love.

Rose and Sword

There is a tale whispered in the dark of the Empire of Bharat-Jain. A tale of a bride who loses her bridegroom on the eve of her wedding. But is it a tale or a truth?

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for Star-Touched Stories:

"Deftly woven with fantastical elements and Indian mythology, the tales reflect and materialize the characters' internal struggles...Aasha's and Gauri's stories explore complex themes of identity, ambition, love, and loss. Chokshi marries sensuous storytelling with kick-ass protagonists in these feminist romances." - Kirkus Reviews

Praise for A Crown of Wishes:

Named “One of the Most Anticipated YA Novels of 2017” by Entertainment Weekly, Teen Vogue, and Bustle.com

"Careful plotting, multiple viewpoints, high-stakes action, and a slow-burn relationship makes this heady fantasy completely engrossing. A first pick for YA collections."—School Library Journal, starred review

"Chokshi's debut, The Star-Touched Queen (2016), was lush and gorgeously written, and Chokshi has only improved; this lovely companion tale boasts a stronger narrative structure in addition to the delightful prose."—Booklist

"With a happily-ever-after reminiscent of beloved fairy tales, this is a great pick for voracious readers who like their bejeweled princesses to have hard edges."—Kirkus Reviews

"Chokshi revives the luscious and strange setting of Alaka from The Star-Touched Queen pulling in further elements of Indian folklore for creatures both charming and terrifying."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Praise for The Star-Touched Queen:

New York Times Bestseller
#9 on the Summer 2016 Kids' Indie Next List
Buzzfeed Book of the Year
Paste Magazine Book of the Year
Southern Magazine Book of the Year
Bustle.com Book of the Month

“Chokshi's prose is captivating.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"A stunning debut with lush language."—School Library Journal, starred review

"A unique fantasy that is epic myth and beautiful fairy tale combined."—Booklist, starred review

"In Chokshi's prose, voices have substance and texture while light has color and flavor."—NPR.org

"Lush and dizzying."—New York Times Book Review

School Library Journal

06/01/2018
Gr 8 Up—Chokshi returns to the world of her first two novels in this collection of novellas. Fans of The Star-Touched Queen will appreciate its prequel novella "Death and Night," which follows the Dharma Raja throughout his unlikely courtship of Night incarnate. In A Crown of Wishes, Aasha, a vishakanya whose very touch is deadly, earned her own wish in the Tournament of Wishes—the chance to choose to live as a human. But making a place for herself in that world is harder than Aasha expected. As Gauri and Vikram prepare to unite their kingdoms in "Poison and Gold," Aasha has to embrace both her humanity and her vishakanya side. She trains under the fierce but fascinating Spy Mistress in an attempt to make a place for herself. Set after both novels in the series, "Rose and Sword" recalls a well-known story in the Empire of Bharat-Jain where, long ago, a bride was poised to become a widow before her wedding henna had even dried. She has to travel through Death and back to reclaim her husband's last breath. Chokshi is in top form with the lush world-building and vivid language fans of this series have come to love. Each novella focuses on an ambitious heroine as she confronts not just her fears but her desires. VERDICT A must-read for fans of the series and a charming introduction to the author and her works.—Emma Carbone, Brooklyn Public Library

Kirkus Reviews

2018-05-15
A collection of three companion romance narratives featuring the spunky heroines of TheStar-Touched Queen (2016) and A Crown of Wishes (2017).In "Death and Night," Dharma Raja, the god of death, is cursed by the Shadow Wife to lose the woman he loves. He is confident that he will never fall in love—until he meets Night incarnate. "Poison and Gold" traces the adventures of Aasha, a "vishakanya," who wants to not just live, but also belong in the human world yet is unable to control her powers. She strives to regain her identity—and consequently, her confidence—under the tutelage of Bharata's deadly Spy Mistress. Refreshingly, this story depicts same-sex desires. In "Rose and Sword," young Hira listens to her paternal grandmother, Gauri, narrate the tale of a bride who sets out to rescue her fiance from the threshold of death on the eve of her wedding. Deftly woven with fantastical elements and Indian mythology, the tales reflect and materialize the characters' internal struggles. Although Night's narrative is at times clichéd and overrun with tedious descriptions, Aasha's and Gauri's stories explore complex themes of identity, ambition, love, and loss.Chokshi (Aru Shah and the End of Time, 2018, etc.) marries sensuous storytelling with kick-ass protagonists in these feminist romances. (Romance. 12-18)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169226492
Publisher:	Macmillan Audio
Publication date:	08/07/2018
Series:	Star-Touched Series
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

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