Series: Ghosts of Ethuran #1
Release date: May 16 2024
Publisher: Gollancz
Pages: 442
Find it: Goodreads Waterstones
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4.25/5 stars

Synopsis

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.

Review

Kavithri is an engrossing South Asian inspired epic fantasy that follows Kavi. Kavi is a Taemu. Taemu are treated as the very lowest of society and Kavi will do anything to escape her life and realise her dream of attending the mage academy. Kavi wishes to rise above her station, but those around her only want to break her. Kavi will do whatever it takes to succeed and she will make them remember her name.

Kavithri is a dark and compelling story, one that gripped me right from the outset. The world is fascinating and I really enjoyed Bedi’s writing style. The story is well paced and the worldbuilding felt well developed with a rich history. I thought the action scenes in particular were very well done and Bedi doesn’t shy away from describing the brutal and gruesome parts of a fight. The story expertly navigates difficult themes such as colonialism and I really liked the found family aspect of the tale. The story has some plot twists that I absolutely didn’t expect and I am very much looking forward to the next installment in the series.

Kavi is a brilliant protagonist and I thought Bedi did a great job with her character development. She’s determined to find her family, she does not want to give up. I liked that she was such a complex character and I was definitely rooting for her. I also thought the magic was fascinating in this one. Overall Kavithri is an impressive debut and if you’re looking for an epic fantasy read that is full of action, this one should definitely be on your wishlist.