Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove by Rati Mehrotra | #BookReview #Fantasy #mythology

What’s it about (in a nutshell):

Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove by Rati Mehrotra is a YA Epic Fantasy based on India’s folk lore and mythology. Katyani, an orphan, grew up in the royal household of Chandela. Once she discovers her true identity, her world spins out of control, and she becomes in danger of losing everything and everyone who has ever meant anything to her.

Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):

I’m curious about the Indian influences in this fantasy. I’m not very familiar with the folklore and mythology of India, so I’m looking forward to learning more about it. The absolutely gorgeous cover catches my eye, too!

Actual Reading Experience:

I loved that I was pulled in immediately to this foreign fantasy world. The sights and sounds enticed me to forget about the outside world and enjoy the story. Which I did happily. I also loved learning more about folklore and mythology that I didn’t already have any knowledge of. It is fascinating and beautiful.

I also enjoyed the shocking twists that round out this highly adventurous story. An overriding mystery must be solved, and I never once suspected the culprit. A good mystery with surprising twists and turns is even more than I could have ever hoped to be a large part of the plot.

But the biggest strength of this story rests in the characters, and I will go more into that below.

Characters:

Katyani is the main character of this story. She is everything I love in a heroine: intelligent, determined, and physically able to defeat her adoptive brothers. She never backs down, and she never gives up. But yet, she’s also sympathetic and relatable. 

All of the characters are well-developed, even most of the support characters. Each character’s layers are pulled back and explored as the story unfolds. Since the story is a mix of character-driven and plot-driven, this level of development is needed and is delivered.

Narration & Pacing:

The story is told using third-person narration that is focused on Katyani. This is the perfect way to tell the story to ensure that the world is built fully and

immersively. But focusing on Katyani gave it that more personal touch needed to tell her story. The pacing is medium to fast, which is a pace I always love.

Audiobook Narration:

I enjoyed the audio narration by Zehra Naqvi. I read the book’s first half, then switched between listening and reading the second half. The narrator’s slight Indian accent perfectly fits the Indian influences in the story. I loved hearing the correct pronunciation of names and words that I was butchering in my head. Naqvi did not have distinctive discernable voices for the different characters, so sometimes dialogue became confusing. Otherwise, I loved the narration pace and quality.

Setting/World-Building:

This story is set in a fantasy world called Chandela, which resembles medieval India. The world-building is phenomenal, and it pulled me in immediately with all its beauty and exoticness. Plenty of sensory descriptions allowed me to experience this land fully and completely.

What It Reminds Me Of:

This story is like none other than what I have read.

Read it if you like:

• Epic Fantasy with a strong female lead
• Incredible world-building
• High-stakes adventure
• Court maneuvering and political schemes
• The mythology and folklore of India

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫(4.75)

Originality	9
Writing Quality	9
Pace	8
Character Development	5
‘Couldn’t Put It Down’-ness	8
Use of Setting	7