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Ghosts of Ethuran #1
Kavithri
A vibrant, action-packed and empowering South Asian fantasy epic. An underdog story like no other - Kavithri will remind you of fantasy heroes like Arya Stark, Fang Runin or Gideon the Ninth.
Meet Kavithri. Outcast. Underdog. Survivor.
Kavi is a Taemu. Her people, once feared berserkers and the spearhead of a continent-spanning invasion, are the dregs of Raayan society. Their spirits crushed. Their swords broken. Their history erased.
But Kavi has a dream and a plan. She will do whatever it takes to earn a place at the secretive mage academy, face the Jinn within its walls, and gain the power to rise above her station and drag her people out of the darkness.
Except power and knowledge come at a cost, and the world no longer needs a Taemu who can fight. So they will break her. Beat her down to her knees. And make her bleed.
But if blood is what they want, Kavi will give them blood. She will give them violence. She will show them a berserker's fury.
And she will make them remember her name.
Meet Kavithri. Outcast. Underdog. Survivor.
Kavi is a Taemu. Her people, once feared berserkers and the spearhead of a continent-spanning invasion, are the dregs of Raayan society. Their spirits crushed. Their swords broken. Their history erased.
But Kavi has a dream and a plan. She will do whatever it takes to earn a place at the secretive mage academy, face the Jinn within its walls, and gain the power to rise above her station and drag her people out of the darkness.
Except power and knowledge come at a cost, and the world no longer needs a Taemu who can fight. So they will break her. Beat her down to her knees. And make her bleed.
But if blood is what they want, Kavi will give them blood. She will give them violence. She will show them a berserker's fury.
And she will make them remember her name.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published May 16, 2024
12 people are currently reading
1651 people want to read
About the author
Aman J. Bedi
2 books26 followersAman was born in Mysore, India. He grew up in Vizag, studied in Bangalore, lived in Bangkok, completed a PhD in experimental psychology at the University of Canterbury, and has settled (for now) in Melbourne, Australia. His writing draws from modern Indian history and is influenced by writers and artists like David Gemmell, Brandon Sanderson, Takehiko Inoue, and Kentaro Miura.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
July 3, 2024
ARC provided by the publisher—Gollancz—in exchange for an honest review.
Imagine an engaging Indian-inspired steampunk fantasy debut reminiscent of The Poppy War with an empathetic heroine with a rein on her wrath. That’s Kavithri.
Since I posted the cover reveal of Kavithri by Aman J. Bedi at the end of last year, my interest in this heavily South-Asian-inspired fantasy novel has sparked. Especially after hearing from the author that some of my favorite series, manga, and anime, such as Kaladin from The Stormlight Archive, Malazan Book of the Fallen, Berserk by Kentaro Miura, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and more contributed to the creation of this novel. There was no possible way I'd skip reading this. And although I failed to see much of these inspirations in Kavithri, the book did not disappoint. Clocking in at 100k words, Kavithri is not a doorstopper fantasy novel, and I believe this is an example of a short fantasy book done right. This first installment in the Ghosts of Ethuran series was satisfying and difficult to put down in some sections, especially once Kavithri reached the battle school section.
Kavithri is an outcast, underdog, and survivor, and she is a Taemu. Once feared as berserkers and the spearhead of a continent-spanning invasion, her people are now the dregs of Raayan society. Their spirits were crushed, their swords broken, and their history erased. But Kavi has a dream and a plan, and she is determined to do whatever it takes to earn a place at the secretive mage academy. Face the Jinn within its walls and gain the power to rise above her station and drag her people out of the darkness. But power and knowledge, as always, come at a cost. The world no longer needs a Taemu, and they will break her and make her bleed. But Kavi is resilient, and she will not back down until she achieves what she wants, even if that is through her berserker’s fury.
I won’t lie. When I first heard about the premise of Kavithri, I was instantly reminded of The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang more than anything else. From the main character, the themes, the storyline, and the execution, many parts and elements of Kavithri will remind readers of The Poppy War. I expected that would be the case, and considering that The Poppy War was such an explosive read for me, I certainly didn’t mind reading a, let’s say, South Asian version of the story. However, it won’t be accurate to restrict Kavithri to a South Asian duplicate of The Poppy War despite their resemblances. There were several crucial things that differed Kavithri from The Poppy War. One of some examples, and this is what I did not expect, was how much more likable Kavi is compared to Rin from The Poppy War. To be fair... Rin was intentionally designed to be unlikable, and Kuang achieved her mission. Kavi is not the case. She is empathetic. Knows the price of her deadly power. And she is doing everything she can to control her power, not letting it let loose non-stop. Personality-wise, despite the similar premise, Kavi is almost the polar opposite of Rin. And because of this, it was easier for me to feel invested in reading her story to shape a better life for herself and her people.
It did take me some time to get used to the Indian words (which you can search online to understand) and terminologies, but as I said, once Kavithri enters the academy, the book gets better and better with each chapter. I honestly disagree with the claim that Kavithri is a grimdark fantasy novel, though. Do not get me wrong. I’ve never read a fantasy novel with characters that fart as much as the characters surrounding Kavithri, and the novel did get dirty and violent as we enter the second half of the book, especially during the explosive climax sequence, but the tone of the book was more hopeful than grim or hopeless for me. Kavi met plenty of characters that were good to her as well, and the book is better for it. Bithun’s mentorship relationship with Kavi, in particular, was probably my favorite of the book. And the magic system and world-building that implemented steampunk elements were fun to read.
Unfortunately, I did not form a strong connection with the supporting characters as much as I hoped; they were not memorable or distinct enough, in my opinion. Kavithri herself and the world were the biggest strengths of the book, and thanks to that, Kavithri remains such a great debut novel with captivating development, journey, and satisfying ending. The themes and the impact of colonialism, poverty, oppression, and the caste system were explored effectively in this Indian-inspired fantasy world. Despite ending in a standalone manner, it is practically guaranteed there will be a sequel to Kavithri, and I look forward to reading it when the time comes.
You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Ambrosius, Andrew, Andrew S, Annabeth, Anne, Arliss, Barbara, Bev, Cade, Chris, Christopher, Cullen, Dan, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elaine, Elias, Erich, Feanor, Francesca, Frank, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, James, Jenn, Jesse, Joie, Jonathan, Katrina, Kim, Kristina, Lara, Lourdes, Luis, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Radiah, RCT, Redmischief, Rue, Samuel, Sarah, Scott, Sean, Shawn, Sophia, Steph, Stephanie, Tiffany, Trish, TS, Wick, Woodman, Xero, Yuri, Zoe.
Imagine an engaging Indian-inspired steampunk fantasy debut reminiscent of The Poppy War with an empathetic heroine with a rein on her wrath. That’s Kavithri.
Since I posted the cover reveal of Kavithri by Aman J. Bedi at the end of last year, my interest in this heavily South-Asian-inspired fantasy novel has sparked. Especially after hearing from the author that some of my favorite series, manga, and anime, such as Kaladin from The Stormlight Archive, Malazan Book of the Fallen, Berserk by Kentaro Miura, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and more contributed to the creation of this novel. There was no possible way I'd skip reading this. And although I failed to see much of these inspirations in Kavithri, the book did not disappoint. Clocking in at 100k words, Kavithri is not a doorstopper fantasy novel, and I believe this is an example of a short fantasy book done right. This first installment in the Ghosts of Ethuran series was satisfying and difficult to put down in some sections, especially once Kavithri reached the battle school section.
“I am tired, reader. Tired of the endless commentary by men who will never fight. Tired of how they talk and argue and ignore the bottomless poverty of our people. There is only one language the Empire speaks, and it begins and ends with violence.”
Kavithri is an outcast, underdog, and survivor, and she is a Taemu. Once feared as berserkers and the spearhead of a continent-spanning invasion, her people are now the dregs of Raayan society. Their spirits were crushed, their swords broken, and their history erased. But Kavi has a dream and a plan, and she is determined to do whatever it takes to earn a place at the secretive mage academy. Face the Jinn within its walls and gain the power to rise above her station and drag her people out of the darkness. But power and knowledge, as always, come at a cost. The world no longer needs a Taemu, and they will break her and make her bleed. But Kavi is resilient, and she will not back down until she achieves what she wants, even if that is through her berserker’s fury.
I won’t lie. When I first heard about the premise of Kavithri, I was instantly reminded of The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang more than anything else. From the main character, the themes, the storyline, and the execution, many parts and elements of Kavithri will remind readers of The Poppy War. I expected that would be the case, and considering that The Poppy War was such an explosive read for me, I certainly didn’t mind reading a, let’s say, South Asian version of the story. However, it won’t be accurate to restrict Kavithri to a South Asian duplicate of The Poppy War despite their resemblances. There were several crucial things that differed Kavithri from The Poppy War. One of some examples, and this is what I did not expect, was how much more likable Kavi is compared to Rin from The Poppy War. To be fair... Rin was intentionally designed to be unlikable, and Kuang achieved her mission. Kavi is not the case. She is empathetic. Knows the price of her deadly power. And she is doing everything she can to control her power, not letting it let loose non-stop. Personality-wise, despite the similar premise, Kavi is almost the polar opposite of Rin. And because of this, it was easier for me to feel invested in reading her story to shape a better life for herself and her people.
“She’d searched for heroes for as long as she could remember. She’d looked for them in books, in stories, in legends. But they’d been around her all along. Warriors who went into battle every day, knowing that what awaited them at the end was failure. They smiled, bowed, scraped. Never faltered. Never permitted the dignity of rage. They were her royalty. Her heroes.”
It did take me some time to get used to the Indian words (which you can search online to understand) and terminologies, but as I said, once Kavithri enters the academy, the book gets better and better with each chapter. I honestly disagree with the claim that Kavithri is a grimdark fantasy novel, though. Do not get me wrong. I’ve never read a fantasy novel with characters that fart as much as the characters surrounding Kavithri, and the novel did get dirty and violent as we enter the second half of the book, especially during the explosive climax sequence, but the tone of the book was more hopeful than grim or hopeless for me. Kavi met plenty of characters that were good to her as well, and the book is better for it. Bithun’s mentorship relationship with Kavi, in particular, was probably my favorite of the book. And the magic system and world-building that implemented steampunk elements were fun to read.
“Anyone—anyone, who stands between you and your dream is an enemy. And if they refuse to move, you do not hesitate to move them. You understand?”
Unfortunately, I did not form a strong connection with the supporting characters as much as I hoped; they were not memorable or distinct enough, in my opinion. Kavithri herself and the world were the biggest strengths of the book, and thanks to that, Kavithri remains such a great debut novel with captivating development, journey, and satisfying ending. The themes and the impact of colonialism, poverty, oppression, and the caste system were explored effectively in this Indian-inspired fantasy world. Despite ending in a standalone manner, it is practically guaranteed there will be a sequel to Kavithri, and I look forward to reading it when the time comes.
You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Ambrosius, Andrew, Andrew S, Annabeth, Anne, Arliss, Barbara, Bev, Cade, Chris, Christopher, Cullen, Dan, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elaine, Elias, Erich, Feanor, Francesca, Frank, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, James, Jenn, Jesse, Joie, Jonathan, Katrina, Kim, Kristina, Lara, Lourdes, Luis, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Radiah, RCT, Redmischief, Rue, Samuel, Sarah, Scott, Sean, Shawn, Sophia, Steph, Stephanie, Tiffany, Trish, TS, Wick, Woodman, Xero, Yuri, Zoe.
October 28, 2024
In a Nutshell: An epic dark fantasy in a South Asian setting. Intriguing lead character. Great fantastical elements. Complex world hierarchy. Too gruesome, especially in the final quarter. First of a planned trilogy. A good start to the series if you can handle the brutality.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Bookish Yays:
💪🏼 Kavi, our titular protagonist with a never-give-up attitude. She is complex and flawed, yet likeable. Most of us readers do love rooting for the underdog, and Kavi epitomises this term in every way.
💪🏼 Some of the secondary characters such as Bithun, Massa, Chotu, Hessal and many more. Each had roles in varying lengths, but never dominated the narrative. They fulfilled the role of “supporting” character to the hilt.
💪🏼 The “South Asian” aspect of the fantasy. The setting is clearly South India-inspired, but still not a recognisable India. I kept wondering if the three classes were allegorical indicators to any extent. The Kraelish seemed to be a variant of the British colonials. But there is no direct real-world equivalent to the Raayans and the Taemu. So perhaps my historical-fiction-loving head is overthinking a fictional fantasy. Either way, the book uses the setting well, with the sights, smells, dirt, sweat and toil all being equal part of the narrative.
💪🏼 I am somewhat apprehensive of Indian books as many of these focus on caste/class issues stereotypically. However, this story focusses on class in an novel manner – by highlighting how the losers in a war are pushed to the edge of the social hierarchy. It is a system based on power than on birth credentials or social mores. Similarly, the content highlights the poverty of some classes but in equal measure, focusses on the rich outsiders who loot the locals without guilt. Colonialism, oppression, racism all have a role to play in the plot, but none in the usual way. It was an interesting look at pseudo-facts through a fantastical lens.
💪🏼 The found family trope that highlights connections across age, race, gender and wealth. Nicely done!
💪🏼 The twisty plot development. While some things are easy to guess, there are many surprises along the way: some good, some horrifying.
💪🏼 No romance, forced or otherwise. Love it when a book sticks to its purpose. All the more praiseworthy in a book with a female protagonist.
💪🏼 The magic is delectable! A curious medley of (Indian) mythological-style weapons and Jinn-based powers.
💪🏼 The visceral writing, which caused me to experience every scene and its highs and lows to my core. This is especially true of the action sequences. Strictly speaking, such scenes aren’t at all my cup of tea, but I must acknowledge that they are really well written. I could actually feel the sweat and the grit (and the blood too – yikes!) Couldn’t have guessed that this was a debut work!
💪🏼 Drisana’s story in the interludes – Wow! I wanted so much more of her!
💪🏼 That cover and the caption!
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🤔 The world building. While I could visualise the physical world excellently, the political and historical background went a little above my epic-fantasy-fearing head. I found myself somewhat lost in the complicated structure of class and country for most of the first half. So I just decided to go with the flow and got a rough idea of the hierarchy, though I am still not too sure of the key players’ motivations and interests. This might not be an issue to avid epic-fantasy readers who are used to complicated fantastical worlds.
🤔 Despite the complex structure, the pacing is quite decent. The first half is more about Kavi’s journey towards her dream, so the proceedings are slowish but steady. As the second half is filled with action sequences, it almost zooms by. But this also means that the ending feels somewhat rushed, with plenty of whats and not enough hows or whys. No cliffhanger though – the key arc is complete.
🤔 There is no glossary for the Indian words. This was fine for me as almost all of them were from Hindi, but it will be problematic to those not familiar with Hindi.
Bookish Nays: (Both of these nays are strictly because of my reading preferences. And to be perfectly clear, the author did warn me about both of these points beforehand. I honestly thought I would be able to handle them. Apparently, I am more squeamish than I had assumed. These issues might not be applicable for readers more attuned to such content.)
🤜🏼 The final hundred-or-so pages were not at all for me. Too much gore. Too much brutality. I can sometimes read through graphic scenes without too much flinching, but eyeballs are my Achilles’ heel – simply can’t stand the mention of anything happening to them!
🤜🏼 The Hindi profanity. I don't know why, but I can hop over English vulgarities such as the F-word easily. But Hindi cuss words just cause me to cringe. Western readers won't have a problem with this because they won't even know the words and there's no glossary anyway. However, my sensibilities were a bit scandalised at the plethora of filthy expletives.
All in all, I mostly liked this novel, except for the gore and the cuss words, which were more of a personal constraint.
Epic/Dark fantasy is not at all my genre. But the blurb and that bad-ass heroine on the cover made me want to give this debut novel a go. So I have no comparable standard by which to measure this book against others of its ilk. All I know is, it handled its job well, setting a great foundation to what might end up a promising South Asian fantasy series with a brilliant heroine to champion!
This is the first book of the ‘Ghosts of Ethuran’ trilogy, and based on this explosive start, I am sure the remaining two books will be equally gruesome and gripping. Will I read them? Well, the second cover looks awesome, though a part of me wishes the cover designer hadn’t gone for the obvious Black Widow stance. I guess I’ll have to prepare my stomach to stomach the gore. Good thing I am forewarned! 🤭
Definitely recommended to epic fantasy lovers who love underdog narratives and can handle graphic scenes and enjoy Asian settings.
3.75 stars.
My thanks to author Aman J. Bedi for providing me with a complimentary copy of “Kavithri”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Kavithri, aka Kavi, is of the Taemu, a warrior clan that was once mighty but now considered the lowest in the social hierarchy after their loss against the mightier Raayans. Alone since many years and surviving by doing menial work, Kavi still dares to dream – she wishes to earn a place at the exclusive mage academy and use its secret devices to locate her long-lost family. Doing so would involve facing the mysterious Jinn and handling their callous challenges, but the reward seems worth the risk. As Kavi moves towards her ambition, she learns what it means to be a Taemu who fights and aspires to reach beyond her lowly status. But is the world ready for such a rebel?
The story comes to us mostly in Kavi’s third-person perspective.
Bookish Yays:
💪🏼 Kavi, our titular protagonist with a never-give-up attitude. She is complex and flawed, yet likeable. Most of us readers do love rooting for the underdog, and Kavi epitomises this term in every way.
💪🏼 Some of the secondary characters such as Bithun, Massa, Chotu, Hessal and many more. Each had roles in varying lengths, but never dominated the narrative. They fulfilled the role of “supporting” character to the hilt.
💪🏼 The “South Asian” aspect of the fantasy. The setting is clearly South India-inspired, but still not a recognisable India. I kept wondering if the three classes were allegorical indicators to any extent. The Kraelish seemed to be a variant of the British colonials. But there is no direct real-world equivalent to the Raayans and the Taemu. So perhaps my historical-fiction-loving head is overthinking a fictional fantasy. Either way, the book uses the setting well, with the sights, smells, dirt, sweat and toil all being equal part of the narrative.
💪🏼 I am somewhat apprehensive of Indian books as many of these focus on caste/class issues stereotypically. However, this story focusses on class in an novel manner – by highlighting how the losers in a war are pushed to the edge of the social hierarchy. It is a system based on power than on birth credentials or social mores. Similarly, the content highlights the poverty of some classes but in equal measure, focusses on the rich outsiders who loot the locals without guilt. Colonialism, oppression, racism all have a role to play in the plot, but none in the usual way. It was an interesting look at pseudo-facts through a fantastical lens.
💪🏼 The found family trope that highlights connections across age, race, gender and wealth. Nicely done!
💪🏼 The twisty plot development. While some things are easy to guess, there are many surprises along the way: some good, some horrifying.
💪🏼 No romance, forced or otherwise. Love it when a book sticks to its purpose. All the more praiseworthy in a book with a female protagonist.
💪🏼 The magic is delectable! A curious medley of (Indian) mythological-style weapons and Jinn-based powers.
💪🏼 The visceral writing, which caused me to experience every scene and its highs and lows to my core. This is especially true of the action sequences. Strictly speaking, such scenes aren’t at all my cup of tea, but I must acknowledge that they are really well written. I could actually feel the sweat and the grit (and the blood too – yikes!) Couldn’t have guessed that this was a debut work!
💪🏼 Drisana’s story in the interludes – Wow! I wanted so much more of her!
💪🏼 That cover and the caption!
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🤔 The world building. While I could visualise the physical world excellently, the political and historical background went a little above my epic-fantasy-fearing head. I found myself somewhat lost in the complicated structure of class and country for most of the first half. So I just decided to go with the flow and got a rough idea of the hierarchy, though I am still not too sure of the key players’ motivations and interests. This might not be an issue to avid epic-fantasy readers who are used to complicated fantastical worlds.
🤔 Despite the complex structure, the pacing is quite decent. The first half is more about Kavi’s journey towards her dream, so the proceedings are slowish but steady. As the second half is filled with action sequences, it almost zooms by. But this also means that the ending feels somewhat rushed, with plenty of whats and not enough hows or whys. No cliffhanger though – the key arc is complete.
🤔 There is no glossary for the Indian words. This was fine for me as almost all of them were from Hindi, but it will be problematic to those not familiar with Hindi.
Bookish Nays: (Both of these nays are strictly because of my reading preferences. And to be perfectly clear, the author did warn me about both of these points beforehand. I honestly thought I would be able to handle them. Apparently, I am more squeamish than I had assumed. These issues might not be applicable for readers more attuned to such content.)
🤜🏼 The final hundred-or-so pages were not at all for me. Too much gore. Too much brutality. I can sometimes read through graphic scenes without too much flinching, but eyeballs are my Achilles’ heel – simply can’t stand the mention of anything happening to them!
🤜🏼 The Hindi profanity. I don't know why, but I can hop over English vulgarities such as the F-word easily. But Hindi cuss words just cause me to cringe. Western readers won't have a problem with this because they won't even know the words and there's no glossary anyway. However, my sensibilities were a bit scandalised at the plethora of filthy expletives.
All in all, I mostly liked this novel, except for the gore and the cuss words, which were more of a personal constraint.
Epic/Dark fantasy is not at all my genre. But the blurb and that bad-ass heroine on the cover made me want to give this debut novel a go. So I have no comparable standard by which to measure this book against others of its ilk. All I know is, it handled its job well, setting a great foundation to what might end up a promising South Asian fantasy series with a brilliant heroine to champion!
This is the first book of the ‘Ghosts of Ethuran’ trilogy, and based on this explosive start, I am sure the remaining two books will be equally gruesome and gripping. Will I read them? Well, the second cover looks awesome, though a part of me wishes the cover designer hadn’t gone for the obvious Black Widow stance. I guess I’ll have to prepare my stomach to stomach the gore. Good thing I am forewarned! 🤭
Definitely recommended to epic fantasy lovers who love underdog narratives and can handle graphic scenes and enjoy Asian settings.
3.75 stars.
My thanks to author Aman J. Bedi for providing me with a complimentary copy of “Kavithri”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
November 21, 2024
Kavithri (Ghosts of Ethuran, #1) by Aman J. Bedi
5/5 stars
I just don't know where to begin. This book is such a rollercoaster and I absolutely loved it from start to finish. This book reads like a series with all the different elements that are implemented into this story. A story that isn't spread out over multiple books, meaning that it isn't dragged out. And I loved that so much. It's a beautiful, brutal and heartfelt story. I love the gruesome details that don't over power the story. It has such a great balance. Aman really wrote a brilliant fantasy story.
The book starts with Kavithri working hard as a railway porter. Kavi is poor and lives in the slums. The man who hires her as his porter underpays her severely. And to top things off she needs to pay the stationmaster his monthly fee.
Kavi dreams of becoming a mage. Every year she goes to the Vagola branch to test and see if she is a mage. But Kavi is a Taemu. A people once held in high regard, now at the bottom of society.
And when she tries to get tested a constable picks on her after she helps a boy and beats her viciously. If you ever test again I'll kill you he whispers.
When she licks her wounds she sees a man falling, a dark part inside of her enjoys it, but what fascinates her most is how intently he stares at her. When he is about to be run over by a rickshaw she helps him. But her helping him results in hurting her ankle and she passes out. She wakes up in the hospital with the man next to her. His name is Jarayes Bithun. And he is hellbent on helping her. He pays for her to stay in this fancy hospital and offers her a job.
He also tells her the rats wouldn't touch her and that that only happens with mages. He explains that it can be a dead sentence when certain things are set in motion. But Kavi is hellbent on becoming a mage and that is what kickstarts this stunning story.
We see the bond between Kavi and Bithun grow and evolve. And whatever she asks of him, his loyalty is endless. He teaches her to fight and survive.
There is a scene where Kavi comes face to face with the constable who beat her so savagely and I just love that entire scene. Kavi is strong. And then fear overcomes her. But she is able to channel that fear in an unbeatable strength. And this quote just emcompasses Kavi and this entire book:
♥ You can threaten me, beat me, humiliate me, but bhaenchod, you will not be what kills me.
But things don't go as she wants and Kavi needs to adjust her plans. Does she fail? Hell no! She is insanely strong and driven. And this story catapults us from one epic part to the next.
I love how darkness is inside of her. And I love how she deals with that. How she controls and uses it.
This book is a lot about strength, growth and moving forward. But it's also so freaking brutal. And those brutal scenes kept me on my toes the entire time.
I love how she deals with her gift, that is a curse as much as it is a gift.
I adore the secondary characters so much. Her story line with Ze'aan kept me glued to the pages.
And her friendship with the Taemu people kept my heart beating with joy.
And her will to defend those she loves are second to none. I love how it is a no brainer when she needs to protect someone that she uses all the tools in her box. And isn't afraid to go as far as she needs to protect them.
Another beating pulse in this story is the quest to find her parents and her brothers again. And my goodness I did not see that storyline coming at all.
This book is just bloody epic and one of the best rides I have been on in 2024. It's a story about an underdog who becomes so much more than you would ever expect.
And when she utters this line:
♥ I am not no one.
I just knew I would love her 'til the end of time.
Brilliant, brilliant book! 5 HUGE stars from me for this masterpiece of a book!
5/5 stars
I just don't know where to begin. This book is such a rollercoaster and I absolutely loved it from start to finish. This book reads like a series with all the different elements that are implemented into this story. A story that isn't spread out over multiple books, meaning that it isn't dragged out. And I loved that so much. It's a beautiful, brutal and heartfelt story. I love the gruesome details that don't over power the story. It has such a great balance. Aman really wrote a brilliant fantasy story.
The book starts with Kavithri working hard as a railway porter. Kavi is poor and lives in the slums. The man who hires her as his porter underpays her severely. And to top things off she needs to pay the stationmaster his monthly fee.
Kavi dreams of becoming a mage. Every year she goes to the Vagola branch to test and see if she is a mage. But Kavi is a Taemu. A people once held in high regard, now at the bottom of society.
And when she tries to get tested a constable picks on her after she helps a boy and beats her viciously. If you ever test again I'll kill you he whispers.
When she licks her wounds she sees a man falling, a dark part inside of her enjoys it, but what fascinates her most is how intently he stares at her. When he is about to be run over by a rickshaw she helps him. But her helping him results in hurting her ankle and she passes out. She wakes up in the hospital with the man next to her. His name is Jarayes Bithun. And he is hellbent on helping her. He pays for her to stay in this fancy hospital and offers her a job.
He also tells her the rats wouldn't touch her and that that only happens with mages. He explains that it can be a dead sentence when certain things are set in motion. But Kavi is hellbent on becoming a mage and that is what kickstarts this stunning story.
We see the bond between Kavi and Bithun grow and evolve. And whatever she asks of him, his loyalty is endless. He teaches her to fight and survive.
There is a scene where Kavi comes face to face with the constable who beat her so savagely and I just love that entire scene. Kavi is strong. And then fear overcomes her. But she is able to channel that fear in an unbeatable strength. And this quote just emcompasses Kavi and this entire book:
♥ You can threaten me, beat me, humiliate me, but bhaenchod, you will not be what kills me.
But things don't go as she wants and Kavi needs to adjust her plans. Does she fail? Hell no! She is insanely strong and driven. And this story catapults us from one epic part to the next.
I love how darkness is inside of her. And I love how she deals with that. How she controls and uses it.
This book is a lot about strength, growth and moving forward. But it's also so freaking brutal. And those brutal scenes kept me on my toes the entire time.
I love how she deals with her gift, that is a curse as much as it is a gift.
I adore the secondary characters so much. Her story line with Ze'aan kept me glued to the pages.
And her friendship with the Taemu people kept my heart beating with joy.
And her will to defend those she loves are second to none. I love how it is a no brainer when she needs to protect someone that she uses all the tools in her box. And isn't afraid to go as far as she needs to protect them.
Another beating pulse in this story is the quest to find her parents and her brothers again. And my goodness I did not see that storyline coming at all.
This book is just bloody epic and one of the best rides I have been on in 2024. It's a story about an underdog who becomes so much more than you would ever expect.
And when she utters this line:
♥ I am not no one.
I just knew I would love her 'til the end of time.
Brilliant, brilliant book! 5 HUGE stars from me for this masterpiece of a book!
September 6, 2024
My full non spoiler review: https://youtu.be/jKbkP_qQuQA?si=YqHDa...
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4.5. Excellent excellent excellent. So underrated. This book needs more love.
PS: Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy. Thoughts my own.
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4.5. Excellent excellent excellent. So underrated. This book needs more love.
PS: Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy. Thoughts my own.
May 10, 2024
The Poppy War meets The Combat Codes in this underdog, heart wrenching, pounding book.
Kavi is a Taemu, a people hunted, killed, and hated for their role in the war. For their berserk rage and power.
To find her lost family, she must enter the elite mage academy where the Jinn will test her and the people will beat her.
It was the perfect recipe to create a monster. So easy even she could break it down. To start, you take: one Taemu woman. Add: her supposed propensity for violence and criminal acts and complete lack of morals.
Stir. Simmer. Then: add a sinister ability that undermines your conception of the basic structure of reality. Turn up the heat. Watch the line between human and animal blur. Wait until you can smell the threat, Serve and enjoy your monster with a helping of coconut chutney.
This will definitely appeal to fans of The Poppy War where there are castes and differential treatment and an underdog girl who will do anything to survive.
However, Kavi is more timid than Rin, scared to give in to her rage in case it overtakes her. She is also extremely compassionate and empathetic and must learn to put herself first.
”I want change. I want people to respect strength, not power. But to do that, I first need power.”
I do think the latter half suffered from a suddenly over-powering protagonist which propelled the story, but also made it frustratingly unrealistic.
But Caitlin, this is a fantasy book, obviously it’s going to be unrealistic! Yes, but I still expect certain rules to be followed otherwise I will stop rooting or feeling worried for the MC.
Overall, an extremely engaging premise with a slightly over-the-top end.
Thank you to Gollancz for providing a physical arc in exchange for a review!
Bookstagram
Kavi is a Taemu, a people hunted, killed, and hated for their role in the war. For their berserk rage and power.
To find her lost family, she must enter the elite mage academy where the Jinn will test her and the people will beat her.
It was the perfect recipe to create a monster. So easy even she could break it down. To start, you take: one Taemu woman. Add: her supposed propensity for violence and criminal acts and complete lack of morals.
Stir. Simmer. Then: add a sinister ability that undermines your conception of the basic structure of reality. Turn up the heat. Watch the line between human and animal blur. Wait until you can smell the threat, Serve and enjoy your monster with a helping of coconut chutney.
This will definitely appeal to fans of The Poppy War where there are castes and differential treatment and an underdog girl who will do anything to survive.
However, Kavi is more timid than Rin, scared to give in to her rage in case it overtakes her. She is also extremely compassionate and empathetic and must learn to put herself first.
”I want change. I want people to respect strength, not power. But to do that, I first need power.”
I do think the latter half suffered from a suddenly over-powering protagonist which propelled the story, but also made it frustratingly unrealistic.
But Caitlin, this is a fantasy book, obviously it’s going to be unrealistic! Yes, but I still expect certain rules to be followed otherwise I will stop rooting or feeling worried for the MC.
Overall, an extremely engaging premise with a slightly over-the-top end.
Thank you to Gollancz for providing a physical arc in exchange for a review!
Bookstagram
July 20, 2024
3.5 Stars
I love reading non-European inspired fantasy so the setup of this one immediately grabbed my attention.
As expected, I enjoyed those less familiar elements but ultimately I felt the story played with the same tropes, just with a different backdrop.
My biggest challenge was the writing style. It was just a bit average which was highlighted in this dialogue-heavy book. Not bad by any means, but not a style I particularly enjoy. The storytelling and its character just felt young. It felt like a debut novel. I would like to see growth in the later books as they get published.
If you enjoy reading fantasy stories from different perspectives, then you might want to check out this one out.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher for review.
I love reading non-European inspired fantasy so the setup of this one immediately grabbed my attention.
As expected, I enjoyed those less familiar elements but ultimately I felt the story played with the same tropes, just with a different backdrop.
My biggest challenge was the writing style. It was just a bit average which was highlighted in this dialogue-heavy book. Not bad by any means, but not a style I particularly enjoy. The storytelling and its character just felt young. It felt like a debut novel. I would like to see growth in the later books as they get published.
If you enjoy reading fantasy stories from different perspectives, then you might want to check out this one out.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher for review.
May 21, 2024
Let me tell you this book is brutal. It’s one of the most visually graphic books I’ve ever read, and is a story that deals with a lot of pretty heavy and poignant topics – colonialism, poverty, racism and oppression, and never really pulls any punches. It’s raw and ruthless and unpredictable in a way that keeps you, almost uncomfortably, on your toes whilst reading, and I found myself gripped from the first page.
The story follows Kavi, a Taemu, a people who have been systematically murdered over the years, seen as nothing more than vermin in the eyes of the upper castes, but Kavi has always dreamt of being more. Determined to win her place in the hallowed halls of the Mage academy and help raise her people out of poverty, but she is working against a system that will never accept her. She’s someone who, despite her place in the ‘caste’ system, has never learnt to back down, to not fight for herself or those she cares for, despite the danger she puts herself in. Her life isn’t an easy one, she has been dealt a heavy hand and her plight begins from the first chapter, with her true story slowly unwinding the more she tries to stand up for herself. But you can’t help but empathise with her, this girl who has been told she will never amount to anything more than a servant, and I enjoyed seeing her grow into her powers and show the world who she, and the Taemu, really were.
The story is set in an almost pre-independent India, and Aman skillfully weaves in the magical elements that make up Kavi’s world. It’s rich in it’s history and we are certainly never spared any kind of world building, rather getting a deep dive into how the world came to look the way it does currently. My one, teeny issue was with some of the historical elements, there are a few chapters throughout that throw back to a different character and I never felt that these, and the stories they told, were truly developed enough for me. I could never work out what part they had to play in the story, but that might just be me being a little picky. Aman’s descriptions bring Kavi’s world to life, with rickshaw’s rocketing down the street, to the street food haulers. It’s a broken world, one that has been ripped apart by people claiming to want to help, but through Kavi’s eyes we get to see the beauty that still lives there.
I mentioned above how the story deals with some pretty heavy topics and colonialism is definitely the one that sticks out the most to me. We see this most obviously through the Taemu people, the lowest caste and the one that Kavi belongs too. These are a people who have been hunted down and murdered over the years for the rebellion they lead years ago. They are treated as nothing better than scum, spat on, beaten, murdered, all for something that happened years ago. This element, along with so many others mean it’s not an easy read. Rather it’s one that makes you angry, angry not only at Kavi’s situation, but at how these people are treated in general. If you do have any triggers for racism, oppression and colonialism I would be very wary going into this book.
It’s also a story not for the faint of heart. I genuinely couldn’t get over just how visceral and graphic some of the scenes are. There is a lot of action, thanks to Kavi’s lot in life and then when she tries to join the Mage’s academy, and Aman knows how to write the most powerful and raw of fight scenes. It’s explosive in parts, and downright horror filled in others, all helped along by the magic system that features heavily in the story. I’m not going to mention the magic in detail because it plays a pretty large part in the book, but also features heavily in some of the plot twists, and you should absolutely go into this as blind as possible because the twists absolutely blindside you in the best, and most terrifying of ways.
All in all this was one of the most graphic and uncomfortable book’s I’ve read in a long while, but I absolutely loved it. Aman just knows how to get you to feel the way they need you to for this book to have the emotional impact it should and, once I started and got invested in Kavi’s story, I found it nearly impossible to put down. Perfect for lovers of dark and ruthless stories and characters who will burn down the world to save their people.
The story follows Kavi, a Taemu, a people who have been systematically murdered over the years, seen as nothing more than vermin in the eyes of the upper castes, but Kavi has always dreamt of being more. Determined to win her place in the hallowed halls of the Mage academy and help raise her people out of poverty, but she is working against a system that will never accept her. She’s someone who, despite her place in the ‘caste’ system, has never learnt to back down, to not fight for herself or those she cares for, despite the danger she puts herself in. Her life isn’t an easy one, she has been dealt a heavy hand and her plight begins from the first chapter, with her true story slowly unwinding the more she tries to stand up for herself. But you can’t help but empathise with her, this girl who has been told she will never amount to anything more than a servant, and I enjoyed seeing her grow into her powers and show the world who she, and the Taemu, really were.
The story is set in an almost pre-independent India, and Aman skillfully weaves in the magical elements that make up Kavi’s world. It’s rich in it’s history and we are certainly never spared any kind of world building, rather getting a deep dive into how the world came to look the way it does currently. My one, teeny issue was with some of the historical elements, there are a few chapters throughout that throw back to a different character and I never felt that these, and the stories they told, were truly developed enough for me. I could never work out what part they had to play in the story, but that might just be me being a little picky. Aman’s descriptions bring Kavi’s world to life, with rickshaw’s rocketing down the street, to the street food haulers. It’s a broken world, one that has been ripped apart by people claiming to want to help, but through Kavi’s eyes we get to see the beauty that still lives there.
I mentioned above how the story deals with some pretty heavy topics and colonialism is definitely the one that sticks out the most to me. We see this most obviously through the Taemu people, the lowest caste and the one that Kavi belongs too. These are a people who have been hunted down and murdered over the years for the rebellion they lead years ago. They are treated as nothing better than scum, spat on, beaten, murdered, all for something that happened years ago. This element, along with so many others mean it’s not an easy read. Rather it’s one that makes you angry, angry not only at Kavi’s situation, but at how these people are treated in general. If you do have any triggers for racism, oppression and colonialism I would be very wary going into this book.
It’s also a story not for the faint of heart. I genuinely couldn’t get over just how visceral and graphic some of the scenes are. There is a lot of action, thanks to Kavi’s lot in life and then when she tries to join the Mage’s academy, and Aman knows how to write the most powerful and raw of fight scenes. It’s explosive in parts, and downright horror filled in others, all helped along by the magic system that features heavily in the story. I’m not going to mention the magic in detail because it plays a pretty large part in the book, but also features heavily in some of the plot twists, and you should absolutely go into this as blind as possible because the twists absolutely blindside you in the best, and most terrifying of ways.
All in all this was one of the most graphic and uncomfortable book’s I’ve read in a long while, but I absolutely loved it. Aman just knows how to get you to feel the way they need you to for this book to have the emotional impact it should and, once I started and got invested in Kavi’s story, I found it nearly impossible to put down. Perfect for lovers of dark and ruthless stories and characters who will burn down the world to save their people.
Read
November 1, 2025I think this is an objectively fine fantasy book but I didn’t really love it as much as I was hoping to.
My main issue was that I just didn’t click with the writing. You can tell this is a debut novel because the constant profanity and sometimes gross descriptions felt very unnatural and more like the author wanted to drill into the reader’s head as much as possible what a ‘dark’ and ‘edgy’ world this was. It honestly came off as more juvenile than anything else.
I kept reading the book because I liked Kavithri as a main character and the plot was decent but sadly the intrigue was mostly lost in the last 100 pages or so. That was where the action and conflict really ramps up and some of the torture and abuse scenes were so graphic and disturbing that I just felt really uncomfortable reading them. I can’t say they felt out of place because the author really made it quite clear that this is a ‘dark’ world, but for me it was a bit too much to handle and so I kinda skim read the last bit.
Despite all this I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Kavithri to those people who love grimdark fantasy. If you don’t mind the writing style, the story is pretty entertaining and easy to read, and Kavi is a good character you can root for. Like I said this book wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t for me.
My main issue was that I just didn’t click with the writing. You can tell this is a debut novel because the constant profanity and sometimes gross descriptions felt very unnatural and more like the author wanted to drill into the reader’s head as much as possible what a ‘dark’ and ‘edgy’ world this was. It honestly came off as more juvenile than anything else.
I kept reading the book because I liked Kavithri as a main character and the plot was decent but sadly the intrigue was mostly lost in the last 100 pages or so. That was where the action and conflict really ramps up and some of the torture and abuse scenes were so graphic and disturbing that I just felt really uncomfortable reading them. I can’t say they felt out of place because the author really made it quite clear that this is a ‘dark’ world, but for me it was a bit too much to handle and so I kinda skim read the last bit.
Despite all this I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Kavithri to those people who love grimdark fantasy. If you don’t mind the writing style, the story is pretty entertaining and easy to read, and Kavi is a good character you can root for. Like I said this book wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t for me.
August 27, 2024
Review originally on JamReads
Kavithri is the first book in the historical inspired grimdark fantasy series Ghost of Ethuram, written by Aman J. Bedi, and published by Gollancz. A South-Asian inspired fantasy which is not afraid to portray the grittiest aspects, telling us the story of Kavi, our heroine, an outcast and underdog that will fight against a system rigged against her people, the Taemu, and that will be punished for trying to thrive.
The Taemu were once feared berserkers and the spearhead of the continent-invasion; but now they are at the bottom of Rayaan society, their spirits crushed and their story erased. However, Kavi has a dream and a plan, as she wants to earn a place in the secretive mage academy; face the Jinn and gain the power and the position that will allow her to take her people outside of the darkness, breaking that cycle of abuse they are experience. Soon, it gets clear that getting this power has a price; but the world soon makes clear they don't want a Taemu rising. They will try to break her and make her bleed, but she's full of determination, and won't back down even if that means eventually let her rage reach the surface.
In my opinion, the biggest success of Bedi is how well fleshed is Kavi; a girl with a dream, but also who eventually will become the hope of the hopeless Taemu. She is not allowed to fail, the weight of her self-impossed mission is a heavy one; and through her eyes, we will experience the grittiest aspects of Rayaan society, how they try to bring her down. It's difficult to not cheer for her, because we all want her to bring down the Goliat that is Rayaan's caste system; but in the process, she will experience much pain.
However, despite a great part of the secondary cast is against Kavi, we are also allowed to experience some kindness among the suffering; especially among the Taemu, the found family feeling is strong. Some of them will play key roles in her journey, and definitely win a place in her heart.
You can guess the Indian inspiration in this setting, accompanied by interesting steampunk details; Bedi decides to keep many of the original terms without translating, providing an extra layer of immersion to the reader. He's not afraid of portraying the mud and the dirt, the worst aspects of the world, especially as Kavi belongs to one of the lowest castes in the Rayaan society.
I found Bedi's prose to be excellent at depicting the action scenes, especially with Kavithri's progression, creating really vivid combat scenes. The pacing is relatively fast, without dull moments, nailing perfectly what you can expect from a novel of this length.
Kavithri is an excellent debut, an explosive story about a character fighting against a stacked deck; you will cheer for her, but will also suffer for Kavi. If you are looking for a different setting, an authentic underdog story, Aman J. Bedi's has the perfect hit for you!
Kavithri is the first book in the historical inspired grimdark fantasy series Ghost of Ethuram, written by Aman J. Bedi, and published by Gollancz. A South-Asian inspired fantasy which is not afraid to portray the grittiest aspects, telling us the story of Kavi, our heroine, an outcast and underdog that will fight against a system rigged against her people, the Taemu, and that will be punished for trying to thrive.
The Taemu were once feared berserkers and the spearhead of the continent-invasion; but now they are at the bottom of Rayaan society, their spirits crushed and their story erased. However, Kavi has a dream and a plan, as she wants to earn a place in the secretive mage academy; face the Jinn and gain the power and the position that will allow her to take her people outside of the darkness, breaking that cycle of abuse they are experience. Soon, it gets clear that getting this power has a price; but the world soon makes clear they don't want a Taemu rising. They will try to break her and make her bleed, but she's full of determination, and won't back down even if that means eventually let her rage reach the surface.
In my opinion, the biggest success of Bedi is how well fleshed is Kavi; a girl with a dream, but also who eventually will become the hope of the hopeless Taemu. She is not allowed to fail, the weight of her self-impossed mission is a heavy one; and through her eyes, we will experience the grittiest aspects of Rayaan society, how they try to bring her down. It's difficult to not cheer for her, because we all want her to bring down the Goliat that is Rayaan's caste system; but in the process, she will experience much pain.
However, despite a great part of the secondary cast is against Kavi, we are also allowed to experience some kindness among the suffering; especially among the Taemu, the found family feeling is strong. Some of them will play key roles in her journey, and definitely win a place in her heart.
You can guess the Indian inspiration in this setting, accompanied by interesting steampunk details; Bedi decides to keep many of the original terms without translating, providing an extra layer of immersion to the reader. He's not afraid of portraying the mud and the dirt, the worst aspects of the world, especially as Kavi belongs to one of the lowest castes in the Rayaan society.
I found Bedi's prose to be excellent at depicting the action scenes, especially with Kavithri's progression, creating really vivid combat scenes. The pacing is relatively fast, without dull moments, nailing perfectly what you can expect from a novel of this length.
Kavithri is an excellent debut, an explosive story about a character fighting against a stacked deck; you will cheer for her, but will also suffer for Kavi. If you are looking for a different setting, an authentic underdog story, Aman J. Bedi's has the perfect hit for you!
June 27, 2024
4.5 stars
My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for a free eARC of Kavithri by Aman J. Bedi.
An action packed Epic Fantasy with some Grimdark undertones.
If you love a great underdog story with an excellent heroine you can help but cheer for, you cannot miss "Kavithri".
I appreciated the rich Indian inspired world that has accurate depiction of poverty, oppression, raw portraits of colonialism and caste system.
My love for Kavithri and the other misfits of this story made me care so much and was a great anchor for when the extreme violence of the book hit on full blast.
The more I think about "Kavithri", the more I want to do a re-read in the future as I strongly felt the lack of a glossary in the first half of the book.
I highly recommend "Kavithri" to all experienced Adult Fantasy readers that want a diverse, powerful and engaging reading experience.
You can now support my passion for books here https://ko-fi.com/mariareadssff
My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for a free eARC of Kavithri by Aman J. Bedi.
An action packed Epic Fantasy with some Grimdark undertones.
If you love a great underdog story with an excellent heroine you can help but cheer for, you cannot miss "Kavithri".
I appreciated the rich Indian inspired world that has accurate depiction of poverty, oppression, raw portraits of colonialism and caste system.
My love for Kavithri and the other misfits of this story made me care so much and was a great anchor for when the extreme violence of the book hit on full blast.
The more I think about "Kavithri", the more I want to do a re-read in the future as I strongly felt the lack of a glossary in the first half of the book.
I highly recommend "Kavithri" to all experienced Adult Fantasy readers that want a diverse, powerful and engaging reading experience.
You can now support my passion for books here https://ko-fi.com/mariareadssff
April 26, 2023
Full disclosure, as the author's agent I'm extremely biased. But I have no chill and I can't wait for you all to read this incredible book. Add it to your want-to-read shelf RIGHT NOW!
May 2, 2024
Absolutely loved this one! An action-packed visceral examination of casteism and colonialism in the backdrop of a bloody siege through the eyes of an underdog, who discovers herself and comes into her own. Kavithri by Aman J Bedi marks the beginning of a fascinating new epic fantasy headlined by a firecracker of a heroine, Kavi aka Kavithri Taemu, a young woman, broken by the unfair ruthless world around her, who finds a purpose worth fighting and killing for, a dream she lives for.
The Taemus are a shunted lot, a diminished set of people who have been systematically hunted down, eradicated over years by the rulers (be it the current Raayan Empire or the erstwhile colonial oppressors from the Kraelish empire – almost drawing parallel to the British East India company) for having taken up arms and led a rebellion ages ago. The lowest dregs in a stratified society that takes its caste system very seriously, the Taemus are treated to daily degradations and humiliations by the rest of the castes. And in some extreme case of wanton violence, bullied castrated, and even left to die on the streets. (Yeah – the level of violence in this book is unflinching and extreme, so readers be warned! But given the subject we are dealing with, I felt it justified in most cases.) Meet Kavi – currently employed as a “coolie” at the busy railway station, dealing not just with the strain of having to lift back-breaking luggage but also relegated to be the last one allowed to even approach the alighting passengers. Kavi lucks out when she saves a “sahib” ( the richer lords with their private bungalows away from the seedier parts of town) who, for reasons she cannot fully fathom, agrees to sponsor Kavi’s life-long dream; To sign up for the “Test” that would be her golden ticket out of this miserable life, to become a one blessed by and bonded to a ‘Jinn’ [ one of the three ones still alive that would bestow upon a person, the magical abilities to be a healer, a war-mage or an artificer depending on your bond ] – The story takes off from here as we follow Kavi and her dreams, with multiple twists and turns thrown into the narrative, and some massively suspenseful reveals later, heading into a chaotic, frenetic breathless climax that will have you clamoring for more of Kavi.
Kavi is full heart, raging emotions and an absolute firecracker of an underdog, whom you cannot but cheer, as she takes on the Goliaths of her world, eventually finding her purpose and dreams in life. Her story is just getting started and I, for one, am buying ringside tickets to watch the feisty little fighter take on the entire world.
Set in a ruthless world reminiscent of a pre-independent India (Which of course is blanket-rolled here as the South Asian Fantasy world!) full of steam-powered railway-trains and rickshaws, “dharavi” styled colonies of beggars and misfits from the fringes of an apathetic society, rich street food redolent with spices and flavors of a forgotten era and the opulent havelis and bungalows from an achingly familiar Indian metropolis, maybe from a bygone era. I am possibly just biased by my own memories and readings of history but everything Aman painted on the pages (And what masterstrokes!) came alive for me. The world-building is massive, majestic and I loved how organically Aman inserts magical elements into an everyday setting in Kavi’s world. The action is brutal, gritty and sometimes, can get very exhausting. But trust the author’s vision, as he takes you along this visceral gut-punch of a ride. Kavi’s world is broken, filthy and unfair to the extreme, but through Kavi’s eyes, you also see the beauty left over in this world. Kavi’s transformation story arc is the story of the underdog carving her space in that world.
So is it old wine served in a spanking new bottle? Nope. This is more like flaming shot-glasses full of chili-pepper mixed with absinthe and shaken and stirred up with liquid TNT. And it is so good that you cannot help but down shot after shot till your head explodes by the end of this book. It is quite the roller-coaster and paced like a runaway steam-powered freight-train. I couldn’t honestly put the book down once it started. It maybe flags a bit towards the latter half of the story closer to the end but the reveals are so astounding and mind-blowing, that you power through to get to that fantastic ending.
Kavithri is raw and relentless, an astonishing debut that I personally enjoyed so much because of the parallels and similarities of this world to my culture, but also because of the characterization of the tour-de-force that is Kavithri. If you like your action gritty and frenetic, and your world expansive and colorful, a narrative that takes no prisoners, a story about oppression and colonialism but also about hope and redemption, then look no further. Kavithri by Aman J Bedi is the real deal.
The Taemus are a shunted lot, a diminished set of people who have been systematically hunted down, eradicated over years by the rulers (be it the current Raayan Empire or the erstwhile colonial oppressors from the Kraelish empire – almost drawing parallel to the British East India company) for having taken up arms and led a rebellion ages ago. The lowest dregs in a stratified society that takes its caste system very seriously, the Taemus are treated to daily degradations and humiliations by the rest of the castes. And in some extreme case of wanton violence, bullied castrated, and even left to die on the streets. (Yeah – the level of violence in this book is unflinching and extreme, so readers be warned! But given the subject we are dealing with, I felt it justified in most cases.) Meet Kavi – currently employed as a “coolie” at the busy railway station, dealing not just with the strain of having to lift back-breaking luggage but also relegated to be the last one allowed to even approach the alighting passengers. Kavi lucks out when she saves a “sahib” ( the richer lords with their private bungalows away from the seedier parts of town) who, for reasons she cannot fully fathom, agrees to sponsor Kavi’s life-long dream; To sign up for the “Test” that would be her golden ticket out of this miserable life, to become a one blessed by and bonded to a ‘Jinn’ [ one of the three ones still alive that would bestow upon a person, the magical abilities to be a healer, a war-mage or an artificer depending on your bond ] – The story takes off from here as we follow Kavi and her dreams, with multiple twists and turns thrown into the narrative, and some massively suspenseful reveals later, heading into a chaotic, frenetic breathless climax that will have you clamoring for more of Kavi.
Kavi is full heart, raging emotions and an absolute firecracker of an underdog, whom you cannot but cheer, as she takes on the Goliaths of her world, eventually finding her purpose and dreams in life. Her story is just getting started and I, for one, am buying ringside tickets to watch the feisty little fighter take on the entire world.
Set in a ruthless world reminiscent of a pre-independent India (Which of course is blanket-rolled here as the South Asian Fantasy world!) full of steam-powered railway-trains and rickshaws, “dharavi” styled colonies of beggars and misfits from the fringes of an apathetic society, rich street food redolent with spices and flavors of a forgotten era and the opulent havelis and bungalows from an achingly familiar Indian metropolis, maybe from a bygone era. I am possibly just biased by my own memories and readings of history but everything Aman painted on the pages (And what masterstrokes!) came alive for me. The world-building is massive, majestic and I loved how organically Aman inserts magical elements into an everyday setting in Kavi’s world. The action is brutal, gritty and sometimes, can get very exhausting. But trust the author’s vision, as he takes you along this visceral gut-punch of a ride. Kavi’s world is broken, filthy and unfair to the extreme, but through Kavi’s eyes, you also see the beauty left over in this world. Kavi’s transformation story arc is the story of the underdog carving her space in that world.
So is it old wine served in a spanking new bottle? Nope. This is more like flaming shot-glasses full of chili-pepper mixed with absinthe and shaken and stirred up with liquid TNT. And it is so good that you cannot help but down shot after shot till your head explodes by the end of this book. It is quite the roller-coaster and paced like a runaway steam-powered freight-train. I couldn’t honestly put the book down once it started. It maybe flags a bit towards the latter half of the story closer to the end but the reveals are so astounding and mind-blowing, that you power through to get to that fantastic ending.
Kavithri is raw and relentless, an astonishing debut that I personally enjoyed so much because of the parallels and similarities of this world to my culture, but also because of the characterization of the tour-de-force that is Kavithri. If you like your action gritty and frenetic, and your world expansive and colorful, a narrative that takes no prisoners, a story about oppression and colonialism but also about hope and redemption, then look no further. Kavithri by Aman J Bedi is the real deal.
April 3, 2025
One of the darkest underdog stories I have ever read!
An incredible dark and vivid world full of culture, destructive magic and a main character who refuses to stay down.
An incredible dark and vivid world full of culture, destructive magic and a main character who refuses to stay down.
April 7, 2024
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. This is one of the best debut authors I have read in a very long time and I hope many many more people give this a read as it thoroughly deserves to do well. The worldbuilding is so amazingly rich (my only minor niggle is that at the beginning I slightly struggled with terms I was not familiar with mostly related to titles and clothing, but a quick google sorted me out). Kavi was a such a wonderful complex and relatable character to read. What really grabbed me is how well the plot was constructed, it was not predictable in any sense and kept me so gripped I could not put it down. The ending was beautiful. This will suit readers who like me love immersive epic fantasy - note that in comparison to most fantasy being published recently there is no romance in this. I really hope this book does well as I really would love to see more work from the author. Go read this book!
November 21, 2024
Actual rating: 4.5/5
Recently I’ve been finding it hard to be completely drawn in by a book, fully losing myself in the world and deeply caring about its characters. I’m not sure whether that’s due to this particular period of time in which life feels too full or if I’ve been unlucky in mostly picking up books that left me lukewarm, but I was almost resigned to it happening again. And then I met Kavithri.
Let me start by saying this is absolutely not a book to pick up if you have a hard time with explicit violence as there is a lot of it here. Although it is essential to the story and none of it feels gratuitous, it was hard for me to stomach a few scenes and I definitely had a difficult time with certain passages in the final third. I’ll leave some more detailed content warnings under the spoiler tag below if you wish to check them out.
With that out of the way, I was truly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I went into it knowing very little – having mostly only read the blurb when I applied for the blog tour and, as often happens, promptly forgotten about it. I was really glad for that though because it allowed me to be surprised multiple times as I was reading and slowly getting to know the characters and the world they inhabit.
The world of Kavithri is a brutal, South-Asian inspired fantasy with a dash of dystopia, which I would personally class somewhere between grimdark and epic. The world is complex yet clearly drawn, with information being slowly conveyed in different ways without ever descending into long infodumps. The magic system is particularly intriguing even though it took me a while to wrap my head around it, but I won’t go into any more detail as this slow discovery was an essential part of my enjoyment of this book.
I loved how the author managed to build up towards the explosive ending, carefully balancing worldbuilding, character growth and plot with very satisfying results. I was completely glued to the pages, finding it really hard to put this down. Honestly, I was quite surprised that this was a debut as it shows some really impressive writing skills and maturity – if this is the first, I can’t wait to see what this author does next!
Kavithri is an amazing main character: her resilience and resistance in the face of adversity is truly admirable, determined as she is to achieve her goals through sweat, tears and blood if needed (quite literally) in spite of everything life keeps throwing at her. For Kavithri is not only poor, she is a Taemu – the lowest of the low in this world’s caste system – and for that she is reviled and abused at every turn. The treatment of the Taemu in general is brutal, as they have been consistently dehumanised, subjected to multiple forms of violence and genocide, and used as scapegoats very deliberately by those in power who seek to maintain systems of oppression in place in ways that at this particular historical moment are achingly very familiar.
This is where the book shines particularly for me, as it addresses some very timely themes revolving around inequality, oppression and the legacy of colonialism. Despite everything, Kavi keeps going and she tries desperately to hold onto her values as she does so, to keep the flame of kindness and empathy alive. Yet, there is also space for rightful rage, challenging these systems that annihilate people with no real reason if not the accumulation of power. Even in the most desperate of times, there is hope to be found in community and solidarity and – at the very least – in freely choosing to live and die on one’s own terms for what one believes in. The road to breaking free of social conditioning is long and arduous, and cannot be travelled alone.
Aside from the sometimes excessively explicit violence (which is entirely personal sensitivity), the only other thing I would say is that I would have appreciated having a glossary as there were a lot of unfamiliar terms which I sometimes struggled to keep straight in my mind – not a huge deal, but it would have been helpful!
This is a truly powerful read and one of the best fantasy novels I have read in quite a while. I suspect that Kavithri and the rest of these colourful, complicated, contradictory characters will stay with me for a while yet, and I look forward to seeing how their stories will progress in the next book in the series.
Content Warnings:
I received a free review copy of this book as part of the blog tour organised by The Write Reads. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.
For more reviews, visit Book for Thought.
Recently I’ve been finding it hard to be completely drawn in by a book, fully losing myself in the world and deeply caring about its characters. I’m not sure whether that’s due to this particular period of time in which life feels too full or if I’ve been unlucky in mostly picking up books that left me lukewarm, but I was almost resigned to it happening again. And then I met Kavithri.
Let me start by saying this is absolutely not a book to pick up if you have a hard time with explicit violence as there is a lot of it here. Although it is essential to the story and none of it feels gratuitous, it was hard for me to stomach a few scenes and I definitely had a difficult time with certain passages in the final third. I’ll leave some more detailed content warnings under the spoiler tag below if you wish to check them out.
With that out of the way, I was truly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I went into it knowing very little – having mostly only read the blurb when I applied for the blog tour and, as often happens, promptly forgotten about it. I was really glad for that though because it allowed me to be surprised multiple times as I was reading and slowly getting to know the characters and the world they inhabit.
The world of Kavithri is a brutal, South-Asian inspired fantasy with a dash of dystopia, which I would personally class somewhere between grimdark and epic. The world is complex yet clearly drawn, with information being slowly conveyed in different ways without ever descending into long infodumps. The magic system is particularly intriguing even though it took me a while to wrap my head around it, but I won’t go into any more detail as this slow discovery was an essential part of my enjoyment of this book.
I loved how the author managed to build up towards the explosive ending, carefully balancing worldbuilding, character growth and plot with very satisfying results. I was completely glued to the pages, finding it really hard to put this down. Honestly, I was quite surprised that this was a debut as it shows some really impressive writing skills and maturity – if this is the first, I can’t wait to see what this author does next!
Kavithri is an amazing main character: her resilience and resistance in the face of adversity is truly admirable, determined as she is to achieve her goals through sweat, tears and blood if needed (quite literally) in spite of everything life keeps throwing at her. For Kavithri is not only poor, she is a Taemu – the lowest of the low in this world’s caste system – and for that she is reviled and abused at every turn. The treatment of the Taemu in general is brutal, as they have been consistently dehumanised, subjected to multiple forms of violence and genocide, and used as scapegoats very deliberately by those in power who seek to maintain systems of oppression in place in ways that at this particular historical moment are achingly very familiar.
This is where the book shines particularly for me, as it addresses some very timely themes revolving around inequality, oppression and the legacy of colonialism. Despite everything, Kavi keeps going and she tries desperately to hold onto her values as she does so, to keep the flame of kindness and empathy alive. Yet, there is also space for rightful rage, challenging these systems that annihilate people with no real reason if not the accumulation of power. Even in the most desperate of times, there is hope to be found in community and solidarity and – at the very least – in freely choosing to live and die on one’s own terms for what one believes in. The road to breaking free of social conditioning is long and arduous, and cannot be travelled alone.
Aside from the sometimes excessively explicit violence (which is entirely personal sensitivity), the only other thing I would say is that I would have appreciated having a glossary as there were a lot of unfamiliar terms which I sometimes struggled to keep straight in my mind – not a huge deal, but it would have been helpful!
This is a truly powerful read and one of the best fantasy novels I have read in quite a while. I suspect that Kavithri and the rest of these colourful, complicated, contradictory characters will stay with me for a while yet, and I look forward to seeing how their stories will progress in the next book in the series.
Content Warnings:
I received a free review copy of this book as part of the blog tour organised by The Write Reads. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.
For more reviews, visit Book for Thought.
February 22, 2025
HOW DOES THIS BOOK ONLY HAVE 47 REVIEWS ON GOODREADS?! THE FANTASY COMMUNITY IS SLEEPING ON KAVI!!!
CW: Genocide. Body horror, including gruesome baby deaths. Not gratuitous by any means but the fucked up things are not shied away from. (However, there are no rape scenes - at least no explicit ones as far as I remember - and SA in general is on the lighter side.)
The content warnings make this sound like a really dark book. And it is, don't get me wrong. If Kavithri is going to be compared with any book, it would be The Poppy War. It truly deserves the comparison. Not just because it is similarly gruesome (and excellent) but there are similarities in the story too.
Kavi, like Rin, is part of a minority group that was recently subject to a genocide. Kavi, like Rin, wants to attend an esteemed academic institution and is prepared to fight tooth and nail to get herself there. Kavi, like Rin, is full of fire and deadly power.
However. Kavi, unlike Rin, has a lot of fear to overcome. Kavi, unlike Rin, is driven by her moral compass as much as she is by her need to survive. And Kavi, unlike Rin, knows she is going to die - yet somehow a happy ending seems more likely for her.
Here's the thing. I loved The Poppy War, but it's a bleak story and you can tell pretty early on that it's not a story that will have a happy ending, it's more the kind of story where you wonder how bad things are going to get. Kavithri, on the other hand, is infused with hope. Kavi herself is able to draw on the love of others in her darkest moments - and there are a lot of people who love (and loved) her. This is an incredibly dark story at times, but it's also a story about (found) family and community and heritage. There is so much humour and so many characters to be charmed by, and many of the relationships Kavi develops over the course of the story are truly heart-warming and a joy to read.
I have to talk about the plot as well. If I could describe the plot in one sentence it would be "never let them guess your next move". There aren't a lot of plot twists in the traditional sense, instead there are what I'm going to call plot turns, where you think the story is going in one direction, but actually no, wait, we're going down this path instead. Kavi gets to where you'd expect her to be by the end, but how she gets there? Not what you'd expect at all.
Then there are the sci-fi elements! Wow! This fantasy world has the potential to expand an insane amount and I'm so excited to see how far it goes. But even if the potential isn't met on that front, the characters and humour and the world-building we already have are delightful enough.
The fantasy community is really sleeping on this book. This deserves to be as loved as The Poppy War - but it only has forty-seven reviews on Goodreads! FORTY-SEVEN! What the hell?!!?!?!! (I only just looked this up, and now I'm going to go back and add that FUN FACT to the beginning of my review because WHAT.) Anyway I am HYPED for the sequel and so excited to see where Kavi's journey takes her next.
Easy 5*!
CW: Genocide. Body horror, including gruesome baby deaths. Not gratuitous by any means but the fucked up things are not shied away from. (However, there are no rape scenes - at least no explicit ones as far as I remember - and SA in general is on the lighter side.)
The content warnings make this sound like a really dark book. And it is, don't get me wrong. If Kavithri is going to be compared with any book, it would be The Poppy War. It truly deserves the comparison. Not just because it is similarly gruesome (and excellent) but there are similarities in the story too.
Kavi, like Rin, is part of a minority group that was recently subject to a genocide. Kavi, like Rin, wants to attend an esteemed academic institution and is prepared to fight tooth and nail to get herself there. Kavi, like Rin, is full of fire and deadly power.
However. Kavi, unlike Rin, has a lot of fear to overcome. Kavi, unlike Rin, is driven by her moral compass as much as she is by her need to survive. And Kavi, unlike Rin, knows she is going to die - yet somehow a happy ending seems more likely for her.
Here's the thing. I loved The Poppy War, but it's a bleak story and you can tell pretty early on that it's not a story that will have a happy ending, it's more the kind of story where you wonder how bad things are going to get. Kavithri, on the other hand, is infused with hope. Kavi herself is able to draw on the love of others in her darkest moments - and there are a lot of people who love (and loved) her. This is an incredibly dark story at times, but it's also a story about (found) family and community and heritage. There is so much humour and so many characters to be charmed by, and many of the relationships Kavi develops over the course of the story are truly heart-warming and a joy to read.
I have to talk about the plot as well. If I could describe the plot in one sentence it would be "never let them guess your next move". There aren't a lot of plot twists in the traditional sense, instead there are what I'm going to call plot turns, where you think the story is going in one direction, but actually no, wait, we're going down this path instead. Kavi gets to where you'd expect her to be by the end, but how she gets there? Not what you'd expect at all.
Then there are the sci-fi elements! Wow! This fantasy world has the potential to expand an insane amount and I'm so excited to see how far it goes. But even if the potential isn't met on that front, the characters and humour and the world-building we already have are delightful enough.
The fantasy community is really sleeping on this book. This deserves to be as loved as The Poppy War - but it only has forty-seven reviews on Goodreads! FORTY-SEVEN! What the hell?!!?!?!! (I only just looked this up, and now I'm going to go back and add that FUN FACT to the beginning of my review because WHAT.) Anyway I am HYPED for the sequel and so excited to see where Kavi's journey takes her next.
Easy 5*!
September 16, 2024
Sometimes a book just finds you at the right time. There's something inspiring about an author from a similar cultural background was was inspired by some of my favorite stories creating a story that I thoroughly loved all the way through. Thank you Aman J. Bedi for adding some desperately needed representation into my reads for this year.
November 13, 2024
This is a debut dark fantasy novel that pulls no punches. The world building is assured and confident, the characters full and vibrant and the story deep and intriguing. It is also gruesome in parts.
There is a lot of back story, both for the main characters and the politics of the world, but this is divulged by different characters at various points in the story, so no long info dumps.
Kavi is an orphan, a Taemu (the lowest of the low in this world’s caste system) and has no one. She doesn’t even trust her own memory about where she comes from and what happened to her family. A chance encounter when she helps someone unexpectedly opens up her world in a way she could not have hoped for, despite it being her goal.
Whilst feeling Kavi’s disappointment, I was pleased that the “expected” ending to the first set of tests in her attempt to become a Mage did not happen and this story took Kavi in a less anticipated direction towards her ultimate goal.
On the way, Kavi meets a wide variety of people who bring their own baggage and history, linked in both good and bad ways to Kavi’s. There are things she will find out that will not make sense to her and will shake her beliefs and what she thought she knew.
Kavi is a loner, an underdog and an outcast who has been treated abominably by society but she is determined in her search for her family. The learned helplessness and capitulation that the Taemu employ to survive is something else she needs to get her head around if she is to make any progress towards becoming a Mage, so her struggle is mental and physical. Years of being kind and not hurting anyone, the fear that if she does she will let out the inner berserker of her ancestors and not get able to control it is to the forefront of her mind and the biggest hurdle to her success.
Warning: The final third of the story is extremely violent and brutal. There are gladiator style confrontations, one on one combats, battles and a gruesome torture. If you liked Joe Abercrombie’s First Law trilogy, then you will like this. I am now waiting excitedly for the next part of Kavi’s story.
Thanks to the publishers, Gollancz, and @The_WriteReads for the ARC for me to read and review.
There is a lot of back story, both for the main characters and the politics of the world, but this is divulged by different characters at various points in the story, so no long info dumps.
Kavi is an orphan, a Taemu (the lowest of the low in this world’s caste system) and has no one. She doesn’t even trust her own memory about where she comes from and what happened to her family. A chance encounter when she helps someone unexpectedly opens up her world in a way she could not have hoped for, despite it being her goal.
Whilst feeling Kavi’s disappointment, I was pleased that the “expected” ending to the first set of tests in her attempt to become a Mage did not happen and this story took Kavi in a less anticipated direction towards her ultimate goal.
On the way, Kavi meets a wide variety of people who bring their own baggage and history, linked in both good and bad ways to Kavi’s. There are things she will find out that will not make sense to her and will shake her beliefs and what she thought she knew.
Kavi is a loner, an underdog and an outcast who has been treated abominably by society but she is determined in her search for her family. The learned helplessness and capitulation that the Taemu employ to survive is something else she needs to get her head around if she is to make any progress towards becoming a Mage, so her struggle is mental and physical. Years of being kind and not hurting anyone, the fear that if she does she will let out the inner berserker of her ancestors and not get able to control it is to the forefront of her mind and the biggest hurdle to her success.
Warning: The final third of the story is extremely violent and brutal. There are gladiator style confrontations, one on one combats, battles and a gruesome torture. If you liked Joe Abercrombie’s First Law trilogy, then you will like this. I am now waiting excitedly for the next part of Kavi’s story.
Thanks to the publishers, Gollancz, and @The_WriteReads for the ARC for me to read and review.
September 14, 2024
review - https://booksteacupreviews.com/2024/0...
Kavithri is an engaging and bold Indian-inspired steampunk fantasy that follows the journey of Kavithri, a member of the Taemu caste. Once feared, the Taemu are now seen as the dregs of the empire, outcast by society, with their spirits and hopes crushed. Yet, Kavithri dares to dream. Determined to improve her life, she believes her only chance lies in passing the mage test.
Against all odds, she meets a kind, wealthy man whose past compels him to help her, enabling Kavi to finally step into the academy. However, the test uncovers a truth that alters her plans, pushing her to fight for her people.
The plot and writing are gripping but also brutal, raw, and ruthless, with many graphic and gory details, particularly in the second half. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart. Divided in three parts Kavithri focuses on the theme of survival, colonialism, poverty, racism, and oppression.
Kavithri is smart, observant, and empathetic character. One cannot help but root for her. Her character is mostly developed. Even though she is driven by determination and dream for better life, she is also kind, and compassionate and often unselfish even she never received kindness from people.I admired her strength and determination even during the time when she was badly hurt and tortured. It was amazing the way she led the battle after climax.
The torture part felt stretched more than necessary and than her rescuing was also a bit simple even though emotional. Everything happened too fast after that. End is however as expected, satisfying and touching with promise of sequel.
Overall, Kavithri is gripping, raw, and outrageous Indian-inspired steampunk fantasy with brutal world and compassionate main character.
Kavithri is an engaging and bold Indian-inspired steampunk fantasy that follows the journey of Kavithri, a member of the Taemu caste. Once feared, the Taemu are now seen as the dregs of the empire, outcast by society, with their spirits and hopes crushed. Yet, Kavithri dares to dream. Determined to improve her life, she believes her only chance lies in passing the mage test.
Against all odds, she meets a kind, wealthy man whose past compels him to help her, enabling Kavi to finally step into the academy. However, the test uncovers a truth that alters her plans, pushing her to fight for her people.
The plot and writing are gripping but also brutal, raw, and ruthless, with many graphic and gory details, particularly in the second half. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart. Divided in three parts Kavithri focuses on the theme of survival, colonialism, poverty, racism, and oppression.
Kavithri is smart, observant, and empathetic character. One cannot help but root for her. Her character is mostly developed. Even though she is driven by determination and dream for better life, she is also kind, and compassionate and often unselfish even she never received kindness from people.I admired her strength and determination even during the time when she was badly hurt and tortured. It was amazing the way she led the battle after climax.
The torture part felt stretched more than necessary and than her rescuing was also a bit simple even though emotional. Everything happened too fast after that. End is however as expected, satisfying and touching with promise of sequel.
Overall, Kavithri is gripping, raw, and outrageous Indian-inspired steampunk fantasy with brutal world and compassionate main character.
February 21, 2025
4.5 rounded up
November 16, 2024
I must admit, I haven't read much Asian fantasy before, but after excellent read, that will certainly change.
So what we have here is a richly detailed, vivid Steampunk Indian fantasy, with a main character ( Kavi ), who's sharp, tough, and full of grit.
It's a read that should, and must be savoured. Make sure to take your time, and try not to skim or skip, in oder to get the most out of this fascinating, vivid read.
The world building on display here is absolute top notch and as you read along, you really do feel submersed in the world, as the scenes unfold clearly in the mind.
.
The characters we meet along the way are well written, with good depth, and all feel real.
It's dark, it's gritty, there's twists, there's turns, there's action. What more could you ask for?
5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
So what we have here is a richly detailed, vivid Steampunk Indian fantasy, with a main character ( Kavi ), who's sharp, tough, and full of grit.
It's a read that should, and must be savoured. Make sure to take your time, and try not to skim or skip, in oder to get the most out of this fascinating, vivid read.
The world building on display here is absolute top notch and as you read along, you really do feel submersed in the world, as the scenes unfold clearly in the mind.
.
The characters we meet along the way are well written, with good depth, and all feel real.
It's dark, it's gritty, there's twists, there's turns, there's action. What more could you ask for?
5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
September 27, 2024
Really interesting facts paced action heavy fantasy with some subversive world building thrown in that really enjoyed as the story takes some interesting sharp directions I was not expecting
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
November 18, 2024
I received a copy of this book because I am participating in a blog tour for it
This isn’t an easy review to write, because I and this book well, we had some highs and lows, and it is one of those few books in which the ending made me change my mind about the whole book. Usually, I am not really a fan of this kind of ending because if the book is not good, or I am not enjoying it, a solid ending won’t change things for me. Sure, I may say “Well done!” but still, my idea of the book as a whole won’t change. But this time things are a bit different because, to be completely honest, I was convinced that I didn’t want to continue the series (even if I was, mostly, enjoying the book, let’s be clear. It’s not that I disliked the book, but some things didn’t really work so well for me, and so I wasn’t really motivated to see how things progress, after reaching the end.) but the ending changed things for me, because, in this particular case, the ending sort of resolved the problems I had with the book. (And again, I was already thinking that the book was pretty good, just not the perfect fit for me).
But I started from the end. I know—sorry about that! Let’s rewind a moment here. Kavithri is an original book that effortlessly blends fantasy, sci-fi, and a touch of dystopia, and it manages the mix extremely well. I am not going to say more about this mix because discovering it was a real pleasure. There was a really good twist, and I don’t want to take that from you. Just know that the author does a great job with that.
It is also a coming-of-age story (but mind me, coming of age is not the same as YA, just to be clear) with a character that is an underdog (I think Kavithri is “the” underdog), who is the lowest of the low, and who is incredibly well developed. The author puts a lot of effort into her, and you see that. But… here is where my problems start.
Kavithri is a complex character, but she is not the right character for me. In some ways, she may be considered a bit like Sciona from Blood Over Bright Haven (and this is one of my favorite books of the year), because even if these are two really different books they also have quite a lot in common, but while Sciona is driven by her hunger and she is a force to be reckoned with, Kavithri is, for the most part, on the other side of the spectrum. She is driven, and she is unbroken but she is also almost broken, she does not react even if she could have because all she has left are her ideals, and she won’t compromise those. The problem is that she compromises everything else. Mind me, Kavi is one of the strongest and bravest heroines out there, but still, she is not my kind of heroine, I am not usually so interested in this kind of story, and what’s more, is that the author is brutal with her. And I mean it, he is brutal.
That’s why this story can also be considered, at least for me, grimdark. Because it is grim and dark. It is so bleak. Again, a tad too bleak for my tastes.
But mind me, all my problems here are from personal tastes and not from the book itself.
Fear not! I have a couple of problems that are more the book’s fault (but they are not really big). The point is that we have a lot of interesting parts in this book, and it would have been amazing if the author would have spent a bit more time showing us those. I talk about the time Kavi spent with Bithun, for example, or the time Kavi spent with the other Taemus. They are interesting and I would have loved to see a bit more, especially because this is a series and not a standalone (I think that this was the perfect amount of showing for a standalone book, but since we are talking about a series… well, I wanted more). It is not that the author is approximate with these parts, it’s just that it felt like we are rushing a bit through things when he could have taken more time to explore them.
And, related to this there is also the fact that we have several secondary characters who have a big role in Kavi’s story (again, Bithun is a good example, even if not the only one), and I would have loved to see a bit more of them. To learn to know them better. It is like we are almost there but not quite. There is still a bit lacking. Just a tiny little bit, but still… As before, it’s not that the secondary characters are poorly developed, it’s just that to me there is something (small) lacking to make them the best they could be.
And now we can go back to the ending. What really did the “miracle” here was that the ending put the entire book in perspective. Mind me, I think this is a highly personal take, but once I reached the last chapters all the book before those became an origin story, and if I keep this point of view, a lot of the things that didn’t work so well for me (the fact that Kavi is not really a great fit for me, mostly) gain a new perspective, and it may really well be that in the next book(s) things would be different. Also, it’s like we really get going. And it was glorious!
It’s not that it is a slow book or that it doesn’t happen anything. Sure, it is not really fast paced, but it is not slow. And things happen, a lot. So it is not boring. I am not hinting that, but it is almost like toward the end, the book got momentum and putting it down was really hard!
That said, the book is original, it is complex and well developed. I was engaged in the story and invested in Kavi. It is also a bleak and grim book, so please, take this into consideration before starting it (and we have some cruelty toward animals), but if you are in the mood for something that is grimdark, then I strongly suggest to give this one a chance. It is well worth your time!
As far as rating is concerned, I was convinced that this book would have been a 3.5 stars but the ending made me round it up to 4 because, really, it is a solid book and it deserves some love!
This isn’t an easy review to write, because I and this book well, we had some highs and lows, and it is one of those few books in which the ending made me change my mind about the whole book. Usually, I am not really a fan of this kind of ending because if the book is not good, or I am not enjoying it, a solid ending won’t change things for me. Sure, I may say “Well done!” but still, my idea of the book as a whole won’t change. But this time things are a bit different because, to be completely honest, I was convinced that I didn’t want to continue the series (even if I was, mostly, enjoying the book, let’s be clear. It’s not that I disliked the book, but some things didn’t really work so well for me, and so I wasn’t really motivated to see how things progress, after reaching the end.) but the ending changed things for me, because, in this particular case, the ending sort of resolved the problems I had with the book. (And again, I was already thinking that the book was pretty good, just not the perfect fit for me).
But I started from the end. I know—sorry about that! Let’s rewind a moment here. Kavithri is an original book that effortlessly blends fantasy, sci-fi, and a touch of dystopia, and it manages the mix extremely well. I am not going to say more about this mix because discovering it was a real pleasure. There was a really good twist, and I don’t want to take that from you. Just know that the author does a great job with that.
It is also a coming-of-age story (but mind me, coming of age is not the same as YA, just to be clear) with a character that is an underdog (I think Kavithri is “the” underdog), who is the lowest of the low, and who is incredibly well developed. The author puts a lot of effort into her, and you see that. But… here is where my problems start.
Kavithri is a complex character, but she is not the right character for me. In some ways, she may be considered a bit like Sciona from Blood Over Bright Haven (and this is one of my favorite books of the year), because even if these are two really different books they also have quite a lot in common, but while Sciona is driven by her hunger and she is a force to be reckoned with, Kavithri is, for the most part, on the other side of the spectrum. She is driven, and she is unbroken but she is also almost broken, she does not react even if she could have because all she has left are her ideals, and she won’t compromise those. The problem is that she compromises everything else. Mind me, Kavi is one of the strongest and bravest heroines out there, but still, she is not my kind of heroine, I am not usually so interested in this kind of story, and what’s more, is that the author is brutal with her. And I mean it, he is brutal.
That’s why this story can also be considered, at least for me, grimdark. Because it is grim and dark. It is so bleak. Again, a tad too bleak for my tastes.
But mind me, all my problems here are from personal tastes and not from the book itself.
Fear not! I have a couple of problems that are more the book’s fault (but they are not really big). The point is that we have a lot of interesting parts in this book, and it would have been amazing if the author would have spent a bit more time showing us those. I talk about the time Kavi spent with Bithun, for example, or the time Kavi spent with the other Taemus. They are interesting and I would have loved to see a bit more, especially because this is a series and not a standalone (I think that this was the perfect amount of showing for a standalone book, but since we are talking about a series… well, I wanted more). It is not that the author is approximate with these parts, it’s just that it felt like we are rushing a bit through things when he could have taken more time to explore them.
And, related to this there is also the fact that we have several secondary characters who have a big role in Kavi’s story (again, Bithun is a good example, even if not the only one), and I would have loved to see a bit more of them. To learn to know them better. It is like we are almost there but not quite. There is still a bit lacking. Just a tiny little bit, but still… As before, it’s not that the secondary characters are poorly developed, it’s just that to me there is something (small) lacking to make them the best they could be.
And now we can go back to the ending. What really did the “miracle” here was that the ending put the entire book in perspective. Mind me, I think this is a highly personal take, but once I reached the last chapters all the book before those became an origin story, and if I keep this point of view, a lot of the things that didn’t work so well for me (the fact that Kavi is not really a great fit for me, mostly) gain a new perspective, and it may really well be that in the next book(s) things would be different. Also, it’s like we really get going. And it was glorious!
It’s not that it is a slow book or that it doesn’t happen anything. Sure, it is not really fast paced, but it is not slow. And things happen, a lot. So it is not boring. I am not hinting that, but it is almost like toward the end, the book got momentum and putting it down was really hard!
That said, the book is original, it is complex and well developed. I was engaged in the story and invested in Kavi. It is also a bleak and grim book, so please, take this into consideration before starting it (and we have some cruelty toward animals), but if you are in the mood for something that is grimdark, then I strongly suggest to give this one a chance. It is well worth your time!
As far as rating is concerned, I was convinced that this book would have been a 3.5 stars but the ending made me round it up to 4 because, really, it is a solid book and it deserves some love!
June 27, 2024
There’s so much to love about this story! It feels very original and Kavi is likable and while she sometimes borders on navel gazing, her arch is believable. I will definitely be looking forward to the next book as I’m sure there is still a lot to unravel in this world.
June 1, 2024
KAVITHRI - Aman J Bedi
Los Taemu son pueblo oprimido en Raaya, odiados por haber sido berserkers y los mejores guerreros que les invadieron hace tiempo, ahora denostados, despreciados y víctimas de un g*n*cidio. Kavithri es una Taemu, que trabaja como moza de carga en la estación de tren. Pero su futuro cambiará cuando se le dé la opción de acceder a la magia de los Jinns y encontrar a la familia que creía perdida. Nada. Ni nadie. Se interpondrá en su camino.
Aman J. Bedi te transporta y te hace sentir cosas. Y creo que es uno de los mayores halagos que se le pueden hacer a un escritor. He devorado esta obra que pinta fantasía y belicisimo sobre un lienzo de colonialismo y clases sociales.
Kavithri es una oda al subcontinente de la India, a su historia, a sus artes marciales propias (¿sabías que el arte marcial más antigua de la que se tiene registro es el Kalaripayatu y es originario de la India?) a sus olores y a la pasión con la que se hace todo.
Y además, es una gran novela de fantasía. What else?
✅ Escenas de acción maravillosamente bien narradas. Espadas. Boxeo. Guerra puerta por puerta.
🔞 Violencia descarnada. No apto para flojos de estómago. Desmembramientos, palizas, exterminios, insultos...
✅ Magia que viene de Jinns, que exige precios a pagar (recuerdos, inmobilidad o salud).
⛔️ Una protagonista que posee un poder oculto y enorme en su interior. Quizás ya empiezo a estar harto de esto. Pero bueno.
✅ Ese carácter (no único) de la India de lo enormemente cabrones que pueden ser los unos con los otros, donde todo es una competencia y no quieres que a tu vecino le vaya bien.
Una mezcla magnífica de Nuncanoche, Berserk, La Guerra de la Amapola y Monkey Man. Café para los muy cafeteros.
Si esto os atrae, no os decepcionará.
Valoración: 🐵🐵🐵🐵 (4 Hanumans)
Los Taemu son pueblo oprimido en Raaya, odiados por haber sido berserkers y los mejores guerreros que les invadieron hace tiempo, ahora denostados, despreciados y víctimas de un g*n*cidio. Kavithri es una Taemu, que trabaja como moza de carga en la estación de tren. Pero su futuro cambiará cuando se le dé la opción de acceder a la magia de los Jinns y encontrar a la familia que creía perdida. Nada. Ni nadie. Se interpondrá en su camino.
Aman J. Bedi te transporta y te hace sentir cosas. Y creo que es uno de los mayores halagos que se le pueden hacer a un escritor. He devorado esta obra que pinta fantasía y belicisimo sobre un lienzo de colonialismo y clases sociales.
Kavithri es una oda al subcontinente de la India, a su historia, a sus artes marciales propias (¿sabías que el arte marcial más antigua de la que se tiene registro es el Kalaripayatu y es originario de la India?) a sus olores y a la pasión con la que se hace todo.
Y además, es una gran novela de fantasía. What else?
✅ Escenas de acción maravillosamente bien narradas. Espadas. Boxeo. Guerra puerta por puerta.
🔞 Violencia descarnada. No apto para flojos de estómago. Desmembramientos, palizas, exterminios, insultos...
✅ Magia que viene de Jinns, que exige precios a pagar (recuerdos, inmobilidad o salud).
⛔️ Una protagonista que posee un poder oculto y enorme en su interior. Quizás ya empiezo a estar harto de esto. Pero bueno.
✅ Ese carácter (no único) de la India de lo enormemente cabrones que pueden ser los unos con los otros, donde todo es una competencia y no quieres que a tu vecino le vaya bien.
Una mezcla magnífica de Nuncanoche, Berserk, La Guerra de la Amapola y Monkey Man. Café para los muy cafeteros.
Si esto os atrae, no os decepcionará.
Valoración: 🐵🐵🐵🐵 (4 Hanumans)
September 17, 2024
This was an interesting read! I bought this for my book club, and read it in a few sittings, not really sure what to expect.
The story of Kavithri is gripping, I found the character really interesting and the worldbuilding in this was also just so nicely done, there was a lot of thought that went into building this book and one can tell!
I must say I found the super graphic descriptions a bit difficult at times, in the sense that while I understand that it builds character, at times it really felt like nothing would ever go the character's way, and all she was destined to is just suffering, which was a bit disheartening. Like again, I understand to make the story gripping the character needs hardship, but I wanted to see her win so bad!
But I loved what Bedi did with this. The slow building of trust, Kavithri's character development and her role in society, her finding out more about her ancestry, her history, her people's history and her family, her found family, her determination and in the end her strength all make this a great book.
I also really do think that there is more to develop in the backstory department, as there are characters I wish we knew more about. I also must say that at times I found Kavi's internal dialogue a bit cheesy, but I think that might just be a stylistic choice that may just not work for me.
All in all, this is a great debut I would definitely recommend giving this a try if you like fantasy and thrillers/horror. It is not for the faint of heart, however, but that should be okay too!
(Will say, I saw this classed as Young Adult somewhere, and I have to admit that this does not fit that at all. I would call this more adult or New Adult as I think some of the themes are not for young teens!)
The story of Kavithri is gripping, I found the character really interesting and the worldbuilding in this was also just so nicely done, there was a lot of thought that went into building this book and one can tell!
I must say I found the super graphic descriptions a bit difficult at times, in the sense that while I understand that it builds character, at times it really felt like nothing would ever go the character's way, and all she was destined to is just suffering, which was a bit disheartening. Like again, I understand to make the story gripping the character needs hardship, but I wanted to see her win so bad!
But I loved what Bedi did with this. The slow building of trust, Kavithri's character development and her role in society, her finding out more about her ancestry, her history, her people's history and her family, her found family, her determination and in the end her strength all make this a great book.
I also really do think that there is more to develop in the backstory department, as there are characters I wish we knew more about. I also must say that at times I found Kavi's internal dialogue a bit cheesy, but I think that might just be a stylistic choice that may just not work for me.
All in all, this is a great debut I would definitely recommend giving this a try if you like fantasy and thrillers/horror. It is not for the faint of heart, however, but that should be okay too!
(Will say, I saw this classed as Young Adult somewhere, and I have to admit that this does not fit that at all. I would call this more adult or New Adult as I think some of the themes are not for young teens!)
January 24, 2025
This book is so much fun. Aman has crafted a very likable character of Kavi as the title suggests.
This is the 1st book in the Ghosts of Ethuran series, which was pitched as a south Asian Fantasy and has delivered on it. I first came to know about the book through Petrik's cover reveal of the book and was intrigued by the cover and the blurb which sparked my interest even more. And When I came to know that the second book is coming in March, I was like I don't think there will be any better time to start it.
When I started reading this book, it took me sometime to get into the book, but after that it just flew by. It is a short fantasy book which packs a lot of action and just enough lore to get you interested in the world of Kavithri. Some parts of the book are so addictive that you are just turning page after page.
At last, Kavithri: Ghosts of Ethuran is a delightful and action packed introduction to a series I'll be looking forward to. If you enjoy South Asian-inspired fantasy or are looking for a short yet gripping read, I highly recommend giving this book a try. I can’t wait to see where the story goes next!
This is the 1st book in the Ghosts of Ethuran series, which was pitched as a south Asian Fantasy and has delivered on it. I first came to know about the book through Petrik's cover reveal of the book and was intrigued by the cover and the blurb which sparked my interest even more. And When I came to know that the second book is coming in March, I was like I don't think there will be any better time to start it.
When I started reading this book, it took me sometime to get into the book, but after that it just flew by. It is a short fantasy book which packs a lot of action and just enough lore to get you interested in the world of Kavithri. Some parts of the book are so addictive that you are just turning page after page.
At last, Kavithri: Ghosts of Ethuran is a delightful and action packed introduction to a series I'll be looking forward to. If you enjoy South Asian-inspired fantasy or are looking for a short yet gripping read, I highly recommend giving this book a try. I can’t wait to see where the story goes next!
May 31, 2024
Eines der Bücher, auf dessen Release ich mich schon riesig gefreut habe. Und ich muss sagen, für ein Debutbuch war es echt gut. Klar, es hatte seine kleinen Fehler (für mich war sämtliches World Building sehr undurchsichtig geschrieben). Und es hat eine Weile gebraucht, bis es mich wirklich gepackt hatte, aber danach war es verdammt cool. Vor allem das letzte Drittel war für mich ein Hightlight, da es dann erst recht unerwartet wurde.
(+)
- Man hat mal eine ganz andere Kultur als Inspiration gesehen
- Kavi ist super sympathisch und man will, dass sie zwischen all den Rückschlägen auch mal gewinnt
- Geschichte ist unvorhersehbar
(-)
- Durch fremde Kultur und Fantasy gab es viel zu viele unbekannte Wörter
- Magie hätte mehr erklärt werden können
Mein Booktube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWsL...
Mein Bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nico_fantas...
(+)
- Man hat mal eine ganz andere Kultur als Inspiration gesehen
- Kavi ist super sympathisch und man will, dass sie zwischen all den Rückschlägen auch mal gewinnt
- Geschichte ist unvorhersehbar
(-)
- Durch fremde Kultur und Fantasy gab es viel zu viele unbekannte Wörter
- Magie hätte mehr erklärt werden können
Mein Booktube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWsL...
Mein Bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nico_fantas...
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