all characters wanted
  • Book Reviews
    • Reviews by Book Title
    • Reviews by Posting Date >
      • Book Reviews: 2020
      • Book Reviews: 2019
      • Book Reviews: 2018
      • Book Reviews: 2017
    • Rating System
  • Other Musings
    • Monthly Wrap Ups
    • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact

Book Reviews

Mahimata by Rati Mehrotra

4/11/2019

0 Comments

 
SYNOPSIS
A young female assassin must confront the man who slaughtered her family, risk her heart, and come to terms with her identity as a warrior and as a woman in this thrilling fantasy from the author of Markswoman.

Kyra has returned to the caves of Kali, but her homecoming is bittersweet. Her beloved teacher is dead and her best friend Nineth is missing. And gone, too, is Rustan, the Marksman who helped her train for the duel with Tamsyn--and became far more than a teacher and friend.
Picture
Shaken by his feelings for Kyra and the truth about his parentage, Rustan has set off on a quest for answers. His odyssey leads him to the descendants of an ancient sect tied to the alien Ones--and the realization that the answers he seeks come with a price.

Yet fate has plans to bring Kyra and Rustan together again. Kai Tau, the man who slaughtered Kyra’s family, wages war on the Orders of Asiana. Hungering for justice, Kyra readies herself for battle, aided by her new companions: the wyr-wolves, who are so much more than what they seem. And determined to keep the woman he loves safe, Rustan joins the fight to ride by her side.

But will this final confrontation ultimately cost them their love...and their lives? 
Synopsis from Goodreads

PERSONAL REVIEW
Huzzah for Canadian authors! I'm so sad that I've never had the chance to meet Rati Mehrotra, but every time she does a book launch I'm never in the city (*sigh*). However, I love seeing more and more YA lit from Canadian authors, especially when they're giving us such cool stories. Mahimatra is the sequel to Markswoman and picks up moments after that story ended. Mehrotra wastes no time jumping back into the story, because there are a lot of problems to solve before this series can end!

Most Loose Ends Tied Up 
Markswoman ended on a cliffhanger and left readers with a series of questions (who is Rustan's father? Is Kyra alive? Who will become the next Mahimatra? Will Rustan and Kyra ever be together?), so I was really happy that Mehrotra jumped right into answering most of them. Ruston's mysterious background is explained, but only as he begins another strange journey that only he can finish. Kyra's future becomes more difficult for her to run from as she steps into the role of Mahimatra and the new leader of the Order. Ultimately, we find out where Kyra and Rustan's lives will lead them and if they can save the world from a tyrant with access to guns. 

Not Enough Kyra & Rustan Time
​I really enjoy getting to see Kyra and Rustan's relationship develop, and I felt like we didn't get as much opportunity to see it in this book. Although their love is just as strong, it didn't feel as organic as Markswoman, largely because they really don't spend that much alone time together; the time they do spend together is filled with a lot of disagreements, as both of them are fighting for what they believe it, but that doesn't always line up with each other's views. That said, I still love them together and it was nice to finally see Kyra commit and believe in Rustan. It takes her a while, but she finally starts to see what's been in front of her the whole time: they belong together, despite the rule of her Order.

The Ending Was Abrupt 
I was so confused the first time I read the ending...and I'm still a little bit stumped over it. I think because I keep imaging this world as some kind of dystopian-fantasy future, I was completely thrown by where the end brings Kyra and Ruston. It felt very abrupt and it made me wonder if Mehrotra had written herself into a corner and just needed to quickly wrap up the story before she was forced to further describe this world. I don't think that's the case, because there were hints of this ending throughout the book, but when it actually got there, it still felt like such a shock that I wasn't quite sure what I was reading. 

Overall, this was an interesting way for the series to end. I was impressed with how Mehrotra tied off loose ends, even if the actual ending was a bit confusing to understand. Regardless, I was happy to find out how Kyra and Rustan's story ends! I'd recommend this book to people who enjoy a blend of fantasy with light dystopian undertones, or those who read and enjoyed Markswoman and want to know how the story ends. 

FINAL RATING: 3.5/5
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    About Me

    Hi, I'm Alexandra! I love reading (largely YA fiction, but sometimes I'll read "adult" books), playing board games, Nutella, and binge-watching TV shows on Netflix with my husband. 

    I absolutely love to travel, but home will always be in Toronto. Books come with me everywhere and I can't wait to hear if you agree or disagree with my reviews. 


    Follow Me on Instagram

    @AllCharactersWanted

    Categories

    • ​​Reviews by Posting Date
    • Reviews by Book Title ​​

    2020 Reading Challenge

    2020 Reading Challenge
    Alexandra has read 20 books toward her goal of 85 books.
    hide
    20 of 85 (23%)
    view books

    2019 Reading Challenge

    2019 Reading Challenge
    Alexandra has read 5 books toward her goal of 90 books.
    hide
    5 of 90 (5%)
    view books

    2018 Reading Challenge

    2018 Reading Challenge
    Alexandra has completed her goal of reading 80 books in 2018!
    hide
    88 of 80 (100%)
    view books

Posts

Latest Book Review

Other Musings

Reviews

Reviews by Posting Date

Reviews by Title

Author

About Me
Contact Me
© COPYRIGHT All Characters Wanted 2017. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Book Reviews
    • Reviews by Book Title
    • Reviews by Posting Date >
      • Book Reviews: 2020
      • Book Reviews: 2019
      • Book Reviews: 2018
      • Book Reviews: 2017
    • Rating System
  • Other Musings
    • Monthly Wrap Ups
    • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact