First I want to say is I really love the cover of this book, it’s really pretty and really caught my attention.

Secondly Wow I loved this book, I really enjoyed how the author described all the different places in this story and made it possible to imagine what is it was like and how magical the story was shined through the pages.

I was thoroughly sucked into this story and loved everything about it, I love the characters , the way the author describes all the different places and things such as , dresses and character building I loved it all.

I found the authors writing style very captivating, and I really want to read more , the book ended on a cliff hanger and I have so many questions I need answers to and I can’t wait for the second one , I want to read more from these characters and see how everything plays out.

I also really enjoyed the pace of this book, it was just right and just what I needed to get me out of a slump.

I can’t wait for the next book hopefully I won’t be waiting for to long.

My rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I received this book from netgalley for an honest review, this does not influence my review in any way. I want to thank the Author, Publisher and netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Thank you so much to Kaitlyn Davis for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

The Raven and the Dove is a unique take on fantasy tropes, with a fascinating magic system and lush world building. The Houses represented by various typed of birds allows for gorgeous character descriptions and interesting avian traits, as well as a hierarchy related to breed and the god they serve.

I enjoyed the variety of characters and felt that most of them were fleshed out and not at all forgettable. Princess Lyana is bright and mischievous, and a likable character all around. We have characters running from soft and intelligent, to rough and brooding. Characters you love, and some you want to shake and just ask why.

The book is fairly fast paced, and, while some of the prose is overdone and telling more than we need, it doesn't slow the book down or make you want to stop reading. Overall, I enjoyed The Raven and the Dove, and look forward to book two!

I was highly skeptical about going into the Raven and the Dove and alternate retelling on the Tristan and Isolde and I hate to say it because your not suppose to judge a book by its cover, but that cover does not help the book. In my opinion. I am glad I was wrong. Yes, the romance unfortunately has the dreaded instalove. But what I was really intrigued about was the fantastic and vivid world building the author created. One of the main reasons I would read the second book was just to get back to the world. The characters were interesting enough the book moved along easily enough.
Overall, The Raven and the Dove relies heavily on the romance. But you stay for the world building.

I really thought this book was entertaining. The story grabbed the reader and made them want to know what was going to happen. But I felt like the characters didn't get a lot of development and it caused and insta-love thing between the two love interests. I don't mind romance, but where is the tension? That's the best part. The writing was good and I loved the world building. I'm going to give it three stars for now and put it on my reread shelf. I really want to read the next one and find out what happens as well.

Title: The Raven and The Dove
Author: Kaitlyn Davis 
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, 
Date Read: 20/04/20- 04/02/2020
Review: 

I received an EBook via NetGalley. I gave this book 4 out of 5 Stars. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were really unique and interesting; I loved Rafe he was so sweet, I really enjoyed Xander until his jealous streak hit, I found Lyana slightly irritating but relatable, and Cassi was an interesting character, possibly my favorite, but I hated reading her chapters.

Overall the writing was excellent but I wish this book was written from just the perspective of Lyana's POV, I think it would have worked better.
Full Extended Review on my blog to come later.

I am overwhelmed by this book and I cannot wait for the sequel to come out in the month of September. All the characters Liyana, Xander, Luka, Malek, Cassie, Rafe even characters like Helen and Mariam were so well developed it seemed I know them. There was a cinematic effect to the writing style. The world building was very beautifully done and I long to see illustrations. The trials and the adventures were awesome. The beginning of the second half after the trial was over and the started towards the House of whispers was a little slow but the pace gradually picked up. The book ended on a cliffhanger and I pulled an all nighter and 24 hour readathon to read this. So you can very well understand how fascinating this read must have been for me. I highly recommend it

Told in multiple third-person point-of-view, The Raven and The Dove is an intriguing tale of love, betrayal, and destiny. Following four characters, we witness this spectacular avian-inspired world unfurl through the eyes of a privileged yet caged Princess, an ambitious Prince, a scorned bastard, and the mysterious best friend.

The Raven and The Dove takes place in a floating kingdom far up in the open sky. The Royal Houses rule the isles with each house representing a different bird with different gods and culture. The story begins with the introduction of the courtship trials. The courtship trials is a significant event where the princess and princes of each House must win a partner.

At the dawn of the courtship trials, where the princess or prince must secure a… mate, we follow Lyana, the dove princess from the House of Peace. Upon discovering a shared secret, she then chooses the most unexpected person as her partner—the raven prince of House of Whispers. However, as secrets begin to unfurl, forbidden magic starts to manifest, and prophecies take place, there is so much more to come.


𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
The writing was clear and easy to follow. I liked how the author vividly describes the characters. Also, the diversity of the birds and their wings was such a nice touch. Whilst I enjoyed the writing, the story progression felt disjointed at times despite it being action-packed. I’m thinking this was more on my part and my two brain cells working overtime, trying to separate ‘Taetenos’ from ‘tetanus’, but I felt some parts of the story was too convoluted. There was so much going on whilst simultaneously, not. I don’t know how to articulate it, but it’s like the reader got bogged down with certain details whilst things were happening quickly. (again, I just think it’s got to do with me and lack of investment in the romance).


I've read other reviews state that they felt funny with the continual use of the word 'mate'. I agree to an extent, but also as an Australian, I had a different voice in my head whenever I read that word. And because of that, it felt jarring. (I’ve never read a book with the use of ‘mate’ lol so this was new).



𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆:

The world-building was interesting and unique. With winged people inhabiting the isles and a landscape of floating isles, this was a different and refreshing concept. And can we just take a moment and appreciate the floating kingdom? The floating isles in the sky was a truly magical concept. I liked how each bird represented different houses and possessed different culture and specialties. Reading about each House was fun and I hope we’ll explore more on that in the later novels.



𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀:

Lyana, the Dove Princess is one of the four POVs. I liked Lyana’s vivaciousness and optimism. Albeit naive and privileged at times, she was fun to follow. However, I can see how she can come across as selfish and therefore unlikeable but I enjoyed her narration and her adventure-seeking attitude.



Cassi, the best friend. One would easily assume she’s the typical ‘mum friend’, but she is a character in her own right. Her chapters were the most interesting and whilst I'm not going to say she's my favourite, I'm very curious to see what will happen!



Rafe, the shunned bastard was intriguing to follow. He's the character with the tortured past and trying to do the thing right despite not really doing anything wrong other than being born a bastard. Stubborn, loyal, but genuine. He’s a character you can’t help but cheer for. 



The Raven Prince Xander was interesting to read. He's an earnest soul trying to be the best prince for his people and be good to all those around him. He isn’t perfect, and he may lack courage at first, however, he had good intentions and tried to do things right.



My favourite thing about the characters were their bonds, particularly the brothers. Despite having the perfect opportunity to blame and hate each other due to their circumstances, the two set aside their differences and remain loyal to each other. And yes, of the characters, my favourites were Xander and Rafe. Who can't help but love the tortured soul? And who can't help but feel for Xander? I felt he was so underappreciated! 



With each POV we get glimpses of the characters, uncovering their aspirations and motives. Whilst some character motives are more known than others, each POV is engaging and quite intriguing. I am really interested to see how everything will all pan out.


𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲:

The romance felt quick and quite insta-lovey but I enjoyed the star-crossed lover trope aspect. Although, it didn’t feel like the romance was reasonable. There was nothing other than a shared moment between the two characters that deepened their bond or propelled them to be together. Having commonality is good (both wielding magic), however, there was no deeper conversation or actions that grounded their relationship or strengthened their bond. Other than Lyana and her googly eyes at Rafe and Rafe trying to ignore her, what was there? And whilst we can understand the pining and tension at times, we don’t see any chemistry with their limited interaction. Therefore, the romance felt more like infatuation or lust rather than love. And that is such a shame because I could’ve really rooted for the two. As a result, I couldn't invest that much into the romance. Especially towards the end. I suppose, it adds more drama and twists… 




Overall, this was an interesting read. With a fascinating world filled with hidden magic, secrets and betrayals, The Raven and The Dove is a solid YA Fantasy book. If you’re a fan of YA Fantasy, a sucker for star-crossed lovers, forbidden romance, and a mix of intrigue and heartache, this may be for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and to Kaitlyn Davis for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

𝗖𝗪:
 cheating, mild violence and blood

The raven and the dove is a magical retelling of Tristan and Isolde. It's a story of duty, betrayal and star-crossed love. I really enjoyed it!

One thing i really loved about this book was the world-building. The world and the magic system were really interesting and unique! However, there is still lots that the reader doesn't know from book one which makes me really excited to pick up the second book and learn more!

The characters in this one were also fantastic. From the first page they felt so real to me so when the drama starts to unfold I was so emotionally invested! I really understood all their motives and felt their emotions through the page. Some moments were just so heartbreaking because I just felt so torn for the characters! (Xander :((().

This book also ends on a super big cliffhanger and I just cannot wait to pick up the second book and dive back into this world!

Overall I really enjoyed this book! The world Kaitlyn Davis created is fantastic and the characters are raw and loveable. I can't wait to read more from this series<3

I really brought this upon myself. From the cover, the comparisons to other authors and even the use of the word “mate” in the blurb, I should have known this would not be the book for me. I’ve seen many comparisons with SJM’s series and while I wouldn’t say this is a copy, the author was definitely inspired and saw the opportunity to draw in SJM fans. Not even the plot could save this one for me.

Well this is basically the ultimate love triangle 😂 what a tangled mess (in a good way). Great flow, perfect writing, plot was connected well. cant wait to see what happens next.

While the book at first starts off slow to get into and confusing to understand the world, eventually bits and bobs of moments come through to show off an engaging story of love and adventure. From first glance at the cover illustration, it looked sweeping, romantic, and adventurous and I couldn't wait to dig in. Even though it's a retelling, it still feels fresh and intriguing.

I truly underestimated this story and I regret always putting it to the back of my TBR. I enjoyed THE RAVEN AND THE DOVE very much. The prose was a bit flowery, but it worked for me. My engagement never waned. I was fully invested in the characters. The world-building was lacking, but the plot made up for that! I'd definitely recommend this.

This was a nice, quick fun read. I really enjoyed Lyanna’s character, the world, and learning how everything in that world worked! I think that this is a 4.5 for me, because while I really enjoyed this book, the ending just wasn’t for me, and I don’t know if I’ll read the sequel.

The Raven and the Dove by Kaitlyn Davis is the first book in a new fantasy series. This book was blessed with such a beautiful cover. I don’t totally know what I was expecting with this book, but I dove in with no expectations. The characters are so gorgeous. The descriptions were amazing. I felt like these characters were written so well. The story is told by four POVs.I thought it was pretty interesting having so many point of views. The romance was a forbidden love trope that seems to be coming back and of course there seems to be a semi-love triangle. I felt so bad for Xander.

There didn’t seem to be much of a plot. Most of the book is waiting for events to take place and watching things unfold because we have so many points of views. I found that the story was a bit slow in the beginning but it does pick up. The writing style was beautiful. I thought that the author I’d d a great job making such a vivid world. I thought this book was pretty good. You should definitely check it out.

✨ I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ✨

What first drew me to The Raven and the Dove was the cover (of course). The winged characters immediately made me nostalgic for the angel craze that took YA fantasy in the noughties and early 2010s, so obviously I had to request it.

I ended up loving the world this story is set in. It felt magical and I can picture how gorgeous it would be in a film adaption. My only complaint is that we didn't get to see any more of the other houses. I never turn my nose up at subtle Greco-Roman references, either, and I really appreciated how unique the world was in a genre that can sometime be a little creatively bankrupt.

Unfortunately the plot didn't do the creative setting justice. In the end, The Raven and the Dove was little more than a predictable romance story in a fantasy setting. If you're into instalove and love triangles (or quadrangles?) this book might be the one for you, but given that those are my two least favourite tropes the book missed the mark for me. The romanticisation and apologising of cheating really rubbed me the wrong way, too. I know this is a Tristan and Isolde retelling so a certain degree of unfaithfulness is to be expected, but it could have been framed differently.

I couldn't really relate to the characters, either. None of them seemed to have particularly strong motivations, aside from Xander who just wanted to be a good king, which almost makes me want to forgive him for being so useless. Cassi's strugglr didn't feel real to me at all, which is a pity since she had maybe the most interesting backstory of all the characters. And, of course, the only drive Rafe and Lyana had was sheer thirst.

In the end, The Raven and the Dove was somewhat entertaining, but I'm not sure if I'd go so far as to recommend it.

As a teenager in the mid-2000's, I absolutely loved the 2006 movie adaptation of Tristan & Isolde starring James Franco. Although I haven't seen that movie in years, the legend came back to me reading this book but with new twists and complex characters in a unique fantasy world. It was so much fun! 

Synopsis: With only a few days of freedom remaining before her courtship trials, Princess Lyana "Ana" of the House of Doves longs for one final adventure before she is married off to the prince of another house. She and her best friend, Cassi, sneak away hoping to catch a glimpse of the other houses as they arrive for the trials. What they don't expect is they will rescue an injured raven after witnessing his fiery battle with a dragon.

Rafe, a raven bastard, will fight in the courtship trials in the place of his half-brother, Prince Lysander "Xander" of the House of Ravens. When a dragon attacks him and Xander during their journey, Rafe tells his brother to flee and faces the monster himself. Mortally wounded, he is rescued by a mysterious dove who also shares his affinity for magic, an affinity that is forbidden across the seven houses.

While concealing her identity and healing the injured raven she believes to be a prince, Lyana decides she will choose the raven as her match during the trials. He already knows her secret, and she would prefer to live the rest of her life without fearing someone will discover her magic. She also feels connected with him in a way she's never felt with anyone before.

Meanwhile, the king beneath the clouds has dedicated his life to following a prophecy he believes he's destined to fulfill. The other half of this prophecy: Lyana. The plan he has put in motion approaches its final stages, and there's nothing he won't do to make sure it comes to pass.

A magical and heart-pounding fantasy retelling of Tristan and Isolde, Kaitlyn Davis' The Raven and the Dove will blow you away. With complex characters who drive the plot, a unique and imaginative world, and a story with never-ending twists and turns, you won't be able to put it down. The book is primarily told from four characters' points of view, and you will find yourself understanding and cheering for each of them no matter how much their goals contradict one another. Lyana, Rafe, Xander, and Cassi will become your new favorite ensemble cast and leave you counting down the days until the sequel is released!

The memorable world of The Raven and the Dove includes royal houses and political intrigue, complicated family dynamics, magic systems, religions, prophecies, and two unique kingdoms; one above the clouds, and another below. I would've liked to see a bit more development regarding the religions and magic systems, but the story included enough details that I was willing to go along with it. Additionally, I'm not a fan of fantasy worlds where magic is forbidden, as I believe this is a cheap way to heighten the stakes; however, with everything else this book accomplished I was able to look past that as well. Lastly, there were moments this avian-inspired world came off as a bit too bizarre (raven cry? neck feathers?), but I lovingly believe if you can handle what SJM throws at you in the ACOTAR series then you will be able to handle The Raven and the Dove's world just fine. 

More importantly, I adored every character in this story. Each had believable motives that often conflicted with one another to drastically heighten the stakes. I understood and rooted for each of our principal POV characters and even the majority of the side characters. Dramatic irony heightened the intrigue and I often pieced elements of the plot just as the characters did. 

As a romance reader, I wish we could've felt the slow burn and tension between Lyana and Rafe a little bit more. Even for a YA novel, it could have benefitted from a bit more pining (surprising, right?), but overall the pacing was good and I'm interested to see how their relationship develops throughout the series. 

PSA: If you haven't read The Raven and the Dove yet, DO NOT look at the cover of book #2 in the series, The Hunter and the Mage. If you study it closely enough you will notice a spoiler from book #1 like I did!! Although the art is beautiful, wait until you finish the first book. 

Overall, I highly recommend this book and can unquestionably say that it's been one of my favorite books of 2020 so far! 

My review will be posted on my blog, Renaissance Kate, Goodreads, and Twitter on May 3, 2020.

I really loved this retelling of the story of Tristan and Isolde, it was such an interesting take on it. The world-building was amazing and I loved all of the characters. I can't wait for the sequel!

I thought this book was just a Tristan & Isolde retelling but oh my... it was SO MUCH MORE. It is a YA fantasy with forbidden magic, floating islands and dragons ! Yes, yes, dragons. I was not prepared for that and this book really surprised me.

It took me a few chapters to get into the story, but once I got invested, I couldn't stop reading. Not because the plot was amazing, it was merely okay to be honest, but the romance! The tension! Oh my god, it was well done. Really well done.

This book has 4 points of view: Lyana and Rafe, the main characters, but also Xander, Rafe's brother, and Cassie, Lyana's bestfriend. While I really enjoyed Lyana and Rafe's POV, I was a bit bored by Xander's and Cassie's pov. Xander was a whiny character, and I could not care about him because I was so invested in Lyana and Rafe's romance. And in my opinion, to have Cassie's point of view took out the surprise of a few plot twists.

Also, the main character Lyana is black and I was so happy with that. Look how gorgeous she is on the cover ! We need more books with POC main characters !

I really enjoyed the courtship trials in the first half of the book, and the plot got really interesting towards the end. So much was going on and I found myself really invested in the last 100 pages. My heart really ached for some of the characters and I need book 2 now!

“This will not defeat you. It will not define you.”

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I would really recommend it to romance fantasy with a hint of epic fantasy lovers !

3.75 stars.

This was such an amazing story that I loved every page of. This world is just so vast and each of the characters are just stand out amazing. I need book two to this series ASAP as I could not put this one down. I loved the pacing and the beautiful descriptions.

This was one of my favourite books that I have read this year! A very new and interesting take on the story of Tristian and Isolde with great characters, a very incising world and an exciting adventure. I hated that this ended on such a cliffhanger because now I have to wait for the next one to come out!