This is such a brilliantly thought-out fantasy romance. The Author did not miss out on any detail pertaining to the world building, the characters and different plot twists. The narrators made the story feel real with their magical voices drawing you in to what is going on throughout the story.
This book captivates you with the world building, transporting you to a new land you can imagine in your mind. You become so caught up in story line and characters you almost don't see the plot twists and turns. The romance aspect is beautiful. It is just there under the surface of the story line. The bond and friendship between Katya and Daaksh is amazing and it is nice for a romance to not but the main focus of the story.

The only issue I had with the book is the slow start. It was almost a DNF book for me, but I had such high hopes for this story I, thankfully, kept on reading.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

Good world building in this one! Interesting characters and good pacing. I think I will someday re-read this instead of listening to it, because I did find myself spacing out here and there even though the narrator was good. I would probably like it more that way.

This book is an utter delight. The author did such an amazing job building this world that I got completely lost in. But it wasn't complicated or hard to follow. The characters were great and the plot was intriguing and fast paced. Very well done!

3.5 stars rounded up

I was pretty entertained by this story, with the magical creatures and various twists throughout the book, it just took me a little bit to get there. The beginning quarter or so seemed slow and I wasn't quite sure where it was going. Then you're hit with a lot of action and want to fly through the chapters to see what Katyani will do next. Around three-quarters in, there's another, smaller lull, then action through the end. If the pacing had been more stable and built up, I think I would have enjoyed this more.

There were a few times that I did not see things coming and that's always a plus. Mehrotra really kept me on my toes after the first surprise and I was excited for what would happen next. I also felt bad for Katyani and how much she suffered throughout this. She's the victim again and again and keeps standing back up and fighting for what's right. I always appreciate a strong character who fights back.

This is labeled as the first book in a series, but wraps up well with no cliffhangers. Maybe the sequel will follow a different main character?

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of the book in order to review.

This book had such an intriguing premise but ultimately failed when it came to the execution of the story. No part of the book was fleshed out, which made it so that I couldn't find myself caring about the characters. They have no depth and are extremely flat. The world-building was lacking as well; Nothing stood out to me, except for the few monsters like the Vytal that have been thrown into the mix.

I would like to say that the magic system was done well but it wasn't, at all. It made no sense and was never truly explained. Having "Spiritual power" was a big component of the book, but I never got an explanation of what it was or how it worked. There was also the element that certain rituals were used to be rid of certain monsters, and the magical bond that Katayani had with people like the queen but it seemed very random at best, just thrown into to mix to help propel the story. I really wish it had a little more structure.

What initially got me into the story was the idea of the plot, it was the most intriguing part of the story, and had great potential. But at moments when something epic should have happened, the story just went flat. If the story itself had been stronger then I think the story would have been so good!

I'm not sure how to give this book a proper review. It was such a pleasure to read and listen to. The author pulled off something that is challenging at best - - world building while still keeping the storyline moving at full force with action and entertainment. There never felt like a moment when I wasn't absorbed in this story.

This book had so much of what I love - - a strong heroine, monsters, a love interest and some clever twists. The romance was a bit of a slow burn for me, but that's personal preference. The character development was done extremely well and you really felt as if you knew each one. The world that the author created was inventive and unique. It all flowed well and nothing felt out of place. It was a well thought out plot and everything truly flowed.

In addition to receiving an early copy of the ebook to read and review, I was also fortunate enough to receive an audiobook for review. The audio was really entertaining and fun to listen to as well. There was so much going on that at times I did struggle a bit more with the audio than the ebook to keep up with the characters and events. I guess in those situations, it's easier when things are written out. For that reason, I'm giving the audiobook 4 stars while I'll give the book itself 4 1/2 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for both advanced copies. I chose to read/listen and review them and the opinions contained within are my own.

I absolutely loved this book. The premise, the world, and the characters all felt fresh. I could not predict what was going to happen at the beginning of the story. I don’t think I have ever read a fantasy book based on Indian culture, and if I have it’s not been many. I loved the court intrigue, the gruesome monsters, the sibling relationships, and the romantic relationship, of course. I don’t know if this is going to be a series but I’m going to hope that there is, because I was not ready to say goodbye to these characters yet. I also loved Zehra Naqvi‘s performance of the audiobook. She brought something different to each of the many characters.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This story is thoroughly thrilling. The fast paced fantasy story kept me on my toes and engaged throughout the entire plot. Mehrotra also does a brilliant job of weaving character development into world building, so you as reader do not feel lost at sea throughout the various twists and turns of the story. Katyani's journey to find herself and discover her own power is anything but predictable, and provided an incredibly refreshing story line I couldn't stop reading. I also found the thematic elements spread throughout the text to be very engaging, and thought provoking, as Mehrotra pushes readers to question their understanding of history and truth. The book has so much to offer readers (even a fantastic enemies to lovers romance subplot) that I would definitely recommend this title to anyone interested!

This reminds me of something I would have read in high school: not super deep or compelling but cute.

It felt a lot longer than 300-ish pages. I don’t know if it was slow or if I wasn’t really that engaged with it. So much plot happened that I feel like I’m just missing something.

The miscommunication trope was frustrating not not in a fun way. I kept wanting to strangle the main character for not saying what she means just for her to want to strangle the love interest for not saying what he means. Like, child, no. Lol. I think that just means I’m not the target audience. This is very firmly YA in my opinion.

The narrator was phenomenal. There was good distinction between characters.

I received a digital and audio ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.

This book was wonderful. If you like me and you drawn in by lore and myth this is a great book. This is also filled with political intrigue as our main character Katyani, the queens bodyguard, is framed for the murder of the royal family. Katyani not only has to uncover what really happened and what motivated someone to kill her beloved queen and the family she was raised with. As the story unfolds there are so many other things at play that she had no knowledge of and she must use all of her skills as a warrior and those that she's learned during her time with the local spiritual leader to thwart the real villain.

This was was so well written and developed. The world building was so well done. Each of the monsters was well described as was the setting. The magic was based on spiritual power and time spent in spiritual learning so it was fairly straight forward. I loved all of the characters and felt they had great development. I thought the pacing was really well done too. This started off slow, but once you get past the initial set up things pick up nicely. I really enjoyed the aspect of the Indian lore and the medieval setting.

Like other readers I felt the romance aspect could have used a bit of work. It was a bit under developed compared to the rest of the plot. While you knew it was there and there was something developing between Katyani and Daksh there wasn't enough of it on the page for their relationship to really develop. I think the author did a good job wrapping it up in the end though. This certainly wasn't your typical YA romance with all the emotions and feelings though. The focus was more on the action side of the plotline.

I believe this is a standalone. It ends as if it is a standalone and I thought the ending was perfect, but I wouldn't be surprised if we get another book. Either way I loved this and can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you os much for an audibook of Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove! This is a gorgeous standalone fantasy set in medieval India. I loved the setting and also that it's a standalone! We truly do not get enough standalones. The audiobook was good with a great narrator.

I loved this book so much! It's so nice to get a good standalone adventure that wraps up in a satisfactory way but doesn't suffer from feeling too abrupt. I thought it was the perfect length and the pacing was excellent throughout. I connected very quickly with the characters and was consistently surprised by the plot twists.

One of my favorite things is reading fantasy books set in places other than "Medieval Europe" and learning about the customs, mythical creatures, food, clothing, etc and there is plenty of all of that in this book where the setting is an alternate medieval India.

The writing was beautiful and kept me fully engaged while I read and listened. There were many passages I took note of for their beauty.

I loved learning about all of the different monsters. I had limited knowledge of most of them and so I appreciated the descriptions of their physical forms and actions. It never felt info-dump-y though and was always relevant to the plot.

I especially loved how there were many descriptions of monsters and their monstrous ways and it managed to be bloody and occasionally horrific without being horror. I was never really scared by the monsters - only intrigued. Especially since there is an emphasis on the monsters' humanity even though they are not human. They're very different, but in many ways they aren't. In fact I would say that the most monstrous characters were humans.

I loved the slow-burn romance - there was just enough of it to make me root for them while not overpowering the rest of the story - the magic, the monsters, the politics, and Katyani's journey to knowing and finding herself were the main focus.

Katyani goes through many trials throughout the story as she learns who she is, who she was, and who she can become. Her journey of self-discovery is compelling and pulls the reader breathlessly along for the ride.

The audiobook narrator did an excellent job bringing the story and characters to life. She obviously knew how to pronounce all of the unfamiliar terms that I would have stumbled over, and that made it a richer experience.

Even though this is a standalone and does wrap up satisfactorily, it leaves room for future books exploring Katyani and Daksh's adventures. I hope the author does write such sequels, and will read them as soon as I can get my hands on them.

*Thanks to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and Macmillan Audio for providing an e-arc and audio arc for review.

Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove by Rati Mehrotra is a young adult fantasy set against the backdrop of a reimagined medieval India. This story is rife with monsters, magic, and political intrigue and has similarities to An Ember in the Ashes and Raybearer. If those are stories that you have enjoyed, I definitely recommend giving this one a try.

This book suffered from inconsistent pacing. The beginning was quite slow, and there were portions that would pick up but then taper back off, making the reading experience feel a bit disjointed. Similarly, some language felt incongruous with the world building, like the use of the word “stuff”, however this was minor and only occurred near the beginning of the story. Some elements of the story seemed extraneous. It felt like the author over complicated the plot for the sake of over complicating instead of having much real purpose. This ended up making a lot of things feel too convenient.

The slow burn romance was a stand-out element of this novel even though it wasn’t the main focus. I really enjoyed the banter between the love interests, of course I wish we could have seen more interactions between them toward the beginning as they were getting to know one another instead of skipping over that with a time jump.

At times, the narration felt a bit repetitive when expressing emotions and some cases of telling instead of showing. This story is written in the third person and I think we actually really would have benefited from a first person perspective. This would have allowed for the reader to develop more of a connection to our main character.

Overall, I really enjoyed the world and the romance of this story, however there were some structural decisions that inhibited my reading experience and made it more difficult to feel immersed in the characters and the action. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Indian-inspired fantasy worlds, political intrigue, and intricate magic systems.

The world building was a bit dense for audiobook format because there were so many different characters, monsters, and governments to remember. It was a bit hard to keep track of it all while listening. The narration was a bit monotone; I wanted to feel more emotion in her voice. I would recommend reading this book in a physical format over audio.

Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove by Rati Mehrotra
4.5/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

•••Spoiler free review below•••

There is nothing I like more than a good political scheme and Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove delivers on this. It thrives with court politics, forbidden magic, and bickering regents. It took me a little bit to get into, but once I reached the 25% mark, I was hooked. At no point in this book did I have any idea where it would go!

I absolutely loved Katyani and her growth throughout this story. Right from the start I was hooked on Daksh and I was grinning every time the two were pushed together. This is a thoroughly captivating read and I highly recommend the audio version - especially if you are like me and struggle with pronunciation in fantasy stories. The narrator was perfect at capturing Katyani's sass and banter while still showing her kindheartedness and loyalty.

Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove will be released October 18th and if it's not already on your tbr, it should be!

I thought this cover was beautiful and the title and synopsis sounded super unique within the young adult Fantasy genre. I enjoyed the Indian inspired setting and the familial relationships within the story. The monsters were cool and added the fantastical to the story. Unfortunately, this story wasn't great. For such a short book I don't know why the audio was so long even on 2.5 speed. I was expecting more depth to the monsters and the character relationships. The main character is suppose to be the best guardswoman but we don't really see proof of that. Explain why a teenage girl is better suited as a guard than a grown adult. Doesn't make sense. I didn't really see the importance of the Dove and Raven mentioned in the title. I know it was mentioned but it was glossed over. The romance was very flat although I appreciated the slow burn friends first approach. The story could have done without it honestly. I didn't enjoy the narration either. It felt like the characters were 13 by the sound of the voice. I'd give this a 2.5 star. It had some originality to it but overall very forgettable.

A captivating, expansive adventure…I absolutely loved this epic fantasy based in medieval India!
Katyani is my favorite kind of female MC - a strong, bad ass who also has very real, human emotions and internal conflict. The back and forth, slow burn romance between her and Daksh was really sweet and I enjoyed their banter. I also really loved the relationship that formed between Katyani and the Archarya, their interactions were some of my favorite in the whole book.

The lore and world building was so intriguing, the monsters were fascinating, and the story pulled me in right from the start and all the way through. It is a really sprawling story, and though it didn’t feel like anything was missing as it is, I would have loved to see this expanded into a duology because I enjoyed the world so much I would have been happy to have more of it!

The audiobook is wonderfully done, I really enjoyed the narrators performance and it was so helpful to be able to hear the correct pronunciation for the names that I was unfamiliar with!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an early copy of this audiobook! All opinions are my own!

From all the hype, I was super excited for this book, but in the end it fell a little bit flat for me. It felt like there was no "inciting event" until about 45% through the book. The first half feels absolutely unnecessary and painfully slow. It's a lot of buildup for very little reward/action. To me it almost felt as though the whole time spent at the school should have been its own book with its own set of challenges that would eventually lead up to the rest of the book. But it was unbearably slow with very little action.

That being said, I really loved the Indian culture of the book and the way that it immerses you! It's very well done and makes you feel like you're part of their world without feeling too overwhelmed with the worldbuilding. And the way that the narrator speaks only helps to add to the vibes and the immersion into the world! I also really loved the creatures that play a huge role in the book and loved learning about the magic system and how unique it was!

I was a bit disappointed in the book myself, but if you're a fantasy lover you might want to give this one a try!

Okay this cover is gorgeous for one, but the story is even more. In the beginning i was a little worrisome but it had my attention so much happens in this book i am amazed, happy, sad, laughing literally my emotions have been going every where.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced electronic audio review copy of this wonderful book. I enjoyed this mythical, fast paced adventure filled with great character development, set in alternate medieval India. Fingers crossed for volume 2 or another gem set in the same world.

A definite 4.5 but I’m happily rounding up.

When I first got to know the premise of this book, I knew I had to read it. It sounded right up my alley and I was ecstatic when I got both the eARC and an audio advance copy, and I had a blast alternating between them.

Even though my YA consumption has reduced in the past few years, I still read my fair share of YA fantasy. However, I have lately been feeling too old for those books and sometimes even find it hard to not judge them too harshly. This book though just took me on a spin and I was delighted to be swept away. Was it the familiar world building, the fast paced plot with twists and betrayals with some calm and lovely interludes in between, the characters who were so easy to love, or the engaging writing which kept me hooked throughout - it’s probably a combination of all these factors and I’m stunned at how well the author managed to blend everything together perfectly to give us such an amazing story.

The world building and mythology and the philosophy that underlines this narrative is definitely what delighted me the most. The medieval India inspired land of Bharat felt familiar and I had the same feeling of joy that I usually have when I read a good English version of the Mahabharata. I especially loved seeing references to the epic as well as how some of the teachings from the Gita or the overarching Hindu philosophical concepts like karma, the ashrama dharma, the ethics and moralities of warfare, the practice of gurukul and gurudakshina, pranayanam etc were such integral parts of this story. But it is to the author’s credit that all these ideas come organic to the plot and characterizations, and never feel like infordumps. I’m so used to seeing creatures or monsters from western mythologies/folklore in fantasies that it was such a breath of fresh air to read about beings like the vetals, pretas, daayans and more, bringing back memories from my childhood when I used to consume stories filled with them in my native languages. Ofcourse the liberal mentions of desi food, sarees and jewelry and just usage of Hindi words will always give me joy. But I also thought that the magic system, which wasn’t too prominent but was just enough to serve the plot was interesting, especially the usage of astras which ignited my imagination with all my favorite scenes from my beloved Mahabharata tv show.

After harping on about the world and writing, how can I not talk about the characters who make this a well rounded and exciting book. Katyani is a bodyguard and adopted sister of the Royal princes/princess and also soul bonded to the queen of Chandela whose biggest problem in life is being forced to attend gurukul with her brothers. She is brave and loyal and lovable and quick witted, has a teasing and naughty streak, and has no idea what horrors the future has in store for her. But even when her world comes crashing down on her and betrayals and revelations cleave her heart open, even when she vows revenge and destruction, she never loses her compassionate heart, or the memories of her childhood bonds. She is very easy to love, and I laughed and cried and despaired along with her, and only wished she could find peace and justice.

Katya also has an easy way of forging new bonds and making new families as she goes through her life, and none is more evident than during her time spent at gurukul. While she starts with irking Acharya Mahavir initially, they both grow to respect each other, and I really liked how the guru mentored and advised her. His son Daksh on the other hand is a stoic and composed young man who is a worthy disciple of his father, and Katya can’t stop trying to tease him. Their banter is amazing and the way their relationship develops is beautiful to watch, and I only kept wishing they would talk more. I know I’m probably very inclined to see it this way, but their dynamic reminded me so much of Wangxian - Katya all chirpy and enthusiastic and teasing like Wei Ying and Daksh just as stoic as Lan Zhan. Add to that a slightly less grumpier version of Lan Qiren in the form of the acharya and the whole first arc in the gurukul felt like the first Cloud recesses arc in Untamed.

There are many other small and big characters - human and not - that we get to meet in Katya’s journey and I loved the way the author developed a unique bond for her with every one of them. Her quick thinking and compassionate heart really comes into play when she is talking to the various mythological beings and I thought those interactions were some of the best in the book. I don’t wanna expound more on the other side characters lest I spoil the story, but I thought overall it was a very interesting cast of characters.

In the end, I had expectations from this book and I hoped going in that it would be good, but I truly didn’t expect to be so blown away. I just couldn’t stop once I started, and even put down the wonderfully narrated audiobook by Zehra Naqvi because I wanted to read it faster. This book has the perfect mix of Indian inspired world building, very cool mythology, fast paced and action packed plot, charming dialogue, and a wonderful set of characters. It’s a great choice if you are looking for a fun fantasy standalone and if you want a story that’ll warm your desi heart, you absolutely cannot give this a miss. The audiobook is also equally well engaging and I was glad to enjoy the book in both formats simultaneously. I can’t wait to see what the author writes next.