Our heroine, Katyani, is fierce, loyal, has magic, and tries her best all of the time. I learned so much through this book! The plot is gripping, the characters well written and intriguing, along with a vast array, ranging from humans, to monsters, to things in between.

We start out on one clear path, and through twists and turns we do a 180° turn and it ends even better than expected!

I received this book free from NetGalley and leave my review on my own.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for allowing me to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove is a fantastic YA standalone, reminiscent to Jade Fire Gold by June CL Tan.

There is a political power struggle, lost royalty, mystical creatures, and a slow burn romance. The humor is modern in the alternative medieval India setting. I do love the growth and the building of relationships between Katyani and everyone she meets. Character development is always important to me with standalone books as sometimes it can either get lost or drag a story. I think Rati Mehrotra did an excellent job developing her characters.

However I do wish we got just a smidge more in the world building and magical/spiritual aspect. There is some for the most part but I would have loved to delve deeper into the concept.

There were a few unexpected twists that I liked and kept me on my toes as Katyani learns more about herself and those closest to her.

Overall a very great and intriguing story with memorable characters and a sweet budding romance that felt like an added bonus.

4 stars

This book is full of political intrigue, clashing kingdoms, and magic. I really enjoyed the various magic systems, all rooted in a deep sense of mythology that seems almost familiar and yet utterly unique all at the same time. I thought the ways the different characters approached power and magic, and the different discussions around ethics surrounding power was interesting, though at times perhaps a little surface level. I did find that some events and moments with the characters felt repetitive, though there are many great action scenes that propel the story forward. Katya really carries the story, even if sometimes the dialogue seems modern in comparison to the setting, and I was rooting for our heroine (and the romantic subplot!) throughout.

3 stars
While I overall enjoyed this YA fantasy debut, the pacing was noticeably shaky and some of the characters' decisionmaking lef tme frustrated. I found myself wanting more - more concrete worldbuilding, more focus on the political intrigue, more character development. This book tries to balance an impressive variety of concepts and tropes, from complicated family ties to long-lost royalty to monster politics and spiritualism and identity, but they are all brushed upon rather than explored to the full degree of their merit. Interesting iseas are constantly brushed upon, then abandoned. At one point, Katya finds herself linked to her adopted brother after her bonding spell is changed, and realizes he's quite a bit darker than she realized. This is super intriguing and could be used to further explore each character as individuals as well as their relationship! But the bonding spell just shifts to a different character again after it is used for plot purposes, and even then it is not used effectively.
It's always kind of a bummer when you read a book that you know could be absolutely incredible, if it only used its existing tools more effectively. This would be a solid quick read for someone looking for a fast-paced, lighter fantasy with quippy characters and one of those adorably stoic-slash-awkward love interests.

It was such a fascinating and a fast paced read for me. I felt myself hooked onto the story since the very beginning. The writing was beautiful, the characters strong, and the word building phenomenal!!

4.3 stars! reading this was exhilarating, hilarious, and made me cackle whenever katyani made stoic, rule-bidden daksh blush. for me, the slow-burn was satisfying, if a bit frustrating at times because of how idiotic and emotionally incompetent they could be at times. however, this is a YA novel, so if i don't get that certain type of frustration, then am i really reading a YA novel? also, what a YA fantasy debut this was. no boring beginnings here! you get right to the action, and it impressed me how steady and fresh the pacing was. it set up the foundation of the context, the politics, and the threads that bind everybody together all within the first chapter. the first act was excellently done, however, as the story progresses, i wish there was more of a build-up to certain scenes and characters, so they could be more epic and instill more emotion whenever something happens to them. sometimes, in those cases, the pacing/ plot felt off and hurried, leaving me fumbling and confused. but honestly, those moments between katyani and daksh made reading this worth it. they were delightful. and if you've ever read mdzs, or any flirty x stoic ship dynamics, then you'll definitely enjoy these two. overall, the pacing and plot twists could've hit harder if there was sufficient build-up, but readers that enjoy court politics and ship dynamics where one relentlessly flirts with another just to get a reaction out of them will win with this one.

Unique character names and it gives similar vibes in character relationships to Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel. I like the writing style of the author as well, so this will be purchased upon release.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove was so much to jump into. The world and the characters were magical from start to finish. It was quite easy to fall in love with Katyani's character. Or maybe that's just how I felt? Throw in Daksh, and I was completely hooked with these two. Their bantering gave me joy and the tension gave me life.

The only thing I would really want more of is the actual romance. Yeah, we get hints here and there, but I was rooting for more. Well, maybe hoping is a better word. Still, I kept turning the pages waiting for it to smother me. Unfortunately, the slow burn just about killed me.

Other than that, the twists, betrayal, and so many secrets kept me engaged. Seriously, I don't think I ever found myself being bored with anything. The pacing was a bit slow in the beginning but that's mostly due to the story and adventure being set before my eyes.

In the end, I'm so mad that I waited to jump into this book. Secretly hoping it turns into another book but will learn to accept a standalone as well. I'm so happy that I got the chance to jump into this and can't wait for Rati's next book!

Whoa! What a ride. It was very fast-paced. The writing style kept me hooked and I didn't find myself losing any interest. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and how real the story felt. The author did a great job painting the setting, so it was easy for me to visualize the scene played out before me. I recommend giving this one a chance!

Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove is a terrific YA fantasy full of intrigue, romance, torment, and fighting the patriarchy. It's tough to summarize without giving anything away, so I will just stick to praise. I loved the main character, Katyani, and what she learns about herself over the course of the book. She feels very relatable and realistic despite the fact that her world involves monsters and magic. I also enjoyed the South Asian mythology. I definitely recommend this for fantasy fans!

If you're looking for a fantasy full of scheming, romance, and history, look no further than Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove! Set in medieval India, Katyani serves the Queen of Chandela, bound to her by magic. When she is sent to a monastic school in the woods to accompany the kingdom's two princes, events are set in motion that will shatter her world.

Katyani is a fierce protagonist who struggles between her sense of family and justice, a strong theme throughout the story. I particularly enjoyed the mythological and political aspects of this tale, they were woven between threads of fantasy and romance into such an action-packed story. I think there is a bit of everything here and I can see many people, especially teens, loving Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book! I have not read many books that take place in India (or an India-like locale) and very much enjoyed learning about some of the cultural practices. The main character, Katyani, is a strong, independent, and formidable woman. I appreciate how she grows over time to be less impulsive and to have an open mind in regard to others. She goes through several traumatic events but comes out stronger. I wish there had been a little bit more in the book of her being happy with her love interest. I definitely wouldn’t object to a short story showing them later on! Overall this book had a unique system of magic, great world building, plot twists I did not see coming, and many characters i liked. I highly recommend it!

I thought this book was okay, and I rated it as "average" (2.5 stars). It follows a typical young-person-finds-magical-powers-and-also-themself structure, and its plotting is readable and easy to follow. Although it wasn't for me, if you liked The Tiger at Midnight or We Hunt the Flame, you should give this a try.

A really great story! It had a bit of a slow start, but by about the 15% mark it picked up and by the 30% mark I couldn’t put the book down. Very interesting. I loved the Indian, Hindu, and Buddhist customs and lore/mythology that were an important part of the story. I adored Katyani. The monsters, world building, and characters were wonderfully written. A slow building, fun, and PG romance, but the violence was probably more PG13. I recommend to anyone who enjoys a good Ya fantasy.

Thank you Net Galley and Wednesday Books for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

#NightoftheRavenDawnoftheDove

I will post this review on GoodReads now and on Amazon and B&N after publication.

Katyani’s role in the kingdom of Chandela has always been clear: becoming an advisor and protector of the crown prince, Ayan, when he ascends to the throne. Bound to the Queen of Chandela through a forbidden soul bond that saved her when she was a child, Katyani has grown up in the royal family and become the best guardswoman the Garuda has ever seen. But when a series of assassination attempts threatens the royals, Katyani is shipped off to the gurukul of the famous Acharya Mahavir as an escort to Ayan and his cousin, Bhairav, to protect them as they hone the skills needed to be the next leaders of the kingdom. Nothing could annoy Katyani more than being stuck in a monastic school in the middle of a forest, except her run-ins with Daksh, the Acharya’s son, who can’t stop going on about the rules and whose gaze makes her feel like he can see into her soul.

But when Katyani and the princes are hurriedly summoned back to Chandela before their training is complete, tragedy strikes and Katyani is torn from the only life she has ever known. Alone and betrayed in a land infested by monsters, Katyani must find answers from her past to save all she loves and forge her own destiny. Bonds can be broken, but debts must be repaid.- Goodreads

This book messed with my emotions. It pulled me in with Katyani's true history, It kept me reading with the "romance" and overall it was written well. I liked the book. HOWEVER, I felt that there was a lot of fluff in this book and it didn't follow through with a lot of what it promised.

The romance lacked chemistry. Do not get me wrong Katyani felt things but it really felt one-sided, a majority of the time. It would have been nice to see Daksh's point of view because it would have made the emotions feel more genuine and it would have made his actions make more sense. I feel that he did things becasue he was curious as opposed to love/romance.

There are a lot of questions that was briefly answered but deserved more attention and Katyani's backstory. It was brushed over; almost as if the author was trying to rush it to finish the story. I thought that there would be more and there should have been more. I wouldn't had even mind if this book was a two parter, where the first book focused on her trying to discover the trust and the second book focused on what she lost. I strongly believe that would have been a better move because things in this book was tied up too nicely.

Do not get me wrong, still enjoyed the book but wanted more from it.

I liked Katyani and I would have changed nothing about her. The pace of the novel was also great but again needed more meat to it. There were confrontations that needed to happen but didn't and I don't understand why it wasn't more involved.

Overall, I would read book two but I would hope that it is more thought out.

3 Pickles

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read! I'm not a big reader of YA in general, but I'd definitely recommend this book to young adult readers. It feels like more of a fun ride than a precise historical recreation; many aspects of the world feel pretty close to our own (in particular, women have almost as many opportunities as men but still have to contend with old-fashioned patriarchal attitudes at times, and use words like 'patriarchal' to convey their annoyance), but it was done smoothly enough so as not to be jarring. The world-building is vivid and doesn't feel like modern teenagers cosplaying, but rather like an authentic, coherent fantasy universe I could take pleasure in.

The beginning may feel slow to some, but this shouldn't put you off. Approximately a quarter of the way in, the story abruptly changes course, and what felt like a somewhat conventional start takes a darker, much more surprising turn. From then on the novel flowed quite effortlessly. I particularly enjoyed how closely the natural environment was intertwined with the story, making everything feel so much more alive. There's even an index of trees, which I think is a brilliant idea. Novels regularly attempt to make the setting matter as much as a character in its own right; this one actually succeeds, I think.

Definitely a book I'd recommend, either to high schoolers or to adults looking for an entertaining adventure novel with an endearing wisecracking heroine!

A superb fantasy novel set in medieval India featuring a charming and valiant protagonist with a mix of sword-and-sorcery, romance, and political intrigue. Exciting and moving, full of action and adventure, a wholly delightful achievement.

Amazing world building that made me get transported and lush waiting. Pacing was a bit slow in the beginning, but past that is beauty writing.

The world building in this story was absolute fantastic. I could tell that a lot of time and energy went into it. Unfortunately I had a hard time connecting with the story in the beginning. Also there were some parts that seemed to drag on and maybe could have been condensed or removed completely.

A lush, exquisite fantasy with political intrigue, betrayal, a snarky swordswoman, and a broody monk. Monsters lurk in the forests, but the true evil is what lies beneath a human's intentions. I absolutely devoured this book and the amazing characters. Katyani and Daksh have my heart, I love this story so much!