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Star-Touched Stories

(The Star-Touched Queen #2.5)

Roshani Chokshi (Goodreads Author)

4.15 · Rating details · 875 ratings · 278 reviews

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 G ...more

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Paperback, 400 pages

Published August 7th 2018 by St. Martin's Press

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· 875 ratings · 278 reviews

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Jun 29, 2018 Emily May added it

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, arc, short-stories, 2018

I'm not going to rate this for three reasons.

1) I only read the first story and a bit of the second. That was enough for me to feel like this book wasn't for me.

2) There's really nothing wrong with Star-Touched Stories if you are looking for exactly what this is: flowery, swoony romance. I wanted to try this book after loving the author's short story in A Thousand Beginnings and Endings - some authors' writing works way better in short stories, IMO. But it unfortunately just wasn't for me. It's ...more

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Mar 27, 2018 Stacee rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley, read-in-2018

I’m going to read everything Roshani writes, but I’m 10000% on board for anything set in the Star Touched Queen world.

These three stories are fantastic. I loved seeing the glimpses or characters and I thought the ending of Rose and Sword would kill me. It was absolute perfection and my cold, black heart warmed a bit, but it was also a bit heartbreaking.

Overall, this was an atmospheric and lovely slice of time in a series I absolutely love. I need to reread those books again ASAP.

**Huge thanks to ...more

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Oct 12, 2018 BAM Endlessly Booked rated it liked it

Shelves: e-book, fantasy, own, series-have-read, net-galley

Netgalley # 77

Many thanks go to Chokshi, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

I had a difficult time rating this book. I adored the story of the Shadow Wife's Curse. It brought the Dharma Raja and Gupta back and explained a backstory from Book One. But I'm not a big fan of Aasha, Gauri, and Vikram, and the last two stories basically dealt with them. So I couldn't rate it higher than a three. I was disappointed. ...more

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Mar 26, 2018 Candace Robinson added it

This was a great addition for people who love the series! My favorite was Death & Night! Roshani writes incredibly beautiful, and she just has a way of sucking me into the beautiful worlds she creates!

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Nov 30, 2018 Alyssa rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018-releases

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Star-Touched Stories by Roshani Chokshi
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: August 7, 2018
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

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 spa ...more

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Apr 25, 2018 Obsidian rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, netgalley

Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.

I was so happy to get to read this book last night. I finished one book and decided to start this, the only reason why I finished it so fast is that one of the stories in this collection I just read the prior week. I skipped over that and read the second and third stories. I was maybe a blubbering mess at the end of this short story collection. Chokshi does a great job of having you wish for more stories ...more

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Oct 14, 2017 Marianne Moresco rated it it was amazing

4.5 stars

Enchanting and touching, masterfully written.
Just so you know, the second novella has a predominant queer element to it, as in there's a f/f relationship - I don't consider it a spoiler because a character's sexual orientation or gender identity should not be treated as an element of Surprise!!.
Also, if you've read and loved "A Crown of Wishes", be prepared for the third and last novella.
Also pt.2, I think that even if you haven't read the previous two books you can smoothly read this b ...more

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Jun 16, 2018 Sue (Hollywood News Source) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: filipino-authors

SO I FINISHED STAR-TOUCHED STORIES, what happens now? I am merely an empty husk of who I was before.

That's exactly how I felt after reading these stories. It's like an inception because there’s stories within a story. A myth behind another legendary myth. I love reading books that take you to places and that's what this universe does for me. Roshani Chokshi once again reminded me why she's one of my favorite authors. I'm in love and speechless. Full review to come.

I've decided I'm going to gat ...more

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Oct 05, 2018 Nastassja rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: 3rd-pov, swoon-worthy-hero, poetic-writing, emotional, i-want-to-marry-him, excellent-writing, fairy-tale, i-will-go-down-with-this-ship, favorites, gives-me-goosebumps

It is rare that I am so emotional about a book, let alone a short story, but this one made me weep and feel the range of emotions from happy, laughing, giddy to sad, hurt, lost and many more - a rainbow of feelings, really. Roshani Chokshi’s storytelling once and for all found its special place inside my heart. I don’t have anything else to say, just eager to feel more of that unearthly magic of her words.

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Aug 10, 2018 Aila rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018-release, arc, fantasy-magic, netgalley-edelweiss, last-of-series, short-story

Throughout these stories, Chokshi's writing remains provocative and sensual - perhaps leaning towards the purple prose side for some readers. I for one really enjoyed her heady descriptions and imaginative metaphors, and any reader who has enjoyed her previous two books in this world will adore this one. It ties in so many stories and characters, as well as presents itself as a final kiss and goodbye to the stunning world that we have visited twice already.

NIGHT AND DEATH

“Love was extraordina
...more

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Aug 22, 2018 Jeann (Happy Indulgence) rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

This short story collection is a must if you love The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes! I was pleasantly surprised at how each of the stories already feature the couples that we know, from Maya and Amar's back story and Gauri and Vikram as well. I loved seeing more of the characters that we knew and loved from the first one and the short story format was perfect for sharing snippets of their lives - before and after we had met them in their books.

As always, Roshani Chokshi's writing is r ...more

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Jul 01, 2018 Sumaya Musse rated it really liked it

😍
For a full review, follow the link: https://suereadingcorner.wordpress.co... ...more

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Jul 14, 2018 Amber rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, short-stories, romance, arc, 4-stars

The Star-Touched Queen series just gets better and better with each book. With three stories related to The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes, these stories will leave you both satisfied and wanting more. Of course, there were stories I preferred over others, so let's get into the nitty gritty!

Night and Death
Rating: 4 stars

I read this one last year when it was released as a short story and I'm happy to see that it's found a family. I mentioned in my review last year that I wished that Nig ...more

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Aug 08, 2018 Miranda rated it it was amazing

Reading these short stories reminded me why I love Roshani's writing so freaking much. All of the short stories were enchanting, mesmerizing, lush, and romantic. I could read a full novel about each of the short stories in this book! I loved going back into the world of The Star-Touched Queen series and learning more about the world, history, and favorite characters. I made me love the The Star-Touched Queen series even more, which I did think was possible.

I am a HUGE romance fan, and Roshani kn ...more

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May 20, 2018 Amy Leigh rated it it was amazing

Three magical stories that add so much depth to the world Chokshi has created.
Beautiful writing that winds these stories in a fairy tale fashion that I adore! I highly recommend for fans of the series, I don't want to spoil anything for people who haven't read them yet but they are amazing. I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. ...more

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Sep 16, 2018 Joshee Kun (조수아) rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, macmillan, kindle, asian

Happily ever after! <3 RTC

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Jul 17, 2018 prag ♻ marked it as dnf

me: has absolutely NO time to read
netgalley: so here's the arc you requested a month ago!!! happy reading :) :) ...more

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Jun 23, 2018 maegan ✷ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: tear-jerkers, reviewed, man-of-my-dreams, outstanding-characters, outstanding-plot, heroine-worth-loving, short-stories, 2018-hype, otp-forever, genre-high-fantasy

You may also find this review on my blog here.

I received an e-ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Did they live happily ever after?" This question made her grandmother pause. "They lived," she said carefully. "Mostly happily. Sometimes furiously. But always gratefully. It is, I think, the best way to spend existence."

I'm convinced Roshani Chokshi has some kind of magic tucked within herself. How else do you explain the beauty of her works? The Star-Touched Queen was a ...more

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Aug 17, 2018 Flavia rated it really liked it

I absolutely loved Roshani Chokshi’s full novels The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes, so when the first short story in this collection, “Death and Night” came out as a novella last May, I was all over it. I won’t go into that story in this review, because I wrote a full review for it last year (and you can read it on my blog). So, when I started reading Star-Touched Stories, I skipped straight to “Poison and Gold” … and I do have to say that it was my least favourite story in the collec I absolutely loved Roshani Chokshi’s full novels The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes, so when the first short story in this collection, “Death and Night” came out as a novella last May, I was all over it. I won’t go into that story in this review, because I wrote a full review for it last year (and you can read it on my blog). So, when I started reading Star-Touched Stories, I skipped straight to “Poison and Gold” … and I do have to say that it was my least favourite story in the collection. The story revolved around Aasha, a friend that Gauri and Vikram made while participating in the tournament of wishes in A Crown of Wishes, and while I did like her character in that book, I can’t way that I liked her enough to read a short story about her. I did enjoy learning more about the world as a whole, but I wasn’t really too invested in Asha and her interactions with the Spy Mistress, although the ending was a sweet one.

My favourite thing in “Poison and Gold,” was that I got to spend a little more time with Gauri and Vikram. The third and last story in the collection, “Rose and Sword,“ had more of a focus on Gauri and Vikram though, and it was quite a beautiful story. It was also a very sad story though, and I spent most of it crying, while the ending made me bawl my eyes out. I’m actually tearing up while typing this now! Gauri and Vikram had been through a lot in order to “save the day” and be together, so I was very sad to see them have to suffer through another struggle. I would have rather read in detail about their wedding day and night. There were some happy moments though, and I character that I enjoyed in Chokshi’s full-length books made a reappearance, so that made me happy! Also, like I said, “Rose and Sword” was a beautiful story, and all three stories, in fact, were beautifully written in the unique and lush style of Chokshi. I also found that Chokshi’s writing (while great from the start for me), has matured and improved over the years! I highly recommend this short story collection to fans of her work! ...more

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Aug 07, 2018 Kasey Giard rated it it was amazing

You know that feeling when you finish an amazing book, and you just wish for one more scene to revisit that favorite character or that awesome story world? That’s pretty much what Star-Touched Stories is. Every time I ran into a character I remembered from The Star-Touched Queen or A Crown of Wishes, I got so excited. There’s a story about Aasha! And Kamala appears in another one! Yay! And more Gauri and Vikram! I couldn’t have been happier.

The same rich-as-ripened-fruit, delicious writing fills ...more

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Jun 05, 2018 Ana Tascón rated it liked it

I can't believe I DNF (part of) this book. I hate myself for it. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME, PEOPLE?!! I liked The Star-Touched Queen, I loved A Crown of Wishes, I have a crush on Roshani Chokshi. What were the odds?

I loved the first story, Death and Night. It was everything I wanted, everything I dreamed for the characters, so no problem here (5 stars). But when I started reading Asha's story... it became so boring! And I don't get it, I waited so long for her story and I couldn't keep reading. (1 1 ...more

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Jun 16, 2018 Olivia Chanel's Stories in Space rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-i-own, 05-stars, genre-mythology, genre-romance, age-young-adult, genre-fantasy, netgalley, authors-of-color, diverse-books, 2018-release

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, for my ARC of Star-Touched Stories. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review; this does not affect my opinion. Any quotes mentioned below are taken from the ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Star-Touched Stories is an anthology filled with three stories from the world established in The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi. The three stories are beautifully written and I was blown away by their excellence, their origi ...more

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Aug 06, 2018 Leah rated it really liked it

Roshani Chokshi does it again with her beautiful way with words. This is a collection of short stories set in the the Star-Touched Queen world featuring characters you already know and love. I usually stay away from novellas, and definitely away from short-story collections because rarely are they worth the time or effort. You never get enough or too much is crammed in to the point it makes no sense and you hate it.

Not the case here.

Full review at Write, Read, Repeat

A run-down of my thoughts on Roshani Chokshi does it again with her beautiful way with words. This is a collection of short stories set in the the Star-Touched Queen world featuring characters you already know and love. I usually stay away from novellas, and definitely away from short-story collections because rarely are they worth the time or effort. You never get enough or too much is crammed in to the point it makes no sense and you hate it.

Not the case here.

Full review at Write, Read, Repeat

A run-down of my thoughts on each short story.

1. DEATH AND NIGHT
My favourite, hands down. It is basically the prequel to The Star-Touched Queen you didn't know you needed but secretly wished would land in your lap. This tells the story of Night incarnate and the Lord of Death and how they met and came to be lovers, and let me tell you, this was perfect. It was lush and swoony and romantic and utterly wonderful. The magic and the world-building was top notch in this. The rest of this book could have been trash and I'd still finish in the hopes of getting another moment that resembles this particular tale. I literally have nothing bad to say about this one.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2. POISON AND GOLD
This was probably the one that could have tanked the ship for me. This one takes place after the events of A Crown of Wishes, and focuses on Aasha going through a series of tests and trial to become the new Spy Mistress. I really liked Aasha in ACOW, but I fell off the wagon here. It was a story that felt too long and boring and frankly, unasked for. The spy mistress angle should have been more exciting, but was not. I wanted more of a story of discovery of the world for her, but it became more about her, personally and her insecurities and weaknesses.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
3. ROSE AND SWORD
I enjoyed this one as well! Not as much as the first, but more so than the second. It focuses on Gauri as she travels to the underworld to save Vikram from illness and death on the eve of their wedding. I love Gauri and Vikram together, so I was delighted to get more of their banter and dynamic together. My major complaint with this was it was too short. It needed—no, deserved more. Chop Aasha's story in half by speeding up the pace and give those pages to Gauri.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall, I enjoyed this. It was a great companion piece to the Star-Touched world and came at a good time for me, not wanting to leave that world just yet. ...more

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Aug 22, 2018 Lili Marcus rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, novella

Oh my God, the writing... But first, the stories. I'm not so into companion novels (but I do love Levana's story in The Lunar Chronicles) and not also into short stories or anthologies so I wasn't sure what made me request this one from Netgalley. Maybe it was the cover because duh? look how gorgeous it is. But anyway, I'm glad I did request this ARC.

First paragraph on first story, Death and Night, I was hooked. Death is the first narrator and I found his thoughts not only dark but sad. So sad,
Oh my God, the writing... But first, the stories. I'm not so into companion novels (but I do love Levana's story in The Lunar Chronicles) and not also into short stories or anthologies so I wasn't sure what made me request this one from Netgalley. Maybe it was the cover because duh? look how gorgeous it is. But anyway, I'm glad I did request this ARC.

First paragraph on first story, Death and Night, I was hooked. Death is the first narrator and I found his thoughts not only dark but sad. So sad, my heart answered to him right away. And then there's the love story between him and Night herself. It was perfect. I haven't felt true love in so long, I just loved it. Sure there was ssa bit insta-love an dthe plot was a little rushed but we mustn't forget this is a short story.

The second story I couldn't connect that much, maybe because I heard too much from Aasha and I long to hear from the spymaster herself. I wanna read her thoughts too. In fact I want to read hers more than Aasha becaus eshe's much darker and Aasha was all-scared adn I don't know. But I love the LGBTQ+ rep though I wasn't expecting. It's very refreshing.

The third story, I adore so much. It started with a kid resenting her sister but then her granny told her a story. The three stories somehow are connected with each other. And very much connected to the main series, I guess. I haven't read them but I want to now.

The writing is juts perfect for me. I love it. So aesthetic. So Beautiful and magical. See, I really love this kind of writing but lately all I've been reading are books with aesthetic language but said aesthetic language are used only to describe things around. But it turned Roshani Chokshi's writing is art itself. I'm gonna read all her works just for her inspiration. And oh the world. I love the world. I can't wait to read the other books in the series..

Please note that I got an ARC of this beautiful book from the publisher thru Netgalley but my opinions are my own and unbiased.

Happy reading,

cameff_1512136642287

...more

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Mar 28, 2018 Tova rated it liked it

3.5
I would still die for my husband Vikramaditya, just saying.
RTC

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Dec 29, 2018 Ingrid rated it liked it

DNF @ 10%

I realized i didn't even read Star touched queen, so oops. This was completely my bad and I didn't want to finish reading it. because I want to read the other books first before reading this one.

I did however, enjoy the first story! She has a beautiful, imaginative writing style which mesmerizes the reader. ...more

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Aug 25, 2018 Trisha (The Tea Reader) rated it really liked it

Review coming soon.

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Jul 01, 2018 Tara (Spinatale Reviews) rated it it was amazing

Star-Touched Stories is a beautifully written addition to the Star-Touched Queen series. Prepare to laugh and cry (I definitely needed tissues). This book sees the return of some old favorites and the introduction of some new characters. Roshani Chokshi is truly a magician with words and her full skill is evident in these pages. Prepare to be transported back into this wonderfully magical world. While you technically don’t need to read the first two books in the series to understand this one, th Star-Touched Stories is a beautifully written addition to the Star-Touched Queen series. Prepare to laugh and cry (I definitely needed tissues). This book sees the return of some old favorites and the introduction of some new characters. Roshani Chokshi is truly a magician with words and her full skill is evident in these pages. Prepare to be transported back into this wonderfully magical world. While you technically don’t need to read the first two books in the series to understand this one, there are spoilers for the first two in the second two stories.

Since this is a short story collection, I wanted to include a few thoughts on each story.

Death and Night: This one was just so much fun to read. It tracks the courtship of the Lord of Death and Night as they navigate misunderstandings, getting to know each other, and curses. I loved how the front they each presented to the world was slowly unraveled and how they only fell in love once they truly knew each other. Chokshi captures the essence of a new relationship and, although this one has magic galore, it feels entirely relatable.

Poison and Gold: This is one that I would love to see expanded into a full-length novel. Focusing on Aasha, one of the more minor characters from A Crown of Wishes, Poison and Gold delves into the world of spies and secrets. Although the focus was more on figuring out who you are, the romance was absolutely adorable and surprisingly heart-warming for something that involved so much poison and death.

Rose and Sword: Rose and Sword was the one story that made me cry. This one was so beautifully tragic, sweet, and romantic. It details what happened to Gauri and Vikram after A Crown of Wishes and perfectly captures what it means to truly choose to love someone day after day. This one was probably my favorite in this book (but all three were fantastic). Just make sure you have a tissue or two handy.

For me, the mark of a good book is how strongly I want to reread it one day. With Star-Touched Stories, I was tempted to begin reading again as soon as I turned the last page. Lyrical, magical, and utterly captivating, Star-Touched Stories is a stellar installment in one of my favorite series.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ...more

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Aug 09, 2018 Maria rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Got to wait to make the review for this one, next Tuesday WEEEE

Hiya guys- welcome to the Nether! Today I am going to be talking about Star Touched Stories by Roshani Chokshi. I just got to say I love Ms. Chokshis writing. She has this magical way to transform a kingdom to live. These stories are all short and sweet. Night and Death a small love story about basically the Grim Reaper himself falling in love with Night, who is like the guardian of stars. Poison and Gold which is about Aasha (see se Got to wait to make the review for this one, next Tuesday WEEEE

Hiya guys- welcome to the Nether! Today I am going to be talking about Star Touched Stories by Roshani Chokshi. I just got to say I love Ms. Chokshis writing. She has this magical way to transform a kingdom to live. These stories are all short and sweet. Night and Death a small love story about basically the Grim Reaper himself falling in love with Night, who is like the guardian of stars. Poison and Gold which is about Aasha (see second book for details) becoming a high ranking person in Gauri’s court, and a love story between two girls. Last one is Rose and Sword which is probably my most favorite of the three basically telling out the tale of Guari recusing Vikram from death (see second novel Tournament of Wishes to understand these two characters as well). This compilation of stories is kind of a strange one because I feel like you have to read tournament of the wishes first before you even consider this book. I wish that she would accomplish her first book also early to this compilation which is the star touched queen, and she did not. I am going to do this review a little bit different from the other reviews I haven’t done it because it’s not just of one novel talking about certain aspects of it. First I want to thank Wednesday books/Martin Press for giving me an advanced e-book copy. They are the only people that really do just randomly give me digital copies of things, and I appreciate that from them. That does not obscure my view of the story in any way shape or form.

I guess I will start with the first short story which is the story between the Grim Reaper and night. This could’ve been a novel within itself and I thought it was a bit rushed. There was a certain festival where the guardians or magical beings decided on their mates by the palms of their hands, which was called Teig? I wish that she further explained this Festival a bit farther. if she just made it up or if it’s actually a part of Indian costum I do not know. But the story was basically these to getting together and their struggles with excepting each other. As always Chokshi will make any girls heart melt with her words because she can make love ballads like no other. A lot of the stuff I wish was explained a bit further though, there’s really nothing I can do about it though these are Novelas and I really can’t expect a lot from them in terms of description. I rather enjoyed he tried so hard to get her even though he expected no love from her. She wanted to marry for love and that was the whole entire novella in a nutshell. To explain his actions he had like this curse set upon him which really wasn’t a person at all. I thought this happened in the star touched queen also, something very similar. Still rather enjoy the love story behind it.

Poison and gold is the story of Aasha trying to fight her way to the position of spy mistress. There is another girl there who also is already in the position who supposed to be teaching her how to become this position. At first I thought that she was older, her name is coming out of my mind right now. Turns out that the spy mistress stress is only 19, shocker right. The story has a love-hate relationship going on throughout it. At first I thought that that was not going to happen and of course it does ironically enough. Not that I don’t want a love interest for Aasha, But also I wanted something more tangible in a story of courage and adventure from this particular story, which is kind of describe throughout the trails at the end but it’s not really that validated. Like I said before I can’t really expect much from a story that’s not full blown novel to give me massive description, but then I was like oh it’s a love story.....poo. Which I wasn’t really expecting that so I guess that’s why I was a little disappointed that had to be a love story.

The last one was probably my favorite it was because it was a continuation of the second novel, Gauri, Who is our main protagonist of the second novel, is a lot older and she’s telling her granddaughter the story that happened to her along time ago before she even got married. Of course we have Guari and Vikram once again, and of course they are fighting because they have two separate personalities. The whole story begins with Vikram getting sick and gallery Guari going to the gate of death to save him. Basically the story is not taking your significant other for granted because that’s what she did. She was constantly whining that he was either too clingy or he wanted to display his love in a public fashion, which that’s what his personality is. This all change user however when he become sick and almost nearly dies. She realizes what is in front of her and she realizes that she had a good thing going for her. She explains the story of her going to the different gates and seeing her future and her past flash before her eyes. She ultimately saves him and has a wonderful long life with him. The story basically ends with her passing on to death with him. I thought the story was incredibly touching and probably the best out of the three. I love the great blank she goes to save her fiancé or husband.Going to the separate gates in seeing his name and her future brings the story to life. The moral of the story is basically don’t take your love ones for granted, which I totally understand.

This book or compilation I should say is basically a Segway so you have something to grasp upon by the author until gilded wolves comes out. Gilded wolves is a totally different story with none of the magical aspects of this story in it but people that have read it said that it’s really good book I’m supposed to be getting it within the next week. I hope that you enjoyed my review of these three short stories and thank you once again to Martin press.

I will see you the next time I read a novel.

BYE~ ...more

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Jul 28, 2018 Alicia (A Kernel of Nonsense) rated it really liked it

*I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway which does not influence my review*

Roshani Chokshi’s delicious prose and spellbinding storytelling once again shines in her collection Star-Touched Stories. All three short stories in this collection take place in the same world as The Star-Touched Queen duology. While many novellas or short story collections feel unnecessary, reading Chokshi’s selected tales felt like a real treat. We get the backstory to a The Star-Touched Queen in D *I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway which does not influence my review*

Roshani Chokshi’s delicious prose and spellbinding storytelling once again shines in her collection Star-Touched Stories. All three short stories in this collection take place in the same world as The Star-Touched Queen duology. While many novellas or short story collections feel unnecessary, reading Chokshi’s selected tales felt like a real treat. We get the backstory to a The Star-Touched Queen in Death and Night, a look at what happens to the vishakanya Aasha from A Crown of Wishes in Poison and Gold, and a short story featuring Gauri and Vikram in Rose and Sword. These stories reminded me just how much I enjoy Chokshi’s writing and renewed my love for her duology.

The first short story in this collection, Death and Night, is lush and romantic. If you ever wanted to know more about Maya’s previous life as the goddess of Night and how she first met the Lord of Death, this is the story for you. The Lord of Death seeks a bride, but a curse spells doom if he falls in love. Night is an enigma to most who meet her. Her existence a lonely one. Though she ushers in night, she does not have the power to create and shape fate with her own hands. Their meeting does not go smoothly as Night has always dreamed of a union based on love and the Dharma Raja is determined to marry without it. The Lord of Death is both amusingly and endearingly clumsy when it comes to trying to court Night. I loved Night’s sharp tongue and that she isn’t easily moved by the Dharma Raja. This was my favorite novella of the three because of how vivid the world felt and how easily I was able to fall back into The Star-Touched Queen universe.

Aasha was such a curious character in A Crown of Wishes. When I was still hoping for another book in this series, I was hoping to get Aasha’s story. I was delighted to discover that Poison and Gold is about Aasha and her journey discovering her place in a new world. As a vishankanya, Aasha is able to kill with a single touch, but she has taken on another role at Gauri and Vikram’s side. But as loyal as her friends may be to her and she to them, there is unrest in both kingdoms as they are set to unite with their two leaders’ marriage. Aasha must earn her place by their side and is sent to the current Spy Mistress for training. Aasha has been struggling to find where she fits in this world of mortals. Their manners can sometimes be unpredictable and Aasha continues to marvel at how easily they lie. Zahril, the current Spy Mistress, isn’t exactly what Aasha expects. She isn’t friendly, but curt and sometimes merciless. Though most would be unsettled by Zahril, Aasha finds her lack of pretense refreshing. Aasha finally finds a place where she can not only be herself, but where her key to success relies on it. When Aasha begins to develop feelings for Zahril, her secret identity as a vishankanya threatens to unravel their new bond. I loved that both of these characters, who have very different reasons for being closed off, get a chance to be vulnerable with the other. While the first story is about love, this one is about the potential for love and how Aasha and Zahril take those first steps to being open to the possibility of love.

The final story in this collection is Rose and Sword. We get a glance at both the past and future of Gauri and Vikram’s relationship. This one was a personal delight as these two characters were my favorite in the The Star-Touched Queen duology. This story is a little darker than the previous two as a character must venture into the underworld and save a loved one from death. This felt like a bittersweet tale for those who always imagined a happily-ever-after for the two leads of A Crown of Wishes. There’s an underlining bitter honesty to this tale where Gauri must confront the fact that her relationship with Vikram will not always be perfect. They are far too different to always get along and too used to getting their own way. She eventually has to choose whether the time she and Vikram have together is worth all the pain that will come when she loses him. I became unexpectedly emotional while reading this one. It’s amazing what Chokshi can still make me feel for characters I met over a year ago.

Star-Touched Stories is just as enchanting as The Star-Touched Queen duology. Chokshi made me fall in love with her writing each time I picked up this collection. If you are a fan of the original duology, this is an excellent short-story collection that will leave you both satisfied and wanting even more tales from this captivating world. ...more

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About Roshani Chokshi

Roshani Chokshi

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Roshani Chokshi is the author of commercial and critically acclaimed books for middle grade and young adult readers that draws on world mythology and folklore. Her work has been nominated for the Locus and Nebula awards, and has frequently appeared on Best of The Year lists from Barnes and Noble, Forbes, Buzzfeed and more. Her New York Times bestselling series includes The Star-Touched Queen duolo ...more

Other books in the series

The Star-Touched Queen (2 books)

Books by Roshani Chokshi

The Star-Touched Queen (The Star-Touched Queen, #1)

The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves, #1)

Aru Shah and the End of Time (Pandava Quartet, #1)

A Crown of Wishes (The Star-Touched Queen, #2)

Aru Shah and the Song of Death (Pandava Quartet, #2)

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Quotes from Star-Touched Stories

“I want to write my own legacy in the stars instead of simply having the stars be my legacy.” — 4 likes

“Sometimes we women are our own worst traps. Our hopes snatch us like quicksand. Our loneliness forges a cage. Sometimes all it takes is one sweet glance and kind word to make us forget ourselves.” — 3 likes

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