Treated with scorn and fear in her father's kingdom because of a formidable horoscope, 16-year-old Maya commits herself to her education only to land in an arranged marriage that culminates in her sudden elevation to the throne, a situation that is threatened by dark secrets and Otherworldly magic.
Initial thoughts: In many ways The Star-Touched Queen reminded me of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas but better written, with more interesting characters, and much more nuance. For someone who loved ACOTAR, that's welcome news, I'm sure. As more me? I hated ACOTAR, so that parallel isn't one I'm particularly excited about. On the flip side, some parts also reminded me of A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston, which I adored. It's no wonder then, that I enjoyed The Star-Touched Queen, even if I didn't love it.
What I liked were the setting, the writing style, and the diverse cast. The audiobook narration was great too. Oh, and there was a petulant talking horse, which obviously upped the entertainment factor. The romance, however, made little sense to me. Not that romance is driven by logic, but the spark, the chemistry, the palpable attraction, and what have you, were entirely absent. That this drove the main character to the underworld where she faced the dead at least partially made up for this book's shortcomings.
