So I have now read both Markswoman and the sequel, Mahimata by Rati Mehrotra. Actually, I wasn’t aware that there was only going to be the two books and was expecting to read another one after Mahimata but then I got to the end and looked it up and there isn’t more, which makes me sad. I really loved this world and the characters within it and would love to see more of it.

In some aspects this duology gave me Red Sister (Mark Lawrence) vibes, which is a definite plus for me considering those are some of my favorite books. Similarly, we have a main character that is brought up in a religious center as a type of nun who also coincidentally has been trained as an assassin. But then something happens to challenge the order and Kyra is forced to leave her home and is set on a path of revenge that leads her towards uncovering many truths, changing her view of the world and her place in it. There are nun assassins, werewolves, dessert and mountain scenes, friendships, romance, intrigue, war, remnants of technologically advanced civilizations, plot twists, and more throughout and I was left to immediately begin the second book after reading the first. If you like a lot of the books that I like, I have no doubt you will love this duology. Sign me up for anymore novels from this author!

Markswoman and Mahimata by Rati Mehrotra: 5/5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ( )

A fantasy, a tale of loyalty, of wandering, of magic, of action, all could be used to describe Mahimata. The reader is taken on a journey of great proportions.

Free review copy. ( )

Full disclosure: I provided a blurb for the first book of this duology and the publisher also supplied me with a gratis copy of Mahimata for review.

Rati Mehrotra's Asiana duology comes to a fantastic conclusion in Mahimata. In this Asian-inspired fantasy settings with unique sci-fi twists, Kyra is a highly-trained assassin telekinetically bound with her blade. Her world has erupted in war. Her sect has fought against local wyr-wolves for centuries, but now a greater--human--threat has emerged and threatens to take over Asiana. In the turbulence of the first book, Kyra met and fell for Rustan, of a rival sect--and also almost died. As Mahimata begins, she struggles to recover physically and reconcile herself with what she has learned about her sect, her power, and her world.

The action is intense and well-grounded in genuine emotions. I especially love how the wyr-wolves developed. This is a book all about maturity and growth for both Kyra and Rustan as they fight to save their people at great cost. I'm sorry to see the series end, but this conclusion truly hits all the right notes. ( )

Great continuation, felt like it moved a lot quicker than book 1
More detailed review to cone ( )