So, I split the sky and imagined a bazaar with strange wares for sale. I strove to consider things that are not just fantastic but also unsettling. For example, the Night Bazaar builds strongly on a sense of wonder. How did you develop each world/setting? For each world, I wanted to create a sense of emotion and crafted each piece around that feeling. The many universes Maya travels to are all so different and well crafted. nightmares for days thanks to those stories. Indian mythology lends itself easily to that world-building, but I’m really looking forward to working on a project that takes from Filipino mythology. Obviously, the story draws most on the Indian setting, but that’s because I wanted to play more with the idea of stacked worlds (like tiers of cake). Was there a specific cultural touchstone for you in writing the novel? Not particularly.

I noticed threads of Beauty and the Beast and the myth of Persephone in The Star-Touched Queen, but you also drew upon your Indian and Filipino heritage. SLJ caught up with the first novelist to chat about her inspiration for the work, life as an author, and what she’s writing next.

Though she would rather be studying in the library, the young woman is pushed into a union of political convenience, which sets her off on a course of adventure, love, and, of course, demise and ruin. Martin’s Griffin April 26, 2016) has already garnered lots of buzz and a starred review from SLJ: “A stunning debut filled with lush writing, smart characters, and a mysterious plot that provides as many twists as it does swoons.” It follows Maya, a teen with a cursed horoscope that promises a marriage of Death and Destruction.

Photo by Aman Sharma Roshani Chokshi’s The Star-Touched Queen (St.

The star touched queen series in order