Wow! What a unique fantasy world with a strong female lead!

I adored jumping into this lush world based on Indian mythology, which was entirely unfamiliar to me. Cultures outside of my own fascinate me, and so this story was a treat!

There was a sufficient amount of worldbuilding - I felt like I could see the surroundings and visualize the people and creatures. The glossary was also very helpful in this (again, remember that I knew nothing about the spiritual beliefs and mythology). I almost wish there was a map, because I didn't understand for a while that some of the words I thought were physical places actually referred to the dynasties ruling those places (ie Paramara vs Malwa). It got confusing when I thought the characters were referring to two separate states/countries/empires.

Katyani was a great character to follow! For one, she was 18 years old and acted like it. She was still young and sometimes ignorant. She was also very sassy and teased those around her constantly, which made me laugh a couple times. Ayan was a good side character, and the Acharya was solidly both crotchety and wise. One of my main complaints is that I felt like both Bhairav and Daksh were not fleshed out enough.

The romance was not my favorite, mainly because I felt like there was great build up at the beginning, and then there was a jump forward in time. During this part we as the readers didn't get to see, it was implied that the characters grew to like each other. This made the romance feel slightly off to me for the rest of the book.

And finally, the plot. I honestly wasn't surprised by any of the major plot movements, which disappointed me a little. It felt like I could see the twists coming looooong before they happened. However, I still really enjoyed the adventure and the world of Bharat, so it didn't take away from my appreciation for the book. Just be warned that this book isn't very mysterious or shocking. :)

Overall, I was thrilled with Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove! One of my favorite things was the theme of balance throughout. Everything had a price, and it was really interesting that even 'bad' spirits respected bargains and trades. (Really, I could go on about how interesting certain interactions with the spirits were to me!) The strong moral and spiritual themes added a lot of depth and thoughtfulness to this book as well. I would 100% read again and recommend if you're looking for a cultural, adventurous fantasy book to read!

Thank you so much to Net Galley and the Publisher for sending me a copy of this audiobook! I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend more by Rati!

And if I stayed up until past 2 am to finish this, what's it to you? I'm an adult. And sleep is for the weak.

Can't believe I left this languishing on my night table for months before finally getting around to it. I'm obsessed. I couldn't put it down. I loved every minute of it. I just—*collapses on my bed in despair that it's over*

This was just too good. The political machinations, the lies and betrayal, the twists—all of it was so well written! Throw in the magic and bloodthirsty monsters and spirits and it was everything I needed. Every character was so well thought out and used to their full power in life and in their death.

And the sweet little romance! Daksh and Katyani have my whole heart and then some and I would die for a second book of just them on a monster-bashing adventure.

3.5 - i struggled with connecting to these characters, partly due to the audiobook narrator not having distinctive character voices so i had a hard time knowing who our main character was interacting with. around the 80% mark i thought the story was over but there was still another 2 hours which made it feel longer than it was, but i actually really enjoyed the ending. this story packs so much into it that i didn't always enjoy the pacing but once i got into the story, which took longer than usual, i was into the adventure and panic of the events, feeling a lot of concern about how things would turn out.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of NIGHT OF THE RAVEN, DAWN OF THE DOVE in exchange for my honest review!

When a series of assassination attempts threaten the lives of the royal family in the kingdom of Chandela, Katyani—the best guardswoman in the Garuda, Chandela’s network of spies—is tasked with escorting the crown princes to a monastic school called the gurukul, where they will learns the skills necessary to be the next leaders of their kingdom. But when Katyani and the princes are rushed back to Chandela before their semester of training is complete, tragedy strikes and Katyani finds herself stripped of everything and everyone she knows and loves.

Steeped with medieval Indian culture, NIGHT OF THE RAVEN, DAWN OF THE DOVE, is a standalone YA historical fantasy that will pull readers in with its magic and monsters, court politics, delightful banter, and budding romance.

—The Audiobook—
The narrator of this book did a fantastic job with each character. She really brought forth their individual personalities and delivered on the banter, which was one of my favorite elements of this story. An outstanding performance.

—The Story—
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The first 30% really popped off and I was eager for more.

Unfortunately, it was after that point where things started to fall a bit flat for me and I was ultimately left feeling underwhelmed. Some of the major moments didn’t hold the weight I think they deserved, and the romance was a bit lackluster.

I would still recommend this book to readers who enjoy fantasy but have a difficult time committing to a long series. Standalone fantasy books are hard to come by, so it’s really refreshing that you can find that with this novel.

3.5/5 Stars

I received an e-arc/audio arc of Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove by Rati Mehrotra from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This wasn't the story I was expecting by the synopsis, so I wasn't vibing with it. I tried a few chapters but put it down at 8%. The Medieval India-inspired setting was interesting, and this is a standalone fantasy. I found there to be a lot of info dump in the first few chapters which took me out of the story.

Initially, this one was hard to get into, but I'm glad I stuck through with it. I ended up loving the characters and the world; with assassination attempts, magical bonds, temples, spirits, and a romance sub plot. I don't normally enjoy standalone fantasies, but I would recommend this one.

As for the audiobook part, I thought it had a decent flow and the narrator had a pretty distinct voice for characters, so I know who was speaking in the story.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillian for the audiobook!
Wonderful narrator! They did a great job of bringing the motion and power into the words and I think this was a really great book to read on audio. I really like the overall plot, and I think the world-building was fantastic. The bond and the magic used is very well explained and you could see the effect it was having throughout the story. This book was extremely fast-paced and quick to read so if you're looking for something that is a bit faster this is definitely a look for you.

Loved the world-building, the magic and the fast-paced action-filled plot! Loved that the story was told solely from the perspective of Katyani. Looking forward to reading more novels by Mehrotra.

Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove was a very fast-paced adventure novel. The story was full of political intrigue, scary monsters, and action sequences. I really like Katyani. She was a very strong female heroine. She could beat many princes in combat. I also found her to be very clever and observant. Therefore, Katyani was a fun heroine to root for. The only thing I did not like about this book was that it was set in a country whose history I knew little about. Therefore, the political intrigue was very confusing and hard to understand. Still, the novel was very well-written, and it made medieval India come to life. I like all the other characters and the well-developed romance. I hope that there will be a sequel. However, the first novel ended perfectly! I recommend this mov for fans of The Star-Touched Queen, Star Daughter, and Empire of the Sand!

As for the narration, I thought it was wonderful! I love the narrator, who I thought brought the novel to life. I love her diction and thought she had a soothing and engaging voice! I also thought that she made each character come alive! Thus, I was very engaged in the story! The narration was truly a delight to listen!

Katyani has always known what is expected of her – protect the royal family and honor her magical bond to the Queen. As assassination attempts begin to increase, she is sent with the princes to a prominent gurukul where they are to train to become better rulers. She feels constrained there and makes it her hobby to tease the serious son of the gurukul’s leader, until she and the princes are suddenly called back to their kingdom. When tragedy unexpectedly strikes and Katyani finds herself charged with crimes she didn’t commit, she finds herself searching for answers from her past to help her save those she cares about.

I liked the concept of this work as well as its setting. The author excelled at the worldbuilding, incorporating interesting monsters and plants/herbs throughout the work in a way that helped the setting come to life. The other aspect of the work that I enjoyed was relating to the romance – it wasn’t rushed and I felt like it developed at a reasonable pace. Although the attraction was almost instantaneous, the word “love” wasn’t used at all, and the relationship didn’t develop into anything more than thoughts until well into the book. But there was never really a good explanation included for why the two characters became so entranced by the other, it just kind of happened.

Unfortunately, I did find the plot to be rather predictable, especially in relation to the villain. The resolution with the villain was also quite cheesy and left me wanting much more from it. Similarly, I felt that there were some important elements that were lacking in any real explanation (e.g., the magic, different practices, etc.), which made it difficult to become fully immersed in the world. The characters were also unfortunately lacking. The author relied heavily on telling rather than showing, even relating to the characters’ emotions and feelings, which left them feeling flat and boring. Related to this, we’re told time and time again what the characters are supposed to be, but they’re never shown doing those things (e.g., Katyani is supposed to be the best guardswoman, but we never see her doing that). This was also supposed to be temporally set during medieval India, but the characters used modern slang, which was jarring.

Despite this not being that lengthy (352 pages), it felt at least twice as long. Unfortunately, the interesting worldbuilding couldn’t save this work for me. My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read and review this book.

Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove is a book to be savored. Political intrigue, monster slaying, and a little but of romance, this book has so much to offer. Set against the backdrop of an alternate medieval India, this book is action-packed and never has a dull moment.

This is definitely a me problem, but I find it difficult to keep up with books that are mainly political and adventurous on audio. The narrator was great and I enjoyed having the audiobook option, but this is certainly a story to relish and take in as much as you can, which is sometimes hard for me on audio.

This book blew me away. This book had the biggest twists I think I have ever read and not seen coming! If you love a good fantasy novel full of political Court intrigue then this I the book you need now! The narrator did a great job pulling you in. I highly recommend this book.

I was drawn to this book because it is set in a fictional medieval India. I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the characters. But the pace is a little uneven and there was too much telling and not enough showing.

I would still recommend this book regardless if you are looking fo a standalone fantasy with strong female protagonist.

A fast-paced YA fantasy set in an alternate medieval India. It’s packed with political schemes, monsters, and yes…a slow burn romance too.

What I loved most about this book is the MC’s attitude. From the first page, Katyani, a warrior and queen’s guard, is confident in her strength.

Read if you want:
-Strong female lead
-Indian mythology
-Battles & adventures
-Yoga & meditation practices
-Court politics

Thank you @wednesdaybooks for my copy!

The audio really does this book a disservice because the first 30-40% of the audiobook is confusing and difficult to navigate. However, once I pushed through and got to the second half of the book, I found myself really enjoying the story and the pacing. I definitely want to see more from this author in the future, but I will probably opt for visual reading instead.

The bantering between the main characters Kat and Daksh was some of the greatest in the book. I had a small difficulty with jumping into the book but once I started to listen to more of it, it flowed really well with the political aspect and all the secrets!

I really enjoyed this audiobook! Aside from the audio being a little hard to understand at some points, it was amazing!

I was super excited to get my hands on this book but was a little let down since it was so very slow at the beginning. I had a hard time getting through the first third of the book since the pacing was tedious and a little boring since nothing really happened. I hate to say if I had not been buddy reading this, I might have put it down. But I am glad to say that it finally picked up and boy did the plot go in a totally unexpected, super surprising direction and I am glad I gave the book a go.

I thought this was the start to a series but based on the ending, this wrapped up perfectly and felt like a complete story. This is a solid read for anyone who likes historical fiction with a fantasy flare to it, tales of countries at war, badass girls who can hold their own, political machinations and tons of twists you could never see coming.

I will admit that I am very glad I listened to the audio because there were so many words I would have had no idea how to pronounce while reading, it was really nice to have the narrator say them for me. The narrator did a really good job on telling the story and giving the characters personality, I recommend the audio for anyone who likes to listen to their books.

Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove is a stand-alone fantasy full of political intrigue, betrayal, monsters, and strength with a sprinkling of romance influenced by ancient India.

Following Katyani, bodyguard to the royal family of Chandela, adopted daughter and soul-bonded to the Queen, and future advisor to Crown Prince Ayan. But not is all as it seems, for the palace is bursting at the seams of would-be assassins.

Sent away for their own protection, Katyani escorts Princes Ayan and Bhairav to the famous gurukul of the world renowned Acharya Mahavir. After months of careful tutelage, the princes are suddenly called back to the palace. Tragedy strikes shortly after, and Katyani is ripped from the only home she knows.