Welcome to my stop on the A Crown of Wishes blog tour! First, here's a little about the book:

A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi

Published by St. Martin's on March 28, 2017

Plot Summary of Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi

Gauri, the princess of Bharata, has been taken as a prisoner of war by her kingdom’s enemies. Faced with a future of exile and scorn, Gauri has nothing left to lose. Hope unexpectedly comes in the form of Vikram, the cunning prince of a neighboring land and her sworn enemy kingdom. Unsatisfied with becoming a mere puppet king, Vikram offers Gauri a chance to win back her kingdom in exchange for her battle prowess. Together, they’ll have to set aside their differences and team up to win the Tournament of Wishes—a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor. Reaching the tournament is just the beginning. Once they arrive, danger takes on new shapes: poisonous courtesans and mischievous story birds, a feast of fears and twisted fairy revels. Every which way they turn new trials will test their wit and strength. But what Gauri and Vikram will soon discover is that there’s nothing more dangerous than what they most desire.

Review of Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi

A Crown of Wishes is a companion book to A Star-Touched Queen -- or you might call it a "sister" book, as the main characters in the books are sisters. Gauri, the protagonist of A Crown of Wishes, is the younger half-sister of Maya, whom you might remember from A Star-Touched Queen.

This book had me excited right off because it features two of my favorite story elements, the hate-to-love story and a tournament. The story begins with Gauri imprisoned. She's broken out of prison by a prince who wants her to be his partner in the Tournament of Wishes, a contest in which the victor wins a wish.

Initially this book reminded me a little of the first Throne of Glass book, in which a tough, no-nonsense character gets let out of prison and has to compete in a tournament. I loved the unexpected ways that gender was portrayed in the book. 

Gauri is the one who is angry, tough and vengeful. She loves makeup, but almost views it as battle paint. Vikram is more trusting, forthcoming, and vulnerable. Known as the "Fox Prince," he longs to be taken seriously by the people of his country.

The two must put their differences aside and work together to win the tournament. Now, sometimes tournaments are used in books as a substitute for plot, and at first I was a bit worried about that in this story. But no -- these characters grow and change as they face each challenge.

As always, Roshani Chokshi's writing is full of rich description, folklore and mythology.  If you loved the Star-Touched Queen, definitely try this. And if you haven't read that book, I think you could really read these two in any order.

Have you read this? Tell me what you thought in comments.