Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove

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.

Started out a bit slow but once the story got going, it was one hell of a ride. The characterization is excellent, the pacing is almost perfect and the world-building wonderful. I laughed, I cried, I reveled.

A big pile of gratitude to Wednesday Books for the free advance copy, and I trust they will be putting a map in the final published version.

4.5/5 stars
So good!