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A review by heyitsmeg777
Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove by Rati Mehrotra
4.0
I really thought this book would have more romance in it. Sadly folks, if you want fantasy with romance, it will be used sparingly and the great confession will be at the (COUGH COUGH) last chapter of the book. So, you could just skip to the end and-
Just kidding.
But seriously, I did enjoy reading this book and it was a relatively quick read, with a somewhat convoluted rivalry between tribes and an interesting magic/worldbuilding that was done. It does have the adventures, the monsters, the magic and all the elements of fantasy we enjoy in a medieval version of India. Now, onto the madness.
Short Summary: A reluctant guardswoman is forced to babysit two brothers as they journey to a new land and a tragedy befalls where it places her as a pawn and where she discovers the two brothers she was raised to protect who may have conflicts and secrets of their own.
Longer summary? Katyani doesn't want to leave Chandela. In doing so, she must protect the two princes from getting killed by enemy tribes as war is looming over them. But, when a tragedy threatens to destroy her land and the brothers turns against each other, Katyani is forced to choose between the duty to the two brothers, the duty to her people, and the choice of somehow finding happiness in Daksh, the young man who she can't resist and who may have secrets of his own. The fight for the crown begins and as betrayals occur and death threatens those closest to her, Katyani must risk it all and use everything she can to save those she cares about before it's too late.
If you've read The Tiger at Midnight, the plots are somewhat similar in this case with magical bonds between people where thoughts and emotions flow hand in hand and where there is adventure and political intrigue, there is a lot of rival clans and spiritual folks who have big secrets and crazy rules about the magic of their land but the romance between Katyani and Daksh is sprinkled throughout the story and it ends up being a somewhat lukewarm romance between the two.
So, that is where the similarities between this book and The Tiger at Midnight end. It is a quick read and while it isn't clear if there will be another book or if this will just be a standalone, I think this is a good ending spot. That last chapter was unreasonably long for my taste and the ending was a bit sloppy, but it was an interesting read.
Overall: 4/5 stars
Just kidding.
But seriously, I did enjoy reading this book and it was a relatively quick read, with a somewhat convoluted rivalry between tribes and an interesting magic/worldbuilding that was done. It does have the adventures, the monsters, the magic and all the elements of fantasy we enjoy in a medieval version of India. Now, onto the madness.
Short Summary: A reluctant guardswoman is forced to babysit two brothers as they journey to a new land and a tragedy befalls where it places her as a pawn and where she discovers the two brothers she was raised to protect who may have conflicts and secrets of their own.
Longer summary? Katyani doesn't want to leave Chandela. In doing so, she must protect the two princes from getting killed by enemy tribes as war is looming over them. But, when a tragedy threatens to destroy her land and the brothers turns against each other, Katyani is forced to choose between the duty to the two brothers, the duty to her people, and the choice of somehow finding happiness in Daksh, the young man who she can't resist and who may have secrets of his own. The fight for the crown begins and as betrayals occur and death threatens those closest to her, Katyani must risk it all and use everything she can to save those she cares about before it's too late.
If you've read The Tiger at Midnight, the plots are somewhat similar in this case with magical bonds between people where thoughts and emotions flow hand in hand and where there is adventure and political intrigue, there is a lot of rival clans and spiritual folks who have big secrets and crazy rules about the magic of their land but the romance between Katyani and Daksh is sprinkled throughout the story and it ends up being a somewhat lukewarm romance between the two.
So, that is where the similarities between this book and The Tiger at Midnight end. It is a quick read and while it isn't clear if there will be another book or if this will just be a standalone, I think this is a good ending spot. That last chapter was unreasonably long for my taste and the ending was a bit sloppy, but it was an interesting read.
Overall: 4/5 stars