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The Star-Touched Queen #0.5
Death and Night
An exclusive Star-Touched novella over 100 pages long!
Before The Star-Touched Queen there was only 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.
Before The Star-Touched Queen there was only 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.
Audiobook
First published May 2, 2017
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About the author
Roshani Chokshi
46 books11.2k followersRoshani Chokshi is the award-winning author of the New York Times bestselling series The Star-Touched Queen, The Gilded Wolves and Aru Shah and The End of Time, which Time Magazine named one of the Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time. Her adult debut, The Last Tale of The Flower Bride, was a #1 Sunday Times bestseller. Her novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages and often draw upon world mythology and folklore. Chokshi is a member of the National Leadership Board for the Michael C. Carlos Museum and lives in Georgia with her husband and their cat whose diabolical plans must regularly be thwarted.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 227 reviews
May 1, 2017
Once again I am in love with Roshani Chokshi's writing. She manages with her words to pluck stars from the sky and pour their magic on pages. The descriptions of the Night Bazaar and divine creatures that visit it are out of a dream images - I felt like I've woken up and found myself in a magical fairy tale walking the streets of the Night Bazaar with the characters.
Death and Night is a prequel story of how Amar and Maya - characters of The Star-touched Queen met for the first time in Maya's previous life. We were told about their first life together in TSTQ, but here we have a more detailed glimpse on how they fell in love for the first time. I especially enjoyed Amar's - Death's chapters. Back then he was still young at heart and not as mysterious and stark as he's in TSTQ. His interactions with Gupta - his only friend and advisor - were priceless. Their friendship in a short span of time became one of my favorites. Maya - Night is a more confident but gentle girl than she's in TSTQ, where she was deprived of love and kindness from early childhood. In this short story both Amar and Maya look and feel like different persons, but little snippets of conversations they have reminded me of their interactions in TSTQ, and that's when you understand these are the same characters but shaped by different surroundings. This seemingly short story adds so much more to the characters' arc and invites us back to the world of The Star-touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes. And I enjoyed every moment of it.
*I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
April 27, 2017
A cute, quick read. It was cool to read about how Maya & Amar met.
September 22, 2024
Desertathon 2020 🐫🌵 Prompt: Flower on the cover
Well...that was bloody fantastic and gets ALL the stars! 😍✨🌠🌟💫
I own like I think four books by this author (all bought last year) and this is actually my first experience reading any of her work. And it was everything! 🙉 The writing is so gorgeous and instantly pulled me into this beyond-words-beautiful romance 💘💖 It evoked feels just within the first four pages. Like really? Your writing is so excellent that I instantly loved these characters and wanted everything to be wonderful for them?! 🙆💞
This is the kind of love I aspire to find in life (People beware! Books give readers lofty heights you must reach to impress us & make us swoon 😂 No pressure) But seriously, this is by far one of the most amazing romances I've read. Strange the Dreamer is my pinnacle 💫 but this is a close second ✨
And I'm now so pumped to jump into the rest of this author's writings! 😁 Just based on this novella I know I'm going to love it all! 😍
Well...that was bloody fantastic and gets ALL the stars! 😍✨🌠🌟💫
I own like I think four books by this author (all bought last year) and this is actually my first experience reading any of her work. And it was everything! 🙉 The writing is so gorgeous and instantly pulled me into this beyond-words-beautiful romance 💘💖 It evoked feels just within the first four pages. Like really? Your writing is so excellent that I instantly loved these characters and wanted everything to be wonderful for them?! 🙆💞
This is the kind of love I aspire to find in life (People beware! Books give readers lofty heights you must reach to impress us & make us swoon 😂 No pressure) But seriously, this is by far one of the most amazing romances I've read. Strange the Dreamer is my pinnacle 💫 but this is a close second ✨
And I'm now so pumped to jump into the rest of this author's writings! 😁 Just based on this novella I know I'm going to love it all! 😍
August 30, 2024
“Be anything you want. But I would not have you any other way.”
Had so much fun highlighting this one, the quotes are 🤌
(all shared and visible is you are interested)
Had so much fun highlighting this one, the quotes are 🤌
(all shared and visible is you are interested)
March 23, 2017
Of course it was amazing. I loved getting this little slice and seeing things mentioned in TSTQ and ACOW and now I want to reread them.
April 30, 2017
I had really mixed feelings over last year's THE STAR TOUCHED QUEEN so when I saw this prequel available for order, one that spent time on the previous lives of book one's main characters, that would maybe convince me of this everlasting love, I jumped at the chance.
I wanted to spend my life with someone who made eternity too short.
But some of the same problems I had with Chokshi in book one are also present in this novella. While her writing is beautiful it's kind of like Ahdieh's WRATH & THE DAWN but to a super purple flowery extreme. It's.. too much. Lovely and enchanting but often confusing as hell and you end up losing the plot and the point. I did enjoy the interactions of the characters, Dharma Raj and Gupta, and the flirting and banter between the Lord of Death and Night, though. When using her skills on dialogue and wit, Chokshi is wonderful. Her writing dazzles. But even bright and beautiful things can blind you.
"You'll court me with tales of bitter disillusionment and jaded tales of love? Please excuse me while I swoon at your feet."
My problem became that this didn't really enlighten me on the events of THE STAR TOUCHED QUEEN. I'm still more or less confused. I had hoped for some answers and really all I got was a love story that defeated a curse.. but.. how? I just don't know.
I think this novella will definitely help flesh out the first story in this series for those readers who fell in love with it but wanted more. But if you're like me and had hopes that this would actually help explain things.. you might be out of luck.
2.5 "so pretty it hurts my brain" stars
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
I wanted to spend my life with someone who made eternity too short.
But some of the same problems I had with Chokshi in book one are also present in this novella. While her writing is beautiful it's kind of like Ahdieh's WRATH & THE DAWN but to a super purple flowery extreme. It's.. too much. Lovely and enchanting but often confusing as hell and you end up losing the plot and the point. I did enjoy the interactions of the characters, Dharma Raj and Gupta, and the flirting and banter between the Lord of Death and Night, though. When using her skills on dialogue and wit, Chokshi is wonderful. Her writing dazzles. But even bright and beautiful things can blind you.
"You'll court me with tales of bitter disillusionment and jaded tales of love? Please excuse me while I swoon at your feet."
My problem became that this didn't really enlighten me on the events of THE STAR TOUCHED QUEEN. I'm still more or less confused. I had hoped for some answers and really all I got was a love story that defeated a curse.. but.. how? I just don't know.
I think this novella will definitely help flesh out the first story in this series for those readers who fell in love with it but wanted more. But if you're like me and had hopes that this would actually help explain things.. you might be out of luck.
2.5 "so pretty it hurts my brain" stars
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
May 26, 2017
Full review can also be found here : https://readingwithrendz.wordpress.co...
I first heard about this story before I read The Star-Touched Queen, which kind of spoiled it a little bit for me…not really. This is a prequel novel to TSTQ and it revolves around the love story of the immortals Death and Night. I will try my best to avoid spoilers about The Star-Touched Queen, but it will be difficult just because of who this book is about!
What I Liked
Characters:
Death: I swooned as soon as he conjured himself a chair and sat on it as it magically appeared under him. I s.w.o.o.n.e.d. This is the thing about Death, despite having to deal with death, heartbreak and sorrow he also dealt with life, creation and choice. He was one of those characters that had yet to discover the good within himself when the rest of the world saw him as evil. He was broody, charming, suave, dedicated and passionate. He grew immensely in this story from learning to look beyond his curse to being compassionate. I loved reading about his transformation.
Night: LOVE HER! Gosh, she was just so amazing. She was independent, caring, imaginative and intelligent. She knew that the world saw her as something to be afraid of but she didn’t let that get to her. Instead she created stories and dreams that filled people with joy. She struggled sometimes with the fact that people found her demonic, but she continued to create anyways. I loved that she was resilient, patient and had a bite! She took no ones BS.
Gupta: BEST CHARACTER EVER! He was hilarious and the perfect side character. I loved him and his lessons in the art of love and flirtation!
The Writing: Once again, Roshani created the most beautiful phrases and passages that I lived for. Her words just elevated the magic and mischief in this story. Not to mention she created the most romantic moods and swoony moments! I think my favourite bit was her description of Night becoming night. Of her dance and transformation. ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! Her style is flowery yes, but I really enjoyed it. It was interesting, visual and magical. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Roshani Choshki’s writing is magic!
Romance: This is a love story, and I loved every love aspect about it. I swooned in practically every chapter! There were so many cute moments. It was definitely a well paced romance. Neither Death or Night were particularly expecting to find each other but they did. And I shipped it so hard. So hard.
The Declaration of Love: I would post it here, but I think it would be best for you to experience it from the book, where the mood is set and everything! It is just so perfect, I literally died and went to heaven for two seconds.
The World: This goes hand in hand with Roshani’s writing because she made me feel like I was in the Night Baazar! She made me feel the change between day and night. Correction, this world was not just a feeling, it was an experience! An experience of magic, dream fruit, death, night and love. The descriptions created so many amazing visuals in my mind that I was aching to draw and paint. *I’m hoping to very soon actually!* I want to explore the Otherworld so badly!!
What I Disliked
Nada people, it was all love!
Overall, I thought this was the perfect addition to the series. It made so many of the objects and events in the The Star-Touched Queen make sense. It was magical, romantic and out of this world. (In the Otherworld to be precise!) I want more! Is that being greedy? I need more on Death and Night!
Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
Recommend: 100%! But, I would suggest reading The Star-Touched Queen first, followed directly by this!
I first heard about this story before I read The Star-Touched Queen, which kind of spoiled it a little bit for me…not really. This is a prequel novel to TSTQ and it revolves around the love story of the immortals Death and Night. I will try my best to avoid spoilers about The Star-Touched Queen, but it will be difficult just because of who this book is about!
What I Liked
Characters:
Death: I swooned as soon as he conjured himself a chair and sat on it as it magically appeared under him. I s.w.o.o.n.e.d. This is the thing about Death, despite having to deal with death, heartbreak and sorrow he also dealt with life, creation and choice. He was one of those characters that had yet to discover the good within himself when the rest of the world saw him as evil. He was broody, charming, suave, dedicated and passionate. He grew immensely in this story from learning to look beyond his curse to being compassionate. I loved reading about his transformation.
Night: LOVE HER! Gosh, she was just so amazing. She was independent, caring, imaginative and intelligent. She knew that the world saw her as something to be afraid of but she didn’t let that get to her. Instead she created stories and dreams that filled people with joy. She struggled sometimes with the fact that people found her demonic, but she continued to create anyways. I loved that she was resilient, patient and had a bite! She took no ones BS.
Gupta: BEST CHARACTER EVER! He was hilarious and the perfect side character. I loved him and his lessons in the art of love and flirtation!
The Writing: Once again, Roshani created the most beautiful phrases and passages that I lived for. Her words just elevated the magic and mischief in this story. Not to mention she created the most romantic moods and swoony moments! I think my favourite bit was her description of Night becoming night. Of her dance and transformation. ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! Her style is flowery yes, but I really enjoyed it. It was interesting, visual and magical. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Roshani Choshki’s writing is magic!
Romance: This is a love story, and I loved every love aspect about it. I swooned in practically every chapter! There were so many cute moments. It was definitely a well paced romance. Neither Death or Night were particularly expecting to find each other but they did. And I shipped it so hard. So hard.
The Declaration of Love: I would post it here, but I think it would be best for you to experience it from the book, where the mood is set and everything! It is just so perfect, I literally died and went to heaven for two seconds.
The World: This goes hand in hand with Roshani’s writing because she made me feel like I was in the Night Baazar! She made me feel the change between day and night. Correction, this world was not just a feeling, it was an experience! An experience of magic, dream fruit, death, night and love. The descriptions created so many amazing visuals in my mind that I was aching to draw and paint. *I’m hoping to very soon actually!* I want to explore the Otherworld so badly!!
What I Disliked
Nada people, it was all love!
Overall, I thought this was the perfect addition to the series. It made so many of the objects and events in the The Star-Touched Queen make sense. It was magical, romantic and out of this world. (In the Otherworld to be precise!) I want more! Is that being greedy? I need more on Death and Night!
Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
Recommend: 100%! But, I would suggest reading The Star-Touched Queen first, followed directly by this!
April 27, 2017
This novella made me fall in love with The Star-Touched Queen even more than I already did. Death and Night took the characters from The Star-Touched Queen that I already loved and created an even more lush and beautiful backstory for them. It was truly enchanting to read about Death and Night and the trials and tribulations they went through before we met Maya and Amar.
The romance between Death and Night brought me so much joy. They are SOUL FREAKING MATES. They supported each other, believed in each other, and their personalities just complemented each other perfectly. They would always bring out the best in each other, and they had amazing banter. The romance never felt overbearing or cheesy. This novella made me want to read The Star-Touched Queen again just so I could relive Maya and Amar falling in love. THEY ARE PERFECT.
Chokshi developed the romance in this novella at a perfect pace that melted my heart. I swooned so many times while reading this novella, and it just proved that Chokshi is one of my favorite authors, especially when it comes to romance.
I can always expect Chokshi's writing to be magical and breathtaking, and this novella exceeded those expectations. Chokshi's writing style paired with the enchanting world she created made for one incredible combination, as always. I loved learning more about the Night Bazaar and the different creatures within the world she created. This world is one I NEVER want to stop reading about. I also really liked how this novella brought more depth to the stories that were talked about in the other books in this series. Everything just tied together perfectly.
Overall, I adored this novella. There wasn't a moment in this novella where I felt bored. Fans of this series will not be let down with this novella. ROSHANI, PLEASE WRITE MORE FOR THIS SERIES!!!!
5 / 5 Fangs
*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
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The romance between Death and Night brought me so much joy. They are SOUL FREAKING MATES. They supported each other, believed in each other, and their personalities just complemented each other perfectly. They would always bring out the best in each other, and they had amazing banter. The romance never felt overbearing or cheesy. This novella made me want to read The Star-Touched Queen again just so I could relive Maya and Amar falling in love. THEY ARE PERFECT.
Chokshi developed the romance in this novella at a perfect pace that melted my heart. I swooned so many times while reading this novella, and it just proved that Chokshi is one of my favorite authors, especially when it comes to romance.
I can always expect Chokshi's writing to be magical and breathtaking, and this novella exceeded those expectations. Chokshi's writing style paired with the enchanting world she created made for one incredible combination, as always. I loved learning more about the Night Bazaar and the different creatures within the world she created. This world is one I NEVER want to stop reading about. I also really liked how this novella brought more depth to the stories that were talked about in the other books in this series. Everything just tied together perfectly.
Overall, I adored this novella. There wasn't a moment in this novella where I felt bored. Fans of this series will not be let down with this novella. ROSHANI, PLEASE WRITE MORE FOR THIS SERIES!!!!
5 / 5 Fangs
*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
April 8, 2018
Gupta stepped back, brows crumpling. “You look—”
“—preternaturally handsome?”
“No.”
“Record keeping is ruining your eyes.”
“Impossible.”
“Well, one can hope.”
- The conversation happening between the lord of Death and his counselor Chitragupta after taking away a soul!
Well, this was pre-courting novella for - Lord of Death and Night/Maya - the star-crossed lovers with curse in between. (*We all know now how I feel about romance so I am not gonna exaggerate it but to my patience levels, they were “Star-crossed” that worked out fine for me!)
And all that sarcastic banter between them? Loved it!
P.S.: The title? *heart eyes*
And they kept on coinciding in each of incarnations!
“—preternaturally handsome?”
“No.”
“Record keeping is ruining your eyes.”
“Impossible.”
“Well, one can hope.”
- The conversation happening between the lord of Death and his counselor Chitragupta after taking away a soul!
Well, this was pre-courting novella for - Lord of Death and Night/Maya - the star-crossed lovers with curse in between. (*We all know now how I feel about romance so I am not gonna exaggerate it but to my patience levels, they were “Star-crossed” that worked out fine for me!)
And all that sarcastic banter between them? Loved it!
P.S.: The title? *heart eyes*
And they kept on coinciding in each of incarnations!
May 8, 2017
Death and Night by Roshani Chokshi is one of the most captivating series companion novellas that I've read. It beautifully showcases Roshani's dazzling writing style, and it is an enchanting story all of its own. Readers could easily enjoy this novella without even having read the other books in The Star-Touched Queen series.
The world-building in this story is magical and immersive. I felt as though I was walking the streets of the Night Bazaar alongside the characters, and oh how I wish I could!
Amar and Maya's characters were wonderfully developed even in these quick 100+ pages, and their love story was absolutely endearing and so swoon-worthy.
Delving further into the TSTQ world in Death and Night was a joy. This is truly a treasure amongst series companion novellas.
The world-building in this story is magical and immersive. I felt as though I was walking the streets of the Night Bazaar alongside the characters, and oh how I wish I could!
Amar and Maya's characters were wonderfully developed even in these quick 100+ pages, and their love story was absolutely endearing and so swoon-worthy.
Delving further into the TSTQ world in Death and Night was a joy. This is truly a treasure amongst series companion novellas.
May 14, 2017
You know what? I have turned into an cactus just now. Because I'm really going to prick those people who gushed about this gorgeous book. I just hope nobody drop me into a river. Can Cactus swim? or can they breathe under water? But no matter what everyone says about it, the fact doesn't going to change that I'M A WONDERFULLY GROWN CACTUS WHO LIKES TO PRICK PEOPLE WHO MADE MY HYPE REACH SKY HIGH.
So let's explore what is going inside on Cactus' mind:
1. I really have this doubt whether I read the original copy. Sorry folks, because the other two books' writing was delicious as chocolate syrup. But this book's writing was like a bitter dish (which was stored in the freezer for months)which I don't even know the name of.
*sigh*
*disappointed*
*sigh of disappointment*
If I continued to sigh once more, I would hold my breath myself and will go to Hell. But you can't do that. Somewhere I read a science fact that you couldn't hold your breath for long. That is, you fail yourself if you wanted to die, by holding your breath, of embarrassment Because YOU CAN'T DO IT.
2. Then there is another thing which is squishing my heart even though I know that my heart was hiding in a closet. I'm a heartless creature who doesn't trust my heart with these mortal beings. Anyway, the point is the books was filled with my country's folklores and fantasy things. Everything in this book screams Indian things. And yet my cocky mind couldn't like it. My country is narrowing its eyes on me. So don't mind my absence, I'm going to pack my things that can be used to dominate the peasants and going to live under a rock. GOOD BYE WORLD.
3. They said "Amar is a combo pack combined with delicious awesomeness, spicy romantic and cruel King." Sure I approve everything they said. But I don't like the combo pack. I didn't taste anything. He was okay. Boooooooo!
4. Recently I was obsessed with stars and night due to the awesome quote which I completely fell in love with. "To the stars who listen and the dreams that are relevant answered." I was literally being a daft dumbo until I read this amazing-ness quote. Now, I admire the night sky and stars. So, when she was THE NIGHT, you can't ignore the nature of how the night was portrayed. I was awweddddd. I was in love. I want to paint myself the color of the night sky and dance around naked along the street. Buut of course I couldn't do that. If I did that, then I would be behind the bars with a note "For creating nuisances to public". So, nope. NADA. I WON'T DO IT.
5. It was supposed to be romantic. But why didn't I feel anything of that sort. Maybe, my heart was not inside me. That's why I felt nothing. It could be a reason too.
OVERALL: If you're a real fan of Chokshi, your hunger for her work would be satisfied. If not, don't blame me. Because I was not satiated too.
So let's explore what is going inside on Cactus' mind:
1. I really have this doubt whether I read the original copy. Sorry folks, because the other two books' writing was delicious as chocolate syrup. But this book's writing was like a bitter dish (which was stored in the freezer for months)which I don't even know the name of.
*sigh*
*disappointed*
*sigh of disappointment*
If I continued to sigh once more, I would hold my breath myself and will go to Hell. But you can't do that. Somewhere I read a science fact that you couldn't hold your breath for long. That is, you fail yourself if you wanted to die, by holding your breath, of embarrassment Because YOU CAN'T DO IT.
2. Then there is another thing which is squishing my heart even though I know that my heart was hiding in a closet. I'm a heartless creature who doesn't trust my heart with these mortal beings. Anyway, the point is the books was filled with my country's folklores and fantasy things. Everything in this book screams Indian things. And yet my cocky mind couldn't like it. My country is narrowing its eyes on me. So don't mind my absence, I'm going to pack my things that can be used to dominate the peasants and going to live under a rock. GOOD BYE WORLD.
3. They said "Amar is a combo pack combined with delicious awesomeness, spicy romantic and cruel King." Sure I approve everything they said. But I don't like the combo pack. I didn't taste anything. He was okay. Boooooooo!
4. Recently I was obsessed with stars and night due to the awesome quote which I completely fell in love with. "To the stars who listen and the dreams that are relevant answered." I was literally being a daft dumbo until I read this amazing-ness quote. Now, I admire the night sky and stars. So, when she was THE NIGHT, you can't ignore the nature of how the night was portrayed. I was awweddddd. I was in love. I want to paint myself the color of the night sky and dance around naked along the street. Buut of course I couldn't do that. If I did that, then I would be behind the bars with a note "For creating nuisances to public". So, nope. NADA. I WON'T DO IT.
5. It was supposed to be romantic. But why didn't I feel anything of that sort. Maybe, my heart was not inside me. That's why I felt nothing. It could be a reason too.
OVERALL: If you're a real fan of Chokshi, your hunger for her work would be satisfied. If not, don't blame me. Because I was not satiated too.
May 2, 2017
Publication date 05/02/2017
Since this was a novella, there isn't a huge amount to say here, other than how much I enjoy this little story and (of course) the writing style. Some may dislike the over-usage of adverbs and flowery speech. But I think that this style completely works for the whimsical mythology which was written about.
The story focuses around the meeting, and courting of the lord of Death, also known as the Dharma Raja, and Night personified.
It was an interesting concept that in death, there is life. The lord of Death himself was able to find love, and therefore, found his appreciation in existence and enjoyment of creation. Secondly, I like that Night was not viewed in the more traditional way where it is considered bad. So often is night associated with darkness, eeriness, distrust, and evil, that often times, the beauty of the dark is forgotten. The romance these two characters had was so natural and fitting, but in ways I hadn't expected.
Overall, even though I wished the story had been longer, it held several positive qualities which were enlightening, and challenged the reader to look at these two, rather "dark" characters with a different perspective.
4 stars granted from the night sky.
This review can also be viewed on my blog: She's Going Book Crazy
Nothing was more beautiful than a night sky dusted with stars. Nothing was more terrible than a night sky scrawled with a thousand destinies. Night was inevitable. Like me.
Since this was a novella, there isn't a huge amount to say here, other than how much I enjoy this little story and (of course) the writing style. Some may dislike the over-usage of adverbs and flowery speech. But I think that this style completely works for the whimsical mythology which was written about.
The story focuses around the meeting, and courting of the lord of Death, also known as the Dharma Raja, and Night personified.
It was an interesting concept that in death, there is life. The lord of Death himself was able to find love, and therefore, found his appreciation in existence and enjoyment of creation. Secondly, I like that Night was not viewed in the more traditional way where it is considered bad. So often is night associated with darkness, eeriness, distrust, and evil, that often times, the beauty of the dark is forgotten. The romance these two characters had was so natural and fitting, but in ways I hadn't expected.
Overall, even though I wished the story had been longer, it held several positive qualities which were enlightening, and challenged the reader to look at these two, rather "dark" characters with a different perspective.
What she coaxed out of me was a visceral need to live, and wasn't that what fueled immortality and made it worthwhile anyway? That there were wonders still left to be uncovered?
4 stars granted from the night sky.
This review can also be viewed on my blog: She's Going Book Crazy
September 28, 2024
Not too much to say here besides how much I loved the beginning to Death and Night or how we know them, Amar and Maya.
We read about both of these characters in "The Star-Touched Queen" but we get to read about how they met, how Death courted Night, and how she loved him. We know what will happen next (I read the first full book and only came back to read this prequel now) but it was great to read about how they came to love one another prior to Night choosing to leave him in order to be re-born.
Death is cursed to fall in love with a woman who will leave him. So he decides to just marry, but now love his wife. Until he meets Night and knows that she is the right person for him. They have a great dynamic that consists of challenging each other as well as realizing that the other person is truly who they want to be with.
I did like that we got some backstory on the friendship between Night and Nritti. You get to see why Night loves her so much. She's one of the few who is not afraid of Night.
I also loved how we got to see how playful Gupta was with Death. I maybe laughed at him trying to teach Death how to properly court.
The writing was lyrical and made me laugh at times. You can easily see why Death and Night fell for each other.
We get to see how things go in the Night Bazaar which was fun to follow-up with as a setting in this book.
Not too much more to say since this is a novella, but definitely a welcome addition to "The Star Touched Queen" series.
We read about both of these characters in "The Star-Touched Queen" but we get to read about how they met, how Death courted Night, and how she loved him. We know what will happen next (I read the first full book and only came back to read this prequel now) but it was great to read about how they came to love one another prior to Night choosing to leave him in order to be re-born.
Death is cursed to fall in love with a woman who will leave him. So he decides to just marry, but now love his wife. Until he meets Night and knows that she is the right person for him. They have a great dynamic that consists of challenging each other as well as realizing that the other person is truly who they want to be with.
I did like that we got some backstory on the friendship between Night and Nritti. You get to see why Night loves her so much. She's one of the few who is not afraid of Night.
I also loved how we got to see how playful Gupta was with Death. I maybe laughed at him trying to teach Death how to properly court.
The writing was lyrical and made me laugh at times. You can easily see why Death and Night fell for each other.
"We turned our gaze to the heavens and waited. There was beauty in the night, if you chose to see it. Some did. Some didn’t. For some, night was the time of dreams and rest, of balance reasserting itself. For others, the hours crowded between dusk and dawn belonged to the ghosts. I knew what they feared: the uncertainty of nighttime, the lightlessness of those hours that were not the black comfort of sleep but the shadows at the bottom of a monster’s throat. I glanced at my reflection and saw their fear staring right at me. Why could I not be dreams and nightmares both?"
“That I think she would make an excellent consort. I want a companion. She wants recognition. It’s a victory for us both and sound reasoning too.” I started walking toward the door when Gupta jogged up to me. “That will be your opening statement? You need to make a good impression. Bees are drawn to flowers, not rocks, for a reason. And that is a ridiculous number of assumptions about someone you don’t even know.”
We get to see how things go in the Night Bazaar which was fun to follow-up with as a setting in this book.
Not too much more to say since this is a novella, but definitely a welcome addition to "The Star Touched Queen" series.
May 21, 2017
I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from St. Martin's Press via Netgalley.
"I want to lie beside you and know the weight of your dreams. I want to share whole worlds with you and write your name in the stars. I want to measure eternity with your laughter."
Roshani Chokshi has this way of writing that makes me feel like I am reading a beautiful LSD trip. In the land of Naraka there are creatures and immortal beings that run the unseen parts of the world. Death and Night is the prequel to The Star Touched Queen and tells the story of how Maya (Night) and Amar (Death) first came to meet and fall in love. I honestly would save this book for after reading TSTQ mostly because I think the revealing of their story in the TSTQ is part of the splendor.
Dharma Raja is such a sweetheart in this book. Though his original intentions were not as romantic as his end, he manages to be passionate from the get go. Everything he does for her throughout the story is so magical and idyllic for someone who wore the night sky on her skin. His relationship with Gupta is hilarious as he is clearly no help to Dharma Raja in his pursuit of a queen.
I love the idea of Night's character. She was thought of to be apart of demons and nightmares just because of the darkness she brings. But in an effort to find happiness in the life that she had she sold fruit that brought dreams, with the only price being told the story of said dream.
A major part of the story that I adored was that not only in TSTQ but from the moment he decided to find himself a queen, Dharma Raja wanted an equal. He wanted someone to share his life with and build a world with. He didn't just want the most beautiful women to bed and have as arm candy. I also loved that once he knew what it was like to have her in his life, the world dulled in comparison when he imagined it without her.
Death and Night was incredibly sweet and magical and is a great addition to the TSTQ series as a background story to the fated lovers.
"I want to lie beside you and know the weight of your dreams. I want to share whole worlds with you and write your name in the stars. I want to measure eternity with your laughter."
Roshani Chokshi has this way of writing that makes me feel like I am reading a beautiful LSD trip. In the land of Naraka there are creatures and immortal beings that run the unseen parts of the world. Death and Night is the prequel to The Star Touched Queen and tells the story of how Maya (Night) and Amar (Death) first came to meet and fall in love. I honestly would save this book for after reading TSTQ mostly because I think the revealing of their story in the TSTQ is part of the splendor.
Dharma Raja is such a sweetheart in this book. Though his original intentions were not as romantic as his end, he manages to be passionate from the get go. Everything he does for her throughout the story is so magical and idyllic for someone who wore the night sky on her skin. His relationship with Gupta is hilarious as he is clearly no help to Dharma Raja in his pursuit of a queen.
I love the idea of Night's character. She was thought of to be apart of demons and nightmares just because of the darkness she brings. But in an effort to find happiness in the life that she had she sold fruit that brought dreams, with the only price being told the story of said dream.
A major part of the story that I adored was that not only in TSTQ but from the moment he decided to find himself a queen, Dharma Raja wanted an equal. He wanted someone to share his life with and build a world with. He didn't just want the most beautiful women to bed and have as arm candy. I also loved that once he knew what it was like to have her in his life, the world dulled in comparison when he imagined it without her.
Death and Night was incredibly sweet and magical and is a great addition to the TSTQ series as a background story to the fated lovers.
April 27, 2017
I fell in love with The Star-Touched Queen long ago, and this novella is a beautiful, light prequel to that tale.
Death and Night both wander the world alone, Death in his palace with his faithful friend Gupta and Night in her dream fruit orchards with the beautiful Nritti. When Death hears of the goddess who asks to hear people's dreams in the Night Market and then sees her dancing through the starry sky, he immediately wants her for himself. But she won't accept a partner without love, and secrets will not allow him to give a bride love.
Told in the same lyrical storytelling style as all of Roshani Chokshi's work, this novella is a satisfying tale of how the main characters in The Star-Touched Queen originally met. Death and Night is a short tale, but filled with depth and emotion and poignant description. I would highly recommend to all who love Chokshi's work, but only those who have already read The Star-Touched Queen.
Thanks to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for a fair review!
Death and Night both wander the world alone, Death in his palace with his faithful friend Gupta and Night in her dream fruit orchards with the beautiful Nritti. When Death hears of the goddess who asks to hear people's dreams in the Night Market and then sees her dancing through the starry sky, he immediately wants her for himself. But she won't accept a partner without love, and secrets will not allow him to give a bride love.
Told in the same lyrical storytelling style as all of Roshani Chokshi's work, this novella is a satisfying tale of how the main characters in The Star-Touched Queen originally met. Death and Night is a short tale, but filled with depth and emotion and poignant description. I would highly recommend to all who love Chokshi's work, but only those who have already read The Star-Touched Queen.
Thanks to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for a fair review!
December 11, 2024
God, I'm terrible. I finished this 2 days ago but forgot to update.
Anyway, I did like this book. I really liked Night and wouldn't have minded more about her. Death didn't interest me as much. But I'd love to know more backstory about Night (pretty please).
Anyway, I did like this book. I really liked Night and wouldn't have minded more about her. Death didn't interest me as much. But I'd love to know more backstory about Night (pretty please).
September 5, 2021
So Good!
Full review: https://readingwitches.blogspot.com/2...
Full review: https://readingwitches.blogspot.com/2...
October 5, 2017
4.5 stars. LOVELY.
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Death and Night by Roshani Chokshi
Book 0.5 of The Star-Touched Queen series
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: May 2, 2017
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley
Summary (from Goodreads):
Before The Star-Touched Queen there was only 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.
What I Liked:
Usually I don't bother with novellas, because they're always too short and not really worth the money. ($2.99 for 60 pages? I'm good.) However, when I was invited to read/review this novella, I didn't think twice. I liked The Star-Touched Queen and loved A Crown of Wishes. Friends, this novella was absolutely wonderful, definitely something you don't want to miss if you enjoyed Chokshi's full-length novels.
Death and Night is the story of the Dharma Raja, the god of death, and Night, an immortal being who sells dream fruits and weaves night. The Dharma Raja has been cursed never to love, but he is tasked with finding himself a wife - a queen. He dare not fall for her though. He seeks out Night, who rejects him without a second thought. But Night captivates Death, Death captivates Night, and this is their story.
As usual, Chokshi's writing was lovely and mesmerizing. I don't know how she does it! I was captivated from the start. Sometimes I would go back and reread a scene just to experience it again, not because I needed clarity. I also love her storytelling! And how there are always tales within the story, and how those tales circle back into the main plot.
I love the South Asian representation! Being Indian, I always get excited to see South Asian protagonists in books written by South Asian authors. You can really see and feel the Indian influence in this book, from the vocabulary to the lore to the mode of dress.
I'm going to be honest - while I enjoyed The Star-Touched Queen, I didn't LOVE it, especially parts of the romance. I wasn't totally smitten by Amar and Maya's romance. So I was slightly worried that I wouldn't enjoy the romance in this book, because Amar and Maya are reincarnations of Death and Night. In other words, this is the original story, the original incarnations. But I shouldn't have been worried! I loved this love story, as short as it was, more than I loved Amar and Maya's.
This is probably because I loved the equal balance between Death and Night. Death is persistent and keeps visiting Night (with her permission), and they get to know each other well. Death is kind and sweet and thoughtful with Night, so different compared to what everyone thinks of him. Night is bold and fierce and lively, and she is careful with her heart. I liked that both characters go after each other, not just one doing the heavy lifting in the relationship. Death woos Night, but Night chases Death. It's a perfect tug-of-war, in my opinion!
I loved their banter and their chemistry, subtle as it was. I liked watching them fall for each other. Two months passes in this story, even though it does not seem like the story would be long enough for two months to pass. You can tell how much their relationship progresses though, with every scene featuring Death and Night together.
There are several strong friendships in this book. Death has one friend, Gupta, who is funny and supportive. I love male friendships! Night has a sweet and lovely friend, Nritti, who gets her own happy ending.
Speaking of happy endings, oh my heart! The ending of this novella is lovely, and exactly what I wanted it to be. I love that Death ran to Night, but Night also had to make a choice, and she chose Death. Perfect! They fought equally to be together, which I loved. LOVED.
What I Did Not Like:
I can't think of anything specifically! Maybe more kissing? More kissing is always good!
Would I Recommend It:
Even if you're not a novella person (like me), I recommend this novella. It's over one hundred pages and includes a preview of A Crown of Wishes, which puts this file at about 150 pages. This novella does NOT necessarily give insight to The Star-Touched Queen, and it's not required to read in order to read the other books of the series. But it is a lovely addition to the series nonetheless.
Rating:
4.5 stars -> rounded down to 4 stars. This is definitely among my favorite novellas of all time! I felt incredibly satisfied after finishing, which is something I can't say after reading other novellas in the past. It was lovely to revisit this world and fall for Death and Night! I liked them more than Amar and Maya - and maybe as much as I liked Vikram and Gauri!
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Death and Night by Roshani Chokshi
Book 0.5 of The Star-Touched Queen series
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: May 2, 2017
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley
Summary (from Goodreads):
Before The Star-Touched Queen there was only 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.
What I Liked:
Usually I don't bother with novellas, because they're always too short and not really worth the money. ($2.99 for 60 pages? I'm good.) However, when I was invited to read/review this novella, I didn't think twice. I liked The Star-Touched Queen and loved A Crown of Wishes. Friends, this novella was absolutely wonderful, definitely something you don't want to miss if you enjoyed Chokshi's full-length novels.
Death and Night is the story of the Dharma Raja, the god of death, and Night, an immortal being who sells dream fruits and weaves night. The Dharma Raja has been cursed never to love, but he is tasked with finding himself a wife - a queen. He dare not fall for her though. He seeks out Night, who rejects him without a second thought. But Night captivates Death, Death captivates Night, and this is their story.
As usual, Chokshi's writing was lovely and mesmerizing. I don't know how she does it! I was captivated from the start. Sometimes I would go back and reread a scene just to experience it again, not because I needed clarity. I also love her storytelling! And how there are always tales within the story, and how those tales circle back into the main plot.
I love the South Asian representation! Being Indian, I always get excited to see South Asian protagonists in books written by South Asian authors. You can really see and feel the Indian influence in this book, from the vocabulary to the lore to the mode of dress.
I'm going to be honest - while I enjoyed The Star-Touched Queen, I didn't LOVE it, especially parts of the romance. I wasn't totally smitten by Amar and Maya's romance. So I was slightly worried that I wouldn't enjoy the romance in this book, because Amar and Maya are reincarnations of Death and Night. In other words, this is the original story, the original incarnations. But I shouldn't have been worried! I loved this love story, as short as it was, more than I loved Amar and Maya's.
This is probably because I loved the equal balance between Death and Night. Death is persistent and keeps visiting Night (with her permission), and they get to know each other well. Death is kind and sweet and thoughtful with Night, so different compared to what everyone thinks of him. Night is bold and fierce and lively, and she is careful with her heart. I liked that both characters go after each other, not just one doing the heavy lifting in the relationship. Death woos Night, but Night chases Death. It's a perfect tug-of-war, in my opinion!
I loved their banter and their chemistry, subtle as it was. I liked watching them fall for each other. Two months passes in this story, even though it does not seem like the story would be long enough for two months to pass. You can tell how much their relationship progresses though, with every scene featuring Death and Night together.
There are several strong friendships in this book. Death has one friend, Gupta, who is funny and supportive. I love male friendships! Night has a sweet and lovely friend, Nritti, who gets her own happy ending.
Speaking of happy endings, oh my heart! The ending of this novella is lovely, and exactly what I wanted it to be. I love that Death ran to Night, but Night also had to make a choice, and she chose Death. Perfect! They fought equally to be together, which I loved. LOVED.
What I Did Not Like:
I can't think of anything specifically! Maybe more kissing? More kissing is always good!
Would I Recommend It:
Even if you're not a novella person (like me), I recommend this novella. It's over one hundred pages and includes a preview of A Crown of Wishes, which puts this file at about 150 pages. This novella does NOT necessarily give insight to The Star-Touched Queen, and it's not required to read in order to read the other books of the series. But it is a lovely addition to the series nonetheless.
Rating:
4.5 stars -> rounded down to 4 stars. This is definitely among my favorite novellas of all time! I felt incredibly satisfied after finishing, which is something I can't say after reading other novellas in the past. It was lovely to revisit this world and fall for Death and Night! I liked them more than Amar and Maya - and maybe as much as I liked Vikram and Gauri!
February 21, 2024
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This novella was included with the audio of The Crown of Wishes, and somehow that made me feel compelled to keep listening even though I would have never picked it up on its own. But, ironically, I enjoyed it much more than I expected to—much more than Maya and Amar’s main book. I loved Maya as Night—-she was a much more compelling character than she was in the original book, actually.
The novella wasn’t perfect. There were moments that it felt like the relationship was built on instalove, and there was no plot beyond the romance—but I was expecting that going in, so it didn’t bother me all that much. Basically, I just really loved hearing a bit of Death’s backstory and I could truly feel Night’s longing for more. Chokshi managed to get me to connect to these characters more than she had previously (maybe because I was still high on listening to Gauri and Vikram’s story and I loved their romance?). At any rate, this little gem gets a solid 4/5 stars from me.
This novella was included with the audio of The Crown of Wishes, and somehow that made me feel compelled to keep listening even though I would have never picked it up on its own. But, ironically, I enjoyed it much more than I expected to—much more than Maya and Amar’s main book. I loved Maya as Night—-she was a much more compelling character than she was in the original book, actually.
The novella wasn’t perfect. There were moments that it felt like the relationship was built on instalove, and there was no plot beyond the romance—but I was expecting that going in, so it didn’t bother me all that much. Basically, I just really loved hearing a bit of Death’s backstory and I could truly feel Night’s longing for more. Chokshi managed to get me to connect to these characters more than she had previously (maybe because I was still high on listening to Gauri and Vikram’s story and I loved their romance?). At any rate, this little gem gets a solid 4/5 stars from me.
May 27, 2017
I absolutely loved The Star Touched Queen so I was really excited to read this novella. Roshani Chokshi's writing never ceases to amaze me, I don't even know how to properly describe it. Magical and poetic are probably the closest words. I really loved the characters in The Star Touched Queen and was really excited to get to read about them again in this prequel. I also missed the worlds from the book, so it was nice to visit the Night Bazaar once again. I would say go ahead and read The Star Touched Queen before reading this novella, as the characters will probably make better sense.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC.
July 21, 2017
In this novella, prequel to The Star-Touched Queen, we follow Amar (Death) and Maya (Night) as they fall in love for the first time.
Chokshi's writing is beautiful, as always. The Night Bazaar is one of my favorite settings of all times. I also really liked seeing how Nritti was before .
However, I didn't like the many conversations about love. ("Life is too long to be lived without [romantic] love"/"everyone wants [romantic] love"/"not falling in love is a curse"/etc.) They got tiring really fast.
Chokshi's writing is beautiful, as always. The Night Bazaar is one of my favorite settings of all times. I also really liked seeing how Nritti was before .
However, I didn't like the many conversations about love. ("Life is too long to be lived without [romantic] love"/"everyone wants [romantic] love"/"not falling in love is a curse"/etc.) They got tiring really fast.
July 4, 2017
4.5 Stars
Brilliant as always.
April 5, 2024
As I am starting The Star-Touched Queen duology, I say that this novella was marked at .05 in the series so I wanted to read it before starting the longer books. It was also my first introduction to Roshani Chokshi’s writing and I have to say that I really enjoyed this first sample of their writing. While at times I felt as if the prose was a little too purple, it added to the overall feeling of a myth or fable being told.
Death and Night follows the Lord of Death and the personification of Night as they both navigate their loneliness and the fears of letting go of that loneliness to be with someone else. Neither of them are accepted by denizens of the heavens due to the jobs they have within the universe, which leads them to understand each other in a way that no one else can, which scares both of them. I absolutely adored both of them as characters, but also their dynamic. In a little over 100 pages, there was more chemistry than in some 500-page romance and romantasy books I have read. Both characters are also individuals who separate from their romance, which is something I need in stories that are focused on relationships. I don’t want paper dolls being moved around, I want characters who decide to add this person to their life instead of making them their life. That being said, I also love a man who is down bad for his romantic interest, and the Lord of Death was absolutely obsessed before he admitted it to himself.
Now there was an author note before this story talking about all the Easter Eggs that are in this novella, but as I am reading it first, I will now be looking for things I recognize while reading the rest of the duology for better or worse. However, I have already started the first book and while there are still parts that are a bit too purple, I am so excited to see where the story goes. A 4-star-read.
Death and Night follows the Lord of Death and the personification of Night as they both navigate their loneliness and the fears of letting go of that loneliness to be with someone else. Neither of them are accepted by denizens of the heavens due to the jobs they have within the universe, which leads them to understand each other in a way that no one else can, which scares both of them. I absolutely adored both of them as characters, but also their dynamic. In a little over 100 pages, there was more chemistry than in some 500-page romance and romantasy books I have read. Both characters are also individuals who separate from their romance, which is something I need in stories that are focused on relationships. I don’t want paper dolls being moved around, I want characters who decide to add this person to their life instead of making them their life. That being said, I also love a man who is down bad for his romantic interest, and the Lord of Death was absolutely obsessed before he admitted it to himself.
Now there was an author note before this story talking about all the Easter Eggs that are in this novella, but as I am reading it first, I will now be looking for things I recognize while reading the rest of the duology for better or worse. However, I have already started the first book and while there are still parts that are a bit too purple, I am so excited to see where the story goes. A 4-star-read.
February 2, 2022
This was a really cute story! Chokshi's writing was gorgeous and flowery. I love how Death courted Night, creating a beautiful garden for her and waiting for her to fall in love. I'll have to give the Star-Touched Queen another chance.. I remember not particularly loving it the first time I read it. With this backstory though, I'd love to see how Death and Night continue their relationship.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2021
death and night: 5/5
best novella of all time. adorable quotes and romance, and i love the characters
best novella of all time. adorable quotes and romance, and i love the characters
June 15, 2023
2023 reads: 182/350
this novella takes place before the star-touched queen duology, but would likely be more meaningful if you read it afterward.
i don’t read books featuring reincarnation that often, but i thought it was so cool how we were shown that amar and maya were so linked in this way.
this is a short read but so worth it. i listened to it as part of the audiobook for a crown of wishes, and i’m sure other formats of that book would feature this as well.
this novella takes place before the star-touched queen duology, but would likely be more meaningful if you read it afterward.
i don’t read books featuring reincarnation that often, but i thought it was so cool how we were shown that amar and maya were so linked in this way.
this is a short read but so worth it. i listened to it as part of the audiobook for a crown of wishes, and i’m sure other formats of that book would feature this as well.
September 19, 2017
A copy of this novel was provided by St. Martin's Press for review via NetGalley.
I was incredibly excited when I learned that Death and Night was going to be a released. I absolutely loved both The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes , and I couldn’t wait to read more of the world of the series, and in particular the past of Maya and Amar from The Star-Touched Queen.
I’m entirely unsurprised by the fact that I loved Death and Night. I have loved every single word of Roshani Chokshi’s that I have ever read, and I don’t think that will ever change. She is hands down one of my favourite authors, and I cannot wait to read whatever wonderful stories she brings into this world.
One of the reasons why I love The Star-Touched Queen series so much is because of the romance. I love me a good romance, and Chokshi knows how to write them. I fell head over heels for Vikram in A Crown of Wishes, and I adored Maya and Amar as a ship in The Star-Touched Queen. I’m incredibly happy to say that Death and Night didn’t fail me in the romance aspect. I swooned, I sighed, I fell in love with Amar and Night’s love. I was extremely glad that this novella wasn’t a 20 page one, but in fact 115 pages long, because I felt like I really got to know the characters and their feelings.
The beginning was a tad confusing because there’s a lot that Amar doesn’t express about the curse but it was revealed later on, which made up for it. Speaking of Amar, I feel like he was a lot sassier in Death and Night than The Star-Touched Queen, which I liked. It didn’t take away from his moody and broody attitude, which is one of the reasons I liked him so much to begin with, and instead added an extra layer of characterisation.
As with all of Chokshi’s work that I have read the words in Death and Night were lyrical and gorgeous. It was easy to tell the difference between Amar’s POV chapters and Night’s POV chapters, which I always appreciate in multiple POV books, especially when they’re in first person. There was also this lovely storytelling aspect to both of the POVs, which added a really nice touch to it. It felt like Amar and Night were both sitting down and telling me about how they met and fell in love.
Reading Death and Night, and learning so much more about the characters and their pasts immediately made me want to go back and re-read The Star-Touched Queen. Now that I know more I feel like The Star-Touched Queen will be even more beautiful than it was the first time.
Overall, I really enjoyed Death and Night, and if you liked The Star-Touched Queen and want more from the world of the series then I say that you definitely need to get your hands on a copy of this gorgeous novella.
© 2017, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.
trigger warning: death themes, use of ableist language, death of a husband, reference to death via childbirth and at war, absent mother, and ableism in this novel
I was incredibly excited when I learned that Death and Night was going to be a released. I absolutely loved both The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes , and I couldn’t wait to read more of the world of the series, and in particular the past of Maya and Amar from The Star-Touched Queen.
I’m entirely unsurprised by the fact that I loved Death and Night. I have loved every single word of Roshani Chokshi’s that I have ever read, and I don’t think that will ever change. She is hands down one of my favourite authors, and I cannot wait to read whatever wonderful stories she brings into this world.
One of the reasons why I love The Star-Touched Queen series so much is because of the romance. I love me a good romance, and Chokshi knows how to write them. I fell head over heels for Vikram in A Crown of Wishes, and I adored Maya and Amar as a ship in The Star-Touched Queen. I’m incredibly happy to say that Death and Night didn’t fail me in the romance aspect. I swooned, I sighed, I fell in love with Amar and Night’s love. I was extremely glad that this novella wasn’t a 20 page one, but in fact 115 pages long, because I felt like I really got to know the characters and their feelings.
The beginning was a tad confusing because there’s a lot that Amar doesn’t express about the curse but it was revealed later on, which made up for it. Speaking of Amar, I feel like he was a lot sassier in Death and Night than The Star-Touched Queen, which I liked. It didn’t take away from his moody and broody attitude, which is one of the reasons I liked him so much to begin with, and instead added an extra layer of characterisation.
As with all of Chokshi’s work that I have read the words in Death and Night were lyrical and gorgeous. It was easy to tell the difference between Amar’s POV chapters and Night’s POV chapters, which I always appreciate in multiple POV books, especially when they’re in first person. There was also this lovely storytelling aspect to both of the POVs, which added a really nice touch to it. It felt like Amar and Night were both sitting down and telling me about how they met and fell in love.
Reading Death and Night, and learning so much more about the characters and their pasts immediately made me want to go back and re-read The Star-Touched Queen. Now that I know more I feel like The Star-Touched Queen will be even more beautiful than it was the first time.
Overall, I really enjoyed Death and Night, and if you liked The Star-Touched Queen and want more from the world of the series then I say that you definitely need to get your hands on a copy of this gorgeous novella.
© 2017, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.
trigger warning: death themes, use of ableist language, death of a husband, reference to death via childbirth and at war, absent mother, and ableism in this novel
May 21, 2017
Before I get into this review, I would definitely recommend that you read The Star-Touched Queen before reading the novella, because even though some things aren't explicitly stated, I feel like just the hints gleaned from this novella may spoil you for certain aspects of the novel (which is set in the future). In fact, you should probably stop reading this review if you haven't yet read TSTQ.
The writing is the beautiful prose that I've come to expect from Chokshi, the vivid descriptions managing to capture my attention and fascination with the world that she has built. The story is very solid as well for a short novella, and reading it actually made me want to go back and reread The Star-Touched Queen to see what connections I could find. The romance is very well done, and you're able to see much more of Amar's backstory than is just given to you in TSTQ (which wasn't a heck of a lot from what I remember).
I actually don't think I should say much more about the novella. If you've read TSTQ you should definitely read it to supplement your knowledge of the characters and setting. If you haven't read TSTQ hopefully you haven't come this far in the review and have gone off to find yourself a copy haha.
Ratings
Overall: 8/10
Plot: 4/5
Romance: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
World Building: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
The writing is the beautiful prose that I've come to expect from Chokshi, the vivid descriptions managing to capture my attention and fascination with the world that she has built. The story is very solid as well for a short novella, and reading it actually made me want to go back and reread The Star-Touched Queen to see what connections I could find. The romance is very well done, and you're able to see much more of Amar's backstory than is just given to you in TSTQ (which wasn't a heck of a lot from what I remember).
I actually don't think I should say much more about the novella. If you've read TSTQ you should definitely read it to supplement your knowledge of the characters and setting. If you haven't read TSTQ hopefully you haven't come this far in the review and have gone off to find yourself a copy haha.
Ratings
Overall: 8/10
Plot: 4/5
Romance: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
World Building: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
July 13, 2017
Narrator Priya Ayyar is fantastic! I am only a few chapters into it, but my ears are so happy again.
Review updated on Thursday, 7/13/17
★¸¸.•*¨*•★Unabridged Audiobook Info★•*¨*•.¸¸★
Narrated by: Priya Ayyar
Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
Release Date: 05-02-17
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Dual format read – yes or no?: No. Unfortunately, my library e-book loan period ended before I had time to go back and highlight any scenes. Consequently, this was an Audible audiobook listen only for me.
•*¨*•
Audible Review Title: “Excellent prequel novella!”
Overall ★★★★★
Performance ★★★★★
Story ★★★★★
If you could sum up Death and Night in three words, what would they be?
More charming goodness!
What did you like best about this story?
Simply being back with these two characters who represented death and night was what I liked best about this story.
What about Priya Ayyar’s performance did you like?
Her ability to give such distinct personality to each of the characters she voiced.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
See how death and night first met.
Any additional comments?
A Crown of Wishes is also narrated by Priya Ayyar, so I am happily listening to it currently.
Review updated on Thursday, 7/13/17
★¸¸.•*¨*•★Unabridged Audiobook Info★•*¨*•.¸¸★
Narrated by: Priya Ayyar
Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
Release Date: 05-02-17
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Dual format read – yes or no?: No. Unfortunately, my library e-book loan period ended before I had time to go back and highlight any scenes. Consequently, this was an Audible audiobook listen only for me.
•*¨*•
Audible Review Title: “Excellent prequel novella!”
Overall ★★★★★
Performance ★★★★★
Story ★★★★★
If you could sum up Death and Night in three words, what would they be?
More charming goodness!
What did you like best about this story?
Simply being back with these two characters who represented death and night was what I liked best about this story.
What about Priya Ayyar’s performance did you like?
Her ability to give such distinct personality to each of the characters she voiced.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
See how death and night first met.
Any additional comments?
A Crown of Wishes is also narrated by Priya Ayyar, so I am happily listening to it currently.
April 29, 2017
I've wanted to read The Star-Touched Queen forever and I've tried to start it a few times but I've always been distracted so I thought this little snippet would be the perfect introduction in the world! Death and Night is the speedy little story of how Maya and Amar met and began their relationship. I know from the Star-Touched Queen that Amar is the King of Akaran and Maya is set to marry him to help against the rebellions and politics of their kingdoms but it was great to see that actual attraction and interest between them from the very start.
I think you would love this short story a whole lot more if you have already read the first book because as most prequel stories written mid-series it assumes you know the world and already know the characters. As an outsider to this world, I still found it to be a beautiful and enchanting piece of writing all on its own so I wasn't confused at all and just went along with everything! I think when I finally read the books I'll love Maya straight away because I loved her inner thoughts throughout this book and I'll feel protective of Amar too!
I think you would love this short story a whole lot more if you have already read the first book because as most prequel stories written mid-series it assumes you know the world and already know the characters. As an outsider to this world, I still found it to be a beautiful and enchanting piece of writing all on its own so I wasn't confused at all and just went along with everything! I think when I finally read the books I'll love Maya straight away because I loved her inner thoughts throughout this book and I'll feel protective of Amar too!
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