Hey bookworm friends, thanks for popping by my turn of the Kavithri Tour! My apologies for the lateness of the review—the physical book is stuck in the mail, cross your fingers it arrives soon🤞🏽. Luckily, I had the e-book on hand so I can happily share my thoughts on this heart-pounding debut!
Thank you to The Write Reads, Gollancz, & Aman J. Bedi for the chance to participate in this book tour!
About Kavithri
Author: Aman J. Bedi
Genre(s): Fantasy Sci-Fi, Steampunk, Grimdark
Series: The Ghosts of Ethuran, #1
Publisher: Gollancz
Format Read: E-Book
Pub Date: May 16, 2024 – OUT NOW!
Cover Artist: Giby Joseph
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Meet Kavithri. Outcast. Underdog. Survivor.
She’s a Taemu, and her people were once feared berserkers. Now, as the dregs of Raayan society and scapegoats of the elite, their spirits are broken. But Kavi has a plan. She’ll do whatever it takes to join the Vagola, a secretive mage academy. The key to finding her lost family and dragging her people out of oppression lies in facing the Jinn within the academy’s walls. Except it won’t be easy: Power and Knowledge are fiercely guarded by the ruling classes and the world no longer wants a Taemu who can fight. So they’ll beat her and break her. But if it’s blood they want, Kavi will show them a berserker’s fury.
Purchase Links
⟡ Amazon US│Amazon UK│Bookshop.org ⟡
My Review
If I were to describe this book in one word ‘unrelenting’ comes to mind. For Kavi, it’s always setback after indignity after tragedy; the poor girl can’t catch a breath. This is my first time reading what I would classify as grimdark and to my surprise, I liked it! That’s not to say it was an easy read, because it’s honestly not for the faint of heart and I was tested. If you like body parts being in the right places, then be warned. If you’re sensitive to violence related to animals, also be warned. These are all things I don’t love and yet the story caught me in its clutches and never let go! The Jinn-based magic system was unlike anything I’d read before, the subtly steampunk world was engrossing, and Kavi’s tenacity won me over.
If you’re tired of books where the characters are instantly talented at everything, Kavithri might be for you! We get to see Kavi slowly develop her physical strength and magical skills. I particularly enjoyed reading the training scenes because mentor x student is one of my favourite tropes but also because, finally, Kavi has someone in her corner😥! Kavi’s progression had me glued to the pages because it’s not linear—every inch she gains comes at a cost. Following the twists and turns of her journey was fun because each step went in an unexpected direction or tangent. I get the feeling that by the end of the trilogy, Kavithri won’t get what she wants but rather what she needs, in an extremely roundabout way. I can’t wait to see where she ends up.
“Kavi fought without armour or shield, with stolen bone and muscle forged in a lifetime of backbreaking labour, and with a hold on her reality that was absolute.”
The world-building was strong! I thought the level of detail on the history and political tensions of this world was just right. Not overwhelming but enough to understand what is going on, and leaves us with some breadcrumbs that imply a wider world (this is where I feel Bedi did a great job blending fantasy and sci-fi). A couple of short but fascinating scenes from the past (a time that felt more technologically advanced) were utilized to great effect. I hope to delve more into that history in the second book. I was honestly surprised to learn this was a debut because I was impressed by the pacing. Bedi spent time in all the places I, as a reader, wanted to be and he knew to skip the parts that weren’t relevant to the story. Not an easy skill to master but it kept me feverishly turning the pages until the very end.
Read Kavithri If You Like…
- Grimdark & Gore
- Fantasy with a Female Lead and No Romance
- Commentary on Colonialism, Class, Racism, Power, and Oppression.
- Progression Fantasy
- Necromancy!
- South Asian Folklore
About Aman J. Bedi
Aman 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.
Author Socials
Let’s chat in the comments!
Have I convinced you to check this one out? Or, do you read grimdark fantasy and if so what are some of your favourites?
