Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove

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 a future advisor to the crown prince when he ascends to the throne. But when the latest assassination attempt against the roylas leaves them with a faceless body and no leads to the perpetrator, Katyani is unwillingly shipped off to guard the Chndela 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 supside to her stay is her run-ins with Daksh, the Acharya's son, who can't stop going on about the rules and whose gaze makes Katyani 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 with 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.

Wednesday Books, Hardcover, 1st Edition, 1st Printing, 2022