Hunted by the Sky by Tanaz Bathena – 4/5

I finally recover use of my voice. “It wasn’t your fault, Rajkumar.You didn’t do anything.”

“No, I didn’t. And with my silence, I became an accomplice.

– Tanaz Bathena

Specifics:

Book: Hunted by the Sky

Author: Tanaz Bhathena

Published: 22nd June 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

LGBTQIA pro literature: Yes

Publisher: Penguin Books

Series: The Wrath of Ambar #1

Pages: 374

My rating:  4/5

Blurb:

Gul has spent her life running. She has a star-shaped birthmark on her arm and in the kingdom of Ambar, girls with such birthmarks happen disappearing for years. In fact it is this very mark that led to her parents’ murder at the hands of king Lohar’s ruthless soldiers and forced her into hiding in order to protect her own life. So, when a group of rebel women called the ‘Sisters of the Golden Lotus’ rescue her, take her in and train her in warrior magic, Gul wants only one thing: revenge.

Cavas lives in the tenements, and he’s just about ready to sign his life over to the king’s army. His father is terminally ill, but Cavas will do anything to save him. Sparks fly when he meets a mysterious girl – Gul – in the capital’s bazaar. As the chemistry between them grows undeniably, he becomes entangled in a mission of vengeance and discovers a magic he never expected to find. Dangerous circumstances bring Gul and Cavas together at the king’s domain in Ambar fort – a world with secrets deadlier than their own.

Inspired by medieval India, this is the first in a stunning fantasy duology by Tanaz Bhathena, exploring identity, class struggles and high-stakes romance against a breathtaking magical backdrop.

“Weakness is not always a terrible thing. It can be used as a shield to hide your true strength.”

– Tanaz Bathena

Review:

“The sky will fall, a star will rise
Ambar changed by the king’s demise
Her magic untouched and unknown by all
Marked with a star, she’ll bring his downfall.”

Hunted by the sky is a refreshing story that adds a desi touch to the otherwise common fantasy and manages to keep the readers gripped with its twists that are timed to perfection.

I finished in under 6 hours and am glad that I picked it up.

I love magic and now that an Indian touch has been added to the never ending fantasy reads on my tbr, I feel like I am ready to take more on again.

This is a well written novel about a girl named Gul who seems to be the only hope to restore order between the folks that have magic (the Magus) and the ones that don’t ( dirt-lickers as they call them). In her journey, she is aided by a lot of people pushing her towards the right direction but it’s only her will and choices that lead her to acclaim the prophecy which she was apparently born to fulfil.

The premise is enticing and the characters are strong. The writing is very smooth and relatable probably because of the use of a desi slang. The book is fast paced which was expected  but the pace is also helped with the perplexing twists that hit us from time to time.

The book alternates between two POVs. One is of Gul and the other is of Cavas, the protagonists.

Having read a lot of fantasies, I couldn’t help but recollect a few scenes from the Grisha trilogy, Harry Potter and serpent and dove. I also couldn’t help but link the story to a lot of dramatic scenes seen in the bollywood movies like the meeting of Gul and Cavas to a scene in Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. But, that only made the book more interesting for me.

I also felt like the murder of her parents was the only reason why Gul decided to take on the prophecy and otherwise she wouldn’t have given a damn about it.

I cannot stop myself from imagining this story being picked up to be a movie with someone like Deepika or Anushka Shetty as Gul.

I enjoyed the book thoroughly. My only disdain is that I didn’t go through a range of emotions while at it. I didn’t form an emotional connection with the characters or the story.

The book, being the part one of a duology also ends on a cliffhanger and a lot of unanswered questions. While it makes me anxious, I also cannot wait for part 2 to be out.

I rate the book 4/5 stars.

“Give them the truth, but never the whole truth”

– Tanaz Bathena

Spoiler alert

The subtle surprises and shocks that the author gives us through out the story are mind blowing.

The ones that kept me wanting more were: Cavas being a seer(half Magi and half non-magi) which I totally called when I learned about them, Juhi being an ex-wife of the king Lohar being tortured by him, Latif being a spirit and the biggest of them all, Major Shyla being the daughter of Queen Megha!

I am also really intrigued by Pashu King Subodh being alive and the new city of Tanaz showing up. I have so many questions and I really want to know who the real father of Cavas is. I can’t help but wonder if it’s Latif.

Coming to the characters:

Gulnaz: Our protagonist lost her parents at a tender age of 14 for being born with a star shaped birthmark as there is a prophecy which mentions that the king’s rule will be overturned by a girl born with such a mark. He takes it upon himself to capture such girls and drain them out of magic and kill them. Gul’s parents die trying to save her. (Major Harry potter vibes) Gul has always had trouble on controlling her magic but her desire to get revenge helps her learn to wield it. She is a very driven and motivated woman who sees her goals and tries to do everything she can to achieve them. She is also very passionate and loving which is obvious by her reactions to other girls being killed or taken away for being born with a mark. She also came across as reckless and selfish.

Cavas: The stable boy who’s father is sick with tenement fever is doing everything he can to keep his father alive. He is nudged by his father to get Gul into the palace. He hates the Magi folks because of the discrimination he receives and is unable to muster the courage to accept the fact that he is half-magi when he finds out about it. He is what you could call an ideal son. He would do anything for his father which does not change when he finds out that his father is not his birth-father at all.

Sisters of the Golden Lotus: Formed by Juhi, the sisters protect all the girls and women in need. The first two members are Amira and Kali, both with birth marks leading to them being tortured and rescued by Juhi. They continue to rescue and train helpless or abandoned girls, with or without magic and provide them with a home. They play a vital role in helping Gul reach her potential and also help her escape her in the end. Juhi and Amira are caught in the process and I really hope they won’t see an end in part 2.

What I liked about it:

1. Amazing fantasy with a unique desi touch
2. Good writing with a good pace
3. Fast read
4. Strong female characters
5. LGBTQIA pro literature
6. The character development is great
7. I want a star tattoo already!
8. It has a map!

What I did not fancy:

1. A lot of unanswered questions
2. Ends with a cliffhanger
3. I couldn’t connect with the book emotionally

“Accept love, no matter how barbed it may look. It is the only way to restore balance in the world.”

– Tanaz Bathena