Title: A Crown of Wishes (The Star-Touched Queen #2)
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Genre: Fantasy
Published: By St. Martin’s Griffin on March 28th, 2017
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Summary
(adapted from Goodreads)
She is the princess of Bharata—captured by her kingdom’s enemies, a prisoner of war. Now that she faces a future of exile and scorn, Gauri has nothing left to lose. But should she trust Vikram, the notoriously cunning prince of a neighboring land? Together they can team up and win the Tournament of Wishes, a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor. It seems like a foolproof plan—until Gauri and Vikram arrive at the tournament and find that danger takes on new shapes: poisonous courtesans, mischievous story birds, a feast of fears, and twisted fairy revels. But what Gauri and Vikram will soon discover is that there’s nothing more dangerous than what they most desire.
Title: The Dark Prophecy (The Trials of Apollo #2)
Author: Rick Riordan
Genre: Fantasy (Middle Grade)
Published: By Disney Hyperion on May 2nd, 2017
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Summary
(adapted from Goodreads)
Zeus has punished his son Apollo—god of the sun, music, archery, poetry, and more—by casting him down to earth in the form of a gawky, acne-covered sixteen-year-old mortal named Lester. The only way Apollo can reclaim his rightful place on Mount Olympus is by restoring several Oracles that have gone dark. Apollo must now leave the relative safety of the demigod training ground and embark on a hair-raising journey across North America. Fortunately, what he lacks in godly graces he’s gaining in new friendships—with heroes who will be very familiar to fans of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus series.
Published: By Disney Hyperion on 5th January, 2016
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary
Passenger is a story that revolves around Etta Spencer, a violin prodigy, whose worries escalate from her solo debut as a professional artist to surviving in a part of the world in a time completely unfamiliar to her because of the legacy of her family. She’s forced to retrieve a powerful object in return for her mother’s life for the chief of the Ironwood family, who has managed to monopolise time travelling. Nicholas Carter, a legal pirate, accompanies her in her travel through time and space, but harbours a secret of his own.
Thoughts
I loved the way the main character, Etta, made sense of the world around her using sounds and melodies, which made the viewpoint of the character unique and refreshing. The fact that Etta knows nothing of the legacy she has inherited or about the characters adds enough mystery to the story to keep the reader turning the pages. I liked the authenticity in the description of the different places and timelines. Passenger was exciting and wonderful enough to pull me into its world, but the ending bothered me a bit, hence only 4 stars.
I would recommend the book to fans of YA fantasy, time travel or romance, adventurers at heart and “legal pirates”.
For the music, I was reminded strongly of Payphone by Maroon 5, which I think fits the romantic aspects best. Another good option is Who You Really Are from the OST of BBC’s Sherlock (Track #11 in The Final Problem), which is easier to listen to it has no lyrics to distract from the reading experience.
Any salty food would go well as a snack while reading this book.
