#Review - The Chariot at Dusk by Swati Teerdhala #YA #Fantasy

Series: Tiger at Midnight # 3
Format: Hardcover, 432 pages
Release Date: June 29, 2021
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Epic

In the sweeping, dramatic third book and denouement of Swati Teerdhala’s South Indian–inspired fantasy trilogy, Esha must hunt down Kunal and work alongside him and Harun in a race to collect ancient artifacts to help save their fragile kingdom after the magical bond between their people, the land, and the gods finally shatters.

A queen at last. An empty palace. A kingdom to save.

Esha is reeling from Kunal’s betrayal, but she has a kingdom to rule from behind a thin smokescreen—pretending to be Princess Reha while she sends her most trusted soldiers to collect Reha and Kunal by any means necessary. Traitors, after all, must be punished.

But the Yavar are attacking from every front—tracking down Kunal and Reha in the remote mountains, kidnapping Harun—in search of legendary artifacts that will give them the power to break the precarious janma bond and release the destructive magic back into the lands.

Now that the race is on to find the missing artifacts, Esha must put aside her rage and work with Kunal again—but can she find the strength to forgive him, or will the Viper have her revenge at any cost?

In the final book of Swati Teerdhala’s epic fantasy trilogy, the lands’ fate, their people’s livelihoods, and the bond that sustains their world all depend on what Kunal and Esha can offer—to the gods and to each other.

 

The Chariot at Dusk, by author Swati Teerdhala, is the third and final installment in the authors Tiger at Midnight trilogy. Drawing inspiration from ancient Indian history and Hindu mythology, Teerdhala creates a fresh, layered world that is vivid and compelling. The destroyed janma bond, an essential element of the land that was broken by the division of the regions during the violence, demonstrates how the health of the land is intricately related to the actions of its people. Readers loved the cat-and-mouse game of Book One with Kunal attempting to capture Esha. 

In Book Two, Kunal and Esha were finally working together in the castle. But with Kunal’s betrayal at the end of the second book, they’re once again on different sides—and Esha must track down Kunal before he costs them their whole mission. Though they find themselves on opposite sides once more, readers will be pleased to see the steamy chemistry between them never fades. This story shows Esha stepping forward from her role as the shadowed assassin to take on the power and responsibility of a temporary ruler, while Reha shows strength by resisting the role of queen until she can accept it on her own terms. 

But Yamini, the Yavar Princess, continues to attack from every front—tracking down Kunal and Reha in the remote mountains, kidnapping Harun—in search of legendary artifacts that will give them the power to break the precarious janma bond and release the destructive magic back into the lands. At the same time, Vardaan has gathered his own troops and mercenaries to retake the kingdom. It seems as if they are fighting from all sides, all while trying to decipher the old scrolls and messages that may lead them to being able to fix the janma bond. 

Now that the race is on to find the missing artifacts, Esha must put aside her rage away and work with Kunal again—but can she find the strength to forgive him, or will the Viper have her revenge at any cost? The push and pull between the two after the events of Archer was super interesting to follow, and allowed for some really raw moments between the two. The book alternates between Esha and Kunal. Kunal’s chapters where he was so focused on winning Esha back and helping Reha learn her heritage. Esha's chapters prove that you can take the girl out of the assassin, but when you do, there's more to her than meets the eye. She really stands up and delivers as she's pulled together both Blades and Spirits in order to help save their country. 

One final comment, I am happy that the revolving love triangle involving Esha, Kunal, and Harun resolved itself way before the finale. Do I think the finale was rushed? Maybe just a little bit. I am glad that Reha was patient in her determination not to jump into becoming Queen before she was ready. This showed a lot of character growth. I liked the group of friends that Esha has put together including Kunal, Laksh, Zhyani, Aripya, Farhan, and Aahal among others. 

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#Review - The Archer at Dawn by Swati Teerdhala #YA #Fantasy

Series: Tiger at Midnight # 2
Format: Hardcover, 464 pages
Release Date: May 26, 2020
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Epic

Dangerous romances and royal intrigue pulse through the second book of Swati Teerdhala’s South Indian–inspired teen fantasy trilogy, as rebels infiltrate the royal court to rescue a long-lost princess hidden away by a tyrannical king.

The Sun Mela is many things: a call for peace, a cause for celebration, and, above all, a deadly competition. For Kunal and Esha, finally working together as rebel spies, it provides the perfect guise to infiltrate King Vardaan’s vicious court.

Kunal will return to his role as dedicated Senap soldier, at the Sun Mela to provide extra security for the palace during the peace summit for the divided nations of Jansa and Dharka. Meanwhile, Esha will use her new role as adviser to Prince Harun to keep a pulse on shifting political parties and seek out allies for their rebel cause. A radical plan is underfoot to rescue Jansa’s long-lost Princess Reha—the key to the stolen throne.

But amid the Mela games and glittering festivities, much more dangerous forces lie in wait. With the rebel Blades’ entry into Vardaan’s court, a match has been lit, and long-held secrets will force Kunal and Esha to reconsider their loyalties—to their country and to each other. Getting into the palace was the easy task; coming out together will be a battle for their lives.

The Archer at Dawn is the second installment in author Swati Teerdhala's The Tiger at Midnight trilogy drawing inspiration from ancient Indian history and Hindu mythology. The story takes place in the lands of Jansa and Dharka, two lands bound together by magic that descended from twins Naria and Narian. The land requires a blood ritual from their bloodline, but thanks to a coup by the pretender King, Dharka is suffering. A Princess who might be able to save the land, is missing. 

As the janma bond unravels, increasing natural disasters are happening more frequently. While one land, Dharka, seems to have survived and thrived, Jansa is in the middle of dark days. The story alternates between Esha and Kunal. Esha is a legend, but no one knows who she is except for her best friend Prince Harun. It’s only in the shadows that she moonlights as the Viper, the rebels’ highly skilled assassin. She’s devoted her life to avenging what she lost in the royal coup.

Esha is a co-leader of a group called Crescent Blades. They all have the same goal: remove the pretender King and install him with the lost princess Reha if they can find her before she is lost to them. Esha wants to final the long lost princess and bring peace to this ancient world but she still holds tightly to her need for revenge. She has learned that Kunal was her childhood friend before the coup, but there's so much more to who he really is which I won't spoil. 

Kunal has been a soldier since childhood, training morning and night to uphold the power of King Vardaan and to become one of the Senap. When Esha and Kunal first met, it was under different circumstances. She was set up as the murderer of Kunal's uncle General Hotha. He was tasked to bring her in at all costs. When Esha learns who Kunal is, there seems to be an immediate freeze in hostilities. After all, Kunal has more than a few surprises of his own that he is trying to work through.

For Esha, not only does she get to play the role as the formidable Viper, but as a Lady in Prince Harun's court and his adviser. Meanwhile, Kunal is being pulled in by emotions, loyalty, and new avenues which leads to a stunning ending. He becomes a participant in the Sun Mela and ends up with the moniker The Archer. Kunal and Esha’s relationship is as passionate as it is secret. The two must hide their relationship from everyone at court, forcing them to find creative ways to communicate and finally meet among the palace shadows.

On the flip side, Esha must also deal with new threats and new feelings especially when it comes to her best friend Prince Harun. The story has all the beats of a classic heist, with our protagonists making elaborate plans to sneak through the palace, break into the citadel for reconnaissance, and use the ongoing celebrations as cover for their daring exploits to find their nation’s missing treasure: Princess Reha.  

King Vardaan’s court is resplendent with glittering jewels and decorated pavilions at every turn, providing the perfect backdrop for political maneuvering filled with secrets and deception. The destroyed janma bond, an essential element of the land that was broken by the division of the regions during the violence, creates a countdown for Esha and Kunal, who must find the princess and re-create the bond before the countries’ droughts and famines make it impossible for civilians to survive.

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#Review - The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala #YALIT #Fantasy

Series: The Tiger at Midnight # 1
Format: Hardcover, 496 pages
Release Date: April 23, 2019
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Epic

Sparkling with breathtaking action and sweeping romance, the first book in Swati Teerdhala’s debut South Indian–inspired fantasy trilogy follows one rebel girl’s mission to assassinate a ruthless general—only to have her heart captured by a greater force.

Esha is a legend, but no one knows. It’s only in the shadows that she moonlights as the Viper, the rebels’ highly skilled assassin. She’s devoted her life to avenging what she lost in the royal coup, and now she’s been tasked with her most important mission to date: taking down the ruthless General Hotha.

Kunal has been a soldier since childhood, training morning and night to uphold the power of King Vardaan. His uncle, the general, has ensured that Kunal never strays from the path—even as a part of Kunal longs to join the outside world, which has only been growing more volatile.

Then Esha’s and Kunal’s paths cross—and an unimaginable chain of events unfolds. Both the Viper and the soldier think they’re calling the shots, but they’re not the only players moving the pieces. As the bonds that hold their land in order break down and their game transforms into a breathless chase of impossible attraction, both the soldier and the rebel must decide where their loyalties lie: with the lives they’ve killed to hold on to or with the love that’s made them dream of something more?

 

 “Never greet a tiger at midnight, for they are the manifestations of your past misdeeds”

The Tiger at Midnight, by author Swati Teerdhala, is the first installment in the author's Tiger at Midnight trilogy.  Drawing inspiration from ancient Indian history and Hindu mythology, Teerdhala creates a fresh, layered world that is vivid and compelling. We see this sitting alongside other lush, diverse fantasies like Children of Blood and Bone, The Wrath & the Dawn, and An Ember in the Ashes. 

The story takes place in the lands of Jansa and Dharka, two lands bound together by magic that descends from twins Naria and Narian. The land requires a blood ritual from their bloodline, but thanks to a coup by the pretender King, Dharka is suffering and a Princess who might be able to save the land, is missing. As the janma bond unravels, increasing natural disasters are happening more frequently. While one land, Dharka, seems to have survived and thrived, Jansa is in the middle dark days. 

The story alternates between two main characters: Esha and Kunal. Esha is a rebel, a spy, an assassin known as the Viper, & a survivor of a brutal coup that killed her parents. She works for a group called Crescent Blades who have come together in order to remove the pretender King from power, and install the true heir before it is too late. After Esha finds a way into the Castle to assassinate General Hotha, she discovers that someone has already beat her to the punch. What's even more troubling, is that her whip, which is part her persona as the Viper, is found with the body. Could she have been betrayed by one of her own?

Kunal is the nephew of a General who Esha wants to assassinate. Kunal is a good Jansan soldier - even to the point of being called “Perfect Kunal” by his peers. He has been training as a soldier for 10 years, but things are about to get really dangerous. When the General is found murdered, Kunal is sent to retrieve or kill the assassin known as the Viper. Thus starts a game of chase where each character’s motives start evolving after dancing with death with the other. 

Kunal and Esha’s cat and mouse chase will leave readers breathless as the two protagonists, who we get to know through alternating POVs, are torn between loyalty and love. Throughout the chase, Kunal finds out that the lands outside his military bases are suffering. Esha begins seeing the general’s nephew as more than a mark. Can two adversaries manage to work together to save the world? Is there hope that a lost princess can be found in time for the necessary blood ritual that is said to keep the land alive? Or, will other factors interfere and being about untold destruction of both countries?

With a major plot twist at the end of this story, I am definitely curious as to what happens next between Esha and Kunal. Although there is plenty of action and adventure, I would have been happier if the book was a bit shorter. At times the story seems to spin back on itself and we are right back to the characters facing off, and one, usually Esha, finding a way to escape from Kunal's clutches.  

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