This book was so fast-paced and quite the wild ride. I’ve realized that sometimes being thrown headlong into a YA Fantasy can make me a bit disoriented, but I’m not sure that’s the fault of this book. I overall enjoyed this story, especially the second half, which felt more cohesive to me than the second half, but there were moments when the story was a bit jumbled and messy, so this wasn’t a perfect read for me.

This story is set in a medieval India inspired setting, and you should know going in that there’s a lot of political intrigue and politics, as well as complicated family dynamics. Sometimes in YA versus Adult fantasy, those elements can be jarring, I’ve realized, but again, I think this book handles them well.

The character dynamics in this book are one of its strongest elements, as we really believe Katyani’s love for her adoptive family, and her love/hate relationship with Daksh.

I also felt that the second half of the story balanced out some of the surprising twists in the first half by fleshing out more of the motivation behind some twists and turns and giving deeper characterization, and the ending feels really earned.

I will say though, especially in the first half, the worldbuilding and plotting sometimes felt a bit messy (keeping in mind this is a debut!), and I never quite meshed with the language (the author frequently jumps into more modern language but it’s kind of mixed with a more antiquated style? This threw me off more than it should have probably, and I doubt a ton of people would be bothered by it.)

However, I think this was fun and fast and way more unique to me than many big YA fantasy releases getting attention this year.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC to read in exchange for an honest review!

“Bonds can be broken, but debts must be repaid.”

"Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove" was more heart-wrenching than I ever could have anticipated because the main character, Katyani, had a lot to overcome and secrets/deceptions to uncover in order for justice (and vengeance) to be served. It was a very good fantasy standalone.

I love the setting - “a monster-infested alternate medieval India”: from all the different, well thought out monsters whose depth influenced the plot in great ways to the magical aspects (always love magic) to the infusion of Indian culture and the societal commentary. This was a fascinating world to deep dive into.

Katyani (love her name) is loyal, clever, a force of nature, a fighter, and very outspoken. When all she thought she has ever known is turned upside-down in the most cruel and shocking of ways, Katyani does all she can to make things right. I felt so bad for her circumstances and fury on her behalf, seemingly a pawn in something monumental. There were times I wasn’t sure how she would succeed. But with each interaction she had with monsters you can see part of the why of it all. Katyani dares to be forthright, understanding, and willing to negotiate with monsters in ways others never would (or haven’t) in a long time, which sets her apart in the eyes of humans and monsters alike. She is an agent of change.

The romance was okay at first but I did like it in the end. It felt kind of rushed. Through all Katyani endures, there wasn’t much time, I feel, to truly develop anything deep or meaningful. Her and the love interest are certainly attracted to each other and I think they do see something in the other worthy of love. They had some nice, sweet, and funny moments between themselves that I think with more time will definitely grow into everlasting love. I feel like there’s still more to learn about them both.

There’s a lot to like about this story. Given the state of things at the end, I do see potential sequel material, but I am very satisfied with this as a standalone novel. I enjoyed reading "Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove." It was the perfect read for the fall season.

I really enjoyed this read! It's such an inventive fantasy. I absolutely love the medieval India setting, the various monsters (both fascinating and creepy), all of the political intrigue, and the slow-burn romance. There were some twists that I truly didn't see coming. One scene was so shocking that I couldn't put the book down and just had to read the next chapter! Fans of action-packed, gripping YA like An Ember in the Ashes should pick this one up. A truly refreshing YA fantasy.

***ARC received from Wednesday Books and NetGalley in exchange for honest review, opinions are all my own. Thank you!***

Do you like court intrigue? Secrets, lies, betrayals intermixed with monsters that aren’t what they appear and magic? A slow burn romance with a feisty heroine and duty bound hero? Because I certainly do and Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove delivered on everything I could have hoped for and than some.

Katyani is an adoptive member of the royal family, saved by the Queen as a young child who seems her primary responsibility to protect and pay back the woman that saved her life. Katyani is a great lead heroine, shes incredibly loyal, calls into question thinks she doesn’t agree with yet is willing to listen to their wisdom and is most willing to acknowledge her own faults even if she isn’t always quick to correct them. There is a lot that happens that would give reason for her to test her loyality and despite it all she holds true to who she is. She just wants to protect the people that she loves even when she is betrayed as the truth slowly comes out and she must question everything about her life is called into question. It made her character arc that much more enjoyable as while she grows she is still who she is. Daksh is such a sweet male lead, he’s not brooding or cruel, he clearly likes Katyani from the beginning and she loves to tease him which makes their back and forth sweet and funny. They play well off each other.

The romance between Katyani and Daksh is the definition of a slow burn, they dance around each other and their feelings for the entire book. It may be a bit frustrating watching two characters that clearly adore each other find every reason to be apart but it true to who they are as characters. Katyani and Daksh both has responsibilities that they are dedicated to and how they come to a resolution on their romance and responsibilities fits who they both are and I loved it. Anything other than how they got to the point wouldn’t have fit with the story that was being told.

The court intrigue is really interesting and a great part of the book because you aren’t going to get all the answers. Yes it a little frustrating to see that aren’t going to get all the answers to Katyani’s past and that is okay because ultimately you can figure it out on your own. Power plays and holding people as pawns fits perfectly into the intrigue and it isn’t always a simply answer. I appreciate that the author doesn’t shy away from not just laying it all out, leaving a little bit of mystery for the reader to piece together with the clues from the story.

The writing is really nice, I loved the ancient setting and the mythology woven throughout the story. The different monsters all have their own unique treats and are more than just face value they are given their own complex stories and unique traits which just adds more depth to an already wonderful story.

3.5 rounded up. Overall, a good read full of magic, political schemes and monsters. This was also very fast paced. At times I wished the pace slowed down for some parts. Also I would have liked more interactions with Katyani and Queen Hemlata's and their soul bonded relationship and also if we could've spent more time when Katyani was bonded to Bhairav.

I enjoyed the Indian mythology and the very slow burn romance between Katya and Daksh. I would've preferred a different ending between them though.

I absolutely loved the twists in plot, and the betrayals and secrets lurking throughout the story, which kept me constantly on my toes. The world is surrounded in magical detail that constantly hooked my attention and made me read well into the night. In addition the hints of romance, with the combined banter and tension, had me enveloped into the characters and story.

Title: Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove

Author: Rati Mehrotra

Release Date: October 18th, 2022

Page Count: 352

Start Date: October 12th, 2022

Finish Date: October 17th, 2022



Review:

Story: This book was a very intense ride. I'm not even sure how to describe it well. Not that I ever really describe the book in my reviews. But I digress. For this particular one, I feel like if I say anything about the book it will kind of spoil something. I think I'll leave it at this. We follow a girl who seems to hit bad fortune at every turn. Everything she knows as true is not. She must discover the truth for herself with barely any help from anybody who she thought she could trust.

Characters: Katyana is the main character. She's adopted by the Queen in the kingdom she grew up in. She also shares a powerful bond with the Queen. It's a first person book, so we mainly only see it from her point of view, but I really enjoyed it. I think it makes the story more intense that way.

Critiques: None that I can think of. Maybe I'd like to see a bit of a back story leading into this book.

Final Thoughts: The cover really doesn't do this story justice in my opinion. It's such a wonderful story. It's very action packed. It may be told in first person, but you get a good feel for all of the characters in this story. You feel an empathy to those who have done everything they can to help Katyana. Well, at least I did. I'd love if this became a series. I'd totally read more book in this world. I'd even love a prequel with a bit of a back story leading up to this book. I'd love to see things that were referenced in the book. Definitely recommend!

A fast-paced and lushly detailed story that will hook you from the beginning until you read the final sentence.

The entire world crafted in these pages is endlessly fascinating and exciting. Every character stands out as someone unique and our protagonist is a fantastic narrator.

I’m so excited to continue this series.

Disclaimer: This book and I had an interesting journey. I was able to access the audiobook to read alongside my ARC which usually enhances my reading experience, but the narration made reading this book feel like such a chore even at 2x. So I DNFd the audiobook but continued with the ARC.

NIGHT OF THE RAVEN, DAWN OF THE DOVE is a story about betrayal, family and redemption. While it takes a bit to get off the ground, about 150 pages in Katyani's story takes a fascinating turn and I was really into it. I loved the world-building in this one based on medieval Indian history and folklore. Mehrotra does a wonderful job bringing Katyani's world to life in lush and vivid detail. This one is filled with a ton of secrets and political intrigue, as well as monsters and magic that made Katyani's story even more compelling. I loved watching Katyani wrestle with the truths of her past and her relationships with her family and her soul-bond with the queen in the aftermath of the brutal attack on the palace. The inner conflict Katyani deals with really made her an even more compelling character. The romance in this one felt like a very slow burn but Mehrotra does a great job in developing both Daksh and Katyani as individual characters and their relationships. Character development is definitely one of the author's strength and you can tell. With vivid world-building and twists that will keep you turning the pages, NIGHT OF THE RAVEN, DAWN OF THE DOVE is a story about redemption and second chances and what we do with them.
I will mention the only issue I had with this book: the author tends to do a lot of telling as opposed to telling, and the beginning of the pick reads very info-dumping and feels incredibly slow, which is why this is a 4 star instead of a 5.

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.

The premise of this book sounded wonderful! Bonds, royal families, monsters, tragedy, betrayal? Sign me up. However, this book fell flat for me. I don't know if it's because I read a lot of fantasy, that it just seemed very basic to me. There was really no character development so it was hard to route for any of the characters. I also saw all of the "twists" before they came. I did enjoy the world that was built but I felt like it wasn't fully complete at times. The magic was also basic. It didn't fully make sense and it was a lot of telling and not showing. The love interest was very insta-love and didn't make sense to me because there wasn't a lot of character development. I just wanted more from this story. There was SOOO much potential so I was disappointed.

A solid YA fantasy, I really enjoyed the Indian inspired world. Katyani's journey was interesting and fun to read.

Katyani grew up as an adopted princess of the kingdom of Chandela, trained to protect and advise the crown prince. Bound to the queen through a forbidden soul bond that saved her life as a child, Katyani never questioned her place in court and the circumstances that caused the bond. But when the queen sends Katyani and the princes to learn spiritual wisdom from the famous Acharya, she begins to question everything she has ever known. This is a wonderful standalone fantasy story! This is the first fantasy I have read that is set in a world based on medieval India, and I loved it! It was full of political intrigue and mythical creatures! The characters were wonderfully written, and the plot kept me guessing the entire story. I wish the romance had been a little more fleshed out, but the characters were so sweet together, and I loved the few romantic scenes there were. I loved this story and can't wait to read more books by Rati Mehrotra!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited about this book, especially when I received a physical ARC (my first ever!) And while I really enjoyed the unique monsters in this story, and learning a little about medieval India, even an alternate version of it, the character development and world building fell a little flat for me. I didn’t feel particularly attached to any of the characters, including Katyani, whose perspective we follow through the whole story. I felt like there was a lot of telling and not a lot of showing. However, that being said, this book is definitely written for the younger range of the Young Adult audience. There is adventure and a very slow burn romance that will appeal to a lot of readers. It’s got diversity, really cool monsters, and magic. And it’s a stand alone story that won’t leave you on a cliffhanger. Overall this wasn’t the book for me, but I do recommend it to younger readers looking to dip their toes in the fantasy genre.

3.5* rounded down

I’m a big fan of alternate histories and mythology, so when I saw this on NetGalley, I was interested.

The story was well-paced; hooking you in right away. It wasn’t the kind of book that I couldn’t put down, but that’s not a con. I wanted to figure out what was going on, it just wasn’t at a breakneck pace. This is preferable to me right now. There were a lot of details that I didn’t know and the author did a really good job of showing rather than vomiting exposition. I’m not versed in medieval Indian history, so I can’t comment on whether this was a good alternate. I can say I enjoyed it and it felt real to me. Katyani was certainly fully realized.

She’s steady and confident but also felt like she had real emotions. She trusts the people around her, until she can’t. The way the book is told, it felt like 3 sections of her life. Katyani also deals with some complicated emotions; a bit of instalove, that I thought was handled well on her side. She also has to figure out and deal with the soul bond. Without getting into spoilers, that’s a main thread in the story and it drives the story from the middle to the end.

I didn’t understand the basic motive for it though. Or rather, it felt a lot like: the bad guy is bad and does bad things. Not my favourite part even if the consequences were interesting.

I liked that this was a standalone too. It didn’t end on a cliffhanger. It was neatly wrapped up. Generally a good thing, but a little too neatly for me.

Because you’re so completely in Katyani’s head, some of the other characters didn’t feel fully realized. For example, Daksh was supposed to be her love interest but he’s so silent and so stoic that I had no idea whether he actually cared. This drives Katyani crazy but that crazy turns into love, that she then denies feeling? And no wonder. She respects him and his skill and that is obvious but for a major character, he’s too flat for me. This isn’t really a romance so it’s not a huge drawback, but he isn’t the only side character that felt a bit paper thin.

I enjoyed this story. It was an easygoing read and I felt good when I finished it. It wasn’t forgettable. I’d recommend to fans of historicals, alternate histories and even some fantasy.

Included as a top pick in bimonthly October New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

I tried MULTIPLE times to get into this book and just found it hard to get excited about. I thought the characters were kind of flat and found it hard to get invested in them. I wanted more showing and less telling. Unfortunately had to DNF :(

This book would be good for readers who like political intrigue and fantasy!

Set in a world inspired by medieval India, Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove follows Katyani, a guard soul-bonded to the Queen of Chandela. Katyani loves her adopted family, and the queen especially because she saved Katyani’s life when she was just a child and that formed the soul bond between them. Or at least, that’s what she’s always been told and she has no memories of the time before the bond to refute this. When Katyani is sent off to a famed gurukul (a type of school) of Acharya Mahavir with prince Ayan and his cousin Bhairav to study statecraft and weaponry, she is initially resentful because she doesn’t wish to leave the remaining royal family unprotected from the assassination attempts that have plagued them for months.
This portion of the book provides important set up for what happens when the trio are called back early from their studies. Behind the scenes there have been numerous events that lead to conflict with a neighboring kingdom, which is largely unknown to the reader aside from very brief mentions of threats and troop movement. Tragedy strikes and Katyani is set upon a path of retribution and the truly surprising part is the target of her fury. I hesitate to give any spoilers because this story has several dramatic twists that I certainly didn’t anticipate!
Let’s back up a bit to Katyani’s time at the gurukul. Here she first meets the infuriating, yet handsome Daksh, son of the Acharya. Katyani’s constant needling of him is amusing, particularly because it’s almost entirely innuendo or the implication that he fancies her. This was somewhat unexpected and I think that’s why I appreciated it so much - honestly, young adult fantasy doesn’t go for that type of humor often but it’s so appropriate for the age group! It wasn’t overly crude, just the kinds of things people say to each other all the time amongst friends (especially if they might have a crush on one of those friends).
This story was a great blend of myth and monsters, political intrigue, revenge, and a slow-burn teen romance. For the most part, I felt it was a mature book in its approach to most situations, with dashes of juvenile behaviors that make sense for the age of the characters. The ending was bittersweet and wrapped up the story very nicely. I appreciate the increase of solid fantasy standalones because it’s wonderful to have a whole story in your hand without knowing you’ll have to wait years for the whole thing to conclude!

Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this wonderful book. I enjoyed this mythical, fast paced adventure filled with great character development, set in alternate medieval India. I believe that listening to the audiobook version while reading the electronic version really enhanced my experience. Can’t wait to see what Rati Mehrotra creates next, hopefully in the same world.

4.5 Stars!!!!!

Take me back now please! I really loved this book and want more.

Magic. Fantasy. Ghosts. Monsters. Political rivals. Warring kingdoms. Plot twists. A kick ass female MC. Yes, please!!!

Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove starts off with a bang and never slows down. I was so enthralled that I read this in a day (with a helpful assist from a bout of insomnia). I loved the setting of an alternate medieval India. I loved the characters.

Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove comes out 10/18. I highly recommend it for YA fantasy fans.

4.5⭐️!!!!

Thank you to Wednesday Books & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.