City of Jackals - Aman J. Bedi - ★★★★

AUTHOR: Aman J. Bedi

SERIES: Ghosts of Ethuran, #2

GENRE: Epic Fantasy

PUBLICATION DATE: March 13, 2025

RATING: 4 stars.

In a Nutshell: A dark fantasy set in a fictional South-Asian setting. The second book of the Ghosts of Ethuran series, and needs to be read in series order. Continues the story well, revealing more shades to the protagonist and the world. Excellent action sequences. The gore and the cuss words were still not to my liking, but I enjoyed the rest, maybe even more than the first book as I was better prepared for the graphic content. This was a “paisa vasool” experience.

Plot Preview: (Contains mild spoilers from the first book.)

After the victory against the Kraelish, Kavi is now the unofficial leader of the Taemu, who are finally getting a bit more respect in Raayan. But when a hooligan forcibly takes control of the Imperial Rickshaw Company and forces Kavi to work with his gang as an enforcer, threatening her with dire consequences against the Taemu if she refuses or rebels, her only hope is the upcoming annual Blade and Warlock tournament at the Vagola. If she wins, the prize money can finally liberate her and her people. However, the Kraelish threat is still not over. When some secrets from the past and the present come to the surface, Kavi can think of only one thing: revenge. But what will it cost her?

The story comes to us mostly in Kavi’s third-person perspective.

Strictly speaking, this book isn't my cup of tea. I can handle low fantasy, but epic/high fantasy isn't easy on my grounded brain. I still don’t think I can explain to you the various parties involved in this series and their interconnections with each other. I also have a low tolerance for graphic violence and abhor needless usage of cuss words (especially when they are in Hindi; they sound dirtier somehow!) Despite all this, I relished this book; it was an action entertainer from start to finish. This time, I was much better prepared for the gory action and the foul language thanks to my experience of Book One: Kavithri.

Bookish Yays:

💪🏼 Kavi. Still a complex character with tremendous external courage and unending internal conflicts. She still takes some questionable decisions that make you wonder what you would have done in her place. Rare to see a character be an underdog and a top dog at once.

💪🏼 The returning characters from Book One. It was nice to see several familiar names, though they aren’t the prime focus of this story. I especially wanted more of Drisana, but even what is there is amazing.

💪🏼 The new characters, who outshine the returning characters. Kavi’s new warlock partner, young Azia, is especially memorable.

💪🏼 The Sisters. Another new addition to the cast, but they deserve a separate Yay. I loved them and their banter so much! They better have an extensive role in the next book!

💪🏼 The visceral action sequences. There’s action right from the start of the book, with plenty of general fight sequences, sword fights, and even boxing. These are written so vividly that I could feel every punch and crunch – ouch!

💪🏼 Amazing to see a male author writing a young female protagonist so convincingly and sensibly. (I forgot to mention this last time, so this point is applicable to both books.) The only time he focusses on her physical appeal is when he is writing about her brute strength. It’s refreshing not to see endless paras dedicated to the anatomical allures of a female lead. In fact, there is one scene in the book that could easily have turned crass, but the writing was sensuous to the right level.

💪🏼 The realism even within the fantasy. Except for the magical elements and the fights, the story feels like it's set in present times in our own world, what with its focus on classism, racism, colonialism, oppression, corruption, and blatant abuse of power. "It feels like we are going backwards." - Haven't many of us felt like this multiple times in the last few months/years? Without getting outright political, the writing also throws tiny barbs at corrupt politicians (and not just from India.)

💪🏼 The South Asian feel, with the setting possibly inspired by South India but totally imaginary. The use of the location is excellent, incorporating its strengths as well as flaws without bias and stereotyping.

💪🏼 The references to Indian food, and not just the common dishes. Did my soul glad (and my stomach rumble) to read the ode to Chicken 65! 🤤😋

💪🏼 The love/attraction subplot. I actually groaned when I saw a potential love interest pop up for Kavi, but I shouldn’t have worried. The plot never turns into a romance, with the budding connection serving more as a background track to the main proceedings rather than as a replacement.

💪🏼 The first-person interludes by one special character – though brief, these are intriguing. (PSA: Don’t skip these chapters. They have crucial info.)

💪🏼 Excellent pacing, despite the descriptions and character detailing.

💪🏼 The final confrontation. Total “seeti-maaro” style of entertainment, with scenes that makes you holler and cheer and clap and whistle for the protagonist.

💪🏼 The epilogue. No cliffhanger, and yet such a crucial stopping point! Ooh la la!

Bookish Mixed Bags:

🤔 The worldbuilding is highly impressive but also confusing, at least to the likes of me who aren’t used to reading epic fantasy. It was like watching an episode of Game of Thrones from the middle of a season. I wish the book had included some kind of Ready Reckoner of the various groups, especially as their number has increased.

🤔 Not as much magic as in the first book. Azia’s magical ability saves the overall experience, but I wish there had been more of the jinns.

🤔 No glossary. I was fine with this as I know Hindi, but this might be a hurdle for those unfamiliar with the language.

Bookish Nays: (Both of these points stem from my preferences as a reader. YMMV.)

🤜🏼 The foul language filled with a plethora of Hindi expletives, which immediately turns me off. Western readers might not mind this because they won't know any of these profanities. (That said, there is one scene where a character uses an English cuss word and gets severely reprimanded. I loved their hilarious reply! 😂😂)

🤜🏼 The violence. I was slightly more prepared for it this time around (and grateful that no eyeballs were harmed) but it was still too gory for me.

Overall, despite my discomfort with the violence, my annoyance at the desi bad words, and my confusion over the who’s who of this world, I enjoyed the ride. So amazing to read a high fantasy that feels familiar in its characters, culture, and atmosphere! It has been almost a year since I read the first book, so my memory didn’t exactly cooperate with me. I just went with the flow and it worked.

This novel is a worthy sequel in every way, continuing perfectly from the earlier story and culminating at a point where you can only despair and wonder how long you will need to wait for the final book. I can't wait to see what's next in the Ghosts of Ethuran trilogy! The series better end with a bang; I have high expectations!

Definitely recommended to those who have read and enjoyed ‘Kavithri’. This sequel cannot work as a standalone, so better to read in series order.

My thanks to author Aman J. Bedi for providing me with a complimentary copy of “City of Jackals”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.