I have mixed emotions about this book. Overall, I loved it. Xander immediately became my favorite character (which is rare for me, usually it's the female lead). He's just so precious. But I had trouble getting behind the main couple, Lyanna & Rafe. Lyanna got on my nerves from the start. She's so spoiled and only thinks about how things affect her, not everyone else. And Rafe, honestly, I kept going back and forth between like and dislike. Why couldn't he just keep it in his pants? Cassi, that girl has a lot of secrets and most of them are going to blow up in her face. I wish we'd gotten a bit more from Lyanna's brother.
I did really like the storyline. The magic aspect is really interesting, as are the two worlds and how the mythology works here. I still have so many questions. I can't wait to find out more in book 2.
Also, it needs to be mentioned. That cover is gorgeous.

First of all, thank you to the author and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

In the world of The Raven and the Dove, there are 7 floating islands, and 7 different houses. For as long as they can remember, they've had wings, living in the sky. And this is the year for the courtship trials.

Lyana is the dove princess. Her brother, Luka, is the Crown Prince. On the first day of the Courtship Trials, the other houses on their way, Lyana and her friend, Cassi, watch as the House of Whispers (Ravens) come upon the bridge. Rafe is a bastard of the king of the House of Whispers. Xander (Lysander) is the Crown Prince. Only problem? He's missing his right hand, and that makes his standing in the trials last. His family is rumored to be cursed, and with 5 crow princes and 4 second-born princess, one prince will go home empty handed.

Xander convinces Rafe to step in for him for the trials. His skills as a warrior in flight and his raven call far exceed Xander's. Agreeing, they are suddenly attacked by a dragon, an omen of the Fire God. Xander is forced to flee, and nearly killed. With the secret magic of healing, Lyana takes Rafe to a cave and helps him heal. Upon visiting him the next morning after the trials have been postponed 1 day, Lyana sees the crown prince seal around his neck, and she knows she will have no other.

When Rafe is found alive and-mostly-well, he returns with Xander and the queen to the trial. And at the opening ceremony, that's when Rafe learnsthat Lyana, the beautiful dove in the cave who saved him, is none other than the princess of the House of Peace.

This was AMAZING. I'm so thankful for receiving an ARC in exchange for an honest review and as a participant in the bookstagram tour. The world Kaitlyn Davis has built is really unlike anything I've seen, and the romance is steamy and slow-burning. I really cannot recommend this book enough!

The story is about Lyana who is the princess of the House of Peace, Fleeing from her courtship and following her need for adventure she watches a battle of Rafe. After he is hurt Lyana heals him and thus begins our story. It’s so hard not to judge a book by its cover because holy moly this cover is GORGEOUS. Before I started reading I felt invested.

I love the characters. I enjoy Lyana’a character development and Rafe with his mysterious secrets and past. They encounter a slew of events that cause chaos. The plot is astounding and has me at the edge of my seat. It is a book I could not put down. What I love most aside from the characters is the setting, Davis paints a pretty picture of this fictional world and makes me feel as though I am experiencing instead of just reading. The book is exciting and a perfect light read for all fantasy lovers.

Four stars!

First of all, how dare a book end like that... I mean the first half of the book was meh to the point I almost DNFed and there was a lot of information to try to remember and character names that were almost too similar and just not a lot of plot movement but then it finally gets interesting and it just ends. Why. 

To be honest, I initially requested The Raven and The Dove for it's ridiculously gorgeous cover. I even preorded it so I can hold it in person at some point and stare at it longingly, similar to Ana and Rafe most of the book. 😅 All jokes aside, I love forbidden romances and star-crossed lover stories and even if there wasn't very much of it here, I have high hopes for the sequel. 

The world building was vague (I kept picturing those floatly block things in the early Mario Brothers Nintendo games ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) but the characters were all described beautifully and I had no trouble picturing them. I even have some fancasts in mind. I'll probably end up posting them over on Twitter. 

I've got to say, no offense to any author in particular, but I officially hate the word mate now. 🙄 

If you love Fantasy, The Raven and The Dove feels refreshing in overwhelmingly heavy Supernatural genre. It reminded me in some ways of one of my favorite series Falling Kingdoms but with more birds and dragons. And maybe a little bit of Gulliver's Travels. 📚🕊🐉🔥

***Thank you to Kaitlyn Davis and Netgalley for the review copy.***

I know you’re not meant to judge a book by it’s cover but I couldn’t help myself – just look at it! I knew I had to request it on NetGalley and I was so happy when my request was granted. The Raven and the Dove is an avian inspired fantasy novel while also being a nod to Tristan and Isolde. I’m not familiar with the original story but after doing some quick research; it’s basically a tragic love story between a knight and a princess who cannot be together but are drawn to each other despite the princess being married to someone else. While the novel doesn’t follow this framework exactly, it does bear some similarities.

The story follows Lyana, the princess of the House of Peace, who longs for freedom and adventure, as she is soon to be wed following the sacred courtship trials. Wishing for one more adventure, she takes flight, unexpectedly witness to a fierce battle between Rafe, the shunned bastard son of the House of Whispers, and a dragon. After suffering grievous injuries and on the verge of death, Lyana intervenes and saves Rafe, using her powers of healing, binding them together irrevocably. Rafe is hiding his own secrets however, which brings on an unforeseen choice and subsequent chain of events…

One of the novels biggest strengths is the worldbuilding and lore that Kaitlyn Davis so effortlessly weaves into the book. While there are a lot of names and terms to get to grips with through the course of the story, which was a tad overwhelming at first, I quickly got used to it and it just fleshed it all out for me so much more. I loved the whole concept of floating islands in the sky, set above the mortal world, inhabited by a race of people with wings and a rich history of their own. Each island has a different ‘House’ or family, with each having their unique abilities and different landscape.

Tying in with the worldbuilding and lore, the writing itself was extremely descriptive and vibrant, with details just spilling off the page. While it could be considered slightly flowery at times, it was still enjoyable to read. I tend to read a lot of quite intense fantasy novels which have more complexity in terms of the writing style and plot, so I appreciated that this novel proved to be a lighter, more entertaining read for me. This isn’t to downgrade it at all, just that it was less of an emotional read and more enjoyable haha.

I feel like the characters themselves are likeable enough, but there was only one character who really stood out to me. I was initially drawn to this novel by the cover, especially given that Lyana is a young black female character. While there is so much amazing diverse fantasy out there with nuanced portrayals of people of colour, this book doesn’t really have that nuance or complexity. My favourite character was Cassie, Lyanas best friend and confidante who is hiding her own secrets and shifting allegiances. I thought her storyline and arc was interesting and I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll stop there, but I had suspicions about her right from the start and I was proved right which was so satisfying! I’m looking forward to seeing her arc in the next book.

The part I slightly struggled with was the love story itself – it felt far too much like insta love for me to fully root for Lyana and Rafe as a couple. Don’t get me wrong, the tension and angst between the characters was enjoyable to read but I couldn’t see why or how these characters felt deeper for each other seemingly overnight. There were opportunities for more meaningful moments to occur which would have given the necessary development but these just weren’t there. Obviously everything in a novel is considered, but the love triangle fell so flat and artificial to me, as a bid to create more angst.

Overall, The Raven and The Dove was an enjoyable fantasy tale full of magical lore, lush description and world building. I’m definitely going to be looking out for the sequel after that ending – I can’t wait to find out what happens next with these characters.

I loved this so much, I’m just so sad I’m going to have to wait for the next books now. The multiple POVs are done really well, I loved the characters in the book, well developed and relatable, the story is fast paced and addictive, the writing is really good. It’s everything I love, fantasy, romance and action. I can’t wait for the sequ, but sadly I have to. Highly recommended


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I am left with a tumult of emotions after finishing this book. My emotions vary from anger to sadness to excitement. I cannot wait for the next book in the series which will sadly not be coming out for a while. This book took me on a phenomenal journey that will have a lasting imprint for months to come.

I would recommend reading this book. The rest of the series is planned and comes out in 2020 through 2021 and I could not be more excited. I need to know what happens to the characters and how it all shakes out. And if you love ya fantasy this book is for you.

The Raven and the Dove is a young adult fantasy novel that follows Princess Lyana as she awaits a mating ceremony, where she will be married off to a prince of a different kingdom. However, before the ceremony even begins, Lyana connects with a stranger from another kingdom in a way that she's never been able to connect before. When Lyana finds out that this stranger is actually one of the potential princes vying for her hand in marriage, she's overjoyed and believes she may be able to make it through the mating ceremony after all. Things aren't what they seem though, as Lyana finds out shortly after choosing this raven prince as her mate. Secret magic, otherworldly plots and betrayals abound, leaving the reader surprised (and a little confused) until the very last page.

SPOILER NOT SPOILER: these characters are all, um, birds? like, with wings. And they live above the "mist" on floating kingdoms? And secret people that live below the mist on ships?? And Lyana's best friend is huge jerk/spy??? And dragons (I do NOT know what the story is with these dragons)??!?

This story is original with the *winged birds* kingdoms, and the fact that the kingdoms float around in the sky. I am still confused about what's happening beneath the mist, on those ships, and wish we spent more time there. I don't really understand the magic system, so that's frustrating. I was absolutely not living for the love triangle or any of the romance in this book. Another problem was that it felt like there were two very distinct phases: the mating selection(?) was roughly half of the pages, and then what came after was the other half. Breaking the book up in this way felt strange, pacing-wise (I kind of wish the choosing the mate part was shorter, or that the choosing the mate part lasted pretty much the entire novel with other plot points that happened later in the book scattered throughout the mate selection part). Overall, I think there's potential for subsequent books in this series to build on the framework of this first novel, but I can't say that I was a huge fan of this novel on its own because it was a bit muddled and had strange pacing, and none of the characters are very memorable.

Rating- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (it's between a 4 and a 5, but closer to a 5 than a 4)
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Lyana - a dove, a princess, a prophecied queen.
Rafe- a raven, a bastard, a pawn of fate.
Two people you would never expect to cross paths, and two people whose collision makes sense like no other. When Lyana discovers that the man her forbidden magic rescued from the clutches of death carries the royal seal of the ravens, she is first terrified, then delighted. She makes up her mind to pick him when the trials come, when she is to choose her mate, because what more could she want, than to be herself, truly, her biggest secret no longer one? The Raven however, has secrets of his own that she doesn't know of. And that will be her undoing.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I can't really do plot summaries I'M SORRY, but I think this works? I don't want to give too much away because I went into this book blind and BOY! I enjoyed reading it so damn much!!!! The Raven and The Dove packs an exciting, entertaining punch with fun, compelling characters and a plot that will keep you on your toes! I wouldn't say things are unpredictable, but I would say that things happen in a way that make you feel feelings anyway. Even if you know what's coming. And you know I'm always up for that kind of feelsy bullshit.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The story is told from multiple perspectives, and while this kind of narrative can get confusing or be a bit much in books, I think it fit really well for this one. There was a lot happening, a lot of things being established and hashed and rehashed and I felt like the multiple perspectives helped keep the pacing of the story aloft. There wasn't a least favourite perspective, but I loved Lyana and her mind the most. That poor girl was so innocent and then life fucked her over and I FELT that. We all felt that. Kaitlyn Davis really us all like that we were sitting here reading anyway.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The writing was pretty fine. It wasn't as flowery as I usually like my fantasy to be, but again, the novel didn't call for extravagance of that kind. The setting of the book was definitely the most interesting thing! EVERYONE'S A BIRD, Y'ALL! I love it when characters have wings and when they're not faeries (Rhysand PTSD rip me)! The world is just a bunch of floating islands supported by God Stones™, and it's a bit weird and it's a bit intriguing and just very fun to read about! My only gripe with the book is that there is still too much unknown about the main story - this book was mostly establishing characters and having them fall in love with each other (there were like 5 different ships I don't even know it was so much fun lmao), and while I still enjoyed it so much, that ending left me a little high and dry and I want to know what is actually happening that would warrant the kind of treatment those poor babies got dealt with! (Honestly, Kaitlyn Davis REAAALLY did us like that and we were sat here just shocked).
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Overall, a super solid read! I didn't expect to like this book so much even though it was me who requested the book by my own accord. Idk I have come to expect some clichéd things from YA fantasy and while this book did have some of them, I felt like the tropes were still executed in an excellent manner and that really enhanced my reading experience! Do check this one out when it hits the shelves next month!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
ARC provided by @netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All the opinions are my own!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
PS: APPARENTLY IT'S A RETELLING OF SOMETHING CALLED TRISTAN AND ISOLDE AND NOW I NEED TO READ THAT BC WHAT ALSO IF YOU KNOW IT READ IT OKAY BYE

Everything about this book is perfect. The cover is gorgeous. The story has the perfect pace and plot twists in the perfect positions. Each and every character was perfectly described and their reactions were absolutely real and relatable. I love this book and can't wait to read the sequel.

I loved reading this book because it was romance, fantasy, and action all in one setting. Those three things are my favorite themes of the books I read and this book did a great job at balancing them throughout it. I really didn’t know if I would like the semi love triangle in the book since that is my most hated trope, BUT it was way different then I thought it would be. Lyana was very impulsive and didn’t always think through her decisions, but I loved how she always followed her heart no matter what anyone said. Rafe was so selfless and loyal even though he acted like a grump and I tended to feel bad for the sad and lonely life he had to live. Even though he did make mistakes towards the end of the book, I couldn’t be completely mad because his actions are from a boy who has never been loved by his family or people and that’s something he wanted so badly. On the other hand, his brother Xander was a funny and charismatic character and let’s just say he was not done justice in the end no matter how much I like Rafe. I almost gave this book four stars, but the ending was so shocking and crazy I couldn’t help but give it the five full stars. Towards the end, I couldn’t stop thinking, “OMG, did they really do that? What‘s going to happen next??!!” And of course, this book ended on a cliff hanger and now I’m upset that I read this book so early because now I have to wait even longer to read the second one!

'Kay, so I'm in two minds about this one.

I love the idea of all these winged people and their factions and their politics, but at the same time the world-building felt frustratingly under-developed. I wanted to know more about how it all worked, but all I ever got were vague glimpses.

I also found the character names kinda frustrating. We have four main characters:

Lyana, also called Ana.

Lysander, which is way too close to Lyana, but he's also called Xander.

Cassi, also called Kasiandra.

Rafe, also called Aleksander, who sometimes swaps places with Xander.

I've got nothing against characters having nicknames, but it's annoying when they ALL have nicknames, and too many of the names are too similar.

So there were parts of this that had my attention wandering, but then that ending came out of nowhere and changed everything. No spoilers, but . . . wow! I went from feeling mostly indifferent about the characters to desperately wanting to know what's going to happen to them.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

Two saviors will arise, one above, one below,
A king born in fire and a queen bred of snow.

A loose retelling of classic romantic tragedy Tristan and Isolde, you would think we’d be prepared for world shifting plot twists and the mother of all cliff hangers- We weren’t.

The book opens on a ship, and we’re introduced to a world filled with magic and dragons, and a boy we know will be a prince… but that’s where we leave him. Most of this story takes place on the floating islands above amongst people with wings who’ve fled the world below. Just one thing… here magic is illegal. Anyone found with magic is stripped of their wings and thrown from the islands back to the world below. The kingdom is preparing for a tournament to choose which royal pairs among the families will be married off. Our protagonist is Lyana, a headstrong princess of the doves who is used to adventure and doesn’t want to be forced into a political marriage so she is determined to win this tournament so she can choose her partner.
And then, there’s Rafe and Xander. Rafe, the illegitimate prince of the ravens who comes along to stand in for his nearly identical brother, the true prince of the ravens, in the tournament. Dark, broody, totally enamored with Lyana.. And not allowed to be with her. Because even if Lyana does choose him? She’s choosing Xander.

The pacing is such a breath of fresh air. I loved the writing style, poetic without feeling fluffy. The author had a way with making me feel for the characters when I was so sure I wouldn’t. The entire novel we’re wondering who will end up with who, and when we do find out and all the secrets are revealed, the story only gets better. Will Lyana settle in to her new home? What is Lyana’s best friend hiding? Who is the prince of below??

The ending reveals all and completely shatters everything you think you know.

I definitely recommend this to fantasy lovers and fans of romantic tragedy. Highly anticipating the sequel!

2.5 raven-black STARS ★★✬✩✩
This book is for you if… ... uhm well anybody got any idea what to put in here? I'm honestly at a loss of whom to recommend this to. TW: very steep cliff hanger

⤐ Overall.
There's no way to disguise the fact that I did not enjoy this book. I had high hopes for it, was all in for falling head over heels for this YA fantasy romance. The truth is, neither the eloquent writing style nor the magnificent world of Rafe and Ana can obfuscate the fact that this plot was all over the place and somewhat messy. There happened a little too much at once if you know what I mean. It's like watching multiple table tennis matches at once and so you're so overstimulated, you get bored, turn your back and watch the audience instead.

Altogether, we have some beautiful and interesting characters here. Who couldn't love Rafe? Nobody, that's who! He's your average tortured male hero with a gruesome past. He inflicts pain on himself because he thinks he's not worthy, but boi is he worthy. I must admit I had my troubles with Ana sometimes. She screams privilege all over, despite her magic that supposedly marginalises her. And do not get me started on Xander, so many things wrong, so many.

Some of the names were a little too made up to be authentic. LIke. There's this deity called Teatanos. Guess what my brain read every. single. time. That's right. Tetanus. In old greek this meant cramp or spasm but if you translate that into German again, it also means rubbish (and cramp or spasm also). Irony at its best, y'all, served by mother language.

The romance was lovely! Honestly, I loved how they each suffered in silence after their initial meeting. I know, I'm terrible but it was just deliciously excruciating.

You can find me desperately scrolling for reviews that make me feel less lonely in this tiny room of people who didn't like this book.

⤐ What’s happening.
‘Let’s pretend we’re not in a castle, but a deep, dark cave. Let’s pretend I’m a dove with no name and title, and you’re a raven with no past.’

Rescued by a dove without identiy, the raven without a past finds himself tucked away in a cave that holds more potential than his past life bound together. Ana and Rafe discover they share an aptitude for magic. And a fascination towards each other that will either be the root of much good or much trouble.
Con:
⇢ one can talk her way out of her duties
⇢ the other can't escape his
⇢ a third party is undermining the field
Pro:
⇢ the gift to see light even in the darkness
⇢ not entirely separated from one another
⇢ kindness always prevails

_____________________
writing quality + easy of reading = 5*

pace = 2*

plot/story in general = 2*

plot development = 2*

characters = 4*

enjoyability = 2*

insightfulness = 1*

I'm not gonna lie, at first I was interested in this book because I was drawn in by the beautiful cover. But then the plot sounded very intriguing and so I decided to request an ARC and I got approved!
I'm so glad to say this was such a nice read, it wasn't a 5-star read but it's definitely fully deserving of 4 stars in my opinion.

The retelling aspect of the story of Tristan and Isolde was very well done and I could see some tropes that were taken from the original story and woven into the narration of this new one.
Rafe and Lyana were the perfect star-crossed lovers to my eyes and I found myself rooting for them since their first encounter. I also need to give a special mention to Xander, he's such a nice and kind guy who truly loves and cares for his people, definitely king material.

I quite enjoyed the magic system that was introduced in this book, but there's still so much we don't really know and I cannot wait to have the chance to find out more! Also, the world below sounds so fascinating and there's so much to discover still.

I warn you guys, there's a cliffhanger ending in this one. My gosh, I so need to know how the story continues. If Goodreads is right, the second book is set to come out in July. Let's hope it's true, so that I don't have to wait too long!

Fantastic read, hands down a great book thag will captivate it’s audience I can not wait for the next one

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I have wished and wished for wings to fly before, but never as much as I am now after this book! This avian-inspired fantasy is so unique in its world building that I was immediately drawn in. And while it wasn’t a 5 star read for me, I really enjoyed lots of elements!

So what is this book about?

High above the cloud exist seven kingdoms, each representing different birds and ruled by different gods. Lyana is the dove princess of the House of Peace, the highest and most revered kingdom that lives on the highest of the floating isles. As Lyana approaches her 18th birthday, so do the courtship trials. Here, every prince and princess from the seven kingdoms will compete in various skill competitions and end the tournament matched with their mate for life. Rafe is not who he says he is. A bastard of the King of the raven’s House of Whispers, all of his kingdom hates him, all except his brother, the crown prince. As the courtship trials approach, Rafe is expected to lie, secretly competing in his brother’s place to win their kingdom the best possible match. Yet days before the trials are set to begin, a dragon attacks, fatally wounding Rafe and nearly killing him… if it weren’t for Lyana. Suddenly, these two are joined by experience and the secret of the forbidden magic they both hold. Secrets must be kept and kingdoms preserved… even as a traitor exists in their midst and a secret prophecy is about to unfold.

Immediately coming into this book, I was very intrigued by the world that Davis has built. The floating isles high above the clouds sound truly spectacular, not the mention the winged people that inhabit them. From the dove and ravens to owls and songbirds and hummingbirds, different birds are represented beautifully and intricately throughout this story. Each house, and therefore each bird species, has a different unique isle and culture that I had hoped to explore more. However, our story focuses mostly on our two main characters and their houses.

Davis takes an interesting approach with POV and gives us many. While much of the narrative is dominated by Lyana, we get many chapters from Rafe’s POV, a handful from Xander, the raven crown prince, and even Cassi, Lyana’s best friend. It has been a while since I have read a book that used this many POVs and while it could get confusing at times, it was refreshing to be able to see the story from many perspectives, rather than being trapped in one. Xander and Cassi were my favorite chapters to read because they saw the story from outside of the main character light. This helped to understand smaller details of the world and not get so caught up in the drama unfolding between Lyana and Rafe.

This also allowed for us to get a glimpse at the conflict that is boiling beneath the surface, literally. Below the cloud cover, the world is covered by a boiling sea, but the people still exists. This is the life that the Houses escaped generations ago, yet people still live and suffer below. I found this aspect of the world especially intriguing because it is the part that is yet to be developed, giving us only glimpses until the the whole story unravels at the end. This intrigue and cliff-hanger at the end of the story is a great lead-in to the next part of the story that will undoubtedly show us more of this world below the mist.

As much as I enjoyed the world that Davis built, I kept wishing for more, and for that I blame Lyana and Rafe. Throughout much of the book, the opportunities that present themselves to dive into the details of the world, such as the details of the courtship trials or the politics of beginning life in a new house, fall short and blur into the background because so much attention is put on Lyana and Rafe and their turmoil. Furthermore, the relationship that is built between the two of them felt tenuous to me from the beginning. After a shared moment and their shared secret of forbidden magic, they have no other truly deep or overwhelming conversations that propel their relationship deeper, making it feel like an insta-love, teenage infatuation. This, of course, is my own perception of the story.

This book was, without a doubt, very enjoyable and interesting, but not my favorite. A lot of the times, I felt the immaturity of Lyana getting on my nerves, the insta-love relationship turning tedious, and the story moving too slow before the big plot points hit. However, I would still be interested in seeing where the story goes next!

Sometimes judging a book by its cover works out.

The world building in this was probably the best part for me. It is such an intricate world, belief system, politics, families, and history. This book does such a great job of providing backstory while still creating an intriguing plot and never info-dumping. I think that is fairly hard to accomplish in a fantasy novel – especially the first in a series – but Kaitlyn Davis handles it all very well.

There are four main characters who all have their own deceptions, drama, and responsibilities that they are hiding from. There is Lyanna, princess of the House of Peace, headstrong, stubborn, and a little sheltered. I really like her. She goes after what she wants no matter precedents of what her parents expect from her. She was a bit naïve, but always wanting to learn more, to see more, and for it all to mean more. I can really appreciate that.
Cassi, is the orphaned owl raised in the House of Peace with Lyanna. Most of my feeling about her are spoilery, but she is definitely smart – I can give her that.
Rafe is the bastard son of the king of the House of Whispers. He is the emotionally damages, strong, brooding one. What can I say? These are always my favorite types of characters and I loved him immediately, but he feel like the character we learn the least about. I want so much more Rafe in the next book.
And then there’s Xander. I adore this little book nerd. He is the prince of the House of Whispers, Rafe’s brother, intelligent, and he is missing his right hand. It breaks my heart in his chapters when he is struggling with his disability think that it makes him less of a person (especially less of a prince). All he wants is too be a good king, take care of his people, and have a mate who wants to hang out in his library with him. He is actually who I am looking most forward to seeing in the next books.

The problem I had with this book was the romance. It just was done in such a weird way. Definitely insta-love. Just pow! Meet, talk for a second, and then decide that he will be your mate forever. Uhhh? Okay, sure. And then they have practically no interactions together and I am supposed to just accept that it is love? Plus, when they do spend any time together the reader doesn’t get to see it. It is glossed over and I don’t understand that.

Overall, I really liked this story. The characters, the world, the family relationships, and the friendships. It is such an engrossing story I didn't want it to be over.

That ending though. That was freaking vicious. I am definitely hyped for book two!!!

yep, like many others, i requested this purely based on that GORGEOUS cover. i mean, look at it! it was well worth the gamble. loved the premise, the characters, the story. thought it was super interesting, really enjoyed it!

The courtship trials are about to begin and Lyana, Princess of the House of Peace is about to find herself paired off in a political alliance with a prince with whom her father has an advantage. On the dawn of the trials, she goes out without telling anyone but her best friend Cassi to fly and find one last adventure! What she finds is the prince from the House of Whispers attacked by a dragon! She has no choice but to help rescue him and heal him with magic! She recognises his magic and decides to pick him as her mate.
Rafe is the illegitimate son of the King, but for the trials he is pretending to be the Raven Prince to help them find a good match. When he’s injured he realises the Dove who saved him also has forbidden magic! At the end of the trials when Lyana chooses him, she ends up with the real Prince Lysander.
At the House of Whispers, a trail of betrayal and something more sinister. Everyone is not who they seem and on the foggy sea 10,000 feet below a King believes Lyana is his prophesies Queen. One who will help him save the world! And he will stop at nothing to get her!

I really do like the premise of the story and the characters are varied yet well explained. Lyana's sass & courage and Rafe’s swoon worthy attitude are well built. The courtship trials and the love triangle that follows is also well constructed. The story is well paced and the twists in the plot are interesting. However, at some points the world building gets a little confusing - it could be because this is only the first book and we’ve only encountered a part of the world above & there’s practically nothing about the world below. I’m hoping the next book adds to our knowledge of these worlds.
The end of the story came with a brutal twist and left me reeling quite horribly! Full points for a cliffhanger that makes me want the next book immediately! Can’t wait of the next one to come out!