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.

I will be totally honest up front- I think this book needed a very strong edit. HOWEVER. This book also got me out of a total reading slump and I ate it up very quickly, so for that I have to give kudos for the author's storytelling!

This book was a bit ambitious in how many different elements that were crammed in- especially given this is a standalone, I think? And there was some fairly clunky writing, though the story itself was propulsive. There are some threads that weren't fully explored (particularly with Ambika and her "origin" story) and I think they would have added a lot to this novel.

That said, while the book was uneven, there were a lot of characters to like- and I did very much like and appreciate (without spoiling) certain elements of the wrap-up involving one of the cousins. Personally, I have not come across many stabby/badass-female fantasy battle-y books that also include an extension of grace and forgiveness. so this element was a refreshing change of pace in my opinion.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!

Rating: 2.5

I was interested in the first 20% of the book, but I didn't really care after that. I would have liked it more if the main character wasn't so immature and if the romance wasn't insta-love for no reason.

Don't make the same mistake I did and sleep on this book. It's a phenomenally well-written fantasy with a deliciously twisty plot that kept me glued to it from beginning to end.
Katyani has been bound to her queen since she was a baby and grew up with the princes and princess of Chandela as closely as a sister. When tragedy strikes and she loses everything she ever held dear even as she's framed for being the cause of it, she must use all her skills and stubbornness to find the real culprit and get revenge. There's magic, court intrigue, hidden pasts, and a plethora of mythical beings to keep you glued to the pages.
Just that part of the story is enough to make it an exceptional read, but Mehrotra went the extra mile and added a pitch-perfect romance that rounds out Katyani as a character and lets readers meet the awkwardly perfect Daksh.
This leads me to the third reason why I enjoyed this book so much, which is the wonderful characters the story is inhabited by. Even the villains have a psychological depth that makes you kind of want to see their point. And that's not even touching on the varied creatures and monsters that Katyani faces in her quest.
Overall, I found this to be a nuanced, well-written fantasy full of all the elements that I love. I very. highly recommend not missing out on the wonderful experience of reading it.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the chance to read it! I'm sorry I took so long.

World was interesting but the characters were just, okay. I found each to be annoying in some way that they didn't endear me to them or want me to root for them.

I was really hoping for more from this story. This standalone fantasy had an amazing set up. The royalty, the monsters, the spiritual magic was wonderfully set up, and I was really excited to get into it. Then the book took a turn that I wasn’t expecting, which in a way reset the whole book for me. And it was like I was reading a brand new book all of a sudden.

The world, the Magic, especially the monsters, were my favourite parts of the story. It was so wonderfully crafted. I just wish the characters lived up to the expectation that I had. As mentioned before, I was in love with these characters in the beginning, but a lot of them, ended up feeling very different after a pivotal bit of the book. I was no longer invested and I was uninterested in their story.

In a monster-infested land inspired by medieval India, Katyani, a young guard who is bonded to the Queen of Chandela, one of two rival kingdoms, must figure out a way protect who and what she cares for after she is betrayed multiple times.

Rati Mehrotra has created in Chandela and its surrounding lands, as well as the monastic school where the Queen sends her sons and Katyani, a textured and vivid world. The politics between Chandela and its rival are slowly teased out in the narrative, and the Mehrotra explanations for the multiple assassination attempts againgt the princes.

Katyani is fierce, brave to a fault at times, and must learn to do be more than just a warrior as her charges and duties become more complex over the course of the book. She finds the misogyny at the monastic school frustrating, as Chandela is more progressive and accepting of sexuality than the leader of the school is.

I found a few things irritating:
-Katyani's overwhelming desire to blame herself for every reversal, even for things she had no control over;
-The romance between Kathyani and Daksh; he's such a snooze, and too mired in tradition and pride for me to find him interesting, despite his martial ability and muscles;
-The men, most of whom are at best annoying and at worst, full of misogyny.

The story mostly kept me engaged, as Katyani must widen her understanding of her world, and of the royal Chandela family she has lived with for as long as she can remember. She's got a lighter, more compassionate side that slowly emerges during her travails, and though I could have done without the romance, the intrigue was fun, as well as the wide variety of monsters populating the land.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.