This retelling of Tristan and Isolde is well written with some fun world building. Unfortunately, I couldn’t connect with the characters very well, so the story fell flat for me.

RATING: 4/ 5 STARS

This is how you write a fairytale retelling ladies and gentlemen.

Raven and Dove is about star-crossed lovers, trials, courtship, brotherhood, fate, betrayal and A PROPHECY. If you are interested in all those themes you will be happily served with this book.

Plot In a land where crown princes and princesses from seven different houses have to be mated, the fate of Lyana Aethionus, crown princess collides with the fate of Lysander “Xander” Taethionus and his almost-identical bastard step-brother Rafe. However what is at stake is bigger than a simple love triangle….I liked the fact that the story stayed true to Tristan and Isolde while also being original. While all of these elements can seem a little overwhelming I can guarantee you that the plot was captivating and unique. I liked how there were several plot twists and betrayals and that the story is not only centered on Lyana but that there is a broader (and darker) picture with the prophecy and King Malek.

There’s also the fact that one of the character is disabled and I liked how that was treated in the story because the message is that your disability does not diminish you and it certainly does not define you.

Writing style I highly enjoyed the attention to details, whether it was in the world-building, descriptions or in the dialogues. They are what made the world-building well-developed and well-researched and mostly, believable. The story had a good pace and nothing felt rushed even though there were many elements to take in for the reader. I love how the theme of deceit is woven throughout the story and how the plot unfolds as an enigma with clues and foreshadowing distilled throughout the book.

The setting of this book was truly beautiful and I could almost see vividly the landscapes at times. The origins and history in the book were so clever and interesting; I loved that!

Characters I loved the multiple POVs; it was wonderfully done. I feel like we really heard each of the characters’s voice through their POV and what made them all stand out. I have to say that Rafe’s POV was my favourite.

I liked how Lyana was headstrong and confident! She was not your typical princess and she was the perfect female main character.

The romance I liked how the author took subtle elements of Tristan and Isolde such as the star-crossed lovers trope and how well it fit the story. The courtship trials were very exciting to read about and I liked how fate came into play. I loved Lyana’s interaction with the two brothers and how we saw how different her relationship with both of them was.

Ending I am happy to observe that the book ended well enough and it made me want to read the second book ASAP!!

Overall review: this book was a breath of fresh air and I cannot wait for the world to read this gem! Honorable mention to the fact that Lyana is a dark-skinned character! That was so refreshing to read about. It was subtly hinted at, and changed nothing to the story but I really loved that.

I would like to thank Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I would like to let you know that the author is hosting a pre-order giveaway! (US-only, unfortunately…)

Everyone who pre-orders an ebook will receive an exclusive double-sided art print (one side with character art by Salome Totladze and the other with the world map). Everyone who orders a print edition (hardcover or paperback) will receive the same double-sided print, plus a bookmark and a signed book plate/sticker to attach to their copy!

More details about the pre-order give away can be found here: https://www.kaitlyndavisbooks.com/p/p…

Thank you to NetGalley and Kaitlyn Davis for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I didn’t know what to expect going into this book. It sounds really neat from the synopsis and it’s right down my alley.. I’ll be honest .. I didn’t expect to LOVE it so much!!

The MC Lyana was someone that I fell into step with right away.. she is a ball of bravery, loyalty, and sass and I luved every second of her story. Rafe and Xander’s story was also very addicting and I couldn’t get enough of their bond. I felt this story was very character driven and it was perfect.

There is a cliffhanger.. well like a handful of them that just leave you thinking WTH I need more now!! So now the only problem is waiting for book 2... even though book 1 isn’t even out yet.. lol..

"A shiver darted up Lyana's spine, but it wasn't from the cold. It was the thrill of standing at the edge of the unknown, the ache of wondering what the future would bring, the anticipation of so many sleepless nights and vivid daydreams finally coming to fruition!"

This wonderful story takes place in an avian world, far above the Sea of Mist. There are various islands ruled by different royal houses and inhabited by different winged people. Our main character, the dove Lyana, is the princess of the House of Peace. There are six other houses, like the House of Whispers inhabited by the secretive ravens and the House of Wisdom inhabited by the studious owls. The different gods, rituals and mindsets of the islands added to the worldbuilding and made this avian world more interesting.

Now, Lyana turns eighteen soon, but before that, she has to participate in the courtship trials and choose a mate. Lyana's parents have chosen Damien, the prince of the House of Flight, as her mate. Lyana however, may not want to follow her parents' orders but choose her own fate. She craves freedom.

Lyana is strong-minded and helps people no matter the consequences. She is accompanied by her best friend Cassi. Cassi's character takes an unexpected turn halfway into the book, she is led by duty and blinded by love. I won't go any further into her character, as I don't want to spoil this magnificent story. We also have broody Rafe, the bastard prince of the House of Whispers. He is consumed by grief and feels hated by everyone but his brother Xander, the actual crown prince. This love goes so far that Rafe takes Xanders place in the trials since they are based on physical strength and Xander is disabled. He lacks a limb and is a scholar, a peacemaker where Rafe is the warrior. Xander plans and Rafe acts.

I loved the way the story progressed and the characters became more fleshed out. The ending, a cliffhanger, has me craving for more and I can't wait to dive into this amazing world again.

"That feeling of freedom, of not having to hide, of being woven so closely nothing could ever undo them, that was love"

I want to thank Kaitlyn Davis and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. This review will be posted to the Barnes & Noble website as well as Goodreads on the publication date, March 9th 2020. Please contact me if you would like for this review to be published elsewhere or at another date.

Okaaaay, so I definitely wasn’t prepared to care about this book by the end, but holy crap, it was so GOOD. I care. And I definitely will be reading the rest of this series, no questions.

Basically different houses (different courts) come together and chose mates who will rule the different kingdoms through a showing of strength and other various tasks. After meeting each other under dangerous but memorable circumstances, Lyana is set out to chose the prince of the House of a Whispers during the ceremony. What she doesn’t realize is, her prince has is own secrets. He’s not the Prince, but the Princes bastard brother in disguise as him.

The characters were so well-crafted. Each had a distinct personality that was easily defined. Lyana craved her freedom and sought happiness which paved the way for a stubborn protagonist. I loved it. Rafe allowed grief to consume him, thus granting him the title of complete asshole. Cassi was led by duty and blinded by love. And Xander was....he was just the cinnamon roll.

Every single one had their own unique story in which I was interested. Whether it was a stubborn princess with a knack for trouble, a bastard born son who went the extra mile to stay out of the way, a soldier sworn to her king, or a boy trying to find the good in everyone around him, I was here for it. All of it.

The world building was quite interesting. Above, the people have wings and don’t possess magic. If they do, they’re killed for it. Below the mist, the people HAVE magic but have one wing or no wings, because they were shunned from above.

It’s funny because I didn’t actually care during those first one hundred pages of Lyana preparing to chose a mate. It wasn’t that it was poorly written, or boring, I just went in with the idea that it wouldn’t wow me. Kaitlyn, however, had different plans for me.

Let’s just go ahead and skip to that ending. (Spoilers)

Through the book, Cassi visits her King Malek who she reports to about Rafe and Lyana. By the time that wicked climax comes to pass, the King comes to the world above and he and Cassi cause quite a bit of trouble for Xander and Lyana during their ceremony. It ends with Rafe losing a wing and being what we assume-but-don’t-really-assume is killed, Xander being stabbed and revived, and Lyana being captured by King Malek who cuts her wing as well 😭.

It’s funny, this book did not seem capable of reaching such dark depths, but it DID. I thought it was too delicate of a book, but it wasn’t! My god was I slapped in the face with that ending. Loved it. Need more.

I do have one it’s-probably-just-me complaint though. The moment Rafe decides to play along with Lyana and actually be with her for one night. That was rushed. It felt super rushed. It’s a romance so give me those details to some degree! I get that we needed to get to Xander walking in on them, but like have one of them remember the night. Go back to it. Do something. I wanted more from their ONE romantic night together.

<i>The world will fracture, splinter in two,
One made of gray, the other of blue.
Beasts will emerge, filled with fury and scorn,
Fighting to recover what from their claws we have torn.
Two saviors will arise, one above, one below,
A king born in fire and a queen bred of snow.
Together they will heal that which we broke,
With magic and spirit, with mirrors and smoke.
But only on the day when the sky does fall,
Will be revealed the one who will save you all.</i>

Story 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
A world full of feathers and wings, of forbidden magic, forbidden love.
The princess has healing hands, a magic that could be punished by death. But when she meets a boy who happens to have magic in his veins, she feels certain. That will be her family, her future.
But nothing goes according to plan.
The princess leaves her family for the place of a queen, her wings so white her mates wings seem even darker.
The prince waited so long for a mate, for someone on his side. He waited so long, hoped so much that he didn’t see what was coming.
No one did.

There are books you start to read where you are sucked into the story in 0,003 seconds and your like: <i>why do I need sleep? A job? Social life? </i>
And then there are books where you need a few pages to get in.
Even though I had both types of this book in my life I can’t tell you which one this one is.
I can only tell you one thing: I liked it.
I really, really enjoyed it.
It was filled with magic, adventure, intrigues, spies and betrayals, with hidden kings and healing powers.
It was wonderful.
Can’t wait for book two.

Character 🌟🌟🌟🌟
The princess is called Lyana and that made me instantly think of Game of thrones and Lyana Stark. A brave, strong lady with a heart of gold.
And what can I say? They were very much alike.
I loved Lyana - aka Ana from the start.
I always love strong minded, brave woman in books/shows/movies and Ana was one of them.
She protected the one she loves and the innocent. She healed the injured even though she risked her life by doing it.
Everyone loved her.
She had all of them around her little finger.
Especially the men in her family.
I also loved that she was one of these people who always long for adventure and freedom and who in the end get what they want but only by a high price.
Rafe was this broody guy that would do anything for his big brother. Even take his place so they would win the competition.
He was a sad, insecure, tortured soul that only wanted to be happy. At least a little bit.
Xander was a real royal prince who was extremely loyal to his subjects. He did everything for them, sacrificed things, his pride, so they could be happy.
So his kingdom could have a princess.
Cassi was Anas best friend and did everything for her, but with every thought she thought, with every thing she did it felt harder and harder for her to keep her secret.
And after she was pushed too far even her strong willed loyalty couldn’t hold itself.
The strange underground king - Malek was one of the interesting ones. He definitely seemed to be the villain of the story. But with every word I read I realized that he reminded me of the Darkling (Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo). Both of them are the “villains” of the story, but don’t see themselves as a villain, as the evil of the story - they have a purpose - they want to make the world a better place, they want to save their people. And maybe their goal is the right one, but the way to it is so so complicated.
All in all I really liked the characters and cant wait to see what the future brings them.

World 🌟🌟🌟🌟
The world consists of feather and wings, of people who serve the gods but would punish magic in the veins of others.
They are all so different, but beautiful in their own way.
Owl wings, dove wings, Raven wings.
There were traditions, rituals and competition that showed the depth of the world building and the description of the world itself was beautiful.

Relationships 🌟🌟🌟🌟
I have no idea if the thing in this book can be called a love triangle, or not.
When Rafe and Ana met I knew instantly that they belonged together. Not only was their magic so similar, they both kept it a secret from their kingdom.
But then they found each other, only to be ripped apart. Again and again.
Ana was mated with Xander - the real prince of the ravens. His half brother only competed for him, because Xander had a handicap that made it nearly impossible for him to win.
But he needed to win. They needed a strong mate, a future queen.
And they got one.
But when Ana realizes the feud she is devastated. She thought she finally met someone where she could just be herself.
Xander and Ana were friendly to each other, but I never felt a spark. And when I read about Xander’s love and hobbies I thought that Ana wasn’t a good fit for him.
Cassi was. (Ship them!)
And Ana definitely needed someone different (Rafe, cough cough). But who knows what the future will bring.
But poor Rafe - he only wanted someone to love him the way he was. And he got that love from his brother. But it wasn’t the same. It didn’t feel the same after he met Ana.
Nothing felt the same. He was so sad, so heartbroken, it made me so so sad 😞
There was a little interesting twist that made the story even more appealing. A strange underworld king appears and wants to take Ana with him. I don’t really know if I like him, but I guess he’s the “villain” and I always love the evil ones, because they are the most interesting- most of the time.
But we’ll see...

Writing style 🌟🌟🌟🌟
The writing itself is in a fast comfortable pace written in different POVs. We get to see inside the thoughts and actions of the main characters and sometimes it’s surprising what we read there.

Can’t wait for book two!

There were a lot of things I liked about this book, and a few small things that frustrated me. I thought the world-building was cool and intriguing, and I enjoyed all of the characters introduced. At times I felt frustrated with characters’ decisions but that’s honestly just me being mad at their choices and not bad writing or anything. My only complaint would be that there seemed to be a lot of hinting and setting up for a larger, more complex plot and premise to the series - which interested me a lot - but at times made it feel like the whole book was a set up for the next one. All in all, I’m really interested to see where the next book goes - especially for Xander and Cassi who were my favorite characters. This book was an exciting start for the series, and I feel like the storylines and character arcs that come out of the future books are going to be really fun and I can’t wait to read them.

I don't know where to start with this one. I absolutely adored it!
I really don't want to spoil anyone because I think this book is DEFINITELY worth buying when it comes out and I hope it gets the recognition it deserves.

The writing and the story are gripping, the world-building fascinating and the plot keeps thickening the more you read.
It starts with the courtship trials that will pair up the children of the current rulers of their world and it's as much skill-based as it is a political event. The ruling families embody different qualities and appearance traits of different birds. I.e. The Eagles tend to be super accurate with their aim and they're colder people emotionally, while the Owls are studious and scholars, etc. I really liked this distinction between the different houses.

Rafe is meant to participate in the trials posing as his half-brother, who is the heir of the House of the Ravens but, due to his physical disability, he asks Rafe to compete and get him a mate - their house rarely gets one because they're pretty much the black sheep of that world. But before the trials begin, Rafe and Lyana meet each other in a life or death kind of situation during which they forge a bond.

Lyana is such a likeable character even if it's naturally hard to related to a princess. She seeks acceptance and honesty with those she loves and she is forced to hide a big part of herself for fear of persecution and, ultimately, death.

Rafe struggles with hiding a part of himself for the same reason and they bond over that mutual fascination and fear. I will say that Rafe reminded me A LOT of Will Herondale from TID and I love Will to bits! He's selfless, protective and so so damaged. He feels unworthy of any kindness that comes his way yet he sacrifices himself and his feelings so his brother can be happy and a great ruler.

I did like Xander too, but I didn't think he valued Rafe's sacrifices nearly enough. He should have talked to his brother when he realised something might be going on and he preferred to ignore his gut and continue clueless. Despite this, Xander is super intelligent and a total bookworm.

I don't know how I feel about Cassi yet and I'll refrain from saying anything else because this is a no spoilers review.

The ending broke me, it was brutal and heart wrenching.
In short, if you're looking for an amazing fantasy with forbidden love, love quadruples (although I'd say this is debatable because Lyana is pretty sure of her own feelings), betrayal and dragons with political games bigger than anything our main characters expect, this book is for you!

The sequel can't come out fast enough!!

4.5 stars! Thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book.
I loved it. I don't read a ton of YA fantasy anymore, but I'm glad I requested this book, because I enjoyed it so much. Little review without spoilers down below!

I was immediately into the story from the prologue on and the world was easy to understand (which is a big plus from me). I loved the characters, especially because one of the main characters reminded me of Will Herondale and he is my heart. The story is told from 4 point of views and I liked reading from all of their perspectives.
The story was pretty fast-paced and I flew through it.
Also, big cliffhanger.

All in all, I'm definitely going to pick up a physical copy of this when it comes out in March!

What surprised me most about this book was that I was so easily submerged into the world, sometimes with fantasies I find it hard to get my head around the politics, characters, structures ect but not with this one! The world building was interesting & you weren’t ploughed with too much information at once.

I loved the characters and couldn’t possibly pick a favourite... maybe Xander or Cassi....

THE ENDING THOUGH *cryyyy*

I ABSOLUTELY FREAKING LOVED EVERYTHING from this book. The book felt like it was perfectly tailored for me. It had magic, romance, action & strong main characters. What more can one ask for?🤩
.
The characters are beautifully written especially the main characters Lyana & Rafe & the development of their characters as the story progressed. The story was action packed right from the word go & the chemistry between Lyana & Rafe was simply amazing. It also made me cry at times reading their struggles & especially the End. The climax was heartbreaking.😭 .
.
This 1st book of atleast 4 books in the series will be releasing in March 2020 & I am already excited for the next one. The anticipation of what might happen ahead may quite literally kill me.🥺
(ok.ok...Sorry for the dramatics but it is really that good🤷‍♀😅)
🕊
✨Would like to thank @kaitlyndavisbooks & @netgalley for providing me an eARC of this book. The views & opinions expressed here are completely my own.❤

Loved the cover, loved the world building. It did take a bit for me to be invested in the story but when it took off, it grabbed me and kept my attention.

*I received this arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

"The Raven and the Dove" is a very loose Tristan & Isolde retelling in a fantastic setting with humanoid birds or birdy humanoids? There are wings & doves & ravens.

Anyway. The story. Every generation, the princesses and princes of the ruling houses are mated to each other in a ritual. The evening before this starts, Lyana saves Rafe from a dragon and nurses him back to health. She thinks him the prince of another house, although he is just supposed to pose for his step-brother as he is no royal. Xander, the real prince, is supposed to be mated after the three days though. In addition there is also a spy at court, pursuing her own personal goals...

I thought a fantasy Tristan & Isolde retelling would be cool, especially because I know the Medieval romance quite well. But the entire thing didn't entirely convince me, the romance was so boooooring, I feel pity for Xander, and I have absolutely no clue what's going World-Building wise. This felt too much like the first book of a trilogy...

2,5 Stars --- maybe I'm also too old for this very tame retelling

This is the kind of book that I would buy just for the cover. The art is really beautiful and it makes you curious about the story. And reading the book I can say that I wouldn't be disappointed. I really loved the plot. It's interesting the idea of people combine with birds and how they became like this.

The world building is amazing. It's something new and hopefully we will find out about every realm not just for the doves and the ravens. At the beginning you can find a map that helps to imagine where the characters are living and where they are going.

Also you can fall in love easily with the main characters. Xander is underrated because I know he can do anything he wants. He should believe more in himself. Rafe is the book boyfriend who every nerd will want. Lyana is that kind of princess with backbone but unfortunately I saw her more childish than a fearless girl. And Cass is the mysterious owl with a dark secret.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed the book and can't wait to see what's going to happen next. Thank you NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for a review.

Why do I read arcs when they just cause me pain?
I just saw that there is going to be 4 books. This book isn't even out. I need the next one. I need more Rafe so bad.
If you know the story of Tristan and Isolde then you can guess some of this story. But there's so much more to it and I love it

To be honest, when I saw this arc on Netgalley, I didn’t think I would get it. It made my day when I got the notification that this arc was approved for me! I was so hyped to read this book; the cover was gorgeous, the story was intriguing, and most important of all:

The main characters had wings. And there were dragons involved.

I enjoyed this book. It was entertaining. The story was so interesting and I wanted to know more and more. We are left with sort of a cliffhanger at the end and with more questions than answers.

Which is obviously a good thing for the writer and publisher, since I now desperately want to know what will happen next. Luckily for my poor curious self, there are apparently going to be three more books released in The Raven and the Dove series, so hopefully my desperate questions will be answered.

I think my biggest problem with this book is the characters. With Lyana and Rafe. Xander was so underrated and a sweetie-pie, while Cassi’s character took an unexpected dark turn that I enjoyed. But with Lyana and Rafe…the little, inconsequential problem called insta-love arose.

Insta-love is such a big turn-off for me that I put the book down in frustration and went to do something else.

The writing was okay; I struggled with finding any quotes. However, I loved the world building! The idea of floating isles seems so magical to me. And with an entire world living below, never seeing the sun?

That got me really curious.


Good Underlying Themes/ Messages:

-Your disability does not define you.
-Wild souls are meant to be free.
-Brains matter just as much as brawn.

These were decent themes, so a whole star for this category!


Fantastic World Building:

As I mentioned above, I loved the world building in this book.

The setting sounded beautiful and the people seem to have an interesting history. I loved how people’s views on some things in this book were different. One thing was seen in a specific way, but it was seen as something totally different by someone else.

The people were diverse and we skimmed the religion but it was still interesting!

A whole star for this category!


Realistic characters and growth:

And so we’ve arrived at the real problem of this book for me.

Lyana is definitely a wild soul. She can’t sit still for even one minute before she wants to jump out of the window and fly away to find something more entertaining. At times, I liked her impulsiveness and spontaneity. It’s a fresh breath from all of the serious and dramatic characters I’ve encountered. But then again, at other times she irritated me. Her point of view was childish at times and her instant ‘love’ for Rafe frustrated me to no end.

Rafe was the typical brooding warrior with a good heart. He wasn’t very interesting to me, remaining bland for the rest of the book in my opinion. His only hobbies seem to be fighting.

The relationship between Lyana and Rafe reminded me of a very common problem when it comes to so-called love in books:

Love and lust are not the same thing.

It’s the cause for insta-love in this book. I didn’t feel any chemistry between them and I also hated it because I knew it would hurt Xander immensely. I still don’t understand why they were attracted to each other? Is it because of they both have magic?

Moving on to Xander, my thoughts while reading his chapters were that he was so underrated and underappreciated. He only has one arm and because of that, he doesn’t think he’s as worthy as Rafe. His severe daddy-issues have probably got something to do with it as well.

But you know what? I would choose Xander over Rafe anyday. Then we’ll spend our days reading on a couch in front of a sizzling fire. Heaven, don’t you think?

Xander’s POV’s were so much more entertaining than Rafe’s, so I hope the author realizes what a gem he is and gives him some more attention.

Cassie was a curveball I didn’t see coming. I thought when I first read her chapter that she would be acting as Lyana’s own Impulse Control but she had such a bigger role to play and I’m actually sort of proud of her?

I really struggled with this rating because honestly, Xander and Cassi were the only characters that kept me going. So for the first time, I’m giving this category 0.25 stars.

This just goes to show how much I hate insta-love.


Interesting Story:

The only thing that makes me want to continue this series is the story.

I’ve got so many questions and I urgently need to get some answers. As you probably already know that this story is a Tristan and Isolde retelling. I had no idea what story that was so I Googled it (obviously) and this book stays both true to that story and not. The elements of the original story is there, but I think from here on it’ll take it’s own original turn.

Sort of like how A Court of Thorns and Roses was based on Beauty and the Beast, but the rest of the series is an original story.

A whole star for this category!


Writing Style Is Beautiful/ Easy To Read:

As I mentioned before, the writing was okay. It wasn’t bad or good, just average. I appreciated that the writing wasn’t overly dramatic, since that and the insta-love wouldn’t have worked well together.

Half a star for this category.


That’s it!

Overall, I was underwhelmed by this book but I’ll definitely read the next book in the series!

Any thoughts on The Raven and the Dove that you would like to share? Have you read this book or would you like to read it? Comment down below!

*I received this arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kaitlyn Davis for this ARC!

All in all, this was a pretty good read! Not perfect, but I did enjoy it quite a bit. I think there was a good amount of world building... not so much that you are overwhelmed but still enough to feel immersed. Perfect balance for a fantasy novel.

Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but I didn’t really care for Lyana or Rafe. Their characters were a little boring and predictable. Xander and Cassi, however, were far more interesting. Xander’s positivity, trusting nature and absolute love for his brother was refreshing. I also really liked Cassi because of her backhanded dealings... I still think she loves Lyana as a close friend.

My only major critique is the level of detail. At times it felt like too much and that it really held up the story. Around 60% the balance improved and the story really started to move quickly and become more engaging. For this reason, less detailed descriptions would have helped the pacing and overall flow of the story. The writing style was engaging and I think the author is clearly very talented. I just wish the phrase “pumping his/her wings” wasn’t so overused.

The cover was also not my favorite, it made the novel seem more YA than I would have liked, but I think that’s just personal preference.

Thanks again to Netgalley and Kaitlyn Davis for this opportunity. I look forward to reading the sequel

The Raven and the Dove is a wonderful, dark and incredibly rich dystopian/fantasy novel, so well built and fast paced that I wasn't able to put it down till I reached the end. I was absolutely captivated by the atmosphere and characters.

This novel submerges the reader in a landscape so imaginative and detailed that the information of the world building, as complex as it is, never feels forced, and is never difficult to understand or picture in one's mind.

I was so intrigued by the synopsis but was let down a bit. I don't really have many feelings about this book. It was okay but nothing to go home about for me as a reader. 3/5 stars.

Synopsis:

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 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.

My Thoughts:

First and foremost thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for gifted me a free ebook in exchange for my Honest review...

Four dates will collide, four very different lives coming together in very different ways. One unforgettable journey. If you like fierce heroines, brooding heroes, forbidden romance, and action-packed magical adventures with twists you'll never see coming. Getting caught in love triangles, destinies, and secrets. Amazingly fun and twisted!! The banter that is displayed at times between characters is hilarious and gives it a touch of lightness, comedy.

Action packed, and non stop adventure full of magic!! None-the-less, there is also lies, secrets and betrayals. I can't wait for everyone to read this amazing story full of diversity, fun, and magic!! You don't want to miss it!