The Archer at Dawn audiobook

I was pretty sure it was gonna be a 3.5 but I can’t deny that the ending deserves its own rating, so I’m rounding up. Just like The Tiger at Midnight, I had a lot of fun reading this sequel but I also can’t deny that I saw stuff coming a mile away - if not the exact events, atleast the possible twists and who would be involved. For someone like me who never guesses anything and is totally ignorant of how to analyze any foreshadowing, I would have been happy about this except it was all a bit too easy and predictable. But the characters are as usual the highlight of the story and their banter mixed with court politics this time around was fun to see play out. We also get more action with the competition at the Sun Mela and I throughly enjoyed that. And finally getting to know more details about the myths this world is built on and just generally get a more expansive view of the world was amazing. Overall, this is a good sequel. Fun and enjoyable, slightly predictable but nonetheless has very good memorable moments. And soooo many mango references to always make me hungry. Also, that explosive ending only makes the wait for the finale excruciating and I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for us.

I just think that this sequel tried to be so many things and do so many things that, ultimately and unfortunately, it delivered things in half-measures.Full review to follow.

I think I've gathered my thoughts enough to finally write a review for this AMAZING book. With this second installment, Swati Teerdhala has not only met my expectations for a great book- she has exceeded them! One of my favorite things about this book is the characters. Swati does such an excellent job of writing compelling characters that I can't help but to love all of them. Even the ones I hate, I still love. And some of the characters...*cough* Alok *cough* I would without a doubt DIE for. The story picks up pretty much right where it left off after the first book. And while I can rave about how amazing the character development was all day long, don't think that there isn't still PLENTY of action scenes with detailed fights, competitions, and near-miss escapes. And the ending.... that ending had me at the absolute edge of my seat and I could NOT put it down if I tried. I am SO lucky to be a part of the street team for this book and had the opportunity to read an e-arc, but waiting for book 3 is going to be difficult! I can't wait to see what's in store next for this series!

4.5 Stars ✨ “Is this who you want to be? Or do you simply not have the courage to be better?” Every word was a slap. “You chose this pain, and you can choose to let it go”Archer at Dawn was just as good as The Tiger at Midnight. It stuck to its beautiful lush world building- The rich Indian culture and Hindu Mythology elements in this series have totally captivated my imagination. Ahhh! This book was a roller coaster - had me looking left and looking right. Packed with political intrigue, schemes, plot twists, and action. This isn’t usually my type of book but something about it has stolen my heart. This series goes a lot slower than books I’m used to but I think because it’s written so well and the setting is so lush it’s just a book I can easily get swept away with. I love these characters! I love Esha, Kunal, Harun and all the side characters even the ones I shouldn’t. I literally can’t even choose a ship… bc I adore them both so much. The last half of the book had my heart screaming, especially the ending … I was thrown for a loop and low key scared to read the next one because this could go either way - but honestly who am I kidding .. I’m here for it!

The Archer at Dawn is the second book in The Tiger at Midnight trilogy by Swati Teerdhala. I enjoyed the first book and was looking forward to reading the sequel. I was a little worried that it wouldn't live up to the first book because I've been disappointed in many sequels, but The Archer at Dawn was just as good as The Tiger at Midnight. We get a lot more political intrigue in this book, and we get to know Esha's rebel team better, which what I wanted since reading The Tiger at Midnight. I especially enjoyed getting to know Prince Harun, he is quickly becoming my favorite character. In this book, Esha's and Kunal's romance took a back seat, and I wish they had more interactions. Most of the main characters were making some questionable decisions and keeping secrets from each other, which caused a lot of conflicts and complications. The Archer at Dawn ended on a cliffhanger and I am very much looking forward to the next book.*ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss

5 stars! OH THE TWISTS AND TURNS THIS BOOK HAD! I had so many theories about where this book was going to go, and they were all wrong. This surprised me way more than I ever expected, and caused me a lot more pain than I’d like to admit. The angst, the intrigue, the politics, the games - this has it all. And absolutely amazing sequel to the first book.

The Archer at Dawn is the second book in the Tiger At Midnight trilogy. It’s packed full of intrigue, planning, action and court politics. There are secret kisses, secret alliances and big secrets revealed. It’s also slightly torturous as it seems the closer Esha, Kunal and the Blades move toward their goal the more obstacles there are in their paths and the further they are from achieving anything.As I was drawing near the conclusion of the book I wasn’t sure I was going to be up for reading the third book. So much of this book’s plotting and scheming seemed about to come to nothing. But, at the last minute, one final reveal that comes out of nowhere had me hooked again and wanting to know what comes next. There’s a lot happening in in this book but I was a little disengaged as it seems like the characters aren’t going to achieve anything.I like the characters. Esha and Kunal are exploring a new romantic relationship, while also testing the boundaries of their alliance and trust, introducing Kunal to the Blades and relying on him and his new found powers to help them complete the next part of the plan for reclaiming their country.There is also a slight love triangle and Esha is torn between her new feelings for Kunal and the old, unrequited feelings for Harun. Esha is also torn between her desire for revenge on the people who killed her parents and the safety of the Blades’ mission. It means she makes some silly choices, but you can’t deny the depth of her hurt and yearning for recompense.There is a warrior competition Kunal must enter that provides the action in the majority of the book, and Esha and Harun’s scheming provide the political tension. There are lots of near misses, secret alliances and sneaking around places they aren’t meant to be.If you enjoy Indian inspired fantasy, you’ll love this series. The characters are strong and complex and the plot intriguing. You need to read book one in the series first before picking up this second book. It will be interesting to see how the story is brought to conclusion in book three.The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library

4.25/4.5 ish?5 star ending tho BHAIUpdate (17/06/2020):The Archer at Dawn is the sequel to The Tiger At Midnight, and it’s the second book in the trilogy. After the end of the first book, this one starts off on a high-action point with Kunal and Esha following the leads they obtained in the last book in search of the lost princess of Jansa, Reha. I can’t really say much without spoiling the first book, but, essentially, Kunal’s secret is still a secret, the romance is still a “will they, won’t they”, and there’s still a lot that we’re yet to find out. Filled to the brim with secrets and drama, political intrigue and action, heartbreak and romance, this book is perfect for a weekend off when you just want to be engulfed into a story and world that is so different from your own. My favourite aspect in this story is definitely the atmosphere and the world-building. No surprises for anyone there, to be honest. I am a sucker for a good setting, and I am a double-sucker when that setting involves any bit of Indian history or mythology. I think it’s really hard to capture the true essence of any culture, especially one that is but a mosaic of thousands of other subcultures, Swati did an amazing job of it. You could taste the air of Jansa in the words that she wrote, and it was just wonderful to experience something like that. The writing in this series definitely straddles the line between flowery and stoic, in my opinion. I would definitely have preferred a style that leans into its purple-ness, but that’s totally a personal preference thing. I do see why this kind of style was chosen, though, and I totally find that it fits perfectly with the action-filled nature of the story. The Archer At Dawn is not a slow-burn in any way, shape or form. There are a lot of plot points happening in tandem, and it definitely needed a writing style that would focus less on the shape of flowers and more on letting you know what’s happening in the story. Which is what the writing style here did. I’m rambling, but what I mean to say is that while the style fits the story perfectly well, I, personally, wouldn’t have minded some long-winded descriptions here and there and some nonsensical philosophizing thrown in for fun! xDThe characters in the story are also pretty well-crafted. My favourite was definitely the local cinnamon roll that was Kunal. Swati, in one of her interviews, talked about how she took inspiration from all the virtuous heroes in the Indian epics to build this beautiful baby boy, and you know what? It definitely shows! He’s this annoyingly virtuous fellow, but he’s not a self-righteous prick (well, not anymore), and he’s so kind and humble and loving that you can’t help but fall in love with him. I did not like Harun because he was a pretty nice guy and that meant he was the thorn in my side, meddling with my damn OTP and I wasn’t happy about that. And Esha. OH, ESHA! I have never met a more flighty, impulsive badass than this weird hoe right here. I don’t even know what I feel about her. Do I love her? Yes, kinda. Do I hate her? Also, yes, sometimes. She’s confusing and annoying, but also I would protect her with my soul and that’s all I can say. My favourites outside of the main cast in this book were the Queen from the neighboring kingdom, Yamini, Laksh and Alok, obviously, and Arpiya for that one scene where she flirted with Laksh in front of Kunal, and he just went “EXCUSE ME WTF MA’AM?!” Ah, favourite scenes, I tell you. My internal tendency to reduce every epic fantasy to its romance takes over here as well, and I definitely found myself doing the same here. Kunal and Esha are just perfect together. THEIR SHIP NAME IS KESHA FFS!! And I just couldn’t handle the anxiety of that love triangle. Also, I felt like because whatever was happening between Harun and Esha was rooted in a past we weren’t privy to, the relationship really just felt like a weak thing even if there were words telling you otherwise. We could totally have benefited from some backstory and emotional manipulation, because I don’t see myself rooting for Harun and Esha AT ALL!The second book really helped fill a lot of holes in the mythology that was introduced in book one, and I am sure book three will expand on it more. I still have a few doubts about the whole janma bond thing and the relationship between the twin kingdoms of Jansa and Dharka. Little inconsistencies here and there aside, The Archer and Dawn was just a super fun ride, and it gave me all the right feels! ALSO THAT ENDING LIKE I WAS SCREAMING BECAUSE THE ALREADY FAST PACE OF THE BOOK LIKE DOUBLED AND A LOT HAPPENED IN LIKE FIFTEEN PAGES AND I DON’T HAVE BOOK THREE AAAAAHHH!I’m super grateful to Swati Teerdhala and Harper Collins for having me on her street team for this book, and for providing me with an early copy of it! I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait for it to make its way into people’s bookshelves! Waiting eagerly for book three now!

The publisher kindly offered me an advanced reader copy via Edelweiss. Yet, this is an honest review of the book expressing my unbiased opinion.The first book in the trilogy was great, and I loved it so much I couldn't wait for the sequel. But let me tell you that The Archer At Dawn is phenomenal. Along with Holly Black's The Wicked King, The Archer At Dawn is one of the best and most enthralling sequels I've ever read.The book is told in Esha's and Kunal's points of view, and we have gay representation which I squealed over!! It was wonderful to see that perfect pair coming together.The world-building was stellar, as always. The setting descriptions were vivid and full of life; I could see the Pink Palace and taste Esha's mangoes. This series features world-building (in all aspects) at its best. Folklore and tales and mythology, all weaved together in a sweet package that makes you want more.After some big changes in The Tiger At Midnight, our group of characters are adjusting, both emotionally and practically. It was a delight to see their growth. The way the characters interacted with each other, the banter, the wit, the giving and taking, the challenges they presented for each other was magnificent. If I had to pick one favorite thing from this book, it will be the outstanding ensemble cast and their interaction with each other. I loved them all. The overprotective Bhandu, the charming Harun, the firecracker Arpiya, and some characters that surprised me like Alok and Farhan. Esha was magnificent, as always. She struggled with some decisions and made other hard choices, but her intellect and drive for justice remained true and fierce. Esha is everything I love in a main character. I'd follow her anywhere. I'm Team Esha all the way.Kunal struggled the most with the changes, and I don't blame him. His thoughts and his perspective never dulled, however, and they always made sense. He changed a lot, but at the same time, he stayed true to who he is at his core, and I loved how the author managed this. It's another sign of how masterful the author is when it comes to character development.Overall, I have nothing else to say except BUY THIS TRILOGY. Excellent world-building, incredible story-lines, amazing characters, blades, and mangoes. I swear you'll be as obsessed as I am with this series. I have the ARC, but I'll definitely preorder the hardcover to match The Tiger At Midnight. Swati Teerdhala is an author you don't want to miss.5 stars – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Author: Swati TeerdhalaPublisher: Katherine Tegen Books / HarperCollins

my heart hurts and i'm on the verge of tears... omw to read the next book

As seen on - The Archer At Dawn on The Inked In Book Blog*ARC provided in exchange of an honest review. The thoughts are entirely my own and in no way biased.*HOLY. FREAKING. SHIZ. I need a moment, or ten. That’s really all I can say. I did NOT see any of that coming. At all. None of it. Wow. I’m gonna gather my thoughts for a second here because there is so much to say, but I don’t even know how to say it.So… talking about the book. This picks up almost immediately after the end of TTAM and follows our favourite couple (idc about anything else, Kunesha ARE a couple) on their new journey, this time in Jansa. New alliances are forged, new enemies surface, and in the midst of all the conspiracy are Kunal & Esha, trying to do the right thing.One of the first things I noticed in this book is how much Teerdhala has improved in every aspect writing – from the plotting of this book to the characterization. Everything was much more vivid in this book as compared to the last one. I loved that!We got to see the development of Kunal, Esha, and even Harun in this book. I was really surprised by how much I got to see Harun in this one. He grew as a character a lot. We got to learn more about him as a person, and his motivations behind doing what he did, behaving the way he did. His relationship with Esha was explored too, and I really liked their dynamic.But, coming to our main characters – Kunal & Esha. I really liked how Esha shaped in this book. She was still the Esha we’d seen in the first book, but she was much more intense here, with respect to everything. It took me a while to get used to the actual depth of her emotions, but once I did, I could see why she would do the things she did. Her relationship with her best friend, Arpiya, whatever he is, Harun, and even her handmaid, Aditi, was pretty well fleshed out. It wasn’t just Kunal and Esha like it was in the majority of the last book. In fact, come to think of it, Esha had the fewest scenes with Kunal. Yet, their relationship was pretty well done, and we got to see them grow closer, trust each other more, and rely on each other to get them through the whole ordeal.In this book, we got to see Esha struggling with balancing her identity as the Viper, as a leader of the Blades, and who she was herself. The conflict was really nicely put across, and we could see how difficult it was for Esha to exist as all three at the same time. She always felt like she couldn’t do anything without jeopardizing her role as someone else. I really liked the whole narrative where she tried to balance everything, and decide who she wanted to be. While she’s not completely there yet, she’s moving forward and I love that. Coming to Kunal, he was still the same ole righteous Kunal who was only trying to do the right thing, but at the same time, not. Kunal’s sense of duty as a soldier conflicted a lot with the mission he had taken on. On top of that, forces other than the other soldiers and the Blades came out to play and made things even more difficult for him. He did make a lot of questionable decisions in this book, but the motivation behind doing so was always noble, which is why I’m not as mad at him as I should be. Keeping myself in his shoes, the possibility that I would have done what he did are pretty high, so I do see where he’s coming from, even though I wish he had handled things better.The other minor characters that came into play in this story – Aditi, Esha’s handmaid, Lord Mayank, a nobleman, King Mahir, Harun’s father, and Princess Yamini of another neighbouring kingdom, as well as the rest of the Blades – all brought a lot of spin to the story and steered it in directions that I hadn’t even imagined. I will freely admit that I did not see about 70% of the plot twists coming in this one. That made the reading experience so much better for me. Something would happen and I would just gape at the screen like for 5 minutes, trying to process that it actually happened. It was so amazing!We even go into more of world building in this one, ancient history being explored, more kingdoms coming into picture, and learning more about the janma bond. I really liked how all of it was explored and brought to the attention of the reader in bits and pieces as the story unfolded. Another really good aspect of this story was the court politics, which I never thought would play such a crucial role in this book, but it did. And it was really well done too.All things considered, I think that The Archer At Dawn surpassed all my expectations after having read The Tiger At Midnight. The second book in itself is reason enough for you to pick this series up! I absolutely cannot wait to read the third book after how the second book closed, and I’m sure you’ll be the same!

RESEÑA"The archer at dawn" de Swati Teerdhala4/5SINOPSIS (SPOILERS):Se aproxima el Sun Mela, un festival bárbaro y deportivo en el que los mejores hombres compiten para ser el mejor de lo mejor en arquería, lucha de mazos y carrera de carriuajes. Durante el evento será posible infiltrarse en la fortaleza militar más asegurada del reino y cumplir con la misión de los rebeldes: rescatar a la princesa perdida Reha y recuperar el reino de manos del rey usurpador. Esha y Kunal cumplen con sus misiones dentro de los rebeldes, pero la desconfianza y el guardar secreto podría poner en riesgo sus puestos y sobre todo, su relación. Kunal sigue dudando de cuál es el camino correcto, y Esha está cegada por conseguir venganza por la masacre de sus padres y su reino. Juntos deben intentar salvar a todos, sin antes ponerse en riesgo el uno al otro.OPINIÓN (SPOILERS): Leí este libro durante un momento bastante ocupado y lleno de deberes que hacer en la universidad, lo cual posiblemente afectó a que no me adentrara por completo en la obra, y tal vez es por eso que no sentí esa emoción a lo largo del libro. En general el libro está bastante bien escrito y es interesante, pero sentí que por mucho tiempo sucedía solo lo mismo y no se avanzaba necesariamente hacia un punto emocionante y clímax en la historia. El pricnipio estuvo excelente, después fue bajando más y más hasta que tuve que dejarlo un tiempo. Lo más rescatable fue el final que estuvo impactante y me dieron ganas de ya leer el tercer libro. En este libro no me gustó mucho el desarrollo de los personajes, siento que no hubo un avance en ellos de manera positiva o de gran impacto, como que lo que vivieron no llegó a cambiarlos o apoyar a su desarrollo. Espero el tercero mejore mucho porque la escritora dejó sentadas las bases de lo que espero será un final épico.

RTC

Well! Wasn't this just a spectacular follow up to what was already a highly entertaining series!Full review at A Book ShrewThis book kicks off pretty soon after the end of The Tiger at Midnight. Kunal has turned his back on his Jansa soldier roots and has joined Esha and the Dharkan rebels, the Crescent Blades. Tensions are still high between both nations, but a tenuous peace may be on the horizon. Time is running out before the dying bond created by the gods fails completely, and its negative effects are already spreading across the kingdoms. Their mission now: find the lost Princess Reha and restore the magic to the lands!As with last time, what makes this book so intriguing is the political intrigue and history of this ancient world. Half of the fun is trying to figure out what everyone is doing. Who is lying to who. What any move made by any character could possibly mean in the short and long-term. In TAAD we are treated to a gladiator-esque series of games. While they didn't feel all too high-stakes, and I would have loved more of it, it served a purpose for the story. Not the centre of attention, but an entertaining and interesting way for the plot to advance as it did.A little about our main characters! 🥭 Esha - Darling Esha, oh I felt for you in this. Not only does she not get to be as Viper-esque as she likes—having to play in court as a noblewoman—she also has to grapple with returning to the place where her whole life shattered. This book delves more into her backstory and grief over what happened all those years ago when her parents were murdered in front of her during the coup. Also, the mango obsession is real.🗡 Kunal - I like Kunal, I do, but I definitely preferred Esha's POV's. Newly turned to the rebels, Kunal is coming to grips with what that means for him as a soldier undercover. He is also trying to understand and accept his newfound royal heritage, and the abilities that come with it.TAAD unravels the story through dual POVs as TTAM did, but it worked so much better this time, and that's because it was formatted a bit differently. Last time, if I remember correctly, each chapter was a POV, but this book jumps between whoever we need to follow as needed. And it worked miracles. It helped draw in the reader more effectively and kept the pace going smoothly. Especially with that ending. I mean, what a game changer! What a plot twist! What am i supposed to do now! TTAM ended on a note of hope, whereas this is the aftermath of some serious shit going down.As with TTAM, the romance between Esha and Kunal is a core part of this book. While no longer enemies to lovers, they're still keeping each other at arms length. I thought this new dynamic between them was an interesting one. Very interesting, actually, since there is a great big ol' wall between spray painted with SECRETS and LIES. They want to be together, but trust is still too fragile. Kunal may have turned on the soldiers and become part of the Crescent Blades, but he's still struggling with this side of Esha, and vice versa. As was hinted at in TTAM, the love triangle between Esha, Kunal and Harun is heating up. Neither boy is getting in the other's face--thank god, since that's what makes me normally despise love triangles--but I think I'm batting for the wrong side of this little threesome. Yes, I am shipping Harun and Esha and I don't care who knows it. Harsha. Erun. Work in progress!While I still thoroughly enjoyed this book, I did have a few problems more with it than its predecessor. Again, there were some parts that felt somewhat repetitive. Too many times it seemed we'd get a scene of Esha out on a personal mission with Kunal tailing her--because her Viper disguise is easy to see through--then pulling her into an alley as she's about to strike. Little stifling, to be honest. I'm also getting a bit bummed by the lack of meaningful female characters. It can be forgiven for TTAM given the events, but now that the large cast is static and everyone is staying in one place, Esha is the only memorable female. Sure, there's a maid, an heir to a neighbouring land, and Esha's rebel best friend, but they're all forgettable. And that sucks, especially since this was written by an incredible woman and one half of the main kingdoms in this is historically a queendom.But I concur! After that ending, I need to know what happens in the third book. I need to know how all of this ends! It's looking like it's going to be an explosive one with no one knowing who to trust, and I can't wait!

What an end! I am so excited to see if there will be another book because things are ramping up!