Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove by Rati Mehrotra
Review by Amanda Scheifele, Library Assistant, Grand River Stanley Park Library
New to the fantasy genre? “Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove” by Rati Mehrotra has so much to offer with its rich setting in medieval India, fresh elements of folklore and magic, and the complexities of familial relationships.
Katyani is the royal bodyguard to the Queen of Chandela, head of her country’s spy network and the personal protector of the princess and her brothers, the princes. This job goes deeper than her duty to serve the royal family who took her in as an orphan - it is done out of a fierce sense of loyalty to the people she grew up with and the magical bond she shares with the Queen, represented by the butterfly tattoo across her neck. But things are not as they seem as court politics and a past she does not fully understand come to a head. Tragedy and betrayal tears Katyani from the only family she has ever known.
Katyani is a brave, fierce, loyal and quick-witted protagonist with realistic faults and great character development throughout the story. Even as she vows revenge and destruction, she never loses her compassion or the memories of her childhood, which makes her easy to love and worthwhile to follow.
The events of the story seem unavoidable and desperate, taking the story to unseen depths with themes of family relationships, the complicated layers of friendship, and loyalty. You will find intriguing discussions of war, politics, ethics and morals. Although the magic is not prominent, it is wound into the story to keep the plot twisting and turning. The peaceful breaths allowed by the author don’t take more time than they need and become calm, lovely interludes. With wit and humour, and betrayals that hit like gut punches, the action in this high-fantasy novel is non-stop.
Rati Mehrotra currently lives in Toronto. Fans of “Children of Blood and Bone”, “Snow like Ashes” and “Girls of Paper and Fire” will devour this book.