The Raven and The Dove eARC Review

 

 

GoodReads:

Four fates collide in this avian-inspired, epic fantasy retelling of Tristan and Isolde perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Sabaa Tahir, and Leigh Bardugo!

A princess longing to be free…

On the dawn of her courtship trials, Princess Lyana Aethionus knows she should be focused on winning her perfect mate, yet her thoughts wander to the open sky waiting at the edge of her floating kingdom. One final adventure calls. Upon fleeing the palace, the last thing she expects to find is a raven prince locked in a death match with a dragon.

A bastard aching to belong…

Reviled son of a dead king, Rafe would do anything for his beloved half-brother, Prince Lysander Taetanus, including posing as him in the upcoming courtship trials. When a dragon interrupts their secret exchange, he orders his studious sibling to run. After suffering a fatal blow, Rafe is saved by a beautiful dove who possesses forbidden magic, just like him.

Fate brought them together, now destiny will tear them apart…

Unknown to the world above, on the foggy sea ten thousand feet below, a young king fights a forgotten war. He believes Lyana is the queen prophesied to save the world, and with the help of his favored spy, hidden deep in the highest ranks of the dove royal house, he will stop at nothing to have her.

Three shocking betrayals. Two star-crossed lovers. One unforgettable journey. If you like fierce heroines, brooding heroes, forbidden romance, and action-packed magical adventures with twists you’ll never see coming, don’t miss The Raven and the Dove!

My Review

A delightful YA fantasy retelling of Tristan and Isolde, filled with beautiful floating islands, a mystery beneath them, hidden in the mists, and even dragons are included! Who wouldn’t love a story where the people have magic and some have wings of various different bird species?

I loved the idea of a retelling of Tristan and Isolde, it’s one of my favorite forbidden love stories and I’ve always preferred it to Romeo and Juliet.

Ana is our beautiful dove princess, she meets a handsome stranger, saving him and nursing him back to health when she sees he wears a ring that identifies him as the crown prince of the ravens. This is when she sees her chance, he knows how she healed him, in fact, he has a secret in common with her and she knows that if she picks him that she can be herself around him, which is something she could not have hoped for before.

But, this would be a short story if everything worked out perfectly. Instead, Ana claims the crown raven prince, only to find that this is not the man she nursed.

What ensues afterwards is the journey of the dove princess as she travels from her home to what will be her new home, the raven kingdom.

The magical elements were fantastic in this, and in fact, as much as I loved the characters, it was the magic and the world that really sold this story to me. I mean there are even dragons. DRAGONS.

Though it did have a lot of ‘well it’s been done before’ that’s one of the reasons I could enjoy it, and I did enjoy the side characters most of all. They were well fleshed out, and aside from a few pacing issues [the start seemed slow but it got on track quite quickly after about the 40% mark], I thought this was a great read.

The only problem now is the wait for book two. Because that ending leaves me needing to know what happens, ASAP.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an eARC of this in exchange for my honest opinion.

 

About the Author

Bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis writes young adult fantasy novels under the name Kaitlyn Davis and contemporary romance novels under the name Kay Marie. Publishers Weekly has said, “Davis writes with confidence and poise,” while USA Today has recommended her work as “must-read romance.”

To learn more about her contemporary romance novels, visit her Goodreads author page for Kay Marie here: https://www.goodreads.com/Kay_Marie

Always blessed with an overactive imagination, Kaitlyn has been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to share her work with the world. When she’s not daydreaming, typing stories, or getting lost in fictional worlds, Kaitlyn can be found playing fetch with her puppy, watching a little too much television, or spending time with her family. If you have any questions for her–about her books, about scheduling an event, or just in general–you may contact her at: KaitlynDavisBooks@gmail.com

Sign up for Kaitlyn’s newsletter to stay up-to-date with all of her new releases and more! http://bit.ly/AuthorNewsletter

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