I read this book in one sitting, on the road home from a convention, back in October 2022. So, I have a difficult time sleeping in certain moving vehicles, and apparently a cargo van is one of those vehicles I can’t sleep in…so on those long trips across the country week after week, I would either watch things with my vehicle mates (we’d play stuff through apps on our phones), or I’d try to read.

This was one of the e-ARCs I selected and read through the evening into the night as we made our way to our hotel stop for that particular night.

I have to say, this book kept me guessing a little bit. Just when I thought I knew who I could trust, who Katyani could trust, more information would get revealed and it would change everything. The statement “bonds can be broken” from the summary was definitely true in this case. This book was definitely one with a strong character focus. It had its moments of intrigue and such, which was great, wondering who was on whose side, who desired what goals and achievements, and who could be trusted or believed.

It made for a wild ride.

I think I rated this down to 4 stars because it did take a little while for the intrigue to really start to settle in, and for the ball to really get rolling on the “meat” and action of the plot. There was a lot of time spent building up the characters and the world and the relationships and the bits of magic.

Like I said, I followed Katyani and the princes and Saksh and everyone else through this story, finishing it within just a few hours, so it wasn’t a book that dragged too much overall. I would have liked a little more expansion on the romance subplot, but overall this was a pretty solid story. I’m definitely going to have to keep an eye out for future books by Rati Mehrotra.

4.5 stars

This was my first experience reading a South Asian inspired fantasy novel and I enjoyed it very much. We follow the story of Katyani who is a young warrior in the kingdom of Chandela. She is blood sworn to the queen through a magical bond and serves as her bodyguard, The queen orders Katyani to accompany the princes of the kingdom to a special military school called the Gurukul to receive training. On the way to the Gurukul we meet a variety of creatures all inspired by Hindu mythology. There have been a string of assassination attempts so we also get to see a bit of court politics and political intrigue. It's a very fast paced story and, except for a couple of predictable plot points, I was engaged from beginning to end. My one critique is about the characterization of Katyani. We are led to believe that she is one of the most skilled warriors in the kingdom yet we rarely see her employ any of that skill. In fact, on the few occasions where she is fighting she comes off as naive and inexperienced. I would have loved a little more exploration of the magic system and how it is used as well as some backstory about Acharaya Mahavir and the formation of the Gurukul. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will defintely check out more of Rati Mehrotra's work.

eARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Took me way too long to read this. I just did not care about anything that was happening in this book. The writing especially is so over bloated that my eyes kept glazing over. The only thing I liked was that this was set in India, which is unique compared to the other Eurocentric YA fantasies.

"I am your curse, she thought. I am the sword that will pierce your heart."

In this fast-paced and action packed fantasy, readers follow MC Katyani as her royal foster family is slaughtered and she must take on a new quest in order to avenge them. This is some of the best YA fantasy I have read in a while. The world building was gorgeous and immersive and based in medieval India. The action and fantasy elements were well-done and nonstop; I never wanted to put the book down because something was always HAPPENING.

Also, the main characters were bold and unforgettable. Katyani was such a strong main character with her fierce loyalty and how protective she is for the family that once protected her. She grows so much throughout the book and it's such a gorgeous story arc when mixed with the mythical elements and the political intrigue which is one of my favorite types of stories.

I'm so impressed by this book and I can't wait for more from this author!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC!

I still love to read YA fantasy, but every once in a while I start a YA fantasy that is just too simple and too young. I knew pretty early on that was the case with Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove. The writing was very simple with an emphasis on "telling" rather than "showing." The world-building and magic system were painfully vague and I found myself hunting for more detail to make the story stand out.

I really struggled to care about the characters. Katyani was laughable and a bit aggravating and the princes were flat and boring. I was pleased that Katyani went through a lot of growth as a character, but I still didn't find her compelling. I was thrown off by the instant attraction Katyani feels for the love interest, however, I thought the relationship was paced well and I enjoyed parts of it. Though the premise of Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove was incredibly interesting, I wanted more from almost every aspect of the story and was ultimately disappointed.

I love a good fantasy with a badass, kickass, strong FMC. I also loved this worldbuilding and court intrigue, and I kind of wish this wasn't a standalone! I would totally eat up a series focused on Katyani (then maybe we could see where her newfound romance goes!). I'll definitely be recommending this to my fantasy-loving readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of the most engaging fantasies I've ever read. It starts off slow but once it picks up, it *picks up*. You don't have time to breathe at all. Every second, something is happening to keep you hooked. I think a couple of the major plot twists were too easy to guess, but they were executed really nicely, so I don't have many complaints there.

I don't know why but while reading this, I constantly kept thinking about Mo Dao Zu Shi, or more correctly, the Untamed tv show. There are so many similarities in the character story that I can draw complete parallels. If you're a fan of the Untamed, you definitely have to read this book. It's made for you.

**I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from NetGalley and the publisher for my opinion.**

I enjoyed reading this book. Female bodyguard? Set in an alternate Medieval India? High Fantasy? Sign me up. This book had everything I could want in a good story: adventure, a fierce female bodyguard, great worldbuilding and romance. This story captured my attention from the first page and I was invested until the very end.
I found Katyani to be a great character. She was straightforward, loyal and very protective.
I have no complaints about the story and I will be keeping an eye on the author for more upcoming books.
I feel this is a book I would definitely re read and highly recommend to fantasy readers.

Love, love, LOVE THIS BOOK!!!

WOW, I was not expecting this to be as addicting, magical, funny, action filled with romance.

I like Katyani as a MC, there were times when she would continually stick out her tongue/want to and I'd get annoyed at how immature she is....forgetting she is 15 😅

Thankfully that happened less and less. But this felt like a series from gow much went down in this book. it was A LOT!!!! And I love it🥰

I immediately followed the author and am excited for their newest book, Flower and Thorn.

This was good, and I enjoyed it. I liked the world and the characters - both were rich and complex and really enjoyable. I will say that this didn't entirely live up to my expectations, but I'm definitely interested in reading more from this author and curious to see what they write next.

Rati Mehrotra's 'Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove' is a wonderfully written fantasy inspired by medieval India. The book has exceptional world-building, monsters, magic and a great cast of characters that will keep you turning the page.

3.5/5

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!

This book started out really intriguing. I enjoyed the characters. I just wish there would have been more romance. Overall though, I did like it

I enjoyed this story, but I had hard time getting into it and staying in it. Something about the characters didn't resonate with me. I can see how others that love the genre will really enjoy this book, though.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the dARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

This book was really interesting! I was intrigued by the storyline and that's what initially drew me to this title. I also really love the cover artwork.

Set in Bharat, a country inspired by medieval Northern India, this YA fantasy packs in the action, adventure, Hindu folklore, political intrigue, magic, and romance. Katyani serves as bodyguard to the royal family in the kingdom of Chandela. She is proudly soul-bonded with Chandela's queen and has grown up as adopted sister to the kingdom's princes. When the queen orders Katyani to accompany the princes to the gurukul (home of) the country's most respected spiritual leader, Katyani is more than reluctant. Though she bucks the gurukul's strict rules, she thrives in its training ground. A slow, slow, slow-burning romance with the guru's youngest son kindles here as well. But the plot really takes off when Katyani and her prince brothers are recalled to their kingdom and events spiral downward, unleashing violence, betrayal, and a long-kept secret to Katyani's true identity. All in all, a page-turner that I recommend to those seeking an action-adventure standalone YA fantasy with themes of family and justice. The novel thoughtfully includes a glossary of Indian and Hindu terms and a second glossary defining trees and their medicinal, spiritual, and cultural significance in India. Rating: the first 1/3 3 stars; the rest 4 stars
[Thanks St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

I think I am slowly moving away from reading YA fantasy. I am sure this book is great, and I did not have strong opinions on it. Please read other reviews.

I gave this a four out of five stars. I really enjoyed this book. I want to buy a physical copy for my collection. I really loved the characters and hope Theresa second book.

I really liked this book and the world. I was fully immersed in the South Asian inspired world and culture, and enjoyed all the details. The characters were also compelling and the action engaging.

At times, the dialogue felt off, like it was trying too hard to be quirky or like “real teens”. Also, because this is a historical fantasy, the sometimes modern dialogue or internal thoughts took me out of the book. It was sometimes very distracting.