A Crown of Wishes

"What was magic anyway, but the world beheld by someone who chose to see it differently? " Man is this book beautifully written! This is the companion book to The Star-Touched Queen which was also beautifully written. I often found myself stopping and rereading sentences and getting lost in the meaning. But enough of that- This is the story of Maya's sister Gauri, who is being held captive in by her brother. She wants to be Queen, but he is doing all he can to prevent this. He has her taken to the neighboring kingdom and wants them to kill her. But the Prince of this land, Vikram, has problems of his own. He is a puppet prince due to circumstances of his birth. When Gauri tries to kill him, he offers her a way out- to the Tournament of Wishes, where the winners will each receive one wish. As they enter the Otherworld, they must get over their fears and distrust of each other and figure out a way to outwit the magic that is all around them.  They will be surprised that the wishes they thought they would ask for, no longer seem important in the end. This is a lovely, fantastical book. It is filled with magic, friendship, trust and sacrifice. The characters are complex and interesting on every level. And I must say, the ending is absolutely exquisite. Rosin Chokshi is a brilliant writer who can evoke such amazing images with her words. You don't have to read the first to understand the second, but it does help you understand the relationship between Gauri and Maya. I loved this book and will use it to teach descriptive language this next school year. You won't be sorry. Happy reading my friends!