A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi - ESSENTIAL

Chokshi,Roshani.  A Crown of Wishes.  400 pages.  St. Martin’s Press, 2017.  $18.99.  

Language: G; Violence: PG.  Sexual Content: PG-13 (sensuality, talk of rape [no details], and creatures who feed on desire). 

A companion novel to The Star-Touched Queen (2016), but can be read entirely on its own merit and plot.  The story is told primarily from the points of view of Vikram, the fox prince, and Gauri, the jewel of Bharata.  Although they are both royal, they feel like pawns in their royal courts.  Vikram doesn’t want to be an emperor in name alone.  He’s given an invitation to The Tournament of Wishes in the kingdom of the Otherworld where the prize is your heart’s desire.  The only catch is that he must bring a partner.  Princess Gauri is their prisoner and her brother wants her dead.  Vikram offers Gauri the opportunity to be his partner in the tournament.  She accepts to escape imprisonment, but doesn’t intend to enter the tournament.  Everything about the tournament is a challenge, even discovering its location.  They must learn to trust each other and their instincts just to leave alive.  

Gauri is a warrior princess who is strong and will appeal to teen girls who aren’t afraid to compete in a man’s world.  Vikram is as clever as a fox and twice as funny, although he is not a warrior, he has a strength and wisdom all of his own.  Both main characters are complex, flawed, and filled with regret.  They must learn to live with their past choices and choose their wishes and their futures wisely.  This story has everything you could possible want in a book: adventure, romance, mystery, magic, humor, friendship, exotic locations, royalty, and an amazing cover.    

MS, HS-ESSENTIAL.  Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS.