Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove by Rati Mehrotra

Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove

by Rati Mehrotra

Bound to the queen of Chandela by a forbidden soul bond that saved her when she was a child, Katyani has never fallen short of what’s expected of her — becoming the best guardswoman the Garuda has ever seen and an advisor to the crown prince when he ascends to the throne. But when the latest assassination attempt against the royals leaves them with a faceless body and no leads to the perpetrator, Katyani is unwillingly shipped off to guard the Chandela princes in Acharya Mahavir’s esteemed monastic school in Nandovana, a forest where monsters have roamed unchecked for generations.

Katyani wants nothing more than to return to her duties, especially when the Acharya starts asking questions about her past. The only upside of her stay are her run-ins with Daksh, the Acharya’s son, who can’t stop going on about the rules and whose gaze makes her feel like he can see into her soul. But when Katyani and the princes are hurriedly summoned back to Chandela before their training is complete, tragedy strikes and Katyani is torn from the only life she has ever known. Alone and betrayed in a land infested by monsters, Katyani must find the answers to her past so she can save what she loves and forge her own destiny.

Bonds can be broken, but debts must be repaid.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

4 of 5 stars

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I've been hearing SO MUCH about Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove by Rati Mehrotra. Naturally, it got me curious, so I had to pick it up the first chance I got. This is one of those delightful books that blends fantasy with historical fiction.

Katyani owes her life to the Queen of Chandela – quite literally. She is bound to the royal family through magic and loyalty, making her one of the best guards around. This is only partly why she's so annoyed to be shipped off with the young princes.

Yes, she must protect them. But must they stay in a monastic school in the middle of nowhere? The presence of another, Daksh, isn't helping matters. That man sees more than he lets on, for better or worse.

I have been craving a few good standalone fantasy novels, and Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove delivers on that promise! It's a solid and fun read, offering so many surprises along the way.

When I first read the description, I was worried that it would end with a cliffhanger and the promise of a second book (despite what I had been told), so imagine my delight when everything got wrapped up with a neat little bow. Okay, it wasn't quite like that. Every plot arc got resolved, proving that this is the self-contained novel I had been hoping for.

There's a lot to love about Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove. Personally, I loved the characters (especially Katyani), the worldbuilding, and the writing in general. I would happily have read several hundred more pages set in this world. (Ironic since I was specifically looking for a standalone when I picked this up).

I can't wait to see what Rati Mehrotra comes up with next. I will add her to my list of authors to watch because I can't miss out on whatever it will be!

Thanks to Wednesday Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 4 November, 2022: Finished reading
  • 4 November, 2022: Reviewed