City of Jackals is the second book in the grimdark/progression fantasy series Ghosts of Ethuran, written by Aman J. Bedi, and published by Gollancz. I absolutely loved Kavithri, as it had a solid Indian inspired worldbuilding and I cannot resist a dark underdog story, so I was pretty eager to read this second part, and it didn't disappoint, bringing us a new arc of Kavi's story, a harsh and brutal one that starts with the collapse of all what she built in the first book.

When the most dangerous gang takes control over the Imperial Rickshaw Company, the Taemu are again cast out to huts; Kavi is forced to work as enforcer for the gang, and her only hope is to win the annual tournament at the Vagola. At the same time, we will see how the leader of the gang will use Kavi to show that Taemu must lose hope and resign to continue being the lowest of the society; when Kavi is brought to a breaking point between her terrible memories, the berserker rage and how it clashes with the Vagola rules, she will finally embrace her craving for vengeance.

Kavi continues growing as a character in this book, in all the senses; there's a certain progression in how she fights and becomes more proficient in using her own power, also learning to collaborate with others, but also how she is able to being pushed down a thousand times and continue fighting to get on her foot. She's an icon of hope for the Taemu, and they are trying to bring her down in order to break those small glimpses of hope that they still have; it's a really dark arc, but honestly, I absolutely loved it, especially how she's an example of perseverance against adversity.

Bedi takes the opportunity to continue expanding and developing the world of the Ghosts of Ethuran series, all while gifting us a book full of excellent combat scenes, which become especially impactful during a skirmish scene (iykyk). Similarly to the first book, we have a fast-paced structure, with some space to ease the tension, but in general, you will be glued to the pages.

Kavithri was an amazing debut, and in that line, City of Jackals is more: another excellent instalment that continues playing to its strengths to bring us an incredible novel; if you like your fantasy dark as coffee, Ghosts of Ethuran is the series for you. I hope to continue reading about Kavi's adventures, especially after that ending!