I cannot contain myself. This book yall!! So when I saw the cover of this book I knew I had to have it before even reading what it was about. It is so beautiful. Then after reading the synopsis, I knew for sure I needed it. This world that Kaitlyn spins is breathtaking. I love everything about the world, from the description of it to the story of how it was created. Each land is so spectacular, I wish I could have visited them all.

Princess Lyana is such a great character. I loved her parts a lot. She is so free-spirited and hard-headed and I loved that about her. I love how adventurous she is and that she does her own thing. Rafe is our other POV and I loved all of his and Lyana’s interactions and his personality. The other 2 POVs are Xander and Cassi. There were so many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, and I love books like that. The synopsis is right when It says that this book is for fans of Maas and Bardugo. I couldn’t put it down. It’s seriously such a fantastical and beautiful world that will have you enraptured the whole way through.

I’m excited about the next book in the series that comes out this year!!! We don’t have to wait too long. Go read this book ASAP, then come back here and let’s chat about it.

Soar into Davis' new fantasy series in this heartbreaking first instalment. With character betrayals, and hidden magic, you can't trust anyone in this enchanting world.

The Raven and the Dove is an avian-inspired fantasy. We follow four main characters, Lyana, Rafe, Xander and Cassi, giving us chapters from all four points of view. I loved getting to see inside their minds, and how different all their thought processes were. Davis used the multiple POV as a really helpful way to structure the world building, making it less overwhelming and easy to understand.

Lyana longs for adventure. A few weeks short of her eighteenth birthday, she's preparing for the trials that will see her choosing a mate, and leaving her family forever. Despite her strong family ties, and her love for the doves, she longs to fly, to explore and discover something new and exciting. Lyana is a strong willed character, who takes an all or nothing approach to life, ensuring her future is determined only by her. Keeping her at bay is her friend Cassi, an owl who found a home amongst the doves and has a private relationship with Luka, Lyana's older brother. Cassi intrigued me. On the surface, she's a loyal friend, but on the inside, she's got a hidden power, and a king to bend her will to. You spend the whole book on edge, waiting for her to betray Lyana, who adores her.

From the house of whispers, we have half brothers, Xander and Rafe. Rafe is all hard edges and walls, letting no one in, while Xander longs to share his library and heart with someone. Like Luka, Davis wrote another character, Xander, who I instantly found endearing. He's such an innocent, kind hearted character, and I couldn't help but feel for him as everyone went behind his back.
I was awed by how unique this concept was. Each house was inspired by birds and represented a God. Our two main houses, the House of Peace and the House of Whispers were inspired by doves and ravens. Then we have the House of Paradise, House of Flight, House of Prey and House of Wisdom, amongst others. My favourite aspect of this book was learning about each house, how their avian inspiration affected their flight, sight and abilities. During the pairing to mate the houses, each house had differing offerings; wood, scrolls. dances and raven cries. It felt so original.

On the other hand, the plot felt a little predictable. We're told early on that Lyana longs to see beyond her house, to choose a raven. We're also told that Cassi will betray her. I was wishing for more twists and turns. something to blow my mind away, instead we had small surprises here and there, but I could see what was coming from the start. This also brings me to the insta-romance. I wish we had some more developed, more drawn out. I preferred reading about Luka and Cassi's once sided relationship, and Xander's yearning for companionship. They felt more natural and raw to me.

Overall, this was a super enjoyable and quick read. I loved learning about Cassi and Xander, and can't wait to see what's in store for them in the next installment. Despite finding the plot a little predictable, I have no idea where book two, The Hunter and the Mage, is going to go, so I'm excited to get my hands on that, and I've got my fingers crossed Luka will make an appearance.

I was thrilled when my request was accepted on Netgalley and dived straight into this delightful and enchanting book. It is such compelling reading and I was completely absorbed in the story from the beginning. The author has a delightful writing style and the plot is gripping and full of twists and turns. I could not foresee what was going to happen from one chapter to the next and oh my goodness that ending.

Here is a beautifully constructed and mesmerising avian-inspired world, where humans have wings. There is a world above the sea mist and a world below. This book primarily focuses on the world above the mist, in which magic is forbidden. Terrifying fire-breathing dragons also make an appearance, adding additional drama and excitement to the story. The author has put a lot of thought into the concept, it is well written with gorgeous attention to detail.

There are four main pivotal characters, each with their own interesting and diverse characters and backgrounds. They are beautifully described, have depth and I connected with each of them instantly. Lyana is inquisitive, energetic and full of life and adventure. I love the chemistry between her and Rafe, who is the typical dark and brooding male with some historical issues. I also love the dynamics and the strong bond between Rafe and Lysander and their fierce loyalty to each other. Cassi let me down big time, what she did at the end was absolutely brutal. I was stunned, my jaw hit the floor and I couldn’t believe what had just happened. That being said, every character is engaging and a delight to read about.

Any book which engrosses me in its fantasy world, is so compelling that I want to read nothing else for days, is a 5 star read for me. I was completely invested in this page-turning book, it’s characters and the fantasy world. No downsides for me, except perhaps the ending which finished on such a cliff-hanger it left me begging for more. I can’t wait until the release of The Hunter and the Mage in September. I’m on it immediately!

Thank you to Netgalley and Kaitlyn Davis for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The Raven and the Dove was a unique fantasy book with great world-building and interesting twists. The writing captivated me from the beginning and I couldn't stop reading! I loved how rich the world was. Reading about a fantasy world where the land is divided by kingdoms that represent birds was a new and fantastic experience. I'm not a fan of the romance. There were times when I think it was unnecessary but I still liked the characters. They all have the potential to grow in the next book. I can't wait for the sequel because that ending was cruel! I want more!

This is a really cool retelling of Tristan and Isolde with a cool fantasy twist. The premise was very interesting with the courtship rituals between the various houses where winners of the trials will be able to chose a mate in order of rankings.
While I did enjoy it, it seemed very world building heavy and occasionally it was hard to understand exactly what was happening. I do look forward to the next book and I hope it answers some of the questions I was left with.

I think we can all agree that the cover of this book immediately drew us all in, right?? Because of the cover alone, I really wanted to love this, but it was just okay for me.

The world building was very solid and I enjoyed the characters for the most part. We have 4 POVs in this book, and I enjoyed all of them except Rafe bc he annoyed me a lot sometimes lol.

Unfortunately, I had issues with the romance. It felt very insta lovey to me, which always annoys me. It also wasn’t all that much of a focus in the story, which was fine, but not what I was expecting given the cover.

While I did enjoy this for the most part, I don’t feel the need to continue on with the series 🤷🏻‍♀️

This ARC was provided for review, but in no way affects the following impartial and unbiased review:
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4*
Pros: One of the most refreshing ideas and world-buildings I've ever read. Enthralling description of new worlds. Fantastic house system inspired by birds. Great attention to detail. Colourful, fun and engaging. Deals with sensitive issues such as self-worth, insecurity and fear. PoC lead.
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Cons: Instant and shallow love angle. One-dimensional characters. Slow-going and full of unnecessary scenes.

So The Raven and The Dove was definitely a cover choice for me. Yes I know you should judge, but it was just so pretty! I didn’t really have much information going in, but I’ve since found out it’s a Tristan and Isolde Retelling. I personally do not know that story, so I won’t be talking about how close it is to the original.

The first thing I have to say is that this book has a really beautiful writing style which flows nicely. It’s easy to read, and is almost fairytale like in places. The descriptions and world building are brilliant, and even the character descriptions make you want to fly to these places floating above the clouds. Each of our main characters are a type of bird but also human. They just have wings I believe, but use their own feathers to adorn their garments and resemble The Raven and The Dove.

The first house we’re introduced to is the House of Peace, which is the House of Doves and the central island for these bird human people. Each island is floating above the clouds and each house is a different type of bird, with different climates, cultures and terrain. The House of Peace is extremely cold and snowy, but beautiful.

Lyanna is our princess and is extremely headstrong but naive to many aspects of life. She’s been rebellious to her family and doesn’t really want to leave her home to marry. She also has magic powers, which are a big no no in this society, people with magic get executed so she hides it from all but Cassi and her brother. I feel like throughout this book Lyanna doesn’t really grow as a person – she changes her actions for different people, but her actual thought process and her rebellious nature stays the same. Although I’m sure in the next book she will mature after the ending of this one.

Cassi is her best friend and is very protective of Lyanna. As a reader you don’t quite know what to make of Cassi but her story is intriguing anyway. She also has magic, but keeps it secret from everyone including Lyanna – as she uses it to converse with King Malek who lives below the clouds. I love how Cassi’s story arc shifts and turns and you’re never quite sure what she’s going to do next.

After a quick courtship ceremony which involves a lot of peacocking, Lyanna chooses the House of Whispers prince to be hers. Except the Raven house has swapped in the brooding half brother instead of their one armed ruler. Making Lyana angry and confused when she expects Rafe but gets Lysander instead. This brings us to the title of The Raven and The Dove as we see Lyanna and what I believe is Rafe and not Lysander on the cover.

Lysander himself is not the issue. He’s a sweet guy who loves his kingdom and wants what is best for his kingdom. He meets his subjects and he spends most of his time reading rather than learning to fight, which he leaves to his brother and guards. I loved Xanders development and we really could see how he’s insecure because of his arm, but that he truly does want to be a good ruler.

Rafe is a typical YA love interest to be quite honest. He’s hot but he’s also brooding with a tragic backstory. Oh and he also has magic which he hides from everyone by Lysander. His story is very all over the place as he is conflicted about what he wants from his life, and how he is to continue now that Lysander finally has a queen.

The world is a brilliant concept with a world above which contains 7 islands which each of the houses resides in. There’s also a world below the mist, which is like earth and contains the sea and land as far as I can tell. We only really get world building for the above, where we have religions and ceremonies, and each house has a different terrain and climate etc. Above you also have a no magic rule, which is explained in the world below chapters.

Currently the magic systems are unexplored due to it being illegal in this world. We know Lyana can heal others, Rafe can heal himself and Cassi can astral project – but we don’t know much more than this. I’m hoping the second book brings magic more firmly into this world. What we do know is that Dragons are attracted to magic and will chase those who use it – which I really enjoyed.

Speaking of the below world, there is also King Malek who is arguably the villain of the story – although he’s not done much in this book. He’s definitely been set up as the mastermind behind the plot, and should be more involved in the second book.

A key issue for me in this book is that there’s insta love, and there’s also other characters who love others, which can make it extremely messy. I’m hoping (praying) that a second book focuses more about the action than the romance, but I’m probably wrong. Especially since the title is The Raven and The Dove – and this sounds like a romance waiting to happen.

Overall I enjoyed most of The Raven & the Dove, especially the concept of winged humans and the whole islands and gods/magic holding them up.

Positives of The Raven and The Dove
World Building
Character Development
Negatives of The Raven and The Dove
Instalove

4.5/5 ✨✨✨✨

There’s was something about this book that captivated me. After page 50 I couldn’t put it down. First off...the cover. Is. STUNNING. A dark skin black girl as a main character?!?!? Also her hair is in small braids (as described in a scene from the book.) Let’s talk about Lyana.

It was such a breath of fresh air to see a female protagonist that wasn’t “badass” and “hard.” Too often when trying to reject gender norms, female protagonist are often written very one sided and almost robotic. But Lyana was FULL of life. I’ve never read a book with a black female protagonist like her. She was bubbly and flirtatious. Rebellious yet strong. Passionate yet loyal and kind hearted. Too often we only see these traits reserved for white female protagonist. Only white girls are seen as “soft” and “girly”. There was a carefreeness to Lyana that was so amazing to read about.

The description of Lyana as a black women was well done in my opinion. The words used to describe her skin and hair were well rounded and varied. I loved that her hair was in braids and other protective styles. It so important to experience a character whose blackness isn’t all encompassing to their existence and plot.

Lastly, the romance. I’m a sucker for broody: asshole male protagonist and Rafe was no different. He was sarcastic and emotionally unavailable. He was loyal to his brother, even to a fault and he loved fiercely and in totality. I loved the pacing of the romance, it was SUCH a good slow burn. And then I felt like the author ruined it. The ending relationship wise rushed in my opinion. It was at an agonizingly slow pace and then......someone’s found in bed and I’m soooo upset because it just felt unnatural.

Finishing TRATD im left with so many questions about the next book. This world is so rich and detailed. The houses and their magic feel so real it flew off the page. I’m very interested in seeing how to author will approach repairing the many relationships that she broke in the next book. If you’re interested in a book with diverse representation,
(Race and disability), political intrigue and a rich magic system I would highly recommend.

The Raven and The Dove is the first book in the Kaitlyn Davis new YA romance fantasy series. It's my first book by the author and I can safely say that it won’t be my last. That pretty cover is obviously what drew me to this book, but when I read the synopsis, I was sold. It has such a beautiful concept and I'm a total sucker for forbidden romance trope. And also it's a retelling of Tristan and Isolde.

Princess Lyana Aethionus is looking forward to her courtship trials where heirs from different kingdoms will display their strength through various tasks. The person who gets the highest wins will have the choice to pick their own mate first. When Lyana comes across the prince of Whispers fighting a dragon, she gets intrigued by his bravery. While saving him, she discovers his dark secret and she feels he's the only one for her. On the day of the courtship trials, she picks the mysterious raven prince as her mate, but she doesn't know that he's the bastard prince in disguise because the real prince can't participate because he is handicapped. 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 prophesied queen who will save the world and he will not stop until he makes her his queen.

I really liked Princess Lyana! She's pretty much stubborn, fierce, adventurous, and also a little bit spoiled and selfish. Some might find her annoying, but I really enjoyed her character. Cassi is Lyana's best friend who has an unrequitted feelings for King Malik, the villain. She's torn between her friendship and love. I admired their friendship, but that betrayal destroyed everything. Prince Rafe is a complex character. He's very much loyal to his brother prince Lysander aka Xander. I felt bad with the way he was treated especially by Xander's mother. I hated her. Xander is a pretty sweet and kind guy. He always felt insecure and vulnerable because of his missing hand. He genuinely loves his brother unlike his bitch of a mother. The romance in this book was definitely a insta-love and surprisingly it didn't bother me much. I honestly enjoyed it!

The plot was engaging filled with forbidden romance, friendship, betrayal, and magic. The first half of the book was a bit slow, so if you're not fan of slow pace then be warned. There's some drama and betrayals which I saw coming but that didn't diminish my interest at all. The story kept me hooked till the end. I liked the author's captivating writing style. I'm glad the book was written in multiple POVs. The world building was interesting. I loved the idea of floating islands, and people with bird like wings and mannerisms. And also not to forget the dragons. The magic system seems unique. We didn't get much of it in this book, but I hope we get more in the sequel.

Overall, I really liked this book! It was an enjoyable read and a great start to a new series. The book finally ends with one hell of a cliffhanger, and I can't wait to know what happens next.

I definitely picked this up for the cover and am so glad that I as it did not disappoint.

This is such an enjoyable read that had me intrigued from beginning to end. It is a pretty fantasy world that is full of twists and turns and an ending that will leave of begging for more.

Overall, I gave this 4 out of 5 stars and looking forward to see where the story goes next.

I enjoyed The Raven and the Dove even more than I was expecting to. The first thing that drew me to the book was the stunning cover and then the concept of it being an avian fantasy, which was like nothing else I have read before.

We follow Princess Lyana, who is a dove and the princess of the House of Peace. We meet her as she is getting ready to compete in her courtship trials to select a mate. But, Lyana has always had a curious and wild nature and decides to sneak out of the castle along with her best friend, Cassi, to see the other houses arrive. She gets more than she was expecting when she comes upon a raven locked in a death battle with a dragon. Rafe is the bastard son of the dead king of ravens and he is posing as his half-brother, Xander, to compete in the courtship trials for him and his house. He was not expecting Lyana to come to his aid or the fact that this dove princess also possesses forbidden magic just as he does.

But even though it seems that fate has brought them together, destiny just may tear them apart. The mists below the houses has always been a mystery to the world above. There in the foggy sea is a young king that believes that Lyana is a prophesied queen that will save the world. He uses a well-infiltrated spy to aid in his plans to make her his own.

This book was full of betrayal, love, and adventure. I am hoping for even more world building and character development in the next book, but loved how this first book set us up to continue the journey with these characters. There was a shocking and heartbreaking conclusion to this book that left me yearning for the next book!

When you're diving into a book with multiple POVs, there's a chance you won't be liking one of them. But that isn't the case here since every one of the characters are worth reading about. The world is stunning and its complexity easily depicted through the pages. The romance will give you so much love yet so much heartache. A definitive recommendation!

I just want to take a second to appreciate THAT COVER!!! It’s GORGEOUS! And a huge part of why I had to immediately request this title! Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers to sending this my way! It was really fun! I really enjoyed getting lost inside of this world especially toward the middle/ending. It did take my some time to get into. There’s a lot of world building and it did take me sometime to get into. I liked the idea of all these houses coming together to choose mates, it was very clever and very unique! I adored Lyana, I loved how she was strong, hot tempered and just did whatever she wanted! She was a fun heroine to follow! I will say that while I loved Rafael but the romance itself felt very instantaneous. It developed fairly quick and it definitely had that “instalove” vibe. I wanted it a bit more of the development part. I also thought the plot was very engaging, fast paced, and once I got used to the world, it was easy to follow! Definitely pick this up if you’re interested in a different, quick fantasy romance! It’s a fun one to get lost in!

Interesting premise but it had too many point of views for me to properly enjoy it, the world was never really explained or what happened in the past to make it that way. I found myself skipping alot of the unnecessary description to read the conversations and inner thoughts. I really wanted to know what this prophecy was but didn't understand why the author decided to be so harsh on some of the characters. This isn't a series I would want to read on although it is going to bug me on what happens to the Dove and the Raven.

I was interested in this book initially because it is a retelling of Tristan and Iseult. I can see some parallels, but this is very much it’s own story. It revolves around the courtship trials, wherein the heirs to each kingdom, both male and female, compete to have first choice of marriage partner. The only two rules seem to be that crown princes & princesses cannot choose each other, only second or third-born heirs; and it’s always male/female pairings to ensure offspring.

I actually enjoyed this book a lot more than is indicated in my star rating. It was very easy to read, and I felt that all four POV characters had very distinct voices. Lyana, princess of the House of Peace, was probably my least favourite of the four. She’s so… naive, and peppy, and privileged. She’s like an excited puppy, with absolutely no discipline. It was hard to hate her, but she could be very annoying. Her best friend Cassi, a foundling with owl wings, was the most interesting. Part of that is because she’s got an air of mystery surrounding her, and she’s definitely in the morally grey category. The love interest, Rafe, was a pretty typical ‘tall, dark, handsome, and brooding’ sort of hero, but he had added depth due to his relationship with his half-brother, Xander. The final POV is Xander, the disabled prince of the House of Whispers. He wasn’t as developed as the others, and I wasn’t much of a fan of the treatment of his disability – he was born without a hand. However, he has a lot of potential, and it looks like he’ll have a bigger role in book 2.

The premise was a bit odd to start with – humans with bird wings – but I settled in to it pretty quickly. The world was quite interesting, and had a lot of moving parts. I’ll only discuss them briefly, because a large part of the book is learning about the world, and I don’t want to spoil anything.

Basically, there is a world above, and a world below. The world above consists of seven floating islands, and each island and it’s people are dedicated to a different god, and the attributes of that god. The type of wings is also dependant on the island on which you are born. For example, Xander & Rafe belong to the House of Whispers, and they have raven wings. Their god, Taetanos, is the god of fate and fortune, and their kingdom produces metal ores and jewels. Another island produces food, while another produces medicines, and so on. The world below exists under the clouds on the surface of the planet, which according to legend, was peopled with despotic magic users, who are now being punished. Magic is illegal in the world above, and anyone caught using it is put to death. I quite liked the inclusion of religion, as I feel it isn’t explored enough in fantasy.

The thing that bothered me about The Raven & the Dove was the paucity of plot. Like, it was there, but it was very slow moving, and there was only the one strand. Sometimes it felt just like a series of interactions, one after another, rather than a coherent plot. At other times, events were mentioned, but completely skipped over, such as the second day of the marriage trials, which seemed to be a missed opportunity for some more action.

To me, this felt like the set up book. Full of worldbuilding, character backstory, and putting together the bones of the story, rather than being a story in, and of, itself. I don’t always mind this, but I usually like for there to be some resolution to part of the plot. Because this didn’t have much of a plot, let alone any sub-plots, there was nothing to resolve, and instead the reader is left with a whopping great big cliffhanger. Thankfully, the next book comes out in September.

I think I probably will pick up the next book. The promise some actual action, and of learning more about Cassi is a big draw for me.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to finish this book right now. I’m about 6 chapters in and find the story very lackluster and slow. Hopefully I will be able to return to it in the future and enjoy it more.

Holy.Shirt. HOLY FORKING SHIRT.

Three shocking betrayals. Two star-crossed lovers. One unforgettable journey in this Tristan & Isolde avian-inspired fantasy retelling.

I--I--

Okay, let me start again.

I--

Nope. Can't do it. I'm utterly shell-shocked.

This was wholly unique, and completely enthralling. I loved reading about each House of Bird's, and the society in which they lived. The romance was agonizing (in the best way). I didn't know who to root for. The majority of the book was basically just Kaitlyn Davis playing tug of war with my feelings.

My favorite character by far, however, was Lyana. She was playful, fierce, cocky, and adventurous - simply a delight to read.

My only complaint is that I wish we had gotten a bit more sense of the world and it's history. It seemed so complex, that I really just wanted to know part of its origin stories, legends, etc., However, a major part of the plot was the mystery shrouding that particular aspect, so that I understand.

And THAT ENDING. Where I felt like the story dragged a bit at certain points, the ending TOTALLY MADE UP FOR IT. HOLY CRAP. It almost broke me. Major cliffhanger alert!

Overall, this was such a fun ride! Can't wait for the sequel!

Big thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me an ARC copy of this book!

This book was definitely and interesting read. I came into it with a certain point of view since the description not only gave it a description of being like Isolde and Tristan, but also a book that followed the works from the likes of Maas, Bardugo and Tahir. With that being said, I'm still deciding if I really liked it or outright loved it. From beginning to end it very much is Isolde and Tristan in a different retelling, but I very much felt the comparison to Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses. The characters are interesting and I very much enjoyed the premise it presents, and this new world readers get to explore. It was a very easy read, much in part because it was written in the way to not be so complex. I really enjoyed the characters, they are so interestingly complex and they each present something different to the table, especially in their experiences and how that has formed itself into their characteristics and choices. The story really took such different turns and as much as I want to say that I could foretell the direction it was going, there were times where I was just really surprised it went a whole other way. I felt that it did take a while for the story to really launch into the feel it was going to take, because for a while it focused more on the Tristan and Isolde, star-crossed lovers aspect. The ending was such an interesting turn of events, it really presents such an open door for the next chapter of this tale and I am excited to see what way the story goes because I feel like I have no idea where it'll lead.

The Raven and the Dove is obviously the first book in a series and I for one can't wait until the next book comes out.