Review: The Raven & the Dove by Kaitlyn Davis!

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Spoiler Free Review

Title: The Raven & The Dove

Author: Kaitlyn Davis

Published: Amazon Digital, 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 512

Goodreads

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(from Goodreads): 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.

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I received a copy of this read from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

I was initially drawn into this read by the cover and the fact that it said in the blurb ‘perfect for fans of S J Maas’. There were lots of things I really enjoyed, but overall I thought it was a fine read.

Things I enjoyed: the world is really interesting! I loved the idea of the ‘world above’ and ‘world below’, and I also really liked the different communites we encountered – kingdoms based on different types of birds who come together to find mates, what a different take on a usual trope! Sometimes I find different POVs frustrating, but I enjoyed seeing lots of different perspectives as the drama started to amp up. The writing style was intriguing and easy to read.

However, there were some things that didn’t quite sit right with me. Firstly, it took me a long time to read this book. I wouldn’t say it was hard to read, but I didn’t feel an urge to pick it up again whenever I put it down. I felt that it didn’t really need to have a 500 page read – it could have easily been just as dramatic condensed down to a 380-420 page book. Though the cast of characters were interesting, I didn’t always enjoy Lyana’s perspective as I found her stubborn streak a bit annoying. Finally, the insta-love got to me. I always find that a little tricky, but I didn’t feel enough of a connection between Lyana and Rafe to warrant it.

As always, those are just my thoughts. I think lots of people will fall in love with this story and it’s characters. I think my mediorce feelings for this read are a me-thing. If you are looking for a fairytale-esque, world’s collide tale with a unique take on different communities and dramatic twists and turns, give this a try. It might be the one for you!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars!

Have you read this? Tell me your thoughts!