*Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review! All quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change. All opinions are my own.*

Overall: 4/5 Stars
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 4/5
Plot and Themes: 3/5
Awesomeness Factor: 3.5/5
Review in a Nutshell: The Archer at Dawn wasn’t quite as amazing as The Tiger at Midnight, but it was still a solid sequel, and I’m very excited to see where this series goes.

“She was the Viper, Dharka’s legend. She delivered justice, and she would finish this.”

[ Related: The Tiger At Midnight by Swati Teerdhala (ARC Review) ]

// Content Warning: Violence, Death, War Themes, Murder, Misogyny, Kidnapping/Abduction (Mention) //

Release Date: 5/26/2020
Publisher: HarperCollins
Page Count: 449
Premise:

The Archer at Dawn is the second book in The Tiger at Midnight trilogy, following Kunal and Esha as stakes rise and loyalties are questioned. They must navigate court politics as they work to rescue the lost princess, while also trying to take down the Pretender King.

“And now that his hands were dirtied, he felt as if they’d never be clean.”

Want to know all of my thoughts on The Archer at Dawn? Read more!

Writing & Setting

Swati Teerdhala’s writing is fairly straightforward and easy to read, making this a great fantasy series to jump into if you’re less familiar with the genre. And her world building in this book is just as impressive as the first. The Archer At Dawn deals with more court politics, which is a view of this world we didn’t really get to see before. We also learn more about the mythology and magic of this world, something I found myself fascinated by.

Plot

The plot was the one area of the book where I have mixed feelings. For the first two thirds of the book, I wasn’t that gripped by it as I had been with The Tiger At Midnight. Things were a little repetitive and slow as we set the stage for the finale. There were quite a few things happening, but everything developed very slowly. However, that last act really did hook me, and I’m very excited to see where this series goes.

Characters

I love Esha and Kunal. They both have solid character development, and I especially love their interactions with each other. The romance between them is still there, and it is important, but it isn’t quite as much of the focus of the book, as it was in The Tiger at Midnight. That said, we do have a love triangle. It began at the end of the last book, and plays a role in the plot of this one as well. The love triangle felt inevitable, but luckily it wasn’t an annoying, cringey one. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. 

One thing I did really love? The side characters. We got to know a lot more about some of them that were introduced in the last book, and it made me so happy. I absolutely adored them, and I really enjoyed some of the new characters we got to meet in this book as well.

[ Related: Crave by Tracy Wolff – Vampires are Back From the Dead (Review + Giveaway) ]

“There is a future better than the present.”

Conclusion

Pros- Good characters, great worldbuilding, solid ending
Cons- Plot is a little weaker, not as gripping as the first book
Overall- 4/5 stars.
The Archer at Dawn suffers a bit from the Second Book Slump, but it managed to still keep me excited for this series and eager to see what book three might bring.

If You Liked The Archer At Dawn, I’d Recommend:

• We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya #1) by Hafsah Faizal – [Review]
• The Storm Crow (The Storm Crow #1) by Kalyn Jospehson – [Review]
• A Crown of Wishes (The Star-Touched Queen #2) by Roshani Chokshi

What is one book you think had a perfect sequel?

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